Philippine News Today

1 October 28-November 3, 2021

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION

www.pnewstoday.com

THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961

Vol. 61 No. 12 October 28-November 3, 2021

NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST

COVID-19 CASES DOWN; DOH WARNS OF SURGE Happy Xmas seen as WHO says pandemic far from over

Biyahe ni Leni takes off in the SF Bay Area

By Jun Nucum

SAN FRANCISCO -- Not to be outdone by their counterparts in the Motherland, Filipino American supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo held their own Biyahe ni Leni journey to kick off the presidential campaign of Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo this weekend.

Though they were thousands of miles away from each other, Robredo admirers were one during the weekend in making their presidential candidate feel the passion, strength and the fire within as they embarked on motorcades in their respective places of abode even in places that experienced inclement weather. Page 8

By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief The Biyahe ni Leni par�cipants.

MANILA/NEW YORK – Philippine government health authorities have confirmed that COVID-19 cases all over the country have slowed down due to vaccination, but warned state in honor of the Filipino American la- that the relaxation of quarantines and bor leader. the convergence of large crowds that “Today, on this 107th anniversary of go with it could lead to a fresh wave of his birth, we recognize the great contriPage 9 butions of Larry Itliong and the Page 8 cases in four to six months.

Newsom issues proclamation declaring Larry Itliong Day SACRAMENTO - As part of California’s celebration of Filipino American Heritage Month, Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a proclamation declaring October 25 as “Larry Itliong Day” in the

Marcos firm on SSF formally opens Alice Bulos Center Take the money presidential run,

By Cherie M. Querol Moreno model Oct. 23 when this city officially opened but follow your eyes Pacquiao for VP the Alice Peña Bulos Community Center on

By Claire Morales True

MANILA – Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is firm on his presidential run as sister Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos fueled more speculation about a possible 2022 alliance between her brother and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

But in another interview, Sen. Imee Marcos said her brother’s camp was still scouting for a vice presidential candidate, adding it was willing to take Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao Page 6

SSF Council Member Flor Nicolas and Consul Gen. Neil Ferrer hail naming of Alice Pena Bulos Community Center.

Photo by CMQM SOUTH San Francisco, Calif. - Four generations of community advocates renewed friendships in the name of their departed role

Galway Drive off the main road Westborough Boulevard.

The premier landmark honoring the beloved Filipino American leader three days from her fifth death anniversary, the Center dedication fleshed out a lesson frequently imparted by the lifelong South San Francisco resident and socio-political activist.

“Be visible and speak up,” Bulos urged the many, whether born here or newly arrived, who sought her counsel for their diverse objectives to overcome multiple barriers to their American Dream. “You have to be seen and heard to gain power.” Page 10

conscience – Leni

By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor

MANILA – Her words echoed what the late Jaime Cardinal Sin told the Filipino electorate in the months preceding the 1986 “snap elections” that eventually led to the downfall of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. “Tanggapin and pera, pero sundin ang konsensya” (Take the money but follow your conscience.)

Vice president and presidential candidate Leni Robredo repeated Page 7

Biden, Duterte seek peace in South China Sea

Community mourns Bay Area journalist VIEWS & COMMENTS

SHOWBIZ

SPORTS

‘First things first, please’

Kris Aquino, ex-DILG chief are engaged

Carlos Yulo world gymnast champion again

By A�y. Liangco

Page 13

Page 17

Page 21

P3

P25

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

$1.00= P50.72

as of October 28, 2021 1:15am

P2

Page 8

 NATIONAL NEWS

October 28-November 3, 2021

2

Biden, Duterte call for peace, stability in South China Sea

By Jeanne Michael Penaranda MANILA - Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must remain united in pursuing peace, stability and prosperity in the South China Sea, President Rodrigo Duterte said at the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits via video conference.

Also at the meeting, President Joseph Biden Jr. said the United States would stand with Southeast Asian allies in defending freedom of the seas, democracy and human rights.

Biden also said he backed efforts to hold the Myanmar junta accountable to its commitments to peace.

Duterte also called on his ASEAN counterparts to stand with Myanmar in solving its crisis peacefully for the welfare of its people.

Duterte welcomed President Biden to his first participation to the ASEANUS Summit, underscoring the longstanding relations between ASEAN and the US and thanked him for his support to the Philippines in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic through donation of millions of doses of vaccines and other medical supplies and equipment.

“We need to further strengthen bilateral, regional and international cooperation to ensure universal access to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines,” Duterte added.

The US has so far delivered more than 24 million COVID-19 vaccine

doses to the Philippines via the COVAX facility, the global vaccine-sharing program backed by the World Health Organization, according to the US Embassy in Manila.

Duterte underscored the need for sustained political dialogue, economic engagement and socio-cultural ties to further strengthen the ASEAN-US Strategic Partnership.

“President Duterte asserted the importance and need for ASEAN Centrality even as he acknowledged the United States’ commitment to work with ASEAN, especially on maritime security and domain awareness issues,”the statement said.

The President said arrangements such as the Australia, United Kingdom and US trilateral security partnership “must complement and not complicate our working methods for cooperation.”

Duterte told the ASEAN leaders that the regional bloc should pursue peace initiatives in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award that favored the Philippines.

“We have come a long way in keeping the peace and promoting prosperity in our region. We must not allow those with diverging interests to make our efforts fail,” he stressed.

During his intervention at the 24th ASEAN-China Summit, President Duterte urged countries to translate their commitments into action regard-

ing the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in the midst of the evolving geopolitical situation in Asia.

“Talks should not remain empty rhetoric.

They should be translated into action to fortify the trust and confidence we have cultivated through the years. Acta non verba.

Deeds, not words,” the President said As claimants craft a President Biden binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, the President lauded the climate change and manage geopolitiPhilippines’ contribution to the sub- cal issues. stantive progress in the second reading He expressed his gratitude to China of the Single Draft COC Negotiating for supporting ASEAN’s pandemic reText, as the country reaffirms its com- sponse, particularly by making life-savmitment to the conclusion of an effec- ing vaccines global public goods. tive and substantive COC. ASEAN’s road to recovery from the Noting 2017-2027 as the Decade coronavirus pandemic will be long and of Coastal and Marine Environmen- difficult as the region reels from the imtal Protection in the South China Sea, pact of the contagion, the President said the President reiterated the Philippines’ during the 38th ASEAN Summit. call for holistic efforts to protect and He emphasized the need for a phased preserve biodiversity and the marine and comprehensive implementation of environment. the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Also during his intervention, the Fil- Framework and called for the immediipino leader pointed out that a dynamic ate establishment of the ASEAN CenASEAN-China cooperation puts both tre on Public Health Emergencies and sides in a formidable position to com- Emerging Diseases. bat the COVID-19 pandemic, address

Fil-Am wanted in US for child molestation nabbed, faces deportation MANDALUYONG CITY – An American citizen of Filipino descent, who has a standing arrest warrant in the United States for child molestation, has been arrested in a joint operation.

In its initial report, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), one of the agencies that carried out the operation, said 47-year-old Francisco Loreno Jr. was

arrested at a hotel in Mandaluyong City after the US Embassy reported that has an arrest warrant.

“Nang makarating sa bansa sakay ng isang eroplano ng Japan Airlines, agad na nakipag-koordinasyon ang Embahada ng Amerika sa PCG para manmanan ang suspek sa isang hotel sa Mandaluyong City kung saan ito nag-check-in

noong ika-08 ng Oktubre 2021 (After his arrival from a Japan Airlines plane, the US Embassy immediately coordinated with the PCG to investigate the suspect in a hotel in Mandaluyong City where he checked-in since October 8, 2021),” the PCG said.

The investigation began on October 9 and was followed by the PCG’s co-

ordination with the Bureau of Immigration for Loreno’s arrest.

“Dinala siya ng mga otoridad sa US Embassy para agad na maasikaso ang repatriation sa Amerika (he was brought by the authorities to the US Embassy for the immediate processing of his repatriation to the US),” the PCG said.

101 more overseas Pinoys infected, 3 succumb to Covid Affidavits, SPA, Deed of Absolute Sale, Etc.

Notary Public & Real Estate Broker

*Commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (BRE#00635976) in California since 1981. Author, Columnist, and Member, National Notary Association (NNA)

PASAY CITY - The number of Filipinos abroad who have contracted COVID-19 rose to 23,569 as 101 new cases were recorded from the previous week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

The DFA also reported 102 new recoveries and three new fatalities.

Those currently being treated abroad for the disease is at 8,338 as 13,833 of those infected have recovered, while 1,398 have died.

There are currently 103 countries/territories with Filipinos stricken with COVID-19.

Those undergoing treatment are bro-

ken down as follows by region: 1,719 in the Asia Pacific, 959 in Europe, 5,552 in the Middle East and Africa, and 108 in the Americas.

In the Philippines, COVID-19 has so far sickened 2,761,307 people. The tally includes 41,942 deaths, 2,661,602 recoveries, and 57,763 active cases.

The new coronavirus is believed to have first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

Variants of the virus have since emerged in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, India and the Philippines.

3 October 28-November 3, 2021

 NATIONAL NEWS

Comelec okays 53 new party-list groups MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved the registration of 53 new party-list groups, raising the number to 171 vying for representation in the House of Representatives.

In a statement, the poll body said those approved as of Oct. 20, 2021 include: Uswag llonggo Party (USWAG ILONGGO); Pinatatag na Ugnayan Para sa mga Oportunidad sa Pabahay ng Masa (PINUNO); Ako lokano Ako (AIA) formerly Association For Development Dedicated To Agriculture and Fisheries Inc. (ADDA); Passengers and Riders Organization Inc. (PASAHERO PARTY-LIST); Asenso Pinoy (ASENSO PINOY); Agimat ng Mana (AGIMAT); Komunidad Ng Pamilya, Pasyente at Person With Disabilities, Inc. (P3PWD); Kapamilya ng Manggagawang Pilipino (KAPAMILYA); Ang Bumbero Ng Pilipinas (ABP); and Pdp Cares Foundation Inc. (PDP CARES).

Also, in the list are 1Tahanan, Inc

(1TAHANAN); Ang Koalisyon ng Indigenous People (AKO I.P. PARTY LIST); Mindoro Sandugo Para Sa Kaunlaran, Inc. formerly Partido Sandugo (AYUDA SANDUGO); One Filipinos Worldwide (OFW); Turismo Isulong Mo (TURISMO); Maharlika Pilipino Party (MAHARLIKA); Samahan ng Manggagawa sa Industriya ng Live Events (S.M.I.L.E); Tagapagtaguyod ng mga Reporma at Adhikaing Babalikat at Hahango sa mga Oportunidad Para sa mga Pilipino (TRABAHO); Tulungan Tayo (TULUNGAN TAYO); and Filipino Rights Protection Advocates of Manila Movement Kalipunan Ng Maralita at Malayang Mamamyan, Inc. (FRONTLINERS).

The Comelec also listed Kalipunan Ng Maralita at Malayan Mamamayan, Inc. (KAMALAYAN); Samahang Ilaw Bisig (SILBI); United Frontliners of the Philippines (FRONTLINERS); Kabalikat Patungo Sa Umuunlad na Sistematiko at Organisadong Pangkabuhayan Movement (KAPUSO-PM); Babae Ako

Para Sa Bayan Inc. (BABAE AKO); Kabalikat Ng Hustisya ng Nagkakaisang Manileño (KABALIKAT); Alagaan ang Sambayanang Pilipino Inc. (ASAP); Ipatupad Workers, Inc. (IPATUPAD); Abante Pangasinan-Ilokano Party (API); and Advocates & Keepers Organization of OFWS (AKO OFW) The list also includes Ang Kabuhayang Kayang Kaya (AKKK); Samahan ng Totoong Larong May Puso Foundation (STL); Agrikultura Ngayon Gawing Akma at Tama (ANGAT); Damayan Para Sa Reporma Tungo Sa Inklusibo at Laganap Na Mga Oportunidad Ngayon (DAMAYAN); Aksyon Tungo sa Asenso at Pagsulong ng Pilipino (AKAP PINOY); Pagtibayin at Palaguin Ang Pangkabuhayang Pilipino (4Ps); Solid Movement Towards Comprehensive Change (SOLID-CHANGE); National Firemen’s Confederation of the Philippines (ABB-NFCPI); and Alliance of Public Transport Organization (AP PARTYLIST).

Bayaning Tsuper (BTS); Kasama Regional Political Party (KASAMA); Hugpong Federal Movement of the Philippines, Inc. (HUGPONG); Ang Komadrona, Inc. (ANG KOMADRONA); Bisaya Gyud Party-List (BG PARTY-LIST); Tutok To Win (TUTOK TO WIN); Bunyog (Pagkakaisa) (BUNYOG); Nagkakaisang Pilipino Para Sa Pag-ingat Ng Maralitang Manileño (ANGAT-PINOY); Lungsod Aasenso Inc. (LUNAS); Malasakit At Bayanihan Foundation, Inc. (MALASAKIT@ BAYANIHA); People’s Volunteer Against Illegal Drugs (PVAID); Act As One Philippines (ACT AS ONE); Advocates For Retail, Fashion, Textile, Tradition, Events & Creative Services Sector (ARTE); and Buklod Ng Mga Motorista Ng Pilipinas (1-RIDER) complete the list.

The Comelec has now 171 registered party-list groups in the poll body, including the 118 existing organizations, for the May 2022 elections

BAGUIO CITY - Baguio City has reopened to tourists in time for the Christmas season in a bid to revive the city economy badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that only fully vaccinated individuals are allowed entry to Baguio City.

Magalong said that that before any tourist can climb to the summer capital, they have to register with the city government and wait for their approval for

their leisure travel.

The city’s reopening to tourists coincides with the slowdown of Covid-19 cases in the city.

“Hopefully our reopening will spur economic activity in our city which had almost been nil for the past two months because of the restrictions that we imposed to manage the cases,” the mayor said.

Visitors will first have to have an approved registration via visita.baguio. gov.ph.

Magalong said minors aged 12 to 17 accompanied by their elders will be required to have negative antigen or RT-PCR test results.

Those aged 11 years old and below will also be required to have negative test results “upon their parents’ consent,” the city government said.

Minimum public health standards such as wearing of face mask and face shield, social distancing, and frequent handwashing will continue to be required as part of safety measures.

Magalong said the city’s COVID-19 cases decreased, allowing Baguio to loosen restrictions, but caution will still be exercised.

“It has not been easy but as we have been doing since the pandemic started, we will continue to strike a balance between managing our cases and giving premium to the

health and safety of our constituents on The mayor said a downtrend in death the one hand and keeping our economy incidence and number of moderate and afloat and sustaining the people’s liveli- severe cases of COVID-19 is expected hood on the other,” Magalong said. within the week.

Baguio City reopens to tourists

 METRO NEWS

October 28-November 3, 2021

QC collects record P22 B in taxes - Belmonte

Mayor Belmonte

QUEZON CITY – The Quezon City government, the country’s richest city and local government unit of the country, recorded its biggest tax collection in history of P22 billion despite the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic that pulled down business enterprises nationwide.

Mayor Josefina Joy Belmonte reported this during her State of the City Address, adding the city P22 billion collection add up to the P24.6 billion savings prior to the pandemic.

“Sa kabila ng dagok ng Covid-19 sa ekonomiya ng QC, na-itala natin ang

pinakamataas na koleksyon na nasa P22 bilyon sa nakalipas na taon. Ito ang pinakamataas na koleksyon, hindi lamang sa buong bansa, kundi sa buong kasaysayan ng ating lungsod (Despite the effect of Covid-19 in QC’s economy, we recorded the highest collection of PHP22 billion last year. This is the highest collection in the country and in the history of our city),” Belmonte said.

The city also retained its good financial standing and remained debt-free.

“Dahil dito, ang QC ang may pinakamalaking halaga ng assets, katulad ng mga donated land, buildings at mga kalsada, na ngayon ay mahigit na sa P451 billion (Because of this, QC has the biggest amount of assets such as donated lands, buildings, and roads, that are now valued at P451 billion),” she said.

Belmonte attributed all the achievements to the trust of their constituents and the modern-day heroes that silently help amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Ang kwento ng QC ay kwento ng pagsisikap ng ating mga mamamayan.

Inaako nila ang responsibilidad na iligtas, i-angat at itaguyod ang kapwa at pamayanan. Ang bagong kwento ng Quezon City ay kwento ng kabayanihan

$495

408.286.9360 408.286.9311

at bayanihan, kwento ng sakripisyo at damayan (The story of QC is the story of the struggles of its constituents. They assumed the responsibility to save and uplift the community. The new story of QC is the story of heroism, story of sacrifices, and helping one another),” Belmonte said.

Belmonte also said the city earned an “unqualified opinion” from the Commission on Audit (COA) for 2020 – another first for the city.

The unqualified opinion is the highest audit opinion that COA can render to a government agency, including a local government unit.

It means the city has managed its funds in a prudent manner and through careful spending and proper safeguarding of funds.

Belmonte said that even before the pandemic, the city government was able to establish strict guidelines, which officials ensured are implemented without exemptions.

The establishment of the Internal Audit Service through an Executive Order ensured that every peso is spent wisely, practicing transparency, accountability and integrity, Belmonte said.

4

Metro Manila now low risk for COVID-19 QUEZON CITY - Good news to residents and those doing work or business in the 16 cities and one town in Metro Manila.

The Department of Health and the independent OCTA Research have declared Metro Manila as low risk for COVID-19 as new cases continued to decline.

The agencies warned Metro Manila folk not to relax their guard against the virus by continue complying with all health protocols such as use of face mask and face shield, social distancing and maintaining hygiene always.

The seven-day case average in the National Capital Region (NCR) went down to 901 this week from 1,405 recorded the previous week, according to OCTA’s Guido David.

The region’s positivity rate, which is the percentage of all coronavirus tests performed that turn out to be positive, went down to 6% this week from 7% recorded last week. The World Health Organization earlier said the ideal percentage is below 5%.

NCR’s healthcare utilization rate was 35% while its intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rate stood at 46% as of Oct. 24.

5 October 28-November 3, 2021

 PROVINCIAL NEWS

Century-old Sorsogon Capitol restored, inaugurated

Sorsogon, a survivor of the Japanese invasion during World War II in 1941 and natural calamities and one of the historical landmarks of the Bicol region, has been inaugurated.

The neoclassical architectural building was designed by Architect William Parsons and was completed in 1916 during the term of Governor Victor Eco. Last Friday, the new SORSOGON CITY – The newly reCapitol was blessed and inaugurated after stored century-old Provincial Capitol of it has been restored to its original plan,

with resemblance to the United States’ ince mates to help maintain the beauty of White House and the Lincoln Memorial the structure so that the future generation in Washington, DC. would enjoy it.

The all-white edifice stands in the “Our job was to restore and expand it, middle of the 12-hectare capitol complex.

“I envisioned the Provincial Capitol to be open 24 hours so that people can visit, walk through the corridors, and hallways, seeing the display of various paintings done by local artists of the province,” outgoing Governor Francis Escudero said in his speech during the event.

Escudero urged his prov-

Court awards P199.1 M to 55 heirs of M/V Princess of the Stars sinking victims CEBU CITY - After a long wait, the Cebu Regional Trial Court (RTC) has ordered indemnification totalling P199.1 million to 55 heirs of those who died in the sinking of M/V Princess of the Stars off Romblon in 2008.

The decision was made

by RTC Cebu Branch 16

Presiding Judge Dante Corminal on October 6, 2021 and confirmed by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) which acted as counsel for the victims’ kin.

PAO chief Persida Acosta said the families of the victims were happy with the decision, which came 13 years after the sinking, con-

sidered one of the world’s biggest maritime disasters.

M/V Princess of the Stars capsized off Sibuyan Island in Romblon n January 21, 2008 at the height of Typhoon Frank. Of the 849 persons on board, only 32 survived. The incident prompted Sulpicio Lines Inc. to change its name in

2009 to Philippine Span Asia Carrier Inc. after incurring losses because of the tragedy.

Acosta said PAO received a copy of the Cebu RTC Branch 16 decision last October 18, 2021 with regard to the 59 consolidated cases filed before the said court.

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

October 28-November 3, 2021

Go ‘100% sure’ to run as VP in 2022 polls

Senator Bong Go MANILA – Senator Christopher “Bong” Go dispelled rumors anew that he is clearing the way for another candidate to run in the 2022 elections, stressing that he is 100 percent committed to his decision to seek the vice presidency.

In an interview after the launch of the country’s 145th Malasakit Center at the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Quezon City on Oct. 25, Go was asked if a substitution for another candi-

date would be possible.

While the matter is for the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) to determine, Go said he already made the decision to run as vice president after President Rodrigo Duterte opted not to pursue his initial plan to seek the second highest position in the next year’s elections.

“At desisyon po ‘yon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at iginagalang ko po ‘yon (And that was the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte and I respect that) that is why I accepted the challenge,” Go said.

“So, depende na po ‘yon sa partido.

Ako naman po ay 100 percent na po akong tatakbo… isa po akong public servant at ako po’y [nag-file na ng candidacy] (So, it’s up to the party. On my part, I am 100 percent sure to run. I am a public servant and I already filed my candidacy),” he added.

Go said someone must step forward for the party and the whole administration to continue its programs and pursue further the positive change that Duterte has started.

Asked about Mayor Sara Duterte’s re-

cent separate meetings with presidential aspirants Bongbong Marcos and Senator Ronald dela Rosa, Go said it is the prerogative of the presidential daughter and her party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, to meet with key leaders and possibly support certain candidates in the elections.

“That’s part of our democratic process at mayro’n po siyang partido. Kami rin po mayro’n din kaming partido, ‘yung PDPLaban, at nirerespeto namin ang isa’t isa (and she has political party. We have also our own party, and we respect each other),” Go said.

He said any help that Sara and Hugpong ng Pagbabago would extend to a candidate is big factor in the coming elections.

Go said had Sara decided to run for president, he would have given her his complete support. He did emphasize, though, that he respects her decision to instead run for the third term as Davao City mayor.

“Ginagalang ko po ang desisyon at pahayag ni Mayor Inday Sara Duterte (I respect the decision and statement of Mayor Inday Sara Duterte),” he added.

PHL still worst place to be amid pandemic, says Bloomberg report MANILA - The Philippines is still tagged as the “worst place to be” during the global health crisis after it ranked last among 53 nations, according to a newly released Bloomberg report.

Bloomberg’s COVID Resilience Ranking indicated that the country gained the lowest overall resilience score, with 40.5.

In June, the country placed 52nd and dropped to 53rd in September, with a resilience score of 40.2, GMA News reported.

Malacañang had refuted the country’s September ranking, saying that the Bloomberg report did not include all the

countries in the world in the survey.

“May 194 countries po sa mundo, 53 lang ang sinurvey. Hindi tayo huli sa buong mundo, huli lang tayo sa mga pinag-aralan (There are 194 countries in the world but only 53 were surveyed.

We are not the last in the world, we just ranked last among those surveyed),” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

GMA News Online sought Roque’s comment on the latest report but has yet to get a response.

According to the Bloomberg article that featured the October report, the Philippines is among the “worst on vac-

cine coverage” as it recorded nearly 26% of its population were fully inoculated against COVID-19.

Further, it said the Philippines’ score was affected by the imposed restrictions on children in malls and other public spaces, and international travel.

It also noted the Philippines’ “conservative approach” in reopening the economy.

In addition, Philippines reopened more businesses such as gyms and cinemas but it is still lagging behind Asian neighbors such as Thailand and Indonesia which already allowed entry of tourists.

MANILA – The Court of Appeals (CA) has declared unconstitutional a series of local legislation passed by Mandaluyong City, collectively known as the Motorcycle Riding-in-Tandem Ordinances.

In a 26-page decision dated Sept. 28 and penned by Associate Justice Raymond Lauigan, the appellate court’s Fifth Division reversed and set aside the July 2020 decision of the Mandaluyong regional trial court (RTC) Branch 212 in the case filed by Dino de Leon for violation of Ordinance 550,S-2014;

515,S-2015; and 694,S-2018.

In reversing the Mandaluyong RTC, the CA said the subject ordinances are “unconstitutional because they are oppressive and go beyond what is reasonably necessary for the accomplishment of the purpose that the City of Mandaluyong aspires.”

The ordinances, the court added, “arbitrarily limit the movement and mode of transportation of male back riders even though there is no direct link or available statistical data presented to show that motorcycle riding criminals

are males”.

The CA also said there is failure to show that there are no other alternatives for the accomplishment of the purpose which are less intrusive of private rights and a failure to show that the subject ordinances are fair, not discriminatory, and not unreasonable.

The appellate court said the ordinances are “discriminatory both as to gender and as to the use of motorcycles as a mode of transportation and depended on broad generalizations”.

CA declares Mandaluyong’s riding in tandem ban unconstitutional

Marcos...

6

(From page 1)

should he decides to slide down from president to vice president,.

Senator Imee said her brother is eyeing bets with bailiwicks in Visayas and Mindanao to explain why they are considering Pacquiao, among others, as runningmate.

Pacquiao, however, said that like Marcos Jr., he is all set for his presidential run in tandem with Deputy Speaker and former Manila Mayor Jose Lito Atienza Jr. and would not slide down.

Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso said he is willing to unite with fellow presidential aspirants Vice President Maria Leonor Leni Robredo and senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao if it means discussing how to address the country’s problems, not just how to win the elections.

Domagoso made the statement amid speculations on Mayor Sara Duterte joining forces with presidential aspirant and former senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos.

“If we are going to unite on the issues at hand and challenges of our people, then I’m willing, but if we’re going to unite just to win because they wanted to win, medyo hindi ako masyadong ano dun, eh (I’m not sure),” Moreno said.

This developed as former Senator Marcos came under fire anew for his claim that he graduated from the University of Oxford while his sister Imee was hit for alleged offshore accounts in the British Virgin Islands.

Contrary to earlier claims, the University of Oxford confirmed that Marcos failed to complete his degree and did not graduate but secured a special diploma on political science.

Sen. Imee Marcos, meanwhile, admitted the offshore accounts but said they were education trust funds under her children’s names.

Marcos, eldest child of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, and her three sons were among the beneficiaries of the Sintra Trust, financial records of which were uncovered by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Records show that the accounts were formed in June 2002 in the British Virgin Islands.

According to the university’s Information Compliance Team, Marcos “did not complete his degree, but was awarded a Special Diploma in Social Studies in 1978.”

“We can confirm that a Ferdinand Marcos matriculated at the University of Oxford in 1975 to read for a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

According to our records, he did not complete his degree, but was awarded a Special Diploma in Social Studies in 1978,” the university said in a statement.

It added that a special diploma is “not a full graduate Diploma.”

Marcos was reported to have earlier claimed in his Senate profile and resume of having obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford.

7 October 28-November 3, 2021

 NATIONAL NATIONAL NEWS NEWS

Cooler days ahead as ‘amihan’ season sets in QUEZON CITY — Cooler days are ahead in the country as effects of the northeast monsoon or amihan are now being felt in the country.

This was disclosed by the government weather bureau PAGASA noting that for the past several days strong to gale-force northeasterly winds, identifiable to Christmas season, have prevailed over Northern Luzon because of the strengthening of the high-pressure system over Siberia enhanced further by passing low-pressure areas.

Gradual cooling of the surface air temperature over northeastern Luzon has also been observed, according to

the state weather bureau.

“With the onset of the amihan season, the northeast windflow is expected to gradually become more dominant over Northern Luzon, bringing cold and dry air,” PAGASA said.

In its latest public weather forecast, PAGASA said the northeast monsoon could bring about cloudy skies with rains in Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Aurora, Quezon, Camarines Provinces, and Catanduanes.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains may also persist in the Ilocos Region, it added.

Eleazar to retire Nov. 13; next PNP chief to continue drug war probe MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to go after law enforcers who violated procedures during anti-illegal drug operations will extend to whoever will be at helm of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he expects the successor of PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, will strictly comply with the President’s directive.

“The President has a standing order

Take the money...

(From page 1)

the words at the start of this week, but clarified on Wednesday, Oct. 27, that she was by no means endorsing the age-old Philippine practice of vote-buying during elections.

Speaking in the vernacular during an online meeting with household workers, she said, “What they use to buy your votes could be the money of the people.”

Robredo added that while she was aware that vote-buying was illegal, it is next to impossible to catch candidates engaged in the activity.

Some have even gone online in enticing voters to campaign for certain candidates through direct deposits to their e-wallet apps like GCash.

She added that in the end, vote buying is a useless exercise because “money cannot equate to electoral victory.”

The Commission on Elections (Comelec), however, warned that votebuying is still a serious offense, one that could result in the disqualification of candidates.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said it was an election offense “regardless of financial situation or noble intentions.”

Candidates whose camps have been caught distributing money in the past have reasoned that they were merely helping the poor.

Jimenez said he disagreed with the premise of Robredo that it was alright to accept money from candidates, but still follow one’s conscience when casting their vote.

to the DOJ and the PNP to review the conduct of the drug war and to impose sanctions upon those who went beyond the bounds of the law,” Guevarra said.

Eleazar will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on November 13 after serving six months as PNP chief.

Guevarra expects the Memorandum of Agreement between the National Bureau of Investigation and the PNP on joint probes of drug war deaths will be signed before Eleazar steps down.

While the campaign season is still months away, some presidential and vice presidential candidates have been spending heavily on print, broadcast, and electronic media to push their candidacies.

Based on his TV ads alone, the biggest spender is former senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., according to media observers.

Candidates Manny Pacquiao and Ping Lacson have also been spending on various media, as well as vice presidential bets Tito Sotto and Bong Go. In related news, the president’s party – the Alfonso Cusi wing of PDP-Laban – appeared to have become desperate after their presidential bet Senator Ronald dela Rosa continued to perform weakly in most surveys and showed little interest in actively campaigning.

This led Cusi – who serves as Energy secretary in the Duterte Cabinet – to say that they could still go back to their original plan of fielding a Bong Go-Rodrigo Duterte tandem next year.

All they were waiting for was for the president “to change his mind” about retiring from politics, and agree to be PDPLaban’s vice presidential bet.

The party had been trying to recruit the president’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, to run for president, but she reiterated this week that she had no plans of running for the high post, preferring to seek re-election as mayor instead.

The mayor, however, said she would support the presidential bid of Marcos after she met with him in Cebu over the weekend.

Substitution of candidates can only take place on or before November 15.

The DOJ last week released information on the initial batch of 52 cases it is reviewing as part of the government’s policy of transparency on the anti-illegal drugs campaign and to assure the victims’ kin and loved ones that the deaths are being investigated.

The matrix included docket numbers, names of the deceased, places and dates of the incidents, and the review panel’s summary of observa-

tions.

The most number of deaths in a single incident was during an operation in Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte on July 29, 2016 when three died.

The DOJ review panel noted that according to the medico-legal report, the victims appeared to have been shot at close range.

The PNP Internal Affairs Service has ordered the dismissal from the service of those involved.

PHL administers 56.2M Covid-19 vaccine doses

MANILA – The Philippines has al- many of them are helping us),” Galvez ready administered more than 56,2 million told President Rodrigo Duterte during the doses out of 97,678,340 Covid-19 vac- Talk to the People aired Monday night. cines delivered, according to the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19.

As of October 25, there are 25,955,669 fully vaccinated individuals, who comprise 33.65 percent of the country’s 70 percent target for population protection by the end of the year or an estimated 77,139,058 Filipinos.

The average daily vaccination rate in the last seven days rose to 488,506 doses, higher than the 405,999 the previous week, due to stable supplies, according to NTF chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. He said the COVAX Facility and countries such as the United States, Australia, Japan, Germany, and Brunei will be donating more Covid-19 vaccines.

“Maganda po ‘yung naging relations, sir, natin na talagang ‘yung maraming countries na tumutulong na rin po sa atin (We have established good relationships with other countries and

 NATIONAL NEWS Biyahe...

October 28-November 3, 2021

8

“We are organizing different campaign events in the next three months. This time we are doing this in solidarity with the caravan/motorcade that has just happened in the Philippines in ful support of Leni Robredo for 2022.” Pedalizo announced. “Tapos na po ang pananakot at pagnanakaw. (The days of fear and rampant corrupt practices have ended.) If we will not do anything, we may be looking forward to the restoration of the Marcoses and the extension of Duterte rule in the next six years.”

In a later interview, Pedalizo added that they are so glad that the people in the Philippines and here in the U.S. are taking actions without the benefit of the alleged $10 billion ill-gotten Marcos wealth “but we will have the support of the people.”

Organizer, Violy Reyes views the coming elections as really important “as we do not want another 6 years of Duterte and the return of the Marcoses to power “.

“We are also doing the caravan to reach out to the community, to remind to vote. To organize and educate our friends , relatives neighbors to vote wisely as this is for the future of our kids and for the love of our mother land,” Reyes contend.

Organizers slated the next caravans to be on October 31, in Los Angeles, DC and Chicago on November 15 in Daly City and Dec 12 in Daly City and LA. . . .

US Pinoy For Good Government leader lawyer Rodil Rodis revealed that he and Another Filipino leader Loida Nicola Lewis initiated the filing of a 42-page citizenship complaint against Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, alleged close crony of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterrte businessman Dennis Uy and several others for the reported acquisition of Uy of the Chevron Malampaya shares at a so grossly disadvantageous bargain price.

The Malampaya gas field in Palawan supplies an estimate 40% of energy needs of the Philippines instead of paying money to Saudi Arab and other oil-producing countries and the complaint against Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi is something the complainants have been following for the last year.

“What they did two years ago, they sold it to Dennis Uy at an incredible bargain basement price of only $450 million instead of $600 million which was even then already a bargain price but they were able to do some maneuvering to come up with said lower price of $450 million,” Rodil maintained. “Dennis Uy set up his company with a $100 capitalization. The rest was funded

by Chinese Bank and a New Zealand Bank majority of which is owned by the Chinese.”

Former Supreme Court Justice Antonio

Carpio was said to have called the deal as “the biggest presidential gift to a political crony in Philippine history that dwarfs anything that any of the Marcos or Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo crony ever received” and Uy is all the while being backed up by a Chinese bank.

“Once they control Malampaya, they would control how much energy goes to the Philippines, the oil in the future and they can control the politics of the country of their control of the oil,” Rodis fears.. “It is the role of the Filipinos in America. We are not just observers from the outside. We are also in the fight in the Philippines especially because many of us are dual citizens. And being dual citizens, we have the right to defend our country and to make sure it doesn’t continue to be raped by these corrupt cronies of Duterte and Marcos.”

Another leader Donny de Leon disclosed that their Tarlequeños USA helped organize the Tarlaceños for Leni Caravan .

Tarlaqueños launched their “Pink Caravan” early in the morning on Saturday, October 23rd in support of Vice President Leni Robredo and some 800 decorated vehicles with approximately 1,500 Tarlac natives participating,” de Leon gushed. “It was organic, electric, inclusive, and I’m loving it!

This is truly people’s campaign. So inspiring.”

the proclamation.

“During Filipino-American HeriManongs, whose hard-fought battles tage Month, we celebrate the birthhelped advance farmworkers’ rights day of trailblazing Filipino-American and social justice,” Newsom said in labor leader, organizer and California

Hall of Fame Inductee Larry Itliong,” Newsom added. “This month, I had the honor of inducting Mr. Itliong into the California Hall of Fame.”

October 25 happens to be the birthday of Itliong, who is best known as one of the labor leaders who started with some 1,500 Filipino workers the Delano Grape Strike on September 8, 1965 calling for higher wages and better working conditions. Mexican labor leader Cesar Chavez and his United Farmworkers later joined the strike.

The Delano Grape Strike, which lasted for five years, resulted in a victory for the farm workers.

Earlier this month, Itliong, a native of San Nicolas, Pangasinan who migrated to the United States at age 15, was honored by posthumously inducting him to the California Hall of Fame for “his incredible impact on our state and unapologetic advocacy for those without a voice.”

“On the 108th anniversary of his birth, we honor the great contributions of Larry Itliong and the Manongs whose hard-fought battles helped advance farmworkers’ rights and social justice,” Newsom said.

“Sometimes the Hall of Fame gives us the opportunity to bring outstanding Californians out of the shadows when their contributions to society have been largely overlooked in history books,” California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said during the Hall of Fame ceremony. “And there is no better example of that than Larry Itliong.”

Itliong was recognized posthumously with others, including artist Ruth Asawa, singer Jerry Garcia, rock music icon Ritchie Valens and gay rights activists Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin.

According to the California Mu-

seum, Itliong became “one of the most important civil rights leaders of the 20th century and a father of the West Coast labor movement.”

Itliong immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines at the age of 15 and became a migrant worker. Due to his experience of working in the Alaskan fish canneries and along the West Coast, he became an activist for farm laborers.

After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II and becoming a U.S. citizen in 1954, Itliong moved to Stockton, where he organized for the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC).

“He was so good at recruiting new members that union leaders asked him to move to Delano to organize Filipino grape workers. It was there that he helped change the history of farm labor,” the California Museum stated.

Itliong led the AWOC and joined forces with the National Farm Workers Association to start the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, which, according to the California Museum, “lasted five years and was one of the most important social justice and labor movements in American history, ending with victory for the farmworkers.”

Itliong continued to serve the Filipino American community until his death in 1977. Another one of his successes includes securing funding that provided housing and support for retired Filipino farmworkers, the museum stated.

In the proclamation, Newsom said Itliong also organized the asparagus strike of 1948, the first major agricultural strike after the war.

Itliong later partnered with other farmworker organizers like Cesar Chávez and Dolores Huerta, in leading the Delano Grape Strike.

(From page 1)

In the U.S., around 50 cars, SUVs, vans, and mini trucks moved around the densely Filipino-populated areas in Daly City and South San Francisco area as Filipino American supporters of Vice President Robredo come up with their own version of the Biyahe ni Leni that was also happening in around thirty major areas covering the practically the whole Philippines.

Dubbed the weekend Caravan of Hope, volunteers came in force in their vehicles adorned with tarpaulins, posters, ribbons, balloons, artwork and costumes and excitedly took turns chanting and cheering each other in a presidential campaign that they intend to conduct at least once a month until leading up to the May 2022 elections. .

The Bay Area motorcade started in a popular Filipino food chain branch in Mission Street in Daly City and ended in a favorite Filipino shopping and food complex at Callan Street in South San Francisco In addressing participants, Filipino American Human Rights Alliance (FAHRA) leader Ago Pedalizo bared that organizers a virtual video meeting with fellow Filipino leaders from Macau, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, from Europe and from the Middle East.

Newsom...

Pinay...

(From page 1)

LAW OFFICE OF

(From page 1)

& ASSOCIATES 3255 Wilshire Blvd. Ste# 1010 Los Angeles, CA 90010 Tel: (213) 388-9925 Fax: (213) 388-6080 ocampolawofc@yahoo.com

CALIFORNIA LAWYER SINCE 1993 FOR COMPETENT & AFFORDABLE LEGAL SERVICES COMPLIMENTARY/FREE CONSULTATION

US IMMIGRATION LAW

FAMILY/EMPLOYMENT BASED PETITIONS LABOR CERTIFICATION DACA LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN DEPORTATION/REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS DIVORCE

FAMILY LAW

SPOUSAL SUPPORT CHILD CUSTODY/SUPPORT/VISITATION ADOPTION GUARDIANSHIP

PERSONAL INJURY

AUTO ACCIDENTS

PREMISES LIABILITY

SLIP AND FALL CASES

LABOR/EMPLOYMENT LAW

WRONGFUL TERMINATION WAGE AND HOUR DISPUTES WORKERS’ COMPENSATION PROBATE

DISCRIMINATION

ESTATE PLANNING

WILLS

TRUSTS

ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM TREAT YOU

9 October 28-November 3, 2021 COVID..

(From page 1)

As of October 27, the Philippines has recorded 2,768,849 confirmed COVID-19 cases as it logged 3,218 new infections for that day, of which, 50,152 or 1.8% were active, according to the Department of Health.

The death toll climbed to 42,348 on October 27, which is 1.53% of the COVID-19 total, after 271 more people lost their lives. For the past four days, the number of new fatalities have been above a hundred.

With continued drop of cases, officials project a happy Christmas with more businesses open, travel restrictions relaxed, curfew reduced to four hours and quarantine days cut, especially for vaccinated international and domestic travellers.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, however, warned that the convergence of large crowds for the Christmas season, together with the public’s complacency in following health protocols, could lead to a fresh wave of cases in four to six months.

This as the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency committee warned that despite vaccination, the COVID-19 crisis is “far from over.”

“While progress has been made through increased uptake of CO-

 NATIONAL NEWS VID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, analysis of the present situation and forecasting models indicate that the pandemic is far from finished,” the WHO said in a statement during a virtual meeting.

The WHO emergency committee called for further research into reusable masks and respirators, and next-generation vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics “for long-term control of the pandemic”.

“The use of masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene, and improving ventilation of indoor spaces remain key to reducing transmission of SARS CoV-2,” the statement stressed.

The decline of cases prompted the DOH to place the Philippines under low-risk classification, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on October 25.

“Nationally we are at low-risk case classification with a negative two-week growth rate at negative 48% and a moderate risk average daily attack rate of 5.89 cases for every 100,000 individuals,” Vergeire said in a virtual briefing She added that the national health system capacity is now at moderate risk classification.

“All of the regions now with a negative two-week growth rate and low- to moderate- risk case classifications,” Vegeire continued.

Vergeire said that the epidemic curve in the country showed that cases peaked from September 6 to 12, where 20,946 were reported daily on average.

Meanwhile, vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. reported to President Rodrigo Duterte in a meeting that “more or less 50 percent” of the population may be vaccinated by the end of December.

As of October 25, the country has immunized 25.95 million individuals, while nearly 30.3 million are partially vaccinated.

The country has received a total of 97.6 million doses of different COVID-19 vaccine brands, of which, 55.7 million have already been administered.

Galvez said the goal of receiving 100 million doses of vaccine this month may be reached as additional shipments courtesy of the COVAX facility and some donor countries may arrive later this week.

In other developments: 1.

It would be impossible for the Philippines to achieve this year the government’s high-end target of fully vaccinating against the coronavirus 70 percent of the country’s population, said Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, adding covering some 77.1 million people, may only be reached in the first quarter of 2022. The DOH targets at least 50

percent of the population by the end of the year.

2.

Nationwide COVID-19 vaccination for all minors aged 12 to 17 will start as early as November 3, said vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. The DOH said that Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will l be used among children during the nationwide rollout.

3. Metro Manila is ready to shift to Alert Level 2 from 3 by November should infections and coronavirusrelated hospitalizations continue to drop, said Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano and the DOH. The WHO emergency committee said the protracted pandemic was making humanitarian emergencies, mass migration and other crises more complex, adding states should e revise their preparedness and response plans.

The WHO committee first declared on January 30 last year that the virus was a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) -- the highest alarm the WHO can sound.

The committee maintained its insistence that proof of vaccination should not be required for international travel or be the only condition for it “given limited global access and inequitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.”

 NATIONAL NEWS SSF...

October 28-November 3, 2021

(From page 1)

PIONEERS AND PROTEGES Pioneers and proteges showed up at the reception Saturday, Americans of Filipino and other descent, whose causes Bulos led or supported passionately. Among those who braved the rare storm forecast to celebrate together were lawyer and Filipino WWII veterans champion Lourdes Tancinco, Bayanihan Equity Center executive director Luisa Antonio and Bernadette Sy Borja, who founded the Filipino American Development Fund for low-income families San Francisco with her father and Bulos friend Dr. Mario Borja.

Publisher/philanthropist and Philippine International Aid founder Mona Lisa Yuchengco and her husband Lloyd LaCuesta, retired TV news reporter who emceed annual gala fund raisers of Bulos alumni association Thomasians USA for love; Vennie Acebedo and Elsa Agasid of California Health Initiative and Polly Cortez of Pasig- South San Francisco Sister City Committee listened to Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer praise Bulos’ embrace of both Filipino and American traditional values during the program.

San Jose youth and older adults proponent Ben Menor, former FilAm Chamber of Commerce San Mateo County executive director Blessy Valera and Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center co-founder Perla Ibarrientos, who started collaborating with Bulos in the 1970s through common and divergent efforts, nodded as Father Ray Reyes of St. Augustine Church hailed Bulos as a “true shepherd.”

First FilAms elected in their City Councils Mike Guingona (Daly City) and Larry Formalejo (Colma) heard San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Canepa commend

Alice Bulos family led daughter Elizabeth with husband Sonny Ramilo, their children Charity, Clark and Charles, some grandchildren and rela�ves revel in their matriarch’s latest honor. Photos by Marie Patea/ssf.net

Bulos’ humility, selflessness and loyalty.

Longtime advocate and neighbor Goya Navarrete smiled hearing Bulos’ grandchildren Charity and Charles B. Ramilo repeat their Mami Alice’s memorable maxims that guide them today as educators and community activists.

“Tita Alice” as her admirers refer to the acknowledged “Grand Dame of FilAm empowerment” would have been 91 today. Few of her contemporaries attended the event presumably out of pandemic safety precautions; in their place, however, latter- day mentees rose to the occasion.

In fact the reason for the gathering was the handiwork of Bulos mentee Council Member Flor Nicolas, the first FilAm woman elected in South San Francisco along with first FilAm male Council Member now Vice Mayor Mark Nagales, in 2018.

Clad in a kimona stressing pride in her Philippine heritage, Nicolas disclosed how the project came to fruition. (See Upside.)

Coincidentally the Center was built in

1988, the year Bulos and Nicolas first met.

“I must have had the look of a new immigrant,” which Nicolas was, speculating what moved Bulos, who was chair of the University of Santo Tomas sociology department prior to joining her husband in California, to reach out to her after Sunday Mass with an invitation to get involved.

MENTOR MINDSET “She talked with me about the importance of representation and community involvement. I wanted my children to thrive in our new environment, so I had to learn to adapt quickly,” Nicolas, VP pf global drug safety and pharmacovigilance of Rain Therapeutics in Newark, related how she and her husband Nenar began attending meetings at the Bulos home. They discussed how to get more people of color elected in their town whose surging Asian and Latino population they believed was underrepresented in town decision-making. They poured support for Pedro Gonzalez, the first Latino on the City Council, now retired and present at the Center rites with for-

mer Council Members Rich Garbarino and Matsumoto.

Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo and Vice Mayor Rod Daus- Magbual, both FilAms born long after Bulos and husband lawyer Donnie Bulos had formed their voter registration organization Filipino American Grassroots Movement, witnessed the event as did their fellow Council Member Pamela di Giovanni.

“I stand on the shoulders of Filipino American community leaders such as Alice Bulos, Tita Perla (Ibarrientos), or Bulletx (Marasigan) because I feel it is my responsibility to take the baton on what they created,” Daus-Magbual, a Skyline College professor of Ethnic Studies, introduced his daughter and parents to this writer. “The foundation they built represents an institution of leadership to fight for representation, advocacy, and equity for our community. It was also significant for my family to learn about the history of Pinay leadership that is seldom highlighted in Filipino American history.”

Seeing the sign “gave me chills of joy,” said Nan Santiago, 2021 President of Alliance for Community Empowerment, the all-volunteer nonprofit whose acronym honors Bulos, their honorary chair in promoting healthy relationships through free education seminars.

Alice Peña Bulos Community Center sits on grounds where its namesake’s grandchildren and now their children virtually grew up outside their home on nearby Liberty Court.

“We’re so happy for this honor,” Bulos’s only daughter Elizabeth B. Ramilo told author0. “We thank the City Council of South San Francisco for making sure Mami will always be remembered.” – Reprinted from original with permission from INQUIRER. NET

1-877-456-9266 www.crispinlozanolaw.com • • • •

Deportation and Removal Defense Waiver of Misrepresentation Self Petition for Abused Spouse Waiver of Crimes and Inadmissibility • Fiancé Visa Petition

1290 B Street, Suite 205 Hayward, CA 94541

10

• Eliminate Credit Card Debts • Stop Collections and Harassments

17215 Studebaker RD., Suite 337 Cerritos, CA 90703

11 October 28-November 3, 2021

 OPINION Ideal memorial for lifetime service Upside shares the remarks of South San Francisco City Council Member Flor Nicolas at the dedication ceremony of the Alice Pena Bulos Community Center. Full story on front page.

A

EDITORIAL

Return to the motherland not yet advisable

N

ext week marks the beginning of the penultimate month of the year, November.

In years and decades past, countless FilAms would at this stage already be planning a return to our beloved motherland, the Republic of the Philippines.

Back home, we would be called balikbayans, and relatives and friends would welcome returnees with parties and feasts fit for royalty. In exchange, they would expect us to unpack balikbayan boxes laden with gifts for all.

Call it a quid pro quo or call it an exchange deal, but giving gifts and being feted go hand in hand in our homeland, which is why a good many prefer to head home during the Christmas season. It is tantamount to killing two birds with one stone as pasalubongs to loved ones also serve as Christmas gifts.

Indeed, celebrating the Christmas season in the Philippines is always an unforgettable experience.

But while there is nothing to stop FilAms from heading home this year, what with most restrictions already lifted, there is still a couple of reasons why it is not a good idea to become a balikbayan this yearend.

While the number of COVID-19 cases had been dropping drastically in recent weeks, there are still many areas outside Metro Manila where the pandemic remains rampant.

In the metropolis itself, not all restrictions have been lifted. Sad to say, too many denizens of the National Capital Region are ignoring the necessary protocols that will guarantee that the spread of the coronavirus will be arrested.

Social distancing is not being practiced in public areas such as malls, which has become the Filipino’s favored retreat, especially on weekends.

There is also the new threat that became known last week, and that is the B.1.1.318 variant of COVID-19 which has more than a dozen mutations, including to the Delta variant which caused a fresh round of quarantines and lockdowns in recent months.

Over the weekend, the first case of the new variant was discovered in the country.

We dare not say that one solitary case does not pose a serious threat, as the first and second rounds of the current pandemic started with very small numbers.

In all likelihood, that first victim was already exposed to scores, perhaps hundreds, of individuals, potentially leading to another exponential growth of COVID-19 cases in the near term.

Further, not enough is known about B.1.1.318. It could be extremely deadly, or exceptionally mild. No one knows for sure at this early stage.

There’s another reason why we do not recommend any FilAms to head home this yearend, and that is the quarantine protocols are still in place for all inbound passengers.

Filipinos and FilAms who have gone home for business or pleasure have voiced their frustration at the need to be confined for an extended period before being allowed to visit their families and friends, or conduct the business that was their reason for heading home.

All inbound travelers are made to self-quarantine in hotels, even if they have homes in the Philippines, or have close relatives who will welcome them. Some have complained that this smacks of a racket where hotel owners are the only ones who profit. The suspicion is that the hotels are chosen based on their ties to the people in power.

This may or may not be true, we do not know. What we do know is that while many of us would like to spend the holidays back home, the risks and the needless additional expenses involved are just not worth taking.

Planning on going home sometime soon? Don’t. Be safe. Make it next year instead.

Upside

LICE BULOS was an inductee into the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame, recognized for working “tirelessly for equal rights in employment, housing, crime prevention and services for youth.” She was a “champion of women’s issues and women in the workplace” and served as a Commissioner for the San Mateo County Commission on the Status of Women. It is one of the reasons why the all-volunteer organization dedicated to promoting healthier relationships and educating the community regarding intimate partner violence was named ALLICE or Alliance for Community Empowerment.

CHERIE M. QUEROL MORENO Alice was instrumental in creating the Sister City relationship between SSF and Pasig in the Philippines. Together with her husband, they founded the Filipino American Grassroots Movement, a voter registration drive designed to involve Filipinos in the political process. Her leadership helped guide new residents towards building a better life in America.

This must be the reason why she approached me after the 10:30 am Mass at All Souls Catholic Church in 1988. I was a new immigrant settling in South San Francisco with my husband and two children. I must have that new immigrant look. She talked with me about the importance of representation and community involvement. I wanted my children to thrive in our new environment, so I had to learn to adapt quickly.

Alice started inviting us to her home and meeting many like-minded Filipinos and other people of color like Anne and Al Waters and Pedro and Eldie Gonzalez. Our involvement in the Filipino American Democratic Club led me to know David Canepa (who I knew as DJ then). Through the urging of Alice, my husband and I stepped nervously inside the Municipal Services Building and advocated for the appointment of Pedro Gonzalez, a person of color, to the City Council.

I remained an active volunteer in the community because Alice’s words ring in my ears.

Fast forward to 2018, former Mayor Matsumoto urged me to run for the City Council as there had only been three women before me in the City Council of South San Francisco. And there again, Alice’s words were ringing in my ears – representation matters and community engagement is important.

Subsequently, I was elected to the City Council with my kababayan, Mark Nagales. At my installation, I said that Alice must be very proud and smiling in Heaven for at last, Filipinos are represented in the South San Francisco City Council.

Last Christmas season, I received a Christmas card with a handwritten note from former Assemblyman and Mayor Gene Mullin. He requested that I support the renaming of Westborough Recreation Center in memory of Alice Bulos.

The opportunity presented itself when Mayor Mark Addiego appointed me to the City Council Naming Committee. On February 18, 2021, at the Naming Committee meeting with Mayor Addiego, a great ally of women and women issues, we agreed to honor the significant contributions and service to the community of three empowered women, Roberta Teglia, Alice Bulos, and Karyl Matsumoto, to celebrate the Women’s His-(Continued on page 27)

Philippine News Today is published weekly by Philippines Today LLC with business and editorial offices at 6454 Mission Street, Daly City, CA 94014., with telephones 650.757.1480, 650.872.3200, 650.552.9775 and website address www.pnewstoday.com and email address advertising@philippinestodayus.com or editor@philippinestodayus.com MANILA OFFICE: Le Marquis Townhomes, 51 P. Tuazon Blvd. Quezon City 1112, Tels. 8546.8426, 8451.1892, 8546.8421

FRANCIS ESPIRITU MARILYN B. KING

Vice President for Sales and Marketing

BETING LAYGO DOLOR Manila Editor

JUNNI RANILLO

Entertainment Editor

ANGELO LOPEZ Cartoonist

ELEANOR SMITH Office Manager

NICK SAGMIT GEORGE GANGE RENE AVENIDO

Photo Correspondents

Publisher/President

THELMA L. CRUZ

Vice President for Operations & Promotions

CHERIE QUEROL MORENO Executive Editor

NEIL GONZALES

Chief Correspondent Northern California

LYDIA SOLIS

Chief Correspondent Southern California

MA. CECILIA G. MADELO Graphic Director

GILDA PASION BALAN FRANCO G. REGALA ALI MACABALANG JEANNE MICHAEL PENARANDA Manila Correspondents

ALFRED G. GABOT Editor-in-chief

CLAIRE M. TRUE Managing Editor

JO ERLINDA YABUT Entertainment Editor

THOMAS G. MADELO JR. Creative Director

BLESIE D. SISON ALBERT MARTINEZ RENE AMON Account Executives

VAL G. ABELGAS, HOMOBONO A. ADAZA, PERRY DIAZ, JOJO LIANGCO, JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES, ROY C. MABASA, ART G. MADLAING, FR. JOEPEL PADIT, RODEL E. RODIS, LOURDES TANCINCO ESQ, MELANDREW T. VELASCO, DANTES & CYNTHIA VELUZ, CRISTINA OSMENA, LUDY ONGKEKO. COLUMNISTS

The views and opinions expressed herein by writers, columnists and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, management and staff of Philippines Today. We are not responsible for incorrect printing, photographical errors or information listed or for loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts.

Reproduction or redistribution in whole or in part is prohibited.

 OPINION

October 28-November 3, 2021

PerryScope

A

s founder of FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and author of the best seller “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually), I was blessed and glad to read ART GABOT MADLAING the interview with Dr. Jason Dixon, a 96-year-old retired cardiologist, last week.

In the interview, Dr. Dixon shared his secret for longevity and good health. The cardiologist, who retired at age 70, confided that the secret of his longevity is in maintaining healthy and clean blood vessels. He confirmed that if our blood vessels are clean and healthy, we can live 110 years or more, feeling absolutely healthy. Here are excerpts of the interview for our readers and the general public.

“Denbyprofessionals: Dr. Dixon, you said clean blood vessels are key to good health. Why? DR. DIXON: It’s very simple. Activity of organs and systems in the body depends on the quality of the blood circulation. The circulatory system delivers nutrients and oxygen to all organs in the body and removes carbon dioxide and metabolic products from the blood. At a young age, we move a lot and our blood vessels are fresh, elastic and clean, and so our bodies receive plenty of nutrients. As we age, we tend to move less and blood vessels start getting clogged.

It’s caused by many different reasons and adverse factors such as smoking, unhealthy eating, poor environment, sedentary lifestyle.

Denbyprossionals: What does dirty blood vessel mean?

DR. DIXON: Imagine some pipes full of rust. The same thing happens with blood vessels. When cholesterol or other substances build-up in the inner lining of the blood vessels the pressure increases. Impaired blood vessels function is the main cause of hypertension. Eventually, the blood blends with the impurities and the blood circulation becomes deranged. As a result, all organs and systems of the body get adversely affected.

Impurities from blood vessels may cause heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, varicose veins, arterial thrombosis and other ailments.

If you are careful and keep your blood vessels clean, you can live at least 110 years and your body will be working smoothly without pains in your organs or joints. In other words, cleaning your blood vessels can prolong your lifespan and improve your health.” (Source: Interview with denbyprofessionals.com) Dr. Dixon, who had been using Glucose1, recommends this natural supplement. “This is a great supplement which helps me achieve my goal of cleaning blood vessels,” he affirmed.

There is a similar health supplement which I’ve been taking for more than 10 years now. It’s called GLS or Glucose Lowering Supplement. If you are suffering from high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension and related ailments. I encourage you to try the GLS 90-Challenge by ordering three bottles of GLS at special discounted price of $110 (includes shipping and handling, regular price is $40 per bottle). For your GLS supply, just send $110 (in check or money order) to: ART G. MADLAING, 730 Madrid Street, San Francisco, CA 94112 Tel. (650)438-3531 or (415)584-7095 or email:agmadlaing@ hotmail.com This Special Offer is good only in the United States.

“LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” BOOK As book author of the best seller “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY” subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and Spiritually,” I encourage you to order your autographed copy of the book.

Many of the advice and recommendations of Dr. Dixon and other doctors (e.g. stop smoking, drinking 7-8 glasses of good water, eating healthy foods, eat less meat and more fresh vegetables and fruits, sleeping 6-8 hours regularly, avoid carbonated drinks, have regularexercise and daily walking, taking natural and healthy supplement) are discussed in detail in the book.

For your autographed copy of the 386 pages best seller “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY,” just send $15 (regular price at Amazon is $25.95 plus (Continue on page 27)

China and the coming elections

T

he Asia-Pacific Region has become the biggest flashpoint in world peace and stability. The world’s powerful nations have converged on the region and have started alignments that clearly define the two sides in the quest for dominance in the contested area, one of the most strategic points in the areas of geopolitics, military VAL ABELGAS and economy.

Recent naval maneuvers and joint military exercises point to an alliance led by the United States and United Kingdom, on one hand, and that between Russia and China, on the other.

Last month, the US, UK and Australia launched an alliance, known as the AUSUKUS, to counter China’s aggressive moves in the region. In addition, the US also formed an alliance with Australia, India and Japan known as QUAD also to counter China.

Also, the UK, India and Germany have sent warships to sail through the South China Sea and western Pacific in their own show of force and solidarity with allies protecting their interests in the region, including the all-important sea lanes used by most countries in the conduct of global trade and commerce.

In the past few weeks, China sent more than 150 jet fighters to Taiwan’s air defense zone and held military landing exercises in the province directly across Taiwan as it exerted pressure on Taiwan to accept “reunification.” Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said the island would bolster Taiwan’s military defense forces and said Taiwan won’t be forced to bow to China.

On Oct. 17, the Chinese military condemned the US and Canada for each sending a warship through the Taiwan Strait the previous week.

Just last week, China and Russia made known its alliance by holding its first joint patrols in the west Pacific Ocean, close to Japan’s territorial waters. And also last week, North Korea tested its first submarine-launched ballistic missile.

The Philippines is right in the middle of all these tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, being almost at the center of the region and in direct conflict with China in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that it calls the West Philippine Sea. And where does the country lie in the building alliances in the region? It would appear on the surface that the Philippines is trying to stay neutral, with President Rodrigo Duterte clearly siding with the Chinese while Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro F. Locsin Jr. and Defense Secretary trying to appease the Americans.

It’s important to recall that just two months into his presidency in September 2016, Duterte said he would visit Russia and China to open alliances with the two powers as he said he would chart a foreign policy independent of the US while lambasting both the Americans and the European Union for their “hypocrisy” and for “lording over us.”

That was three months after he ignored the International Arbitration Court’s ruling upholding Philippines’ sovereignty over the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea and rejecting China’s sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea. Duterte said the ruling wouldn’t be worth anything if China didn’t comply with it. “I have a similar position as China’s.

I don’t believe in solving the conflict through an international tribunal,” he said. Just this year, Duterte again dismissed the IAC ruling, saying it was just a “piece of paper” that he could throw into the waste basket.

Making a U-turn after saying he would jet ski to the Spratlys, plant the Philippine flag, and fight the Chinese during the campaign, Duterte opened up the country to Chinese investors to exploit our natural resources and own public utilities, allowed Chinese fishermen to fish in the country’s EEZ to the detriment of Filipino fishermen, allowed the Chinese to build military facilities in the disputed islands, and basically said the Philippines could be a “province of China.”

Duterte once described Chinese President Xi Jin-ping a “great leader” and had no qualms about saying “I love President Xi Jin-ping.” He similarly called Russian President Vladimir Putin his “idol” and acted like a true fan when he met Putin in Peru by lambast(Continue on page 27)

On Distant Shore

O

N OCTOBER 13, 2021, President Joe Biden brought together power brokers from ports, unions, and big business from across the nation to address shipping, labor, and warehousing problems in the U.S. supply chain. He then announced new around-theclock – 24/7 – port operations in Los Angeles.

PERRY DIAZ Biden brought representatives of the business sector to develop ways and means to deal with the supply chain problems. “A solution is in sight,” Biden said. If retailers would move more goods at night, that would be a “big first step,” he said. “[And] we need the rest of the private sector chain to step up as well.” However, as one economist had commented, “What the president’s doing isn’t going to really hurt. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t solve the problem either.”

Indeed, it’s not as simple as telling the players to line up and pass the bucket of water to put out the fire that has engulfed the supply chain that provides an endless traffic of consumers -- the biggest in the world – that buy more imported products than before the pandemic. It forces the retail chains to work full-time to handle the surge in imports and holiday gifts onto shelves in time for the holidays.

High import season It is expected that imports from China would go up higher than the 30% so far this year over last year’s record. But delays in pick up have left some 250,000 containers of goods stacked up on the docks due to delays in transporting them – from lack of space in rail yards and warehouses -- to their destinations.

And that causes dozens of ships to back up at anchor outside the port. And then transporting them to their final destinations caused by a shortage of trucks and drivers would be a major problem.

With the unprecedented influx of cargo, it would be like Black Friday, Christmas, and Easter on the docks every single day of the year, with more ships coming in.

The biggest problem is the shortage of truck drivers. And the reasons behind the truck driver shortage are numerous. One of the most crucial factors that cause truck driver shortage is age. The average age is 49 for someone that drives 110,000 miles per year. That’s 500 miles per day! And driver pay has become the largest operational cost in the trucking industry.

Many trucking companies are highly selective when hiring truck drivers, which limit the qualification to driving history and driving experience. Quality is important in hiring practices. That is because of the fact that they have built their trucking company with professionalism and because of their high priorities, which have affected the number of truck drivers employed in the U.S. today; thus, has a dire consequence on the overall U.S. economy.

Truck driver turnover One thing is worth mentioning. Truck driver turnover is happening at increased rates when truckers are in high demand.

And since truckers know that, they are in a situation to change companies easily. It’s the basic law of supply and demand.

And the problem is that truck drivers are hard to replace. Consequently, as truckers leave the workforce, there simply is no immediate pool of truckers to hire from.

There is a current shortage of 60,000 truck drivers in the U.S. This is further compounded by the rapidly increasing demand for truck drivers. In essence, while the trucking industry is constantly growing, there are no new truck drivers joining in. It won’t be long before the shortage nears 80,000 or even higher. And then what?

Another way is to hire owner operator truck drivers (OOTD). The current average annual pay for an OOTD is between $150,000 and $195,000 a year. However, it can go as high as $380,000 a year. Not bad at all. But the cost of insurance and maintenance could add a hefty sum to the cost of operating one’s own truck. As an OOTD, the truck driver has to purchase his own truck, which could cost anywhere from $50,000 to 80,000.

With an anticipated increase in the number of truck drivers, there are several ways to recruit them. One is to open the industry to women truck drivers, who until now are not welcome by the macho-mentality of union officials. However, there are few women who’d get into the in- (Continue on page 27)

Cardiologist shares secret to longevity, good health Health & Wealth

Shortages causing economic hemorrhage

12

13 October 28-November 3, 2021

 OPINION

Dear Mr. Marcos,

Offline

Greetings, Mr. Ex-senator and presidential wannabe.

I hope this letter finds you well. I trust your family is also in good health these days.

I know you are pretty busy these days, so I will go straight to the point of this missive. But first, let me be BETING DOLOR honest. I will not vote for you.

Not in a million years. Not even when the blackbirds turn white and the whales sing like canaries.

Having said that, I will now ask you pointblank: Why are you running for president? What do you hope to accomplish?

Do you hope to establish a similar presidency as your late father, God rest his soul and forgive him for all his sins?

I ask because as far as I can see, you do not seem to have a program of government. No one knows what a President Bongbong regime will be like.

Thus far, you have given some small ideas of what your six-year term will be like.

You have more or less indicated that you plan to continue where Rodrigo Duterte is leaving off.

Is this right, or am I mistaken?

You said that your China policy will hew closely to that of the Duterte administration, correct? So this means you will also treat President Xi as the lord and savior of the Philippines, I gather?

This means that you will also continue availing of loans from China, which may be readily available but which charge interest rates roughly four times what other friendly nations like Japan would charge us.

Interesting. You may want to discuss this matter with a certain Leni Robredo, who happens to be an economist.

As for the legality of continuing the pivot to China, which has been encroaching on Philippine territory since 2016, you may also want to discuss this with the same Leni Robredo, who also happens to be a lawyer.

I do not know her personally, but I sense that she is a good person who is willing to help the Philippines in any way that she can. This even means working with you despite your contesting her win over you six years ago.

How’s this for a suggestion. Why not let bygones be bygones and work with President Robredo?

Ooops. Never, huh? Sorry about that. Delete, delete.

If you don’t mind, may I also ask why you recently displayed a lack of knowledge where international law is concerned? You mistook the International Criminal Court with the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The former is about to charge your friend Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity. Bad, no? As for the latter, it’s where the Philippine won in its case against China over who owns the West Philippine Sea. That case was filed by the late former President Benigno Aquino III. You’ve met him, I seem to recall. You even went to the wake of his late mother, former President Cory Aquino.

That was a fine display of statesmanship, by the way. But sadly, it was one of too few and far between on your part. At least you showed that you had it in you to extend a hand of friendship on what many consider to be your mortal enemies, the Aquinos of Tarlac.

Guess what, Mr. Marcos. If you’ve read any of my past writings, you may think that I am one of your enemies too.

I’m not, I assure you. See, all I’ve been waiting for is for you to apologize for the sins of your father. Your fans say the sins of the father should not be deemed as the sins of the son, too. This is correct, for the most part. But what I find disturbing is that you’ve been enjoying the fruits of your father’s… how do I put this?...the fruits of his ability to amass vast wealth that made him the richest man in Asia.

You’ve never ridden a jeepney in your entire life, have you? Or eaten in a humble carinderia, or a jollijeep?

By golly, you’ve never even flown in coach, have you? It’s always been first class. Not even the mid-range business class for you, no?

So how in God’s name do you hope to help the Filipino people if you are clueless on the struggles they have to face every day, of having to make enough money to feed their families three square meals a day, (Continue on page 27)

I

Choked supply chain compounds inflation

t’s been several weeks since I’ve contributed a column. It was not my intention, especially not to miss FilAm History month (or Maria Ressa’s Nobel Prize), but I’ve been lost in the alternate reality of writing my own fiction and, like our economy, short on output of other kinds.

When I’m not writing, I’ve been trying to stay tied to reality by following the press coverage on the upward inflationary spiral happening in what seems to be almost everywhere in our economy. It’s a theme that fascinates me and, before I demur, I can’t say I’m the only one.

On my iPhone is a picture I took about seven days ago of a packet of oxtail with a $30.64 price tag. This is a newer version of the picture I posted on Facebook of the packet of oxtail with a $26.16 price tag that I took three weeks prior. Most of the time, I don’t even have $30 in cash in my pocket to buy that packet of oxtail, a key ingredient in my sinigang and most people’s kare kare (I never learned how to make kare kare). I had a lot of comments and good words of advice about this picture…and maybe there are places to buy cheaper meat. The point, though, is that grocery chain CEOs have warned of more pain to come, as much as a doubling in prices over the next year, due to a lack of labor and a disrupted supply chain.

If you haven’t read about it yet, you will. In my combing through of data (when I’m not writing fiction), I have read articles about inflation in meat, grains, steel, resin, semiconductors, shipping, trucking, autos, cotton, natural gas, and, of course, workers. In Malaysia, semiconductor plants (Malaysia has historically had assembly plants that encase processed silicon chips into their packages and solder on the wires) have been under capacity due to ongoing Covid issues. Like the Philippines, many other places in the world have not vaccinated 60% of their population. Ports from Long Beach, California to Savannah, Georgia are also clogged with ships waiting for unload. As many as 13% of the containers typically employed in active routes are waiting to be unloaded. It is possible to blame a shortage of longshoremen or the multi-year decline in the number of truck drivers in the economy. In energy, shale oil investment is facing a 17-year low while the fossil fuel companies, and the bodies that govern them, have undergone some soul searching about their carbon emissions. Coal plants that historically have provided our country with electricity have been decommissioned. Replacement sources of electricity have not been built out fast enough, leaving the natural gas industry to fill in the hole in capacity (have you looked at natural gas prices lately?). Regarding that pack of oxtail, there is a shortage in labor and transportation in the meat processing industry but there is also a oligopoly of four players that will not change any time soon.

I have read many articles blaming the government, many pointing the finger at past policy changes. I wouldn’t say that’s entirely the case this time, much as I also love to blame government. In the past several months, I have fielded incoming calls for jobs I could not take. Why? Because I am also one of those potential workers who has self-displaced. If you ask me where I live, my short answer would be, “it’s complicated,” and my long answer would be, “I’m not sure yet.” I have no doubt that a substantial part of our work force has self-displaced, leaving areas where they lived just because of their jobs, leaving more expensive places for more livable ones, leaving for other reasons I can not guess. It takes more than just a few months to relocate and settle in.

I think one of the greatest arguments the current upward inflationary spiral makes is that this country has outsourced too much to overseas suppliers. This hurt us when we needed facemasks. It hurts us still in our semiconductor-dependent industries. This country should set a multi-decade goal to reduce dependence on a global supply chain as well as the longshoremen’s union and their lax work ethics. It may take a while, but at least, at some point, we can own our own problems. ***Congratulations to Maria Ressa for her Nobel Peace Prize!!

‘First things first, please’

T

hree years ago, when Rodrigo Duterte was still at the height of his popularity and when many of his fanatic supporters followed and accepted everything that he said without question, there were times when he would even attack and criticize God. Once he was quoted as saying--“Who is this stupid God? ATTY. JOJO LIANGCO Istupido talaga itong p***** i** kung ganun. You created some—something perfect and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work . . .”

There were a few who were alarmed by what he said and reacted negatively about his rant. As expected, Duterte’s apologists, spin makers, and online apple polishers tried their best to put reason and sense to what he said.

Duterte’s legal counsel Salvador Panelo claimed that Duterte did not insult God but was “just questioning” Christianity’s theory of creation. Duterte’s spokesperson, Harry Roque, also a lawyer, insisted that Duterte had the right to express his personal views on religion.

But to the thinking person, there’s really no sense in trying to find and make sense to what he said. What Duterte said then was not relevant to the task that he was voted for.

It disrespects the faith of many people. Again it’s about the nonsense line of his fanatics--- “try to understand Duterte.”

It’s again about Duterte and Duterte alone. How about respect for other people and their faith?

It is very naïve and simplistic to even believe that it was only the Roman Catholics who were offended by Duterte’s rant. Christians, Muslims, Jews, and many other congregations of faith in the world believe in God and the story of creation as stated in their holy books and teachings.

Even one of the elected Filipino senators stated that what Duterte said then manifested the height of his arrogance not only because he disrespected the religious belief of many Filipinos but also because he acted as though he was God himself.

What bothered many concerned Filipinos is the fact that Duterte’s language and ramblings were both divisive and unproductive and his irrational ramblings are distracting the nation’s focus from the important problems and urgent issues of the day.

Senator Risa Hontiveros said it best: “As a woman of faith myself, I understand the anger of many among us.

President Duterte’s latest comment does nothing to bring the Filipino people together. It only divides us even further. However, I appeal to the public to remain vigilant and not lose sight of the important issues that need addressing.

Let us not allow President Duterte to distract us with his irrational stream-of-consciousness ramblings.”

Senator Hontiveros was right. Dealing with the more important matters and issues that affect the Philippines should be dealt with first before the irrelevant things that Duterte talks about--- like religion and faith. First things first should be the call to action of every Filipino who cares about the Philippines.

It is ungodly and un-Christian that thousands have died in the war on drugs. Tens of thousands of Filipinos are suffering from poverty, lack of health care, and joblessness.

Every voting Filipino should put the mantra “First things first” in their hearts and minds when they go and vote for their new president in May 2022.

First things first, please. Why not strengthen the foundation of the Philippine economy, including agricultural development and sustainability, as well our vital industries?

What about the Chinese intrusion in the West Philippine Sea? Former supreme court justice Antonio Carpio continues to warn the Duterte administration that the Philippines is losing its EEZ and fishing grounds to China as China continues to dominate the West Philippine Sea (“WPS”).

First things first. Presidents and even dictators come and go. But when a nation loses its focus, the nation is bound to lose more--- including its territory and its sovereignty--- and this will affect the future generation as well.

Filipinos should not let this to happen. How about voting wisely this time--- in May 2022?

Immigrant’s Story

An open letter to Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

 IMMIGRATIONS What to do if you lost your Green Card

G

reen cards are important especially when traveling abroad and applying for citizenship. There are certain issues about replacing green card which we will discuss.

1. Lost green card. The person who lost his green card may file to renew their USCIS-issued green card that have expired or replace ones that have been lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, or that contain an error. If you need to apply for naturalization and you believe you qualify except you lost your green card you may discuss this matter with an immigration attorney.

The person who lost green card may complete and properly file an Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Form I-90) with USCIS, with appropriate fees (if required), in accordance with the Form I-90 instructions.

What happen if the green card is lost while outside the U.S.?

A Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) who is temporarily outside the United States for less than 1 year and who is not in possession of a valid green card (for example, it was lost, stolen, or destroyed) may properly file an Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation) (Form I-131A) to request documentation to demonstrate to an airline or other transportation carrier that he or she is authorized to travel to the United States. This transportation letter does not replace the green card. LPRs must still complete and properly file Form I-90 to obtain a replacement of the green card upon arrival to the U.S. 2. What happen if the Reentry permit is lost?

If inside the United States, complete and properly file an Application for Travel Document (Form I-131) with USCIS, with appropriate fees.

An LPR who is temporarily outside the United States for less than 2 years and who is not in possession of a valid green card (for example, it was lost, stolen, or destroyed) may properly file an Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation) (Form I-131A) to request documentation to demonstrate to an airline or other transportation carrier that he or she is authorized to travel to the United States. The transportation letter does not replace the reentry permit. LPRs must complete and properly file Form I-131 upon reentry into the United States to obtain a replacement reentry permit.

3. What happen if the Advance Parole document is lost?

If inside the United States, complete and properly file an Application for Travel Document (Form I-131) with USCIS, with appropriate fees.

There is no process to seek a replacement advance parole document, including a combo card (employment and travel authorization documented on a single card), outside the United States. In cases where an advance parole document was lost, stolen, or destroyed while overseas, requestors should contact the closest USCIS international office or U.S. embassy or consulate.

Please note that in general, if a requestor applies for advance parole while in the United States, and departs the United States before the advance parole document is issued, the requestor may be found inadmissible to the United States upon return, or even if admitted, may be found to have abandoned his or her application.

Note: This is not a legal advice and presented for information only.

Immigration News update Immigrant Visa (IV): The Embassy continues to have a significant backlog of all categories of immigrant visas. We are using a tiered approach to triage immigrant visa applications, based on the category of immigrant visa, as we resume and expand processing. While we schedule limited appointments within all four priority tiers every month, the following lists the main categories of immigrant visas in priority order: • Tier One: Immediate relative intercountry adoption visas, age-out cases (cases where the applicant will soon no longer qualify due to their age), and certain Special Immigrant Visas (SQ and SI for Afghan and Iraqi nationals working with the U.S. government) • Tier Two: Immediate relative visas; fiancé(e) visas; and returning resident visas • Tier Three: Family preference immigrant visas and SE Special Immigrant Visas for certain employees of the U.S. government abroad • Tier Four: All other immigrant visas, including employment preference and Diversity Visas Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV): The Embassy continues to prioritize travelers with urgent (i.e., matter of life and death) travel needs, foreign diplomats, and certain mission-critical categories of travelers, such as students and exchange visitors (F-1, M-1, and J-1) and temporary employment visas (H-1B, H-2B, and L nonimmigrants). Visa appointments and processing for B1/B2 (Business/Tourist) remain suspended, with the exception of interview waiver renewals.

The DHS issued a new guideline for the arrest and deportation of undocumented immigrants.

The guidelines focused on national security. crimes and border security as the government priority.

Success Stories For the month of September 2021, we received approvals from USCIS four naturalization applications, two Fiancée visa petitions, three removals of condition on residence and four adjustment of status applications.

Philippine Stories 1. This election will determine if the Philippines will keep its independence or we will be taken over by China and become slaves to communist regime. We need to unite in order to defeat the current administration or we will lose our country. There are about 3.6 million Chinese in the Philippines working on POGO. Chinese are registered military personnel of China.

Chinese are allowed to enter the Philippines without visa restrictions.

Listen to Percy Lapid (or Lapid Fire) and Waldy Carbonell on You Tube and Facebook for details and more corruption in the government.

If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lozano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation.

Chris Caday Lozano, Esq. is an active member of the State Bar of California, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and San Francisco Trial Lawyers. He practices immigration law, bankruptcy and income tax preparation since June 1999. His contact phone is 1-877-4569266, email: info@CCLlaw.net Website: www.crispinlozanolaw.com/

October 28-November 3, 2021

14

Philippines still in global dirty money watchlist

MANILA — The Philippines remains in the global money laundering watchlist in October, according to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The task force, however, noted progress in the government’s fight against any cash gained through illegal means.

The FATF, the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, again released its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, with the Philippines still on the roll, CNN Philippines stated in a report.

Last June marked the Philippines’ return to the grey list, four years after global regulators removed the country from the watchlist following the enactment of Republic Act 10927, putting physical and internet-based casino operators under the coverage of the AntiMoney Laundering Council or AMLC. Joining the Philippines in the grey list are Albania, Barbados, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Haiti, Jamaica, Jordan, Mali, Malta, Morocco, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Uganda, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

The Philippines previously dropped in the FATF’s blacklist in 2000.

“Jurisdictions under increased monitoring are actively working with the FATF to address strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing,” it said.

“When the FATF places a jurisdiction under increased monitoring, it means the country has committed to resolve swiftly the identified strategic deficiencies with-

in agreed timeframes and is subject to increased monitoring,” the report added.

However, in the same report, the FATF also noted improvement in the Philippine government’s approach in AML/CTF (anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing).

“Since June 2021, when the Philippines made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and APG to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime, the Philippines has taken steps towards improving its AML/CFT regime, by developing and implementing guidance on delistings and the unfreezing of assets for targeted financial sanctions related to PF (proliferation financing),” it said.

The FATF said the Philippines should work on the implementation of its action plan, which includes demonstrating effective risk-based supervision of Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions or DNFBPs; ensuring that supervisors take advantage of necessary controls to cushion risks associated with casino junkets; implementing new registration requirements for money or value transfer services, and slapping sanctions to illegal remittance operators; demonstrating increased usage of financial intelligence; and strengthening financial sanctions framework for terrorism financing and proliferation financing cases.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLAC) said the country needs to comply with 17 action plan items set in different timelines, the earliest on January 2022 and the latest on January 2023.

Gov’t raises allowed occupancy in biz establishments

MANILA – Business establishments allowed to open in their localities which are issued a safety seal will be granted an increase of 10 percentage points in operational or venue capacity with the issuance of the latest joint guidelines from five government regulatory agencies.

The latest directive is contained in the “Supplemental Guidelines Relative to the Implementing Guidelines of the Safety Seal Certification Program” signed by the heads of the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Oct. 1.

In a statement, DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez said the increase in allowable occupancy was meant to encourage businesses to apply for the safety seal and strengthen health protocols in establishments and workplaces.

“This seal is one of the government’s measures to restart the economy under the new normal and increase employment opportunities by making the reopening of business more viable for operation,” Lopez said.

Local government units (LGUs)

contact tracing applications and other contract tracing applications will be considered in lieu of the StaySafe.PH while DILG is working on the integration of StaySafe.PH with other contract tracing applications.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said that in the absence of the StaySafe.ph digital contact tracing application for those establishments or offices applying for the safety seal certification, the LGUmandated applications they are currently using will be considered.

“The DILG is in the process of integrating the StaySafe.ph application with other existing applications initiated by the local government units (LGUs) to effectively contain the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019),” Año said.

The supplemental guideline also designated DOLE and LGUs as the issuing authority for the safety seal for information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) and for dental clinics.

In addition, the supplemental guideline requires establishments and workplaces to designate safety officers who will be in-charge of enforcing public health standards in their areas.

15 October 28-November 3, 2021

 ENTERTAINMENT

Kylie Padilla denies extramarital relationships

Actress Kylie Padilla addressed the cheating allegations being thrown towards her and said she was never unfaithful towards her estranged husband Aljur Abrenica.

In an exclusive interview on “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” and reported by her mother studio GMA Network the actress said not once did she date another man while she and Aljur were still together.

This came after the actor released a statement on social media asking her to “tell the truth” about “who cheated first.”

“In my defense, while we were formally married, I never had any extramarital relationships with other men. That is my truth and that’s what they keep throwing at me,” Kylie said.

“Okay sana kung ginawa ko. I would say I’m sorry. Pero hindi talaga eh. Paano

ako aamin sa bagay na hindi ko naman ginawa? Ang hirap non,” she added.

Kylie also addressed the “blind items” surfacing on the internet, wondering where the stories came from.

“Kung totoo talaga, aamin ako. But like, hindi talaga siya totoo kaya natatawa na lang ako. Paano ako magkakaroon ng oras? I was breastfeeding my second [son],” she said.

“Paano ako aalis? Kung gusto n’yo ng ebidensya, tanungin n’yo ‘yung mga yaya ko,” she added.

One of the names linked to Kylie was actor JM De Guzman. In July, she clarified that they are just friends.

As for Aljur’s statement about who “wrecked” their family, Kylie said both of them weren’t happy with their marriage anymore so she chose to end it.

“I wanna grow as a person and be a better mother. The circumstances sa marriage namin, feeling ko hindi ko magagawa ‘yon. The decision that I made, I think, do’n siya nanggaling,” she said. “’Yung sinabi niya (na) ‘I wrecked the family,’ it’s because I decided na ayoko na, tapos na ko dito. I wanna be a better person, I wanna be happy. And I want him to be happy,” she added.

Though it might seem selfish for some, Kylie clarified: “Kaming dalawa iniisip ko when I decided that.”

She said the decision was hard, but eventually decided that she has reached her limit.

“I felt like for the longest time, I felt alone in the marriage. ‘Yung cheating was just the last straw,” she said. “Mahirap sa akin but I said, ‘Okay, it’s enough.’”

In July, Robin Padilla confirmed in an interview that his daughter Kylie and Aljur had parted ways after more than two years of marriage. Asked if there was a third party, Robin answered that there supposedly was on Aljur’s end.

Kylie later said she and Aljur were working on a co-parenting setup for their sons Alas and Axl.

‘Carrot Man,’ Janiece de Belen win Best Actor, Best Actress in New York film festival Don’t look now but Jeyrick Sigmaton, who shot to fame in 2016 after photos of him carrying carrots in Benguet made the rounds online, is now a best actor awardee.

Sigmaton, more popularly knows as “Carrot Man,” was named best actor in the short film category at the International Film Festival Manhattan (IFFM) NYC for his performance in the movie “Dayas.”

Written and directed by Jianlin Floresca, the film tells the story of small-scale miners in Itogon, Benguet, ABS-CBN reported.

In a video uploaded on YouTube, Floresca said, “We’re very thankful to have the best actor award for Jeyrick Sigmaton. In behalf of my actor and the entire cast of Sine Cordillera Dayas, and also in behalf of all Igorots all over the world, bagi tayo daytoy [this recognition is ours].”

Floresca also thanked Luis Pedron, the chairman of the IFFM, for appreciating the film and for having it in this film festival.

Aside from Sigmaton, actress Janice de Belen also won the best actress in a short

film award at the IFFM for her performance in “Wounded Blood,” along with Hollywood actress Jessica Chastain for “The Sands Between.”

Also showcased among the IFFM 2021 featured films are other Filipino works

such as “Wounded Blood” by Danni Ugali, “Fragments” by Mac Alejandre, among others.

Elizabeth Oropesa won the Independent Achievement Award for her performance in the Cinemalaya 2020 movie

ECQ Diary: Bawal Lumabas.

The film’s writer and director, Arlyn Dela Cruz Bernal, won the Best Screenplay award.

Jayda, the daughter of Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza who is making her own name in the music industry, bagged the Best Music Video for her song “Paano Kung Naging Tayo.”

Aside from singing the song, Jayda— together with Edrex Clyde Sanchez—had a hand in directing her own music video.

Director Gabby Ramos won the Independent Achievement Award For Directing for his movie Pugon (The Furnace).

Danni Ugali, producer of the two films Me Time and Wounded Blood, won the Independent Achievement Award For Producing.

International Film Festival Manhattan, according to its Facebook page, is a film festival that “has the most diverse selection of world-class films and a focus on social issues and advocacy as part of the programming and goals.” It was founded in 2015.

 ENTERTAINMENT

October 28-November 3, 2021

16

Filam Tom Rodriguez and Carla Abellana are finally married guest followed the protocol of social distancing and wearing of face mask.

Teary-eyed Tom was photographed while waiting for his bride. The handsome groom was wearing a black suit done by Francis Libiran.

In another post of photographer Nelwin Uy, the newlyweds were seen flaunting their wedding rings together.

Last Wednesday, the celebrity couple Actress Carla Abellena and her longshared photos from their prenuptial time Filipino American boyfriend actor shoot, indicating a nearing wedding date.

Tom Rodriguez, Bartolome Alberto Mott On Instagram, Abellana and Rodriin real life, are now married. guez posted snaps showing them all Abellana and Rodriguez exchanged smiles in formal wear outdoors. their “I dos” over the weekend in a sol“Who knew prenup shoots would be emn wedding ceremony held at the San this much fun?

Well, with this dream Juan Nepomuceno Church in San Juan, team, it just is!”

Rodriguez wrote.

Batangas on Saturday, October 23, 2021.

Earlier in October, Abellana was The event was so intimate with only treated by her friends to a bachelorette selected people in attendance. Photos party. taken by the couple’s official photograThe actress shared photos from the pher Pat Dy came out one after another intimate gathering, while assuring that showing the details of the wedding. safety protocols were followed.

Carla was radiant beautiful bride as “The closest to a ‘bachelorette party’ shown on the pictures as she marched on I could get during this pandemic. Evthe aisle donned in her dreamed wedding eryone was antigen-tested first. Wasn’t a gown done by Monique Lhuillier which party because it was just a quick segue the actress personally picked up from from a plated Italian dinner.

Open air at New York. a co-actor’s house for proper air circulaA video showed Carla being given tion.

Everyone vaccinated.

Wholesome,” away by her parents, actor Rey PJ Abelshe said. lana and Rea Reyes.

Abellana and Rodriguez announced The church was not full and every their engagement just last March though

*$100 OFF on Biz Websites *Your FREE Domain Name *Get found on Google Search *Sell Locally or Globally *Show your Expertise Globally * Fast , Easy & Measurable * Affordable & Effective * Reach your Target Market * FREE VIDEO AD !

Our Services * Custom Websites * Graphic Design * SEO (Google etc.) * Social Media * Videos * E-commerce *And More

CONTACT@SP3MEDIA.COM

PROMO CODE: PN75

W W W. S P 3 M E D I A . C O M

the actor popped the question in October last year.

Abellana has been dating Rodriguez, a former “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate, since 2014.

Carla and Tom were engaged in March after seven years in a relationship while bringing out the best in each other Their romance blossomed on the set of My Husband’s Lover, which aired in 2013 and now in My Husband Ever After.

In the vlog she uploaded on October 8, Carla tearfully revealed what she had to go through before she was given the

“go-signal” by GMA-7 to fly and take a leave from her Kapuso series To Have and To Hold.

The 35-yearold actress said, “I’m so happy because it’s true when they say na parang nabunutan ng tinik yung dibdib

mo.

Gumaan na yung pakiramdam. Nawala na lahat ng stress, lahat noong iniyak ko, na pinagdasal ko. Sulit talaga. Super thank you. Alam ko parang mababaw but it’s really my dream, so finally natuloy na siya.”

17 October 28-November 3, 2021

 ENTERTAINMENT

Kris Aquino engaged to former DILG secretary Mel Sarmiento

Yes, Maria Clara, Kris Aquino is now engaged.

Manila media splurged with the news about the Queen of All Media and presidential daughter saying she was ready to become the better half of former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Mel Sarmiento!

On Instagram, Kris also shared a nearly oneminute video showing the two of them looking all cute while teasing each other.

The actress shared on Instagram that while she is proud to be an Aquino, she is looking forward to becoming a Sarmiento.

She also penned a lengthy caption dedicated to her fiancé.

“To my best friend and the man I said yes to spending the rest of my life with, thank you for, as Bimb said, loving me for me, with no agenda, and for being just an overall good and patient man,” she said as reported by GMA Network, ABS-CBN and other media outlets.

“It’s unreal how much more calm [and] peaceful I feel now that you’re here,” she added. “As much as I am proud to be an Aquino, looking forward na akong maging Sarmiento Kris also took the time to remember her brother, the late former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III whom she believes is their “matchmaker in heaven who must be smiling now.”

“It’s been exactly four months since we so unexpectedly lost our brother. Sure ako, ayaw niya talagang iwanan si bunso na walang magbabantay at mag-aalaga na siguradong pinagkakatiwalaan niya,” she said.

“I can almost hear his voice telling me, ‘Kristina, tama na, respect the fact na gusto ni Mel ng tahimik na buhay.’ And finally, bunso has learned to obey,” she added.

“We discussed this post and I thought about it carefully… marami kasi sa followers ko ang nagtatanong kung kamusta na ko because matagal na kong nawala,” she wrote in the caption.

“Aamin ako i’m only 95 pounds now. this pan-

20015 to 2016.

Sarmiento was the third and final DILG secretary under former President Aquino’s term, replacing Mar Roxas, who had tendered his resignation to focus on his presidential campaign, ABS-CBN reported.

Prior to his stint with the Aquino administration, Sarmiento was secretary general of the Liberal Party, the late president’s political party.

From 2010 to 2015, Sarmiento was congressman of Western Samar. Before joining the House of Representatives, he was the vice mayor and later mayor of Calbayog City, until he ran for a congressional seat.

To end her post, Aquino said they have agreed that “what’s personal shall remain private” so she could not share anything more, with one exception.

“Except I guess to say as much as i am proud to be an Aquino, looking forward na kong maging Sarmiento,” she said.

Aquino was formerly married to basketball star James Yap. They had a civil wedding in 2005. demic and many stressful events that happened They welcomed Bimby two years later in 2007. since mid August really caused my weight to drop They separated in 2010, and their marriage was & my health to suffer,” she added. nullified two years later in 2012.

According to Kris, she and Mel would never have met if it weren’t for Noynoy. As such, she can’t help but thank him for still making sure that she and her kids, Josh and Bimb, are okay.

“You must have known how broken I’d be to lose you, so you made sure there was someone who not only helped wipe away my tears, he’s made it possible for me to smile and laugh again,” she said.

“Dumating nung hindi ko hinahanap o inaasahan—kaya nga tama silang lahat na nagsabi in God’s perfect time,” she added.

“I can almost hear his voice telling me, ‘Kristina, tama na, respect the fact na gusto ni Mel ng tahimik na buhay.’

And finally, ‘bunso’ has learned to obey,” she said.

Kris revealed the identity of her mystery man in August, when he left a comment on one of her posts.

Mel served as the DILG secretary from

 ENTERTAINMENT

October 28-November 3, 2021

18

Marco Gumabao mum on rumored romance with Ivana Alawi

Marco Gumabao was needled in the press con of

Viva-TV5’s Saturday night drama, “Di Na Muli,” because his photos with vlogger Ivana Alawi were all over the internet that day.

Writers say it’s obvious with the way he held Ivana’s thigh that something romantic is going on between them, but Marco was non-committal. Mario Bautista states in his column.

The columnist added: When someone quipped that he looks like he is in love, he just laughed instead of making a concrete reply. And doesn’t he also look so inspired? “Lagi naman akong inspired,” he said, without elaborating any more.

His leading lady, Julia Barretto, came to his rescue. “Hayaan nyo na lang muna si Marco,” she said.

“I’m sure he will talk about it when he is ready. I think everyone is still in shock with the revelation and he is still overwhelmed. Marco kasi is the type of guy na kapag private life niya ang pinag-uusapan, he wants it to remain private lang. ‘Di ba, Marcs?”

To which Marco wholeheartedly agreed. It’s obvious that the two of them are really good friends, but they won’t be romantically linked as Julia’s romance with Gerald Anderson is now an open book.

“Julia and I have been friends for a long time,” said Marco. “We used to get invited sa birthday parties when we were kids with our respective parents. Then when Julia had her 17th birthday, she invited me and we kept our friendship through the years. Nagsasama pa nga kami sa aming vlogs.”

But it’s only now that they got to work with each other. “Di Na Muli” is Julia’s first teleserye project with Viva since she left ABS-CBN and Marco was with Viva earlier than her.

“Di Na Muli” is now being shown on TV5 every Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and also on Cignal and in Vivamax streaming.

Now US-based LJ Reyes says Paolo Contis yet to reach out Actress LJ Reyes, who is now in the United States, has revealed that her former partner Paolo Contis has yet to reach out to her since their much publicized separation in August.

In an interview with King of Talk Boy Abunda in New York, Reyes said there has been no efforts done on the side of Contis to talk to her after they parted ways in the Philippines, ABS-CBN reported.

The actress admitted that despite flying to the United States, moving on from the past remains difficult for her to achieve.

“I want to be honest there are days that I find it difficult to...ang hirap nito. Okay, nandito kayo ng mga bata.

Kailangan kayanin mo. Halos minu-minuto akong nagdadasal. If not, may mga araw na I don’t feel okay,” she explained in the interview.

“It will be a very long journey, a difficult one. Pero, kumakapit na ako sa Diyos,” she added as ABS-CBN reported When asked if she is ready to forgive Contis, the actress said she is still praying for it to happen. Reyes said she knows she needs to forgive in order to move forward in her life with her two kids.

“It’s a work in progress. Pinagdadasal ko na mapatawad ko siya kasi I know if I don’t forgive him, this

very dark emotion will eat me up. And I won’t be able to move on with my kids nang maayos. Yung walang galit.

May pain, hindi mawawala yun,” Reyes said.

She also did not bother to dwell too much on Contis’ statement in September that took responsibility on the fallout of their relationship.

Meanwhile, Reyes also expressed gratitude to the support she keeps on receiving.

“Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. Sobrang laking bagay po sa akin that we feel your love and your support and it really helped me a lot. Para sabihin ko rin sa sarili ko na kaya ko,” Reyes said.

She also revealed that her former partner Paulo Avelino, father of her eldest child Aki, reached out to her at the height of the drama.

According to her, Avelino assured her of his help should there be problems, especially with their son.

“Nagsabi lang siya na I know you are going through a very difficult time. Syempre ang iniisip niya rin si Aki. And if anything daw that I need, when it comes to Aki, I can always tell him,” Reyes bared.

For now, Reyes said she is taking everything one step at a time and refused to give a categorical answer when asked if she would be returning to showbiz soon.

“I’m thinking life one day at a time. Ang hirap po

magsalita...Hindi ko po alam what’s gonna happen. It’s okay to take your time. It’s okay to give time to yourself to heal, to figure out things. Mahirap kung mamadaliin yung mga bagay,” she said.

In September, Reyes broke her silence about her separation with Contis to clarify “twisted information”.

In a one-hour clip on Abunda’s YouTube channel, Reyes opened up about the breakup with Contis which came as a surprise to fans after the actor suddenly wiped out all the actress’ photos on his Instagram account.

Athletes join celebrities in election 2022 Several showbiz personalities and athletes have filed their certificate of candidacy (COC) for their respective positions in the government in the coming election in 2022.

Some of those who submitted their COCs were showbiz re-electionist or have been holding government positions.In Manila, Yul Servo will try to hit the vice mayoral post from being a congressman.

Action star Jerico Ejercito filed his COC to run for vice governor of Laguna teaming up with former broadcaster Sol Aragones who will run as

governor.

In Camarines Sur, actor and comedian TV host Anjo Yllana submitted his COC to run as congressman of the said province. He served as a councilor in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, Richard “Ser Chief” Yap will try once again to be elected as congressman of Cebu City following his defeat to get the same position in election 2019.

In Victorias City, Negros Occidental, Star Magic artist Javi Benitez, boyfriend of Sue Ramirez will run for mayor.

Jason Abalos filed his candidacy for board member in Nueva Ecija.

In San Juan City, included in the council slate of Mayor Francis Zamora are basketball players James Yap, Ervic Vijandre, Paul Artadi and Don Allado.

When it comes to beauty queen, Bb Pilipinas runnerup and Pinoy Brother housemate Ali Forbes filed her COC to run as councilor of Quezon City.

Beauty queen-actress Marissa del Mar will also run as representative of OFW (One Filipino Worldwide) Party-list.

19 October 28-November 3, 2021

 ENTERTAINMENT

‘Aswang’ is big winner at the 2021 Gawad Urian The ceremony also paid tribute to National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera, who passed away at the age of 89 in September. Mr. Lumbera was a co-founder of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino.

“Salamat, Bien, sa iyong buhay na nagpayaman sa kahulugan ng pagiging Pilipino nating lahat (Thank you, Bien, for your life that deepened our understanding of what it means to be a Filipino),” professor, critic, creative writer and MPP co-founder Nicanor Tiongson said.

Meanwhile, the Natatanging Gawad Urian was awarded to director Lav Diaz.

A portion of his citation reads: “para sa pagsustina ng kapangyarihan ng pelikula bilang sining din ng pagmulat at pagbabago, para sa pagbibigay-inspirasyon sa mga nakababatang direktor at filmmaker sa pagtindig laban sa awtoritarianismo at para sa tunay na pagbabago, para sa pagbibigay ng malikhaing tanglaw sa madidilim na yugto na ating pinagdaanan na at patuloy na pagdadaanan pa.”

(For sustaining the power of cinema for awakening and change, giving inspiration to young filmmakers in standing up to authoritarianism and for real change, and for providing creative enlightenment to the darkest chapter of our lives and will continue to encounter.)

(Log in or sign up to view) Mr. Diaz’s film Lahi, Hayop also bagged Best Screenplay, alongside its recognition for acting awards.

THE MANUNURI ALSO HONORED THE NATATANGING PELIKULA NG DEKADA, OR BEST MOVIES OF THE DECADE, 2010 TO 2019. IT ALSO NAMED JOHN LLOYD CRUZ AS THE BEST ACTOR OF THE DECADE, WHILE THREE ACTRESSThe documentary on the war on drugs, Aswang di- ES – NORA AUNOR, ANGELI BAYANI, AND ALESrected by Alyx Arumpac was the night’s big winner at SANDRA DE ROSSI – SHARE THE HONOR OF the 44th Gawad Urian awards night, winning Best Pic- BEST ACTRESS OF THE DECADE. ture, Best Director, Best Documentary, and Best Cinematography.

Manila reports showed the ceremony was held on Oct. 21 and streamed via TVUP YouTube and Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (MPP)’s Facebook.

“It’s a recognition from the Philippines and the [Gawad] Urian and that’s probably the most precious thing a documentary filmmaker can have,” Ms. Arumpac said in her acceptance speech for Best Picture. “This is a great push towards working and moving forward to this next project and this next season.”

Aswang follows a group of people whose lives have been caught up by the Duterte administration’s ongoing war on drugs which targets drug dealers, users, and criminals. Among them, Brother Jun Santiago, a photojournalist and missionary brother who comforts bereaved families The film was screened at the 74th Annual Locarno Film Festival in August. It also won the Coup de cœur du Jury award at the 20th edition of the Festival International du Film Insulaire de l’île de Groix (FIFIG) France in August. It also qualified in the Documentary Feature category at the 93rd Academy Awards in April.

Aswang is currently streaming on kTxt, Upstream, and Ticket2Me until Nov. 7. Tickets are priced at P15.

Ms. Arumpac also partnered with Active Vista (activevistafest@dakila.org.ph) for free on ground community screening.

Acclaimed filmmaker Lav Diaz was, meanwhile, given Natatanging Gawad Urian, or the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Other winners of the evening include: Micko Laurente who won the Best Supporting Actor award for Watch List; while Dexter Doria and Hazel Orencio shared the Best Supporting Actress for their work in Memories of Forgetting and Lahi, Hayop, respectively.

Nanding Josef was awarded Best actor for Lahi, Hayop; while Alessandra de Rossi won Best Actress for Watch List.

The Gawad Urian is an annual awards ceremony which has been held since 1977 and is given by the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino (Filipino Film Critics). It is often regarded as the equivalent of the US’ New York Film Critics Circle.

Below is the full list of winners: Best Picture Aswang by AlyxArumpac Best Documentary Aswang by AlyxArumpac Best Short Film Ola by Mijan Jumalon Best Animation HayopKa: The Nimfa Dimaano Story by Avid Liongoren Best Director AlyxArumpac for Aswang Best Actor Nanding Josef for Lahi,Hayop Best Actress Alessandra de Rossi for Watch List Best Supporting Actor Micko Laurente for Watch List Best Supporting Actress DexterDoria for Memories of Forgetting Hazel Orencio for Lahi,Hayop Best Screenplay Lahi,Hayop by Lav Diaz Best Production Design Darrel Manuel for Memories of Forgetting Best Cinematography AlyxArumpac and Tanya Haurylchyk for Aswang Best Editing JoselitoAltarejos for Memories of Forgetting Best Sound Corrine De San Jose forMidnight in a Perfect World

 REAL ESTATE

October 28-November 3, 2021

Development at Cebu’s SRP district booming, more jobs seen CEBU CITY – The major developments at the South Road Properties (SRP) district in Cebu City are projected to drive property values in nearby areas particularly the neighboring city of Talisay and to generate employment in Metro Cebu, where economic activity is picking up.

This positive projection was made by Ramero Espina, vice president for sales and marketing of Cebu-based developer Primary Homes, as he sees the big-ticket projects, that have provided many jobs, particularly in construction to the locals, in what is seen to be Cebu’s next biggest business district driving real estate values here moving forward.

Espina said in a PNA report by Carlo Lorenciana they are banking on the development of SRP, where various big projects are being undertaken including a resort casino, malls, commercial buildings, arena, and a convention center, among others. SRP is also where Cebu’s soon-to-completed third bridge is located.

The country’s major developers owned by the Gokongwei, Sy, Ayala, and Gotianun families have invested in the SRP district as they see its huge economic potential in the future, especially as soon as the local economy fully reopens.

“The developments in SRP will really change the

landscape of Cebu City,” Espina said.

This potential is also a boon to local developers, he said, as it makes their projects appreciate in value, which also benefits property investors.

The company’s Almond Drive project, a walk-up condo development in Talisay City near the SRP district which started in 2019, is seeing a growing interest from young professionals here who are looking for good property investment.

He noted that most property buyers now are looking for a progressive and investment-worthy location that gives them access to essential establishments.

“It (the project) is built on a 1.5-hectare property very close to the South Road Properties, Cebu’s next biggest business district where billions worth of investments in retail, real estate, and tourism continue to pour in,” Espina said.

He said they are banking on providing the much desirable condominium home option in this highgrowth area of Metro Cebu.

According to realtor Colliers International Philippines, investors looking to purchase residential properties should consider projects close to Cebu’s major infrastructure developments, including the CebuCordova Link Expressway, which is scheduled for completion in 2022.

THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE FOR FILIPINO FAMILIES The ONLY Place for All Your Arrangements in One Convenient Location New Funeral home with Reception Center Flower Shop Beautiful Garden Memorial Park Cremation Services We transfer your loved ones to and from the Philippines

20

Easing of travel restrictions benefitting PHL property mart MAKATI CITY – The easing of travel restrictions, especially for foreigners, has positive impacts on the Philippine real estate market, a property advisory firm said.

Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) chief executive officer David Leechiu said one of the positive outcomes of relaxing travel restrictions for foreigners is the comeback of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), which accelerated the growth of the office space market before the pandemic.

“With travel restrictions easing up, we anticipate POGOs to start reopening their offices and begin to grow by the second quarter of 2022,” Leechiu said in a PNA report.

The POGO sector, where workers are mostly Chinese nationals, has given up around 30 to 40 percent of the office space and a higher rate of vacancy in the residential space amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Right now they are in the moat of stability. But when they start expanding again, I think it depends on the rate of expansion, they could easily wipe out all these vacant spaces in the market in the next two years,” he added.

Leechiu also recalled how POGOs grew since 2016 when they are only occupying 200,000 square meters (sqm), to peaking at 1.7 million sqm. before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Leechiu said both the office and residential properties will be boosted with the return of POGOs in the country.

Aside from POGO, the easing of travel restrictions is also attracting business process outsourcing (BPO) companies to expand in the Philippines.

He added that many BPO firms, particularly newcomers, will be putting up their operations in the country. Most of these BPO companies are in the healthcare sector coming from the United States and Europe.

“I think the next administration will have to appreciate that we need more PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) zones in Manila. We continue to meet new brands, names you never heard before… who are coming to the Philippines for the first time, and they need to be in Manila,” Leechiu said.

PEZA has been pushing for the lifting of the ban on new ecozones in the National Capital Region (NCR) to encourage new investors from the BPO sector to open their operations in the Philippines.

Leechiu emphasized those BPO firms that have been in the country for a long time are already expanding in other parts of the country, bringing more jobs and economic activities outside NCR. However, new entrants in the market will have to establish their offices in Metro Manila.

Moreover, with the infrastructure projects being established by the government particularly airports, it will attract more tourists to the country and will boost the tourism market, Leechiu said.

He added that direct flights coming from abroad to provinces with key tourist destinations will encourage more foreign travelers to visit the country for leisure trips.

“I think tourism will be the biggest industry in the Philippines within 10 years. It will be larger than the BPO sector, it will be larger than the overseas remittances,” Leechiu said.

42-hectare township launched in Batangas

TTT BBBBBBBBB NNN FFFFFFF HHHH

RRRRRRRRR CCCCCC

CCCCCCC LLLL

Pueblo de Oro Development Corp. (PDO), the property development arm of the ICCP Group, announced the launch of a 42-hectare residential, institutional and commercial project, which completes the Group’s 212-hectare “live-work” community development in Malvar, Batangas.

Townscapes Malvar is composed of exclusive residential subdivisions, complemented by five hectares of commercial area and an educational hub.

The development was masterplanned by internationally acclaimed architectural firm Pomeroy Studios, whose works include the Kallang Alive in Singapore and BSD Digital Hub in Indonesia.

Townscapes Malvar is adjacent to the Light Industrial Science Park IV, a 170-hectare industrial park for light manufacturing. It is accessible via the South Luzon Arterial road, is a few minutes from Malvar Exit, and a 1.5-hour drive to and from Manila.

Malvar is also an ideal location because of its proximity to the Batangas International Port, which has attracted manufacturing and industrial companies.

Prospective home buyers are also targetted to relocate and settle down in Townscape Malvar’s 15-hectare Pueblo de Oro Residences and 12-hectare Pueblo de Oro Townhomes.

21 October 28-November 3, 2021

NEWS  NATIONAL SPORTS NEWS

Carlos Yulo world gymnast champion again TOKYO - Top Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo is world champion again.

This time he won the gold medal in the vault and a silver in parallel bars at the 50th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Yulo’s feat could be a redemption of sort for failure to retain the floor exercise title in the event and prior to that any medal at the Tokyo Olympics, where three of his compatriots - Hidilyn Diaz, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam - copped the Philippines’s first gold in the games and two silvers in boxing.

Yulo, 21, slayed the ghosts of the Tokyo Olympic Games that had haunted him for months with a recordbreaking winning score of 14.916 points in the vault and the silver in the parallel bars where he scored 15.30 points With his win, Yulo is now the first Filipino to win multiple medals in the world championships.

This means an early Christmas for Yulo when he comes come as the Philippine Sports Commission is set to award him at least P750,000 in cash incentives.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez lauded the 21-year-old Yulo for winning a gold medal in the vault and a silver in the parallel bars in 50th edition of the annual meet.

“Very happy for Caloy and his coaches, the GAP (Gymnastics Association of the Philippines) leadership and his parents,” said Ramirez. “Sayang yung floor exercise and (parallel) bars, tatlong gold sana and perhaps P3 million din iyon.”

The PSC board will meet anytime to decide how much Yulo will receive but reports have it that the Southeast Asian Games gold medalist will pocket incentives ranging from P750,000 to P1.5 million, including an amount somewhere P250,000 to P500,000 for his silver.

Yulo had received P1 million when he copped the floor exercise gold in Stuttgart, Germany two years ago and P250,000 for his bronze also in the floor exercise in Doha in 2018.

The 21-year-old bested seven other athletes in the finals of the vault event after delivering a near-flawless attempt of a Kasamatsu double twist and a Dragulescu, considered one of the hardest elements on vault.

He scored an average of 14.916, surpassing Japan’s Yonekura Hidenobu who ranked second with 14.866, and Israel’s Andrey Medvedev who earned 14.649.

Earlier, Yulo scored 15.300 in the parallel bars final, behind China’s Hu Xuwei who garnered a scored of 15.466. China’s Shi Cong placed third in the category with a score of 15.066.

Yulo had hoped to add another gold medal to the one he won in the vault apparatus earlier in the day, and appeared to be in good position to do so after topping the qualification for the parallel bars.

However, Yulo was overtaken by Hu, who scored 15.466 on his own routine (8.866 execution, 6.600 difficulty).

Another Chinese gymnast, Shi Cong, grabbed the bronze with a score of 15.066 (9.066 execution, 6.000 difficulty).

Shi bumped off Olympic all-around champion Hashimoto Daiki from the podium, who scored 15.000

on his routine.

Yulo’s score was lower than the 15.566 he recorded in the qualification.

Yulo’s double victory came just a day after he failed to defend his world title in the men’s floor exercise final.

Yulo has now won two gold medals in the World Championships — the first one being the floor exercise event in 2019 which keyed his Tokyo Olympic qualification.

In August, he also missed a podium finish in the men’s vault apparatus competition in the Tokyo Olympics.

In 2019, Yulo made history after capturing the Philippines’ first ever gold in the world championships. A year before that, he took home the bronze medal in the event.

PSC approves P750,000 special incentives for Yulo

INCENTIVES. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte meets 49th FIG Ar�s�c Gymnas�cs World Championships gold medalist Carlos Yulo at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Oct. 16, 2019.

MANILA – The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Board has approved the granting of P750,000 worth of special incentives for Carlos Edriel Yulo for his double-medal performance at the 2021 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships held in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Yulo is the first Filipino multi-medaled gymnast in the said tournament after claiming the gold medal in the men’s vault with a score of 14.916 points, besting Japanese Yonekura Hidenobu who earned 14.866 points. Yulo also won a silver medal in the men’s parallel bars.

PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez explained that the provisions and technical conditions of Republic Act 10699 also known as the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act does not cover the annually-held world tilt of gymnastics.

Despite this, the sports agency recognizes the

special significance of Yulo’s win and approved the P500,000 and P250,000 incentives for his gold and silver medals, respectively.

Ramirez congratulated and thanked Yulo for this historic win saying, “he has bounced back and showed us all that he is still our world champion in gymnastics.”

Yulo wasn’t able to defend his title in the men’s floor exercise finals but went on to claim two medals in other events.

In 2019, the PSC also granted Yulo P500,000 as an incentive for winning multiple medals in the Southeast Asian Games and another PHP500,000 as qualifying incentives to the Tokyo Olympics.

“Every incentive that he receives is well-deserved. By sheer will and determination, Caloy has created his own niche in the halls of Philippine Sports history. Caloy is truly an inspiration to our youth and Filipino athletes.” Ramirez said.

October 28-November 3, 2021

22

Q: My child is a minor, why do I need to check his credit report?

A: Anyone with Social Security number can have their identity stolen. Yes, even your minor child’s information can be used by thieves to perpetrate their evil deeds. I am sure you would not want your young teen ager to be dealing with reporting identity theft to the police department and writing letters to the reporting agencies that he was not the person who took out those loans or credit cards. It becomes an impossible task when we are the ones who are left to defend and undo the damage done by the thieves. It’s no different than having your home being broken into. You feel violated over and over again as you deal with the damages left by the thieves. So do your homework and don’t be a victim. Reminder, beware of giving your personal information to call centers. They are one source of people becoming victims to their identity being stolen.

A client called me and told me her son is 15 years old but received an audit from the IRS and had collectors calling for him. I asked her if her son was working and that if he had credit cards and she said no! I was merely asking the obvious but I needed to know that was not the case.

I told her that it was possible that his identity was stolen and used to work illegally in the U.S. that’s why the IRS was after him and his credit used to get loans and credit cards. I kid you not, it happens to many on a daily basis. It is not because they are not careful with information but someone could have gone through extreme lengths to steal one or more information from a central database center. It becomes an impossible task to find out how it was stolen but what is even more extreme is the task of stopping and undoing the damage done. Fact too is that he cannot get a new one even if the first one was stolen. That is why it is a good idea to check.

Ating lesson, Kung ito ay importante, bigyan ng pansin para di magsise.

If you need help in getting out of debt, call Debt Aid Consulting International.

We do not use call centers which keeps your information safe. We have a new program that reconstruct debts for half of what you would pay our competitors. We also provide legal assistance that keeps collectors away. We take Federal Credit Unions, Payday loans and high interest personal loans in our program too. This is exclusively available for Debt Aid Consulting clients. None of our competitors provide this program. You are well protected.

We only provide Federal Trade Commission compliant programs. Go with Debt Aid Consulting!

Do not fall for marketing gimmicks saying that they have the right program for you. Most marketing companies only have one program and will enroll you in that program whether it fits you or not. So beware!

Ben Lou at your service! I have over 35 years of financial experience.

If you would like sound financial advice, call us at Debt Aid Consulting International. We do not use call centers. No one has the right to put your information at risk.

Debt Aid Consulting is the first and only Filipino debt mediation company incorporated in the US and Canada, Caribbean Islands, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines!

Your Global Debt Solutions Company!

Tawag na po sa 1-888341-5234 at tutulungan po namin kayo.

Itama po natin ang mali!

 COMMUNITY NEWS

October 28-November 3, 2021

24

Skilled nursing facility COVID-19 cases decline

LOS ANGELES - With the continued slowing of COVID-19 transmission countywide, COVID-19 case numbers among staff and residents at skilled nursing facilities have declined from 63 new cases during the week of September 5 to 49 new cases reported the week of October 3.

Of the 49 people who tested positive for COVID-19 at skilled nursing facilities; 18 new cases were among skilled nursing facility residents and 31 new cases were among skilled nursing facility staff. Fifty-seven percent of new cases the week ending October 3 at skilled nursing facilities are among staff/residents that are fully vaccinated.

Under a State and County Health Officer Order, healthcare workers, including staff at skilled nursing facilities, are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of September 30; those with an approved medical or religious exemption need to be tested once or twice weekly. The latest survey results received this week from skilled nursing

facilities indicated that 94% of staff and 89% of residents are fully vaccinated.

Skilled nursing facilities are subject to strict infection control precautions and are also required to verify the vaccine status of all workers and conduct routine testing of staff and residents.

Skilled nursing home residents, many of whom are immunocompromised, are eligible for a third dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine six months after they received their second dose in the series.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) continues to work with staff and residents at skilled nursing facilities to prioritize these most vulnerable residents for additional/ booster doses.

Today, Public Health confirms 26 new deaths and 825 new cases of COVID-19. Of the 26 new deaths reported today, 10 people who passed away were over the age of 80, eight people who died were between the ages of 65 and 79, four people who died were between the ages of 50 and 64, and four people who

died were between the ages of 30 and 49. To date, Public Health has identified 1,479,421 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,442 deaths.

There are 632 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized, and 29% of these people are in the ICU. Testing results are available for nearly 8,911,000 individuals with 15% of people testing positive.

Today’s test positivity rate is 0.9%.

“To everyone mourning loved ones and friends who have passed away from COVID-19, you and your family are in my heart and mind,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We continue working with nursing homes across L.A. County to ensure every eligible nursing home resident and staff is offered a third booster dose. Once FDA recommendations are finalized and eligibility for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster doses is determined by the CDC, those who are older and have underlying health conditions should be sure to get their boosters once

eligible. Importantly, those who live or work with individuals at higher risk for severe disease should be sure to get fully vaccinated to reduce exposure risks.”

Vaccinations are widely available throughout L.A. County and are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Anyone 12 and older living or working in L.A. County can get vaccinated.

Appointments are not needed at many sites and all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available.

Vaccinated middle and high school students are eligible for free UCLA football tickets. UCLA has partnered with Public Health to give away free tickets to a UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl to middle or high school students in L.A. County who’ve received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while tickets last. Students aged 12 to 18 who’ve received at least one dose can sign up for the free tickets online by visiting: http:// ph.lacounty.gov/DPHUCLAVaxforTix.

California’s redistricting process gives citizens lead roles

By Mark Hedin, Ethnic Media Services SAN FRANCISCO - Two members of California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission joined a press briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services on Oct. 11 to discuss the process of drawing new political boundaries for the next decade.

Sara Sadhwani, chair of the commission, and colleague Linda Akutagawa joined Paul Mitchell, a national expert on redistricting and demographics, to discuss the process in California.

“It’s one of the most under-appreciated, but also one of the most important jobs out there,” Akutagawa said. “It’s important that all of us have a voice in this process.”

California is a pioneer in efforts to end the traditional political “gerrymandering” that for centuries has enabled incumbent politicians to choose their voters via the redistricting process.

Typically, this was done by making districts less competitive, either by “packing” voters expected to vote a certain way together so their views aren’t reflected in neighboring districts, or “cracking” communities into several larger districts where their voices will be drowned out.

By passing 2008’s Prop. 11 and 2010’s Prop. 20, California voters have tried to de-politicize the redistricting process by taking it out of the purview of state legislators and establishing a nonpartisan redistricting commission. (Prop. 11 only covered the state legislature, Prop. 20 added Congressional districts.)

Both Sadhwani and Akutagawa said

they applied to the commission in part to help ensure it would be representative of California’s diversity.

“This would give our community, in this particular case, the Asian American community a voice on the commission,” Akutagawa said.

Following California’s example, another eight states now have redistricting commissions, although debates continue on how to best make them truly non-partisan, for instance, in the process of selecting the commissioners.

“It’s a pretty esoteric idea,” said Sara Sadhwani, chair of the redistricting commission, a mother of three and a professor of political science at Pomona College.

“It’s not something moms sit around talking about on a regular basis, or at the water cooler or over coffee.”

California, like every other state in the country, is redrawing voting districts based on changes in population in the past decade, as seen in new data from the 2020 Census.

California has growing Latino and Asian communities, noted Paul Mitchell, who runs Redistricting Partners. The Asian community, he said, has not become as widely dispersed as the Latino/ Hispanic community has across the state, tending to instead add population to already established communities. Meanwhile Black populations in California are tending to disperse throughout the state.

Voter turnout patterns also come into play, with Latino voters typically less likely to vote than African American vot-

ers.

But racial characteristics aren’t the whole ballgame, Mitchell noted. Voting districts still have to be “compact, contiguous and makes sense,” and also consider “communities of interest” that share, for example, language, culture, schools, commonalities in the amenities and services its people use, or characteristics such as being renters, or being homeowners.

“The idea,” Mitchell said, “is to draw them into districts where they can affect the outcome of an election or they can have better representative or voting power.”

The panel is continuing to hold meetings and hearings, in person and online, to gather community input. Information on these, currently scheduled through Dec. 22, is available at wedrawthelines. ca.gov/hearings/. Final maps have to be submitted to the secretary of state by Dec. 27.

“We’re really in a phase of assessing to what extent can we be responsive to the communities of interest testimony that we received while at the same time upholding our obligations to historically excluded communities under the Voting Rights Act,” Sadhwani said.

California also has a Fair Maps Act that applies to local government redistricting, adding transparency and rules against partisanship or emphasizing incumbent interests.

But, Mitchell said, “just because we’ve changed these laws doesn’t mean we’ve eliminated some of the gerryman-

dering we might see in local redistricting.”

Mitchell demonstrated proposed maps in Riverside and Orange counties where minority blocks had been “cracked” to where there were no “majority minority” districts, despite those counties’ demographics, thereby diluting their representation.

Redistricting follows close on the heels of the reapportionment process that divides the 435 seats in Congress among the 50 states to ensure that those officials all represent the same number of people – now, about 760,066 each.

The 2020 Census found that California has not been growing as fast as other parts of the country since 2010, so it will lose one of its 53 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Texas, by contrast, will gain three.

So California has to draw new boundaries to divide the state into 52 congressional districts instead of 53.

It also has to establish 80 political districts for the 80 state assembly seats, 40 for the state senate, and four for the State Board of Equalization. ”What does it take to have elected officials actually be responsive to the communities they serve? We know communities on the ground have real needs.

Those needs and concerns really mean a lot to me,” Sadhwani said.

“We are truly a citizens’ commission. The majority of us are not political individuals. That is truly what we have brought to this commission,” Akutagawa said.

25 October 28-November 3, 2021

INC: Uninterrupted

By Don Orozco

Community mourns passing of veteran Bay Area journalist

By Cherie M. Querol Moreno

The Philippines is widely known as the largest christian professing country in Asia. Just ask any Filipino how important spirituality is to them they would readily say it is very important.

An independent survey conducted in 2019, about 83% of those surveyed said that religion is very important to them while only 3% says it is not as important.

Religion is very important as Filipinos are naturally spiritual. But then came the pandemic!

This widespread disease called COVID-19 has wreak-havoc not just in the Philippines but from all over the world. Suddenly, everything was put to a stop. The economy and even spirituality was set aside. But thank God not for us congregants of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

In fact INC even grew and expanded from 158 to 159 countries adding the country of Montenegro in the District of the Mediterranean (iglesianicristo.net/ directory).

During the Pandemic, INC has put together and built 164 new houses of worship and repaired around 50 chapels from all over the world costing them around 6.5 billion pesos ( US$130 million). Simply put with 164 new edifice, INC is dedicating 1 new chapel to Our Almighty God every 4 and half days. Amazing work of God. More importantly for us members of INC, our worship service was never ever interrupted by the pandemic. Prior to the government’s implementation of lockdowns from various parts of the globe the Church was fully prepared.

The dynamic leadership of Brother Eduardo V Manalo, Executive Minister of the Iglesia NI Cristo has prepared the members of the Church worldwide. The use of modern technology coupled with hard work from his co-workers in the Ministry as well as Church officers was effectively implemented whereby we were able to continue our services to Our Almighty God. There was no interruption. INC was uninterrupted in serving God. That is why we are all the more spiritually invigorated and morally strengthened for all the love and dedication showered to us by our spiritual leader Brother Eduardo. We are all so thankful to him that on his birth anniversary on October 31 all of us will celebrate his birthday by conducting a Worldwide Aid To Humanity or in Filipino “Lingap sa Mamamayan.”

Lingap sa Mamamayan is a philanthropic project of the INC to do good to others. This was initiated by Brother Felix Y Manalo and was continued by Brother Erano G Manalo in the Philippines. Today, with the exponential growth of INC under Brother Eduardo V Manalo, Lingap sa Mamamayan is now worldwide as Iglesia Ni Cristo will always care and do good to our fellowmen. This we will do all for the Glory of God. The entire membership of the Iglesia Ni Cristo wishes Brother Eduardo V Manalo a blessed and joyous birthday and may God be with him and his family as always.

Filipino American leaders are mourning the sudden passing of Carmen Hernandez, veteran journalist who wrote for the Guardian in the San Francisco Bay Area and a column about Bay Area Filipino Americans in the Philippine Star in Manila. Prior to immigrating to California some four decades earlier she headed public relations for Jazzie, the premium apparel brand.

Ms. Hernandez passed away peacefully on the evening of October 20, 2021 surrounded by her three children in Sacramento. She was diagnosed with leukemia a few weeks earlier. She was 83.

Holy Mass will be offered for her at 10:30 am, Saturday, Oct. 30, at our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church on 1 Elmwood Dr., Daly City. Father Rey Culaba will preside. Lunch will follow at the church hall with Ms. Hernandez’ bosom friend Gloria “Goya” Navarrete preparing Ms. Hernandez’s favorite food. “Everyone is invit-

ed to attend,” said Navarrete, who hosted Ms. Hernandez at her South San Francisco home for frequent bonding fortnights.

“We were shocked to hear of her serious illness,” Navarrete told Inquirer.net. The two women belonged to a coterie that attended community events and traveled together until recently.

“We were a tight group that enjoyed supporting the same causes,” Navarrete described her friendship with community leaders Anita Sanchez and Erlinda Galeon, who lost

MERCED -- Governor Gavin Newsom has visited the future site of UC Merced’s Medical Education Building, joined by Congressmember Jim Costa, Senator Anna Caballero, Assemblymember Adam Gray and university leaders.

Governor Newsom discussed the significance of the future school for the region and its potential benefit to health outcomes in the long-underserved area of the state.

“The Central Valley community has been living with unfair health outcomes for too long,” said Governor Newsom. “Zip codes shouldn’t be a pre-existing condition. UC Merced’s Medical School will be the first of its kind for the community, providing local students with opportunities to both learn closer to home and serve the

communities they grew up in, while also working to confront the most persistent health challenges facing the Central Valley head-on.”

“Establishing a medical school at UC Merced has been a dream for more than 20 years,’ Newsom said. “Today that dream becomes a reality as we establish a branch campus of the best medical school in the country right here in the San Joaquin Valley.”

“The medical school will truly transform the health care landscape in one of the most underserved regions of California. This is by far my proudest accomplishment. I am extremely grateful to Governor Newsom for making Valley health care a priority,” said Assemblymember Gray.

The Central Valley experiences some of the worst health outcomes in

Carmen Hernandez (le�) loved life, says her bosom friend Goya Navarrete.

their lives to cancer a few years apart. “Now it’s just (former San Mateo County Commissioner on Aging) Marissa Robles and I.” “Mameng” thrived in company and was quick to participate in socials. When she began tiring easily and complained of weakness, ‘Goya” urged her to see her doctor. Only then did they know the severity of her condition two weeks after her birthday.

Carmen Hernandez was born Oct. 5, 1938, according to Navarrete. She attended the University of Santo Tomas, where her father reportedly was a much-admired professor. He inspired her and sister Alice H. Reyes to take up journalism, utilizing her keen observation and frank description of people and events. In her new home in the Bay Area, she advocated for education, child safety, older adults and healthy relationships.

Friends and allies who would like to attend the memorial may call Goya Navarrete at (650)9229192.

Newsom visits UC Merced, future medical school

the state, while having fewer doctors in the community than other regions.

There are 157 medical doctors for every 100,000 residents in the Central Valley, compared with 411 per 100,000 in the Bay Area. Statewide there’s 157 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents, while in the Central Valley there’s less than 45 per 100,000.

The Medical Education Program is a joint effort between UC Merced, UC San Francisco and UC San Francisco-Fresno. UC Merced’s proposed Health, Behavioral Sciences and Medical Education Building will be home to the Medical Education Program, Health Sciences Research Institute, and the Departments of Psychological Sciences and Public Health, serving approximately 2,220 undergraduates by 2030.

Westborough Hills Tennis Club with their family and friends celebra�ng the newly resurfaced tennis court.

 COMMUNITY NEWS

October 28-November 3, 2021

26

PG&E wants to provide you with an update on our efforts to restore power to our customers following this weekend’s potent atmospheric river storm

From the arrival of this storm in the early morning of Sunday, Oct. 24, to 6:30 p.m. today (Tuesday, Oct. 26), we have restored 777,000 customers who experienced weather-related outages. For perspective, PG&E has 5.5 million electric customers.

As of 6:30 p.m. today (Tuesday, Oct. 26), about 5,000 PG&E customers are experiencing weatherrelated outages due to wind, rain and snow.

Nearly 99% of all customers impacted by this

historic storm have been restored.

Restoration will continue this evening, overnight and into Wednesday.

In terms of where the remaining outages exist, the top three counties still feeling storm impacts are: San Mateo County - 924 customers Santa Clara County - 1,161 customers El Dorado County - 1,597 customers

This has been an all-hands-on-deck storm response by PG&E, with more than 3,000 electric workers and tree workers on the ground assessing damage, making repairs and restoring customers.

Hundreds of more PG&E employees are staffing emergency centers and performing other jobs related to the storm response.

We continue to provide estimated restoration times to customers.

OAKLAND – Following the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization approval for COVID-19 booster doses, Governor Gavin Newsom received a Moderna vaccine booster at an Asian Health Services’ clinic in Oakland’s Chinatown, encouraging eligible Californians to get their booster and keep immunity strong, especially as we enter the winter months.

“It’s imperative that we all keep our immunities strong in preparation for the winter cold, flu and now COVID season, especially for those at increased risk,” said Governor Newsom, who received his initial singledose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in April 2021 when his age group became eligible. “Getting vaccinated and keeping our immunity strong through boosters is a vital step we can take to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our community — it remains the best way to end this pandemic. Getting a booster is safe, easy, free, and you don’t even have to stick to your original vaccine. This is your chance to continue to keep yourself and your community healthy.”

The Governor was joined today by California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly and community and local leaders who have supported vaccine equity efforts in the region. To date, Asian Health Services (AHS) has administered nearly 30,000 COVID-19 vaccination doses and 56,000 COVID tests. On October 25, AHS initiated their first public booster dose clinic at a park in Oakland’s Little Saigon area.

Last week, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved an Emergency Use Authorization for the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna booster doses, followed by recommendations from both the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Western States Scientific Review Workgroup that included “mix and match,” the ability to receive a booster different from a person’s original vaccine series.

The Pfizer-BioNTech booster was approved in September and has since been available for eligible populations seeking to strengthen their immunities to COVID-19 and its variants.

Already, nearly two million Californians have received their booster dose, representing 14.3 percent of the nationwide total recipients as reported by the CDC. The state’s Vaccinate ALL 58 campaign will continue to focus on driving vaccine efforts in lower-income and non-English speaking communities with cultural competency and in-language services. Its community based organization network, in partnership with philanthropy, is now standing at over 700 organizations and will support outreach and appointment assistance efforts.

California has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country and the highest of the large states, with nearly 87 percent of the 12-and-over population having received at least one dose. Over the past few weeks, between 45 and 55 percent of all COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered as boosters.

Boosters are recommended for all Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients who are 18-years and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago. The CDC and Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup have declared the following groups of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna recipients eligible for a

booster dose six months or more after their initial series: 65 years and older Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings Age 18+ who are at increased risk due to social inequity Booster doses are not required for one to be considered fully vaccinated, but are encouraged for those that are eligible to ensure significant protection from COVID-19 and its variants, especially as we enter the winter months. Booster doses went through the same thorough scientific review process as the initial vaccine series and have been proven safe.

Asian Health Services was established in 1974 in Oakland’s Chinatown, and has since expanded to a 12site community health center serving over 28,000 patients in Oakland and its surrounding communities in English and 14 different Asian languages.

“We’re encouraging all eligible community members to come and get their booster shot,” said Mychi Nguyen, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Asian Health Services.

“This is the best way to continue to protect yourself against COVID.” For more information on how to receive a booster in your area and other COVID-19 vaccine information, visit www.myturn.ca.gov.

Governor Newsom gets Moderna booster, urges Californians to have booster

27 October 28-November 3, 2021

Upside...

(From Page 11)

Health & Wealth

(From Page 12)

shipping and handling) in check or order to: ART G. MADLAING, c/o Books Ministry, 701-8th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118 Call or text us: (650)438-3531, (415)2726301 or (650)580-7223 Special Offer is good only in the United States.

(ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#00635976) in California since 1981. He is founder of FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California.

“Reprinted from the column “HEALTH & WEALTH” by Art Gabot Madlaing published in the weekly PHILIPPINE NEWS TODAY. )

PerryScope...

Alice Bulos’ family led by daughter Elizabeth and her husband Sonny Ramilo, their children Charity, Clark and Charles with grandchildren and some family members. Photo by Marie Patea/ssf.net tory month in March. The sub-committee’s recommendation was unanimously approved by the City Council on March 24, 2021.

Today, in commemoration of the 5th death anniversary of Alice Pena Bulos, who lived just across the street for more than 40 years, and while we are celebrating the Filipino American History month, we are here renaming the Westborough Recreation Center to Alice Pena Bulos Community Center. This is truly an appropriate acknowledgment for a life strongly committed to service and community involvement. Mabuhay ang pamana ni Alice!

Offline

(From Page 13)

pay for rent in nominally decent housing, and buy enough clothes for their kids?

You know nothing, do you Bongbong?

Do you mind if I call you Bongbong? It was a cute nickname when you were young, but good God, sir! You’re already a senior citizen like me.

Know what? I used to have a cute nickname too. I had two, actually. In high school, I was called Django. No kidding. But my older relatives always knew me as Baby Ting.

Even when I reached middle age, I was still Baby Ting.

I’m Beting now, of course. One T. Like Sara with no H. Funny thing though, a few friends still pronounce my name Beteng. It’s kinda mildly irritating, you know? I mean how would you like it if you were called Bungbung?

But I digress.

As I ask, why are you running for president? What do you hope to accomplish?

Please, please, please do not give me motherhood statements like you want to unite the people, lift the lot of the poor, and turn the country into the paradise it was when your old man was president.

Since you haven’t really accomplished anything of note in your decades in public service, what can you really do?

You and I both know the answer. Nothing. You cannot do anything for the people of the Republic of the Philippines.

This is the sad truth.

At least you gave some trolls some form of employment.

This way, the hidden, ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses finds its way back into the economy.

Good for you, bro.

To end this rather long letter, I humbly ask you to abandon your quest to be president. You are not your father. You are you. And you will never be President of the Republic of the Philippines.

God bless you, Bongbong.

Do you still want to be called Bongbong?

Why don’t I just call you Bong? Or Bobong, maybe?

Respectfully yours, Beting Laygo Dolor (formerly known as Baby Ting and/or Django)

(From Page 12)

dustry; but it is getting better now with the high demand for truck drivers.

Dwindling workforce With the dwindling workforce in other industries, it draws away potential truck drivers simply because of the grueling environment that truck drivers have to endure. So why not open immigration opportunities to foreign truck drivers? Europe being highly industrialized could provide experienced truck drivers.

With just a month away from the Black Friday pre-Christmas shopping spree, the problem of truck driver shortage may not be solved soon enough to stop the economic hemorrhaging of America, which could cause the republic to “bleed.”

It’s imperative that the truck driver shortage should – nay, must – be resolved now; otherwise, it could cause chaos that would lead to runaway inflation, which is now happening in earnest.

At the end of the day, President Biden is urged to use the power of his presidency and do whatever it takes to prevent the economy from collapsing. It’s not too late; however, he has to use extreme measures to stop the bleeding.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

On Distant Shore

(From Page 12)

ing what he called the “hypocrisy” of the US, which he said has been “bullying small nations.”

Clearly, President Duterte has chosen which side to align the country in the growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. Is it the path Filipinos want to take? Evidently not because surveys after surveys, they have shown complete distrust of the Chinese, and rightly so.

It is important that voters consider the stand of the presidential candidates on the ongoing territorial dispute between China and the Philippines, and on the ongoing alliances in the Asia-Pacific region because this will affect how the country will move forward politically and economically in the next six years.

How do the presidential candidates stand on the issue? Former Sen. Bongbong Marcos agrees with the way Duterte is dealing with China and his ignoring the arbitral ruling. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said he would allow joint exploration of the country’s EEZ (oil, gas and fishing grounds) with China. Sen. Manny Pacquiao said there was much to be desired in Duterte’s handling of the dispute with China, although he wasn’t clear how to handle it. Vice President Leni Robredo said she would allow Chinese trade and investments but would not deal with them unless they recognized the arbitral ruling on the dispute over the West Philippine Sea. Sen. Bato de la Rosa has not made any comment, but knowing how he kowtows to Duterte, the best bet is he would also kowtow to China. Sen. Ping Lacson said the country needs to align with foreign powers that share our country’s interests in the region.

I’m not at all surprised that Marcos would follow Duterte’s line because from all indications, it was the Marcoses and former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who opened the door for Duterte to gain China’s support in the 2016 elections. Just last week, Marcos was the special guest of the Chinese ambassador in the opening of the photo exhibit on the Philippines-China relations, which his father, President Ferdinand Marcos initiated in 1975.

Voters should reject candidates who would continue Duterte’s acquiescence and subservience to China. Just as the other issues against the Duterte administration – continuing corruption in the government even in the midst of the pandemic, incompetence in the handling of Covid-19, extrajudicial killings in his deadly drug war, tightening of democratic space, human rights abuses, and lack of decency – his kowtowing to China’s aggressive behavior should be enough reason to reject Duterte and his chosen candidate.

IRS helps taxpayers in 350 languages, expanded child tax credits, other benefits

By Jenny Manrique On the same day that marked the last pandemic-related extension for filing taxes, IRS officials briefed ethnic media reporters about another major benefit under the American Rescue Plan — the expansion of the Advance Child Tax Credit.

One of the most widely used tax credits in the country, the plan increased this benefit for 2021: formerly capped at $2,000, qualifying families can now receive up to $3,000 for each child between the ages of 6 and 17 and $3,600 for those under the age of six. To be eligible, children must be these ages as of December 31, 2021.

Half of these advance payments began to be issued as of July 15, 2021, in monthly installments, and the other half can be claimed with the 2021 tax return. This benefit is expected to help more than 39 million households.

“The new law enhances the credit by making it fully refundable for certain taxpayers,” said Ken Corbin, Commissioner of the Wage and Investment Division and Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer, at the IRS, speaking at an EMS briefing Oct.15. “This means that taxpayers can benefit from the credit, even if they don’t have earned income or don’t owe any income taxes.”

The IRS has provided three virtual tools for families to verify whether they can access this benefit. The first is the Eligibility Assistant, which allows a parent, another family member, guardian, or caregiver to determine if they qualify for the tax credit by answering a series of questions about themselves and their family members.

“This includes those taxpayers who could be experiencing homelessness, low income households and other underserved groups,” Corbin said. The IRS has partnerships with over 5,000 homeless shelters, which can provide their mailing address for homeless people to receive their payment.

The second tool is the Non-filer Sign-up Tool to report qualifying children of those taxpayers who are not required to file a 2020 tax return, or have a gross income less than the applicable standard deduction amount, and have a main residence in the United States for more than half a year.

The third tool is the Update Portal that allows families to enroll or exclude themselves from advance payments if they have already received them, add or remove beneficiaries, report a change in their marital status or income, change the form of receipt from a paper check to direct deposit, change account numbers to which the payments are directed and update their address.

“Taxpayers may prefer to claim the full credit when filing their 2021 tax returns next year,” added Corbin. All of these tools are available in English and Spanish.

Advanced payments are not subject to federal income taxes nor are they counted as income when determining eligibility for amounts of benefits or assistance under federal programs such as unemployment benefits, food stamps, or Medicaid.

Singles and couples who have social security numbers can claim the earned income tax credit even if their children don’t have a SSN. This is important for undocumented families where parents can request an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

“In January 2022, the IRS will be sending recipients of the advanced child tax credit payments and the economic impact payments, a letter that tells them how much they received in 2021.

This information is important to make sure that when they file their 2021 returns.

 HEALTH NEWS

October 28-November 3, 2021

28

Cebu City ‘very low risk’ for Covid-19: OCTA CEBU CITY – Cebu City is now classified as “very low risk” for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as of October 26, according to the OCTA Research Group.

In its latest report, the group noted that the average daily attack rate (ADAR) in the city is low at 1.72 per 100,000 population.

“Its reproduction number is 0.42, healthcare utilization is 19 percent while testing positivity rate is just 2 percent,” the report read.

From OCTA Research Group

Meantime, the NCR (National Capital Region), the provinces of Rizal, Cavite, Bulacan, Batangas, and Davao City are classified as low risk.

NCR’s reproduction number is 0.52 with an ADAR of 6.73 per 100,000 population. Its positivity rate is at 6 percent and its healthcare utilization is at 35 percent.

“Healthcare utilization in Cavite, Bulacan, Batangas, and Davao City were all healthy at less than 60 percent. In Rizal,

healthcare utilization was also less than 60 percent, but the intensive care unit occupancy was at a critical level at 94 percent,” the OCTA Group said.

The provinces of Laguna and Pampanga are still classified as moderate risk for Covid-19 because their testing positivity rates are still greater than 10 percent.

Overall, the number of cases nationwide continues to drop this month, with only 3,218 new coronavirus cases reported for October 27

Your COVID-19 queries Heart of Hope

Following our series of articles on COVID-19 the past few weeks, we have received more than two dozen questions from our readers. We have integrated them in this Q&A: Are the vaccines safe for those pregnant?

Yes, the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregPHILIP S. CHUA nant mothers, proven by the millions of shots administered to women in the various stages of pregnancy.

The FDA strongly recommends the vaccines for those who are pregnant to prevent pre-term abortion/miscarriages and death of fetus in the womb.

Does the vaccine alter the DNA? This is a myth propagated in the social media.

The vaccine does not alter the DNA, does not have a virus in it, does not cause COVID-19 or Alzheimer’s, does not have a micro-chip in it, does not change a person’s blood type, and does not cause infertility or cancer or any other disease among healthy individuals.

How effective are the vaccines for kids?

Pfizer, for one, reported its new “lower-dose COVID-19 vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy (95% CI 67.7-98.3) against symptomatic infection for kids ages 5 to 11. The FDA is releasing its final approval of this vaccines for this age group. Children eligible to get the vaccines should get it to be safe. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there were 130,000 new COVID-19 cases among kids for the week ending October 14, 2021, alone. The cases among children are on the rise and so with hospitalization.

The stupid mandate against masked by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the dangerous medically-baseless ideas of other arrogant leaders like her have obviously contributed to the gravity of the pandemic across the nation. It is one thing to mandate in favor of a protective strategy; it is another to mandate against one and endanger people. Are they epidemiologists? These politicians could be challenged in court and held liable for their words and actions. Why don’t they follow the federal guidelines?

Any new ingredient in the Booster?

No, the ingredient in the Booster shot is the same as the first two shots. So, individuals who had any

brand of the two shots and did not develop any complications will also most likely not have any untoward reaction to the Booster, which is not a new formulation.

The booster is specially beneficial for those who are at high risk, those immunocompromised, and those who have co-morbidities (high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, COPD, asthma, etc.).

What if I skip the Booster?

The immunity/protection (antibody titer) following the first two shots of any brand of COVID-19 vaccines wanes after 6 months (the titer goes down to around 60 percent or so from the 90-95 percent titer level conferred by the vaccines), so the immunity is reduced by about 40 percent. This figure represents the risk after 6 months. Getting the Booster will raise the antibody titer (protective immunity) back up to 95.6 percent or higher. This is the right way to go, even for children.

Discuss your concerns with your physician.

What is mix-and-match?

Clinical studies have shown the safety and efficacy of giving one brand of the COVID-19 vaccines for the first shot (example: Pfizer’s) and a different brand (Moderna’s) for the second shot. The same thing with the Booster: If one had Pfizer or Moderna for the first 2 shots, the booster shot could be either of the two. If equally available, take the same brand for the second shot or for Booster. If not, mix and match is similarly safe and effective.

How long do I stay test-negative?

After testing negative for COVID-19, a person remains negative as long as he/she does not get exposed to, or actually get the SARS-CoV2 virus form people who have the virus (even if they do not have symptoms).

A negative test in the morning could turn positive when tested the same afternoon or the following day if the individual does not wear facemask and does not do social distancing and get exposed to infected persons. The risk of negative turning into positive is at least ten times higher among the unvaccinated, unprotected.

Is natural immunity better?

No, natural immunity is not as protective, not as stable, and not as long-lasting as the immunity from the vaccines. Natural immunity will not be sufficient to protect people from getting COVID-19 (again). Many unvaccinated individuals who have died from COVID-19, did not survive to benefit from natural. The best strategy is to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Did the court rule on a vaccine-mandate?

Yes, according to the Wall Street Journal, ”In nearly every instance, COVID vaccine mandates are holding up in court,” just like the federal mandate requiring all children to have the required vaccinations before enrollment which has held up for decades and protected billions of children around the world. Medically speaking, only a prompt federal vaccine mandate for all eligible persons will end this pandemic in the United States sooner than later. The body of the unvaccinated acts as a host and becomes a reservoir-factory of the virus, where it replicates and mutates to a deadlier strain, which will exponentially spread to millions more and prolong this pandemic. Without a host, the virus self-destruct.

Is there a pill for COVID-19?

While hundreds of potential oral medications to prevent or treat COVID-19 are undergoing clinical trials, Merck’s COVID-19-antiviral pill is the only one so far scheduled to be reviewed and scrutinized by the USFDA on November 30, 2021.

Are you against the freedom of choice?

No, I am not against civil rights or personal liberty to choose, as long as the choice does not cause harm or kill other people. Let me echo my rhetorical questions to clarify my sentiment about freedom of choice: Does a driver of a school bus full of children have the right to choose to drive the bus over a cliff because he does not want to live anymore? Would you allow people who have active tuberculosis or any deadly infectious disease, who refuse treatment (as their constitutional right) to spread the disease and kill thousand others? Would a federal mandate to compel these persons (like those who refuse the COVID-19 vaccines) to get the shots to protect them and the general public not be justified?

Sadly, the abuse of freedom, political correctness, and cancel culture today are standing in the way of safe public health. I strongly believe national societal interest and safety must always prevail over individual civil rights, especially in a pandemic which has so far killed more than ¾ of a million around the world. King Solomon must be turning in his grave.

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

29 October 28-November 3, 2021

NEWS  NATIONAL VIEWS & COMMENTS

Lovelife Special

Q: “My beloved wife of 30 years just passed on. I am not at all embarrassed to tell you that almost every day I cry my heart out longing for her. It has been two months and I still couldn’t believe that when I wake up, I would not find her beside me. At times when I am at work, I automatically dial our number at home expecting her to pick up the phone then I would just bawl in grief. I am PTR. DANTE & CYNTHA VELUZ just forcing myself to work and I try to stay late so that I will go home feeling so tired and sleepy. Of course our grown-up kids come and visit me very often, try to take me out and invite me to stay with them but I feel I still want to savor my wife’s presence in the house despite the fact that everything in it brings me deep sorrow. Some of my good friends are trying to help by teasing me about this lady at church just to divert my attention. Somehow I become more depressed and offended because I still feel so much in love with my wife. Instead of looking for another person to love, I am rather asking the Lord to take me home as well. I feel so lonely and helpless.

A: We cannot underestimate the grief and the sense of loss that you have right now. We know that even in the word of God, the Bible, a time is set aside for grieving. It is a blessing, though, that for us Christians that the hope we have in Jesus carries us through these hard times of sorrow and pain. He is the Prince of Peace and He will bring you peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). The Holy Spirit is our Great Comforter. More than ever, this is the time to find solace in and to draw closer to God, who is your very help in times of need.

By the way you sound, we can sense that you are a godly man and that you most probably believe that your wife is in a better place. The Bible says, “Absence from the body means at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). This should help comfort you that one day all those who have received Jesus into their hearts as their Lord and Savior will still see each other in heaven. What joy this reunion will be!

For now, since you cannot help thinking about your wife, we advise you to thank God every time you recall good and happy memories. This will focus your mind in God instead of on your grief. It is normal and healthy to give a good cry once in a while but you also have to think about your health as well. Remember that there are still people who need you.

Should anything untoward happen to you, just imagine how much greater their grief would be. Perhaps you might want to consider them and the other people who care for you as well.

We suggest you accept you children’s invitation to stay with them so you will be able to comfort one another. We believe they are also suffering as much although they are trying to stay strong for the only parent they have left.

Some friends are well meaning but sometimes their timing may be off. Just take their teasing you as their way of trying to make you come out of your loneliness. Do not take it against them but you can also be frank to them about how you feel. On the other hand, they may be insinuating something for you to consider in the long run, that is to find another partner who can give you comfort and happiness just as your deceased wife did.

This does not mean you will forget your wife altogether but we are sure she would have not wanted you to brood but rather be happy in your life, too. We know a man in the same predicament as yours who was married even longer than you were. The solution he found was to marry a lady he knew before only after a short time of much grieving.

Meanwhile, you can join friends and church mates in worthwhile activities, which would require giving of yourself away, for instance, visiting the sick and those in prison and perhaps sharing your faith. The more you share your life with other people, the more you add meaning to it. The Bible says, “Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). After the time of weeping, then it is time to move on. The earlier you can stash away your wife’s clothes and things in a box or give them away, the better it will be for you. Memories may remain; sometimes the pain doesn’t still go away, but do not stop living a full life. Jesus wants you to fulfill the destiny He has set before you. Shalom, our brother!

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

WORRYING WHAT OTHERS THINK

By TIM PEDROSA

Don’t worry about what others think. Just focus on yourself and be positive. Some people are always negative, so don’t let it bother you.

We all want to be liked and appreciated for our talents, our good nature, our sparkling personality. But when we start to rely on what other people think of us; when and we make their opinion key to our success, we get into trouble. When we give over our power to others and allow their impressions to become how we perceived, we lose out on who we really are because the only reality we can see is how we believe others see us. People may know our name, not our story. They have heard what we have done, but not what we have been through. So let us take their opinions of us with a grain of salt. In the end, it is not what others think, it is what we think about our self that counts. Sometimes we have to do exactly what is best for us and our life; not what is best for someone else. So, I have learned to stop worrying about other people’s understanding me. I get in touch with myself instead; focus on what makes me happy, what makes my soul feel at peace. I have realized that life becomes so much more fulfilling when I am just simply myself; that the world keeps spinning whether people understand me or not. We will never be happy if we constantly worry what others think about us. Let us worry about our character and not our reputation because our character is who we are and our reputation is only what people think of us.

Discerning Heart Discernment is a deeply well thought, well considered, making of decision. When we discern it means that the matter being considered is very important. Our life with God and our life of faith are matters of importance. God can never be secondary, but REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD rather utmost priority.

Therefore, obedience to His Holy Will and to His commandments is the foundation of all our making of decisions and discernments. If we are serious with our faith and love of God, all our decisions must be done mindful of God’s commandments and teachings.

An important lesson we can learn from the reign of king Saul, please read 1 Samuel 15: 10 – 23. King Saul won the battle against the Amalekites. However, according to the command of the Lord, everything about the Amalekites was put under a ban of destruction. Thus, all must be destroyed. But as to Saul’s thinking and decision, he spared some sheep and oxen, the best from the spoils of war, with the intention of making them as offerings to be sacrificed to the Lord God. But God through His prophet Samuel told Saul that he has sinned against the Lord.

Prophet Samuel said: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to the Lord’s commands?

Obedience is better than sacrifice, to listen, better than the fat of rams. For a sin of divination is rebellion, and arrogance, the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord in turn has rejected you as king.”

To our human thinking, especially with our pragmatic and contemporary mentalities, we may take the side of Saul, we could say, “his intention was right, even exemplary as to think of offering to God.” Yet, very clear to us, that it is not about what we think, but it is about what God thinks. It is not about what is valuable to us, but what is of value to God. It is not about our will, but about His Divine Will. Obedience to God’s commands must be the basis of all our discernments. Our hearts will attain its fullest joy when it truly chooses and does whatever comes from the Divine Will. Our human will, power of choice, flows and is only a participation of God’s Freewill. If our human will deviate from the Divine Will; then, it gains no merit and purpose.

To serve our own whims, interests, plans and making decisions only for our own purposes, especially in the realm of faith and morals, will impoverish our human will. Our will will be lost in itself; we are lost from God’s company as well.

We cannot mess with God’s Will and commands. We cannot pretend to be more intelligent than God. We deceive ourselves to consider that our plans are better than His plans, and that we know what is best for us; as if God does not know what is truly best for us. Arrogance or presumption is a crime of idolatry, as mentioned above; idolatry, because it means we put our ego in place of God’s Lordship in our lives. In all our decisions, in all moments of discernment, we cannot let our hearts wander away from God’s commands. I understand, dear reader, we all struggle to obey. It is not easy sometimes to obey God’s commandments.

It is not easy at times to put into practice Christ’s teachings.

However, God promised us abundant blessings, abundant life, if we obey and listen to Him, for instance see in Deuteronomy, “The Lord will love and bless and multiply you…(7: 12-15)”; or, “…Blessed be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your soil and the offspring of your livestock, the issue of your herds, and young of your flocks… (28: 1-6).” In discernment, we have to focus on the outcome; not on the difficulties that might be involved; for when we are serving the Lord, He will not be blind to our plight, but rather will succor and vindicate us if we will be in trouble. We struggle in obeying because we think that we lower ourselves; but rather, it is then that we are lifted up. We are not made less when we obey, rather the contrary, we are made great. Let us pray: Lord Jesus, You are obedient to the Father’s will and commands even accepting death on the Cross. Empower our hearts to always choose to obey. Bless our making of decisions. May our hearts discern well as to consider not only for what is of temporal benefits, but more so for what is of eternal value. Amen. You may find this article in my website, faithexpressions.org; view us too in YouTube, Faith Expressions, for other adult faith formation reflections.

Aflame The Heart

Overcoming Loss

31 October 28-November 3, 2021  NATIONAL NEWS

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Recipe of the Week Beef Spareribs Adobo with Oyster Sauce Ingredients: 1 kilo beef spareribs, cut into serving pieces 1/2 head garlic, crushed 1/2 tbsp. peppercorns 1 thumb size ginger, sliced 2-3 bay leaf 1 stalk lemongrass trimmed, crushed 1/3 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 2-3 tbsp. oyster sauce 1 tbsp. brown sugar salt to taste Cooking procedure: In a thick sauce pan put all ingredients add enough water to cover meat and bring to a boil. Set heat to medium low and simmer for 45 to 90 minutes or until beef are tender and the meat start to separate from the bones. Remove all scum that rises, add more water if necessary. Correct saltiness and sweetness according to taste, set heat to low and continue to simmer until liquid is reduced to almost dry Serve with a lot of rice.

 FOOD & TRAVELS

Upgraded Camiguin airport ready for tourists as province holds Lanzones Festival MAMBAJAO, Camuigin - The newlyupgraded Camiguin Airport started accepting tourists on October 25 in time for the province’s popular Lanzones Festival.

This as plans to further expand the improved airport to accommodate larger aircraft was unveiled by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Last week, the DOTr together with Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) inaugurated the improved and upgraded Camiguin Camiguin Airport in Mambajao.

The Camiguin Airport development project covers a comprehensive improvement of landside and airside facilities in the airport, including the fire station building, the development of the airport’s passenger terminal building (PTB), the administration building, the construction and improvement of the CAAP Security and Intelligence service building, and the asphalt overlay of runway.

Secretary Arthur Tugade said as Camiguin reopens its economy and welcomes tourists starting on October 25, the completed transport facilities and infrastructure projects will augment the recovery not only of the province but the region as well.

In view of the threat of the pandemic and lanzones scarcity, the island province is celebrating its annual Lanzones Festival virtually, Governor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo said.

Romualdo said festival-related events will be held but on a smaller scale.

Due to erratic weather patterns, they expect an abundant harvest in December or January next year, way beyond the festival season.

Camiguin’s lanzones are considered the sweetest because of the island’s volcanic soil.

“We will still celebrate it to show the people of Camiguin that there is still hope amid the pandemic and low harvest. Even if we have a scant lanzones yield, the spirit of the Lanzones Festival will still be there to keep the morale of the Camiguinons,” he said at the sidelines of the inauguration of the newly rehabilitated Camiguin Airport.

In its 42nd year, the Lanzones Festival 2021 activities from October 24 to 31, can be viewed through online streaming on social media.

Among this year’s activities are the special votive Mass for all parishes in Camiguin on October 24; TikTok dance challenge, October 24-30; online agri-tourism trade fair, October 25; “paksoy” or costume design competition, October 26; the festival king and queen contest, October 28; and inter-municipality cooking contest, October 29.

The festival will also coincide with the reopening of Camiguin’s tourism industry, which is expected to boost the local economy.

Romualdo said the provincial government had to order the temporary closure of resorts and tourist destinations and prohibition of entry of tourists since last year as the cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the country started to shoot up.

Before the declaration of the national health crisis, Camiguin recorded more than 800,000 tourist arrivals per year.

The number of visitors usually peak during the Lenten season and Lanzones Festival.

Secretary Tugade, with officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Beef Spareribs Adobo with Oyster Sauce

(CAAP), inaugurated the improved and upgraded Camiguin Airport in Northern Mindanao, before its reopening on October 25.

The completed projects included the fire station building, passenger terminal building, administration building, CAAP Security and Intelligence Service building, and runway asphalt overlay.

Tugade said as Camiguin reopens its economy and welcomes tourists next week, the completed transport facilities and infrastructure projects would augment the recovery not only of the province but the region, as well.

“If Camiguin is indeed a beauty, which it is, it needs to be given mobility and connectivity for the people of Camiguin, so that the energy and sweetness of Camiguin will be seen, felt, and experienced again,” he said.

It has been almost two years since Camiguin closed its borders to tourists due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Meanwhile, to further develop the Camiguin Airport, future projects such as the expansion and improvement of check-in and pre-departure areas, the provision of a control tower, and the improvement of the vehicular parking area are also slated to be done.

A feasibility study on the development of the airport to accommodate larger aircraft and jet aircraft operations has also been proposed for next year.

“By next year, we will make a feasibility study where we can locate and improve the existing (airport) runway. The airport (capacity) depends on the size and width, as it also depends on the kind of airplane (it can accommodate). Now if there will be international flights from smaller airplanes, it can become an international airport,” CAAP Director General Jim Sydionco said.

Except for the suspension of the operations of tourism sites, the island’s economic activities have been sustained, with stores and food establishments still open to residents, Romualdo said.

“Our economy was not at all crippled by the pandemic. Our local government-initiated infrastructure projects have continued, and (the) inflow of basic commodities from the mainland has not been hampered,” he said.

He added that it was a good thing that small- and medium-sized resorts have no outstanding bank loans so they were spared from having to suffer from debts and financial burdens.

Candice Naomi Dael, the provincial tourism officer, estimated that the island’s tourism sector has lost PHP2 billion since March 2020 due to the pandemic.

Dael said the figure was computed based on the daily expenditures of a tourist while staying in Camiguin before tourism activities were suspended.

These expenses include souvenir items, food, rentals, transportation fares, entrance fees, hotel, and other accommodations.

Romualdo said the reopening of the island to tourists could be seen as a return of the people’s livelihood and income.

For instance, he said, a seller of “kiping” (a circular wafer made of cassava and topped with caramelized muscovado sugar) used to earn as much as P3,000 to P5,000 a day.

October 28-November 3, 2021

32

920 THOMPSON ST. MILPITAS, CA 95035 WWW.PIERCEYHONDA.COM

CHECK OUT OUR HUGE SELECTION OF USED CARS!

1ST TIME BUYER? BANKRUPTCY? REPOSSESSION? FORECLOSURE? LOAN MODIFICATION? COLLECTION? TAX LIEN? BAD CREDIT?

NEED A CAR NOW? WE CAN HELP YOU! FOR APPOINTMENT ONLY

TAWAGAN LANG PO KAMI!

DAKILA DE GUZMAN

(408) 544-0076