The Filipino Press: April 22-28, 2022

industry revealed Wednesday.

Based on the latest studies by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and Oxford Economics, the local tourism sector is predicted to post an annual average growth rate of 6.7% over the next 10 years, exceeding the expected overall economic average growth rate of 5.6%.

Employment is also seen to grow 3% over the next decade, translating to 2.9 million new jobs to account for 21.5% of the country’s total employment.

“Our expert analysis shows that the economy here, the travel and tourism economy, has turned a corner and is firmly on the road to recovery,” WTTC President and Chief Executive Julia Simpson said in a press conference. This comes as the same studies show that the sector grew by 129% to account for $41 billion in 2021, marking a rebound from the 81% decline in 2020 when it contributed $17.8 billion.

Citing data from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the tourism sector contributed 12.8% to the country’s gross domestic product pre-pandemic, before falling to 5.4% in 2020.

The Philippines started accepting tourists from 157 visa-free countries in February, before reopening its borders to all foreign tourists earlier this month. “[In] regard to pre-pandemic

levels, of course, I don’t think it can be as soon as the 2019 levels, but at least we are getting there, but we are

By Sunita Sohra Bji

LOS

ANGELES, CA

-- Faith leaders across the state are pondering whether to continue requiring their congregants to wear masks, after California dropped its COVID-19 mask mandates last month.

As of March 12, masks are no longer required in indoor settings in California, with exceptions for public transit, healthcare settings, long-term care facilities, jails and prisons. The California Department of Public Health now strongly recommends continuing to wear masks in indoor settings, including K-12 schools.

Rev. John Cager, senior pastor at the Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, told Ethnic Media Services that his church — which has served the local community since 1902 — will

continue to require masks at all its indoor services, along with proof of vaccinations. “Our church has a high percentage of seniors, an age group that is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19,” he said, noting that one out of every 100 people in the US aged 65 and older has died of COVID-19.

As of March 30, an estimated 728,616 people over age 65 had died of COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control. “We don’t want to live in a state of perpetual fear, but we need to live in a state of perpetual awareness,” said Cager, whose church has not yet relaxed its mask requirements.

Like state health officials and other faith leaders, Cager said that his church is looking at data and the spread of the BA.2 variant to guide decisions. Some congregants

have resisted, saying the restrictions are too strict, while others have embraced them, with the aim of keeping safe all families attending services. About 300 families belong to Ward AME Church, and 200 people attend services each Sunday.

Before the lockdown began on March 17, 2020, the Ward AME Church dispatched volunteers to the homes of elderly congregants to install apps and software on their smart phones and televisions to allow them to attend church services remotely. As the lockdown began, services were also live streamed on social media. Cager kept in touch with those unable to attend remotely via phone calls and mailers.

The church has also served as a pop-up clinic for vaccines and boosters. Cager said he has worked hard to assure his congregants about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, working against a lot of misinformation, and an inherent mistrust of government prevalent in the Black community. “God gave vaccines for a reason,” he tells his members.

Pastor Anthony Kim, of the Choon Hyun Mission Church in Los Angeles, said his church is following state and county guidelines. Initially, masks were required as the church began regular services again last fall. “Our parishioners were okay with this; there was no real resistance,” said Kim.

But as California lifted its mask mandates, church leaders decided to make masking optional. Kim said some members continue to wear masks, while others don’t. He encourages this as a choice for individual congregants.

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Cardenas

School of Modern Arnis and Modern Arnis de Mano fielded two students, April 9, 2022, at the United States Karate Academy West Coast Classic Tournament held in San Diego. Miguel Cruz and Demmuel Eslava both earned first place gold medals. Miguel’s division was Boys Sparring 16 years old all ranks up to Blackbelt. Miguel defeated a Blackbelt in his final match. Demmuel took first in the Adult Sparring all ranks below Blackbelt. Miguel and Demmuel are both Redbelts and will be testing for their Blackbelts in August.

Previously, Miguel won first place sparring in his division at the prestigious Long Beach International Karate Championships in 2021. The Long Beach International Karate Championships are famous for the appearance of Bruce Lee in 1964. Arnis is the national martial art of the Philippines. Arnis employs the use of sticks, bladed weapons and

for

also still working on making it easier and seamless for all travelers,” Puyat said in the same press conference.

Puyat's optimism came amid the high uptake in COVID-19 booster shots among tourism workers, with some hotels in the National Capital Region recording up to 100% rates.

“I believe as long as we continue the vaccination, the booster, and implementing health and safety protocols, I think we can see the recovery of tourism,” she said.

“For the past two years we have already shown that we are ready. The two years already have prepared us, and we are prepared to accept all tourists,” Puyat added.

Global travel, tourism to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2023 -WTTC

The travel and tourism sector's contribution to the world economy is seen to rebound to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said Thursday.

Citing their latest Global Economic Impact Report (EIR), WTTC president & CEO Julia Simpson said travel and tourism is predicted to contribute USD9.6 trillion to the global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023, a return to the USD9.6 trillion generated in 2019.

empty hands

self-defense. Arnis is taught at Cardenas School of Modern Arnis and Arnis de Mano

MANILA -- The Philippine tourism and travel sector is believed to be firmly on the road to recovery but is unlikely to see pre-pandemic levels soon, stakeholders of the

Top photo shows Grandmaster Joe Cardenas with Miguel Cruz at the Long Beach International Karate Championship in 2021

Pastor John Cager of the Ward AME Church in Los Angeles, dons a mask as he takes to the streets for the annual Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. (photo courtesy of John Cager, via Facebook)

Duterte vetoes SIM registration bill

MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed the proposed Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act, Malacañang said on Friday.

The provision ordering the mandatory registration of social media accounts prompted Duterte to veto the measure, acting Presidential Spokesperson, Communication Secretary Martin Andanar, said in a press statement.

“The President has decided to veto the consolidated Senate Bill No. 2395/House Bill No. 5793, which seeks to mandate the registration of all SIM cards and social media accounts, with the purpose of deterring electronic communication-aided crimes,” he said.

While Duterte lauded the Congress’ efforts in finding ways to address the increasing incidence of cybercrimes and offenses related to information and communications technology (ICT), he was “constrained to disagree with the inclusion of social media in the measure, without providing proper guidelines and definitions,” Andanar said.

The President, he said, expressed concern that the contentious provision “may give rise to a situation of dangerous state intrusion and surveillance threatening many constitutionally protected rights.”

“It is incumbent upon the Office of the President to ensure that any statute is consistent with the demands of the Constitution, such as those which guarantee individual privacy and free speech,” Andanar said.

Duterte sought a “more thorough” review of the proposal to mandate social media registration, he added.

“Prior versions only mandated the registration of SIM cards. The President similarly found that certain aspects of state intrusion, or the regulation thereof, have not been duly defined, discussed, or threshed out in the enrolled bill, with regard to social media registration,” Andanar said. “The President noted that the inclusion of social media providers in the registration requirement was not part of the original version of the bill and needs a more thorough study.”

He expressed hope that despite Duterte’s decision to veto the SIM Card Registration bill, lawmakers would continue crafting measures that would create a “safe and secure online environment” for the Filipino people.

“This notwithstanding, we ask Congress not to lose heart in passing effective and strengthened measures that offer our citizens a safe and secure online environment, provided that the same would stand judicial scrutiny,” Andanar said.

In February, the Senate and the House of Representatives ratified the bicameral conference committee report on contrasting provisions of the proposed SIM Card Registration Act.

Under the measure, Public Telecommunications Entities (PTEs) must require the registration of SIM cards for collection in a centralized database as a prerequisite to the sale and activation of SIM cards.

The bill has a provision that states, “All social media account providers shall require (the) real name and phone number (of a user)

upon creation of account.”

It penalizes those who sign up for social media accounts using fictitious identities with a fine of PHP200,000 and a jail term of up to six years or both.

Direct sellers will require the end-user to present their valid identification with a photo along with an accomplished controlnumbered registration form provided by the respective PTE.

A person who wants to purchase a SIM card but cannot personally register for a valid reason may opt to authorize another person to buy, given that there is a Special Power of Attorney and proper identification of the principal buyer and representative.

Social media registration a last-minute insertion by Drilon, says House panel chair The provision on social media registration cited by President Rodrigo Duterte in vetoing the subscriber identity mobile (SIM) card registration bill was a lastminute insertion by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, one of the principal authors of the measure at the House of Representatives said.

Deputy Speaker Wes Gatchalian said that while he wants the measure to become a law, he agrees with President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to veto it.

“Unfortunately, the last-minute insertion of Sen. Drilon to include the registration of social media providers is totally not in line with the essence of this bill,” he said.

“There is nothing in the bill specifying how to register such a broad environment (internet). Though equally important, that provision should have been studied further and filed as a separate bill,” he added.

Gatchalian was referring to a provision that requires all social media networks to ask for the real name and phone number of users upon the creation of their accounts.

The proposed measure mandates all public telecommunications entities to require the registration of SIM cards as a prerequisite to their sale and activation. This aims to curb fraud and other crimes aided by SIM cards.

Earlier, Malacañang announced its veto owing to the said provision on social media registration, saying such requires proper guidelines and definition.

‘Prepare a list of preferred candidates,’ PRRD urges public

President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday urged voters to consider preparing a list of their preferred candidates on Election Day, saying it would be tricky to remember all their names.

During the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDPLaban) campaign rally in Caloocan City, Duterte admitted that he has been guilty of forgetting to bring a list of his preferred political bets when he voted in previous elections.

Keeping a list of names handy, he said, would prevent voters from forgetting which candidates to vote for.

“It would be good kung magdala kayo ng listahan – kung sinuman ‘yung kandidato ninyo – kunin ninyo sa sinusuportahan ninyong kandidato (It would be good to bring a list of candidates you support), either a national or local slate,” he said.

Duterte allayed fears that bringing a list of preferred

candidates would put voters in a bad light. “You know there’s a lot of people who think na masama ‘yang magdala ka ng papel. Hindi ho. It’s all right, lalo na kung magkopya ka because you cannot remember ‘pag nandoon ka na (A lot of people think that it’s bad to bring a list with you. It’s not. It’s all right to copy because you cannot remember when you are already there),” he said.

Duterte said regardless if voters want to engage in straight-ticket voting or not, having a list of preferred candidates is advisable.

“If you want to vote straight, fine; if not, then you can choose.

Maglista kayo ng mga kandidato na gusto ninyo (list the candidates you prefer). It is all right to copy a list prepared by you or a sample ballot that is given to you during election time,” he added.

‘Not corrupt nor bad’

Meanwhile, the President reiterated his call to remove oldtimers in the Senate who have supposedly done nothing.

“Marami diyan sa senado, matagal na, wala na namang ginagawa. From time to time, kunwari may issue magsalita. 'Yan ang ayaw ko diyan sa mga senador ngayon. Hindi lahat, pero 'yung iba matagal na, palitan na ninyo (Many senators have not been doing anything for a long time. From time to time, they would talk when there is an issue. That is what I dislike about senators now. Those oldtimers, replace them),” he said.

He reminded voters to select political bets who have the heart to serve, noting that many candidates tend to forget about the nation and people once elected.

“Kung gusto mo lang ng ambition, manalo ka, popormaporma but you do nothing for the six or three years that you are elected. Marami diyan sa kanila. Why don’t you just pick people na nakilala na o pinakilala sa inyo (Some only have ambition and win but do nothing for the six or three years they are elected. There are many of them. Why don’t you just pick people whom you know or have been introduced to you),” he said.

Duterte said the candidates he is endorsing possess qualities that make them deserving to be elected into office.

“Hindi ako kukuha ng kandidato na corrupt o kandidato na masama ang ugali o hambog (I will not pick corrupt candidates or candidates who have a bad attitude or are arrogant). All of them are really subdued and humble,” he added.

‘Just behave’

With the numerous reports on gun ban violations, Duterte vowed to ensure that his administration would not allow terrorism during the conduct of polls.

“Habang presidente ako (While I am president), I will not allow terrorism,” he said.

He reminded all political bets, including those under his political party, to refrain from engaging in any form of violence or coercion during elections.

“Magkapartido man tayo o hindi (Whether we are in the same party or not), you just behave. Do not terrorize the people. The elections must be free and it must be credible,” he said.

The Chief Executive also reminded candidates of the Alunan Doctrine that prohibits politicians

from having more than two bodyguards, which can already be considered a private army.

He said those found violating the policy would run the risk of being arrested and prosecuted.

“Ang utos ko sa pulis pati military, pag kandidato ka, may kasama kang armado sumobra sa dalawa, it’s a private army. Hulihin mo 'yung kandidato pati 'yung mga bodyguard (My order to the police and military, if you are a candidate and you are accompanied by more than two armed guards, it’s a private army. Arrest the candidate and their bodyguards),” he said.

The Alunan Doctrine, which was introduced by former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III, considers two or more armed men as a private army that should be disarmed by the government. Facebook move to restrict Esperon post 'offensive' -ELCAC spox

A spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC) scored Facebook and its

fact-checkers for their "imprudence and audacity" to issue a warning to National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. for a post urging Filipinos to unite to end insurgency.

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, also NTFELCAC spokesperson, described the move as "alarming if not dangerous," saying the social media giant and its third-party factcheckers Rappler and Vera Files are "overly focused" on calling out and restricting accounts of government officials while turning a blind eye to others.

"The imprudence of FB to warn Secretary Esperon on a national security issue is unthinkable and downright offensive as the social media platform has taken on the role of Big Brother with the power to censure the social media posts of the NSA himself on matters of national security," Malaya said in a statement Wednesday.

Esperon's Facebook post on April 14 partly read: "In ending insurgency, the Filipinos must

unite against armed struggle and against organizations, aboveground and underground, that support the New People's Army, including Communist Party (CPP) members who have infiltrated the Congress through the partylist system."

In response to the warning, Esperon said in a separate Facebook post: "What's wrong with this to restrict me? I should know better than you do on matters of national security."

Malaya said Facebook has "appointed itself as an omnipotent force that can censure at their discretion – based on standards that they themselves created – the legitimate posts of highly respected officials of the country."

He urged Facebook to revisit and modify its "obviously one-sided" standards, saying these "serve to promote the interests of the few and powerful."

He called on the social media giant to stick to its goal of helping people connect and engage, and to leave national security matters to the experts. (MNS)

“Can

you please massage me?”

NATIONAL CITY, CA -- It was a nice warm sunny day, as I drove to my patient’s house, my phone rang and a voice email was recorded. It was a call from the nurse telling me that I have to discharge my patient that I’m about to visit. She said that it was because the patient refused to continue dialysis and the phone hung up. As I parked, I was in a deep state of confusion. I was asking myself why a young person at her mid age of 40’s chose to stop getting treatment.

I then got out of my car and walked to the hallway towards her apartment. Then, I knocked and I was greeted by a young boy, probably around 10- 12 years of age. I greeted him as well and informed him that I am the Physical Therapist. The boy let me in and walked my towards my patient’s bedroom. I entered the room and closed the door behind me. It was a dark room in which all the blinds were closed. You would still notice that it was a nice sunny day outside because the rays of the sun were going through the spaces of the blinds. I settled my things on the bedside table and started pulling out my equipment. These are mainly equipment to check blood pressure, temperature, oxygen level and heart rate. As I turned around , I noticed that my patient was laying facedown on a stack of pillows under her stomach.

I softly said that I was her Physical therapist and that I would be taking her vitals. In a very low tone voice she said okay. I helped her roll on her side and to sit on the edge of the bed. I took her vitals and then she repositioned back on her stomach. Out of curiosity, I asked her, “Why

are you positioned this way?” She then told me that this position is comfortable for her and that she is in less pain when she is on her stomach. I proceeded reviewing her home exercises and discussed that I would be discharging her. As I was about to ask her the big question of why she was refusing to continue her dialysis. She quietly asked, “Can you please massage me?” I took a deep breath and was kind of hesitant to begin with because for one, this is not part of my treatment plan for her and being a physical therapist is different from a massage therapist. I realized that she was in pain and throwing the hesitation on the side, said “Yes, of course”. I slowly put on my gloves, grabbed the lotion beside her and started to gently pull her shirt to expose her back. Then as I landed my hands on her back, I was fascinated to feel her body. Silently I said to myself, “Oh God now I know why”. I felt her spine and the ribs on her side. As I started to gently stroke and massage her back, I felt a deep sadness. This feeling in my heart made me start calling and praying to God.

Tears started to fall down my cheeks and I tried to compose myself. There was a knock on the door. The boy entered and asked, “Mom can I go with my friends to buy something”. My patient then answered in her soft voice, “No son, I need you to stay with me.” The boy’s face then turned into sadness reflecting the feeling of being frustrated as well. He then left the room and closed the door. My heart stopped for a second as I felt a mother’s longing for her son and sadly, the son had no

idea that he would have many more opportunities to be with his friends, but is running out of time to be with his mother. At this moment , I had come to realize that I now had the answer to my question. She fought her condition for the past 7 years and I’m positive that her spirit was willing to continue, but her body was no longer able to. She had come to a point where she have to surrender to His will and accept her fate. As I was finishing, my tears continued to pour down my cheeks. I wasn’t able to say anything, not wanting her to notice that I was crying, and I did feel the need to scream as I felt this heaviness in my heart. I was lucky enough that she was on her stomach while I was working on her back being able to grab the tissue in between. When I was done, she thanked me for giving her a massage and told me that she felt some relief. I’ve never felt so proud and happy to give anybody a simple massage. I then said my goodbyes to her and told her to be strong. Her young son walked me out and before I stepped out, I told him to enjoy his day with his mom. And as I walked back to my car, my tears started to flow again. I got in my car, composed myself and said a prayer for my patient, her son and family. I called my dear friend and shared this story and also asked her to pray for my patient. At that moment, I appreciated what I have much more. My health and the time that God is giving me to still be with my family and loved ones.

From this experience, I have learned not to judge other people’s decisions as we all have our very own battles in life. We shall come to a point in our lives when we have to surrender to His will…

THEY DON’T SPEAK SPANISH IN THE PHILIPPINES? WELL…FILIPINOS ARE NOW FRONTING UP TO ITS SPANISH HERITAGE, AND FOR SOME IT’S PAYING OFF!

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Hola!

There’s an old adage about the Philippines that says it spent over 300 years (atop 10 generations) in a Spanish convent and 50 years in Hollywood to get where it is today.

From the late 1500 until 1898, Spain controlled the archipelago, instituting fierce Catholicism ad Hispanic culture in the South-East Asian nation.

like Latin American countries as a former colony in the Spanish Empire, the dominant language of the colonial government in the islands was Spanish, only to be replaced by English, after the Spanish-American War, when Spain ceded jurisdiction of the archipelago to the United States for $20 million.

Throughout the 20th century, the use of Spanish language declined, particularly after the destruction of Spain’s stronghold in the Battle of Manila. The country’s subsequent modernization and World War II left English as the nation’s most common language.

In 1946, the Philippines gained independence from the United States, but it retained English as one of its two official languages, Filipino being the other. Currently, our “kababayans” have English or one of the local dialects as their mother tongue. It is estimated that less than 1% of the present Filipino population speaks Spanish. In history class, we’re often taught that the friars didn’t teach Filipinos to speak Spanish because they wanted us to remain ignorant. But if that’s true, why is it that former colonies in North and South America like Mexico, Columbia, and Venezuela have Spanish as their official language?

According to this video by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) New Mundo – the Spanish language arm of the BBC – it was a matter of logistics. While Spain would have preferred to establish Spanish as the official language of all their colonies, they ran into a unique problem when it came to the Philippines. The archipelago was populated by various ethnic groups who spoke over a hundred different dialects. With just a few friars stationed in the Philippines, translating all those vernaculars into Spanish simply wasn’t feasible.

Instead, the friars decided to learn the most commonly spoken dialects, Tagalog and Cebuano, in order to evangelize as many people as they could in the shortest period of time possible. As we all know, they were hugely successful and the Philippines remains predominantly Catholic to this day.

But is Spanish truly a dead language in the Philippines?

Hardly, if I may so; Spanish remains strongly rooted in the islands, even though it’s difficult to notice at first.

Recently, there are signs that interest in Spanish might be rising, thanks to efforts by the worldwide nonprofit organization created by the Spanish government in 1991 –“Instituto Cervantes” (Cervantes Institute) - and other Spanish and Philippine institutions, as well as people who want to rescue the legacy of the colonial Philippine language. These groups even got some official support from the former government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who started the partial reinstatement of Spanish in secondary education in 2009. Outside schools, the business community’s interest in Spanish is also rebounding.

One useful demonstration of Spanish as a living language in the Philippines is this YouTube video, titled “Teaching Spanish in the Philippines,” where several Filipino students show what they’ve learned in school.

Guillermo Gomez Rivera, director of the Manila weekly Nueva Era, is optimistic about the future of the language in the Philippines and shares his opinion: “Spanish is very easy for any Filipino who speaks Tagalog, Visayan, and Ilokano because thousands of Hispanics are embedded in these indigenous languages. In these indigenous languages, all articles of clothing are referred to in Spanish: “sombrero” (hat), “camiseta” (shirt), “cinturon” (belt). All furniture and appliances that are found in the home are referred to in Spanish: “cocina” (kitchen), “cuarto” (room),

sala (living room. All urbanization infrastructures is called in Spanish: “esquinita” (corner), “avenida” (avenue), “plaza” (square)…”

Marlon James Sales, a Philippineborn translator and linguist at the University of Michigan, told the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) that a lot of the country’s Spanish influence is often overlooked.

Indeed, Spanish did not disappear from everything. Traces of the Spanish language are present in the surnames of many Filipinos, in the names of cities and historic sites, as well as on the country’s streets and plazas. Moreover, classic Philippine literature was written entirely in Spanish, even during much of the twentieth century. Among the many works of classic Spanish Philippine literature is “Noli Me Tangere”, by national hero Dr. Jose Rizal who played an immense role in the consolidation of Filipino nationalism.

“Most Filipinos don’t realize they’re speaking Spanish,” Dr. Sales said. “Even the idea of the Philippines being a single state is a Spanish invention.”

After the Philippines along with Cuba, Guam and Puerto Rico fell under United States rule following America’s victory in the 1898 Spanish-American War, English was instated as the language of instruction throughout the expanded American empire; hence the English language’s dominance across the islands as a lingua franca throughout the 20th century.

Statistically, the Cervantes Institute – Spain’s language and cultural agency – estimated that at the beginning of the 20th century, there was an estimated 60 per cent of Filipinos who spoke Spanish as their second language.

But by 1987, Spanish in the Philippines was de-listed as a coofficial language, alongside English and Filipino.

Currently, only about 0.5 per cent of the Philippines’ 112 millionstrong population speaks Spanish; however, it’s still home to the most number of Spanish speakers in Asia.

But linguistically, the roots of Spanish have not entirely left the Philippines, as I have earlier indicated above - a third of the Filipino language is derived from Spanish terms, constituting some 4,000 “loan words”.

This legacy is evident from the get-go, as ‘hello’ (kamusta) is derived from Spanish’s ‘how are you?’ (como esta).

Today, as the status of Spanish in the country recovers from its 19thcentury American defeat, the 21st century is pointing toward a new role for a language traditionally associated with colonial subjugation.

Fast forward over the past decade, the Philippines has become the world’s call center hub, with more than 1.2 million employees generating about 9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“The situation of having cheap and qualified labor, which could be (easily) trained to speak (Spanish), has promoted Spanish in many ways that people 20 to 30 years ago wouldn’t have imagined,” Dr. Sales noted.

The Philippines’ daily minimum wage is 537 pesos ($15.33) – about 16,500 pesos per month ($470.90).

The British daily newspaper The Guardian reported that average pay for call center workers fluctuates between 13,000 to 15,000 pesos per month.

This has seen Australian companies such as Telstra, Optus and Jetstar outsource their telephone helplines – otherwise known as business process outsourcing (BPO) – to the Philippines.

In recent years, BPO has been used by global tech companies including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, which have hired Filipino contractors to moderate content that is posted on these platforms.

Certainly, being bilingual in Spanish and English also presents great economic opportunities.

“One day, I overheard a colleague boasting about his friend – who is a Spanish-speaking accountant –saying that his salary is three-to-four times (greater than) what we were earning,” commented Cede Bersabe, a Philippines-based accountant.

Jesse T. Reyes Filipino Potpourri

gather dust in libraries and archives across the islands.

“People do want to look at different perspectives on the same events – it’s about people’s stories, ancestors, villages and surnames.”

I say the Philippines’ implementation of the Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL) in Spanish by its Department of Education (DepEd) is a prudent investment to restore the four-

“Feeling curious, I immediately browsed the internet when I went home that day.”

“I searched for job opportunities for Spanish-speaking accountants and (did) indeed see many job postings with salaries similar to what my colleague said. That was a turning point.”

Mr. Bersabe told the ABC that ever since learning Spanish, BPO companies have been contacting him “all year round” for possible work.

Nowadays, he works for the Australian mining company Orica, which had quadrupled his salary from a previous job with the Canadian multinational insurance company and financial services provider, Manulife.

While contemporary efforts to revitalize Spanish language teaching in the Philippines could present Madrid a possibility to reset its relationship with its former colony, it also bestows a chance to reframe its post-imperial legacy, according to Maria del Rocio Ortuno Casanova, a postdoctoral researcher of the Philippines and Spain’s cultural and literary relationships at the major Belgian educational institution, University of Antwerp.

Spain had never realized a post-imperial bloc like the British Commonwealth or La Francophonie (a similar French equivalent), despite attempts to do so in the early 20th-century, which spoke of a pan-Hispanic identity linking together Latin America, Spain and the Philippines – known as La Hispanidad.

Dr. Casanova noted that there “had been attempts to create a post-colonial contact with Spanish-speaking countries like La Francophonie or the Commonwealth,” which involved creating a community under the cultural and economic leadership of Spain.

She also cited Real Instituto Elcano, a Spanish Association that in the early 2000s that published papers that Spain acts as an economic “gateway” between Latin America and Asia.

For Dr. Casanova, Madrid’s recognition of the Philippines in the Hispanophone world has been a relatively new phenomenon, given the increased trade opportunities with one of South-East Asia’s fastest-growing economies.

“Even when I did Hispanic studies in the university, you didn’t hear anything about the Philippines – this is a complaint that goes back to the 19th century.”

This perceived invisibility of the Philippines in the Hispanic world has had significant impacts on

Filipino self-perception.

Incidentally, while a sizeable number of Filipinos have Spanish surnames following an 1849 decree that Hispanicized Filipino surnames, chances are most people have a tenuous, or no link to Spanish ancestry.

“The notion of being perceived as Hispanic or Latin still has value – it’s a source of pride,” Dr. Sales declared.

This idea was also identified by Dr. Casanova, who postulated that Spanish had a “classy” value despite Spain’s checkered history in the Philippines.

“On the one hand, if you open a shop or restaurant with a Spanish name, it gives it a flavor of being classy, but on the other hand there is this perception of the Spaniards as the killers of (national hero) Jose Rizal,” she advanced.

“That has created a paradoxical awareness of racial-related value together with an anti-colonial feeling.”

For Dr. Sales, the historically negative images against Spain have affected the Philippines’ origin stories which have suffered from ideologically-inflected mistranslations.

He said a case in point was a 1960s translation of the book by Dr. Rizal called Noli Me Tangere (Latin for Touch Me Not), a famed Filipino work of fiction that charted the inequities of Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century.

The rendition by Leon Maria Guerrero carried anti-Spanish biases that “added layers of meaning that weren’t there,” Dr. Sales observed.

But with more of an interest in Spanish, Dr. Sales explained this could trigger greater consideration of Spanish-Filipino literature, which blossomed in the first half of the 20th century in retaliation to American colonial rule.

Curiously enough, this process is to begin in Antwerp in collaborations with Filipino institutions, as Dr. Casanova is leading a digitization project of early 20th-century Spanish-Filipino newspapers and periodicals, which will eventually see them translated into the Philippines’ various languages and dialects.

While the project will make the historical record accessible, it will also unlock a vast archive of Spanish-Filipino literature, as publishing with newspapers and periodicals at the time was cheaper and more popular.

In time, Dr. Casanova hopes the project makes accessible a vast record of Filipino history that has been overlooked, or simply left to

century old socio-cultural ties between Spain and our beloved old homeland particularly in the field of educational improvement. By incorporating SPFL in the new K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, DepEd was able to successfully inculcate the teaching of Spanish language and culture in its secondary education system.

This special initiative was initially offered at the third and fourth year high school levels in 14 pilot schools in 2009. After five years of rigid implementation by highly trained and committed Filipino teachers, Spanish has become the biggest SPFL program of DepEd, overtaking other foreign language schemes in terms of expanding the career opportunities and possibilities for employability among high school students under the new K to 12 education systems in 72 Philippine public secondary schools.

A milestone of success of the program is the creation and establishment of Centers of Excellence (COEs) in Spanish teaching which are tasked to lead other implementing schools in popularizing the Spanish language and culture as potential career pathway for high school graduates of the 21st century. There were pockets of monitoring done to determine the progress of SPFL in Spanish, in the first five years. As the plan of action advances and expands there was a clear need to assess and evaluate whether the preset goal of improving the teaching of Spanish language and culture has been achieved given the series of trainings and other capacitybuilding applications provided by the Instituto Cervantes and other partner-universities in Spain. To this end, overall, the project can be deemed successful as there is clear evidence of students increasing their Spanish language proficiency as a result of participating in the program. The SPFL in Spanish was assessed based on this central question: Are the Filipino students in public secondary schools learning Spanish? Tests on student language proficiency reveal that majority of the students who took the Level A1 diagnostic test achieved in a good or satisfactory way - “bien” - proficiency level whiles those who took the Level A2 received below “bien” marks. The oral language proficiency of the students ranged from Novice Low to Novice High. In all tests, comparative results showed that COE students performed better than non-COE students.

Without doubt, the successes and accomplishments

achieved by the program to date and as fully documented in reports have been largely due to the high level of commitment, passion for learning and self-sacrifice of the Filipino teachers involved. Their exceptional level of motivation and dedication in implementing the plan helped surmount the problems of lack of funds and instructional materials, limited resources to support teacher training and uneven level of assist from the DepEd field officers and other stakeholders.

For my part as a very interested observer, I’m just glad that our old homeland’s rich linguistic diversity remains intact in spite of hundreds of years of colonization.

Beyond question, we should revel in our Hispanic religious, cultural and linguistic background – an undeniable and intrinsic part of our nationality’s amazing make-up!

Yes, the Filipino today is a lovely, colorful ‘package’ that can ‘belong’ anywhere in the world because of our rich background.

Filipino Professor Dolores Aspillera Arboleda, author of many Spanish text books in the Philippines and enthusiastically taught Spanish for 75 years (and was deservingly awarded by the Instituto Cervantes as among the longest serving Spanish professors) has died at the age of 100.

She dedicated her entire life to teaching Spanish to thousands of perceptive Filipinos.

One of her books’ title express the pride our “kababayans” feel when asked about their origins: “Soy Filipino, Hablo Espanol.” Yes…I am Filipino, I speak Spanish. Mabuhay!

TOURISM

Continued from page 1

At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Simpson said the total travel and tourism GDP went down to USD4.8 trillion and slowly rose to USD5.8 trillion the following year.

By the end of 2022, the EIR predicted the sector to further grow 43.7 percent to almost USD8.4 trillion, amounting to 8.5 percent of the total global economic GDP and just 13.3 percent behind 2019 levels.

"This year, we are regaining ground. Our data shows that by the end of 2022 we will have recovered to USD8.35 trillion. We are getting there and our customers are rediscovering travel," Simpson said during the opening of the 2022 WTTC Global Summit in Manila. Simpson said recovery in 2021 was slower than expected partly due to the impact of the Omicron variant but "mainly due to an uncoordinated approach" by governments over country-wide border closures.

The Philippines, which banked on domestic tourism throughout the pandemic, generated some USD41 billion or about 10.4 percent of the country's GDP in the same year, according to its EIR for the country.

"For a sector that accounts for over 10 percent of global GDP pre-pandemic, and a substantial percentage of global employment; travel and tourism promises the most significant growth as the world begins to lessen restrictions on movement. It is on this promise that the Philippines anchors its resolve in supporting the recovery of the industry," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said. EIR forecasts said global travel and tourism is likely to leap ahead by an average annual rate of 5.8 percent to USD14.6 trillion by 2032, at least 11.3 percent of the total global economy.

It also showed that tourism employment could balloon by 126 million within the next decade.

In 2022 alone, the WTTC projected global travel and tourism jobs to climb to 300 million, only about 33 million jobs behind 2019 levels. (MNS)

A photo of the “Ilustrados” – a Filipino educated class during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines.

as well as learning ways to help others.

We are excited to offer this program to members in the community. For more information about the program, please e-mail: kcanare@fylpro.org.

About Tayo Tayo was developed by FYLPRO’s COVID-19 Task Force in response to the ongoing pandemic and to tackle the specific needs of Filipinos in the diaspora and back home. The project features a virtual help desk, Tayo, which connects Filipinos with vital information and services. Tayo's

The FYLPRO Tayo Team will be represented by Chachie Abara (Honolulu, HI), Nichole Dungo (Menifee, CA), Carina Gregorio (Los Angeles, CA), Maileen Mamaradlo (Pittsburg, CA), and Aryelle Montecer (Germantown, MD). The team will be supervised by Tayo Fellowship Director Krystle Canare (Waldorf, MD).

pilot launch location is Los Angeles, California.

About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries.

We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora. By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational relationships that create innovations and

support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.

Grief will be less painful if we see the beauty of the sunset or we listen to a melody of a song. The sunset leaves an after- glow and the melody of a song lingers in sweet refrain. That is how it is, as we leave the world of the living and as we enter to the heavens with joy and contentment. The passing of a loved one challenges our faith. We try to question God's will in our lives. But sooner or later, we accept the belief that death is a continuum of life, it is a transition from our earthly life to life everlasting.

I would like to comfort my friends with these words uttered by our Lord Jesus Christ to his disciples: "Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you may be also."

A CareNotes article written by

Rev. Mary Kendrick Moore

entitled "Be Gentle With Yourself

While Grieving" offers several tips on how to develop a language of gentle kindness for those who go through a season of grief. She says, look for the small things that

I don't always appreciate modern art. That is, I sometimes find it difficult to find the "art" for all of the "modern." It doesn't make sense to me.

Apparently, I'm not the only one. In an art gallery in Italy, an employee of a cleaning firm discarded random bits of newspaper, cardboard, and cookies, not realizing that it was a display of contemporary art. The display was valued at 10,000 euros (over $13,000), but lost all value when carted off with the rest of the trash.

Such things have happened before. In 2001, a collection of beer bottles, coffee cups, and ashtrays were thrown out of the Eyestorm Gallery in London. You guessed it ... it was an exhibition by artist Damien Hirst. The same thing happened in 2004 with an exhibition in Berlin by artist Gustav Metzger.

It's like the old saying: "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Or in these cases, one man's treasure was another man's trash.

In the Old Testament, we read the story of Esau and Jacob.

Aurora

S. Cudal-Rivera My Personal Testimony

feel good to you; think of ways to pamper yourself; remember to care for your body and care for your soul.

In caring for our soul, seek the teachings from your faith that are gentle with grief. Find comfort in the Book of Psalms. where the psalmist poured out his deepest emotions and also found encouragement that God will hear them. Every faith includes teachings about bringing your cares before God. "Come to me all you that weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

Saint Augustine expressed these profound thoughts: "Let my soul take refuge from the crowding turmoil of worldly thoughts beneath the shadow of Your wings; let my heart, this sea of restless waves, find peace in

You, O God."

For my bereaved friends, may I share this gentle prayer of healing by Rev. Moore. "God accompany me through these difficult days like a friend on a long walk, quietly alongside me, allowing me to feel all that I feel. Wrap your love around me like the warm embrace of a hug. Teach me to be gentle with myself - to let the tears flow when my eyes become full, to rest when my body is tired, to seek gentle listening ears when my spirit is lonely, and to look to you when my soul is empty. Help me embrace and not fear the grief that fills my life at this time. May I take care of myself as I would nurture a child in my arms with the food of gentle nourishment and a drink of patience. Grant me the gentle way through healing. Amen.

Indeed we had a wonderful and colorful celebration of the season of Lent, Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. I honestly presume that you have learned so much from our liturgical celebration and has been graced by the mysteries of the celebration of the Paschal Triduum which is the center of our Christian faith, namely, Christ has died, he has risen and he will come again!

The Gospel reading today focuses on the faith of the majority of apostles and the unbelieving gesture of one of them, Thomas, who at first to believe only if he could see the Risen Lord and touch the scars in the wounds of Jesus. Until today these condition for believing that Thomas held are the prevalent criteria for believing that many contemporary men and women hold, namely, vision and tactile perception. This is the result that comes from the present day theory of knowing that depends so much on the senses, especially the sense of sight and the need to reaffirm reality through what can be touched as real. For this reason there has been a constant movement even in the Church to make our faith sensible and perceptible simply in order to respond to the needs the contemporary unbelieving generation.

In the gospel today the majority of the apostles simply believed in the Risen Lord appearing in their midst and greeting them with peace as he reaffirmed the reality of forgiveness of sins through the Holy Spirit and

the act of sending the apostles into mission. Despite the remonstrations of the doubting Thomas, the rest did not have to go out of their way in order to convince him of their faith in the Risen Lord. They allowed him in his unbelief, probably confident that the Risen Lord himself will come back, as he did, in order to lead the same Thomas to the faith that they all had.

I believe that this gesture of the majority of the apostles should be considered by us as the model by which we can be truly be effective evangelizers or missionaries today. What do I mean by this? The majority of the apostles continued in their faith, even though Thomas did not at first believed. They could have explained to him in detail how Jesus appeared to them, how he greeted them with “Peace be with you”, how he should his wounded hand and side. They did not, but simply continued to believe and act out their faith because they encountered the Risen Lord and became his living

witnesses. In the active silence of their believing act, they allowed the Lord himself to reveal Himself to Thomas and make him come to truly believe and gladly exclaim “My Lord and My God!”

In the same manner, we who have experienced the Risen Lord in the liturgy of the past Lenten Season, Holy Week and the celebration of the Paschal Triduum, have only to continue believing in the Risen Lord and acting as well as behaving as his redeemed disciples so that others, those who still are in doubt if not completely unbelieving, would be able to encounter the Risen Lord Himself, touching their lives, making their eyes open and their senses receptive to his constant revelations in the world today. Indeed, the Risen Lord has his ways of revealing himself to men. He needs us to simply stand by and be true witnesses of his wonderful mysteries for other men to see and behold. Let Him act and let us see the wonders of his amazing revelations, for he said that “blessed are those who have not seen but still do believe.”

Finally, it is noteworthy that the second Sunday of Easter has also been declared by the late St. Pope John Paul II to be the Sunday for the celebration of “Divine Mercy.” What a grace to know that faith in Jesus is both a grace and a requirement for obtaining the divine mercy of God whose love and graciousness continues to flow in his Easter manifestations.

Danny Hernaez

Whom

They were twins, but Esau had been born first and would receive the birthright, the extra share of the family inheritance that was given to the eldest son. But Esau didn't appreciate what he had. One day when he was very hungry, he sold his birthright to his brother for a single plate of food. (You can read that story in Genesis 25:2934.) As the Bible says, "Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:34). That is, he didn't value the family inheritance. God sent his son Jesus to die for us. He sent him to die so that we could live. The offer of salvation is a precious treasure, yet some won't recognize that. They'll "despise" God's offer, discarding this gift like

yesterday's trash.

What about you? Do you value what Jesus did for you? Do you treasure God's salvation or will you throw it away?

The choice is yours.

If you don't know why salvation is a treasure or don't know how to find it, I'd like to explain it to you.

God knows that you can stand that trial; He would not give it to you if you could not. It is His trust in you that explains the trials of life, however bitter they may be. God knows our strength, and He measures it to the last inch; and a trial was never given to any man that was greater than that man's strength, through God, to bear it.

<(((><

SANDAG has teamed up with MTS, NCTD, and the County of San Diego to connect youth to school, jobs, entertainment, and more through the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program! Starting May 1, anyone 18 and under can get unlimited rides on the bus, Trolley, COASTER, and SPRINTER through June 2023 with a Youth PRONTO account.

Juday, Ryan’s hope for children, others carried them through the pandemic

MANILA -- Making sure their children had something to look froward to and securing their staff’s jobs were what kept Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo and Ryan Agoncillo going in two years under the pandemic, the couple said.

"The hope that I had to keep alive was somebody else's ... ’Yung pangarap ng mga anak mo, ng mga katrabaho natin," Agoncillo shared with Fr. Tito Caluag in the 100th episode of “Kapamilya Journeys of Hope”.

The couple's restaurant Angrydobo, bore the effects of pandemic restrictions, as sales went down and the Agoncillos began considering laying off workers.

"We were blessed kasi ’yun din ang sentimyento ng mga tao namin," Agoncillo said. " ’Yun pala, nagsusuklian kami ng hope for each other. Ganu’n din sila sa amin. ’Yung mga tao namin, sila mismo nagsasabi, kahit matulog kami sa tindahan ’wag lang tayo magsara. We had to fight for the other's person's hope."

Hope in little things also kept the Agoncillos going at home. They made up for days spent in locked-in tapings away from their children – Johanna, Lucho, and Luna – with promises of activities together.

"They always had to have something to look forward to. Whether it was a physical activity or a reward to look forward to, something at the end of the day or week or month. Hindi kailangan malaki," Agoncillo said.

For Judy Ann, her role as a mother had to be prioritized over her role as an actress.

"Parang pinipilit kong tapusin ’yung trabaho ko na lang para matapos at makauwi. So bakit pa ako papasok sa ganu’n kung hindi ako willing na i-sacrifice ’yung part ng pagiging

The couple and their team were ready to shift operations of the Angrydobo at home – instead of at physical stores – just to keep the restaurant afloat without letting go of employees amid the health crisis that closed down many other food and beverage businesses.

nanay at asawa ko?" she reflected.

She instead took the situation as a chance to spend more time with their children, a decision the couple said paid off seeing their children grow closer to them.

"Nakakalma sila when they see me and Ry sa baba. Just seeing us there right after they have to go out and get a screen break (from their online classes), yayakap lang sila," SantosAgoncillo said.

When the children transitioned to hybrid classes, Johann and Lucho said they liked to maintain spending time with their parents.

"Sabi niya (Lucho), 'I'm OK din with hybrid, because I like stepping out and I'm comforted by seeing you, I actually like, you know, staying home with us.' This was echoed by Johann. They're responding well, and I'm just thankful for that," Agoncillo said.

Making plans and having dreams may have become impossible with the pandemic still around, but the Agoncillos have found new purpose in living not for themselves but for others.

"Ang gusto ko matupad ang dreams ni Judy Ann, ni Johann, ni Lucho, ni Luna. Pero ano ang dream ko para sa sarili ko? Gusto kong tanganan na as the world opens hawak ko pa rin 'yung lesson na helping others achieve their dreams," Agoncillo said. (MNS)

Why Heart Evangelista started a beauty and wellness business amid the pandemic

love

beauty and

The actress and style icon is the chief executive officer of Pure Living, which offers skin care and aromatherapy products, among others.

In her recent vlog, Evangelista said she wants to use her passion and expertise to create income opportunities for others amid the pandemic.

"So the pandemic hit. Obviously we're still doing content and all of that. And I remember I was thinking, 'Ano kayang puwede kong gawin?' Parang naisip ko, now is not really the time to just sit pretty and post your photos," she said.

"I really wanted to do something to also give back -- walang plastic, I'm really like that. Ever since before, lagi talagang ganon. So iniisip ko, every time may nagtatanong sa akin 'yung tao, 'Paano ko ma-afford 'yan?' I wanted to have something... not na napipilitan akong mag-share, but I wanted it to make sense to other people. So what can I do na alam kong

solid na mage-excel ako, na kaya ko 'yung ibigay sa tao?" she explained.

Citing all of her learnings from being raised by entrepreneurs as well as her 24 years in the entertainment industry, Evangelista said she decided to create a line of affordable beauty and wellness products and allow others to sell them as well. She said the goal is to have a business that would not just profit her, but also other people.

"Of course I still needed the profit... but I still wanted to come up

with products that were quality, topof-the-line, pinag-isipan, madami -hindi lang isa para puwede kayong pumili -- and I wanted it to be affordable. And at the same time, I wanted to also promote people to also work, even if at home, kung wala kayong opportunities out there," she said.

"I wanted to come up with a company that will give people an opportunity because I'm for that. I'm for sharing, but I'm also for inspiring, for people to [also] want to become a boss," she added.

Evangelista said they are ready to guide those who are planning to join their team as a seller, with her company holding regular Zoom trainings and offering different price ranges for their products.

"We have different ranges kasi we wanted something na you can relate to. Kung ano ang feeling mong kaya niyong i-sell, 'yun ang puwede niyong pasukin. Or you can just do all," she said.

"I hope that this will inspire you to do something great for yourself, which will trickle down to your loved ones as well."(MNS)

KC Concepcion to star in new U.S. film 'Asian Persuasion'

to elevate, inform and inspire the Asian narrative," Variety continues.

Paulo Avelino tells son Aki: 'Don't grow up so fast'

MANILA -- Actor Paulo Avelino is a proud dad to Aki, his son with former girlfriend, actress LJ Reyes. "Weird to see this little boy so independent. Don't grow up so fast," he told his son in a post on Instagram.

In his previous posts on Instagram, Avelino, who flew abroad for a concert tour with Ogie ALcasid and Janine Gutierrrez, shared clips of his reunion with Aki in New York, where his son is currently residing with his mother.

Reyes and her two kids have been staying with the actress' family in New York since September last year, following her separation from her partner of six years, actor Paolo Contis.

“Actually na-mention ko na sa mommy niya. Tinatanong lang kung ano ‘yung dates. Pero nando’n na rin ako, might as well see my son.

I haven’t seen him since they left,” Avelino earlier said. (MNS)

FAITH

Kim said he wears a mask when a congregant wears theirs but does not when others are going without.

“We want to display Christ’s attitude of tolerance towards all,” said Kim, who leads the church’s Christian education program.

Many of the church’s parishioners have themselves been affected by COVID-19, Kim said. Some caught the virus themselves, while others saw family members suffer.

shines,” said Kim.

Bomi Patel, President of the Zoroastrian Association of Northern California, said the organization had to determine its own masking policy as it prepared to celebrate New Year — Nauroze — on March 20, at the Oasis restaurant in Fremont.

The Zoroastrian faith is one of the oldest in the world, originating in Persia in the 6th century BCE. The community has dwindled to fewer than 200,000 Zoroastrians worldwide. Observers celebrate the New Year on the first day of spring.

Celebrants wore masks as they entered the hall, but most took them off shortly afterwards. Patel said he kept his on all evening, removing it only when he made a speech, and to eat.

"Thank

project, with our amazing cast & crew," KC added.

According to Variety, KC replaces Toni Gonzaga as the lead star of "Asian Persuason," the directorial debut of Jhette Tolentino, the three-time Tony Awards and Grammy Awards winner. Also in the cast are Apl.de.Ap, Yam Concepcion, Fe Delos Reyes, Tony Labrusca, and Rex Navarrete.

"Set in New York, romantic comedy 'Asian Persuasion' features a diverse, primarily Asian cast and seeks

The movie follows newly divorced Mickey, a chef who has been trying to overcome tragedy while trying to establish a Michelin-rated Filipino restaurant. As life continues to be unkind, Mickey comes up with scheme involving online dating and getting remarried. "Everything goes smoothly until Mickey's plot backfires on him," The Asian Persuasion writes on IG.

"Asian Persuasion is produced under the Jhett Tolentino Productions banner with Tolentino and screenwriter Mike Ang serving as producers," Variety adds.

Filipinos might be familiar with Jhett's name as most recently, he produced Isabel Sandoval's critically acclaimed movie "Lingua Franca."

KC earlier dropped hints on Instagram about starring in a movie. On her birthday a week ago, she shared

a photo of herself being made up and said "being back on set for my birthday, doing what I’ve always loved, is a celebration in itself."

"Coming back to acting + living in New York for work is another dream come true," she added. (MNS)

Others lost a job or home. He said children in his church have been deeply impacted by mental health challenges, with the loss of in-person learning, and friends. “We have been trying to help, with prayer, pastoral care, doing what God intended us to do,” he said.

“When we are going through trials, that is when our true nature

“This was our first celebration since March of 2019,” said Patel. “We requested everyone to be vaccinated and to wear a mask.”

To be on the safe side, ZANC rented a hall with a capacity of 240, but then limited tickets to the event to just 150. Instead of the usual 10 seats per table, each spot sat only eight, so that there was more room between seats.

The small Zoroastrian community in Northern California stayed engaged during the pandemic with online Bingo and game nights, and guest lectures via Zoom. This January, the organization re-started its Sunday school program for children to learn about the ancient faith. Masks were mandated for Sunday school, which was initially held outside, but then moved indoors. “There was no resistance to masks,” said Patel. “Everyone just wants to keep safe.” Visit MyTurn.ca.gov or call 833-422-4255 to schedule an appointment to get your COVID-19 vaccine or booster. Help is available in more than 200 languages.

MANILA -- Heart Evangelista

is taking her

for

wellness to the next level by starting her own business.

MEGASTAR SHARON CUENTA AT ASIA’S SONGBIRD REGINE VELASQUEZ LIVE SA ISANG ‘ICONIC’ CONCERT SA PECHANGA RESORT CASINO JULY 22 AT 23

mga konsiyerto

na pagtatanghal sa Hulyo 22 alas 9pm. at Hulyo 23 alas 6pm., live sa Pechanga Summit.

Ang Pechanga Resort Casino ay kilala sa pag-iimbita ng pinakamahusay at pinakasikat na mga Pilipino na mag-aaliw at tunay na makapagbibigay ng kakaibang karanasan sa mga espesyal sa Filipino-Americans na mga patron. Tinaguriang “Iconic”, si Cuneta at Velasquez na magkaalinsabay na magtatanghal ay di-direct ng mga musikal direktors na sina Louie Ocampo at Raul Mitra.

Si Cuneta ay tanyag sa Maynila sa pag-ganap sa mga dramatic na gampanin kung saan siya ay nagtamo ng mga awards bilang

pagkanta sa lokal at internasyonal. Beteranang mang-aawit at reyna ng konsiyerto naman si Velasquez kung saan nagmula itong magtanghal matapos panalunan ang isang pinagpipitagang mayoryang timpalak sa pag-awit na kanyang solong pinalunan. Huwag ninyong kaligtaan ang oportunidad na ito para sa isang natatanging kasiyahan. Ang mga tikets ay mabibili sa Pechanga Box Office o sa pagtawag sa 888810-8871 o bumisita sa www. Pechanga.com

Ang mga pagtatanghal sa Pechanga Theater ay nagdudulot ng komportable at natatanging karanasan sa konsiyerto. May 1,200 na mga upuan sa teatro, habang bawat isang pagtatanghal ay naghahandog ng mga makabago at naaayong tugtuging akma sa pandinig. Sa paglilibang sa mga paboritong artista sa Pechanga kasama ntio ang mga kainan at kaswal na pagkaing pagpipilian sa lugar, kabilang din ang mga komportableng upuan at malapitang tanaw mula sa bawat upuan sa teatro.

Ipinagmamalaki ng Pechanga Resort Casino ang isa sa miminsang kaganapan sa pagsasama ng dalawang batikang Filipino sina Megastar Sharon Cuneta at ang Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez upang maghatid ng espesyal na musikal

pangunahing aktres habang nagsasagawa ng

at