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San Diego’s No. 1 Source of News & Information for the Filipino Community • An Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1986 December 15, 2023 - December 21, 2023
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PBBM orders completion of water-related projects by April 2024 MANILA, -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday bared that he has directed concerned government agencies to complete water-related projects by April 2024 in preparation for the impact of the El Niño phenomenon. During the inauguration of the Balbalungao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (BSRIP) in Lupao, Nueva Ecija, Marcos noted the urgency to make sure the country is ready for the possible effects of El Niño, including reduced rainfall and drought. “We must be prepared to counter these effects, which may last until the second quarter of 2024. So, we remind once again the DA (Department of Agriculture) and the NIA (National Irrigation Administration) to immediately complete the construction of irrigation facilities, as well as other supporting structures based on the needs of our farmers,” Marcos said. “Iniisip ko ‘yung mga project na gagawin natin. Meron tayong apat na buwan para tapusin lahat iyan, maging operational lahat iyan dahil ang ginawa kong deadline para sa ating mga departamento, ‘ika ko sa kanila, ang isipin natin, ano ba ang kaya nating matapos by April of next year (I’m thinking about the projects that we will do. We have four months to finish all that, make it all operational because the deadline I made for our departments, I told them, let’s think, what can we finish).” Vital projects, such as the BSRIP, will help address the effects of El Niño, which may cause a shortage of
and the private sector to work together to secure the sustainability of water resources and the ecosystem that surround the reservoir. “That integrated watershed management plan serves as your guide in monitoring, protecting, and conserving the Balbalungao water shed to prolong the land’s service lifestyle,” Marcos said. “Anticipating the success of the BSRIP in transforming the province’s land into a thriving hub of productivity, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of food security, poverty reduction, and economic growth.” The government, he said, is aiming to establish more than 275,000 hectares of new irrigation areas to restore about 80,000 of existing irrigation areas by 2028. “As we envision a more secure, sustainable, and resilient Philippines, let us harmonize our efforts to ensure the continued empowerment of our producers, progress for our industries, and advancement for the entire country,” he said.
PBBM restructures El Niño task force President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the turnover of 141 units of wheeled excavators to the field office of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Olongapo City, Zambales on Wednesday (Dec. 13, 2023). (MNS photo) water and power supply, he said. The BSRIP, boasting an expansive 840-hectare service area, is designed to foster sustainable development for the benefit of 562 farmers and their families residing in Balbalungao, San Isidro, Salvacion, Sto. Niño, and Mapampang villages in Lupao town.
Marcos said the construction of the Balbalungao Dam signifies his administration’s commitment to developing modern infrastructure systems that would enhance the agriculture sector. “Once fully operational, this multi-purpose dam will provide irrigation for close to 1,000 hectares
Have a Happy and Sustainable Holiday Season By Gig Conaughton / County of SD Communications Office SAN DIEGO, CA -- The holidayand-gift seasons are back! Giving them and receiving them help put the happy in the holiday season. But remember to consider sustainability this year as you make your gift-giving plans. That is, finding ways to meet our needs and be generous and happy today while still protecting our resources for the generations to come. The gift-giving season—from all the wrapping paper, packages and new items that may never be used— can be tough on sustainability. But there are ways to be jolly and sustainable. Like by using fewer single-use items and consuming less stuff we may never use. The County of San Diego thinks a lot about sustainability. In October
it released its new draft Climate Action Plan for the public to review and comment on and the plan could be brought to County supervisors for consideration in fall 2024. The County is also leading a regional effort to reduce green-house gas emissions beyond its unincorporated area and communities. But we don’t just think about the big things in sustainability, but also the day-to-day ways we all can do our part. So, here are some handy Holiday Season Sustainability tips!
Gifts
Give Experiences Instead of Things: One thing you can do to cut down on the accumulation of unnecessary stuff is to give gifts of “experiences” rather than items that will eventually be tossed out. For example, give someone tickets to a show, free lessons in something they’d enjoy, or a gift card to a local
restaurant! For a list of experiences, you can go to WasteFreeSD’s “resources” page, do a word search for “experiences” and click on their “Gift Ideas—Experiences Instead of Things” webpage. Donations: Another thing you can give, or receive, instead of more physical stuff (do you really need another tie or blouse?) is to ask family and friends to donate to an animal rescue or a cause you’re interested in! Many animal organizations allow you to “sponsor” or “adopt” an animal virtually to rescue it and ensure it is loved and cared for. Like the Kitchen? Bake a Gift! Everyone loves food at the holidays. And you don’t need to be a worldrenowned chef to put a smile on someone’s face. You know, banana bread is really easy to make. Cookies, See HOLIDAY on 3
of agricultural land,” he said. “The dam will generate diversified income opportunities to increase crop use, fish culture, tourism, and watershed management for environmental protection.” Marcos also emphasized that the BSRIP would facilitate hydroelectric power generation and serve as a flood
control mitigation infrastructure for the communities along the river. He directed the DA and the NIA to ensure the timely completion of the other facilities of the BSRIP, such as the hydropower and watershed components. He enjoined all government agencies, local government units,
) -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the El Niño Task Force has been reorganized, as part of the extensive efforts to ensure food, water, and power security amid the weather phenomenon. “I have created under the Office of the President a Task Force El Niño. There already exists one pero babaguhin natin ang (we will change its) structure,” Marcos said in a See PBBM on 5
Who Are America’s New Ethnic Voters?
By Selen Ozturk/EMS SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- As the U.S. grows more diverse, so do its voters. At a Dec. 8 Ethnic Media Services briefing, experts discussed who these new ethnic voters are, what motivates them, and how their affiliations compare to their white counterparts.
AAPI party preference
“When it comes to candidates, voters’ party identification shapes their opinions on issues more than the other way around,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, public policy professor at UC Riverside, AAPI Data founder and California 100 co-founder. “For example,” he continued, “no matter your opinions on taxes or environmental protection, your Republican, Democratic or Independent identity will likely shape them over time.” Among AAPI voters, he found that Vietnamese Americans tend to identify as most strongly
Republican, while Japanese and Indian Americans tend to identify as most strongly Democratic. “So it’s interesting that Indian Americans like Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley have risen to such prominence in Republican leadership, far from Indian American voter opinion,” he noted. Karthick Ramakrishnan, Professor of Public Policy, University of California, Riverside and Founder of AAPI Data and CoFounder, California 100, discusses the influence of racial versus party identification when it comes to what motivates voters. Nevertheless, Ramakrishnan added, the 2016 election and the subsequent four years caused a divergence in these trends, with both Indian and Chinese Americans moving toward the Republican party under President Trump.
Latino Voters are younger
Latinos are the country’s fastestgrowing racial and ethnic group in our electorate. Against common views of new Latino voters as older
adults newly naturalized, U.S.-bornand-raised Latinos “are the ones truly changing America’s political landscape” with each election, said Claudia Sandoval, assistant professor of political science and international relations at Loyola Marymount University. 22% of Latinos eligible to vote in next year’s presidential election are new voters who have recently become eligible to vote. 38% of the Latino electorate is new to the political sphere since 2016. Compared to the median age of 50 for all eligible U.S. voters, the median age of eligible Latino voters is 39. In this electorate, she continued, gender gaps exist: while Latinos as a whole lean leftward, Latino men are more likely than Latino women to support Republican candidates — diverging respectively as much as 48% and 24% in Nevada. As more young Latinos become eligible to vote, they will have a See VOTERS on 7