FILAM November 2021

Issue 45, Nоvember 2021

Making a martyr of

Maria Ressa

Photo by Troi Santos

Hazel Sanchez The morning face of PIX11

Leylah Fernandez Fresh prodigy in women’s tennis

Letter from the Editor

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The height of irresponsibility

y the end of 2020, some 340,000 Americans were dead from COVID19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. That was the winter from hell. Scores perished because of the dithering and neglect by the then federal administration, which caused an unmitigated catastrophe.

A mutated variant and vaccine resistance stoked by irresponsible governors has more than doubled the number of dead from the end of last year to more than 700,000 before the start of November 2021.

If the measuring stick for progress is stopping the lethal march of this debilitating disease, our failure as a nation is writ large.

The only silver lining we have seen so far are the tens of millions of people who have willingly taken the jab in their arms to protect not only themselves but those around them. Many companies big and small have done their part, requiring as a condition of keeping their jobs or being hired in a new one, that employees get the vaccine.

The height of irresponsibility and sheer negligence though are some health workers, police

We hope the deaths will not exceed the psychological level of one million. officers, firefighters and top state officials who resist steps to contain what is a public health emergency.

The rights encased in our personal liberties for which thousands have given their lives through history should not and can never be upheld in the face of a pandemic whose murderous rampage will soon approach and result in the death of one million Americans.

We celebrate Thanksgiving at the end of this month and the holy days in December. This publication cannot fathom why a country with so much abundant resources and much to thank for is still being plagued by a disease whose control is pretty straightforward. The vaccine mandates on the federal and private level have been made necessary by the sheer intransigence of state leaders who have absconded their

Contributing Writers Tricia J. Capistrano Ludy AstraquilloOngkeko Joel David Mariel Padilla Wendell Gaa Lindy Rosales Maricar CP Hampton Vicky Potenciano-Vitug Angelito Cabigao Danielle Vania Bonus

Founding Editor Cristina DC Pastor Address P.O. Box 8071 New York, NY 10116

Contact Thefilamny@gmail.com

The FilAm is a publication of A&V Editorial THE FILAM |

primary responsibility: keeping their people alive, healthy and safe.

This is particularly true of Florida as well as Texas. The leader of the first seems to care more about his political prospects in 2024 while the other is looking ahead to a future election where he wants to cling to power.

The issue of COVID is not just an overarching national issue. It intimately affects the Filipino American community just as deeply. The virus has claimed many of our health care workers.

We doubt very much there is a family that has not been affected by this virus. We also doubt there is a family that does not know of kin or friend who has not been wounded by this remorseless ailment.

The FilAm expresses the hope that by this time in 2022, some semblance of sanity would have returned in the way this disease is handled. And the number of people who have died would not exceed the psychological level of one million. We sincerely and fervently hope that this would be the case. The nation we so love deserves no less.

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Making a martyr of Maria Ressa

By Cristina DC Pastor

To understand Nobel Prize Laureate Maria Ressa and her tense conflict with Rodrigo Duterte, let’s go back 35 years when the Philippines ousted the Marcoses by People Power in 1986.

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aria – born in the Philippines and raised in Tom’s River, New Jersey by her mother and stepfather -- returned home and embarked on a journalism career that began at the government station PTV 4. It was a short, like testing-the- waters kind of start. She had a B.A. degree in English from Princeton University, and completed her master’s degree in journalism from UP Diliman. In 1987, she and Cheche Lazaro founded the investigative news program Probe. Maria would move to CNN where she became Manila bureau chief and later its Jakarta bureau chief till 2005. Next stop in a career that was quickly shooting up was ABS-CBN where she led its News division. She left the network in 2010, but was already beginning to voice her thoughts against corruption, editorial independence, and the growing influence of social media. In 2011, Rappler was born with Maria as founder and CEO. Maria and Duterte hit it off quite nicely when she interviewed him as a presidential candidate in 2015. It was a congenial meeting with both journalist and politician showing they could enjoy a friendly conversation.

This would be followed by another interview in December, 2016. This time, Duterte was already president.

Maria was more forceful, pressing him to elaborate on how he viewed Power and how he would use it as a leader.

Duterte, if he was annoyed, did not

‘I realized…I can go to jail.’ Photo: Rappler show it. He danced around the question by sharing folksy anecdotes when he was mayor of Davao for many years and how he and the police worked well to keep order in the city.

The EJK – or extra-judicial killing of suspected drug users and pushers -- began almost immediately when Duterte took his seat as the 16th Philippine president. The bodies piled up, the police were not being held accountable, and abuse of human rights was once again hovering around the Philippines just like when dictator Ferdinand

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Marcos was in power. Duterte was being called the post-Marcos dictator, and Rappler kept its anti-EJK reporting in a sustained way and gave it prominence.

The harassment of Rappler began with the shaming of the news site, Duterte calling it “fake news” and “foreign owned.” Its reporters were banned from Malacanang coverage or anywhere the president was present. In 2017, or a year after he became president, his government’s Securities and Exchange Commission

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called for an investigation of Rappler and its supposed foreign ownership.

In 2018 it was accused of tax evasion.

In 2019, Maria was accused of cyber libel over an article that was published before there was even a cyber libel law. She was arrested and released after posting bail.

More charges would be filed against Maria, by this time, a cause celebre in the human rights community.

She recalled in a panel “Documenting Press Freedom & Impact” to promote her 2020 documentary “A Thousand Cuts”: “I didn't expect I'd ever be arrested…I have eight arrest warrants. Good god.

I-I didn't expect where we are almost 35 years after People Power.” The film, directed by Ramona Diaz, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

From the year 2017, the cases just kept coming down, she said.

“2018 the government filed 11 cases and investigate -- and began more investigations. 2019, the arrests-- eight arrest warrants-- and then all the cases began. I spent 90% of my time in courtrooms.”

Through it all, Maria was gripped with fear but conscious about having to keep it in check so she could continue being a publisher and a journalist, she told the panel.

“I realized, oh Christ, I can go to jail. And I spent maybe a month when I was grappling with it because I knew I needed to already -- I needed to get it out of the way because if I'm scared, I can't work. And I can't-- I can't do my job if I'm scared. So whatever it is you're most afraid of, you have to, like, take it and own it, embrace it, and rob it of its sting.”

When conceptualizing Rappler, she said, she wanted to create a platform for “stories that will impact my world in a way that will change it for the better,” as she continues to figure out the balance between “pulling back and pushing forward.”

Maria was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, sharing the honor with Dmitry Muratov of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

Lee Kiefer: The 1st American to win Olympic Gold in fencing

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hen TOFA 2021 (The Outstanding Filipinos in America) introduced Lee Kiefer as the Tokyo Olympic Gold Winner in the esoteric event Individual Foil Fencing -- defeating reigning Olympic Champion Russian Inna Deriglazova -- the audience of mostly Filipino ancestry at Weill Carnegie Hall gave her the loudest applause.

So the question I asked Lee in a recent interview are: How are you of Philippine descent and living in Kentucky become a Foil Fencer, specializing in a European sport popular in the Middle Ages?

Her grandmother, Teresita Bacani, a native of Davao, finished medical school at the University of Santo Tomas and took her residency in Kentucky.

Before she left for the U.S., she told her boyfriend then, Ricardo Oropilla that it may be years before she would be back. He faithfully waited for her. When she returned three years later, they got married, in Davao.

However, when their daughter Teresa was 10 years old and their son Joseph was 11 years old, they decided to go back to Kentucky. Teresa decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps and studied medicine (major in Psychiatry) at the University of Louisville where she met another medical student, Steven Kiefer. They got married after graduation and now have three children: Lee’s older sister Alexandra; Lee, the middle child; and her younger brother Axel.

When their father was an undergraduate student, he took up fencing as a walk-in enthusiast when there was an open slot at Duke University. He loved it and became good at it to become captain of the Fencing team.

When Lee was 6 years old, her neurosurgeon father took up the sport again and started to join competitions. All the three siblings were thrown into the sport also known as the “nobility’s combat sport.” Their father taught them the basics and then started to take them to his fencing club twice a week.

She told NBC, “It started as a family activity, which we enjoyed and dreaded based on the day and developed into something that we were good at, gave us focus, helped us make friends and allowed us to see new places.”

Lee started to win when she was 16 years old. Her first Gold Medal was awarded in 2010 at the Pan American Championship. Before the Tokyo Olympics 2021, Lee was a four-time NCAA champion, 10-time team Pan American champion, nine-time individual Pan American champion and 2018 World Champion.

She competed in the 2012 London Olympic Games, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, and her recent victory was at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.

To prepare for Tokyo, she took off a break from her studies at the University of Kentucky College of

With her mom Teresa and grandmother Teresita Bacani Oropilla at her white coat ceremony as a medical student.

For the Kiefers of Kentucky, fencing is a family affair. Lee with parents Steven and Teresa and siblings Alexandra and Axel.

Medicine for six months. She would practice with her coach and other players five days a week for two to three hours each day. She did strength building by lifting weights and sprinting four to five days a week.

She did video analysis once a week and sports psychology once a month to learn how to handle the stress of competing, of balancing study and sport. Fencing, Lee stressed, requires not only skill, but also physical and mental strength, calm but intense spirit and “most of all, it must be fun.”

In order to win in the sport, you must touch your opponent’s body with the tip of the sword 15 times. So the referee called Lee’s 15th touch over the 13th touch of the Russian Inna. Lee was briefly overwhelmed, and then ecstatic. She worked so hard to win this.

Her husband, Gerek Meinhardt -- whose mother is Taiwanese and father of German descent -- married Lee in September 2020. He is also an Olympic medalist whom Lee saw compete in Beijing Olympics 2008 THE FILAM |

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Fencing requires skill, physical and mental strength, calm and ‘most of all, it must be fun.’ Photo: Getty Images

when she was 14 and had a crush on him. They began dating in January 2012, and got engaged in January 2018. He is also a medical student.

Here’s a fun fact: Her sister Alex is a former Harvard foil fencer and 2011 NCAA champion; she is now a doctor. Her brother Axel was the 2015 USA Fencing National Champion Junior Gold Medalist, and second in the 2018 NCAA Championship. He is also studying to be a medical doctor.

At the TOFA event, Lee spoke about her grandmother, Teresita Bacani Oropilla, 92 years old, who called her one week before she departed for Tokyo, “Go to the Olympics. Be brave. Fight hard and believe in yourself.”

Armed with that encouragement, Lee Kiefer fought with focus, determination and inner strength. She emerged victorious as the first American, male or female, to win the gold medal in Olympic individual foil. And she is a Filipino American.

Nurse Maria Ambrocio dies after being knocked down by a mentally ill man An oncology nurse from Bayonne, New Jersey was pronounced dead on October 10 two days after she was knocked to the ground by a theft suspect while walking with friends toward Times Square, according to news reports.

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eports said Maria Luningning Ambrocio cracked her skull when her head hit the pavement. She was rushed to Bellevue Hospital and placed on life support.

“I’m asking for all Bayonne people to say a prayer for Maria Ambrocio, who was viciously attacked in an unprovoked assault by a deranged man in Times Square,” said Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis after news of the accidental attack was reported in the papers. His statement was posted on Facebook before she was pronounced deceased.

Reports state that Maria and some friends came from the Philippine Consulate and had lunch at a nearby restaurant on October 8. They were walking toward Times Square after lunch when suspect Jermaine Foster who was fleeing from a robbery bumped into Ambrocio. The impact was so strong it knocked her to the ground and rendered her unconscious.

Foster, described as a “mentally disturbed homeless man,” had grabbed a cell phone from a stranger and was fleeing when he plowed into Maria’s group.

One of Maria’s friends, Emilia Cruz, recalled to the New York Post how it happened: “There were lots of people and we were trying to maneuver…I heard a big thump like something hit the concrete and, you know, it was loud so I said ‘Wow, oh my God. What’s that?’ and I looked down and I saw her blouse, I didn’t see the face and I said, ‘Oh my God, Ning,’ I call her Ning…I said ‘Ning, what happened? Wake up,’ and she was out.

She was already unconscious. She is not answering me. I keep picking her up. She was frothing from her mouth. And I said, ‘Call 911.’”

Like Maria, Emilia is a nurse at the Bayonne Medical Center. Maria’s Facebook profile says she works at CarePoint Health, a health care network that includes three area hospitals Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital, and Hoboken University Medical Center.

She was previously a nurse at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan.

The Philippine Consulate issued a statement calling on New York City authorities to take the necessary measures to protect the public.

“We grieve with the rest of the Filipino community over the death of our ‘kababayan,’ Maria Ambrocio,

Bayonne nurse Maria Luningning Ambrocio. Facebook photo

a 58-year-old health frontliner from Bayonne, New Jersey, who is the latest victim of deranged individuals on the loose in New York City.

“Maria’s passing was announced shortly after she was removed from life support a few hours ago. She had been on life support for the head trauma she sustained on Friday afternoon after she was knocked down by someone who was described as a mentally disturbed homeless man.

“Maria was walking with a kababayan near Times Square after visiting the Philippine Consulate General when she was struck by the suspect who was reportedly being chased after grabbing a mobile phone from someone. The incident is the latest in the series of violent acts committed by mentally-ill individuals against members of the Filipino Community in New York City since the start of the year.

“Beginning January, we have seen several of our kababayan, most of them senior citizens, violently assaulted by individuals with mental health issues.

“We have joined calls for authorities to take the necessary steps, including heightened police visibility, to protect the public after we noted the surge in anti-Asian hate incidents that targeted some of our kababayan.

“We also supported calls for authorities to take the necessary measures to address mental health issues, especially among the homeless. We reiterate these calls as we mourn our loss but we also ask ourselves: How many more Maria Ambrocios do we have to mourn before the streets would be made safe again?”

A memorial mass in honor of Maria was held on October 11 at the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Manhattan.

Consul General Elmer Cato eulogized her as a ‘woman of courage and compassion.’ Philippine Consulate photo THE FILAM |

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Food tasting courtesy of local chefs.

The community fair showcases talent and voices recognizing the Filipino community’s achievements and contributions to U.S. history. Photos by Rocco Cetera and Xenia Diente.

Celebrating FilAm history with a block party

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he Filipino community of Woodside, Queens gathered for a Little Manila Block Party on October 2 to mark the beginning of Filipino American History Month.

The event took place at the corner of 70th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, where community organizers, leaders and artists held a street fair, a talent showcase, and workshops and activities that highlight the work and talent of New York City Filipinos.

A central value to the community is the Filipino concept of bayanihan—a spirit of civic unity and cooperation. The event emphasized the diversity of Filipino American voices and storytelling, ranging from writers to traditional dance to drag performance. The community fair also offered support in many forms including legal services, civic engagement, transnational mutual aid, and cultural work.

Little Manila is considered one of the largest concentrations of Filipino businesses in NYC

and historically has been a common crossroads for immigrants to the area. Though Little Manila in Queens is recognized as an important hub for Filipinos in New York City, community leaders are still fighting for its visibility. Last year, the Mabuhay mural was unveiled to show gratitude to the Filipino healthcare workers and small businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Little Manila Street Co-Naming Initiative launched a campaign last summer to have a Little Manila street sign installed on 70th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, across the pioneering business Fil-Am Food Mart. The street co-naming application was submitted in August 2020, and is still awaiting approval from the New York City Council.

Recently, there have been redistricting advocacy efforts to bring attention to Little Manila as a community interest that has been split between three state assembly districts the past decade. As of September 2021, the districts are being redrawn to potentially

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Local performer dressed in festive indigenous costume.

Mural in the making by a local artist.

Bibingka Mama is a Pinay drag queen, baker, and entertainer.

The community tent. include Little Manila in a newly created Asian American-majority state assembly district.

The block party was organized by the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns-Northeast, the Diverse Streets Initiative, the Filipino American National Historical Society-Metro New York, Little Manila Queens Bayanihan Arts, and Woodside on the Move.

In addition to the host organizations, others

such as Migrante NY, Legal Good, Filipino Americans for Racial Action, Malaya NY, National Federation of Filipino American Associations - NY Chapter, Anakbayan Queens, New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, and Mission to End Modern Slavery threw their support behind the activity “recognizing the community’s achievements and contributions to U.S. history,” said the organizers.

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Martial arts workshop is led by Francis Estrada.

‘Dune’ and the beauty of its universe

By D. De La Rosa

“Dune” is a landmark novel by Frank Herbert published all the way back in 1965.

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he book -- through its combination of an all-encompassing drug called mélange which is a representative of oil, a feudal culture, messiahs, religion, echoes of Samurai warriors, and a semi-mythical school of fighting women – is one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time.

I adore the book and read parts of it to the point I have committed it to memory. The Litany against Fear comes to mind. It goes like this: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

"Herbert's creation of this universe, with its intricate development and analysis of ecology, religion, politics, and philosophy, remains one of the supreme and seminal achievements in science fiction," the Louisville Times wrote.

That being said, “Dune” is one of the hardest novels to adapt to the limited medium of a movie.

The solution by director Denis Villeneuve is to split the novel into two movies. The first one he has released is well done.

The movie opens with the voice of Chani, played

by Zendaya, narrating how the house of Harkonnen mercilessly abuses her people, the Fremen, who are native to the planet Arrakis. Chani is the eventual consort of Paul Atreides, played by Timothee Chalamet.

In the novel, the opening paragraph is narrated by the Princess Irulan, the daughter of the emperor.

There is another scene where the head housekeeper, the Shadout Mapes, gives a gift of a Crysknife, the tooth from a dead worm, to Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother and the bound concubine to his father.

The nuance in the book is that if Jessica, played

by Rebecca Ferguson, fails the test of prophecy, the Shadout Mapes would use the knife to try to kill her. The movie skipped that subtlety for a straightforward scene.

Liet-Kynes, the imperial planetary ecologist who is secretly the leader of the Fremen, was turned from a man in the book to a woman in the movie. The way her character is portrayed was also changed. The method in both book and movie differed.

Dune also avoids any mention of the word ‘jihad’ which the book conspicuously carried. The current political atmosphere simply would not

Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides.

The 1960s bestseller.

Zendaya plays Chani, Paul’s consort.

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allow it. The trailers simply called it a “crusade.” The Islam-Christian divide remains present in the flick.

The movie is really the coming-of-age of Paul Atreides turning into the messiah, Mahdi (a word from Islamic eschatology) or savior of the Fremen who avenges the betrayal of his father by the emperor. The movie is stunning in its ability to bring to life the feudal universe of Herbert.

There is an attention to detail which Villeneuve tried mightily to stay loyal to. Take the matter of the sand walk. It is the way the Fremen on Arrakis use by going two steps, then drag the foot to make sure the giant sandworm does not come up and swallow them. The stillsuits which recycle the body’s water was also carefully outlined in the movie.

They are little touches which tie the movie strongly to the book. Despite the changes made by its director, the overall effect and impression of “Dune” is a fidelity to the source material that is breathtaking for fans like me. The second movie which is due out in 2022, will be eagerly awaited and anticipated.

Cruising is back amid the pandemic

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t’s been a bumpy ride for the cruise industry but for New Jersey resident Jen Furer, her first cruise vacation since the pandemic has been one big thrill throughout.

“It’s been wonderful,” gushed the fitness coach and Makilala TV co-host.

This is not her first sailing trip.

Jen’s family are cruise habitues, getting on and off ships since 2004 and traveling to places such as the Bahamas, Bermuda or the Caribbean.

And while liners have been likened by some to “petri dishes” for COVID transmission, Jen and her family went on their recent travel all psyched up and vaccinated. The cruise required every passenger a negative Covid test two days before sailing and proof of complete vaccination for anyone 12 and older. Unvaccinated minors are tested multiple times during the duration of the cruise. All guests are required to complete pre-cruise health questions.

There is additional testing for kids age 2 to 11. For all cruises, kids take a complimentary PCR test when checking in at the terminal.

Jen’s family recently got back from the Bahamas and observed some changes brought on by strictly enforced health protocols. Where before ships were usually packed with about 6K guests, there were only 2,500 on board.

Crew kept their masks indoors and outdoors, while guests were required to wear masks indoors. In areas designated for vaccinated people, masks were optional.

“Hand sanitizers were all over the eating area, and washing hands before meals were normal practices,” she said.

“Seats are spaced out and disinfected after use.”

There is wait staff serving food instead of the usual buffet table where guests are shoulder to shoulder and use the same serving utensils. “I like this, it’s cleaner and healthier,” she said.

The swimming pool has a maximum capacity, the average was a maximum of 6 people. So are elevators and restrooms. “Guests make it a point to keep a distance from other guests.

By Cristina DC Pastor

- Green status means the ship has no reports of cases of COVID-19 or COVID-19-like illness.

- Orange status means the ship has reported cases of COVID-19 but is below the threshold for CDC investigation.

- Yellow status means the ship has met the threshold for CDC investigation, which includes one of the following criteria: at or above the investigation threshold for crew COVID-19 cases, at or above the investigation threshold for passenger COVID-19 cases; or state or local health department notified CDC of passenger COVID-19 cases occurring within five days of disembarkation.

- Red status means the ship is at or above the CDC investigation threshold for passenger and crew COVID-19 cases.

- Gray status means CDC has not reviewed or confirmed the cruise ship operator’s health and safety protocols.

Jen and family were constantly in touch with the cruise company for any changes in schedule. They were supposed to cruise in 2020 but waited until Royal Caribbean gave the go-ahead for their trip.

She was happy to see crew and staff grateful to be back to work, and guests tipping more to show their appreciation for their hard work.

“The live entertainers and the crew were very grateful to be back doing what they love to do. I’ve spoken to the Filipinos who enjoy working for Royal Caribbean, and even though their work contract is not as long as pre-pandemic, they are so happy to be back to work, after not working for over 16 months,” she said.

She noticed too that older people are more adventurous – flying down the zip line, rock climbing, body surfing, even barreling off the 135-foot tall water slide.”

“Not me though, maybe next time.”

Jen Furer sails back to sea after more than a year: ‘Everyone was respecting each other's space.’

Everyone was respecting each other's space by social distancing.”

The CDC has had a complicated dance with the cruise industry since the pandemic erupted in late 2019 to early 2020. Rampant infections were reported among guests and the CDC came down hard on the industry. Like many in the travel and tourism trade, business ground to a dead halt. The industry had to put in place “safety protocols that align with CDC’s standards for protecting passengers, crew, port personnel.”

Currently, cruise ships are color-coded indicating where they are in the CDC monitoring. Here’s what the colors mean, according to the CDC website:

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COVER STORY

Leylah Fernandez: A fresh prodigy in women’s tennis

By D. De La Rosa

The cheers for Leylah Annie Fernandez swept the Arthur Ashe Stadium of the U.S. Open tennis tournament near the end of the summer in New York City.

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t paid tribute to a left-handed, 5-foot 6-inch, 19-year-old phenom who had defeated three top-5 women’s tennis players on her way to the finals.

Leylah played with the abandon of a player finally enjoying her first taste of success in grand slam tennis. While everyone knows about her Ecuadorian father Jorge, she is also of Filipino descent through her mother, Irene Exevea.

Her smile could light up a room and she did so in one of her press briefings at the U.S. Open.

“I am so, so happy that everyone in the Philippines is cheering for me,” she said when told by a reporter her matches were being avidly followed in the country.

Leylah, who was born in Montreal but resides full-time in Boynton Beach, Florida, is refreshing in her candor. She did not duck a question about anti-Asian hate in the United States, answering it head-on in her interview with Sportsnet. “It is unfortunate we are still going through all this,” she said.

Like any person with South American roots, she is an avid soccer fan. Her two

‘So happy that everyone in the Philippines is cheering for me.’

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She hopes to be back in the U.S. Open ‘this time with the right trophy.’ Photos by Troi Santos.

favorite teams are Real Madrid and Manchester City in the Premier League.

She speaks glowingly of her ties with her parents through the multi-cultural household she came from: Ecuador-South American, Filipino, and the French dominated city of Montreal.

“The relationship is like any mother-daughter relationship,” she said when asked about her interaction with her mom.

Irene is a primary booster of Leylah, pumping up her confidence when she is feeling down and always standing by her side.

Her tennis game is really one of footwork, speed and leverage. She uses the footwork to get into position, swivels in her hips to generate leverage and power and gets to balls that other players would not normally get to.

Her run of success began in March at the Monterrey Open, winning her first four matches to reach the final, where she beat Viktorija Golubic to grab the first Women’s Tennis Association title of her career. At age 18, she was the youngest player in the main draw, and won without dropping a set.

In the U.S. Open, she defeated third seed and defending champion, Naomi Osaka, in three sets in the third round, outlasted former world No. 1 and three-time major champion Angelique Kerber in the fourth round in another three set-battle, and then ousted fifth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, also in three sets, to reach her first major tennis tournament semifinal a day after her 19th birthday.

She then defeated Aryna Sabalenka, the second

seed, to reach her first major final. It was the third time in the Open Era that a woman defeated three of the top five seeds at the U.S. Open.

The whole run likely tired her out and she lost to fellow teen British Emma Raducanu in the final in straight sets.

“I hope to be back here in the (U.S. Open) finals and this time with the right trophy,” Leylah said after her loss.

She does not speak a word of Filipino which she found to be “very complicated” but is keen about learning more about her heritage from her mother’s side of the family. Her mother’s family is from the Ilocos. She told a Filipino sports writer she didn’t know much about Philippine culture, but that her ‘lolo’ (grandfather) “cooks amazing Filipino dishes.”

U.S. senators want updates on De Lima, EJK Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. held a series of meetings on September 30 with key members of the U.S. Congress who expressed bipartisan support for intensified cooperation between the Philippines and the United States.

Together with Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, Locsin met with Senator James Risch (R – Idaho), Representative Steve Chabot (R – Ohio), and Representative Joe Courtney (D – Connecticut) in-person and virtually during his four-day visit in Washington D.C. All three key members of the U.S. Congress expressed their full support for further strengthening ties between the Philippines and the United States, as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations and 70 years since the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty this year.

During his meetings, Locsin also expressed the Philippine Government’s gratitude to the U.S. for its donations of vaccines now totaling

Clockwise from top left: Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin, Jr., Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, Senator Richard Durbin (D – Illinois), and Senator Robert Menendez (D – New Jersey) meet virtually to discuss Philippines-U.S. relations. over nine million through the COVAX facility. The American lawmakers, for their part, thanked the Philippine Government for getting the Visiting Forces Agreement back on track, underscoring the critical role the Philippines-U.S. alliance continues to play for the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

Two days earlier, Locsin met with senators who affirmed the centrality of Philippines-U.S. relations for the

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stability of the Indo-Pacific region, thanked the Philippine Government for bringing the Visiting Forces Agreement back on track, and recognized the key role of the Filipino diaspora in the U.S. Locsin and Romualdez met virtually with Richard Durbin (D – Illinois), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and Senator Robert Menendez (D – New Jersey), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Com-

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mittee. Locsin was in Washington D.C. following his participation at the 76th UN General Assembly in New York the previous week.

The meeting covered a range of issues on Philippines-U.S. relations, including the implementation of the VFA, regional security developments, the significant contributions of the Filipino communities in the United States, and the human rights situation in the Philippines.

The senators noted that the Philippines is a key ally of the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific region, and they expressed appreciation for the Philippine government’s decision to recall the abrogation of the VFA. On the human rights situation in the Philippines, Locsin highlighted that the Philippines remains a vibrant democracy and echoed President Rodrigo Duterte’s speech at the 76th UNGA on ensuring that those who are found to have acted beyond bounds with respect to the government’s campaign against illegal drugs are made accountable before the law.

Senator Durbin inquired about the case of Senator Leila de Lima, as well as on allegations of extrajudicial drug-related killings, freedom of the press, among other issues. Locsin assured the U.S. senators that the Philippine Government will provide updates as regards progress on these issues. – Philippine Embassy

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Ely Buendia Essential USA Tour 2021 Melrose Ballroom 3608 33rd Street Queens NYC Contact Amore for details: 562-832-4959

||Ongoing till November 12

‘"'Sang Likha, 'Sang Lahi" Group Art Exhibit With artists: Ann Constantino Beck Luis Amat Caraos Cesar Delos Santos III Angelo Maristela Marcelo Quezon Marcelino Rodriguez Yannie Rumbaoa Jay Viriña Philippine Center Lobby Gallery 556 5th Avenue, NYC For inquiries: info@internationalwomenartists.com

||November 13

Todo na to: Rufa Mae Quinto D’Haven 58-02 37th Avenue Woodside NYC For table reservations call Joanna Bayle 201-696-7691

||December 4

||November 4 to 6

Filipino Young Leaders Conference Lineup of breakout sessions: • The Role of Filipino Americans in the 2022 Philippine Presidential Elections • How Filipinos are breaking the mental health stigma in their communities • Fundraising Basics: What Works for your Organization • This Way, That Way or the Highway: Asserting One's Filipinoness in a Foreign Workplace • Turon or not to run: Live food demonstration and Filipino Street Food!

• Thinking of Doing Business in the Philippines? Learn from our mistakes.

Contact fylprocon@fylpro.org for details

||December 3

Kell/ Jeremiah D’Haven 58-02 37th Ave Woodside Queens For tickets contact Elton 917-991-5524

5th Dr. Jose Rizal Circle of Excellence Awards by the Knights of Rizal New Jersey Chapter Holiday Inn Newark International Airport 160 Frontage Road Newark, N.J. For more info contact Francis Sison 201-388-6364 Meredith Malasig 973-641-5665

||December 5

Nonoy Zuniga: Live Hilton North Glendale 100 West Glenoaks Blvd.

Glendale, CA For tickets contact Amor Yu 818-818-4301

||November 21

The Milestone: Jim Brickman with Angel Ram: A Charity Concert for Saleaflor Foundation Under KPI NJ Chapter Sony Hall 235 W. 46th Street NYC Contact info: Angel 347-357-4995 Little John: 845-633-0980 THE FILAM |

||2022, April 15

Jo Koy: Funny is Funny World Tour UBS Arena Belmont Park, Long Island N.Y.

||August 11 to 13

FANHS National Conference Seattle University 12

Macho dancing goes virtual in Joel Lamangan’s ‘Lockdown’

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By Joel David

recent Philippine film release will be easy to overlook because it appears exploitative and merely topical – starting with its title, Lockdown. It recently ended its extended streaming run but it has been slated for inclusion in this year’s FACINE International Film Festival in San Francisco (also with a streaming option). The festival itself has what may be the strongest competition lineup in any recent Philippine film event, reminiscent of the glory years of the long-diminished Metro Manila Film Festival.

At first glance, Lockdown may be regarded as part of the series of films initiated by Lino Brocka’s Macho Dancer (1988), where rentboys contend with the sordid realities of Third-World existence.

The director’s previous film, in fact, claimed to be the first authentic sequel to Brocka’s biggest global hit, as indicated in its title, Son of Macho Dancer.

Most entries in this series tended to be weighed down by their humanistic insistence on the dignity claimed against all odds by their central characters, as well as by the insularity of the sex workers’ situation. MD started by nodding toward the degeneracy induced by the presence of U.S. military bases but abandoned those concerns once the title character set out for the metropolitan center.

Joel C. Lamangan, who played the role of an unruly queer madam in MD, invests Lockdown with the same vision of an infernal underworld, but relocates the community to a coastal district, where Danny, an overseas worker forced to return after the global pandemic shut down the hotel where he worked, escapes from the mandatory 14-day quarantine to be able to raise funds for the recuperation of his recently handicapped father while acting as family breadwinner. The suburban setting considerably facilitates the mapping of territories that separate the seaside slum from the more affluent (and safeguarded) business centers, as well as the most militarized location of them all: the police compound with its discreet cluster of cottages intended for legally indefensible activities.

Like more aspirational working-class graduates than we realize, Danny worked out a gay-for-pay arrangement with Lito, a young entrepreneur, to be able to complete his studies; but since the pandemic was no respecter of overseas boundaries, Lito’s catering business also had to be suspended. The only income-earning activity the latter’s aware of is the one sustained by foreign customers, via live video exchanges, where native hunks offer to dance naked and engage in increasingly salacious displays, depending on the price the viewer pays.

Director Joel Lamangan

Danny (played by Paolo Gumabao) auditions for a gay dancer job at Mama Rene's Café.

The necessarily clandestine activity is conducted in Mama Rene’s Cafe, with the proprietor acting as barker, webmaster, trainer, and financier in charge of the performers’ income as well as a police official’s protection payment. Although initially nauseated by the abject nature of this version of sex work (as contrasted with the escort service he used to do), Danny manages to find some professional equanimity for himself in the tasks at hand, motivated by his father’s deteriorating condition and buoyed by the camaraderie of his fellow performers.

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As it turns out, the further challenges that lie in store for the narrative hero escalate from this point onward, rapidly and terrifyingly. Lamangan ensures that we remain mindful of Danny’s plight by maintaining unconditional empathy with the character; his strategy is matched by a performance startling in its fierce commitment from Paolo Gumabao, one of the rare local cases where an offspring manages to surpass anything done by his actor-parent, Dennis Roldan.

Even with less-than-ideal material, Lamangan has always been capable of guaranteeing stellar performances, for himself and others. (For adequate proof, check out his other FACINE filmfest entry, One More Rainbow, where he draws out heart-tugging ensemble work from a trio of now-elderly stars from the Second Golden Age.) In Lockdown, he manages to differentiate a motley mix of video performers via sharp performative strokes: the final sob story, for example, is rendered by a cherubic actor who actually smiles throughout – a masterly touch that indicates how the speaker is aware that he uses the same lines to elicit sympathy (and, consequently, larger tips) from his customers, yet intends to inform his peers without adding to their already overwhelming burdens.

PC guardians will be thrown off by the resolutely negative queer imaging in Lockdown, where the higher the out-gay character’s position, the more malevolent he turns out to be. Yet this perturbing state of affairs should be seen as postqueer, rather than homophobic. These characters presume to stake their claims on limited resources and rewards, enabling impoverished local citizens to conduct transactions with better-heeled clients that they would never be able to encounter otherwise in their daily lives. More crucially, the global circuits of cash and power tracked via these personalities demonstrate the inroads made into the lives of our dispossessed by internet media – implicating in no uncertain terms the very same types of overseas viewers who would be ultimately watching presentations like Lockdown.

Joel David is a Professor of Cultural Studies at Inha University and was founding Director of the University of the Philippines Film Institute.

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Gene Del Carmen

Hazel Sanchez joins PIX11’s Morning News

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ward-winning veteran journalist Hazel Sanchez has joined the WPIX-TV (PIX11) television station starting September 20. She is now co-anchor of the Morning News alongside PIX11’s Dan Mannarino.

Since 2000, Sanchez has served as an anchor and reporter for WCBS-TV, covering breaking news, politics, city government, crime and a wide variety of features and human interest stories regarding life in the five boroughs and all of their unique neighborhoods. She has become a trusted presence on the streets of New York City, well-known for her fairness, compassion and understanding of the major issues that most concern New Yorkers, according to a statement from the station.

“From Brooklyn to Queens to Staten Island, over the course of two decades in this market I have established strong relationships with business leaders, with an array of city, state, and federal politicians, and with community groups,” said Sanchez. “This is my home. I know New York, and I know the issues and concerns that matter most to New Yorkers.

In announcing Sanchez’s move to PIX11, News Director Nicole Tindiglia commented, “I have worked with Hazel in many capacities over the past two decades and I have always been impressed by her professionalism, sensitivity and thoroughness—she has always been a genuine pleasure to work with and a collaborator in every sense of the word.”

Hazel said, “I’m very excited to join the PIX11 morning news team. I love the energy everyone brings to the show and I’m looking forward to helping viewers start their day with news that’s important to them from around the world and here at home.”

A proud Filipino American, Sanchez was named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Filipinas in the U.S.” by the Filipina Women’s Network in 2009.

In 2017, she received The Outstanding

Filipinos in America Award (TOFA).

In 2020 TOFA named her one of the Top 100 Most Influential Filipino Americans.

In 2018, she was honored by the Philippine Consulate as one of three Distinguished Filipino Women for that year, together with IBM Engineer Virginia Policarpio and Penguin publisher Elda Rotor.

Sanchez said she was proud of her Filipino roots. Prouder still of her parents who worked diligently and made the ultimate sacrifice. Her Morning News anchors Dan Mannarino and Sanchez: ‘New York is my home.’

PIX11 photo

Sanchez (second from left) was named one of three Distinguished Filipino Women by the Philippine Consulate in 2018 together with IBM Engineer Virginia Policarpio and Penguin publisher Elda Rotor. With them is then-Consul General Tess Dizon-De Vega.

Photo by Lambert Parong THE FILAM |

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parents -- father Manuel Sanchez is an anesthesiologist, and her mother, Carlota Sanchez, a nurse -- left behind Hazel’s two older sisters when they were babies when they moved to the U.S. When they were able to save enough money, they gathered everyone and made a life in Illinois.

“Mom and dad both came from purely nothing. But they looked past the challenges of poverty and they focused” on providing their children with good education, she said.

She graduated with a B.A. in broadcasting and electronic communications from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI. Her first job after college was a news cut-in anchor for a Milwaukee station. She would later join WBAY-TV Green Bay, hosting “Teen Connection,” a live, hour-long show for Wisconsin Public Television.

She also hosted a number of the station’s award-winning documentaries.

She joined WCBS in 2000.

“I wanted to be a broadcast journalist,” she told the consulate audience.

“That’s literally what I wrote in my grade school journal. I was just 10 years old, and that was my life goal before I even hit puberty.”

Sanchez and her husband live in Manhattan with their two daughters Avery, 8, and Kenzie, 6.

The solemnity of All Saints Day & All Souls Day

By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, PhD

I like to recall how the two religious holidays, All Saints Day and All Souls Day, were celebrated in my childhood.

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lthough I was never reared at Catholic schools, my parents saw that I would attend Religion classes at least once a week in our nearby Catholic church.

That parental directive gave me ample opportunity to pray to all the saints honored on one day, November 1, and to devote prayers for those who have gone before us, on November 2.

As public school children, we learned about the Solemnity of All Saints, popularly known as All Saints Day. We were told how the day was originally instituted to honor those who were martyred for their Christian faith in the Roman Empire.

In today's world, November 1, All Saints Day, is a holy day of obligation: All saints are recognized and remembered, with additional information on those who were martyred.

When I was a reporter on beat at the Manila Daily Bulletin, one of my early assignments was to cover All Saints Day and All Souls Day as commemorated in the metropolitan area. Considering that I was not a product of a religious school, I had to do some research.

I learned how Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel at St. Peter's Basilica to all the saints. Rome officially adopted November 1 as the date of the feast of all saints in the 8th century.

As a child propelled by my Catholic faith, I learned how one of the hallmarks of a saint in practice is "his or her humility." A great many of the saints who are continuously hon-

Lighting a candle for departed family members. ored today are described: How they respected and held up all of God's creations. "They were remembered as never putting themselves in the front of the line."

The day following All Saints Day, November 2, is the Commemoration of All of the Faithful Departed, or All Souls Day. The day was one that we could relate to because we were informed how to continue to respect our elders who were no longer with us, and one way was to continue to remember them in prayer.

In one of our Religion classes, we were reminded why we continue to pray for all those who have died and have not reached heaven, our friends and relatives whose names we mentioned in

THE FILAM |

our prayers. The theme of our prayers: "That through the mercy of God they will continue to rest in peace."

When I covered the cemeteries in Manila as a news reporter, I saw huge crowds milling around the known final resting places of the dead. I would inquire from those who spent time in preparing their families' gravesites how long they had been accustomed to the same preparation methods.

Everyone had a different answer.

They informed me that they planted shrubs months before so they would be in bloom in time for November 2nd. Some enumerated how members of their families would spend the day taking turns at the gravesites of their loved ones, cleaning them, adding

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candles or flowers and praying for the souls in purgatory.

I was further informed by relatives of the deceased how, November 2, although dedicated to All Souls Day, should not be the sole day the deceased should be remembered. It is a special day, but remembering the deceased should be "all-year."

"While November 2 is called All Souls Day, during each Mass, there is time to pray for all exact intentions," I heard them say.

November 2 is underscored as one meant to honor those that have gone before us. It is one of respect and one that should be upheld by those who believe that all earthly suffering is transfigured in the hope of eternity.

Dr. John Potenciano: A medical and spiritual path to healthcare

By Vicky Vitug

||Sacred relationship

Dr. John Potenciano, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Albany, has a commonsense attitude toward vaccination.

H

e said, “Vaccination with two doses of the same vaccine is 94% to 95% effective. There’s no guarantee but regardless. Any degree of protection is better than nothing. So that’s why we still have to keep wearing masks. Right now, these vaccines are our very best bet to stay well, stay healthy and stay alive.”

There is nothing in his declaration that promotes one political ideology over another or elevates a singular religious belief. He is just saying -- and we have heard this over and over from the CDC, doctors, and science adherents -- that as the world looks toward a perilous future, we all need to get vaccinated and wear a mask in places where there could be a crowd.

But he is not judging people who refuse to get inoculated. As a DNP frontliner, his responsibility is to patiently educate his patients. “Ultimately,” he said, “it will be their decision.”

Dr. John did not reckon that he would step into a public health quagmire when he came to the U.S. in 2006. He did not even imagine he would become a nurse, and a DNP at that.

At that time, he was a successful orthodontist in the Philippines. He had a private practice with three clinics and was a professor of dental medicine. On top of that, he was a military dentist and had the title “Dental Officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”

|| Legal status only One day in 2006, he and his wife Michelle came to the U.S. as tourists to visit his brother in Albany.

He enjoyed the reunion with his family and relatives and fell in love with the place where his brother lives, Albany. The idea of living in the U.S. permanently may have crossed his mind albeit fleetingly.

And while his family may have jokingly nudged him, his response was always, “Only if we get a legal status as permanent residents or work visas.” No going around hiding as TNTs for John and Michelle.

Fate and faith intervened.

During his visit he took and passed the NCLEX exams and he was promptly recruited and sponsored

His thoughts on anti-vaxxers: ‘Ultimately, it will be their decision.’ as a licensed Registered Nurse by St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany. He was granted a working visa and a green card. All of this happened within six months prior to the expiration of their tourist visas.

While working as a nurse, He missed doing his private practice, and given the shortage of medical providers, had to pursue higher education. He obtained a master’s degree in Adult Nurse Practitioner from Russell Sage College, passed the board certification in Adult/Geriatric Health, and finished his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. He graduated with honors at the top of his class. A DNP is the highest level of education and terminal degree in nursing parallel to medicine where clinical skills, knowledge and experiences were part of the process. He enjoys the autonomy of having an independent practice able to use his expertise on evidence-based geriatric medicine.

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He currently works as a primary care provider in a rehabilitation and long-term care facility in Albany.

In June 2020, he opened a private practice -- called Potenciano Medical -- dismayed by how some facilities have put profit over patients. Many of his patients are referrals from colleagues, friends and family and members of Filipino community.

“My philosophy is that the practice of medicine and health care delivery is a vocation, a mission and a calling,” said Dr. John when interviewed by The FilAm. “My relationship with my patients both in my private practice and in the facility transcends responsibility and commitment. I look at it as a sacred relationship where I treat my patients with dignity and genuine concern for their total well-being.”

He and Michelle belong to the Secular Franciscan Order, a community of deeply religious Catholics who are followers of St. Francis of Assisi who is known to care for the poor and the sick.

He further noted how the practice of healthcare has become so “business-oriented” with insurance companies dictating how patients should be seen by doctors.

“Focus has shifted to quantity of patients seen per day, 10-minute rule per patient, reimbursements, and copays. It became very impersonal,” he shared.

He treats mostly geriatric patients with a variety of illnesses from flu to COVID or those who may be cognitively impaired or have dementia. A family member of a patient has remarked that Dr. John “practices with his heart and head together.”

He explained his role in the management of COVID patients in his facility. “I communicate COVID-19 recommendations from local health authorities and implement pandemic protocols such as resident cohorting and isolation plans, swabbing algorithms, and infection control practices.”

At one point at the height of the pandemic in 2020, he acted as the lead Primary Care Provider in his facility, making all the decisions, treating all the residents and providing care to residents whose conditions were deteriorating. It’s the kind of care that involved “advance care planning, discussing goals of care, and ensuring a dignified death.”

He sees to it that patients as well as his frontline colleagues get the medical care they deserve.

COVER STORY

A brave boy named Alton Jace

By Cristina DC Pastor

In the humid morning of May 18, a heavily pregnant Amanda Alvaro was scheduled for a Cesarean section.

Together with her husband Fred, the calmest person in the family, they drove to New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital praying for a safe delivery and hoping for the best.

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he found out on her 29th week that her pregnancy was in distress. Her doctor had spoken to her about a condition called “lymphatic malformation” (LM). It’s when a body’s lymphatic system – which maintains the balance of fluids in the body -- develops abnormally during the pregnancy.

“A bunch of cells unfortunately went rogue,” said Amanda, a New Jersey licensed social worker, trying to understand what this condition is about. Fred, who is of Italian descent, is an elementary school teacher in Staten Island. In LM, as they learned from their doctor, masses of tumors can grow anywhere on the body. In the case of their infant, it formed around his neck.

The information presented by her doctor was frightening. “As the mass continued to grow, it could eventually push against his trachea, which would make breathing very difficult. It could affect his tongue and mouth to the point where he wouldn’t be able to swallow. The mass could make him go into distress. Everything was so scary.” To the couple, terminating the pregnancy was never an option.

Amanda and Fred Alvaro with their first-born.

||Little gremlin

When Alton Jace Villafuerte Alvaro finally came out at 8:31 a.m.

Amanda was thrilled to hear him cry.

“He sounded like a little gremlin, and I knew those noises meant he could breathe!”

Due to his precarious condition, he was immediately taken by the doctors to be intubated in order to secure an airway in anticipation of breathing issues. He stayed at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 84 days and during that time they were able to see him.

It was love at first sight. The parents did not see the swollen mass below his face creating an enlarged jawbone eclipsing his neck. They saw a baby with the friendly eyes of his father when he smiles and the Villafuertes’ lush hair. The couple THE FILAM |

gave Alton – named after his two grandfathers Albert Villafuerte and Tony Alvaro -- the adoring look of grateful parents.

Amanda explained what LM means in the life of her first-born.

“Due to the mass invading his tongue, Alton has a tough time with oral activities. At birth, his tongue was double the size and blue. The medication he has been taking (Sirolimus) has decreased the size drastically. Still, he cannot eat anything by mouth; he drinks my breastmilk through the g-tube.

His ability to suck on a pacifier has improved, though.”

Moreover, since barely any air passes his vocal cords, Alton cries without any sound. “Another reason you have to keep an eye on him,” she added.

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“He sometimes has trouble turning his head back and forth, because the mass is heavier on one side.

We have to turn his head for him when lying down. We’re hoping that physical therapy and speech therapy will improve these areas where he struggles.”

Alton is fortunate to be surrounded by a coterie of caring Pinay nurses, led by his grandmother, Belle Villafuerte, a retired RN. Belle was the president of the Philippine Nurses Association-New Jersey from 2014 to 2016 and is one of its staunchest leaders.

“Due to my mom’s extensive background in nursing and being a member of PNA-NJ, we have a lot of connections with nurses who are good friends with my mom and have all volunteered to help,” said Amanda. “My mom was actually the reason we were able to take Alton home. Since she was a nurse and had seven years’ experience in the NICU, the doctors were comfortable finally letting Alton come home, knowing my mom would be there to care for him.”

||Thriving In all other areas of development, Alton is “thriving.”

Said Amanda, “He’s of typical height and weight, and is very strong, very alert and aware. He’s able to hold onto things, able to track movement, able to react to people’s faces, gets startled with loud noises -- all the things an average baby can do.”

The mass around his neck appears to be shrinking, she said further. The family anticipates another round of sclerotherapy – a procedure where medicine is injected in the veins to reduce swelling -- and possibly another “debulking surgery” to get rid of as much of the mass as possible.

When these procedures are carried out, the family is confident the tubes will become unnecessary and Alton is

on his way to a more normal life.

It’s been a “wild” four months with a lot of ups and downs, she said referring to Alton’s six surgeries within his first three months.

“I never imagined I would be going home with a son who has to breathe and eat through tubes.”

There is no categorical cure, she added. Just a series of therapies and procedures to shrink the mass and keep it under control.

Filled with optimism, Amanda maintained, “Alton is absolutely worth it.”

She said, “When his little hand grasps my finger or he smiles at me the moment he sees me, my heart melts. Alton is wonderful just the way he is. He is always happy, always smiling, always content. He sleeps through the night and barely cries. He can literally lay in his crib for hours, perfectly fine just watching his mobile toy or little aquarium. He brings such joy and light to our lives and through it all, I am so blessed to have him.”

Alton at four months. Six surgeries within his first three months to treat a condition called Lymphatic Malformation.

Alton with grandma, retired RN Belle Villafuerte.

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Issue 45, November 2021

Lee Kiefer

1st American gold in Fencing

Maria Ambrocio

Another nurse, another loss

A brave boy named

Alton Jace Alvaro