Weekend Balita (Los Angeles edition) February 6, 2021

LOS ANGELES / ORANGE COUNTY

WHO exec: Philippine COVID-19 vaccination plan ‘very good’ but challenges may still happen PAGE 19 VOL. XXX NO. 6

Saturday-Friday | February 6 - 12, 2021

THE LEADING SOURCE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR FELLOW FILIPINO-AMERICANS

CaL STaTe UNIVerSITY IS oNe of TWo STaTe’S VaCCINaTIoN SITeS

By ABNER GALINO

GOVeRNOR Gavin Newsom has announced that two Federal pilot vaccination sites in california, namely; the california state University in Los angeles and Oakland-alameda coliseum in Oakland are going to start operation on February 16.

These pilot sites are part of the wider effort to establish 100 vaccination sites nationwide in the federal administration’s first 100 days, according to a Sacramento press release.

The sites will be co-run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of California through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

“These new sites will help us get available supply to some

of the California communities most in need. I thank the Biden Administration for standing with us as we continue our efforts to safely, swiftly and equitably vaccinate all Californians,” Newsom said.

Newsom said the goal is distribute a minimum of 6,000 doses a day and scale them up from there.

“Both of these sites are perfect examples of how FEMA is working around the clock to support state led, federally CAL STATE

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California State University, Los Angeles

GARCETTI AND L.A. POLICE PROTECTIVE L.A. City Council wants LEAGUE ON DEAL TO AVERT LAYOFFS $5/hour hazard pay for Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) has announced a tentative agreement between the City and the union that will protect hundreds of jobs for sworn LAPD officers, and provide savings to preserve critical City services during a pandemic that

has created the worst economic crisis Los Angeles has ever faced.

Under the tentative deal, the LAPPL agrees to defer two salary increases scheduled for Fiscal 2021-2022 to the following year, enabling the City to save badly needed revenue during a critical year GARCETTI

TOP STORIES

Global News Election watchdogs: Total ban on face-to-face campaigns bad for voters 8  Death toll from Navotas ammonia leak incident now 2 — official 8  Duterte approves extension of no disconnection policy for lifeline customers 9  Boracay tourists who fake COVID-19 tests will be declared persona non grata — mayor 9  Sleeves up! TikTok dance challenge created to promote vaccine 10  Israel seeks Filipino caregivers 11  PRRD approves acquisition of 15 Black Hawk helicopters 12  DILG says ‘no intention at present’ of scrapping 1992 accord with UP 12  AFP’s Arevalo: Military not into torturing, detaining civilians 12 

Sections BUsiNess. Duterte green lights more pork imports to raise supply, curb rising prices 13  eNteRtaiNMeNt. Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Montes celebrate 10 years of friendship 14  HeaLtH & FaMiLY. Want to maximize vaccine’s effect? Follow schedule of shots, says DOH 19  FeatURe. Sobejana recalls battle with ASG that earned him Medal of Valor 16 

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frontline workers

The Los Angeles City Council has voted unanimously to work on a proposed emergency ordinance that would require large grocery and pharmacy retailers to pay their employees a hazard pay that amounts to $5 per hour.

The City Council has requested the city attorney to prepare the ordinance. It also asked concerned city officials to study the potential impacts of the ordinance L.A.

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LP considering fielding Robredo as 2022 presidential bet MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Liberal Party (LP) is considering fielding Vice President Leni Robredo as its presidential candidate for the 2022 polls even if the latter is yet to decide if she will pursue such a bid, LP president and Senator Kiko Pangilinan said Thursday.

“Siyempre, siya ang pinakamataas na opisyal ng partido and the highest ranked elected official among us [in LP ranks] so she is also being considered,” Pangilinan told reporters in a virtual press conference when asked if the Vice President is being considered to be LP’s standard bearer for the 2022 polls.

Robredo, being the highest ranked elected official in LP's ranks, serves as the

PH Vice President Leni Robredo LP chairperson.

Pangilinan, however, clarified that LP is yet to discuss its possible presidential bet for 2022 exhaustively since the Vice President and the party is focused on doing their part

in COVID-19 response.

“She has said na wala pa siyang desisyon, na marami pang puwedeng mangyari… so our focus now is how we can help our people amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” he pointed out.

LP

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Advocates cheer Biden’s bold initiatives on immigration reform

By SUNITA SOHRABJI EMS Contributing Editor

A

fter four years of brutish immigration restrictions, advocates are breathing a sigh of relief and seeing a clear opening to push through ambitious reforms under the new Biden administration and a pro-immigration movement US President Joe Biden in Congress.

“We have just been through four years of cruelty and chaos brought to you by the Trump Administration; they weaponized an already miserable and dysfunctional immigration system,” said Frank Sharry, founder and executive director of America’s Voice, which advocates for progressive immigration reform, speaking at a Jan. 29 briefing hosted

by Ethnic Media Services.

“I think that the tectonic plates underlying the debate have shifted,” he said, noting that former president Donald Trump’s demonization of immigrants has backfired with the majority of Americans.

A top Biden advisor on reform, Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, said: “After four years of war on immigrant families, we really do believe this is the beginning of a new era ADVOCATES

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ABNER GALINO, Fil-Am News Editor

Fil-Am

Community Visit www.Balita.com

Saturday-Friday | February 6 - 12, 2021

‘Heartwarming love letters for teacher Lolly’

By LYDIA V. SOLIS Rowland Heights, Calif. – Congratulations, President Lolly David Enrile!

The beloved daughter of Camiling, Tarlac, will serve as the 2021-2022 President of the Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association of Southern California.

“Our PWUAASC has been hit hard during this pandemic,” Lolly said. “Nevertheless, we are committed to continuing our mission, our advocacy of helping those in dire need, here and our ‘kababayan’ back home, through intermediaries. Things are changing everyday and we will continue to do whatever we can and make decisions on how we can best support our association. In the meantime, our members are doing the best they can to cope.

Some are creative, resourceful and produc“She is the foundation of what I know in Writing and Journalism,” tive; others apprehensive but hopeful; still writes former student Myra, posing with teacher Lolly. others, selfless and more religious.”

Lolly graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Graduate Studies in Educational Psychology. While teaching at the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School-PWU, she passed the Teacher Board Exam and earned civil service eligibility. She became a teacher at the Manila School District.

“It was Mama who persuaded me to move to public schools, not because of better pay, but because of shorter work hours so I could pursue my other interests, at that time: music, arts, dance, and the like,” she said. “It was my public school teaching experiences that drove my advocacy for books and school supplies for indigent students and impoverished schools in Manila; e.g. Baseco Schools in Tondo, among others. (Lolly regularly sends balikbayan boxes filled with books and school supplies for various schools.)

As a teaching professional, Lolly was a demonstration teacher in the district and division level and re“Your way of teaching was extraordinary,” says Mandy. ceived the Presidential Award as “Outstanding Teacher of the Year.”

“And she deserved that award,” echoed her former more! In 6th grade, I became the Editor-In-Chief of our students. school’s English newspaper,” Myra added. “She made Myra Rodriguez wrote on Facebook on Sept. 1, 2020: that paper happen. Thank you, Mrs. Enrile! It was an “We all have that teacher who stirred and engaged us, experience of a lifetime!” who made us believe in boundless opportunities. One Mandy Cheung, a UC Davis graduate, who works in of my favorite teachers was Mrs. Lolly Enrile! She is the the Pharmaceutical Industry, sent this note to teacher foundation of what I know in Writing and Journalism... Lolly in 2011(see photo): “I honestly don’t think my life how to tell a story so it looks believable... how to extract would be the same if you weren’t my 2nd grade teacher.” information needed without appearing like a chismoAnd still another former student spoke out: Krystal sa... how to state your opinion without imposing... how Garrovillo, who holds a doctorate in pharmacy, statto plan ahead for an approaching deadline... the parts of ed: “Oh, how I miss you, Mrs. Enrile! So great to hear a newspaper and putting them all together... standing from you, finally! I’ve wanted to find you and thank up for the truth... balancing press freedom and respon- you for encouraging me to dance and sing and perform sibility... discreet naughtiness, Haha! And many, many on stage, and break me out of my shell! Without you, I

wouldn’t be the person I am today!”

And here’s a compliment from Michael Lara, who studied and works at UC Irvine: “Thank you for believing in me. You are an inspiration.”

Humbled by her former students’ “love letters,” Lolly opened her heart. “They touched me greatly. I felt like I really did a good job that’s pleasing to our Lord God ... and made a difference in my students’ lives!”

Talented Lolly wrote, coached, and directed children’s plays and dramatics and won top place in district and division competitions. She was also a mentor and cooperating teacher for student teachers and interns from both private and public schools in Manila.

Here in California schools, she was a demo teacher for school and community, and directed a number of plays and stage performances for the school district before her retirement in 2015, from the Rowland Heights Unified School District.

Presently, Lolly is on her 3rd term as President of the California-Manila Division of City Schools Association.

Lastly, here’s a little-known fact about the President of the Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association of Southern California: She was a raving beauty (and still is)!

She was ‘Miss Zamora’ and ‘Lakambini ng Maynila,’ a competition exclusively for every school’s teacher-muse, hosted by Eddie Mercado. As a member of the local folk dance troupe, Lolly performed at the Cultural Center of the Philippines stage for then First Lady Imelda Marcos, and also at other City national celebrations.

Other officers serving PWUAASC with Lolly are: Lily Harris, President-elect; Mel Paredes, Vice President; Marigene Strouse, Recording Secretary; Juliet Abrantes, Corresponding Secretary; Puring Worrell, Treasurer; Elden Pablo, Asst. Treasurer; and Exal Igidbashian, Auditor. Members of the Board of Directors are: Marilu Barretto, immediate past President; Marilou Kinetz, Tessie Lightholder, Sylvia Magturo, Esther Reyes, Nanette Rosadia, and Virginia Balanza-Sullivan. Advisers: Arceli Gagajena and Regina Tercero. (Author serves as Consultant.)

Lolly was raised in Manila, the elder and only daughter of two children. Her father, Angelo Santos-David, was a lawyer and a judge; and her mother, Purificacion Macapagal Leyva-David, a music and arts teacher, who was a multi-awarded educator both in the district, division, and national level.

She is married to Guillermo T. Enrile, an architect by profession, who retired as an Engineering Designer from L.A. City’s Dept. of Water and Power. Their only child, Olivia, is a frontliner nurse and holds a BSN degree, working towards a nurse practitioner certificate.

CGAASC Farewell Message to FilCom Warmest greetings to my beloved kababayan community in Southern California, Southern Nevada and Arizona.

It is bittersweet news that I inform you about the conclusion of my tour of duty as your Consul General in Los Angeles on 31 January 2021.

As I return home to the Philippines to continue my public service, this time from our headquarters at the Department of Foreign Affairs, allow me to express my deepest appreciation to our esteemed Filipino-American community partners for the support that you have extended to me and to my team. This includes the women and men of the Consulate General itself, the Philippine Department of Tourism in Los Angeles, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, the Southern California Representative Office of the Social Security System, and the Office of the Police Attaché - Liaison Office on the U.S. West Coast.

I have nothing but pride and affection for our kababayan community in this jurisdiction and I bring home great memories of the four years and six months that I have been honored to spend here, serving you and enhancing Philippines-United States ties. Thank you for being our allies and most ardent supporters in the fulfillment of the Consulate General’s mission.

Our close collaboration has seen us winning gains in improving delivery of consular services, promoting investment, trade and tourism for the Philippines, as well as broadening appreciation of Filipino culture and our people in the American mainstream.

Even as we continue our own journeys in different places, I shall often keep you in my thoughts and pray that you be able to overcome the challenges brought on by the pandemic. May all of us emerge from this crisis transformed and ever more empowered to pursue our advocacies.

Always strive to represent the best of our Filipino traits and cultural heritage. Continue to help our kababayan back home in the Philippines. Preserve close ties with our Motherland and, when it is safe to travel again, do consider visiting the Philippines to gain a more intimate understanding of the more than 7,000 islands in our magnificent archipelago.

Mula sa inyong lingkod, tanggapin n’yo po ang aking taos-pusong pasasalamat sa inialay n’yong pagmamahal at suporta! Isang malaking karangalan na kayo’y aking nakasama at napaglingkuran.

Mabuhay po kayong lahat!

ADELIO ANGELITO S. CRUZ Consul General

Saturday-Friday | February 6 - 12, 2021

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Downed power line kills 16.5% of businesses experienced little father and daughter A Filipino American father and his daughter died after they were electrocuted in the backyard of their home in Panorama City last week.

The victims were identified as Ferdinand Tejada, 53, and Janine Reyn Tejada, 20.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said Ferdinand was investigating a downed electrical wire outside his home when the accident happened. The daughter, Janine, was also electrocuted while trying to save her father.

The LAFD also reported that the responding team had to wait for the Department of Water and Power to cut the power off before they were able to retrieve the bodies.

“These two tragic deaths are a sobering reminder that live electrical wires can and will often result in death. Don’t get near or touch a downed power line. If you see a downed line, stay away and immediately call 9-1-1,” the Department of Water and Power said in a statement.

“These two tragic deaths are a sobering reminder that live electrical wires can and will often result in death. Don’t get near or touch a downed power line. If you see a downed line, stay away and immediately call 9-1-1. Contacting electric equipment is extremely dangerous. Always assume that the power is on. Electrical equipment and wires often carry thousands of volts of electricity and are never safe to handle by anyone other than a qualified and trained electrical worker.”

“Anyone coming across a victim lying near, or in contact with, downed wires or electrical equipment should keep a safe distance and not attempt to touch the victim.

The current that incapacitates a victim can also harm would-be rescuers. Instead, call emergency services immediately.”

garCeTTI... from Page 1 for L.A.’s economic recovery. The City com-

mits to no layoffs for sworn LAPD personnel this fiscal year, and at least $70 million in cash overtime for officers during the next three fiscal years.

“Our police officers do heroic work to keep Angelenos safe, and this year they have been asked to do more with less,” said Mayor Garcetti. “I am pleased that we have reached a tentative deal that prevents sworn layoffs and provides the savings necessary to protect critical City services during this historic, pandemic-driven economic downturn.”

“This tentative agreement provides Los Angeles police officers certainty during a time when uncertainty is prevalent due to the global pandemic and disastrous economic downturn. Officers have continued to protect our residents during these very trying and dangerous times and deserve to be treated fairly and have their sacrifices recognized. We believe this agreement does that and our board of directors is unanimous in recommending our members ratify it,” said Craig Lally, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League.

“This agreement with the PPL preserves our level of public safety by ensuring the city will not have to lay off hundreds of police officers,” said Councilmember Joe Buscaino,

who sits on the City Council’s Public Safety Committee. “At a time when the crime rate in the city is rising, I would like to thank each and every officer for considering deferring their already negotiated and agreed upon raises so that we can retain the resources necessary to improve public safety.”

The tentative agreement with the LAPPL comes days after Mayor Garcetti and the City Council reached similar deals with the City’s civilian employees and sworn firefighters, which have also averted layoffs and saved the City millions of dollars for the coming fiscal year.

Under the terms of the tentative agreement, officers represented by LAPPL would: Defer a 3% base wage increase, which was scheduled to take effect in January 2022, for 12 months Defer a 1.5% base wage increase, which was scheduled to take effect in June 2022, for six months The City would: Commit to no layoffs of sworn LAPD personnel during FY 20-21 Allocate and pay a minimum of $70 million in cash overtime to LAPPL members in FY 21-22, 22-23 and 23-34 The tentative agreement is subject to a ratification vote of the full LAPPL membership, which is expected to occur shortly.

CaL STaTe... from Page 1 supported vaccine delivery,” said Acting FEMA Administrator Bob Fenton.

FEMA will provide resources and federal staffing support to establish these new community vaccination centers as well as operational support.

The two locations chosen for these efforts are in some of the most diverse and socioeconomically challenged communities in the country. They are also communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and are home to essential workers who have borne the brunt of keeping the economy open over the past year.

Preparations and buildout of these two locations are now underway and the sites are expected to be open to eligible members of the public beginning February 16.

Registration for vaccine appointments at these two sites will be available through the state’s MyTurn scheduling system in the coming days.

For her part, L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis said: “We are grateful to President Biden and Governor Newsom for marshaling federal and state resources to significantly increase our ability to vaccinate our residents in Los Angeles County.”

“The COVID-19 vaccine is the only way we will start to rebuild the overwhelming economic and personal losses that so many of our residents have experienced during this crisis. By augmenting our five large County-run sites and network of nearly 300 vaccination locations across the County, this new federal-state com-

munity vaccination center will increase capacity by thousands of vaccinations a day. We are also appreciative for the two mobile units that will be deployed – which can integrate with our public health teams to reach vulnerable residents throughout the County.

“I’d like to recognize Cal State LA, a long-standing institution in the First Supervisorial District, which has been such an important partner during this pandemic, serving as a testing site and a food distribution location and now stepping up to serve as a large vaccination center. It is this kind of civic-minded partnership that really makes a difference to our residents during this difficult period.”

Solis said she has asked her colleagues at the LA Board of Supervisors to work out a partnership with “transit agencies and also County’s own bus system to ensure our transit-dependent residents can fully access the vaccination sites, even if they do not have a car.”

In a related development, the Los Angeles County Public Health has confirmed a third case of COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, the variant discovered in the United Kingdom (U.K.).

It thus warned everyone of past tragic consequences of gatherings.

“In the weeks following every holiday and many major sporting events, the County experienced increases in cases, and then hospitalizations and deaths.”

People are strongly advised to enjoy the Super Bowl in their homes with the people that they live with.

effect from pandemic

By CATHY BUFFINGTON, EMIN DINLERSOZ AND LUCIA FOSTER

T

he U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey (SBPS) started asking businesses in April of last year when they expect to return to normal levels of operations, a crucial indication of how they are adapting to the pandemic, social distancing, and other public health strategies.

The SBPS, which has provided near real-time information on how small-single-location-employer businesses have been faring since late April when it began collecting data, has now concluded its third phase.

Business expectations about the future of the economy, customer demand, and the availability of supplies and inputs impact key decisions from hiring to investing.

From spring to winter, business expectations of a return to normal level of operations have shifted so that there are many businesses with expectations at opposite extremes: businesses with expectation of a short-term return to normal and those facing long-term challenges.

Expectations moved away from the medium-term horizon of two to six months to either the short-term horizon (little or no effect, already back to normal, or less than one month to normal) or the long-term horizon (more than 6 months, never, or business has closed).

Care must be taken when interpreting changes over time as other factors, such as business survival and surveying only those businesses with email addresses, can bias the responses and two categories (“already” and “closed”) were added in the later weeks of the survey, potentially altering the distribution of responses across other categories.

Equally interesting are the differences in expectations across economic sectors.

Sectors with relatively high percentages of businesses not affected by the pandemic or that already returned to normal level of operations include construction, finance and insurance, real estate, and administrative support.

Here we have stacked responses from no effect/already returned to normal (shades of yellow), through longer durations of time (shades of blue), ending with never/business has closed (shades of red).

At the other end of the spectrum of expectations, sectors affected by the pandemic reporting the most concern about returning to normal levels of operations include educational services; arts, entertainment, recreation; and accommodation and food services.

Relative optimism in construction and real estate may reflect the fact that housing starts, construction, and completions have stayed relatively strong over the past few months. Private sources of data highlight the strong demand for housing likely partly in response to increased teleworking and remote education amid the pandemic.

Likewise, finance and insurance businesses may have more optimistic expectations because they rely heavily on digital and online transactions, which has allowed them to continue to operate as usual.

Other sectors, such as educational service businesses, were more likely to face challenges given their reliance on face-to-face interactions.

Focusing on two sectors with expectations at opposite ends of the spectrum, construction and educational services, provides insights into operating capacity and constraints: 72.1% of businesses in educational services experienced a decline in capacity with “physical distancing of customers or clients” the most cited reason for capacity constraints (36.1%).

44.5% of businesses in construction experienced a decline in operating capacity but only 11.0% indicated “physical distancing of customers or clients” impacted operating capacity.

In response to our question about future needs over the next six months, 5.6% of the businesses in educational services and 3.7% in construction expected they will “permanently close”.

A higher fraction of businesses in educational services than in construction expect to need to obtain financial assistance, increase online presence, increase marketing or sales, and better provide for customer and employee safety.

Cathy Buffington is survey director of the Small Business Pulse Survey.

Emin Dinlersoz is a principal economist in the Center for Economic Studies.

Lucia Foster is chief economist at the Census Bureau and chief of the Center for Economic Studies.

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NOTE: Much like last week's column, it is with deep sadness that we are likewise devoting this week's column to the sudden passing of another friend, Meg Pipo - Mordeno. Below is author/ poet Odette Ricasa's tribute to her which she shared on Facebook.

Tribute to my BFF, Meg Pipo, who lived life to the fullest

T

o all our FB friends, family and LAUSD colleagues, it is with deep sadness that I have to share beautiful memories with all of you to help bring me comfort....As the saying goes, "life is too short and fleeting, we don't know what happens next."

Last Saturday night, January 30, 2021, I was overwhelmed with grief and cried a river of tears, my soul was broken and I was totally in a state of shock, totally devastated at the sudden passing of my BFF Meg Pipo. This was because earlier at 6:30 in the morning, Meg and I joined the zoom meeting of the Philippine Global Explorers (PGE), participated by quite a number of people worldwide and we discussed our future travel plans, including Meg's plan to explore Russia, Sri Lanka, and many other countries, as soon as the pandemic settles. After the meeting, some of us went on chatting about getting vaccinated, while we all noticed Meg was preparing to cook Lentil soup and Cheesecake. We all ended our chat at around 9:30 am. But, later in the early evening at around 7:15 pm, I received a shocking call from Meg's sister, Melanie "Lani: Pipo followed by her husband, Victor Mordeno, that my BFF and travel partner, Meg has suddenly joined our Creator. Possible cause: She had brain tumor surgery 12 years ago and It might have been related to this...

In my sorrow, I started recalling our memorable, happy days together... 'Just a month ago, on Dec. 31, 2020, we celebrated her birthday by meeting at the Rose Parade grandstand marquee and at the Wrigley's Museum in Old Town, Pasadena. While watching the Tournament of Roses parade on New Year's Day, we took lots of photos and cheered but ate our empanadas in the car because dining out was banned.

As her BFF, I want to share with the whole world, Meg's love for life. On her FB page and Instagram profiles, she described herself as "wanderer, sometime Master Chef for the homeless, Baker...I've only just begun." Though I also know that her first priority was her family, she was proud of her memorable family photos with her only son, Vito and her husband, Victor. She was born in Manila to parents: Crisanto Pipo and Angelina Ferrer and attended Elementary

By Odette Ricasa

Meg Pipo and Odette Ricasa at the Sunrise Water Park in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Meg Pipo on one of her summer adventures. and High School at Our Lady of Loreto Academy, further pursuing her college degree at the University of the East.

After college, she then migrated to the United States.

B ot h Me g a nd I worked at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) since 1976. She was this intelligent, smart and popular lady who excelled to Managerial positions.

When we both retired, we discovered that we had the same interests, especially travelling to remote destinations, so we joined a travel group called Philippine Global Explorers (PGE)., Odette Ricasa and Meg Pipo Among her endless in Pakistan, where a handsome admirable qualities, Pakistani was shown perched at the Meg was an avid cook.

Badshahi mosque, inviting them to And, because we practihave tea with him.

cally live close to each other, there were quite a few times when my doorbell would ring and thoughtful Meg would just leave a bagful of her new recipes such as: Cheese Pimento sandwiches, or Cheesecake Pies which she would leave by the doorhandle, and whenever I'm home, we would just wave to each other, in gratitude, saying "thank you" gestures during these pandemic times.

In her quest to learn how to play Piano, I would go to her house to play some tunes, but I encouraged her to take some serious Piano lessons, which she did at the Pasadena Senior Center.

And much like my Painting gallery which she has admired, she wanted to learn how to paint. So, I brought her to Blick's Art Supplies, where she bought all the materials needed to learn painting, and we would sit by the San Clemente Pier where we would both doodle for fun.

She also had a passion for photography. She loved taking photos, so she took serious photography lessons at Sammy's Camera Shop and other studios as well.

Always in her quest to learn new things, she also wanted to learn new languages, so she enrolled in Spanish classes with Mike Lewis, where I too would tag along because our conversations were done in Spanish.

Adventurous as she was a replica of me, we traveled together to exciting destinations such as Pakistan, India, Cyprus, Greece, experienced smoking pipes in Lebanon, joined and cheered with the

The Mordeno Family crowds in Barcelona, Switzerland, the Himalayas, Munich, Ethiopia, Somalia and numerous other places.

It will truly take a while for me to process our treasured, memorable adventures...LIFE is unpredictable...tomorrow is NEVER promised. But in my heart, my BFF Meg is in heaven now, watching over us. Let us all pause for a fervent prayer: “May MEG PIPO rest in eternal peace.

AMEN.” For all those who wish to join a zoom novena meeting, Meg's family has arranged daily nine-day novenas at 8:30 PM Pacific Time, through February 7, 2021. You may download the following Calendar files in your calendar system: https://us/.../tZcrcuisqDMqGNSGTX2EZd.../ics.

Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/83651468020.

Meeting ID: 836 5146 8020 Passcode: MEG ONE TAP MOBILE +16699009128...83651468020#...692199 # US (San Jose) +12532158782...83651468020#...692199 # US (Tacoma) DIAL BY YOUR LOCATION: +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 246 248 7700 US (Houston) +1 646 558 8658 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) MEETING ID: 836 5146 8020 Passcode: 692199 FIND YOUR LOCAL NUMBER: https:// us02web/zoom.us/u/kc1gisbYe

THANK YOU everyone, God bless.

STAY SAFE!

5 BALITA Community DHS supports undocumented immigrants’ access to vaccines

Saturday-Friday | February 6 - 12, 2021

T

he Depa r t ment of Homeland Security said on Monday (February 1) that the department fully support efforts to give undocumented immigrants access to the COVID-19 vaccines.

In a media release, DHS said the department and “its Federal government partners fully support equal access to the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine distribution sites for undocu-

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mented immigrants.”

DHS said “it is a moral and public health imperative to ensure that all individuals residing in the United States have access to the vaccine. DHS encourages all individuals, regardless of immigration status, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once eligible under local distribution guidelines.”

“DHS carries out its mission, including all areas within its COVID-19 response, without

discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or other protected class, and in compliance with law and policy. Further, DHS supports the equitable and efficient distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to all populations, including historically underserved communities.”

DHS said it will not conduct enforcement operations at or near vaccine distribution sites or clinics, adding that the

guideline is consistent with the “long-standing policy sensitive locations policy” of both the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the US Customs and Border Protection of “not carrying out enforcement operations at or near health care facilities, such as hospitals, doctors' offices, accredited health clinics, and emergent or urgent care facilities, except in the most extraordinary of circumstances.”

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“To reach underserved and rural communities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in collaboration with federal partners, will coordinate efforts to establish and support fixed facilities, pop-up or temporary vaccination sites, and mobile vaccination clinics.”

“DHS is committed to ensuring that every individual who needs a vaccine can get one, regardless of their immigration status,” the media release said.

aDVoCaTeS... from Page 1 in the country.”

“Trump challenged the notion of America as a welcoming country; he took a wrecking ball to the Statue of Liberty,” said immigration attorney Cyrus Mehta at the EMS briefing. “A lot of voters who don't typically think very much about immigration were forced to think about it when friends and community members were subject to deportation.”

Ravi Ragbir, executive director of the New Sanctuary Coalition, said new connections were formed as the country lived under the threat of a “fascist president.” They came together during the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic as people across the political spectrum faced the uncertainties of employment, housing, health, and food.

John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC, spoke of the importance of restoring family reunification, and Patrice Lawrence, national policy and advocacy director at the UndocuBlack Network, highlighted the plight of Black undocumented immigrants, who are seldom mentioned in conversations on immigration.

In his first week in office, Biden issued six immigration-related executive orders, rescinding the Muslim ban, restoring DACA, ending further construction of Trump’s vaunted U.S.-Mexico border wall, and eradicating the Migrant Protection Protocols, in which immigrants seeking to enter the U.S. had to wait in Mexico until their asylum case was heard.

The new administration also ordered a 100-day moratorium on deportations, but U.S. District Court Judge Drew Tipton in Texas immediately blocked the order. Hours later, Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported a group of immigrants from Alexandria, Louisiana to Kingston, Jamaica.

Biden also unveiled a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants, including 1.7 million young people currently protected from deportation by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Biden has proposed an eight year path to citizenship with immediate green cards for Dreamers.

Biden is also launching a new task force aimed at reunifying families and children separated by cruel policies at

the U.S.-Mexico border. And he is expected to announce his rescission of public charge, an onerous rule which disqualifies immigrants who have availed of any federal benefits — such as food stamps or housing assistance — from attaining permanent status in the U.S. “Public charge has a devastating impact from day one when it was first leaked intentionally back in 2017,” said Hincapie, noting that even in the middle of a pandemic, many immigrants have denied themselves health care, for fear of impacting their immigration status.

Hincapie said rolling back of the rule, which has been on the books since 1862, must simultaneously occur with broad outreach efforts via community-based organizations to “help immigrant communities gain back trust back to come forward and seek the benefits that they need.”

Biden has also stated his support for expanding business immigration and clearing green card backlogs that can last for several decades for people immigrating from Asian countries, said Mehta.

The numbers of green cards allotted each year are woefully inadequate, said Mehta, adding that the wait could be less-

ened by eliminating the per-country cap that currently allots only 7 percent of all employment-based visas per year. India, for example, gets less than 10,000 green cards per year, while 800,000 wait in the queue.

Biden’s plan would reallocate unused visas, and make it easier for foreign students earning STEM degrees to remain in the U.S. post graduation.

Yang from AAAJ noted that 40 percent of all immigrants coming to the U.S. today come from Asia. By 2055, the largest group of immigrants residing in the U.S. will be Asian Americans: over 50 percent.

More than 1.7 million Asian Americans are undocumented, noted Yang; 120,000 of them qualify for DACA, while about 15,000 people from Nepal receive Temporary Protected Status.

Yang gave props to Rep. Judy Chu, D-California, for the Reuniting Families Act, which the congresswoman first introduced in 2018. Over 70 percent of Asian Americans come to the U.S. via family immigration provisions.

“Since 1965, the immigration system has centered around families with the understanding that families help immicONtNUed ON PaGe 16

Pilipino po tayo!

La county Public Works Motor Oil & Filter Recycling Program

B

A Greener New Year!

eginning a New Year marks a fresh start for Californians. Some resolutions are personal while other goals are communal. A popular resolution is to reduce California’s environmental impact as well as one’s own “carbon footprint.”

There are several ways Californians can achieve this goal including recycling, composting and reducing waste. Recycling is one way to help protect the environment. Many Californians know they can recycle glass, plastic and aluminum but one reusable item that is often overlooked is used motor oil.

According to the American Petrolum Institute, used motor oil can be reprocessed and used in furnaces for heat or in power plants to generate electricity for homes, schools and businesses. According to the Enviornmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling and reusing used motor oil can also provide great environmental benefits for California; it can be re-refined into new oil or processed into fuel oils which reduces the need to produce “new” oil. Additionally, steel collected from used oil filters can be recycled to make cars, refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers and other appliances.

It is crucial that used motor oil and oil filters are disposed of correctly and not poured down the drain, in the trash, on the ground or in the storm drain because they are extremely harmful to the environment. Properly store used motor oil until you are able to recycle it. Pour it into a clean container with a tight lid or purchase containers designed to store used motor oil. Make sure the oil does not get mixed up with any other liquid, including water.

Recycle the used oil filter by placing it in a clean, leak-proof container (after draining it) such as a zipper-type plastic bag or an old coffee can. Take your used motor oil and filter to a Certified Collection Center for recycling.

Doing this can ensure a greener New Year and a cleaner California! For more information, visit CleanLA.com.

LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH U. REYES, P.C. ATTORNEY-AT-LAW

*Certified Family Law Specialist The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization - Certified Family Law Specialist - Certified Public Accountant (Inactive) -J.D Southwestern University Law School Los Angeles, CA - B.S Accounting California State University, San Bernardino, CA

CALL OR E-MAIL FOR AN APPOINTMENT 213-204-6366 or

kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com

FAMILY LAW - Divorce - Community Property Division - Child Custody and Spousal Support - Domestic Violence Restraining Order - Legal Separation and Nullity - Parentage - Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

IMMIGRATION - Marriage Petitions - Relative Petitions - Removal of Condtional Green Card - Humanitarian Reinstatements - Child Status Protection Act Issues - Deportation Defense - Employment Based Petitions and PERM - H-1B Visas

ESTATES AND TRUST - Living Trust - Wills - Probate - Conservatorship CIVIL LITIGATION - Contract Disputes - Business Disputes - Corporate and Partnership Disputes

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WHY USING YOUR MARRIED CHILD AS A CO-BORROWER TO REFINANCE YOUR HOUSE IS A BAD IDEA MANY parents who may have problems refinancing their house due to low income in retirement or due to low credit score sometimes resort to the idea of having their married child serve as a co-borrower to refinance their house As part of the refinancing process, the parents usually adds their adult children to the deed of the house then have them apply as a co-borrower in a mortgage. This is a really bad idea especially if there your child’s marriage is in trouble.

This becomes a big problem if your married child ever gets divorced from his or her spouse. Your child’s spouse will have a claim for half the community interest in your house even if your intent was only to use your child’s credit to help you qualify for the refinance.

Although you can argue that adding your married child’s name to the deed of your house was only a gift

which should be characterized as your child’s separate property, the fact that your married child’s credit was used to obtain the refinance mortgage loan during the marriage which was then used to pay off your prior mortgage creates a community interest on his 50% share of your house. According to In re Marriage of Branco, a community property loan used to pay off a preexisting separate loan gives the community an interest in the amount of that loan. In re Marriage of Branco, (1996) 47 Cal.App.4th 1621. Thus, the refinance described above allowed for the new loan to pay off the old separate property loan, and for a community interest to arise.

Your married child’s spouse can claim that adding your child’s name to the deed was not a gift but instead property your child acquired during marriage as community property because your child paid for that interest

by getting a mortgage as a co-borrower during their marriage. Family Code Section 760 provides that all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in this state is community property.

Procedurally, your married child’s spouse will join you as an indispensable party in the divorce case. Once you are joined as a party, you will be served with a summons and complaint for joinder into the action. You then would have to retain your own lawyer to defend you in your married child’s divorce case.

If you can avoid this situation and refrain from adding your married child to the deed and serving as a co-borrower in your refinance. However if refinancing would really make a big difference in your mortgage interest and you are willing to give one half ownership interest in your house to your married child, then you may be able to plan around this situation by having your married child execute a post nuptial agreement with his spouse before you enter into the refinance transaction. Although not bullet proof, it should offer you some protection in case your child gets divorced.

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation.

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com. Visit our website at Kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com.

Best time to dispute your credit errors DUE to Covid, majority of the customer service business has been affected and employees either were laid off or have to work from home. Credit dispute is a redundant work for most of the three credit agencies, but this could be an advantage to a borrower that might want to dispute an error on the report at this time. The agencies have a certain timeline to report back a dispute from a consumer, if they don’t reply back in due time, the bureaus’ have to remove the disputed account automatically. Understanding how they come up with your Fico score will help you try and keep your Fico score at a higher level to obtain better rates on cars, home loans and consumer credit cards.

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FALLACY: My score determines whether or not I get credit FACT: Lenders use a number of facts to make credit decisions, including your FICO score. Lender information such as the amount of debt you can reasonably handle given your income, your employment and your credit history. Based on their perception of this information, as well as their specific understanding, lenders may extend credit to you although your score is low, or decline your request for credit although its high.

FALLACY: A poor score will haunt me forever FACT: Just the opposite is true. A score is a “snapshot” of your risk at a particular point in time. It changes as information is added to your bank and credit bureau files. Score change gradually as you change the way you handle credit. For example, past credit problems impact your score less as time passes. Lenders request a current score when you submit a credit application, so they have the most recent information available. Therefore by taking time to improve your score, you can qualify for your favorable interest rates.

FALLACY: Credit scoring is unfair to minorities FACT: Scoring considers only credit-related information. Factors like gender, race, nationality and marital status are not included. In fact, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from considering this type of information when issuing credit. Independent research has been done to make sure that credit scoring is not unfair to minorities or people with little credit history. Scoring has proven to be an accurate and consistent measure of repayment for all people who have some credit history. In other words, at a given score, non minority and minority applications are equally likely to pay as agreed.

FALLACY: Credit scoring infringes on my privacy FACT: Credit scoring evaluates the same information lenders already look at –the credit bureau report, credit application and/or your bank file. A score is simply a numeric summary of that information.

Lenders using sometimes ask for less information – fewer questions on the application form, for example.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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When Does Filing Bankruptcy Make Sense?

IF you’re in debt and are considering bankruptcy as an option for you to get needed relief, perhaps just hearing the word “bankruptcy” makes you extremely nervous. Maybe the word conjures up images in your mind of losing everything you have and not having a financial future.

Relax. It’s not what you think. Regardless of what you may heard about bankruptcy, it is really nothing more than a petition that you file with the Court to get relief from debts that you can no longer pay.

At this time, millions of people are unable to pay their bills due to the unexpected financial hardship caused by COVID-19. A lot of these people, sadly, may have no choice but to eventually file bankruptcy to get out of debt unless things change for the better soon.

If you were physically sick, the best thing to do is to go to get immediate medical help. If you’re not well, you may be admitted to a hospital where you can get medical care and treatment until you recover and are able to function again.

The same is true if you are financially sick and are no longer able to take care of yourself. I always tell my

clients that bankruptcy is like getting a needed surgery. Yes, it may hurt but it’s exactly what you need to get better.

How do you know if bankruptcy makes sense for your situation? Well, here are 4 situations that may tell you if you are going in the right direction.

1) You can no longer afford to make your monthly debt payments. If you are always late in making your debt payments and you are sometimes forced to borrow even more just to pay other debts, this is a serious sign of financial trouble. To get out of debt, you need to stop borrowing and not do the exact opposite. Otherwise, the financial hole you’re in just keeps getting deeper every month.

2) Your income is not sufficient to even pay for living expenses, let alone pay your debts. This is one of the most common reasons why people file bankruptcy. If you have suffered a loss of income due to the pandemic, for example, and can’t even cover basic necessities such as rent, food, utilities, etc., the question is whether or not you’d be able to replace the lost income right away in order to avoid

MORTGAGE UPDATE… FROM PAGE 6

FALLACY: My score will drop if I apply for new credit FACT: If it does, it probably won’t drop much. If you apply for several credit cards within a short period of time, multiple requests for your credit report information (called “inquiries”) will appear on your report. Looking for new credit can equate with higher risk, but most credit scores are not affected by multiple inquiries from auto or mortgage lenders within a short period of time. Typically, these are treated as a single inquiry and will have little impact on the credit score.

FALLACY: After seven years, negative remarks on my credit report will be removed automatically FACT: It is actually seven years from the last report date. Creditors may continue to report you even after a few years from the time you filed for bankruptcy or charge off an account. If they continue to report you then the negative remark will continue to stay on your credit report. You will have to report this to the bureau that these accounts were included in your bankruptcy and provide proof to report correctly.

FALLACY: If I close my account with derogatory remarks, it will make my credit better.

FACT: If you have an account with some late pay, collection or a charged off rating. By closing that account it will not mean that you are deleting that account, it will only mean that you will not be able to use the account any longer. It does not mean that your derogatory remark will be deleted, in fact by closing your revolving accounts with late payments, that will only reduce your credit accounts and limit. Therefore review your overall account first before deciding on closing any accounts. The scoring system always looks at your open accounts and rate you based on your account balances versus credit limits, your credit history and your length of time you have had credit.

FALLACY: Can I get 100% loan with a 550 credit score.

FACT: Here are the credit limitations for 100% financing as far as my list of investors are concerned. For fully documented files ( verified income ) the minimum credit score is 580. For self employed and wage earners who would like to go with a stated income, the minimum scores required are between 620-640 and above. With 5% or more down your options for a lower credit score required are greater.

FALLACY: Does the FICO Scoring system equally rate you based on your current accounts and new credit.

FACT: A confirmed breakdown of it as per www.myfico.com is as follows: 35% towards debt payment history 30% Total amount owed 15% Length of credit 10% Types of credit in used 10% New Credit Thank you for all your inquiries, hope this information will help you in your quest for a better opportunity. Please feel free to call at your convenience for further discussion on new loan programs available.

(562) 508-7048 CABRE01021223 NMLS 238636

defaulting on your debts. If your current situation is likely to continue for a long period of time, it will not take very long to be broke unless you have financial reserves. Sadly, most people don’t.

3) Your credit is already damaged.

A lot of people consulting with me about bankruptcy often ask about the impact that filing may have on their credit. That’s understandable especially if maintaining a good credit rating is important to you. But if your credit is already damaged due to late payments, repos, foreclosure, lawsuits or judgments, what “credit” are you really trying to protect? Filing bankruptcy may actually help you re-establish credit much faster (usually 2-3 years) instead of having a lot of collection accounts on your record.

Remember that as long as you do not pay creditors, they will continue to report you month after month which then makes it impossible for you to regain your credit.

Because every situation is unique, there may be reasons other than the above which could make filing bankruptcy the best option in getting out of debt. Before going down this road, of course, you need to know the pros and cons by seeking legal advice so that you can make an informed decision. If you have not read my book, “What You Need to Know Before Fil-

ing Bankruptcy”, you can download it free of charge at www.beforefilingbk. com.

Warning: If you think bankruptcy might be a possibility for you, the time to seek legal counsel is NOW, not later. A lot of people wait until the last minute to see a bankruptcy attorney, only to find out later that they have made some mistakes along the way, or that they could have done things better if they had proper guidance.

Even if you don’t end up filing bankruptcy, it is best to be prepared so that you can obtain the maximum benefits provided by law if and when you do file.

For a free evaluation of your case, please call our office at Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772 to schedule a free consultation. ***NOTE: Due to the virus lockdown, I am currently offering consultations via phone or video.

Please call the office to schedule your appointment with me. Questions?

Email me at gethelp@rjb-lawoffices.com.

(None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt.

For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772).

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CAREGIVER LAW OVERVIEW FOR 2021 WORKING as a caregiver in a private home, an assisted living facility or nursing home is hard work. If this is your job, you probably work long hours and return home physically and emotionally drained. You may provide 24-hour, live-in help to the elderly or incapacitated.

Ma ny resident ia l pr ivate hou s e hold s , r e s ide nt i a l c a r e facilities and nursing homes ignore overtime laws. These violations can deprive caregivers of significant wages totaling thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

If you are a caregiver employed by someone who refuses to follow wage and hour laws, you may be entitled to significant compensation.

Reading up on your rights is the first step toward claiming what you are due. Discussing the matter with an experienced attorney at Chaleff Rehwald Peterson is the next and most important step.

When employers refuse to pay caregivers the legally required minimum or overtime wages, it is a form of wage theft. The employers are essentially stealing wages from workers who care for the elderly.

Thankfully, California law sets minimum requirements for a caregiver’s wages and working conditions. These laws include a minimum wage and overtime in most circumstances. An employer has no right to pay an employee less than the legally required minimum or overtime wages and anyone who does engages in wage theft.

Wage theft takes many forms and may include failing to pay for sleep or “on call” time, paying a weekly or daily salary that is too low or classifying an in-home caregiver as an “independent contractor” to circumvent California’s wage and hour laws.

California provides greater protection to caregivers than exists in most other states. For instance, on January 1, 2021 the minimum wage in California increases to $13.00/hour for employers with 25 employees or less and will incrementally increase to $15 by January 1, 2022. Cities can enact higher minimum wages. Caregivers who are victims of wage theft can claim the compensation that is legally due.

Until 2013, most caregivers working in private households were exempt from overtime payments under the so-called “personal attendant” overtime exemption of Wage Order 15. What this means is that prior to 2014, private households could force a caregiver to work 24 hours per day and only pay

that caregiver the minimum wage for every hour worked. In reality, very few private households paid even this modest sum.

On January 1, 2014, California enacted the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (DWBR). The DWBR mandates overtime payments for personal attendants. This law provides that an employer cannot hire personal attendants to work more than nine hours in a day or 45 hours in a workweek without paying overtime.

Overtime under the DW BR is set at one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate of pay. That means that if you are an in-home caregiver, you are entitled to 150% of your hourly wage for every hour you work over nine hours in any given day, and all hours you work beyond 45 hours in a week.

Now that the California legislature has created the right to overtime for personal attendants, an in-home caregiver who is not paid the required overtime wages can claim their unpaid wages. You can recover not just the overtime you are due, but also attorney’s fees and costs incurred in the lawsuit.

It is also possible to recover interest and penalties if you are not properly paid overtime compensation.

Caregiver overtime law is highly complex. In fact, an entirely different set of laws apply to a caregivers who work in residential care facilities and nursing homes for the elderly. These caregivers have always been entitled to overtime under California law. These caregivers must be paid overtime for all hours they work in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. In addition, they are generally entitled to double time payments for all hours worked in excess of 12 in any single day and may be entitled to meal and rest breaks. The rules for sleep time, on-call time and live-ins are also different.

Many care facilities fail to pay overtime to caregivers and engage in other forms of wage theft. If you think that you have been the victim of wage theft, it is very important to contact the attorneys at Chaleff Rehwald Peterson who are familiar the laws in this area.

If you are a caregiver and you believe that your employer has not paid you fairly under the law, you may have a strong case for compensation. Since the laws in this area are complex, you should contact an experienced attorney who has a documented and demonstrated expertise in representing caregivers.

The attorneys at Chaleff Rehwald Peterson have the experience you need. We are here to help!

This article is an attorney advertisement written by Daniel Chaleff, employment law attorney at Chaleff Rehwald Peterson. Our office is located at 5855 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Suite 400, Woodland Hills, California. We accept cases throughout all of Northern and Southern California. Our examples are of a general nature and are not a guarantee regarding the outcome of your individual matter. The law firm focuses on caregiver rights. Please call us at (818) 807-4168 for a free and confidential consultation. Please visit us at www.caregiverovertime.com/ to learn more about caregiver overtime law. We offer a 24-hour chat line on our website.

Election watchdogs: Total ban on face-to-face campaigns bad for voters MANILA (Mabuhay) — A total ban on face-to-face campaigning for the 2022 elections will put voters at a disadvantage, election watchdogs said Wednesday.

The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) and the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) made the position in response to the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) plan to prohibit face-to-face campaigning for the 2022 polls amid uncertainty of vaccinating enough Filipinos by that time to achieve herd immunity.

“Limiting campaigns to online platforms goes against standards of democratic elections. Voters have the right to be informed about candidates and political parties,” LENTE said in a statement.

“A significant number of voters have no access to the internet and hardware necessary to access information online,” it added.

While LENTE lauds the Comelec’s plan to prohibit face-to-face campaigning as a measure to prevent COVID-19 transmission, LENTE said that there are ways to allow physical campaigning within existing quarantine protocols.

“Well aware of the numerous challenges to the electoral process posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is LENTE’s position that Comelec should allow all forms of political campaigns in accordance with the law but implemented in observance of minimum health standards, with the aim of mitigating the risk of virus transmission,” LENTE pointed out.

In addition, group said the Comelec’s plan will also be bad for candidates and political parties that have few resources and limited capability to run online campaigns.

“The provision can also potentially open the f loodgates for unabated spending of well-resourced parties and candidates because the monitoring and regulation of online campaigns remains weak,” LENTE added.

Namfrel’s Eric Alvia agreed that limiting the campaign online does not necessarily level the playing field.

“Limiting face-to-face campaigning station, whether airing on national, re- and political parties. may be advantageous to others but it is gional, or local radio, whether by purLikewise, LENTE called on political a disadvantage to those in areas with chase or donation. parties and candidates to engage the Limits to the allowed reach of online COMELEC to ensure that the campaigns poor [internet] connection, areas with low internet usage, etc. As such, face-to- campaigning are unclear. for the 2022 elections are effective, safe, face campaigning may be discouraged, Given the pandemic, LENTE recom- fair and inclusive for candidates, politibut not prohibited. Campaigning modes mends that the COMELEC engage with cal parties and voters. would still be determined on the quar- the Inter-Agency Task Force, public LENTE also suggested that Conantine status per IATF prevailing in a health experts, political parties, civil so- gress increase the budget allocation for location during the campaign period,” ciety and other stakeholders in crafting COMELEC’s public education activities Alviar said. campaign guidelines which can include to ensure that all communication plat“We have to balance the freedom requiring the use of well-ventilated spac- forms can be utilized by the poll body in and the right to engage in political es, limiting occupancy of venues and reaching out to voters, both online and campaigning with public safety, health imposing penalties for erring candidates offline. (MNS) and welfare. This shou ld be ta kDeath toll from Navotas ammonia leak incident now 2 — official en on a case-tocase basis and it MANILA (Mabuhay) — The number of fatalities should be adaptfrom Wednesday's ammonia leak incident in an ice ed to prevailing plant in Navotas City has climbed to two, a local pandemic condiofficial said Thursday. tions in a locality.

Vonne Villanueva, chief of the City Disaster Risk I suppose public Reduction and Management Office, said the body hea lt h sa fet y was recovered on Thursday morning. The victim, takes precedence a resident of Malabon City, was an electrician at over the right to the facility. adopt the desired "Bale ngayong umaga nga po nakita natin 'yung mode of c a mkatawan po ni Mr. Joselino Nazareno, siya po ay paigning,” Alviar 54 years old, empleyado po ng T.P. Marcelo," Viladded. lanueva said.

Election laws "Kagabi noong pumasok kami dito tiningnan prov ide t hat namin 'yung impact site. Siya po ay nakita ngayong c a mp a ig n a d s umaga nakasiksik po sa gilid po na medyo malayo ay pamilya ko. So pangit naman na gastusin ang for candidates or po, 20 metro ang layo mula doon sa impact site. pera ng gobyerno dahil ang pinsala ay nanggaling registered politSiguro na rin po dahil sa kondisyon noong mga sa kumpanya na pag-aari ng pamilya ng nanay ko ical parties for a panahon ngayon, dahil malakas pa ang amoy, hindi so they will have to pay for everything," Tiangco national elective said in an Unang Balita interview on Thursday. na-search ng masinsin," he added. position should Villanueva said an investigation by the Bureau The first fatality was identified as Gilbert Tiangco, not exceed 120 of Fire Protection was still ongoing on Thursday 44, also an employee of the plant that was owned by minutes of telethe relatives of Navotas City mayor Toby Tiangco. morning regarding the incident. vision advertis"Tuloy-tuloy pa rin po 'yung imbestigasyon.

Aside from the two fatalities, some 76 persons ing per television were injured due to the leak, 59 of them rushed to Magsa-submit po sa ating pamahalaang lungsod station, whether the Navotas City Hospital while 17 were taken to 'yung Bureau of Fire Protection ng kumpleto at appearing on nadetalyadong report po dito," he said. the Tondo General Hospital in Manila. tional, regional, The city official has already ensured that resiTiangco said financial assistance to the victims or local, free or should be extended by the firm and not by the local dents in the area are already out of danger. cable television.

Villanueva said at 8:23 p.m. of Wednesday, resgovernment unit.

A s for r a d io "Hindi naman po sa ayaw ng lokal na pamaha- idents were already instructed to go back to their advertising, laws laan na tumulong kaya lang itong pangyayaring residences, and that six ambulances were on standset the limit at 180 ito ay posed by a private company na nagkataon by in case of emergency. (MNS) minutes per radio

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MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Department of Energy (DOE) to continue the implementation of the no disconnection policy for customers with low monthly electricity consumption, a Malacañang official said Thursday.

Lifeline customers are those who consume 100 kilowatts per hour and below each month.

At a news conference, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the President made the decision during the 51st Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

“The President readily agreed given that electricity is a basic necessity our countrymen cannot live without,” Nograles said.

“Makakahinga na po ng malalim ang ating mga kababayan na mababa o walang kita. Hindi po kayo mapuputulan ng kuryente.”

Nograles did not say until when the policy would be in place.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) previously ordered power distribution utilities not to implement any disconnection on account of non-payment of bills until December 31, 2020 for consumers with monthly consumption “not higher than twice the ERC maximum lifeline consumption level.”

“According to the DOE, while lifeliners comprise 32% of the customer base, they only account for 3% of electricity sales. So, this is very doable,” Nograles said.

Duterte also urged Congress to extend the subsidy for marginalized power consumers for a period of 30 years or from 2021 to 2051, according to Nograles. three months of 2020, clocking in “[This is] because of the pandemic at 3.5% in December, the fastest in and sa computation ng DOE, hindi over a year. naman ito mabigat para sa ating mga The acceleration is expected to distribution utilities. Kayang-kaya have continued this month, driven naman po,” he said. by higher fuel and meat prices.

The Senate approved an extension Bello said the Department of of only 10 years last month. (MNS) Labor and Employment is eyeing another wage subsidy but for employers. DOLE plans to shoulder 25% to 50% of the salary of their workers.

“We really need the wage subsidy for employers in order to preserve... because that's our mandate, to preserve and protect the employment of our workers,” he said.

According to Bello, DOLE is proposing a P40 billion budget under another emergency legislation to address the impact of the pandemic or the Bayanihan 3.

“You have to provide them the momentum of restarting their business, yun ang pinaka-importante. Kailangan mapatibay 'yung kanilang negosyo,” he said.

“That’s t he only way to restrengthen also 'yung employment rate natin,” he added.

Under the 2021 budget, Bello said that P19 billion has been allocated to assist workers who are affected by the pandemic, including the P3 billion from the Department of Tourism. (MNS)

Nearly 5 million Filipinos lost job amid pandemic — Bello MANILA (Mabuhay) — Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Thursday said almost 5 million Filipinos have lost their jobs due to the impact of the pandemic as of December last year.

Bello admitted the number is actually few because some of the employees who were temporarily cut back from work have already been rehired.

“As of December, umaabot lang po ng mga around a little less than 5 million,” he said.

“Kaunti talaga kasi kagaya ng sinabi ko meron 'yung about 3 million natanggal pero temporary. Under the law, after six months they have to be rehired,” he added.

Bello said some employers and employees have agreed to extend the period of the lay-off to another six months.

Earlier, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) appealed to the government to provide subsidies for workers amid the continuing impact of the pandemic.

"Napakahalaga po ng tulong na cash susbidy mula sa gobyerno.

Makakatulong ito sa mangagawa na makabili ng mga basic commodities na kinakailangan nila," TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said.

Aside from this, inf lation has continued to accelerate in the last

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Boracay tourists who fake COVID-19 tests will be declared persona non grata — mayor MANILA (Mabuhay) — The local government of Malay, Aklan will declare as persona non grata Boracay tourists who forge COVID-19 tests, its acting mayor said Thursday.

Acting Mayor Frolibar Bautista made the remark after 3 of 6 visitors who presented fake COVID-19 test results have contracted the disease.

"Nag-agree kami last meeting, ang sagot ng bayan ng Malay kung sinuman nahulihang mameke ay magpasa ng resolution na i-declare ang nameke ng test as persona non grata para di na makapasok ng Boracay," he said.

The 3 patients are quarantined in Aklan's capital Kalibo and will be charged with violation of quarantine protocols, Bautista said.

The city has yet to record local transmission as establishments and residents are compliant with minimum health standards, he added.

The local government is also considering a proposal for hotels to verify guests' coronavirus tests before confirming their bookings, according to the mayor.

The local chief executive, meantime, asked for assistance from national government as the country's once top tourist destination now only receives 400 travelers daily versus 6,000 pre-pandemic.

"Umaasa lang talaga kami sa local taxes. Marami talaga ang walang trabaho, so sana ang national government pumasok na.

We need support of the national government talaga," he said. (MNS)

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Celebrate Lunar New Year with Gold House and Asian American, Pacific Islander-led brands New e-commerce campaign to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Feb 2, 2021) – This Lunar New Year, join Gold House and several Asian American and Pacific Islander-led brands in celebrating unity, prosperity, and good fortune through a new e-commerce campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Participating brands are sending good fortune forward by joining St. Jude in this purpose-driven campaign to raise support and increase awareness for its lifesaving mission: Finding cures. Saving children.® The following Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned e-commerce retailers, all alumni of Gold House’s accelerator program to empower AAPI leaders (Gold Rush), are encouraging donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at the point of sale: AshaPops, Asian American Girl Club, Capsule®, Covry Eyewear, Eggloo, Neuro, Nimble Made, and Nona Lim. They will be joined by AAPI influencers, leaders, and athletes like Olympic gold medalist Apolo Ohno and creator of 9to5chic Anh Sundstrom, who are helping to spotlight AAPI entrepreneurship, along with their support for St. Jude.

Sundstrom previously shared her leadership expertise as a panelist during the 2019. St. Jude Mom Boss Summit, which brought female entrepreneurs and business leaders together to discuss the intersection of work, motherhood, and philanthropy.

Apolo Ohno, an acclaimed entrepreneur himself, shared “Gold House has been a tremendous champion for our community, and I’m happy to support their efforts in raising visibility of Asian American entrepreneurs. It’s even more rewarding that the benefits of this campaign are supporting the amazing work St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital does to help end childhood cancer.”

“We’re honored to partner with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, whose mission to end childhood cancer globally through its transformative research, empowers the next generation,” said Covry Eyewear Co-founder Florence Shin. “By freely sharing the breakthroughs St. Jude makes, every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.”

The parents of St. Jude patient Maelin-Kate understand the significance of St. Jude research firsthand. Their local physician referred Maelin-Kate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for a clinical trial where she was diagnosed with a rare blood disease called Fanconi anemia at age 5. People with this disease do not produce healthy bone marrow or healthy blood. Untreated, this genetic disease can cause leukemia. Fortunately, Maelin-Kate made a full recovery thanks to her St. Jude care team.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a humanitarian effort supported by millions of Americans of all faiths and backgrounds united in their desire to help end childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Because of the community’s support, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

To help support St. Jude this Lunar New Year, visit stjude.org/lunarnewyear.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children.

Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.

St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

GOLD HOUSE Gold House is the premier nonprofit collective of Asian founders, creative voices, and leaders dedicated to unifying the world’s largest populace – Asians and Pacific Islanders – to enable more authentic multicultural representation and societal equity. Our ventures include membership systems and benefits to fortify relationships among Asians and with other marginalized communities (All of Us Movement); championing authentic Asian representation through media to reshape public opinion (Gold Open, Gold Records, A100 List); and accelerating economic success and commercial representation through Asian founders (Gold Rush, Founder Network, Angel Network). To learn more, visit www.goldhouse.org or follow @GoldHouseCo on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Sleeves up! TikTok dance challenge created to promote vaccine MANILA — A TikTok user is making good use of the platform and his dancing talent in promoting a timely cause – encouraging Filipinos to get a Covid shot.

Jerome “Jero” Pascual, @superjerooo on TikTok and @superjeroooo on both Twitter and Instagram, dances with his heart on his sleeve.

With the help of his friends, Jero created the #BakunaDanceChallenge, from conceptualization to execution, in less than a day.

“Meron akong mga friends na nakaisip na mag-raise ng awareness about dun sa vaccine since hot topic talaga siya ngayon. Ako naman, alam nila na mahilig sumayaw at meron TikTok account and they asked me if I can help them in delivering the message to the public (I have friends who thought about raising awareness about the vaccine. They knew I like dancing and have a TikTok account so they asked me if I can help in delivering the message to the public),” Jero said in a phone interview.

To the tune of "The Choopeta Song" by Brazilian girl group T Rio, Jero danced with gusto to the lyrics "Magpabakuna ka na, ating labanan at pigilan ang Covid-19, puksain 'yan (Get vaccinated. Beat Covid-19)."

“Then they asked me to create the steps. So, we made sure na basic lang 'yung (they were just basic) steps.

Though ako gumawa, sinasabihan nila ko na basic lang 'yung gawin ko para madaling sundan ng iba (Though I made the dance, they told me to make it basic so it will be easy to follow),” he said.

While he hopes that those in social media will appreciate, enjoy and do the dance challenge, he said its main purpose was to inspire and persuade people to get inoculated against Covid-19.

Even when the vaccines are set to arrive in the middle of this month,

some Filipinos are still hesitant to get jabs perhaps due to misinformation and reports of adverse reactions.

A recent Pulse Asia survey shows that almost half of Filipino adults or 47 percent are "not inclined" to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Concern about the safety of the vaccines was the reason cited why almost half of Filipino adults are not willing to get vaccinated.

"Honestly ako meron pa din akong doubts sa vaccine pero mas nangingibabaw sa akin 'yung hindi naman sya ire-release sa public kundi siya safe at kung 'di siya makakatulong sa mas maraming tao. I'm getting the vaccine (Honestly, I have doubts but I believe the vaccine won't be released to the public if it isn't safe)," Jero said.

Social media is filling up with misinformation about the vaccine and to counter this, Jero encouraged influencers and the youth to use their platform “properly” and help set a good standard for their followers.

"To the youth especially the ones with large followers, use your platform properly and let's not make this about politics because it is not.

Vaccination is a collective action that everyone can contribute so that we can all go back to normal," he said.

“Tinatawag silang influencers. Dapat influence for the right things ang gawin nila (They’re called influencers.

They should be an influence for the right things)."

And once the pandemic is over, Jero would love to travel again and visit Baguio or Boracay without the hassle of travel restrictions and free of fear of getting infected with the disease.

“Ang dami pa proseso na gagawin at saka mataas pa rin talaga 'yung risk. So nakaka-miss din talaga na mag-travel (There are so many processes that need to be completed and the risk is still high. So, I really do miss traveling),” he said. (PNA)

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Israel seeks Filipino caregivers MANILA (Mabuhay) — Israel is looking to hire 500 Filipino caregivers, the Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv announced on Wednesday.

"You may now apply at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to work as a caregiver in Israel, under the Bilateral Labor Agreement signed between the Philippines and Israel in 2018," it said in an advisory.

T he emba ssy sa id interested applicants must register via on-

lineservices.poea.gov. ph/On l i neSer v ic es/ POEAOnline.

The deadline for submission is Feb. 12, 2021 for POEA regional or satellite offices and February 15 for the POEA main office.

Applicants must be 23 years old and above, have undergone at least 760 hours of relevant training and passed examinations.

They must also possess a certification from the Technical Education and Skills Development

Aut hor it y ( T E SDA), showing that they are caregivers eligible for overseas employment, or a diploma from a fouryear nursing or physical therapy college course.

Interested applicants must have no previous work record in Israel or parents, spouse, or children currently employed or residing in the country.

Accepted caregivers will tend to persons with disabilities, including elderly disabled persons, in Israel. (MNS)

World’s First All-Civilian Mission to Space Will Usher in New Era of Commercial Space Exploration Inspiration4 Mission Will Be Commanded by Tech Entrepreneur and Pilot Jared Isaacman, Who Donates All Crew Seats and Invites the Public to Participate LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 1, 2021 – (BUSINESSWIRE) – Plans for the world’s first all-civilian mission to space were announced today from SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, CA. The mission is being targeted for the fourth quarter of this year and will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, the 37-year-old founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments [NYSE:FOUR] and an accomplished pilot. Named Inspiration4 in recognition of the four-person crew’s mission to inspire support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and send a humanitarian message of possibility, the journey represents a new era for human spaceflight and exploration. Isaacman is donating the three mission seats alongside him to crew members who will be selected to represent the mission pillars of leadership, hope, generosity and prosperity.

Said Isaacman, “Inspiration4 is the realization of a lifelong dream and a step towards a future in which anyone can venture out and explore the stars. I appreciate the tremendous responsibility that comes with commanding this mission and I want to use this historic moment to inspire humanity while helping to tackle childhood cancer here on Earth.”

Isaacman and the Inspiration4 crew will undergo commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, including a specific focus on orbital mechanics, operating in microgravity, zero gravity, and other forms of stress testing. They will receive emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial- and full-mission simulations. The mission will launch from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will be carefully monitored at

every step by SpaceX mission control as the spacecraft orbits the planet every 90 minutes along a customized flight path.

Upon conclusion of the multi-day journey, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida.

Isaacman has given St. Jude two seats on the Inspiration4 mission. The first seat is reserved for a St. Jude ambassador with direct ties to the mission who exemplifies the pillar of Hope as well as the courageous vision upon which St. Jude was founded - compassion, unity, equality and inclusion. The second seat will represent the mission pillar of Generosity. During the month of February, members of the public can enter for a chance to join the flight to space and support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.

Isaacman has committed to give $100 million to St. Jude and is inviting everyone to join him in attempting to raise upwards of $200 million or more in support of St. Jude’s multi-billion dollar expansion aimed to accelerate research advancements and save more children worldwide.

He will also offer additional support to the St. Jude fundraising effort in the form of other prizes, including flights in a military jet and flight gear. An accomplished pilot rated to fly commercial and military aircraft, Isaacman holds several world records including a Speed-Around-TheWorld flight to raise money and awareness for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. He has flown in over 100 airshows as part of the Black Diamond Jet Team, dedicating every performance to charitable causes. In 2011, Isaacman co-founded what would become the world’s largest private air force, Draken International, to train pilots for the United States Armed Forces.

“The same year St. Jude Children’s

Research Hospital broke boundaries by opening its doors, the first American orbited the Earth in 1962,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude.

“From t he beginning, St. Jude has been at the forefront of innovation and inclusion, leading in cancer research, care and St. Jude patient Zahaan, age 7, in 2017 treatment for some of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital world’s sickest children regardless of race, ethnicity, beliefs or a family's ability to pay. ond spot will air during the first quarter This partnership brings two missions to- of the Big Game and invite all viewers to gether to create one incredible moment in support and be part of this historic jourtime that will make an impact for years to ney through the St. Jude and Shift4Shop come on the global effort to cure child- programs.

Isaacman concluded: “Today’s anhood cancer.” nouncement is the first step of a very exIsaacman will collaborate with Shift4 citing journey.

In the lead-up to launch, Payments to offer the fourth and final we’ll share new ways to support and folcrew seat representing the prosperity mislow our mission preparation and execusion pillar to a deserving entrepreneur tion with a focus on inspiring and helping who utilizes the new Shift4Shop eComothers.” merce platform, which empowers entreTo learn more about Inspiration4, how preneurs to build and grow successful to support and potentially join this hiseCommerce businesses online. Current toric journey to space and the specific and new Shift4Shop customers will have conditions of the promotions, visit www. a one-of-a-kind opportunity to enter an Inspiration4.com and follow the mission online competition showcasing them and on social media on Twitter (@inspiratheir business. The competition will be tion4x), Facebook (@inspiration4mission), conducted from February 1-28, 2021 and the winner will be selected by a panel of Instagram (@inspiration4) and YouTube (@Inspiration4) to receive the latest news independent judges.

Shift4 Payments is providing marketing on mission training and preparation. Insupport for the mission and will leverage dividuals who are interested in learning one of the biggest popular culture events how to enter for an opportunity to win one of the year, Super Bowl LV this Sunday, of the two seats being offered should visit to dramatically introduce the mission inspiration4.com and review the Official and its purpose to the public. A 30-sec- Rules for the applicable promotion.

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PRRD approves acquisition of 15 Black Hawk helicopters MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the acquisition of 15 Black Hawk helicopters to address the growing heli-lift deficiency of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), Cabinet Secretary Karlos Nograles announced on Thursday.

Duterte gave his nod during the 51st Cabinet meeting held at Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, Nograles said in a virtual presser.

“The Department of National Defense says we actually require a total of 76 helicopters, and while the President initially agreed to acquire 55 new helicopters, that number has been reduced to 15 owing to the challenges we currently face,” Nograles said.

Nograles said Duterte has also ordered the decommissioning of all the PAF’s UH-1H “Huey” combat utility aircraft helicopters following the Jan. 16 crash in Bukidnon.

Duterte gave the latest directive, as he acknowledged that Huey helicopters are already “due for retirement,” Nograles said.

“The President wants to end all these tragic deaths. Our service and their families deserve better. Itong mga Huey na gamit ng PAF, mas matanda pa sa atin (These Huey helicopters the PAF is using are older than us),” he said.

The PAF has refurbished UH-1H and UH-1D models or “Hueys”, a Vietnam War-era helicopters, to serve as its main workhorses.

On Jan. 16, a Huey helicopter that went on a supply mission to a patrol base in Bukidnon crashed after encountering engine trouble.

Killed in the crash were Lt. Col. Arnie Arroyo, pilot; 2nd Lt. Mark Anthony Caabay, co-pilot; Sgt. Mervin Bersabe; Airman 1st Class Stephen

AFP’s Arevalo: Military not into torturing, detaining civilians MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday denied that it is the practice of the military to torture civilians, insisting that troops respect human rights in accordance to their mandate.

"The act that our soldiers are accused of is a serious allegation that is neither a policy nor a practice. As a matter of fact, AFP regulations mandate that we respect human rights and abide by the law of armed conflict," AFP spokesman Major General Edgard Arevalo said.

Arevalo was reacting to the claim of human rights lawyer Josa Deinla that it was allegedly "the practice of the military to torture, arrest and detain civilians in retaliation to the NPA (New People's Army)."

Deinla had said two Aetas were supposedly tortured by government forces as a form of reprisal for the death of a soldier during an encounter with rebels in Zambales in August 2020.

According to the lawyer, Japer Gurung and Junior Ramos were arrested as they and their families were escaping from a crossfire between soldiers and NPA rebels.

"It so happened that these civilians were fleeing so it now became easy for them to just accuse them as being part of the NPA members who were also fleeing, allegedly, the place after the encounter," Deinla said.

Arevalo said the field commander had told him that the said incident has been leveled against the military since last year, however, the accusers have failed to prove their allegations.

Due to their alleged experiences in the hands of state forces, Gurung and Ramos, through the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers, have asked the Supreme Court to allow them to participate in the petitions challenging the highly-criticized anti-terrorism law.

The two, who stand accused of illegally possessing firearms, ammunition, explosives, and subversive documents, are detained at the Olongapo City Jail, Deinla said.

In September last year, the Philippine Army's 7th Infantry Division already dismissed the allegation that some members of the Aeta community were abused by security AFP SPOKESMAN MAJOR forces. (MNS) GENERAL EDGARD AREVALO

Agarrado; Sgt. Julius Salvado; Jerry Ayocdo; and Jhamel Sugalang.

The recent plane crash was the fourt h incident reported in si x months, three involving Huey helicopters.

On Jan. 22, Duterte vowed to find funds for the procurement of at least seven new helicopters for PAF. He made the promise, as he admitted that it is “painful” to see soldiers die in the line of duty.

Nograles said Duterte decided to purchase just 15 Black Hawk helicopters, instead of 55 helicopters, due to “budget restrictions.”

“Given these realities and limitations, syempre, we have to temper kung ano ‘yung makakayanan lang natin (of course, we have to temper what we could just achieve). And the realistic number that was discussed was possibly 15,” he said.

The PAF earlier commissioned the first six of 16 Polish-made Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters it ordered in 2019 as part of its program to modernize its fleet of helicopters.

The remaining 10 units are expected to arrive in the country within the first quarter of 2021.

The brand-new Black Hawk helicopters, manufactured by PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky company in Poland, will provide the PAF with sustained day-and-night tactical lift, transport, and search-and-rescue capabilities.

T he Ph i l ippi ne gov er n ment pu rchased t he hel icopters u nder the USD241.5-million government-to-government contract with Poland to meet the Horizon 2 phase of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.

(MNS)

DILG says 'no intention at present' of scrapping 1992 accord with UP MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government does not intend for now to abrogate its 1992 security agreement with the University of the Philippines, which prohibits police to operate on campus grounds without prior notice.

"We have no intention of abrogation at present. What we want is to have a healthy discussion with the officials of the University of the Philippines," Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said.

The DILG and UP officials are expected to meet this week "in an atmosphere of mutual trust" to thresh out issues related to peace and order, he said.

The agency, which oversees the Philippine National Police, and premier state university signed an agreement in 1992 regulating the entry of police into UP campuses.

T he 19 92 U P-DI L G agreement was signed by then UP President Jose Abueva a nd t hen Interior Secreta r y R a f ael

Alunan III following the enactment of Republic Act 6975, which effectively transferred the country’s police force from the Department of National Defense to the DILG. The Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police, now the PNP, was formerly under DND. The 1992 UP-DILG agreement has the same content with the 1989 UP-DND agreement wherein prior notification shall be given by a commander of an Armed Forces of the Philippines or PNP unit intending to conduct any military or police operations in any of the UP campuses.

During the interview, Malaya, also DILG's spokesperson, said they would want to assess the level of security, particularly in UP Diliman, following the proliferation of residential units, business establishments and informal settlers.

"We would like to find out if the UP Diliman police are up to par with the changes since 1992," he said.

Malaya said they also intend to raise the a lleged continued clandestine recruitment by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its front organizations of UP students.

"The concern of DILG is the continued recruitment of students to join t he a r med st r ug g le.

That's different from activism. That's differDILG UNDERSECRETARY ent from teaching the JONATHAN MALAYA principles of different

types of ideologies from left to right," he said.

"Any UP student would know at least one, I know several, contemporaries that have been recruited by front organizations in the University of the Philippines and have went up to the mountains and were killed by encounters between the armed forces, PNP and New People's Army."

However, Malaya clarified that the DILG does not plan to deploy police in any UP campus to monitor students' activities as such action may infringe academic freedom.

"Academic freedom simply means that it’s the right of the school to determine what is to be studied, who will study and the manner of studying.

These things are sacrosanct," he said.

"Meaning the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police has no intention of prohibiting teachers from teaching communism.

That’s part of the curriculum.

"I myself, when I was in the university, studied that in PolSci or types of ideologies, liberal democracy, national democracy, socialism, communist, Marxism. It's part of the curriculum. We will not interfere with that," he said.

On Jan 15, the DND unilaterally junked its 1989 accord over allegations UP had become "a safe haven for enemies of the state."

UP denied this and urged the defense minister to reconsider its decision. (MNS)

global NEWS BUSINESS Duterte green lights more pork imports to raise supply, curb rising prices

Saturday-Friday | February 6 - 12, 2021

MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte has allowed additional pork imports to boost its supply and curb its escalating prices, his aide said on Thursday.

In a meeting on Wednesday, the agriculture department reported that a kilo of pork was around P132 in one region, and as high as P244 in another region, said Cabinet Secretary Carlo Nograles.

The agency estimated that with a demand of 1.6 million metric tons, the Philippines needs to review its minimum access volume (MAV), which refers to the quantity of an agricultural product that may be imported with a lower tariff, he said.

The current MAV is at around 54,000 metric tons, and the agriculture department has recommended its expansion "just enough to cover the projected shortfall for the year," Nograles said. He did not say how much the shortfall would be.

Duterte approved this proposal, along with the creation of a sub-task group on economic intelligence "to go after smugglers, profiteers, and hoarders of agricultural products," he told reporters in an online briefing.

"Kung meron mga grupo o negosyante na pinagsasamantalahan ang pandemya para pagkakitaan ang taongbayan, hindi po ito palalampasin," Nograles said.

The agriculture department earlier said it was mulling tripling pork imports to boost the local supply.

African swine fever, often blamed for low pork supplies, has forced the

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culling of thousands of hogs. While it causes hemorrhagic fever in pigs that almost always ends in death, it cannot be transmitted to humans and other animals.

Pork accounts for 60 percent of meat consumption in the Philippines, where the swine industry is valued at P260 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The price of pork was among the factors that drove inf lation to a 22-month high in December, according to the state statistics bureau, and prices of pork products are unlikely to come down anytime soon. (MNS)

BOC post-clearance audit yields P191.38M addt’l revenue in January MANIL A (Mabuhay) — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Wednesday it has collected P191.38 million in additional revenues through post-clearance audit on importers.

I n a st atement, t he BOC said the intensified post-clearance audit verification and investigation of importers suspected to have violated provisions of Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) resulted in the collection of P191,383,743.21 additional duties and taxes for January, with three demand letters collected and 21

filed applications for Prior Disclosure Program (PDP).

The post-clearance audit collection is on top of the P47.143 billion total revenue for the Customs last month, which is over 6.92% the P44.092 billion goal.

The BOC said that out of the 21 PDPs filed in Januar y, 17 were from Mechanically Deboned Meat (MDM) importers under audit tallying a total amount of P36,591,544.77.

Post-clearance audits ensure that proper levies and taxes are collected on shipments despite being released.

The BOC’s Post-Clear-

ance Audit Group also reported the status of Audit Notice Letters (ANLs) for January, with six PDP applications approved and five Final Audit Reports (FAR) completed resulting in the issuance of two new demand letters amounting to P14,708,501.21.

The BOC expressed optimism that additional revenues may still be collected from post clearance audit for the remaining months of 2021.

“Presently, there are still 24 demand letters being collected with an estimated amount of P12 billion, 18 which are undergo-

ing motion for reinvestigation/reconsideration amounting to P5 billion, and eight which remain unpaid and for referral to BOC Legal Service for filing of collection suit amounting to P6.9 billion,” the Customs said.

“T he BOC , t h roug h the Post Clearance Audit Group is steadfast in its mission and mandate of collecting lawful revenues through ascertaining the payment of appropriate duties and taxes as the nation gears towards economic recovery amidst the current health crisis,” it said. (MNS)

14

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Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Montes celebrate 10 years of friendship

F

ans of Kathryn Bernardo and Julia Montes were delighted to see the two reunite.

Apparently, the two got together recently, with their other friends, as well as Dimples Romana.

“More than 10 yrs of friendship. Love you girls,” Montes wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.

Romana also posted a different set of photos from the same night, sharing that they all had fun catching up.

“Sisters. From a friendship that began a decade ago in Mara Clara ( shoutout to all the amaaazing fans who still, up to this day, tag me cllips and photos) to baking classes, wellness trips, to dinners at home, unli chika, food trips and road trips, so glad I get to call you all, my siters," she said.

Bernardo, Montes and Romana were all part of the “Mara Clara” remake that aired on ABS-CBN in 2010. Their friendship started on the set of the series and they managed to stay in touch through the years.

After from “Mara Clara,” Bernardo and Montes also starred in “Way Back Home” that helped deepen their friendship.

In a previous interview, Bernardo said she was fortunate that she had Montes by her side when she headlined the Star Cinema project which was her first full-length film.

“Ang suwerte ko nun kasi kasama ko si Julia.

Malapit ko siyang kaibigan. Alam mo 'yung feeling na wala ka pang love team nun, wala pang DJ (Padilla), pero meron kang kasama na mag-adjust

lindsAY de VerA

KAthrYn & JuliA sa ganung mundo. Suwerte ako nun na kasama ko si Julia,” she said.

Up to this day, fans of the two are still hoping that they would reunite in an acting project in the future. (MNS)

Diego Gutierrez hopes to carve own path in showbiz MANILA (Mabuhay) — Diego Gutierrez, the only son of Monching Gutierrez and Lotlot de Leon, hopes to carve his own path now that he’s also ventured into the entertainment industry.

Gutierrez shared that being in showbiz was not really something that he wanted growing up.

“I only got into it recently. Ang dream ko talaga is maging basketball player before. Until now nagba-basketball pa rin ako pero recently nagka-opportunity to enter showbiz. My parents said why don’t I try it so ayun, nandito na tayo ngayon,” he said.

While he comes from a showbiz clan, Gutierrez said he wants to live outside the shadow of her family and “be good on my own.”

“I just really try to do my best every time. Siyempre gusto ko ma-live up 'yung expectations ng tao pero I try not to think about that na. Sa sarili, I just want to be good on my own. I want to work for it also and hopefully achieve what my family achieved na rin,” he said.

diegO gutierrez When asked what’s the best advice his parents gave him about showbiz, he said: “They always say na nothing comes easy in this industry and you have to earn everything and work for it. I think that’s one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned also being an athlete. Na-learn ko na rin na hindi talaga madali. You

have to earn your spot. I think this applies to this industry as well for sure.”

Although both his parents are actors, Gutierrez said the main track that he wants to tread in the industry is music.

In fact, he’s slated to release his first ever single on February 5.

“I am into music. I got it from my dad, he sings well. My mom also sings well but mostly, it’s really from my lola, si Mamita Pilita (Corrales),” he said.

According to Gutierrez, his biggest dream as a performer would be to hear people singing his songs.

“When I think about it, one of my biggest dreams as a musician, as a performer, 'yung tipong kapag nagpe-perform na ako in front of a lot of audiences, sila na 'yung kumakanta ng mga kanta ko.

Kapag nai-imagine ko 'yun, wow oh my gosh. 'Yung crowd na 'yung kumakanta tapos sumasabay sila sa 'yo. That’s one of my ultimate goals,” he said.

Currently, Gutierrez is part of the long running concert variety show “ASAP Natin To.” (MNS)

Joyce Pring on financial struggles, shares an important lesson on money she learned from her dad MANILA (Mabuhay) — Popular influencers who seem to be thriving and doing well for themselves have gone through financial struggles and Joyce Pring can attest to that.

In an Instagram story Joyce answered false to an assumption that she never had financial problems. “(I) didn’t grow up with money. (I) had to start working and being independent at 16 (and) even worked in a BPO as

a copywriter for an offshore company hehe,” she wrote.

It is only when she turned 21 that she became “financially comfortable” and everything “major” she owned then was from God and her efforts.

“From NOT HI NG, God gave me the ability to work hard and make a living for myself. He really blessed me and my family.”

The host also believes

Lindsay de Vera plans to sue those behind Dingdong Dantes pregnancy rumors

that part of where she is now is being a blessing to others.

“A HUGE part of being successful must be giving back to others and encouraging those who are in the same struggling position as you once were,” Joyce said.

Her father taught her a lesson that she holds very dearly up to this day: “Money is not everything, but with it, you can help a lot of people - including yourself.” (MNS)

JOYce pring

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Lindsay de Vera is planning to file charges against people spreading rumors that she is pregnant with Dingdong Dantes’ child.

The actress clarified that she had never been pregnant and had never been in a romantic relationship with Dingdong.

“No. Hindi po’ yan totoo,” she said.

Lindsay said she had been consulting with lawyers on possible charges they could file. She also urged those behind the rumors to reveal themselves.

“Malakas po loob ko to tell them, to ask them to come forward with proof if they can. Patunayan po nila na nabuntis ako ni Kuya Dong,” she said.

“I encourage you. If you have proof na nabuntis ako ni Kuya Dong, please come forward and we will meet each other in court.”

Lindsay said the last time she and the actor saw and worked with each other was on “Alyas Robin Hood” in 2017.

She said after “Alyas Robin Hood,” she worked on “Victor Magtanggol” in 2018.

“Kung nabuntis po ako, dapat noong ‘Victor Magtanggol’ pa lang nakikita na nila na lumalaki ang tiyan ko … but I still did projects, I still did guestings,” said the actress.

Lindsay said she lied low from showbiz in 2018 to focus on her studies.

(MNS)

Iñigo Pascual to release ‘All Out of Love’ cover MANILA (Mabuhay) — Singer-actor Iñigo Pascual is set to release his version of the Air Supply classic "All Out of Love" on February 5 in collaboration with music producer Moophs.

Pascual is set to croon about the empty feeling of losing a significant other over a guitar-driven trap ballad setting from Moophs.

This release is the first in Tarsier Records’ series of Air Supply remakes for 2021, which is also aligned with the duo’s Valentine’s Day US campaign.

“All Out Of Love” was originally written by Graham Russell and Clive Davis.

It peaked at No. 2 in the United States’ Hot 100, reached No. 11 in UK’s Top 40, and was one of the “100 Greatest Love Songs” in VH1’s list in 2003.

“All Out Of Love” is the latest collaboration between Pascual and Moophs, who recently released the dancehall-pop tune “Always,” which became part of Apple Music’s “The 100 Best Songs of 2020.”

They also joined a band of international artists for “RISE” -- a cross-cultural unity track featuring Eric Bellinger (USA), Sam Concepcion (PH), Zee Avi (Malaysia), and Vince Nantes (USA).

The two artists are also behind the island pop track “Catching Feelings,” which has already garnered over 10 million streams on Spotify and over 100,000 dance challenge entries across various social media platforms. (MNS)

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KC Concepcion shares challenges of running own business

KC

Concepcion took to social media to encourage her fellow solo entrepreneurs as she opened up about the challenges of running a business, especially given the pandemic.

The actress launched her own jewelry brand, Avec Moi, back in 2018.

In an Instagram post, Concepcion said she considers her home her studio, workshop, and office.

"The entrepreneur life is not easy. It requires lots of faith, multitasking, long hours, problem solving, creativity, attention to detail and the big picture, listening to custom-

ers, an open mind, a grateful heart, a fighter's spirit, and a monk's patience. Also, passion and practicality, how to balance both is the challenge," she said.

"I do the job of 10 people for this 2-year old biz of mine (not counting 2020). Keep going, learning, building... and praying for the right mentors to be disciplined and inspired by, and a tight team to grow with," she added.

Avec Moi features jewelry designed by Concepcion herself. Last November, the actress offered some of her handcrafted pieces to help raise funds for typhoon relief efforts in the country.

Concepcion earlier said that Avec Moi serves as "an ode to Paris, the City of Love, where I grew as a teen into my adult years."

(MNS)

KC CONCEPCION

Meryll reveals baby with Joem took ‘planning and trying’

MERYLL SORIANO AND JOEM BASCON WITH THEIR BABY

Regine Velasquez is grateful, but won’t accept 'Queen of OPM' title MANILA (Mabuhay) — With a storied Turning serious, Velasquez said, “I’m career spanning 35 years, Regine Ve- very flattered and grateful for the title lasquez is first in mind for many Fil- that I’m given, but like I said, I am not ipinos when “Queen of OPM” is said. at all a queen.

For her fans, the title belonging to “I am far away from being a queen, Velasquez is inbut I do work disputable, but hard. I am very, for t he music very passionate icon, that simply [with the work isn’t the case.

I do].”

Ve l a s q ue z Velasquez, 50, opened up about would rather be being regarded remembered for as the “queen” helping usher of Filipino music in new generaduring a virtual tions of singers conference for her towards their upcoming digital own career concert, “Freemilestones. For dom”. the music vetT he s ho w, eran, that legwhich continues acy would far Velasquez’s anoutweigh being nual tradition of given a title or Regine Velasquez staging Valentine sustaining one’s concerts, is scheduled to stream live popularity. on KTX.ph on February 14.

“Right now, hindi na nag-ma-matter “I don’t know how it is to be a queen. sa akin ‘yung, ‘Sikat ka pa ba?’ Ang Although my name means ‘queen,’ I am mas importante sa akin ‘yung nakaka definitely not a queen,” she said, when inspire ka ng mga baguhang singers,” asked what it takes to be a “queen” in she said. the industry, as she is often described.

“They can relate to my story,” said “Last time I checked, hindi naman Velasquez, who started joining singing si Prince Charles ang tatay ko, [kundi] competitions as a child. “Being able to si Mang Gerry,” she quipped, referring inspire them, and to have it in their to the British monarch, and her late mindset na — ‘If Regine can do it, so father. “Chineck ko naman ‘yung blood can I’ — that’s the most important to ko, hindi naman blue.” me.” (MNS)

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Meryll Soriano shared that she and her partner, fellow actor Joem Bascon, had planned having a child.

On Instagram, Soriano shared a photo of her with Bascon, taken on the day they confirmed her pregnancy.

“When we found out we were parents after planning and trying. Voilà! What a happy day,” she captioned the photo.

Since revealing she has a newborn with Bascon on January 1, Soriano has belatedly been chronicling on social media her pregnancy journey.

Soriano described her pregnancy as “risky and difficult,” due to her age of 38.

She acquired gestational diabetes during her sixth to seventh month of pregnancy, which meant she had to completely alter her diet, on top of her medical requirements.

“It was hard work and it was difficult and

tiring most of the time,” she said, noting she also had to perform daily exercises.

“But, again, my age is a factor. I did what was needed to be done.”

“Voila! I made it. I did it! I am so proud to have a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery.”

She credited Bascon for helping stay the course, writing: “There are no words to explain the taking-care-of-me part. He’s the best.”

'Sampal sa mukha': Crisha Uy reacts to ex BF Joem Bascon's rekindled romance The couple’s rekindled romance — they were together for one year until 2010 — was beset with intrigues early this month, as Bascon’s girlfriend of eight years prior to Soriano, vlogger Crisha Uy, said she felt “betrayed all over again” when news of the newborn came out. (MNS)

Ogie Alcasid, Ian Veneracion concert to push through online

MANILA (Mabuhay) — It's happening! After almost a year of waiting, the much-awaited concert of Ogie Alcasid and Ian Veneracion is finally pushing through this March online.

The two shared details of their collaboration in their respective Instagram accounts as they posted a clip inviting everyone to watch their concert "Virtually Yours, KilaboTitos" on March 26, 8 p.m., via KTX.ph.

"Mga tito at tita, tuloy na tuloy na," Alcasid said.

"Medyo na-delay lang tayo ng konti. ...Eto na, hindi na mapipiglan ang 'Virtually Yours, KilaboTitos,'" Veneracion said.

The project was first announced on January 2020, which was originally a two-night concert slated for March 20 and 21 last year at the New Frontier Theater.

However, it had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (MNS)

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Sobejana recalls battle with ASG that earned him Medal of Valor

MANILA – Outnumbered, but not outfought.

This was the life-and-death situation then Philippine Army commander and now Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Cirilito E. Sobejana faced when he led a 16-man Scout Ranger team, including two members of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) during a five-hour close-quarter gun battle with some 120 Abu Sayyaf members in the hinterland of Matarling, Basilan on that fateful Friday the 13th of January 1995, killing 42 terrorists.

Forty-two terrorists, five Scout Rangers, and the two CAFGUs were killed during the firefight that uncovered for the first time the existence of the clandestine terrorist group hiding in Basilan since 1989.

In an exclusive interview with this writer on Wednesday, Sobejana said the encounter with the Abu Sayyaf led by Abudarjak Janjalani was completely by chance when a trembling 9-year-old boy went to his unit in Maluso, Basilan to report the presence of over 100 armed men unloading supplies two kilometers away.

Sobejana, who was resting was jolted from his hammock and immediately talked to the boy, who related what he saw.

The location of the Abu Sayyaf was at Sitio Sweet Jackal.

Without wasting time, Sobejana told his men to move quickly towards the area where the gunmen were spotted by the boy, who was tending a carabao of his father at that time.

The boy said he hid behind tall grasses to avoid being seen by the armed men.

Before going to the area, Sobejana made a plan and told his men to prepare for a surprise attack, and quickly withdrew after inflicting heavy casualties.

He radioed the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade to ask permission to mount an attack. His request was granted as the brigade also positioned two to three tubes of 105mm howitzers ready to fire if

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Cirilito E. Sobejana needed.

When the Scout Rangers arrived in Sitio Sweet Jackal, they saw the heavily armed men as narrated by the boy.

Occupying a strategic position, Sobejana ordered his men to fire simultaneously, catching the Abu Sayyaf by surprise. It was close-quarter fighting with only two coconut trees dividing between the two forces.

At the start of the firefight, five Rangers were killed, leaving only nine of the soldiers standing their ground.

“At the height of the battle, I was slightly hit in the face.

I glanced at my watch it was 2:30 p.m. My men and I continued fighting and firing at the enemy. I was again hit.

This time, it was my right arm. The bullet from an M14 assault rifle shattered the bones. It was hit so badly, only the skin prevented it from falling off,” Sobejana recalled. “I stretched my left hand to hold and save my right hand. The pain was excruciating. As I did this, I could hear bullets buzzing just a few inches from where I was lying down. Mortar shells and rockets fell all over.”

Using his left hand, Sobejana applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

“I saw one of my men hit in the abdomen. His intestines came out and we bandaged him,” he added.

As the fighting raged, his machine gunner armed with M60 was wounded, but only slightly.

However, the soldier handling the more powerful 90mm Recoilless Rifle (RR) was fatally hit.

Worse, the 90RR flew overhead and landed on the Abu Sayyaf side.

“The terrorists tried to retrieve the weapon, but we fired at them. But when the Rangers also tried to retrieve it, the Abu Sayyaf opened fire at us, and vice versa for several times,” he said.

After hours of fighting, Sobejana and his men were running low in ammunition.

They fired only when necessary.

Sobejana fired using his left arm.

During the fighting, Sobejana put his trust in God to spare them from being killed as he was determined to fight to his last breath as a pledge he made as a soldier to defend freedom and democracy.

His prayers were answered, though he was seriously wounded.

Reinforcement from the Philippine Army’s 1st Armour Battalion under Col. Resty Aguila arrived and brought them to their headquarters before Sobejana and eight of the Scout Rangers were airlifted to the Southern Command in Zamboanga City for

treatment.

For his exceptional bravery, Sobejana was awarded the Medal of Valor, the highest award by the AFP for gallantry in combat.

Then-President Fidel V. Ramos handed the medal to Sobejana during the 98th AFP anniversary held in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Dec. 21, 1996.

Left-handed salute Not many people are aware of it but Sobejana is the only person who does the left-handed salute in the military.

After the 1995 encounter in Basilan, his right hand lost its motor capabilities. He underwent nine surgical procedures in the United States for two years.

Sobejana requested the doctor not to amputate his right arm because he wanted to continue in serving the country.

"We will continue to fight insurgency to win peace for the country. I had several gunshot wounds, and I turned those wounds into wisdom rather than anger,” he said.

Last week, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte appointed Sobejana as the 55th AFP chief, replacing Gen. Gilbert Gapay, who mandatorily retired from the service on Feb. 4. (PNA)

LP... from Page 1 Pangilinan, however, acknowledged that consultations and recruitment are being done to expand LP membership so that candidates of LP and other allied groups will be able to secure victory in the May 2022 polls.

The LP-led opposition is coming off a devastating defeat in the 2019 midterm polls, with no opposition candidate in the Senate race winning a seat among its eight bets.

Robredo is also facing an uphill climb, at least based on the January poll on Pulse Asia, which ranked her sixth with 8% rating among potential 2022 presidential bets.

Should Robredo decide to seek the presidency, it will mark the first election wherein she will run under the opposition banner since she won in 2013 as Camarines Sur representative and in 2016 as vice president being the administration candidate.

The filing of candidacy for the 2022 polls is tentatively set in October this year.

Three days ago, former Ifugao representative Teodoro Baguilat revealed that supporters of the Vice President met in Quezon province to push for her candidacy for president in the May 2022 polls, including raising campaign funds.

In 2019, Robredo said she is keeping her options open.

“I’m leaving everything open. We still have three years before the next presidential elections. A lot can still happen, and I’ve always said that the presidency is a destiny. There are so many politicians who have sought the presidency and have prepared for it for many years,” Robredo said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. (MNS)

ADVOCATES.... from Page 5 grants settle. They find jobs. They learn English and they become part of our society, build businesses and really contribute to American society,” said Yang.

Lawrence of UndocuBlack said she was excited that Biden had extended Deferred Enforced Departure for more than 10,000 undocumented Liberians until June 30, 2022, which allows them to get work permits and a stay of removal as they apply for the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness program.

Lawrence said she was also pleased that the number of diversity visas is expected to jump from 55,000 to 80,000.

Over 80 percent of diversity visas are allocated to immigrants from African countries. More than 11 million people apply each year for the diversity visa, which is allocated via lottery.

Ragbir, an immigrant from Trinidad who has personally struggled with final removal orders for several years, shared a map identifying roughly 1,000 immigrant rights activists nationwide who, he said, were targeted by ICE for deportation. He advocated for an immediate halt to all deportations.

L.A.... from Page 1 to the city’s economy and the stakeholders.

The plan is to require groceries and pharmacies with 300 or more employees nationally and 10 or more employees on site to add the $5 hazard pay to all hourly, non-managerial employees' wages for 120 days.

The motion to give hazard pay to frontline workers was introduced last December 15

by LA City Council President Nury Martinez and Councilmembers Paul Koretz, Mitch O'Farrell and Curren Price.

The Los Angeles City Council’s move came after the City of Long Beach enacted an emergency ordinance that mandated

a $4 per hour hazard pay.

The legislation was challenged in court by the California Grocers Association and a hearing on the case has been scheduled on February 19.

Responding to the Long Beach ordinance, the Kroger Company, the owner of Ralph’s groceries and Food4Less, said on Monday that it will be closing two of its stores in Long Beach.

In reaction, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International President Marc Perrone released the following statement: “Since the pandemic began, Kroger has made billions in

profits because of the sacrifices of grocery workers who have been putting their own health and safety on the line every day.

Rather than provide the hazard pay these grocery workers have earned and deserve, Kroger decided to threaten these workers and the community’s access to food in the middle of a public health crisis.

“City leaders stepped up to take care of these essential grocery workers and ensure they receive hazard pay for the danger they face. Kroger closing these stores is truly outrageous conduct and a ruthless attempt to create a chilling effect that will discourage other cities

from doing what is right and enacting hazard pay mandates that recognize the threat these workers face from COVID-19.

“Let us be very clear, this is not how you treat frontline essential workers that face daily and worsening exposure to COVID-19. America’s grocery workers will not be silenced in the face of these shameless scare tactics. Major grocery chains across the country have already agreed to new hazard pay agreements and Americans strongly support hazard pay in recognition of the ongoing risks these grocery workers are facing. Kroger does not have the right to ignore laws designed to

protect workers and the public during this escalating health crisis.

“As America’s largest food and retail union, UFCW will use every tool available to ensure that Kroger follows the law and that our state and federal leaders hold companies accountable for flagrantly choosing to evade these vital workplace laws.”

California Grocers Association CEO Ron Fong said in a statement that it is the workers and customers who would ultimately be affected adversely by the legislated pay hikes as these additional costs would only be passed on to consumers.

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Health & Family Business Want to maximize vaccine’s effect?

Follow schedule of shots, says DOH 18

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MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Department of Health on Wednesday reminded the public of the importance of following the dosing schedule of COVID-19 vaccines once the government begins its massive inoculation drive later this month.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire brought this up, as she explained that getting the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines within the dates specified by the manufacturer optimizes a shot’s effect.

Doing so would also prevent “escape mutations,” which would affect the efficacy of the COVID-19 jabs, Vergeire added.

“Ang isa pong sinasabi ng ating mga eksperto, kapag mas pinatagal po natin itong pagbibigay ng second dose, compared doon sa dapat na, or required na dapat na dosing schedule ay baka magkakaroon nu’ng tinatawag na ’escape mutations’ na maaaring makaapekto doon sa efficacy ng bakuna,” Vergeire said.

“So mas maganda na po susundin na natin iyong schedule na sinabi ng Emergency Use Authority at saka indikasyon ng bakuna na iyon.”

The Philippine government is preparing to roll out COVID-19 vaccines with the arrival of the first batch of Pfizer and Astrazeneca vaccines from the COVAX Facility this month.

Both vaccines will be administered in two doses.

“So ang sabi nila, iyong 21 days, that is the appropriate time based on the trial that they have done kung kailan dapat ibigay na itong bakuna for Pfizer compared to the AstraZeneca which, yes, it requires 4 weeks to 12 weeks (na) mas matagal,” Vergeire said.

“May mga pag-aaral po na isinasagawa dito, at base po doon sa pagaaral at indikasyon nitong bakuna na ito, iyon po iyong inilagay natin sa Emergency Use Authority nila based on evidence kaya kailangan susundin po natin iyan.”

The DOH, meanwhile, welcomed the announcement that pharmaceutical firm Johnson & Johnson is developing a single-dose vaccine for COVID-19.

“Maganda pong balita iyan, hindi lang po sa ating bansa kung hindi sa lahat ng bansa kung magkakaroon nga ng ganitong bakuna na isang dose na lang po. Unang-una, operationally po ay napaka-simple na ng gagawin.

Wala na po tayong aantayin na time or period of time para magbakuna for the second dose,” Vergeire said.

“At dito sinasabi rin, isang turok lang sa’yo, makukuha mo na iyong efficacy na kinakailangan ng iyong katawan para ikaw ay maproteksyunan. So dito po, bukas po ang ating gobyerno, if we can be able to get this kind of vaccines that will be very beneficial for our population.”

The Philippine government is currently in negotiations with Johnson & Johnson for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. (MNS)

RETURNING FILIPINOS ONLY HAVE TO TAKE ONE COVID-19 TEST — DIZON

Janssen’s COVID-19 clinical trials in the Philippines to start this week — DOST chief MANILA (Mabuhay) — The clinical trials of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccines in the country will start within this week, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña said on Thursday.

At the Laging Handa briefing, Dela Peña said the trials will take a month or less.

“Mukhang mauuna ang Janssen at within this week ay mag-uumpisa na sila,” he said.

“Re q u i r e d n a 'yung pagdadausa n ng clinica l trials—ito naman hindi magtatagal siguro mga isang buwan lang ‘yan or ever less—ay gagawin sa lugar na mataas ang incidence ng COVID-19,” he added.

MANILA (Mabuhay) — The government's testing czar, Vince Dizon, on Tuesday announced some changes in the testing protocols for returning Filipinos or other individuals arriving in the Philippines.

At a Palace briefing, Dizon said the government will no longer require a swab test for returning Filipinos at the airport. Instead, the test will be conducted on the fifth day after the arrival.

“Ngayon po ay hindi na po tayo magsa-swab pagdating ng ating mga kababayan at ibang dumarating sa Pilipinas sa airport. Diretso po sila sa quarantine

These sites should have a high incidence of COVID-19 cases consistent for two weeks before the conduct of the clinical trials, according to Dela Peña.

A list of possible sites for the clinical trials has already been forwarded to the manufacturers. However, Dela Peña said he cannot divulge the areas due to a confidential disclosure agreement.

Concerned local government units were informed of the possible participation of their areas in the clinical trials for the potential COVID-19 vaccines, he said.

Aside from Janssen, Dela Peña said potential COVID-19 vaccine products from Sinovac and Clover are also set to conduct clinical trials in the country either this February or March.

(MNS)

SECRETARY FORTUNATO DELA PEÑA facility,” he said.

“Requirement po na magkaroon ng booking sa isang quarantine facility o hotel for seven days bago po sila pumunta ng Pilipinas. At ang testing po ay mangyayari sa ikalimang araw,” he added.

Those with negative results will be endorsed to their respective local government units where they will be monitored during the remaining days of the 14-day quarantine at home.

Meanwhile, samples from those with positive results will be forwarded to Philippine Genome Center to detect if they were infected with the the corona-

Saturday-Friday | February 6 - 12, 2021

DOH to finalize by February 15 master list of health-care workers for vaccination M ANIL A (Mabuhay) — The Philippine government is set to finalize this month a master list of frontline health workers who will be prioritized in the government’s massive immunization program against COV ID-19, the Health Department said Wednesday.

DOH Spokesperson Usec Maria Rosario Vergeire made the announcement as the government prepares to roll out COVID-19 vaccines with the arrival of the first batch of Pfizer and Astrazeneca doses from the COVAX Facility later this month.

The government has announced that frontline health workers will be the first in line to receive the COVID-19 jabs.

“So for the Phase 1 of master listing, iyon pong ating mga workers sa kani-kanilang mga health facilities iyon po ang ating gagawin. The first step of profiling kung saan ang health and non-healthcare workers in frontline health services ay kailangan po natin malaman, mailista ng kanilang mga facilities. Second is ma-consolidate po natin as a full data,” Vergeire said during the Laging Handa briefing Wednesday.

Vergeire said that the information will be encoded directly to the government’s COVID-19 electronic immunization registry (CEIR).

“We had the pre-submission of this master list kung saan nakapagbuo na po tayo from almost all facilities. Still awaiting to be completed iyon pong ibang facilities but we are assured that bago mag-February 15 ay buo na po ang master list natin already for our vaccine implementation,” Vergeire added.

The DOH said it was also preparing a separate master list of its vaccination workforce.

“Hindi lang po iyong bibigyan ng bakuna ang ating mina-master list, mina-master list din po natin iyong mga magbabakuna sa ating mga kababayan,” Vergeire said.

Aside from the CEIR, several vaccination registry platforms have also been put in place by the Department of Health, including a separate system to monitor adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines.

“Para po doon sa mga adverse reactions, we are using the system iyong Digi-Flow which can monitor the adverse events following immunization,” Vergeire said.

“With all of these systems in place we can ensure a seamless integration of data coming from all sectors, coming from all areas, and that it will be unified into just one platform.”' (MNS) virus variant first traced in the United Kingdom.

Earlier, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases ordered Filipino passengers from countries covered by travel restrictions to take two tests: one upon arrival and the other one five days after.

On January 23, flag carrier Philippine Airlines said the task force advised them on some changes in the protocols. These passengers shall be given RT-PCR testing upon arrival and shall be given the option to avail of a second swab test on their fifth day of quarantine. (MNS)

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WHO exec: Philippine COVID-19 vaccination plan ‘very good’ but challenges may still happen MANILA (Mabuhay) — World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe on Monday commended the COVID-19 vaccination plan of the Philippine government.

However, he noted that challenges are still possible to happen during the actual rollout, which is expected to start by February.

“I believe they have a very good comprehensive plan. What we are concerned about is oftentimes the actual rollout faces challenges although you plan very well,” he said in an interview on ANC. “This is what we have been discussing with the Department of Health in the case of logistics arrangements, and the National Task Force,” he added.

On Saturday, The National Task Force Against COVID-19 announced that the government had approved and ratified the Philippine National Deployment and RABINDRA ABEYASINGHE, Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Vaccines.

WHO COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE

89 contacts of UK variant cases in Bontoc, La Trinidad positive for COVID-19 — DOH MANILA (Mabuhay) — Eighty-three people in Bontoc, Mountain Province and six in La Trinidad, Benguet, who are close contacts of cases with the UK variant of coronavirus, have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

In a virtual press conference on Monday, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said eight samples from Bontoc and two from La Trinidad will undergo sequencing to detect the possible UK variant.

“To clarify, 410 contacts for Bontoc UK variant cluster had been identified with 83 testing positive for RT-PCR...Doon sa 83, additional eight na mga positive for RT-PCR are for sequencing,” she said.

“From the La Trinidad case, 37 are identified as contacts. Six were positive. And two of the six were sent to sequencing,” she added.

As of Sunday, a total of 447people have been identified as first to third generation contacts of the cases of UK variant in the region, the DOH said. Fifty-six RT-PCR test results of some close contacts are still pending, it added.

Twelve cases of COVID-19 with the UK variant have been detected so far in Bontoc and also one in La Trinidad.

At least 56 results in RT-PCR tests of some close contacts are still pending, according to the DOH. Earlier, the DOH confirmed a local transmission of new coronavirus variant B.1.1.7 in Bontoc.

The B.1.1.7 is the new coronavirus variant initially discovered in the United Kingdom that is said to be more transmissible.

The virus causes COVID-19 which, as of latest count, has killed 10,749 people in the Philippines.

Total caseload as of January 31, 2021 was 525,618, according to DOH data. (MNS)

The task force, its regional and local COVID-19 counterparts, as well as the regional and local COVID-19 vaccination operations centers are mandated to implement and adapt the plan.

'Macroplans' In a memorandum dated January 26, regional covid-19 vaccination operations centers are directed to develop “macroplans” for deployment and inoculation.

Also, local COVID-19 vaccination operations centers are directed to develop “microplans” for the vaccination rollout.

Abeyasinghe said the WHO is coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and local governments in preparation of databases.

The organization is also working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in establishing systems to monitor the possible cases of side effects among vaccine recipients during the rollout.

“These emergency use licensed vaccines should be able to recall those and manage those well,” Abeyasinghe added.

The Philippine government aims to secure around 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate some 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year. (MNS)

Sotto calls on govt to intensify COVID-19 vaccine info drive in urban poor, far-flung communities MANILA (Mabuhay) — The government’s information drive on the benefits of COVID-19 vaccine should be intensified in urban poor communities and far-flung municipalities, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said.

Sotto issued the statement as the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program is set to rollout in February, with one million health workers expected to get the first jab since they have the highest exposure to the virus.

“Alam naman natin ang impact ng tsismis at fake news lalo

na sa ating mga kababayan na nakatira sa mga malalayong komunidad. Mahalagang maayos na maipaliwanag ng gobyerno na hindi makakasama sa kanila ang pagpapa-bakuna, kundi ay makakatulong ito para maproteksyunan sila laban sa COVID-19,” Sotto said.

He then suggested that local government units should also implement the information drive, given their familiarity with their jurisdiction's population profile and geography.

“Maraming natatakot na magpabakuna dahil sa mga nagkalat

SENATE PRESIDENT VICENTE SOTTO III

na haka-haka at mga balitang nagsasabi na hindi naman ito epektibo laban sa COVID-19.

Maliban pa rito, hindi rin malinaw sa publiko ang magiging sistema sa pagba-bakuna,” he pointed out.

“Hangga't malabo sa isipan ng tao kung ano ang magandang maidudulot ng bakuna sa kanilang kalusugan ay mahihirapan talaga ang pamahalaan na kumbinsihin sila na makiisa sa programang ito,” Sotto added.

He further said the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) "must double their efforts in both mainstream and social media."

In addition, the Senate President said that medical personnel should likewise be included in the campaign because of their expertise on health issues.

The Department of Health has already been conducting town halls to promote benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine, starting with meeting with health workers who will be deployed as ambassadors for getting inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said that intensified information dissemination on COVID-19 vaccine can boost the public’s confidence to as much as 85%.

(MNS)

Duterte OKs P362-M allocation for genomic biosurveillance MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the allocation of PHP362 million for genomic biosurveillance, which is

SECRETARY KARLO NOGRALES

expected to strengthen the government’s overall coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) response.

In a v irtua l presser on Thursday, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the President approved the recommendation during the 51st Cabinet meeting held at Malacañan Palace on Wednesday.

Nograles said genomic biosurveillance is expected to improve efforts to trace close contacts of individuals found positive for the B.1.1.7 SARSCoV-2 variant, also known as the United Kingdom (UK)

variant.

“With different strains and variants of the Covid-19 virus now emerging, the Department of Health (DOH) will be mobilizing resources and investing in genomic biosurveillance, which will strengthen and improve our overall Covid-19 response as the conduct of whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of the virus will enable us to understand the evolution of the virus across geographical and time scales as well as the impact of specific mutations on viral properties including

infectiousness and virulence,” he said.

Citing the DOH, Nograles said genomic surveillance is also critical input for the country’s national vaccine deployment program.

He explained that a better understanding of the virus and its possible mutations will enable the government to implement a more responsive vaccination program, execute other existing health interventions, and prepare for future pandemics.

Earlier, Philippine Genome Center Executive Director

Cy nt hia Sa lome said t he genomic biosurveillance must be strengthened through sequencing of more samples, particularly from areas with recent clusters of infections, incoming travelers, and hospitalized patients to keep track of the changes within the circulating local viral populations.

Genome sequencing is used to check for the presence of Covid-19 variants. It is done by analyzing a sample taken from a diagnosed patient and comparing it with others.

(MNS)

20

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Model Code: MFJ-41 – MH412044 & MH420118 Offer Expires 2/12/2021 FINANCE OFFER As low as 0.9% Limited term financing on ALL remaining 2020 Foresters in stock

2020 SUBARU

Crosstrek HYBRID

***This car is eligible for CA Carpool Lane Stickers!!!!****

279

$

279

$

PLUS TAX PER MONTH LEASE/ 36 MONTHS @10k MILES PER YEAR

PLUS TAX PER MONTH LEASE/ 39 MONTHS @10k MILES PER YEAR

$2,899 Down Payment $0 Security Deposit $0 First Months Lease Payment

$2,899 Down Payment $0 Security Deposit $0 First Months Lease Payment

$2,899 Total Due Lease Signing (tax, title, license & doc fees extra)

$2,899 Total Due Lease Signing (tax, title, license & doc fees extra)

Model Code: LDG-41 – Only 2 left at this payment L3264978 & L3263093 Offer Expires 2/12/2021 FINANCE OFFER As low as 0% Limited term financing on ALL remaining 2020 Outback models in Stock

Offer Expires 2/12/2021 FINANCE OFFER As low as 0.9% Limited Term Financing on ALL 2020 Crosstrek HYBRIDs in Stock

2020 SUBARU

299

$

Legacy Touring XT

Model Code: LRH-01 – LH282834 & LH283445

Ascent TOURING– 7 Passenger CVT

2021 SUBARU

379

$

PLUS TAX PER MONTH LEASE/ 36 MONTHS @10k MILES PER YEAR

PLUS TAX PER MONTH LEASE/ 36 MONTHS @10k MILES PER YEAR

$2,899 Down Payment $0 Security Deposit $0 First Months Lease Payment

$2,899 Down Payment $0 Security Deposit $0 First Months Lease Payment

$2,899 Total Due Lease Signing (tax, title, license & doc fees extra)

$2,899 Total Due Lease Signing (tax, title, license & doc fees extra)

Model Code: LAL-41 – 1 at this payment L3030907 FINANCE OFFER Offer Expires 2/12/2021 As low as 0% Limited Term Financing on ALL 2020 Legacys in Stock

Model Code: MCG-33 – M3401908 & M3413789 FINANCE OFFER Offer Expires 2/12/2021 As low as 0% Limited term financing on ALL 2021 Ascents in stock

“Para sa bagong Subaru, tawagan niyo lang po kami!”

Driving People Happy

SUBARU OF GLENDALE 1308 S Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91204 www.SubaruofGlendale.net

855-230-1547 Andrew Marilla Christian Marilla Sales & Leasing Finance Manager

Enzo Patnongon Sale & Leasing Consultant

Subaru, Forester, Outback, Tribeca, Legacy, Impreza, WRX, STI, and SUBARU BOXER are registered trademarks. Purchase or lease any new (previously untitled) Subaru and receive a complimentary factory scheduled maintainance plan for 2 years or 24,000 miles (whichever comes first).

See Subaru Added Security Maintenance Plan for intervals, coverage and limitations. Customer must take delivery before 12-31-20 and reside within the promotional area. At participating dealers only. See dealer for program details and eligibility.