The Filipino Press: November 10-16, 2023

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRANCINE Remembering our beloved Francine

InternationaL cuisines

Fruit picking

PAMPERED PINAY:

and picnicKing Enjoy the activity with family

ADVENTURES IN TASTE

Leisure| P2

EMPOWERMENT | P2

SPECIAL OFFERS | P12

San Diego’s No. 1 Source of News & Information for the Filipino Community • An Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1986 November 10, 2023 - November 16, 2023

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UN, foreign gov’ts remember victims of Typhoon Yolanda

MANILA -- The United Nations and other foreign governments joined the Philippines in commemorating the victims of the devastating Super Typhoon Yolanda that struck the Philippines and killed thousands 10 years ago.

“We remember the lives that were lost and disrupted and extend our gratitude once again to the Philippine government and humanitarian partners for their support and collaboration, which played a crucial role in efforts to assist those affected by the super typhoon,” the Philippines Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Yolanda battered the Philippines on November 8, 2013 and left over 6,300 people dead and thousands of families displaced.

Over 16 million people were affected in 41 provinces across nine regions.

In the immediate aftermath, the HCT said it helped coordinate assistance provided by international and national partners between November 2013 to August 2014.

A total of 3.7 million people received food assistance, 2.3 million children were vaccinated, 110 local government units were given improved vaccine cold chain facilities; more than a million received cash aid

REMEMBERING YOLANDA. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (2nd from left) attends a Mass for the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) in Tacloban City on Wednesday (Nov. 8, 2023). He also led the distribution of land titles to the survivors of the super typhoon, which left at least 6,000 dead and more than 28,000 injured, and affected about 3 million families after it pummeled Eastern Visayas in 2013. (MNS photo) and various assistance; and thousands were housed in emergency shelters, among others.

Beyond these, the HCT members continued to provide support to restore

livelihoods as well as local institutions and public services for recovery.

Climate resilient and gender sensitive evacuation centers, and resilient permanent housing for

All systems go with FP Thanksgiving Extravaganza

Cherilyn Mallari SAN DIEGO, CA-- Cherilyn picked up the microphone when she was 3 years old and hasn't put it down ever since. She started competing and winning in singing contests when she was 6 yrs. old and became the 1997 Seafood City Fiesta Filipiniana Mexican karaoke champion when she was 7 yrs old. She has competed and won numerous first place trophies since then as multi award winning singer here in San Diego and Southern California.

She has front acted in concerts for Gary Valenciano, Jose Mari Chan, Nonoy Zuniga, Dessa, Bituin, Maja Salvador, Martin Niviera, Pops Fernandez, Jessa Zaragoza and many more. She got the Gold Ticket on American Idol from American Idol winner Taylor Hicks himself when he was a judge in Colorado when she was 26 Fast forward to November 18, 2023, Cherilyn will get her break as a singer/artist, not as a front act but the main act on the upcoming Filipino Press Thanksgiving Extravaganza on the dinner-concert

segment of the program. She will be singing popular songs of Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and a variety of popular artists which will showcase her vocal range, control, versatility and creativity as an emerging professional artist in her own right.

Most people who have listened to her sing gets mesmerized by the power of her voice and control, some moved to tears as she shares her emotional rendition of some songs.

Cherilyn will be joined by Charisma, 2021 Teen Karaoke Seafood City Champion on stage as well.

Most recently, Cherilyn launched her professional singing services and is available for events, concerts, all occasion parties to provide musical entertainment. Book her for your future events as your singing DJ host or the main performer as highlight of your event.

ART of FASHION The Filipino Press Thanksgiving Extravaganza also features the Art Exhibits and Couture Fashion

Collections of Artist & Fashion Designer, Jean Amour Pioso. A resident of San Diego, Jean Amour is so excited about the opportunity afforded her to share her talents and creations to San Diegans, after having done fashion shows in Los Angeles, New York, Philippines and recently from her Paris Fashion Week stint.

Models to be featured at the event are coming from Los Angeles as well as San Diego based recruited models.

The Filipino Press Thanksgiving Extavaganza is brought to you by Wyyerd Fiber, My Point Credit Union, Gerry's Grill, Noel Ancheta, Old Schoolhouse Square Shopping Center, San Ysidro Health Center, La Flamme French Pizza, Zarlito's, Atty. Morris Chichiyan, Ramada by Wyndham, Mabuhay DJ, Califoto and more. Tickets may be availed at eventbrite or by calling/text the Filipino Press at (619)755-0755.

Cost is $75/person . Part of proceeds goes to the UP Alumni of San Diego's scholarship program.

The event will be held at Ramada

by Wyndham on November 18, 2023 from 6pm-11pm.

There will be a Red Carpet welcome at around 4pm at the foyer with Holiday Bazaar vendors/ exhibitors like DCL Pre-Loved Bags and Jewelry, Palm Care Pharmacy, Juv's Petals, Sofia's Boutique, Kitchen Logic etc.

We are looking forward to engage and have a bountiful celebration with you on November 18 at Ramada by Wyndham. Of course, there is always something for everyone, surprise guests, opportunity drawing, talent showcase, dancing most especially.

For the karaoke enthusiasts, there will be a late night Karaoke to cap the event.

displaced families were also provided.

“Today, we commemorate the resilience and strength of the Filipino people, who have rebuilt their lives and communities in the face of

adversity. We must continue to learn from the lessons of Haiyan to better prepare for future disasters made even more challenging by climate change,” Gonzalez said.

“Together with the government, we are committed to investing in disaster risk reduction and innovative solutions such as anticipatory action and to deepening our collaboration in building a more resilient Philippines,” he added.

‘Foreign gov’t aid’ The European Union, the United States, Canada, France, Japan, China, Australia, the United Kingdom, India, and Israel were among the many embassies that also paid respect to the victims of the typhoon.

In a post on X, the European Union Delegation in Manila said it has provided EUR40 million in humanitarian assistance and early recovery interventions to help those affected.

Including the assistance from other EU Member States, the total EU aid amounts to over EUR180 million.

The United States in an X post also recalled its humanitarian and development aid totaling USD143 million, which supported the procurement of critical food, health, shelter, water, and hygiene support.

The US military supported the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) response by airlifting critical relief supplies to communities cut off by the storm.

Coordination between the US military and the Philippine Air Force also enabled Tacloban Airport to See YOLANDA on 5

Post-Pandemic, Homeowners of Color Face Losing Homes

By Selen Ozturk/EMS While CA homeowners of color already face many threats to their home, more will risk foreclosure than ever when pandemic-era mortgage relief will run out.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- The California homeowners of color already face many threats to their family home. Now, more will risk foreclosure than ever as millions of dollars in pandemic-era mortgage relief is set to run out before they even know it’s there.

At a Thurs., November 2 briefing co-hosted by Ethnic Media Services and Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA), housing attorneys and mortgage experts explained how homeowners can keep their family homes against these threats, while homeowners of color shared their personal experiences of struggling to preserve generational wealth.

Threats facing homeowners Joe Jaramillo, a senior attorney at HERA, a statewide housing legal service and advocacy nonprofit, said the main threats facing vulnerable homeowners are “keeping the family home when a parent or grandparent passes away; financing Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs which risk the borrower’s home if unpaid; and “zombie” second mortgages “that haunt borrowers with unexpected bills and threats of foreclosure.”

The passing of a homeowning relative presents a threat when there is no will or trust, so that loved ones have to go through an arduous, lengthy and expensive probate court to inherit it while property taxes,

insurance and mortgages pile up with an unclear responsibility of who’s to pay. Jaramillo said Black and Latino households report consistently higher foreclosure risks from this problem.

He added that PACE, which finances clean energy home improvements like solar with nomoney-down loans repaid by adding expensive sums to property taxes, has put thousands of California homeowners of color at risk of foreclosure statewide.

“It sounds good in theory,” said Jaramillo, “but many salespeople and contractors target low-income households and misrepresent costs or install nonfunctioning or nonconnected improvements like solar panels.”

A third factor, he continued, are zombie mortgages: “second loans often taken out at the same time as a larger first lien mortgage, split to allow borrowers to avoid large down

payments and apply part of the second to the down.”

Before the 2008 housing crash, many predatory high-interest loans were marketed heavily to lowerincome homeowners assured their home values would only rise; after the crash, second-mortgage zombie lenders stopped billing because the homes were worth less than these mortgages, and homeowners assumed the second ones were forgiven, amended with the first, or gone with bankruptcy. Now that home values are up again, however, debt collectors are back with years of interest and fees.

Key help for homeowners running out The California Mortgage Relief Program is the main way that homeowners have been able to surmount these threats, said Rebecca Franklin, president of the California See HOMEOWNERS on

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2 • November 10, 2023 - November 16, 2023

Filipino Press

THE PAMPERED PINAY:

Happy Birthday Francine

By FRANCINE maigue

As another year passes, we remember our beloved Pampered Pinay on her heavenly birthday. Francine your energy, kindness, positivity, charisma and care for your community is missed every single day. But your legacy lives on in everyone you’ve touched, worked with and loved. As your writing continues on The Filipino Press, our love you for remains. On October 30th, your family, Ate Lorna and Ate Susan gathered at your resting place to pay remembrance to you. Ate Susan said the most loving prayer and your Mama Oly arranged the most beautiful assortment of bouquets of marigold, orchids and bright flowers that she knows you’d enjoy. Then they gathered for a loving lunch to talk over

their incredible experiences with you and how it permeates our everyday.

Because of all the tender-heartedness

www.thefilipinopress.com

you showed everyone around you, they all continue in your caring tradition. We will always be indebted for that daily reminder. We love you, we miss you, happy birthday, Francine!

Check back every week for ways to pamper yourself and those you love.

Why? The answer is simple: YOU DESERVE IT!

Remembering our Beloved Francine Maigue

Butch and Oly Maigue together with daughter Theresa Maigue Bendorf and her children, Susan and Lorna delos Santos visited and paid respect to late Francine Maigue, on the occasion of her birthday.

We miss you Francine! (photo by Zen Ply)

"Not all readers are leaders, But ALL Leaders are Readers" -Harry S. Truman-

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November 10, 2023 - November 16, 2023 • 3

William A. Virchis Receives Theatre Pioneer Award

SAN DIEGO, CA -- William A. Virchis, Professor Emeritus of Southwestern College and former District Director of the Visual and Performing Arts Department of the Sweetwater Union High School District, Producing Artistic Director, and Co-Founder of Teatro Máscara Mágica will receive, Theatre Pioneer Award, from The Theatre Alliance of San Diego, Monday, November 13, 2023 at 6 pm at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse. He will receive this great honor for the trajectory of over 40 years of visual and performing

arts in the theatre landscape. This same award was given to Producing Artistic Director, Craig Noel of the Old Globe Theatre, who was Mr. Virchis’ mentor and long-life friend.

Mr. Virchis has produced, directed, and acted in ground breaking theatre for over 50 years.

Since the sixties he has nurtured thousands of students in the theatre.

He earned his Associates in Arts Degree at Southwestern College, his B.A., and M.A. at San Diego State University where he was

the recipient of the Sybil Eliza Jones Scholarship for Outstanding Achievement in Drama, the school’s highest award in the field of drama.

He did his post-graduate work at the University of Mexico City.

He has directed, produced, and acted in more than 300 productions.

He has directed productions at the Old Globe, San Diego Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Arizona Theatre Company, Civic Light Opera (Starlight), Borderlands Theatre in Tucson, Teatro Máscara Mágica (First theatre company to

County Makes Home Cooking Program Permanent, Expands Economic Opportunities

By Shauni Lyles/CNC SAN DIEGO, CA -- The Board of Supervisors voted to continue a temporary program set to expire in 2024 that supports home cooking as a small business. It also expanded the earning potential for its participants.

This follows the 2022 adoption of a two-year trial of the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations program (MEHKO).

Now, there are 61 permitted home kitchens in operation, offering new ways for people to earn a living doing what they love – cooking for others.

The Board also increased the number of meals a permittee can sell if they add food carts to their operation. These actions further remove barriers for small, foodbased entrepreneurs County-wide. It also increases the ability for people to grow their business and contribute to the local economy.

MEHKOs are home kitchens that operate as mini restaurants. The opportunity to run a business without the overhead costs and infrastructure required of a traditional brick-andmortar restaurant facility is a gamechanger for the existing MEHKOs participants.

“There are so many people that

have been able to enter the food industry and fulfill lifelong dreams about business ownership and provide food to the community that previously were unable to,” said Executive Director of the COOK Alliance Roya Bagheri, Esq. In San Diego County, 58% of MEKHOs are women-owned, and 70% are minority-owned. According to the U.S. Census for the region, women or minorities own less than 25% of businesses.

The program supports equitable access to self-employment. High start-up costs such as $275,000 for a leased building make it too expensive for many underrepresented groups, such as women, immigrants and people of color, to use their skills

to generate income through a traditional restaurant space.

The expanded MEHKOs program including use of a food cart now allows permitted home chefs to serve up to 80 meals a day for a maximum of 200 a week with gross annual sales of $150,000.

The County’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ) oversees the MEHKOs program and ensures food safety through inspections, permitting and oversight of the rules of the program.

DEHQ is committed to supporting San Diego’s home cooks and offers several resources to support those interested in the MEKHOs program.

Visit the Home Kitchen Operations webpage to learn more.

be invited to Cuba for the Festival International to speak about Latino Theare in the United States), Teatro Meta, Europe Opera Company, The Fritz Theatre, San Diego Gilbert and Sullivan Rep., Centro Cultural de la Raza, California Pacific Community Theatre, OnStage Productions, Bowery Theatre, San Diego State University Theatre, University of California Riverside, Southwestern College, and at educational and professional venues throughout Mexico and Canada.

Mr. Virchis staged the re-enactment of the Landing of Cabrillo for the Department of Interior. He also directed The Old Globe’s first educational tour and is the cofounder and former Artistic Director of Teatro Meta, the inauguration of the Pastorela tradition in San Diego, the first director to bring Spanish speaking plays like the “Los Soles Truncos”.

As an actor and mime, Mr. Virchis has received several awards, including an Atlas Award for his portrayal of Poncho in Night of the Iguana. He has worked on TriStar and Walt Disney films, as well as musical scores for records, plays television and commercials.

Mr. Virchis has directed 30 world college premier plays . He directed the first San Diego Unified School District (S.U.H.S.D.) and other productions.

Mr. Virchis is President and C.E.O. of Virco Enterprises, a production coordinating company that was instrumental in line producer and stage coordinating the first Mariachi Festival for over 15 years and has been instrumental in the coordination of numerous civic and state events, including the Latin Business Association Expo and Gala, the National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Conference, the Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, Latin-American Cultural month in San Diego, the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, Cesar Chavez Breakfast, Kiwanis, N.C.C.J. Gala and conferences, and the Chicano Federation Gala, and helped coordinate the entertainment for the San Diego Aloha By the Bay in February 2018. He has been the keynote and motivational speaker at various national and international events including the Puente and Adelante Conferences at U.C.S.D., and recently was the Keynote speaker at the 2022 LULAC Conference in Sacramento.

As a freelance artist and director, he directed The Old Globe’s production of La Fiaca and the famous Dos Rosas de Dos Amores, which was presented at the Centro Cultural Theatre, in Tijuana. He helped develop the famous work of Josefina Lopez’ Real Women Have Curves, Women from East L.A., Detained in the Desert, Trio Los Ticos, The Voice Lesson, and others and most recently The Last Angry Brown Hat by Alfredo Ramos.

Some of his film work includes Dogs by Tri-Star, The Devil and

Max Devlin staring Elliott Gould and Bill Cosby, Warner Brother’s feature film, Bitter Revenge 1, and Out of Time, a production starring Mario Lopez, Ruta Madre, and Born Again Starring Paul Rodriguez.

Mr. Virchis has received over 150 civic, state, and national awards and proclamations. He was honored with two prestigious awards, The Hispanic Heritage Award for Arts from Assemblywoman Shirley Webber of the 79th District of San Diego and The Breaking Away Award of Excellence, given by Torrey Pines Bank and K.U.S.I. Television. He was inducted into the Sweetwater High School Hall of Fame, Chula Vista High School Hall of Fame, Southwestern College Athletic Hall of Fame, California Teacher Association Hall of Fame, and the C.A.B.E. Hall of Fame. The Sweetwater Union High School District named their nationally known Visual and Performing Arts Department the William A. Virchis Visual and Performing Arts Department in 2012. He was also honored as a “Pioneer” for his pioneering contributions to Latin-Hispanic Theater by the Bonita Business and Professional Association (BB&PA) . He was also honored to be chosen as one of 60 San Diegans to be in the Union-Tribune’s featured article in September 2018, regarding foreign born residents in San Diego who have contributed to our society.

Presently, he is a member of the Stage and Choreographer’s Guild, Screen Actors Guild, San Diego Performing Arts League, Chair of the National City Public Arts, and former member of the San Diego Shakespeare Society, San Diego Opera Advisory Committee, and Classics for Kids.

Happy Veterans Day Celebration to Everyone!!!

Management and Staff of The Filipino Press

4 • November 10, 2023 - November 16, 2023

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VP Sara no longer seeking confidential funds in 2024, Angara says MANILA -- Vice President Sara Duterte is letting go of the P500 million confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) under the proposed 2024 national budget, Senator Sonny Angara said Thursday.

“We are in receipt of a statement from the Vice President, we discussed earlier and according to her, the OVP (Office of the Vice President) can only propose a budget to support the safe implementation of its PAPs [projects, activities, programs] to alleviate poverty and promote the [general] welfare of each and every Filipino family,” Angara, who is defending the budget of the OVP at the Senate, said.

“Nonetheless, they will no longer pursue the CIF and the reason why is because it is seen to be divisive and as the Vice President, she swore an oath to keep the country peaceful and strong,” he added.

Duterte's father, Former President Rodrigo Duterte, previously said that the Vice President intends to use her offices' proposed confidential and intelligence funds to revive the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program in the country.

“Binasa ko ang rationale. Ang plano niya—unahan ko na lang, so I’m sorry I have to divulge this because binigay mo naman sa’kin, then I just make it public—gamitin niya ang pera, it’s only P125 million, gamitin niya sa mga BMT, palakasin niya sa high school, pati ibalik talaga niya ang ROTC. Ipilit niya. Make it compulsory,” Duterte said in an interview on SMNI back in October.

VP Sara who is also the Education Secretary has been pushing for the revival of the mandatory ROTC, more than two decades after the program was scrapped in 2002.

She also defended her offices’ use of confidential funds last month, saying that those against the allocation are “naturally assumed to have insidious motivations.”

“Anyone who attacks or undermines funds allocated for peace and order is naturally assumed to have insidious motivations. Such actions go against the protection and well-being of the citizenry.

Those who seek to compromise the security and development of our nation jeopardize the very fabric of our society and hinder our progress,” she said.

“Tandaan ninyo—kung sino man ang kumokontra sa confidential funds ay kumokontra sa kapayapaan. Kung sino ang kumokontra sa kapayapaan ay kalaban ng bayan,” she added.

(Remember—whoever is against confidential funds is against peace.

Whoever is against peace is an enemy of the nation.)

Earlier this week, a petition was filed before the Supreme Court to order the OVP to return the P125 million confidential funds in 2022 to the government’s treasury.

Petitioners claimed that there is no “delegated legislative power” in the transfer and that the confidential funds do not fall under the funding allowed by the contingent fund.

VP Sara has welcomed the chance to tackle the legality of the transfer of P125 million in funds from the Office of the President to the OVP in late 2022.

“Malugod po naming tinatanggap ang pagkakataong talakayin ang legalidad ng paglilipat ng pondo.

Umaasa kami na ang dunong ng Korte Suprema ay magiging daan upang tuluyang matapos ang usapin

na ito,” Duterte said in a video message.

(We welcome the opportunity to discuss the legality of fund transfers.

We hope that the wisdom of the Supreme Court will be the way to finally end this matter.)

Moot and academic Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who has been questioning the proposed CIFs under the 2024 national budget, lauded Vice President's move.

Meanwhile, the Vice President's statement on the CIF was reiterated

by DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa in an interview with reporters.

“Ang OVP maaari lamang magmungkahi ng kaukulan o karapat-dapat ng budget para sa maayos na implementasyon ng mga proyekto laban sa kahirapan at mga programa na magtataguyod ng kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino.

Pero gayunpaman, hindi na po ipupursue, hindi na itutuloy ng OVP ang orihinal na mungkahi para sa confidential funds,” he said.

“Nakikita natin na talagang may tendency magkawatak-watak o maging divisive ang issue na ito,” he added.

Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the issue on the CIF for the Office of the Vice President is already “moot and academic.”

Asked if the CIF for OVP will be reinstated during the bicameral conference on the national budget, Zubiri said, “Ayaw na ni VP. Nakausap namin siya. Ayaw niyang ibalik ‘yung confidential funds.”

Pimentel raises need to test legality of intel funds for OP Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Thursday raised the need to test the legality of allocating intelligence funds to the Office of the President (OP).

“I’ll just make this appeal, siguro in due time siguro kung meron tayong mga activists lawyers listening to us, maybe a case can be filed with the Supreme Court to test the legality of the grant of intel fund to the Office of the President being a civilian agency,” Pimentel said during the continuation of the Senate plenary debates on the proposed 2024 national budget.

Confidential funds are allocations that civilian government agencies use for surveillance activities supporting their mandate while intelligence funds are being used by the uniformed, military personnel, and intelligence practitioners in sourcing information related to national security.

Pimentel said he has no problem with the allocation of confidential funds for OP as it is a civilian agency. But he said he is not in favor of allocating intelligence funds to the OP because it is not composed of uniformed and military personnel and the offices that are tasked to gather intelligence are already its direct supervision.

“The president himself and as well as his office are consumers of intelligence already gathered and organized by the intel practitioners under which are the agencies, some agencies under the OP in the Executive Branch,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel also questioned the allocation of intelligence funds to OP as it is the same office that is tasked to monitor the utilization of all confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) in all government agencies The minority leader then pointed

out the “weak” checks and balances, noting that under Joint Circular No. 2015-01 of the Commission on Audit (COA), the report on the use of intelligence funds will be given also to the OP. According to Pimentel, the reports on the use of confidential funds are submitted to the OP, Commission on Audit, Office of the Senate President, and the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

But for the intelligence funds, Pimentel said the reports on its use are submitted only to the OP. “What happens here is that intelligence fund usage, the reports are submitted to the OP or before the intelligence funds can be tapped, they have to be requested from the Office of the President and then our system says that that office itself has its own intel fund,” Pimentel said.

“So nasira ‘yung controls and checks system po natin. That’s the entire checking system eh, that there is that Office of the President which controls, regulates, supervises and checks the usage of the intelligence funds and yet mismong siya ay binibigyan ng intel funds,” he went on.

Pimentel noted the “weakness” of how the joint circular was interpreted and implemented.

“So he reports to himself…That is the weakness of how we have interpreted and implemented this joint circular na participated in by the Executive Branch that is the point…

Bagsak, sirang-sira ang concept of checks and balances and controls, Mr. President,” Pimentel went on.

In response, Senator Sonny Angara, who sponsored the 2024 budget of the OP, said the OP is not exempted from submitting documents to COA with regards to the use of intelligence funds.

“There are safeguards in the joint circular that you mentioned. It is subject to audit and documents are available to the COA and the Office of the President is not exempt from those requirements,” Angara said.

“So, if we are talking about checks and balances, that is perhaps one. And ang maganda rin sa (what is good about this request from the) Office of the President is that they have not sought to increase any of these amounts at least for the last four years,” he added.

While he said he doesn’t see any issue on OP’s confidential funds, Pimentel also questioned the huge amount requested by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. “Our president is an Ilocano.

So I appeal to his Ilocano nature to review the amounts,” Pimentel said.

Before the end of the deliberations on the OP's budget, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the president’s office has one of the most detailed and comprehensive reports on the use of CIFs. “It was about two books detailing each and every disbursement and the nice thing about it is a complete report wherein this fund of this amount was disbursed for example, tipster or drug program, and which led to apprehension, which led to filing of a case, and actually cases on going,” Zubiri said.

Out of the P10.707 billion budget proposed by the OP for 2024, P2.250 billion is tagged as confidential expenses while P2.310 billion is tagged as intelligence expenses.

The budget of OP is deemed submitted for plenary approval.

(MNS)

Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, defends the proposed 2024 budget of the Office of the Vice President during the plenary budget deliberation on Thursday (Nov. 9, 2023) at the Senate in Pasay City. (MNS photo)

LONG QUEUE. The line of passengers at the EDSA Bus Carousel Mega Q-Mart Station in Quezon City has reached the overpass on Tuesday (Nov. 7, 2023) morning. These commuters opted to take the bus instead of the MRT-3 after operations were halted in the morning due to an obstruction hanging on the footbridge between Magallanes and Taft stations. (MNS photo)

PhilRice: Mandate half-cup rice serving to address P7-M/year wastage MANILA -- As the country marks National Rice Awareness Month, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) on Thursday pushed for the mandated serving of half cup of rice in food establishments nationwide to address wastage of the Philippine’s staple food.

In a Palace press briefing, PhilRice development communication division head Hazel Antonio said the rice wastage is equivalent to 10 grams per person or around 384,000 metric tons per year.

PhilRice deputy executive director Karen Barroga noted that the aggregate amount of rice wasted in a year, worth an estimated PHP 7 million, could have fed around 2.5 million Filipinos for a year.

“So, actually the campaign says, get only what you need and what we have done in the past was to encourage a half-cup serving [of rice] as default. And some of the provinces actually and cities, restaurants in the cities and provinces partnered with us to make sure that we could have a default serving of half cup of rice para hindi sayang… maiwasan natin ang wastage (so it would not go to waste and we would avoid wastage),” Barroga said.

Antonio meanwhile said there are already 46 existing local ordinances in different parts of the country, requiring restaurants to serve halfcup rice orders.

She said some of the local government units that issued a similar ordinance include those in Quezon City, the City of Manila, Puerto Princesa City, Davao City, Cebu City, Baguio City, and Iloilo City, among others.

“Mas maganda kung national ‘yung law para at least kahit saan ka man pumunta, alam mo na dapat magsi-serve sila ng half. And ito naman po ay in consultation with the businesses din noong trinay namin sa mga provinces and cities, and okay naman sa kanila as long as wala naman daw cost (It would be better if there is a national law so at least wherever you go, you know that they must serve half. And this was also in consultation with the businesses when we tried in the provinces and cities, and it was okay with them as long as there is no additional cost),” Antonio said.

Support local rice The country celebrates National Rice Awareness Month every November pursuant to Proclamation 524 issued on January 5, 2004.

This year’s celebration carries the theme, “Be RICEponsible” to heighten public awareness on efforts to attain rice self-sufficiency and address malnutrition and poverty.

Barroga said the “Be Riceponsible” campaign also encourages the public to buy local rice such as home-grown brown rice and support the consumption of grains that are alternative to milled rice, including adlai.

“Because we practice integrated pest management, or judicious spraying, our rice is actually safer,” she said.

She pointed out that consolidating the produce of Filipino rice farmers will enable them to meet the country’s rice demand, and institutional buyers will directly buy from them.

"So, that will reduce the cost of rice for the consumers. So that’s the expectation,” Barroga said.

Strive Fully to Uphold the Rule of Law: Enforce No Private Gate on Public Road LOS ANGELES, CA -- Joey Quinto, Publisher of California Journal, sent a correspondence to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., Ombudsman Director Racquel Rosario M. Cunanan-Marayag, DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr., Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, Antipolo Mayor Casimiro "Jun" Ynares III to underscore that considering that no private gate on public road is an existing law, Filipinos are appealing to both local and national governments not to allow exceptions or preferential treatment to Ong/ Sun Valley (Sun Valley Golf and Development, Inc. (SVGDI)) which could be one of the ways to show that the Philippines is now striving fully to uphold the Rule of Law. Quinto inquired anew on what actions would be done regarding Ong/Sun Valley’s private gate on AFP/Army Road, a public road.

Correspondence of Joey Quinto on November 7, 2023.

CNN reported on October 27, 2023, that the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2023 released on October 25, 2023, showed that the Philippines is still among the East Asia and Pacific countries with the weakest rule of law, ranking 13 out of 15 in the region.

In addition, according to the Rule of Law Index 2023, the Philippines fell three positions from 2022, placing 100 out of 142 countries complying with the rule of law with a 0.46% overall index score.

In view of the above, it is very clear that the Philippines has not strived fully to uphold the Rule of Law. Moreover, per WPJ, the Philippines received a global ranking of 84th out of 142 countries for Regulatory Enforcement with 0.47%.

The low ranking for Regulatory Enforcement is undoubtedly true since not enforcing the Code Enforcement: No private gate on public road is one of the vivid examples that the Philippines is still lax in Regulatory Enforcement.

Considering that no private gate on public road is an existing law, Filipinos are appealing to both local and national governments to not allow exceptions or preferential treatment to Ong/Sun Valley (Sun Valley Golf and Development, Inc. (SVGDI)) which could be one of the ways to show that the Philippines is now striving fully to uphold the Rule of Law. Note that the Antipolo LGU has tolerated Ong/Sun Valley on installing a private gate and outpost/ guardhouse on AFP/Army Road even without a permit. And recently, it has allowed Ong/Sun Valley to have illegal checkpoint and illegal curfew on the said road.

To date, the private gate of Ong/ Sun Valley on AFP/Army Road which was installed in June of 2023 has not been removed.

It is crucial to note that Antipolo

Assessor stated in his correspondence to me that the determination of the precise location of an installed gate warrants the technical expertise beyond the mandate of the Assessor office and therefore he advised to seek assistance of national agencies.

Evidently, no Tax Declaration was issued to Ong/Sun Valley for the area on AFP/Army Road where the private steel gate was installed since the Assessor office was not able to determine the precise location which is one of the requirements for an issuance of a Tax Declaration.

Moreover, how could a Tax Declaration be issued for the AFP/ Army Road if it is owned by the public, i.e., not privately-owned?

And since there is no Tax Declaration, this only means that a permit for the private gate on AFP/ Army Road could have not been issued too since a Tax Declaration is one of the major requirements to get a permit.

And in view of the fact that Antipolo Building Official stated that “a Fencing Permit has been issued to SVGDI for the construction of perimeter fence situated at SV North (Kay Dalag), Brgy. Cupang, this City”, it is very clear then that the permit issued does not entitle SVGDI (Ong/Sun Valley) to install a gate on AFP/Army Road since their properties are some distance away from the AFP/Army Road.

But although I sent several photos many times and provided the satellite coordinate for Ong/Sun Valley’s private gate on AFP/Army Road: 14.66187° N, 121.17170° E, the Antipolo LGU has disregarded the fact that the private gate on AFP/ Army Road is not part of Ong/Sun Valley’s two (2) properties.

Also, the Building Official has ignored the suggestion of Filipinos that if a permit was issued, the Building Official should require Ong/Sun Valley to post/display it, but if no permit was issued, the Building Official should demand that the private steel gate on AFP/Army Road be removed immediately.

Having a private gate on a public road is a dangerous precedent since it would encourage other developers to block public roads which would definitely limit Filipinos’ access to public roads.

To date, Antipolo LGU has been turning a blind eye on this dire situation. So, as a result, no actions have been done at all.

Through your leadership, Filipinos are hopeful that the Code Enforcement: No private gate on public road would be enforced.

Please advise what both local and national governments would do to resolve this issue.

NEDA Board approves 3 more high-impact infra projects MANILA, -- The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved Thursday at least three high-impact infrastructure projects during its 11th meeting convened by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañan Palace in Manila.

In a Palace briefing, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary See MANDATE on

9

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November 10, 2023 - November 16, 2023 • 5

FILIPINO VETERANS WHO FOUGHT FOR AMERICA IN WORLD WAR II NEVER SAW BENEFITS;A NEW BILL INTRODUCED IN THE U.S. CONGRESS SEEKS TO CHANGE THAT “GIVE ME TEN THOUSAND FILIPINO SOLDIERS AND I WILL CONQUER THE WORLD.” - Gen. Douglas MacArthur SAN DIEGO, CA -- Happy Veterans Day to you all!

If there is a group of men whose mention evokes of heroism, it is those who were surrendered by their superiors to the Japanese on Bataan and subsequently become part of the “Death March” up that peninsula in our beloved old homeland – the Philippines – to POW camps in central Luzon. These Filipino (and American) soldiers endured deprivation and inhumanity at the hands of the youthful Japanese soldiers responsible for their transport, earning them their rightful place in history for their suffering.

During World War II, General Douglas MacArthur executed Plan Orange believing that help was on the way but in reality, President Franklin Roosevelt had written off the islands a few days before Christmas in favor of support of the war in Europe. The American soldiers, sailors and airmen then in the Philippines have been abandoned, along with their Filipino charges, although they did not know.

For weeks they held out against the Japanese while their supplies rapidly dwindled, until they were on starvation rations.

After the surrender of the Philippines to the Japanese, none of the Americans had any experience with guerrilla warfare, so they had to make the rules up as they went along. Hundreds, even thousands, of Filipinos had military experience, and some had managed to escape from Bataan.

The American officers awarded them commissions or positions as NCOs. Many of the Filipinos organized guerrilla units of their own, then placed themselves under the command of the United States Army officers who had been given official positions by the American authorities.

And the rest is history, so to speak.

I say the Filipino veterans who fought for the United States in World War II are, quite simply, the finest infantrymen in the world in my humble opinion. Recruited from all parts of our archipelagic old homeland- Philippines - since the early nineteenth century, these short, wiry “Fighting Filipinos” have served America with such loyalty, tenacity and incredible bravery that even to this day they are held in high regards by fellow warriors.

They have truly made our U.S. military stronger, tougher and more capable!

The Filipinos fought beside the Americans in France during World War I and in every theater during World War II, in the Korean conflict and of the war in Vietnam and even in current contentions as the hostilities

YOLANDA

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reopen after sustaining severe damage, allowing the rest of the world to help provide support.

“Ten years after Haiyan, USAID remembers the lives lost and upended by this catastrophe and reaffirms our commitment to work to harness that matatag spirit of community in the Philippines in years to come,” the USAID said in a statement.

Canadian Ambassador David Hartman, meanwhile, paid his respect to the Filipino people while giving assurance that Ottawa would “always stand by” its allies in their time of need.

From 2015 to 2019, Canada supported the long-term economic growth and recovery of thousands of small businesses and households in Leyte and Eastern Samar.

The Canadian government at that time initiated a matching fund and within days Canadians donated CAD85 million. The Canada’s Disaster Assistance Response Team consisted of 319 personnel, C-17 Globemaster aircraft, Griffon helicopters, construction vehicles, and a Red Cross Field Hospital.

The French Embassy in Manila, meanwhile, hailed the “resilience and the spirit of unity” that followed after the disaster and reiterated France’s continuous support to

in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have engaged as well in countless small conflicts– “the savage wars of peace” – that America has been involved with.

With special attention to their unique skills and remarkable valor, the Filipinos’ story is as colorful and as romantic as that of the Gurkha regiments in the British army and of the French Foreign Legion, and yet it has never been fully or adequately told.

Moving on, a group of bipartisan lawmakers announced last Monday, Oct. 30 that they are introducing a bill that would help fulfill a U.S. pledge to Filipino veterans who fought alongside American troops during World War II. The Filipino Veterans Fairness Act aims to grant benefits to the remaining veterans and the families of the hundreds of thousands of Filipino servicemen who were recruited by the United States in the early ‘40s, in part by promising full access to veterans’ benefits and citizenship. The pledge, however, was rescinded by Congress in 1946 and only partially fulfilled in recent decades.

“During World War II, over 250,000 Filipino troops bravely fought under U.S. command, saving countless lives during their service.

It’s unacceptable that these veterans were stripped of the benefits they were entitled to,” Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-Calif., who spearheaded the bill, said in a news release. “I cannot imagine the pain Filipino veterans and their families felt and the irreparable harm caused by this unjustified disparate treatment.”

The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii and Rep. James Moylan, the Republican delegate from Guam, would offer a needbased death pension to the remaining survivors. It would also expand the kinds of military documentation accepted for benefits’ eligibility.

Kevin Nadal, president of the Filipino American National Historical Society, said that the Filipino veterans fight to secure their benefits has dragged on for decades. In the meantime, the number of Filipino WWII veterans has sickened to less than 2,000, making the restoration of their benefits all the more urgent.

If some of you, my dear folks are not aware of it yet – the Philippines was an American colony since 1898 until 1934, when the U.S. promised to grant it independence within the next 10 years. But before doing so, Nadal explained, the Pentagon recruited both Filipino Americans and Filipino nationals to fight under U.S. command due to a substantial part of the war being fought in the Philippines, which Imperial Japan had invaded. It’s estimated that up to 1 million Filipinos died in the war. The U.S. changed its tune with the conclusion of the war. Congress passed the Rescission Act in 1946, those affected by natural disasters in the Philippines and worldwide.

Through the French NGO ACTED Philippines, the French Development Agency (AFD), and French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, France in 2017 helped complete new homes for 126 families.

In February 2015, French President François Hollande visited Tacloban and Guian (Leyte and Samar provinces), to express support in the aftermath of the disaster.

As part of his visit to the Philippines, former President Benigno Aquino III and Hollande launched the Manila Call to Action, a crucial step towards the mobilization of all stakeholders for the Paris Climate Summit COP 21 the same year.

PBBM to DHSUD, NHA: Hasten housing turnover to Yolanda survivors President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday instructed the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the National Housing Authority (NHA) to fast-track the awarding of housing units to victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

During the 10th year commemoration of the typhoon's landfall at the Tacloban City Convention Center, Marcos said the work is not yet done, considering that many Yolanda survivors

Jesse T. Reyes

Filipino Potpourri

THE BATTLE OF BATAAN: In January 1942, forces of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy invaded Luzon along with several islands in the Philippines representing the most intense of Imperial Japan's invasion of the archipelagic nation during World War II. RIPE FOR RESISTANCE: Literally thousands of Filipino soldiers had managed to avoid capture by the Japanese and quickly organized an armed resistance movement alongside with American officers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) scattered throughout the islands.

ALLIES FOR FREEDOM: The image above served as testament to the powerful bond between the Philippines and the United States that emerged from the crucible of war - the heroic first patrol to reach the Davao Penal Colony, including members of the U.S. Armed Forces and Filipino guerrillas in May of 1945. stripping many Filipino veterans and their families of benefits due to budget concerns and prompting the ongoing efforts to restore them.

Then, in 1990 President George H.W. Bush enacted a law granting citizenship to Filipino nationals who fought in the war. And in 2009, President Barack Obama signed a law granting a lump sum of $15,000 to surviving Filipino veterans who are American citizens and $9,000 to non-citizens. But claiming these benefits has been nearly impossible and many have been denied access to them, Nadal added, due to the lack of proper documentation.

“Some people, there just were not any proper records that they served in the military. And part of that is because of the war itself and the destruction of many buildings and places that would have had these records,” Nadal noted.

Nadal indicated that while

legislation looking to ease access to the promised benefits to Filipino veterans has previously been proposed, getting to pass the bill has been an uphill battle.

Other U.S. veteran groups, like LGBTQI+ service members, have also struggled to receive care and other financial benefits. And some lawmakers in the past have been hesitant to green-light the idea of funding for Filipino nationals, arguing that the impediment is on the Philippine government to provide benefits to these veterans.

“Racial biases may or will influence people’s perceptions of whether or not they deserve these benefits or these rights,” Nadal commented.

“Many lawmakers just never viewed (Filipinos) as being equals to the Americans. They never viewed them as being citizens. They never viewed them as taking the same

"I SHALL RETURN": General Douglas MacArthur talks to a group of Filipino guerrillas who helped bring down Japan on Luzon Island in the Philippines on January 29, 1945. amount of risk and sacrifice as U.S.born soldiers,” he concluded.

I must confess that I fully concur with that statement!

And so, the ordeal of the Filipino World War II veterans continues to this day.

As I have often opined – Filipinos are always being taken for granted

by Americans – underappreciated or misunderstood at most for all their immense participations in all kinds of fields of endeavor that they have provided to this adopted country of ours – the United States of America.

This Veterans Day of 2023, may we as fellow Americans honor the incredible faith that our Filipino World War II veterans hold not just in our country but in all of us. They are genuinely the solidsteel backbone of our great nation,

and we must always endeavor to continue being worthy of their supreme sacrifices by working toward a more perfect Union and protecting the freedoms that they have fought to defend.

In respect and full recognition of the contributions our Filipino World War II veterans and their families, caregivers and survivors have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, let us all hope that the U.S. Congress will finally “close the deal” in all fairness once and for all on our dying breed of “kababayans” – and to reaffirm our utmost commitment to fully supporting everyone who serves and have served in our Armed Forces.

God bless the U.S. of A.!

Mabuhay!!

What say you my dear folks?

continue to await government’s assistance.

“So, we have engaged the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the National Housing Authority to accelerate the provision of housing units and land titles to our beneficiaries,” Marcos said.

During the event, Marcos attended a holy mass for Yolanda victims and led the distribution of housing titles to thousands of beneficiaries of the NHA’s Yolanda Permanent Housing Sites.

Marcos thanked national and local leaders, the private sector, international and local organizations, volunteers and donors for their contributions to ensure the recovery and rebuilding of Yolanda-hit areas.

He also lauded the Tacloban City government for its efforts to strengthen the locality’s disaster resiliency.

He called on the Yolanda Response Clusters to work closely with concerned local governments to address the lingering issues of the different affected communities.

“Ten years have gone by and yet the memory of this tragedy remains indelible in our hearts and in our thoughts,” Marcos said. “Let us continue to work hard so that we can provide them with the tools and the resources to rebuild their lives.”

Disaster preparedness Marcos ensured that the

government is working hard to avoid a repeat of the Yolanda tragedy.

He said the construction of “disaster-resilient” evacuation centers and emergency operations centers will continue.

He also noted that a “more centralized and efficient” early warning systems, incident command systems, and disaster response strategies are currently in place.

Marcos added that new technologies such as GeoRiskPH and PlanSmart are being developed to save lives in times of emergency.

“It is also crucial to be reminded that climate change will keep exacerbating the impact of natural disasters. As I have said, we must make climate change a vital component of our national policies,” he said.

“We must make sure that we apply our knowledge on climate change to every plan, to every decision, and initiative so we can build stronger and more resilient communities,” Marcos added.

Remembering the dead Marcos also enjoined Yolanda survivors to continue offering prayers for those who died during the onslaught of the typhoon.

“And to this day, we still do not know the true scope of our loss because we grieve and we mourn those of our dead. But we must always keep a special place in our hearts for those who we lost, who are uncounted, who are unrecorded

so that up to now we say 6,000 casualties, we do not know that for sure. We are certain that there were more but for whatever reason their deaths have not been recorded,” he said. “So, even if that is the case, let them not be unremembered. So, when we grieve and when we mourn for our dead, keep a special place in your heart for those who have not been known to have gone but we know in our hearts, we know the loss that we feel. Let us always pray for them.”

Land titles commitment for secured future Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez joined President Marcos during the distribution of land titles to beneficiaries rendered homeless

by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

“This is not merely a piece of paper. It represents our commitment to providing a stable and secure future for our people. It symbolizes hope, permanence, and the dream of every resident of Tacloban to have a place they can genuinely call home,” Romualdez said.

He said the distribution of land titles is also “a significant milestone in our journey to build and uplift our community” from the widespread devastation of Yolanda.

“A decade has passed, but the memories of that fateful day remain etched in our hearts and minds,” he added.

Romualdez recalled that he “witnessed firsthand the sorrow

and loss that overwhelmed our community.”

“Yet, amidst the rubble and tears, I also saw the indomitable spirit of our people. I witnessed neighbors helping neighbors, strangers becoming family, and a nation rallying together to rise again,” he said. Romualdez appealed to his constituents that as they commemorate Yolanda, “let us also celebrate the resilience, unity, and hope that have defined our recovery journey.”

“The road has been challenging, but with each passing year, our collective strength and determination grow even more evident,” he said.

“It is my solemn pledge to serve relentlessly and do everything in my power for the welfare and progress of our people, ensuring that we are better prepared and more resilient for any future challenges,” he said.

Romualdez also paid tribute to thousands of people who died during the onslaught of the super typhoon.

“Today, let us also pause to remember those we lost, honor the heroes who emerged in the aftermath, and express our gratitude for the countless blessings we have received. Our story is one of triumph over adversity, and as we continue on this journey, let's carry the legacy of Yolanda as a testament to the unyielding spirit of our people,” he said. (MNS)

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Help Wanted / For Rent / For Sale

8 • November 10, 2023 - November 16, 2023

Filipino Press

Spiritual Life Expanding our friendship circle Mental health experts as well as gerontologists or those who are engaged in the science of aging and longevity say that one of the best ways to prevent depression among the elderly is to expand your circle of friends and to socialize and reach out to others.

As one who is definitely advancing in age, I try my best to be active, to reach out to others, and to meet new friends. I would like to remain mentally alert, physically fit, emotionally stable and socially connected. These are the reasons why I decided to participate in the Open Arms Adult Health Day Care Center program. Of course, there are other Adult Health Day Care Centers in the County of San Diego, I encouraged my peers with chronic ailment and other health challenges to look into this invaluable health resource, if they would like to live the remaining days of their lives in a convivial and caring environment.

My husband and I are fetched every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:30 AM by a van driven

by Brendon, who makes our day by treating us like royalty, seeing to it that we will not stumble or fall. Peter who is visually impaired likes to hear Brendon say, “wait for your lovely wife.” He says it is music to his ears to hear the compliment. On the other hand, I just smile and say “thank you.”

One morning, upon our arrival in the Center, I found two cups of

Aurora S. Cudal-Rivera

My Personal Testimony

hot coffee on our table. I wondered if the coffee was for us. I asked Christine, our table-mate and she smilingly said, “I prepared them for you and Peter.” I smiled with gratitude in my heart for the unexpected kindness I received from a fellow program participant.

That truly made my day!

We are becoming comfortable in our new environment. Our friendship circle is expanding and we are beginning to feel at home and at ease for we are surrounded by good and friendly people.

On the other hand, Peter is starting to enjoy some of the activities which one may consider as “kindergarten stuff”, but which are actually helpful in establishing rapport with the staff as well as with the other program participants.

I am now enjoying the game of Bingo, a game I did not appreciate before I came to the Center. But when a gerontology friend told

me that it is helpful in maintaining my focus and alertness, I saw Bingo in a new light. I’ve been accumulating points which makes me eligible to receive practical rewards such as paper tissues, paper towels and bath soap. Well, we can buy all these, but the excitement of having won them in a game makes you feel that you are still alert and responsive to your environment.

We now feel that we are growing old gracefully amidst a healthy environment. Of course, there are distractions, but we take them as ways of developing patience and tolerance. Our interaction with new friends sometimes challenges our mindset but it makes us look into our selves and feel in our hearts that old age is not an easy stage of life and we just praise God that we are still alive enjoying His provisions and the company of others. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Is the Lord able to bless you today?

You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it. (Joshua 7:13b) The first battle for the people of Israel traveling from Egypt was at Jericho, once they crossed the Jordan River. God had given them a great victory at Jericho, and Joshua was now ready to move to their next battle at Ai. After they spied out the enemy camp, they determined they needed only a few thousand men to gain victory.

They went up against Ai only to fail miserably. They lost 32 men in a battle that should have been an easy victory, but instead they were forced to retreat.

Joshua was devastated. "Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?" (Joshua 7:7a) In this case, the people fell short because they failed to uphold the standard God had set for them. God had told them not to take any plunder from their first battle. However, Achan hid some forbidden treasures, and God was now judging the entire nation for one man's sin.

Danny Hernaez

From Whom All Blessings Flow Whenever we act without God's complete blessing on our activity, we can expect God to thwart our plans. God's word to Joshua was that he could not stand against his enemies as long as there was disobedience among his troops.

Whenever we launch a business endeavor, we should make sure there are no unclean things in our dealings that would allow us to be vulnerable to a failed effort: unpaid vendors, disgruntled employees who were not treated fairly, lawsuits, dishonesty. Many of these things can hinder God from blessing our enterprises. These things can remove the shield of protection from our workplace, which God wants to bless, but cannot because He is committed

to upholding righteousness.

His name is blemished when unrighteousness is allowed to permeate our lives.

Is the Lord able to bless you today? If not, you may need to go back and clean up a few things before He can do so.

Take whatever steps are needed to ensure the blessing of God today.

The disciples thought they suffered their greatest defeat when Jesus died on the cross.

However, this defeat became the greatest victory on earth. Christ's death gave liberty. Forgiveness came to all men. New life came forth - new strength for the disciples. Resurrection and new life came as a result of a "defeat." <(((><

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Greetings in the Lord!

We are now on the 32nd Sunday in the ordinary time of the liturgy of the Church. After two Sundays we shall commence the new season in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic church with the season of Advent. Last Sunday our readings reminded us of the need to heed the admonition of our ecclesiastical leaders, just like to Pharisees and scribes of old, but not imitate their hypocritical ways. Not all our leaders are hypocrites, so we must heed the advice of the good leaders as well as imitate the good works they perform which would help us attain perfection and holiness in life.

This Sunday’s gospel reading is focused on the proper preparation for the coming of the Lord. This actually prepares us for the themes of the Sunday readings of the season of Advent. Once again Jesus uses a parable in order to demonstrate the importance of his message. The parable that Jesus shared speaks about the coming of the bridegroom.

The same reminds us of the parable wherein Jesus compared the Kingdom of heaven to the wedding banquet prepared by the King for his son. The parable this time it speaks about ten virgins whose task

Fr. Agustin T. Opalalic was to greet the bridegroom with their lighted lamps on hand.

The essence of the parable lies in the fact that the virgins mentioned in the parable are classified as five wise and the other five foolish. The description of wisdom is that which could be taken from the first reading which runs this way “for taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence, and whoever for her sake keeps vigil shall quickly be free of care.” (Wisdom 6: 14) The wise virgins were prudent enough to be prepared to meet the bridegroom with sufficient oil needed to have their lamps lighted upon the arrival of the bridegroom, who happened to have arrived late. They were prepared and their wise preparation made them ready to meet him with

delight and gladness. The foolish virgins did not only go to sleep while the bridegroom was on his way, but did not have the necessary oil for the lamps for his eventual arrival.

This reminds us of the wedding garment that the King looked for from one of those invited to the wedding banquet in the parable that Jesus spoke about and read three Sundays ago. Here the “oil” mentioned represent what bible scholars consider as the lives of faith and testimony, purity and dedication, good works and fidelity to the covenant made during the baptism. The five wise virgins are the model of the right disposition that each disciple should have in waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom, who will arrive at the time that is not expected although his coming is certain in our lives.

This gospel message is one of the very timely reminders of how we should always be prepared for the coming of Jesus in our lives. Let us be as wise as the five wise virgins so that when the Bridegroom arrives we a\will not only be “awake,” but have our lamps full of oil because we know not neither the day nor the hour of his coming. (Matt. 25: 13).

PARANG GULONG Ni Salvador S. Idos

Sa unang araw pa lamang ng ating pagsilang Umpisa ng umikot ang gulong ng ating buhay Bawa’t araw, bawa’t sandali, di mapipigilan ang pagikot ng gulong Isang biyaheng walang balikan, alamin kung saan ang patutunguhan.

Ang buhay natin ay parang gulong Kung minsan pakiramdam natin tayo ay nangingibabaw Kung minsan naman dama natin na tayo ay napapailalim Sapagkat ang gulong ng buhay natin kung minsan ay umaatras, kung minsan ay sumusulong o di nagbabago ng posesyon.

Ang gulong kapag nalugmok sa kaputikan Paikot-ikot man, umangat at umusod ay mahihirapan

HOMEOWNERS

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1

Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

Since it was launched federally in December 2021, over 23,000 Californians have kept their homes due to the program, which offers grants up to $80,000 per home for a total of nearly $650 million dispersed so far.

However, given that the one-time billion dollar fund is projected to run out by 2025, and likely sooner, she urged homeowners to take advantage.

Unlike Great Recession relief programs, this one “is a grant you don’t have to pay back,” Franklin explained. “Often when homeowners hear about our program, they say ‘Getting $80,000 they don’t have to pay back, that’s too good to be true, this isn’t real.’ And it is real.

Certain racial groups were hit harder financially due to the pandemic, and a goal of this program is to retain their generational wealth and protect these first-time homebuyers who sacrificed so much to get a home for their families.”

Even if homebuyers don’t meet the program’s criteria — “low to moderate income, it has to be your primary residence, you’re not able to own other homes in the state” — she said homeowners could contact CalHFA for housing counselors or legal services.

Predatory debts Even when relief like the mortgage grant is available, many mortgage services don’t tell homeowners about them, leaving many vulnerable to unknown outstanding debt, said Johanna Torres, program coordinator of California Rural Legal Services (CRLA).

Her client, Saul de la Cruz, shared his experience of this debt in the form of a zombie mortgage.

Having bought his family home in Salinas directly before the Great

Tao man kung nababad sa putik ng kasalanan Buhay ay di aangat kapag di marunong humingi ng kapatawaran.

Kung tayo ay nakakaranas ng pagsusubok at paghihirap Huwag tayong mawalan ng pag-asa, dahil tulad ng gulong na umiikot Sa sariling pagsisikap at sa tulong ng Diyos at ng kapwa Ang buhay natin ay aangat at makakaranas din ng ginhawa.

Kapag sa ating buhay tayo ay laging abala Maglingkod at magdulot ng kaligayahan sa iba Ang pagikot ng gulong ay mabilis di tayo maiinip Kapag ang gulong ay gamit sa tamang paraan, buhay nati’y nagkakaroon ng kahulugan.

Recession in 2007, de la Cruz got two mortgage loans. The second company stopped contacting him during the crash. He then modified the first mortgage, assumed the second — for $14,600 — was included, and nearly 15 years later received a request from the second lender to begin negotiating to avoid foreclosure. He borrowed the money from family and friends, and is now struggling to maintain both mortgages.

Although laws like the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act require most mortgage companies to provide regular statements to the buyer, added Jaramillo, “this is a common problem we see. These predatory lenders are not providing borrowers with the information that they should be entitled to to figure out if they really owe the amounts that are being claimed.”

Mortgage relief key to saving homeowners from crisis As foreclosure rates return to pre-pandemic levels, grants like California Mortgage Relief are key to protecting families from losing their most valuable intergenerational asset — their family home, said Mary Day, an attorney at HERA. Her client, Danny Bishop, shared his own story of saving his Richmond home from foreclosure

Ang ating buhay ay isang paglalakbay May pinagmulan at may pupuntahan Maayos na gulong, maayos na desisyon Tutungo tayo sa pangarap nating paroroonan.

Salvador S. Idos caused by bureaucratic confusion and family health decline. As the previous homeowner, his mother, began suffering dementia in 2015, her sibling neglected the property and began getting cited an ultimate total above $90,000 for code violations and property tax evasions.

Day then worked with the City of Richmond, which said that $56,000 owed for code violations was a mistake, subsequently reduced to under $30,000.

“They would never tell me why they were charging so much,” said Bishop. “They said keep cleaning your backyard, good job, then one day they charged me tens of thousands.”

This bureaucratic unresponsiveness is par for the course when it comes to challenges facing homeowners who seek relief.

“The larger the entity, the more resistant they are to dealing with individual situations,” said Day. “Though there’s a tax code that gives them the discretion to give relief, they told us after six months they wouldn’t provide it. A city mistake and this tax penalty caused just this snowball effect where the family was struggling with foreclosure… and the bureaucracy was what made it difficult. California mortgage relief has been the family’s savior.”

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and NEDA director general Arsenio Balisacan said the approved projects were the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) Pang-Agraryong Tulay Para sa Bagong Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka (PBBM) Bridges Project worth PHP28.2 billion; Phase 3 of the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) worth PHP29.3 billion; and the revised parameters, terms and conditions (PTCs) of the TarlacPangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) Extension Project.

Balisacan said the PBBM Bridges Project aims to construct around 350 modular steel bridges with an estimated total length of 10,500 linear meters, in an effort to enhance access and connectivity for agrarian reform communities.

“To improve the quality of life in rural areas, the approved project aims to increase the productivity and income of at least 350,000 households. The ease of mobility and access to and from the agrarian reform communities will generate more employment and address the communities’ need for better access to social services and market outlets for their agricultural products,” he said.

Meanwhile, Balisacan said the third phase of the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project involves the design, construction and delivery of five units of 97-meter multi-role response vessels, as well as a five-year integrated logistics support.

“This will further improve the Philippine Coast Guard's capability to respond to threats and incidents within the country’s maritime jurisdiction. In particular, the project will enable the Coast Guard to secure important sea

lines of communication in the West Philippine Sea, Sulu-Celebes Seas, and the Philippine Sea. It will also help the PCG combat illegal activities and enforce maritime laws in the Philippine waters,” he said.

Balisacan said the total project cost will be financed through an official development assistance or ODA loan from the government of Japan.

On the other hand, the revised PTCs of the TPLEX Extension Project, as recommended by the NEDA Board’s Investment Coordination Committee (ICC), were negotiated between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the original proponent of the unsolicited publicprivate partnership (PPP) project.

“Following this approval, the DPWH will proceed with the publication of the invitation for comparative proposals in accordance with the Revised 2022 BuildOperate-Transfer Law Implementing Rules and Regulations, as well as the ICC Guidelines on Processing PPP proposals,” Balisacan said.

The TPLEX Extension Project, which was approved in June this year, involves a 59.4-kilometer toll road, which will connect from the last exit of TPLEX in Rosario, La Union and will terminate in San Juan, La Union.

The project is envisioned to stimulate economic activity, alleviate road congestion, provide better and safer road access and promote the development of new growth centers in nearby regions, Balisacan said.

Progress report Balisacan also released a progress report on the infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) under the “Build Better More” Program for the third quarter of 2023.

He said one of the 197 IFPs, specifically the Samar Pacific Coastal Road Project by the DPWH,

has been completed.

“The 18.65-kilometer road project links the towns of Laoang, Catubig, and Palapag by establishing a circumferential road around the entire Samar Island. The road is expected to enhance economic activity in the region by improving the delivery and movement of essential goods and services and creating more job opportunities,” Balisacan said.

He said around 71 IFPs are currently ongoing, 29 have been approved for implementation and nine are awaiting government approval.

He added 52 IFPs are in the project preparation phase, while 35 others are in the pre-project preparation phase.

Balisacan assured the public that the Marcos administration remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring the efficient implementation of high-impact infrastructure projects to enhance connectivity, ramp up employment-creating investments and improve Filipinos’ living standards.

“We will continue with our commitment to pursue important initiatives to ensure social and economic transformation towards a matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay para sa lahat (stable, comfortable, and peaceful life for all),” he said. (MNS)

“There is a mistaken notion among some that to own a paper is to have a license to clobber one’s enemies and attack people we don’t like. A newspaper is an information tool to reach a large number of people at a given time.

A newspaper should inform, educate, entertain and provide viewpoints that could give us the means to make intelligent decisions for ourselves and others.” — Ernie Flores Jr., founding editor and publisher Mailing Address: 600 E. 8th St. Ste. 3, NationaI City, CA 91950 • E-mail: filpress@aol.com Office: 600 E. 8th St. Ste. 3, National City, CA 91950 • Telephone: (619) 434-1720 • Fax: (619) 399-5311 Website: www.thefilipinopress.com • E-mail: filpressads@aol.com for ads • E-mail: filpress@aol.com for editorial

Founding Editor and Publisher ERNIE FLORES JR. Editor-In-Chief SUSAN DELOS SANTOS Marketing and Sales info@thefilipinopress.com Graphics and Design A2 Studio Graphics Filipino graphics

Contributing writers joe garbanzos Adam Behar ALICIA deleon-torres Fr. Agustin T. Opalalic Cartoonist jesse t. reyes Community Outreach Rose San Pedro Lorna Delos Santos Christina Rutter

Columnists AURORA S. CUDAL Danny hernaez francine maigue GREG B. MACABENTA JESSE T. REYES al villamora Photographer Zeny PLY Circulation Rudy Avenido

The Filipino Press is published every Saturday. We welcome news, features, editorials, opinions and photos. Please e-mail them to: editor@ filipinopress.com. Photos must be accompanied by self-addressed, postage-paid envelope to be returned. We reserve the right to edit materials. Views and opinions by our writers, contributors does not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, management and staff of the Filipino Press. © 2011 Filipino Press

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Nora Vargas, Chairwoman of San Diego County Districts join hands with the members of the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association in recognizing the contributions of 17 tribal governments. The event was highlighted with flag raising celebrating the improvement of inter governmental partnership. (FP staff photo)

Anne Curtis Luv-Anne The Comeback Concert 2023

Sampung taon na mula nang magtanghal si Anne Curtis sa Pechanga. Ngayon ay handa na siya ulit gumawa ng palabas para sa kanyang mga taga-hanga.

Ikinalulugod na ihandog ng Pechanga Resort Casino ang Anne Curtis Luv-Anne The Comeback Concert 2023 na gaganapin sa Biyernes, December 1, 8:00 ng gabi sa Pechanga Theater.

Si Anne Curtis ay isang Filipino-Australian actress, model, television host, entrepreneur at recording artist. Tinagurian siyang “Multimedia Superstar” at kilala bilang isa sa pinakamatagumpay na personalidad sa 21st century sa Pilipinas. Nakatanggap na si Curtis ng maraming parangal sa kanyang buong karera, katulad ng dalawang (2) FAMAS Awards, isang (1) Luna Award, dalawang (2) Metro Manila Film Festival Awards, at limang (5) PMPC Star Awards for Television.

Noong 2011, nag-labas siya ng debut studio album, Annebisyosa, at inilarawan ito bilang “super fun” at “not serious. Noong 2012 gumawa siya ng kauna-unahang solo concert tour, Annebisyosa: No Other Concert World Tour kung saan nanalo siya bilang Female Concert Performer of the Year sa 44th Box Office Entertainment Awards.

Mag-madali! Huwag ninyo itong palampasin. Bumili na ngayon ng tikets sa Pechanga Box Office, tumawag sa 888-810-8871, o bisitahin ang www.pechanga.com.

Ang mga pagtatanghal sa Pechanga Theater ay nagdudulot ng komportable at natatanging karanasan sa konsierto. May 1,200 na mag upuan sa teatro, habang

bawat isang pagtatanghal ay naghahandog ng mga makabago, naayong tugtuging akma sa

pandinig, at komportableng mga upuan at malapitang tanaw habang nakaupo sa teatro.

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