The Filipino Press: March 11-17, 2022

MANILA -- President Rodrigo

Duterte is "listening to all suggestions" on how to mitigate the impact of the spate of bigtime fuel price increases to the public, Malacañang said Thursday.

These suggestions include the suspension of excise taxes on fuel products and the declaration of state of economic emergency.

"Itong lahat ng ito, nakahanda naman ang gobyerno, marami namang mga experts. You can be rest assured na si Pangulong Duterte ay pinapakinggan ang lahat ng suhestiyon," acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said.

Several lawmakers have expressed support for the suspension of excise taxes on fuel products as an immediate relief amid the continuous rise in oil prices aggravated by the Ukraine-Russia war.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), however, rejected the proposal, warning that doing so would be counterproductive as it would have an impact on funding for social services. Andanar said this proposal needs to be scrutinized very thoroughly for its expected impact on the social services of various government agencies.

"Kinakailangan talagang balansehin nang husto itong problema at ang solusyon para hindi kailangang maapektuhan yung ibang mga services ng ating pamahalaan," he said. As for the declaration of state of economic emergency, Andanar said the President is waiting for recommendations from the government's economic cluster.

"The President will have to wait for the recommendation of the Department of Finance, of the economic cluster, kung kailangan ba yung state of economic emergency," he said. (MNS)

Duterte not keen on attending ASEAN-US summit if held on his birthday -- envoy President Rodrigo Duterte is likely to skip the planned meeting between US President Joe Biden

and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Washington if the date of the summit falls on his 77th birthday on March 28, Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said

Thursday.

SAN DIEGO, CA -- The certificate reads: "In recognition of your engagement, leadership, and volunteer work as a student at The Bishop's School. Congratulations on all your achievements and thank you for your dedication and contributions to our community."

Natasha says, "Ever since I was young, I have always been active in the Asian American community. As of the recent two years, I have been able to demonstrate my leadership, as I was a Thailand country director for the APP program last year, and I paired and organized meetings for Thai students wanting to learn English with their tutors. This school year, I was given the privilege to be the president for the Leo Club in San Diego, where we go around the city doing a variety of service projects. Furthermore, in times of the pandemic, I have played in virtual performances with my cello chamber group for many retirement homes. My grandmother was hospitalized in the early stages of COVID, and I had the chance to visit the hospital and observe how incredibly busy the workers there were. I was driven by the knowledge that while I was at home in quarantine, these healthcare workers were working day and night to aid people with COVID, so I have assisted with delivering food for healthcare providers such as Palomar Medical Center and Fresenius Kidney Care."

Natasha is the daughter of Nikki Buppha, a successful entrepreneur who owns the Lai Thai Restaurant in National City for over 23 years and Takhrai Thai in Scripps Ranch Parkway in San Diego.

SAN DIEGO, CA -- In its annual statewide conference held Feb. 25-27, 2022, the CaliforniaLanguage Teachers Association (CLTA) honors two Filipino Teachers with OUTSTANDING TEACHER Award. Both are from San Diego, both are immigrant teachers and both are members of the Council for Teaching Filipino Language and Culture (CTFLC) based in San Diego. The award is a recognition of their excellence in teaching the language and their dedication and commitment to their students and community. The Filipino Language Program in San Diego is one of the most successful Less commonly taught language programs in the nation. From one Filipino Language class when it started in 1988 at Bell Junior High School, it now has close to 2,000 students enrolled in San Diego County. It is second only to Spanish in terms of number of students enrolled. There was a time when only the major languages, Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian and German were taught as Language Electives. After Filipino was introduced, nineteen other languages followed suit; Vietnamese, Arabic, Pashto, Lao, etc. From its humble beginning, the Filipino Language Program in San Diego has gone a long way. In the words from Sacramento, it has become the “Model for the Less Commonly Taught Languages in California”.

JACQUILIN MAGAT-LAPID

Jacquilin Magat-Lapid, known as Jackie to her countless friends and colleagues, came to the US as a 15 year old immigrant from the Philippines. She grew up in Manila, Philippines. At Morse High School, she came under the tutelage of Mrs. Rosalina “Sally” Idos who opened up a class

of Filipino for Native Speakers. It was a felt need at that time because many of Jackie's contemporaries who all were Philippine born immigrants were finding it difficult to transition to the American way of life. There was a constant clash in campus among the Philippine born and the US born students because of cultural disconnect. The boys, without realizing it, started to act like gangsters committing petty crimes. Some of them were brought to the Juvenile Hall and in the worst scenario some of them were deported back to the Philippines. Some of the girls had unwanted pregnancies. When Jackie was taking a class under Mrs. Idos, she joined Kaisahan (after school club at Morse High School) where she became one of the star performers of Philippine Folk Dances. Her Filipino class and her active involvement with Kaisahan enabled her to withstand the tremendous peer pressure from her friends who have lost their way. When she was about to graduate, through the strong recommendation of Mrs.

“He was not very keen about it especially because the end of March as you know, March 28 is his birthday. So that’s another reason why he says that he never really leaves his residence which is a tradition and something that’s always followed,” Romualdez, Manila’s envoy to the US, told journalists at an online forum.

However, Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn told Reuters on Wednesday that the summit, which had been scheduled for March 28 and 29, has been postponed to a later date since "some ASEAN leaders cannot attend the meeting on the proposed dates." Cambodia chairs the 10-nation bloc this year. ASEAN leaders were invited by Biden for the proposed summit in Washington except Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing.

The US is one of the Western states that do not recognize Myanmar's military leaders who seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government in February last year. It was not immediately known if Duterte, who, in the past, repeatedly stated he would never go to the US, would accept Biden's invitation if it takes place in April.

“If it’s close to March 28 very unlikely that the President will go,” said Romualdez, but “if it’s a later

Idos, Jackie was awarded a five year scholarship which enabled her to earn her Bachelor's Degree from San Diego State University. She went on to earn her Master's Degree from Alliant University.

Mrs. Jacquilin Magat-Lapid started teaching Filipino in 2005 at Bell Middle School where she received Teacher of the Year and Woman of the Year in Education at the 79th school district. She taught Filipino Language, Yearbook, and ASB. In addition, she served in their school site council for four years and she led in their Instructional Learning Team. In 2016, she moved to Mira Mesa High School where there is a large concentration of Fil-Am Students. Then she started teaching Filipino at Miramar College. She welcomes positions of responsibility as an opportunity to serve. At one time she was the President of FILAMEDA (Filipino American Educators Association). At

Jacquilin Magat-Lapid

Mrs Rizalyn M. Cruz

Natasha Mar, a junior, received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Scott Peters.

Top photo shows a line up of jeepneys, the popular means of transportation in the Philippines both

Sending love, strength and positivity to all those who’ve been told that they are not enough...or perhaps too much, who have the necessary, challenging conversations, who’ve been encouraged to rise up only to be told to stand down, who’ve heard the words “wait your turn,” who’ve been fed the idea that acting like a lady means being submissive and silent, who are called upon to do more than their fair share of work with little to no recognition, compensation, nor appreciation, who are taught that kindness and compassion are somehow weaknesses, who are made to feel guilty for accomplishments they earned, who are put in strange barrels with which they don’t identify because it makes it easier for others to compartmentalize, who have been exoticized and objectified so they can be more easily scrutinized, who have had to downplay strengths they’ve worked hard to develop so others don’t feel intimidated or simply are too lazy and defensive to be held accountable, whose innovation is met with no’s because others fear change and don’t want to catch up because

Happy Women’s Day!!!

they fear losing (perceived) control, who are vilified when they ask why, who receive backwards compliments, who get hands in their face and knives in their back, who are threatened with double standards, who find themselves lonely because too few actually stand for change, who want more for girls and women...who deserve respect...who ask for nothing but deserve support, apologies, opportunities, gratitude and love...who deserve the peace that comes with being fully seen, heard, acknowledged, and worked to be understood. May change come, and may you feel it today and every, single day. You are worthy. You are valuable. You are talented. You are bright. You are beautiful. You are supported. You are respected. You are loved. And you deserve more. Go get ‘em, Queens. "Nobody wants it but God gave it to the noisy one so, I might as well spread the word. I'm going to appreciate every single moment that I have and every single resource that I have. And every chance that I get to help spread the word and hopefully save another life. That's what I'm in for."

~Francine Antoinette Maigue Editor's Note: Above article was previously written by our dear Francine. The following are quotes from her sister Theresa and community leaders who wants to share their sentiments/tributes:

From Theresa Maigue Bendorf, Francine's sister. Dedicating International Women’s Day to the noisy one, to the doer, to the

warrior, to the fighter, to our ally, to our Femtor, to our SHEro, to my sister…. we will keep her legacy alive by sharing HERstory!

On this day I vow to be kind, to fight for what’s right, to always to do more than what I think I can, to inspire and pay it forward for the next generation of FRANtastic SHEros

Let this be a CALL TO ACTION for all the sisters and brothers that Francine has touched, connected with, worked with…loved.

From Alicia De Leon Torres.

"Francine was a creative, caring, community-minded and familycentered person. I remember during her pre-driving days, when her dad would drive her to appointments and events, she would sweetly ask permission for her dad to join whatever event/meeting we were involved with. When he did, she made sure that he was included in the conversations and activities. She modeled a wonderful sense of love for her family. That inclusivity was also part of her community work. We stayed in touch when we both moved forward in our careers, her with then Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez and me at Survivors of Torture, International. Whenever someone from our agency attended a meeting or event that was sponsored by the Assemblywoman's office or that Francine was in attendance at, she made sure that we didn't get lost in the crowd; she introduced our staff to pertinent people. When something she thought would benefit our clients came across her desk, she reached out and shared the information with us without us asking. She was a wonderful person who is missed on many levels. Dance it up in heaven, dearest Francine.

From Audie J. de Castro, Esq. “Francine was a role model to our community. She was a strong leader, and she was loving and compassionate. I enjoyed working with her as one of my advisors and on community issues. We will miss her.”

Exclusively here in The Filipino Press--Follow Francine Maigue’s adventures as she represents our region with grace and honor as one of the "100 Most Influential Filipinas in the World" and the "Global Face of Pinay Power,"

See

FRANCINE

MAIGUE on 8

Francine in black gown with Ana Cabato, Juanito, Rommel, Raymond, Myrna, Alicia and Rom Sarno.

A GLIMPSE INTO THE PICTURESQUE LIFE AND HEART-RENDING END OF THE FILIPINO SHOWGIRL WHO CAPTURED AMERICAN GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR’s FANCIFUL HEART

SAN DIEGO, CA – Mabuhay!

Happy Women’s History Month!!

Every March, we celebrate the contributions of history-making women to our society.

Women’s History Month was initially just International Women’s Day, a time that commemorated the Feb. 28 meeting of socialists and suffragists in Manhattan in 1909.

One year later, on March 8, 1910, according to British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a German activist named Clara Zetkin suggested that they recognize International Women’s Day at an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. With 17 countries in attendance at the negotiations, they all agreed.

On March 8, 1911, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark, though the holiday wasn’t widely observed in the United States until the United Nations began sponsoring it in 1975.

In 1977, in order to persuade school principals to comply with the recently passed Title IX, a task force in California created Women’s History Week. They used that moment to celebrate the accomplishments of women.

In March 1980, after celebrations had spread across the country, President Jimmy Carter declared that March 8 was officially the start of National Women’s History Week. That same year, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch and Maryland Representative Barbara Mikulski co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming the week of March 8, 1981, National Women’s History Week.

By 1987, Congress declared the entire month of March Women’s History Month. Since then, every president has declared the month of March Women’s History Month.

No doubt about it, we acknowledge Women’s History Month to remind ourselves of the accomplishments of women throughout the years to our culture and society.

From science to politics, it is a chance to reflect on the trailblazing women who lead the way for change.

As we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, I would like to share with you all film historian Isidra Reyes (of Manila Nostalgia)’ fascinating story about the colorful life and tragic end of a Filipina showgirl who stole the heart of America’s greatest and most complex soldier – and one narrative that will surely challenge the cherished myths of admirers and critics alike…so, here goes!

Love is a universal language: we all want to love and be loved because that’s a human thing to do.

Before we can share our lives with

someone, however, we all need to take risks. Sometimes the prospect pays off, and you end up with Mr. or Ms. Right. Unfortunately, it’s not always the case for everybody else.

Indeed, love may bring either joy or sorrow – and we have our very own historical figures to prove it. Here is one of the greatest love teams in Philippine history whose relationships didn’t end up happily ever after.

Immortalized by his famous line “I shall return,” General Douglas MacArthur was assigned to our beloved old homeland – the Philippines – twice: from 1922 to 1924 and from 1928 to 1930. During the latter, MacArthur’s marriage with his wife was already over, and the great general was probably longing for a romantic affair. He soon met his paramour, a budding beautiful mestiza Filipina actress named Isabel Rosario Cooper.

She was a vod-a-vil (a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century) showgirl and the star of the first Filipino film that featured a kissing scene – but General Douglas MacArthur, one of the most influential, all-powerful men of his time, would fall for Dimples Cooper and keep the actress like his concubine, far from the prying eyes of his mother and the rest of the world.

Isabel Rosario Cooper, better known by her stage name “Dimples Cooper,” was for most of her life, one of the most fascinating and mysterious femme’s fatale in Philippine history, the Jezebel who seduced General Douglas MacArthur. She was the woman MacArthur would jeopardize his presidential ambitions for, and he would draw the ire of his mother by carrying on a passionate love affair with Cooper – an interlude documented in a stash of love letters and cablegrams which, according to Stanley Karnow’s In Our Image, “bear the imprint of an impassioned schoolboy.”

Not much is known of Cooper’s early life. Said to have been born Isabel Rosario Cooper in Manila on January 15, 1914, no birth record for such a name begotten on that date has been found. What was discovered through an online genealogical site was the Certificate of Birth of a nameless female baby birthed on 23 August 1912 at the family home in 347 Madrid St., San Nicolas, Manila to Isaac J. Cooper, a fireman born in Wisconsin, U.S.A. (St. Louis, Missouri in other records) and his wife, Protacia Rubin, an 18-year homemaker born in Nagcarlan, Laguna. Further accounts state that her father was an American of Scottish descent and her mother, a pure Filipino.

At a young age, Dimples entered show business and became a voda-vil name. Together with Katy de

The campaign period for the presidential election in May is well underway and is now reaching a feverish pitch. Everybody wants a piece of the action in what could be a watershed moment. There are several candidates vying for the top spot with ex-senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo taking the top two spots. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno is slowly fading in the polls and has complained of Robredo using Catholic Church grounds during her campaign sorties. Marcos has also called attention to a recent pastoral letter urging Catholics not to vote for candidates guilty of distorting history – a clear reference to the namesake of the late dictator. The Catholic Church has made it clear that it cannot endorse a candidate or be identified with a political party. Church leaders vehemently deny that they are engaging in partisan politics despite appearances of partisanship but only “wishes to speak the truth.”

Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan graced a public campaign event featuring 1Sambayan convenor and retired

la Cruz, the sultry Vitang Escobar, Mary Walter and a few other ladies, the kittenish Dimples lit up the stage of the old Rivoli Theater at Plaza Santa Cruz nightly with their starstudded “Varieties Company.” Their act featured hula-hula dance numbers, comedy skits, songs, and repartee, which together with jazz music, served as amusements in between the screenings of silent films.

But the advent of the talkies in the latter part of the 1920s saw the fading out of silent movies and with it the decline of the vod-a-vil. Vod-a-vil no longer had the fizz and sparkle it had in its heyday, and some of its brightest and most beautiful luminaries had crossed over to the silver screen.

In 1925, Dimples Cooper made her very first movie. Entitled, Miracles of Love, the Malayan Movies production helmed by the Hollywood-trained director Vicente Salumbides starred the director himself as a young doctor

who falls in love with the picture of a beautiful girl – played by Dimples – on a magazine cover. According to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Encyclopedia of Art, 2nd ed. “Miracles of Love” is remarkable as one of the early films that used the Hollywood techniques such as the close-up, the cutback, and parallel editing, which Salumbides introduced in (Filipino) silent pictures in the 1920s. The movie was a box office success and was endorsed by no less than the former Filipino Catholic priest who became the first head of the “Iglesia Filipina Independiente” Bishop Gregorio Aglipay.

Dimples, however, would gain cinematic immortality for Jose Nepomuceno’s “Tatlong Hambog” (1926), a silent romantic comedy, which featured the first kissing scene in Philippine Cinema. Perhaps, inspired by the passionate, open-mouth kiss of real and reel-life lovers, Greta Garbo

Jesse T. Reyes Filipino Potpourri

and Gilbert Roland in “The Flesh and the Devil, which opened the same year as “Tatlong Hambog,” - Cooper and her partner, Luis Tuason, engaged in a feverish kiss in the Nepomuceno project. The hunky Tuason, said to have been a nationally ranked boxer, recalled in an interview published in Modern Romances & True Confessions, that it took three months for Nepomuceno to plan the execution of the kissing scene, filmed amidst the ruins of the old Guadalupe Church and Monastery in San Pedro Makati. Previously when the story called for such a scene, Filipino directors would usually simulate the act by shooting from behind the actors or by fading out the lights before actors’ lips would lock into a kiss. So celebrated was the said kissing scene that Luis Nolasco devoted an entire article on the subject, published in Excelsior in 1930 entitled, “La Historia del Primer Beso de Cine en Filipinas.”

In the same year, actor-producerdirector Vicente Salumbides filmed Fate or Consequence which once again featured Cooper as one of the leads in a star-studded cast. The film appears to be the actress’s last appearance in Philippine Cinema. Cooper wrapped up her movie career in Manila and tried her luck as a showgirl in China’s central coast of Shanghai – just like the beautiful Miami Salvador, showman Lou Salvador’s sister, who had likewise appeared in movies and made her mark dancing the hula-hula in the nightclubs of Shanghai. The showgirl, for a time, was also said to have been involved with the “General” as recounted by Salvador’s daughter, the actress, Neil Adams McQueen, in her autobiography, “My Husband, My Friend.”

When Cooper met the “General” at the Olympic Boxing Stadium in 1930, she had just returned to Manila from abroad and was the very embodiment of the flapper popularized in the satirical cartoons of John Held, Jr.: “sporting a boyish bob of the era, flatchested, skinny-legged, with a gawky amble, wearing brief tight skirts, and speaking baby talk.” The writer Petillo described Cooper as “short and delicate and…very beautiful.”

The “General” was General Douglas MacArthur, who was on a two-year assignment in the Philippines as U.S. Commander of the entire

archipelago and would shortly be appointed U.S. Army Chief of Staff in 1930 by President Herbert Hoover. The five-star General was then 50 years old and Cooper 16 (or 18, depending on the source). Soon after their first meeting, “she was seeing MacArthur regularly. Often his chauffeured car would appear at Isabel’s home on Herron (sic, should be Herran, now Pedro Gil Street) which is located in my very own historical hometown of Sta. Ana district in old Manila. The General would alight, enter and spend an hour or so with the young lady. Sometimes they would share a drink she laughingly called ‘the Douglas,’ made of crushed mangoes, Spanish brandy, and crushed ice. He saw her frequently, and the relationship was not for long a secret from Manila gossips. MacArthur did not seem to mind. Nonetheless, his friendship with Isabel complicated his life.”

Five months before leaving Manila for his new post as U.S. Army Chief of Staff, he was officially in a relationship with Cooper, who was variously referred to as his “mistress” or “concubine,” despite the fact that MacArthur was already divorced from his first wife, the socialite Henriette Louise Cromwell Brooks. While in Manila, MacArthur did not seem to have been particularly worried about the gossip that floated around town about him and the beautiful star. His Filipino friends, after all, kept “queridas” (in the Philippines, a married man’s female romantic dalliance) and Americans attached no harsh criticism or censure to native mistresses as long as the line was drawn at intermarriage.

Analyzing MacArthur’s attraction to Isabel, the writer Petillo wrote: “Isabel, small, soft-spoken, and of another race, offered no threat to his masculinity. More importantly, her somewhat checkered past categorized her in his mind in an entirely different light from his mother and his former wife. Perhaps with her he achieved the sexual success that had escaped him for so long. Certainly, her presence became very paramount to him – so important that he risked a great deal to insure her companionship back in the States.”

But what MacArthur was worried about foremost was how his mother,

See JESSE REYES on 6

An Imaginary Wall of Separation

by Bishop emeritus Teodoro Bacani, the Catholic group’s spiritual advisor.

Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio and former Ombudsman

Conchita Carpio, who are both Robredo supporters. The Vatican is very clear about its stand on partisan politics by giving Caesar his due (Pacim in Terris, Immortale Dei, and Dignitatis Humane). As a matter of fact, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) was chided for its partisan endorsements in 2013.

Archbishop Villegas himself minced no words about such an endorsement tarnishes the church’s spiritual mission with the “stain of the mundane.” “Religion has been used for political gain and our spiritual mission has been compromised,” was his stand in 2013 regarding “Team Patay, Team Buhay.” This time around, it appears that many religious groups, members of the clergy, and even some higher ups in the CBCP are no longer hiding their colors and has openly endorsed the Robredo candidacy. Other religious denominations are also getting in the act and making their own political endorsements.

Bro. Mike Velarde of El Shaddai endorsed Marcos but was rebuffed

Iglesia ni Kristo, Jesus is Lord Movement, and other Protestant groups have openly endorsed candidates with their voting blocks in tow. The Iglesia ni Kristo (Church of Christ) in particular, have flexed its muscle before and after elections and have sought political appointments for its members.

Some in the Catholic Church hierarchy are concerned that Robredo campaign supporters are giving the impression that their candidate is endorsed by the Catholic Church. “Don’t use the pulpit to campaign for a candidate,” a discordant voice from Cebu Archbishop Jose Pala. But with the actions taken by some priests and Church’ leaders, what other impressions can be made?

The Catholic Church, frankly, is trying to have it both ways. By trying to frame the election as a fight between good and evil, it is trying to skirt such a divide. Their real worry is protecting its image from long term damage and to its spiritual mission. I’m baffled as to how they’re making such calculus because they can clearly justify the legality of what they’re doing. By openly demonizing the late dictator for his Martial Law sins and the son for defending his father’s legacy, the Church has made it plain that Robredo met its morality standard. The old adage regarding mixing

religion and politics has a powerful truth that when religion is used for political purposes, that it “empties religion of eternal meaning” and becomes just a tool for grabbing power on earth. Just because an endorsed candidate wins, it does not necessarily follow that the church also wins. The opposite is actually true. Think of the Catholics supporting Marcos in the millions and visualize their reaction when their candidate loses. The Church could lose adherents but Robredo’s supporters could care less. As a matter of fact, her supporters are saying that those who would vote for Marcos are idiots, immoral, and evil – good riddance! Robredo supporters are pointing to other religions. The INK and other religious Protestant denominations have done it in the past and will continue to do it precisely because they want elections to become religious wars. When they vote as a block, they don’t really lose adherents. They actually gain more when their endorsed candidate wins and will point to political appointments they’ve gotten because of such endorsement.

When the Catholic Church becomes entangled in such a political mess, win or lose, risks alienating a segment of the flock.

If Marcos wins, Catholic Robredo supporters might think that the Catholic Church is powerless by allowing “evil” to triumph

especially since Catholics have 86% share of the pie. By extension, some would even question their faith for such embarrassment.

Some members of the clergy are probably offended by President Rodrigo Duterte’s vulgarities towards them, the Pope especially. But, just like individual priests, Duterte also enjoys the constitutional protection of free speech. When church activities were restrained, if not totally, limited, Duterte was merely exercising his presidential powers to safeguard the people.

Besides, the Catholic Church was not singled out with regards to such restrictions. It gave the appearance that Duterte was picking on them but not really true. The Church activities like the Feast of the Black Nazarene, by itself could be a super spreader, if allowed. The large numbers of churchgoers also made it impossible not to restrict such occasions.

Astute Catholic princes have always put a premium to consider the true meaning of the church/ state separation especially knowing religious freedom in the Philippines is openly practiced. Which brings us to what is truly involved in such a concept. The Establishment Clause in all Philippine constitutions dates back to the Malolos Constitution in repudiation of the Spanish colonial system. GOMBURZA, Jose Rizal, and others were killed because of such a potent union. When the United States annexed

the Philippines in 1898, it made sure that its charter followed that of the United States particularly when it comes to the church/state separation. The Malolos Constitution adopted Roman Catholicism as the state religion but the U.S. Congress repudiated that in the Philippine Bill of 1902 that officially established such separation.

The 1987 Cory Constitution, however, practically altered or muddled the inviolability of such separation by recognizing “preferred or group religion” with the creation of the autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law provides an exception thereby Muslims can apply the Muslim’s shari’ah laws and the jurisdiction of shari’ah courts. In the case of the Cordillera Autonomous Region, the state practically sanctioned a religious sacrificial ceremony – the Cañao, where animals are butchered as a sacrifice and feasted on.

The Philippines has also recognized certain religious celebrations as official holidays like Catholic’s Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, All Saints Day, Christmas Day, and Muslim’s Eidul Fitr. In the Preamble, it makes it clear that the Philippines is a Christian nation believing in Almighty God – not Allah. Clearly, the country has adopted a Filipino style concept of the church/state separation.

TRAGIC LOVE STORY: The tale of American General Douglas MacArthur and his Filipino mistress Dimples Cooper

EMPIRE’S MISTRESS: Filipina vaudeville and film actress Isabel Rosario Cooper, who was the paramour of U. S. Army General Douglas MacArthur

Professional Business Directory

JESSE REYES

Continued from page 5

Pinky, would react to his having an affair with a Filipina, and a showgirl at that. Carol Petillo in “Douglas MacArthur, The Philippine Years,” made the following analysis: “Deeply imbued with Victorian values, and perhaps additionally confused in his sexual identity because of his intense and complex relationship with his mother, (he) seemed unable to relate successfully to women in his own world. His choice of profession and his preference for service in the colonial empire may have partially reflected a rejection of that world, and particularly the proper women who peopled it.”

When he finally decided to accept the appointment as U.S. Army Chief of Staff, MacArthur presented Isabel with a jade and diamond ring. As recounted in William Manchester’s American Caesar, “Isabel and the General parted on the Manila dock with the understanding that she would follow him to California within a month.” After his crossing, she seemed to have hesitated, and decided to join him only after he had sent her a heartrending cable from San Francisco signed ‘Daddy.’

Referring to the correspondence between the General and Isabel at the time, Petillo in Douglas MacArthur, The Philippine Years, noted that “MacArthur seemed fearful that Isabel would not follow him to the States, and spent a great deal of space urging that she prepare with care and allow

nothing to interfere with her departure.

Between the lines of passionate prose, there was an underlying insecurity – certainly not unusual in MayDecember affairs…Another measure of the depth of his involvement with Isabel can be seen in his lack of caution in his letters…though he was careful not to be too specific, he nevertheless signed one of his letters with his first name and urged her to wire him at 9th Corps Headquarters in San Francisco if anything went wrong.” A letter from ‘Daddy’ to Dimples indicated that he would meet her at 3 p.m. docking on 9 December 1930 at Pier 9 Jersey City.

In Washington, D.C., Daddy established her in a Seventeenth Street apartment, then at a suite at the Hotel Chastleton, an imposing Gothic Revival Style building near his office at the State, War, and Navy Building. He provided her with a poodle and an enormous wardrobe of tea gowns, kimonos, and black-lace lingerie. There were few street clothes, because, he saw no reason why she would go outdoors. He wanted her always there for him. Like many another lover, he had put his paramour on a pedestal and expected her never to leave it. However, as pointed out in the book, “Cinema of the Philippines,” the General’s expectation that she would pass the time alone in her apartment awaiting his every visit proved unrealistic, especially for one so beautiful and used to attention.

Dorothy Detzer, a Washington lobbyist who met Cooper, recalled in the book, “American Caesar”: “I thought I had never seen anything as exquisite. She was wearing a lovely,

obviously expensive chiffon tea gown, and she looked as if she were carved from the most delicate opalescent. She had her hair in braids down her back.”

“As Chief of Staff, MacArthur had to do a lot of travelling. He would send her postcards but she found these poor substitutes for company. She tired of the dog and grew restless. Reluctantly, the General agreed to provide her with a chauffeured limousine. In it she prowled the night spots of Washington and Baltimore where she seduced, among others, George S. Abell, a descendant of the Baltimore Sun’s founder. She wheedled a large cash gift from MacArthur and spent it on a spree in Havana.”

The General encouraged Cooper to enroll in school. She tried art school for a while and switched to law where she met a fellow student who promised to relive the monotony of her situation while he paid the bills. Word of these goings-on reached MacArthur. Their ardor, as the tabloids put it, cooled. She asked him to find a job in the capital for her brother, Allen Cooper. He refused, rudely sent her a “Help Wanted” column torn from a newspaper, and hinted that she look to her father or her brother for future support. Eventually, on September 1, 1934, he terminated their relationship – or thought he was ending it – by mailing her a train ticket to the West Coast and ocean liner passage to Manila.

But Isabel had no intention of leaving Washington. She moved into a rooming house a few blocks from his office. She was job hunting when

she heard that a columnist named Drew Pearson was interested in the General’s past. As recounted in Karnow’s “In Our Image,” MacArthur drew flak from the press in his handling of the infamous Bonus March incident when, in the summer of 1932, some 20,000 veterans of World War I, mainly jobless victims of the Depression, marched to Washington to urge Congress to vote for deferred bonus. Many came with their families and camped in empty buildings or in flimsy huts outside the city. While most of the protesters merely needed to be heard and given compassion, MacArthur regarded them as subversives and assumed personal charge when President Hoover ordered their dispersal. Mobilizing 800 troops, he first evicted the veterans from the public buildings. Then, disregarding Hoover’s directive to halt pursued them with bayonets and tear gas across the Anacostia River. As women and children fled in terror, MacArthur’s men burned their encampment of tents and shacks. But to protect his reputation, he shifted responsibility to the President whose “force and vigor” averted “a very grave situation.”

Columnists Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen, who reveled in puncturing pomposity, assailed MacArthur for his “dictatorial” handling of the situation and his dispersal of the veterans as “unwarranted, unnecessary, arbitrary, harsh, and brutal.” MacArthur sued Drew Pearson,

Help Wanted / For Rent / For Sale

will be ready to open its doors especially to our ally the US in using our facilities, any facilities they may need.”

date there’s a possibility that he may consider to go.”

When he spoke with Duterte in a meeting in Manila, Romualdez said the President stated that there was “no real compelling reason for him” to attend the US summit.

“He was half and half about it,” he said.

Even without his presence in the summit, Duterte, he said, pledged to provide US military access to Philippine facilities under the Mutual Defense Treaty should the RussiaUkraine crisis affects Asia.

“He says if they’re asking for the support of the Philippines he was very clear that if push comes to shove the Philippines will be ready to be part of the effort especially if this Ukrainian crisis spills over to the Asian region,” Romualdez said.

“He offered that the Philippines

According to Romualdez, Duterte has indicated his approval to open former military bases in Clark, Pampanga and in Subic in Zambales to the US in the event of an “emergency situation.”

If the trip pushes through, it would be Duterte’s first visit to Washington as president. It would also underscore his friendly relations with the Biden administration in contrast with former President Barack Obama, whom he cursed for criticizing his deadly war on drugs. Biden was Obama's vice

64M Filipinos fully vaccinated vs. Covid-19 -- NVOC

MANILA -- About 64 million Filipinos are already fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a health official said Thursday.

National Vaccinations Operations Center Chief Myrna Cabotaje said the government has administered some 137 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, including 10.7 million booster shots, as of March 9.

“Nag-set tayo ng milestone. Ang milestones natin ngayon (We have set milestones. These include) 70 million fully vaccinated by March. And then, 90 million Filipinos, fully vaccinated by the end of June 2022,” she said in a media forum.

As for the booster shots, Cabotaje reiterated they can only be given to fully vaccinated individuals who are 18 years old and above.

There are no booster shots recommended for 17 years old and below here and abroad as experts are still studying how long the protection from vaccines would last in the primary host, she said.

Nonetheless, she said, the vaccination coverage of children aged 12 to 17 years old in the country is good. The age group inoculation started on Nov. 21, 2021.

Vaccine Expert Panel Chief Dr. Nina Gloriani earlier said other countries are already studying the possibility of giving booster shots to the immunocompromised who belong to such an age group.

To increase these numbers, the national government held the 4th National Vaccination drive from March 10 to 12 with the target to inoculate 1.8 million people.

The focus of the ongoing inoculation activities includes the A2 population or the senior citizens and areas with low vaccination rate, particularly Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Central Visayas, Soccsksargen, and Bicol Region.

Many doctors offering clinics for gov't vax drive, says PMA chief

Many doctors have offered their clinics to be used as vaccination sites in the fourth "Bayanihan, Bakunahan" drive against COVID-19, the head of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) said Thursday.

During the Laging Handa briefing, PMA president Dr. Benito Atienza said these doctors must coordinate with them and the Department of Health (DOH) first in accordance with existing protocols.

“Marami po tayong mga doctors na willing mag-extend ng kanilang tulong na gawin ang kanilang mga clinic ay vaccination site po. Nagpapalista na po kami sa mga doctor na makiisa dito sa ating vaccination ng ating mga kababayan, ito po ay para sa booster doses para sa mga 18 years old and above,” he said.

Atienza said clinics are only accomodating those 18 years old and above as COVID-19 vaccination for those aged 5 to 17 are usually conducted in hospitals since these have facilities for storing formulated vaccines.

“Sa 18 years old and above ay puwede na po ibigay sa mga clinic, dapat lang po nakalista sa Department of Health (DOH) at sa mga local government units (LGUs) po ang mga clinic ng doctor na ito,” he said.

“Meron po kaming proseso na dapat mag-sign po kung papayag po ang doctor na maging vaccination site ang kanyang clinic ay iko-coordinate

namin yan sa DOH. At ang DOH ikocoordinate sa LGU para bigyan po sila ng sapat na supply ng bakuna, syringes, at saka iba pong mga paraphernalia yung mga sinasign po yung mga consent,” he added.

At least 1.8 million Filipinos are targeted to receive the anti-COVID primary and booster doses during the Bayanihan, Bakunahan 4, which is set from March 10 to 12, 2022.

The DOH earlier said the priority for the fourth national vaccination drive will be senior citizens who have not yet completed their primary dose series and those set for booster shots.

Fewer COVID-19 infections

Meanwhile, Atienza said more patients with non-COVID-related health concerns are now returning to hospitals and clinics, and that fewer healthcare personnel are now infected with COVID-19.

“Bumabalik na po yung mga doctor sa kanilang clinic na dati po eh natatakot mag-clinic at the same time yung mga pasyente ayaw bumalik sa clinic ng doctor pero ngayon bumabalik na po sila,” Atienza said.

“At ngayon makikita po natin na yung mga naka-schedule na surgery at procedures na dapat gawin sa hospital ay bumabalik na sila at nakikita na sumisigla na yung mga ospital, hindi na yung nakikita natin dati na takot na takot ang mga pasyente na pumunta ng ospital. At saka nakakatuwa yung mga healthcare workers wala na masyadong nagkaka-COVID,” he added.

He, however, urged the public to remain vigilant and observe minimum health protocols to prevent another spread of COVID-19 infections.

The Philippines on Wednesday logged the lowest COVID-19 daily tally this year with 580 new infections, bringing the country’s caseload to 3,669,283.

The DOH said the new infections brought the country’s active case count to 47,471. This is the lowest number of active cases since January 5, 2022.

Areas under Alert Level 2 ‘watched’ for possible de-escalation

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) will definitely review the Covid-19 situations and the vaccination coverage of areas placed under less restrictive Alert Level 2 for possible downgrade to the most lenient Alert Level 1 System, National Task Force (NTF) against Covid special medical adviser, Dr. Ted Herbosa, said Thursday.

Herbosa said these areas should reach a vaccination rate of above 70 percent of their target population, with 80 percent of their senior citizens and persons with comorbidities already vaccinated.

"So, rirebyuhin ng IATF, alam ko may meeting sila ngayon, rirebyuhin nila iyong mga lugar na nasa Alert Level 2 kung puwede na silang ibaba sa Alert Level 1 kagaya ng mungkahi noong Monday (So, the IATF will review this, I know they have a meeting today to review the areas under Alert Level 2, if these can be downgraded to Alert Level 1 as recommended on Monday)," Herbosa said in an interview at the Laging Handa public briefing.

Herbosa said this could be positive news "so long that the country's Covid-19 cases will continue to go down."

Areas under Alert Level 2 for the first half of March are:

(Luzon) Benguet, Ifugao, and Mountain Province in Cordillera Administrative Region; Nueva Vizcaya in Region 2: Nueva Ecija and Zambales in Region 3; Batangas, Lucena City, Quezon, and Rizal in Region 4-A; Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, and Palawan in Region 4-B; and Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon in Region 5.

In Visayas are Antique, Iloilo City, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental in Region 6; Bohol, Cebu Province, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Negros Oriental in Region 7; and Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Ormoc City, Southern Leyte, Tacloban City, and Western Samar in Region 8.

In Mindanao, Region 9: City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga Sibugay; Bukidnon, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental in Region 10; Davao De Oro, Davao Del Sur, Davao Del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Davao Occidental in Region 11; General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat in Region 12; Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Butuan City, and Dinagat Islands in Caraga Region; and Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu, TawiTawi, Cotabato City, and Lanao Del Sur in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Herbosa said the country's overall Covid-19 situation is so far so "good" amid the easing of restrictions in Metro Manila and other 38 areas.

Philippines records 592 new COVID-19 infections; active tally at 47K

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday recorded 592 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the nationwide COVID-19 tally to 3,668,940.

According to the DOH’s latest bulletin posted on its website, the new cases brought the country's active case count to 47,173.

A total of 3,564,509 patients recovered from the respiratory disease, while the number of deaths rose to 57,258.

Based on the latest data, it showed that 24.64% of the intensive care unit (ICU) beds for COVID-19 patients nationwide are in use.

At least 22.04% of the country’s isolation beds were utilized, while 13.66% ward beds were in use.

The Philippines on Wednesday logged the lowest COVID-19 daily tally this year with 580 new infections.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Thursday the government is now studying the possibility of further easing the country's COVID-19 status to “Alert Level 0,” with several areas now at Alert Level 1.

Duque said the country has recorded fewer than a thousand cases daily for six consecutive days while the National Capital Region (NCR) and 38 more areas nationwide are still under the lowest level until March 15.

Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be allowed without regard to age and comorbidities. All establishments, persons, or activities, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards. (MNS)

FRANCINE MAIGUE

Spiritual Life

Rediscovering

When did you ever feel the presence of God in your life? How did you know about God? Do you have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ? These are some of the questions that have been asked by many of my friends when conversations veered towards the spiritual. These are soulsearching questions and I often took time to answer them if not evade them altogether.

Spiritual experiences are purely individual. They greatly depend on your upbringing, on your environment, and on the people you associate with. I grew up in a Christian environment. My father was one of the first convert to Protestantism in my hometown. The Holy Bible was the only book I saw that he read every day. As the Justice of the Peace, his judgment was greatly influenced by the Word of God. It was from him that I first heard about the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would like others do to you.” To him this was an ever encompassing rule that should guide your attitude and behavior towards others, where ever you are and with whoever you are with.

My mother was a graduate of a mission school of nursing, hence, her services as a Nurse were enhanced by her knowledge of Scriptures. Her love for children was inspired by what Jesus did, “let

our spiritual roots

the children come to me and forbid them not for such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” She devoted so much time to help the poor, the widows and the marginalized to the extent that she considered that serving others was her religion.

My parents were not only readers or listeners of the Word. They are doers of the Word. As I ponder on the topic I’ve chosen to write about in this column today, Rediscovering Our Spiritual Roots, I am awed by the influenced exerted by my upbringing. This was further enhanced by going to church every Sunday, attending Bible studies, and associating with people whose lives are centered on the Word of God.

At this stage of my life, I am more deeply aware of God’s presence as I make decisions, as I interact with others, and as I face the challenges

of aging. I am thankful to God for His manifold blessings. I may not be rich financially, but I feel so rich because God provides. God cares. God never fails.

I would like to share this prayer that was sent to me by a friend, “God of life and love, pour forth Your Spirit to inspire me with Your words of compassion, forgiveness and love. Stir in me a desire to renew my faith and deepen my relationship with Jesus, your son.

Open my heart to hear and

Our Father is a God of His word

And blessed (happy, to be envied) is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord. (Luke 1:45)

I can only imagine the mixed emotions Mary must have experienced when the Angel Gabriel approached her with the promise of a child. Not just any child, but the Son of God; the promised seed that would change the course of history. Mary was chosen to give birth to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and the Savior of mankind. God handpicked Mary to partner with Him in this great feat. He needed someone that was not only pure in body and spirit but also in faith.

What an honor!

The promised child God spoke to Mary concerning was an extenuation of the promise He had given Abram. That promise carried over until it reached the point of fulfillment. God had to perform miracles along the way to that promise, including opening wombs

Danny Hernaez From Whom All Blessings Flow

that were barren. If He said it, He will surely bring it to pass. If God can open closed wombs and overshadow a virgin by the power of His Holy Spirit to cause her to conceive, he can indeed keep His promise to us as His children.

No longer cry out in desperation wondering if God has forgotten about you and the promises He has made. No, from this point forward let Mary's response be your response; be it unto me Lord according to your Word. We can be assured that God possesses the power to perform what He has promised.

And now may the Lord bless you, and may the Lord keep you, and may the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and may the Lord be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you walk in the blessed assurance that your steps are being ordered of the Lord and that His angels are going before you to make certain that your life reaches its spiritual destiny. May the prayers that you pray, be reward to you according to your faith, for God is a faithful God, and He will open the windows of heaven and bless you with blessings you cannot contain, in Jesus' name. Amen.

<(((><

March 15, 2022

Viewing at El Camino Memorial Park from 10 am to 12 pm.

Mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Rancho Penasquitos at 1 pm. Burial ceremony at El Camino Memorial Park at 2:30 pm.

The family kindly requests friends, associate and community members to give RSVP if interested to attend to pay your last respect at (760)809-8251.

We entered into the joyful celebration of the season of Lent four days ago with the liturgical celebration of Ash Wednesday. This season is a joyful forty days preparation for the celebration of the Paschal Triduum, or three day holy days the make us remember the saving mystery of the Passover of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this season there are six Sundays that the Church has provided us to reflect on the word of God besides the celebration of the Eucharist so that we can seriously and thoroughly prepares ourselves, both as individuals and members of a community, for the renewal of our baptismal vows in the liturgical celebration at Easter Vigil.

Just like was we did in the past Lenten season, we are supposed to do three very significant activities in this joyful preparation. These are deep personal and communal prayers, sincere and generous charitable expression of our love for our neighbor, especially those who are in real need, and finally, compassionate and voluntary self-sacrifice through fasting and abstinence. This period of Lent, celebrated with joyfully will lead us to a very meaningful celebration of Easter which is “the most joyous and solemn feast of the entire liturgical year.”

“The First Sunday of the Lenten journey reveals our condition as

human beings here on earth. The victorious battle against temptation, the starting point of Jesus’ mission, is an invitation to become aware of our own fragility in order to accept the Grace that frees us from sin and infuses new strength in Christ –the way, the truth and the life. It is a powerful reminder that Christian faith implies, following the example of Jesus and in union with him, a battle ‘against ruling forces who are maters of the darkness in this world’ (Eph. 6:12), in which the devil is at work and never tires – even today –of tempting whoever wishes to draw close to the Lord:

Christ emerges victorious to open also our hearts to hope and guide us in overcoming the seductions of evil.” (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) . Indeed the readings of today’s liturgy make us really conscious and aware that in the world today the temptations for riches, power

and glory are real, forceful and pervasive. We are living in a world where often the gospel message that the “Sermon on the Mount,” or the beatitudes is truly put into test. There really exist strong and seductive allurements of the world from its sincere accomplishment in our personal and communal lives as disciples of Jesus. There are times that we fail in our Christian living of the gospel message of perfection, yet the triumph that Jesus has manifested in the desert should strengthen us and make us confident that although we cannot surmount the temptation of the devil by our own personal strength, the devil was overcome by Christ and can be overcome by us with the power that Christ has shared with us through baptism. The first Sunday of Lent is a reminder that life in the world for every Christian is a constant battle between us and the Evil one. It is also an assurance that the Evil One has been conquered totally by Jesus Christ Himself. However, this conquest can also happen in our own personal a communal battle with the banner of Jesus as our guide and constant reminder of his triumph and victory. Let us, therefore, open our hearts and minds to Jesus during this holy season of Lent so that we may persevere in valley of tears until we finally come in communion with Him forever and ever.

TESS TOLENTINO - ADAMS CELEBRATES HER 70TH BIRTHDAY WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES IN GRAND FASHION Tess Tolentino Adams recently celebrated her 70th birthday at the Anchors and Spurs on February 11, 2022. The milestone event was attended by her family, relatives, close friends and her colleagues where she previously worked like UCSD and PVH. The celebration was emceed by Mr. Jay Aguillera and the invocation /blessings were officiated by Fr. Supnet. Some of the attendees were Chris Aguilera, Oscar and Fe Manuel, Baby G, Go Go Go Dancers , Ana Gimenez, Zumba Instructor, Samahan Rondalla with Alex Alcantara, son of Tess, who rendered some dynamic instrumental music and solo number. The Harana Band provided a variety of music from top 40's, 50, 60's, 70's,80's and more leading guests to dance the night away. Husband Paul Adams serenaded wife Tess as a surprise that melted her heart and got her tickled pink. Popular games like hula hoops competition, question and answer portion, dance competitions and exhibitions engaged the guests who were rewarded with monetary gifts. Tess, the celebrant gamely showcased her dance prowess with the Go Go Go Dancers and lead Zumba dancer, Ana Jimenez. The decorations and event coordination was done by Juvy Nittingham under the direction of the celebrant who wants to make sure that the Roaring 50's theme is fully executed and enjoyed by invited guests of over 200 people. Open bar as well as sumptuous dinner trio of steak, salmon and chicken with salad and veggies delighted and satisfied the palate of the guests, who were impressed with host's generosity in making sure they enjoy the food, music and company. Overall, the event was a success and a testament that family, life long friendships cemented over time with great memories are what drives us social creatures to get reunited again, and again to celebrate a milestone event like Tess's 70th birthday, for which she articulates very well when she gave her valedictory thank you speech for those who shared this special moment with her, that is for the record. (Photos by Zen Ply)

TEACHERS

Continued from page 1

another time, she was the President of CTFLC( Council for Teaching Filipino Language and Culture). She worked with San Diego Unified School District as a CurriculumWriter and was a CoChair for textbook adoption in Filipino in the District. Heradvocacy for Gawad Kalinga brought her to a presentation of the International Conference of WCCI (World Council for Curriculum and Instruction) held in Pecs, Hungary in 2010. In 2015, she had the good fortune of earning a Fulbright scholarship. She is currently the Producer and Director of “Voices of the Fil-Am Youth” which aims to tackle issues related to the Fil-Am Youth of San Diego and is conducted through live streaming. One of the popular programs she pioneered is with CCAP (Career College Access Pathways) where her students at Mira Mesa High School could earn units which will be credited in College. Her approach in teaching is Holistic. She wants her students not only to learn the Language but also to become leaders in the community and in the Global stage. She teaches from the heart and her students love her for it. Her students are very much involved in Filipino community events. They produce the annual Culture Night and she accompanies them to the theme parks and does a lot of other things to build beautiful memories in their school life. Her achievements were not left unnoticed. For 2022, she is honored by CLTA (California Language Teachers Association) with an OUTSTANDING TEACHER AWARD. Mrs. Magat-

Lapid is a recipient of the same statewide honor and recognition bestowed on her Mentor Mrs. Rosalina V. Idos 25 years ago. Hers is a beautiful and inspiring story. Mrs.Magat-Lapid has become a treasure in the Filipino community of San Diego.

Mrs. Magat-Lapid was raised by her aunt, Sylvia. She is married to Michael Lapid, also a Filipino Language teacher. They have a five year old son, Mickey. RIZALYN M. CRUZ, Guro

Mrs. Rizalyn Cruz, Guro hails from Davao City, Philippines. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from Ateneo de Davao, a Jesuit run university in Mindanao. Back in the Philippines she was a high school teacher and parttime college Instructor. She migrated to the US in 1997. She studied at San Diego State University and in 1999 she started teaching Filipino Language at Southwestern College until 2007. In 2010 she was hired as a teacher of Filipino at Otay Ranch High School. Initially, she had only three classes. This jumped to five classes the following year. So far, she has 17 years in language teaching. Her teaching is standards driven and she uses a wide variety of teaching methodologies to make her students engaged in the learning process. Her students are having fun at the same time that they are learning the language. At Otay Ranch High School she organized a dance troupe, Pangkat Sayaw which performs not only on campus but also in the community and in Convalescent Homes. She has a separate club called Bayanihan which manages the Annual Culture Night. This enables the diverse students of Otay Ranch High to showcase their own culture. She is one

of the strong supporters of the annual Magkaisa Conference where parents, students and teachers come together to discuss issues relevant to the Filipino community. She is also a member of the Sweetwater Union High School District Filipino Advisory Committee. Mrs. Cruz is a Teacher Trainer of SAILN (Southern Area International Languages Network) for three years where current and would-be teachers of the Languages are trained to become Fellows of the Languages in the state of California. In 2018, she was one the Pilot Teachers of the very first after school Filipino Language program in the Elementary level. The Principal of Salt Creek Elementary school was very much impressed with her teaching skills. Mrs. Cruz is currently the President of CTFLC (Council for the Teaching of Filipino Language and Culture) which meets regularly once a month. She meets separately with the Board when there is a need.

During her incumbency, she initiated the publication of a CTFLC Monthly Bulletin. This supplements the CTFLC website as a means to inform teachers and members of activities and issues related to the teaching of Filipino in San Diego. She and a few other members of CTFLC also initiated the formation of a Rondalla to develop greater appreciation for Philippine music. In a joint venture with San Diego County Office Of Education (SDCOE) and CTFLC, teachers and students of Filipino in San Diego Unified School District. Poway Unified School District and Sweetwater Union High School District are connected with their counterparts in the Philippines. This project is called the Intercultural

Exchange Program. Mrs Cruz strongly believes in establishing a strong working relationship with various organizations like COPAO, SAILN, FLCSD, CLTA and Community of Practice. As a beginning teacher of Filipino, Mrs. Cruz was in attendance when Mrs. Rosalina V. Idos was honored as an Outstanding Teacher in the Languages in the state of California in 2007. By her own admission, what she witnessed has become an inspiration in her teaching career. Her Jesuit education has made her truly believe that Service to Humanity is what gives meaning to our life. She takes pride in the nobility

of the teaching profession that the word Guro (Teacher) is attached to her name. Congratulations Ginang Rizalyn M. Cruz, Guro.

Mrs. Cruz is married to Arthur Cruz, who also works in the Sweetwater Union High School District. They have two sons.

Top photo shows Teacher Jackie Magat-Lapid with students from Mira Mesa High School during a field trip.

Bottom photo shows Ginang Rizalyn Cruz with students from Otay High School during a cultural presentation.

(Courtesy photos)

Robert S. Allen, and United Features Syndicate, which owned the rights to the “Washington Merry-Go-Round Column” for libel and asked for $1.75 million in damages. In building their defense, the columnists received help from Mississippi Congressman Ross Collins who lived in a suite on the same floor of the apartment building as Cooper. Moreover, Pearson discovered to his delight that she had kept all of MacArthur’s syrupy and impassioned love letters to her. When Pearson’s lawyer, Morris Ernst, casually informed MacArthur’s counsel at a pre-trial hearing that they would have a certain Miss Isabel Rosario Cooper summoned as witness for the defense, MacArthur promptly withdrew the case.

The General paid off Cooper $15,000 to have the letters returned to him and an equal sum to defray Pearson’s legal expenses, which cost him dearly. MacArthur could easily have defeated Pearson in court had he not feared that his mother would learn about Dimples. After all, MacArthur was a divorced man and single. Yet were those letters revealed in public, they would have damaged MacArthur’s reputation irreparably and doomed his presidential aspirations. To this day, the MacArthur Estate prohibits direct quotation from the letters (copies of which are at the University of Texas at Austin, Humanities Research Center) which reveal the schoolboy infatuation of a middle-aged man for a beauty less than half his age. Shortly after, MacArthur would once again leave for Manila after accepting an offer from President Manuel Quezon to serve as his military adviser. MacArthur arrived in Manila late in 1935; six weeks later, his mother, Mary Pinkney Hardy MacArthur, passed away, emancipating him. Aboard the ship, he met Jean Marie Faircloth, a 36-year-old lady from Murfreesboro, Tennessee whom he married on April 30, 1937 while on furlough in New York. A year later, she gave birth to their son Arthur in Manila, named after his father. With $15,000 on hand and “Daddy” out of her life, Dimples married lawyer, Frank E. Kennemore, Jr. (or Kennamer, b. 15 February 1912d. 19 April 1972, the same student she was involved with in Washington,

D.C.) in 1935, lived in his native Oklahoma, opened a beauty salon, and divorced in 1942 – according to U.S. Census records (which were also found online) and a newspaper announcement of their divorce cited by Filipino-American writer and former Associated Press reporter Cindy Fazzi in the footnotes of her book, “My MacArthur.” Moreover, two marriage licenses cited by Fazzi reveal that she was married twice to Filipino-American bartender, Milton Moreno (born 1915 in Roseville, California to Manila-born Gabriel Moreno and Angelina Dennis) the first on June 13, 1944 and next on November 21, 1946. Apparently, the marriages ended in divorce; and there were no records found of any children born to her.

It was during her marriage to Moreno that Cooper headed for Hollywood to pursue her dreams of stardom. To promote herself, Dimples commissioned the Jose Reyes Studio in Los Angeles to shoot portraits of her in various costumes for roles she aimed to land: a demure Filipina girl in a butterfly-sleeved “Filipiniana” outfit, a sultry Chinese dragon lady clad in a Cheongsam, and a flirty island girl in a sarong and lei. As per IMDb.com (https://imdb. com/), the earliest Hollywood film credited under her screen name Dimples Cooper, was Mark Sandrich’s So Proudly We Hail (1943), starring Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake, which is about a group of nurses returning from the war in the Philippines recalling their experiences in combat and in love. Cooper played an unbilled role as a Filipina nurse. The movie garnered four Oscar nominations. Next occurrence took another war movie, Lewis Milestone’s Purple Heart (1944), the story of an American bomber crew captured from the first air raid in Tokyo. The film had Dimples Cooper in another unbilled role as a Geisha. Yet another was Cecil B. DeMille’s The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944), starring Gary Cooper and Laraine Day, where she played a secondary role as a nurse in WWII Java. Two years later, billed curiously this time as “Chabing,” Cooper played one of the king’s wives in John Cromwell’s Anna and the King of Siam (1946), starring Rex Harrison as the King and Irene Dunne as Anna, with fellow Filipina actress, Rosa del Rosario likewise playing one of the monarch’s wives. The following year, billed again

as Dimples Cooper, she played a church choir member in Elia Kazan’s Boomerang (1947), a film noir crime thriller based on a true story about a vagrant wrongly accused of the murder of a Catholic priest. The year 1947 was a busy year for the bitplayer as she appeared in three more films: as a Squaw billed as Dimples Cooper in Cecil B. DeMille’s costume epic Unconquered (1947), starring Gary Cooper and Paulette Goddard, set in British Colonial America; as a native woman billed as “Chabing” in John Brahm's Singapore (1947), starring Fred MacMurray as a pearl smuggler who finds his amnesiac bride, played by a young Ava Gardner, married to another man in Post-WWII Singapore; and as Lillie May Wong (billed as “Chabing”), the murdered Chinese princess’ maid in her first Charlie Chan movie, William Beaudine’s The Chinese Ring (1947) with Roland Winters as Charlie Chan. Henceforth billed as “Chabing” she would star in another Charlie Chan movie with the same director and star, entitled Shanghai Chest (1948), where she played a receptionist named Miss Lee.

Despite being confined to bit roles, the 1950s saw her making four more movies: as a Chinese girl in Peter Godfrey’s The Great Jewel Robber (1950) starring David Brian as a master thief who targeted society homes; in an unknown role in Lawrence Raimond’s The Art of the Burlesque (1950) which starred Charlie Crafts as Prof. Stringheimer who ran a Striptease College where aspiring strip dancers were taught their craft; as a slave girl in Jacques Tourneur’s Anne of the Indies (1951), starring Jean Peters, Debra Paget, and Louis Jourdan; and her swan song, as Lolita in Leslie Selanderf’s I Was an American Spy (1951), the story of nightclub owner, Claire “High Pockets” Phillips, played by Ann Dvorak, who secretly worked as a secret agent for the Americans in WWII Manila.

Ironically, the Philippines Free Press published a retrospective article on Dimples “Chabing” Cooper in its March 17, 1951 issue, wistfully remembering her glory days as a showgirl on the Rivoli stage singing “Has Anybody Seen My Kitty?” with a lisp to the uproarious delight of U.S. Navy servicemen. The report included a glamour studio portrait of more mature Dimples and simply stated that she was in Hollywood making a picture and was now known by her screen name, “Chabing.”

At that time, there was a slim chance an Asian actor like Dimples Cooper/”Chabing” would have made it big in Early Hollywood.

Even Anna May Wong, who holds a special place in film history as the first Asian American actress to become a Hollywood sensation, was limited by the Hays’ Code and California’s anti-miscegenation laws (in effect until 1948) from taking roles that involved romance with a white male lead. Wong also suffered from the stereotyping of Asian actresses as “China Dolls” or as “Dragon Ladies.” Despite her prodigious talent as an actress, she was often relegated to playing supporting roles to white lead actresses. Even lead roles which were meant for Asians, such as the O-Lan role in The Good Earth (1937) went to so-called “Yellow Face” white actresses like Luise Rainer who even won an Oscar Best Actress award for her performance in this movie.