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Saturday-Friday | June 5 - 11, 2021
Santacruzan in the time of pandemic
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lores de Mayo has been one of the most anticipated festivals in the Philippines, culminated with a night of grandeur called the Santacruzan every end of May to commemorate Queen Helena's search for the Holy Cross. Over time, the occasion has evolved into a moving exhibit of Philippine artistry and craftsmanship, with the town belles parading in long gowns representing the many titles of the Blessed Mother and significant Biblical characters. While the pandemic halted festival activities across the country, the event carried on, albeit virtually -- Masses were celebrated online and in some instances (with only the sagalas present), processions in a controlled setting were held. The first Santacruzan in the Philippines was held in Malolos, Bulacan. But the original procession goes way back to 326 AD when St. Helena, the queen mother of Emperor Constantine, traveled to the Holy Land in search of the True Cross and the “Holy Sepulcher” or the location of Christ's crucifixion. From this pilgrimage, St. Helena found three crosses. It was said that the Holy Cross was determined when her sick servant who touched the wood was miraculously healed. Alongside the Santacruzan, the Filipino faithful also dedicate the entire month of May to Virgin Mary. In an online Santacruzan organized by the Diocesan
Shrine of the Holy Face of Jesus of Manoppello on Monday night, Rev. Fr. Richard Lagos explained the meaning behind these events -- the Filipino Catholics' undying faith in God. "Napakahalaga ng krus sa ating mga Kristiyano kaya nga Santacruzan sapagkat ang krus ay simbolo ng pananampalataya nating mga Kristiyano. Hindi ito simbolo ng kaparusahan, ng kayabangan, o ng kamatayan, hindi ito simbolo ng kalupitan ng mga tao. Para sa ating mga Katoliko, ang krus ay simbolo ng dakilang pag-ibig ng Diyos (The Holy Cross is important to Christians because this symbolizes our faith. This is not a symbol of punishment, arrogance, nor death. It is not a symbol of cruelty. For us Catholics, it is the symbol of Christ's love)," he said. "Si Maria at ang krus ay hindi mapaghihiwalay dahil tinanggap ni Maria sa kanyang sinapupunan ang anak ng Diyos, si Hesus. Ito ay ekspresyon ng ating pananampalatayang Kristiyano -- pananampalataya na tayo ay minamahal ng Diyos (Mother Mary and the cross cannot be separated because Mary accepted and conceived the son of God, Jesus Christ. This is the expression of our Christian faith -- a faith in God that he loves us)," he added. Traditionally, a Santacruzan features numerous characters from the Bible with the old Methuselah leading the procession. According to the book of Religious Beliefs and Practices in
LIGHTHOUSE... from Page 5 Esther Salas served as President of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey from 2001 to 2002., President of the Hispanic Bar Foundation of New Jersey, member of the Governor's Hispanic Advisory Committee for Policy Development, the Superior Court Committee on Minority Concerns and the superior Court Committee on Women' in the Courts. On 2006, Esther Salas was selected among a group of 99 applicants as US Magistrate Judge for the district of New Jersey becoming the first Latina in that position, where she served for five years. On August 31, 2010, both US Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez announced they would recommend to President Barack Obama that Salas be nominated as federal district judge on the same court. Obama nominated her on December 1, 2010 to a seat vacated by Katharine Sweeney Hayden, who assumed senior status on May 4, 2010. Judge Salas was unanimously rated as "well qualified," for the judgeship by the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, which rates the qualifications of federal judicial nominees. Salas was given the highest rating by the committee. Though Obama's nomination expired without the Senate action at the end of the 111th Congress, Obama renominated her on January 5, 2011, at the beginning of 112th Congress and Senate confirmed her by voice vote on June 14, 2011and she received her commission the same day, making her the first Latina om the District Court of New Jersey. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the US District Court for the District of New Jersey has a busy docket, and according to a 2018 profile, Judge Salas has presided over as many as 485 civil matters and 50 criminal cases at any given time. In her final words during the televised interview, she said that she remains strong and resilient because she knows that her son Daniel looks down on her and guides her on her judicial decisions. Therefore, Bill S-2797 will be known as "Daniel's Law," in his honor.
STEM... from Page 4 Highest and lowest earners: STEM-educated workers in computer occupations had the highest median annual earnings among STEM occupations at $105,300. Engineers were a close second, earning a median $102,200 a year. Life scientists earned the least, at $66,540 a year. From College to Jobs The interactive data visualization below illustrates the dynamic relationship between college major and jobs, with a special focus on STEM workers. Using occupation data from the American Community Survey, details include bachelor’s degree major and occupation group for STEM, STEM-related and non-STEM workers by demographic characteristics: sex, race and Hispanic origin and nativity. Jennifer Cheeseman Day is a demographer in the Census Bureau’s Communication Directorate. Anthony Martinez is a survey statistician in the Social, Economic and Housing Statistics Division.
the Philippines by Teodora Battad, et al., some sagalas or the women joining the parade personify other Biblical characters like Reyna Shaba, Reyna Esther, Maria Magdalena, Reyna Fe, Reyna Esperanza, Reyna Caridad and the Samaritan whom Christ spoke to near the well. Others characterize the various titles of Mary: Reyna de las Virgines, Rosa Mistica, Reyna Paz, Reyna de las Propetas, Reyna del Cielo, Reyna
de las Estrellas, Reyna de las Rosas, Reyna Luna and Reyna de las Flores. Eventually, some figures were added such as Banderada, wearing the Philippine flag, Reyna Mora, Reyna Justicia, Abogada and Reyna Sentenciada. At the end of the procession, Reyna Elena holds a cross alongside her son Constantino, followed by the image of the Virgin Mary. (PNA)
GARCETTI... from Page 1 “This moment demands nothing less than our most courageous efforts to lift up those in need, and this budget charts a course to meeting our highest ambitions, restoring what we’ve lost, and building on what makes Los Angeles the best city in the world.” The signed budget features the City’s largest-ever investment to confront the homelessness crisis at $791 million, which more than doubles its current spending. The breakdown includes: $362 million to support 89 projects and over 5,600 total housing units through Proposition HHH; Nearly $200 million for the development of affordable housing, homeless prevention, eviction defense, and other homeless services; $58 million for 9 additional CARE+ teams — which now totals one per each Council District; An expansion of services at A Bridge Home and interim housing sites;11 new regional storage facilities; $43 million for Project Roomkey. All in, with carryover state and federal funding from last year included, the City is projected to spend $955 million to confront the homelessness crisis. The 2021-22 budget is strengthened by $639 million in spending from the American Rescue Plan. Mayor Garcetti advocated aggressively for this funding over the past year to lift up Angelenos hit hardest by the pandemic, and this spending blueprint puts those dollars to work with $151 million going to equity and justice programs; $281 million for homeless services; $244 million to restore vital services; and $64 million for COVID response and recovery. “This budget is accountable for City Services, it’s reflective of our fiscal duties, and it’s responsive to the systemic inequities and challenges that held back too many neighborhoods in our City for generations,” said Council President Nury Martinez. “It lays the groundwork for ongoing efforts to address these, because we are not naive, we aren’t going to change historic inequities with one step or with one budget, but with this budget we take a step forward towards that.” “Approved in the wake of the worst fiscal crisis in City history, the 2021-22 budget is a monumental step forward,” said Councilmember Paul Krekorian, chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. “It enhances park services to levels not seen for over a decade, allocates a record amount of funds to address homelessness in our neighborhoods, provides an array of environmental protections, expands the senior meal program, offers millions to businesses coming out of the pandemic, and attacks the problem of economic inequality across communities. During my tenure as Budget and Finance Chair, there has never been a time when
the City Council, Council President, and Mayor worked more collaboratively on this process.” Other key components of the budget include: $62 million for the Small Business and Restaurant Recovery Fund, L.A. Al Fresco, and steps to help revitalize the tourism and hospitality industries; $40 million in the City’s COVID Emergency Fund to expand the City’s Mobile Outreach for Vaccine Equity (MOVE) program; $33 million to grow the City’s Gang Reduction and Youth Development program; $30 million for the expansion of solar energy generation and EV charging stations; $29 million for America’s largest guaranteed basic income pilot to date; $18.7 million to fund new programs founded on a Therapeutic and Unarmed Response for Neighborhoods (TURN) and community-based approach to reimagining public safety; $15 million for digital inclusion and universal broadband programs; $8.7 million to employ high-barrier young adults to clean and beautify our communities, as well as $3.5 million to train and pay 1,000 low-income high school students to home-tutor young siblings who have struggled with distance learning; $10 million to the REPAIR Innovation Fund to support racial justice, community intervention, and reconciliation work; $3 million to support the Social Equity Program within the City’s Department of Cannabis Regulation and promote equitable ownership and employment within the cannabis industry. Cumulative reserves of 8.6% “Mayor Garcetti's commitment to putting a lens of racial equity on unprecedented investments in alternatives to policing, guaranteed basic income, and ending the homelessness crisis shows how strong leadership can begin to transform systems and bring more voices into the conversation about America’s future,” said Aqeela Sherrills, Executive Director of the Community Based Public Safety Association. “To put it simply, this budget is bold and visionary.” “Today's exciting approval of the next L.A. City budget by the Mayor of L.A. reflects the community's call for bold and substantial reinvestment in our highest-need families, in women and in our young people as we begin to work toward addressing the seismic inequities and systemic inequalities laid bare by the pandemic,” said Maria Brenes, Executive Director of InnerCity Struggle and a member of the Making LA Whole coalition. “I look forward to working with City leaders, including the Mayor and Council President, to ensure an equitable recovery for Los Angeles, especially for the most impacted communities. Thank you, Mayor, for your leadership.”
