 FEaturE. Pandemic gives working mothers more family time

Pandemic gives working mothers more family time

DAVAO CITY – Mother’s Day on Sunday was mostly celebrated at home due to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Sandee Rato, a public school teacher in Compostela, Davao de Oro, is not complaining though as time spent with her three children is her best coping mechanism while she cannot physically connect with friends and other relatives.

“The mere thought that the pandemic gave way for me to have quality time with my kids is consolation enough,” she told Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.

Gardening is another of Rato’s option when she gets frustrated with the pandemic situation.

“I will rather spend my energy on things that will benefit me and my family. And above all, faith in the almighty Father that everything is not in my control, but He is in control,” she added.

Jezreel Abarca, who teaches at the University of the Philippines-Mindanao, said the pandemic allowed her to discover and embrace the significant personality contrasts of her children.

“Under the current social situation, our family also became closer to God since we read the Bible and pray the Rosary everyday. I also have enough time to serve my family like by cooking, helping my children with their school requirements, and nurturing them with good values because of constant communication,” she said.

Isabelle Oosthuizen, an employee of a private logistics company, lost her husband, Martin, to malaria in South Africa amid the pandemic.

“I have to stand up again and mend the broken pieces because I have a son who depends on me. It is like living one day at a time, taking baby steps to rediscover myself and my strength because I have no husband anymore to support me,” she said.

She must also continue working despite the threat of the pandemic “because people count on me, our family that needs me. How do I cope up? Prayers and faith that God is there.”

Ultimate sacrifice

Queenie Roxas, also a public school teacher and a mother of two, told the PNA that there is no greater sacrifice than nurturing a human being for nine months.

“You give up your body for nine months for your baby. The labor and the pain, espe-

MotHEr’s loVE. Despite her busy schedule as a public school teacher, Sandee Rato makes sure to have quality time with her three children. She said working from home allowed her to be closer to them. (Photo courtesy of Sandee Aquino-Rato)

cially that I had a cesarean deliv- said being a mother is a blessing mothers to provide their children ery. The sleepless nights that until despite the sacrifices. with good education and spend now have not returned to normal “I became fat and have stretch time with them as much as they were difficult but all worth it,” she marks. From being free and single can. said. to being entangled with domes- “Celebrate the reason that we

As a working mother, she said tic responsibilities of rearing and are called mothers. Spend time one of her best rewards is seeing taking care of children,” she said. with your children because if it her daughters grow up God-fear- Rato’s greatest fear is not to be weren't for them, we won't be the ing. able to support her children. women that we are now. Also, ap-

Rato, who used to officiate “From thinking only of my per- preciate the reason of our existsports events in provincial meets sonal needs, I now put my chil- ence, our own mothers who are and the Palarong Pambansa but dren's welfare above my own,” the reasons why we are here and opted to concentrate with teach- she said. of who we are now,” she said. ing after she gave birth to a girl. Oosthuizen advises fellow (PNA)

LIgHTHOUSE... fROM PagE 5

organization as she was the Home Economic Supervisor for the entire province of Zambales. We were booked at the then prestigious Ago Hotel, overlooking the majestic Mayon Volcano and the sight itself was unforgettable, admiring its perfect cone beauty, particularly in the morning wnen we open our windows and admire nature's beautiful sight. Thus, for three wonderful days we visited Legaspi's nearby areas such as the Cagsawa Ruins in the town of Daraga, Albay, where we saw the remnants of a 16th century Franciscan church, which was built in 1586 but was burned down and destroyed by Dutch pirates in 1636. It was apparently rebuit in 1724 by Fr. Francsico Blanco but sadly was destroyed again along with the town of Cagsawa during the Mayon Volcano eruption on February 1, 1814. The following day, we briefly visited the rainforest sight of the Calayucai Beach in the province of Sorsogon to see their Black sand beaches, and it was truly a refreshing experience to see and swim in it. Overall, Tia Toning taught a lot of us, the wonders of nature and appreciation for native dishes, cooked in the most minimal and simple ways.

So undoubtedly, this month of May when the springtime blossoms of flowers and refreshing air surrounds us, it always reminds me to particularly THANK my two dearly beloved aunts, Remedios Yap Rimando " Tia Meding" and Antonina Ebuen-Yap, 'Tia Toning," in celebrating their birthdays in heaven and to be grateful, for their unconditional love in nurturing us. We will forever cherish all the unforgettable memories we had with them. May Our Lord bless them forever as they bring joy wherever they are. God bless.

HOW... fROM PagE 2

had an equal shot at getting the shot, as long as they had a computer (to make the appointment), a high speed Internet, a kind of job where they could take three hours off in the middle of the day to chase down a vaccine and access to a car, rather than mass transit," said Pastor.

In areas such as education, communities of color also experience a tremendous loss in learning and despite the progressive opening of schools, they are the most reluctant to come back. Black and brown families who suffered from the virus in their homes are not only afraid of sending their children to places where they can be infected, but the digital divide has accentuated their difficulties in keeping up with their homework during the school year.

In Los Angeles County, 13% of white children who are in K through 12 lacked a computer with high-speed Internet. But that figure for black and Latino children was around 40%, Pastor said.

All these inequalities only reveal that the pandemic has not caused a recession like the one that hit the economy evenly in 2008. According to the sociologist, what we face is a "micro recession" in which the stock markets and property are up, and people with incomes of more than $100,000 a year have not seen their wallets affected. But instead, those at the bottom of the labor market have received the full blow of the "economic damage", reflected in the loss of income, employment and wages.

“We need to reposition resources and relief programs, especially for mixed-status families,” Pastor continued. “The level of mental health trauma is high and we need to have culturally sensitive mental health resources available… We need to destigmatize the issue and make it seen as something that is social and community level, and not just your individual failing, so that people feel confident accessing those resources.”

Healing circles

An example of this approach is the Community Coalition, founded in South Los Angeles by Congresswoman Karen Bass, which seeks the multiracial and multigenerational integration of communities to generate the solutions they need.

During the pandemic they instituted a teletherapy program to offer services by licensed therapists of color and healing circles in local parks, to address "the devastating impact (of COVID) all around on physical, financial and mental health," said Leslie Johnson, Vice President of Organizational Development at Community Coalition.

They also designed a website in English and Spanish that allows residents to check on their emotional health. "Those community healing efforts are really important and with funding and with having people in elected office that understand those kinds of interventions, we can really bring those to scale because our resources are limited," said Johnson for whom "racism is the true pandemic that we are fighting against.”

“COVID-19 has exacerbated a lot of pre-existing conditions in our community that are fostered by institutional racism and white supremacy. We must call for solutions that are bold, not just at the individual level but at the systems level, and that address the root causes” of inequalities, she observed.

During the pandemic, her organization raised funds to buy personal protective equipment and make direct cash payments to families to help cover rent and utilities. They also provided laptops and hardware to students and installed hotspots for community members.

They managed to offer doses of Pfizer at a vaccination clinic in a local park, establishing a system of appointments that allowed people to attend even at night to not miss work. But even promoting vaccination through trusted messengers, often family or neighbors, they still face vaccine hesitancy among the community. "The way the vaccines were rolled out didn't make a lot of sense to us in terms of having overcrowded homes and multi-generational households," Johnson said. "If we want to have the economy open, if we want to be able to go to restaurants and so forth, then we should go to these businesses and vaccinate the people who work there," she added.

As part of the relief package, Los Angeles will receive about $1.3 billion from the federal government. The Community Coalition introduced a plan called Make Los Angeles Whole to use these resources in loans to women business owners, help people with rent and mortgage payments and utilities, and increase youth employment opportunities.

aPPRECIaTE... fROM PagE 1

survey by UCSF, more than one-fourth of California Registered Nurses are AAPI, with Filipinos at 17.6% and Asians who are not Filipino at 8.8%. The survey also showed that non-Filipino Asians and Pacific Islanders account for more than 11 percent of nurses under 45 years old.

Additionally, news reports from Propublica and LAist have chronicled the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Filipino health workers.

We have read the stories about the death rate among AAPI nurses and recognize that some nurses also face fear amid increases in anti-Asian hate incidents during the pandemic.

This May is the best time for us to come together in honoring nurses through our actions: wear our snug-fitting masks, wash our hands, get vaccinated. This is how we show our nurses we appreciate them, we care, and we want this pandemic to end.

Visit https://myturn.ca.gov to find a vaccine site nearby and to register for a convenient appointment time. Or call the state’s COVID-19 hotline 1-833-422-4255, where translators are available in 250+ languages.

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Entertainment

Andi Eigenmann reveals she’s still open to pursuing showbiz

andi Eigenmann is happy with her peaceful island life, but she’s still actually open to pursuing what she has always loved: showbiz.

Andi said she enjoys acting a lot and if an opportunity comes, she’s willing to come and check it out.

“I loved every single moment I ever had in front of the cameras,” she said. “So [if there’s an] opportunity, right script, whatnot, why not?” She said.

She clarified that doing so won’t be happening anytime soon, though, because “that would mean leaving [her] kids and [she] can’t do that.”

Andi shares how she sometimes wonders what would've happened if she continued. She points to the Cannes Film Festival 2016, when her mom, Jaclyn Jose, won the Best Actress award for "Ma' Rosa" and her mind, racANDI EIGENMANN ing with possibilities of how far she could take her career.

She revealed having even dreamed of joining the Berlinale to hone her skills but of course, she went back to the very reason why she quit.

“I knew that I could do it but I was just like, ‘How will I do this? How will this be possible when I have a child who I’ve been struggling to spend time with?’” She said. Andi has no regrets, though, and is more than happy with her choices. “Even if I look back and think what if [I pushed through with it], I’m sure it would’ve been awesome, but I don’t regret anything,” she said.

“I don’t feel bad. Not at all. Because I’m so happy to have this life now no matter how simple it may be,” she added.

According to Andi, she also dreams of creating a clothing line for kids and a restaurant one day. “I’m taking it easy. I’m not rushing myself into any of those.

Andi gave birth to Ellie when she was 21 years old. She quit showbiz after realizing that her career wasn’t compatible with how she wanted to be as a mother.

“[‘Ellie is growing up] and time is ticking. I want to be able to spend more time with her.’ And in order for me to do that, I have to take time off showbiz,” she said.

She is currently living in Siargao with her fi ancé Philmar Alipayo, their two kids: Lilo and Koa, and Ellie, who is set to go home soon after spending time with her dad Jake Ejercito.

(MNS)

Rica Peralejo once su ered from anorexia to meet ‘body standard’ in showbiz

MANILA (Mabuhay) —

Former actress and now vlogger Rica Peralejo admitted she once suff ered from anorexia, an eating disorder where one has an intense fear of gaining weight, while she was in showbiz.

In one of her vlogs, Peralejo said she was extremely cautious about gaining weight as people in the industry would usually remind her about gaining more pounds in front of the camera.

She emphasized how showbiz personalities would give so much attention to their hair, face, and body back then.

“Growing up in our industry was tough because as a performer, as a TV personality, we had to think about a lot of things — our hair, our face, naturally, but also our body,” Peralejo said.

“So much of our body was involved in the entire process because they always say to us na, ‘Di ka pwedeng tumaba kasi ten pounds palagi ang ginigain mo ‘pag nasa harap ka ng camera.”

This forced her to be strict on food consumption and conduct excessive workouts, which led to her anorexia.

“So, we always watched out for what we ate and that kinda brought me to the usual eating disorders. Kasi nga mas doon naka-focus ‘yung mga tao, doon sa katawan namin, that I would go through starvation, different kinds of diet, and excessive workouts. Kasi pinapagod mo talaga ‘yung sarili mo,” she said.

“And there was a point there that I had anorexia. I would not eat and I would get so thin. And still when I looked in the mirror, I felt fat. ‘Yun ang isa sa mga naging focus ng industriya namin,” Peralejo revealed.

The former actress eventually realized that people’s definition of beauty is sometimes dependent on society’s perception.

The YouTuber also acknowledged various personal experiences that aff ect one’s explanation of beauty and body image.

“And that’s what I realized, thinking and contemplating about this, or at least refl ecting on my beauty journey, how much of what we think is pretty or beautiful is actually dictated by an outside force more than something it is that we know deep within us,” RICA PERALEJo

she added.

‘Hindi ko pala kailangan ‘to’: Rica Peralejo says she once had breast implants, then had them removed

“There are roots around why we are the way we are. And even as simple as something as beauty, your defi nition of beauty and what does body image mean to you all that, may pinanggalingan ‘yun e.” (MNS)

Janine Gutierrez, Paulo Avelino excited for their teleserye pairing

JANINE GuTIERREz MANILA (Mabuhay) — For her teleserye debut as a Kapamilya, Janine Gutierrez is co-starring with Paulo Avelino in the light family drama “Marry Me, Marry You,” ABS-CBN announced.

The series will center on a couple, portrayed by Gutierrez and Avelino, who navigates the traditional expectations attached to marriage — that it extends beyond one’s partner, and includes their friends and family, too.

“Sobrang excited na ako para sa ‘Marry Me, Marry You’! So honored to work with this stellar cast at hindi na ako makapaghintay na maibahagi sa mga Kapamilya ang nakakakilig at nakaka-inspire na kwentong ito,” Gutierrez said.

Produced by Dreamscape Entertainment, the ABS-CBN unit behind “Huwag Kang Mangamba” and “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” the new teleserye will be helmed by Jojo Saguin and Dwein Ruedas Baltazar.

“Marry Me, Marry You” will also mark the fi rst Kapamilya series of award-winning actress Sunshine Dizon, as well as the fi rst-ever teleserye of Jake Ejercito, whose character will fi gure in a love triangle with Gutierrez and Avelino.

Cameras will start rolling for the project soon, according to Dreamscape Entertainment. The series will be seen on ABS-CBN platforms. (MNS)

Sunshine Cruz lauds daughter Sam’s friendliness to showbiz co-workers, staff

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Sunshine Cruz was a proud mother as she opened up about the good stories she heard about her daughter, Sam, from fellow actors and other staff in showbiz.

The actress believes she has nothing to worry about when it comes to Sam's work ethic, as many people have vouched for her daughter’s friendliness with co-workers and crew.

“When it comes to that, I think wala naman akong problema. Kasi lahat ng nakakausap ko sa ABS-CBN na nakakatrabaho ni Sam, sinasabi nila sa akin na paborito daw nila si Sam kasi sobrang friendly, sobrang machika,” she narrated.

“So sabi ko nakakatuwa naman itong anak ko. I guess nakikita rin naman niya sa akin na friendly naman ako. I think 'yung pakikisama, wala akong magiging problema sa kanya,” the “Bagong Umaga” actress added.

Cruz said she has always reminded Sam to treat everyone with respect, especially after the latter decided to join showbiz. mespeto hindi lang ng mga kapwa mo singers or artista, kundi 'yung mga nakakahalubilo mong staff and crew,” she added. After working with her eldest Angelina in a TV commercial, Cruz also hopes to have a project with Sam in the future. “It would be an honor and I’ll be very, very excited to work with my children. Kahit si Angelina nakatrabaho ko na siya sa TVC and nakakatuwa kasi nagpapaka-stage mother pa ako na, ‘Anak, ganito umiyak.’ Eh ang bilis naman pala umiyak ng anak ko,” she revealed.

Cruz also attributed the innate talent of her daughters in acting from their father, actor Cesar Montano.

“I guess it’s because napakahusay din naman na artista ng kanilang ama. Nakuha nila 'yun and nakikita rin naman nila sa akin yung pagtitiyaga ko at hindi ako tumitigil na matuto,” she said.

Last March, Sam officially entered the entertainment industry, signing a contract with ABS-CBN’s Star Magic. (MNS)