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San Diego’s No. 1 Source of News & Information for the Filipino Community • An Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1986 October 20, 2023 - October 26, 2023
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AFP sees no threat from PH terror groups amid Hamas' attack calls
MANILA -- Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Thursday said no local terrorist groups in the country seem to be supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas' calls for Muslims all over the world to join them in their cause. "(Initially) this is concerning for us because of the experiences that we have when it comes to terrorism but as we monitor the situation in the country we are happy to note that so far there are no indications of any terrorist groups (in the Philippines) heeding the calls of jihad (by Hamas)," Brawner said in a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines. Earlier, Hamas called on all Muslims worldwide to protest in support of Palestinians and for those in neighboring countries to join in the ongoing fight against Israel. The AFP chief said ground commanders and local government officials, whom he met during his visit to Marawi City last Oct. 17 to mark the 6th year anniversary of its liberation from ISIS-inspired terrorists, assured that they have yet to detect any terrorist activity arising from this call. "They assured us that they have not monitored any terrorist groups or even individuals attempting to wreck havoc or do any terrorist activity. We have alerted our commanders nationwide for the AFP and the Philippine National Police to be alert, to be on the lookout for any of these possible spillovers of
BACK HOME. Sixteen overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and an infant arrive from Israel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Wednesday (Oct. 18, 2023). Upon arrival, the OFWs received financial aid and were assured of other forms of assistance. (MNS photo) the events that’s happening in Gaza," he added. Brawner said they have yet to receive any intelligence reports regarding entry of foreign terrorists in the Philippines. "As of the last report that we have
there are no more foreign terrorists in the country," he added. Expanding cybersecurity Meanwhile, Brawner said he is looking to enhance the existing AFP Cyber Group also known as the AFPCyG, by recruiting more personnel
CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY FOR UNIVERCITY AT CHULA VISTA
Groundbreaking ceremony for state-of-the-art development opening in 2025 CHULA VISTA, CA -- The City of Chula Vista celebrated the start of construction on the first phase of the UniverCity at Chula Vista, with a groundbreaking ceremony recently. The event highlighted the City’s progress in fulfilling long-held visions to bolster higher education, employment, and workforce development opportunities and provide a new library on the City’s eastern side. The much-anticipated development will add state-of-theart office space and the first new City library since 1995. The $96.4 million first phase of UniverCity is in the Millenia master-planned community. Of this, $30 million is being funded by the state of California, and administered through the California State Library. Local and state elected officials, city leaders, and industry partners commemorated the start of construction with a spray of confetti and ceremonial plunge of shovels into the ground. The 168,000-square-foot, Class A building under construction is expected to be finished in fall 2025. A new City library will be the anchor
tenant, delivering in-demand services and resources. The event also marks the start of the City of Chula Vista and real estate broker CRBE’s acceptance of interest from prospective tenants that will strengthen the City’s higher education and workforce pipeline. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for higher education and business partners, and for our entire community,” said Mayor John McCann. “Our vision is to provide access to quality higher education and teach the latest, most effective curriculum to bring high paying jobs to our area.” The City of Chula Vista has long envisioned bringing additional higher education opportunities to the area, to meet the significant need in the South Bay. State Senator Steve Padilla, a former Chula Vista Mayor and member of the City Council, played a critical role in the City getting to this point. He and Assemblymember David Alvarez helped secure approval of a Surplus Land Act exemption on a nearby 383-acre site, to be able to use the land for higher education and employment-related development.
“This marks an important step toward our goal of bringing a fouryear university to Chula Vista,” Padilla said. “This project has been something I have been committed to for decades. This community deserves the economic and academic opportunities that will be created here.” The new library will replace a smaller facility in Otay Ranch Town Center. Providing this new library would not be possible without the considerable support of Senate President Pro Tem Toni G. Atkins and Assemblymember David Alvarez, who helped the City secure the state funding for this needed resource. Alvarez said that as the South Bay population grows, there is a need to continue to expand services and educational opportunities for everyone. “I am proud to be part of this project and in helping secure $25 million in State funding,” he said. “I will continue to find new opportunities for educational growth with the goal of a university in Chula Vista.” An additional $5 million was secured thanks to Atkins. The building marks the beginning of the UniverCity of Chula Vista, which will altogether provide more than 12 million square feet of available development space across three locations in the City. Two locations are within the Millenia master-planned community, and the third is a 383-acre site at Hunte and Eastlake Parkways. The library, in this first phase, will serve as a versatile community hub, providing services and resources to See CONSTRUCTION on 11
and acquiring more equipment, to allow it to be named as Cyber Security Command or Cyber Command. "In the US for instance they have their Cyber Command so we are looking at also increasing that unit, (AFPCyG), into a Cyber Command
that would include more capabilities, more personnel of course, and more equipment, this will allow us to defend our networks better in terms of cyber security," he added. Brawner also said that they will try to recruit more IT personnel from
the youth sector, especially those interested in serving or joining the AFP. "Again we are opening up our doors to these individuals who are highly skilled in terms of cyber, and we are relaxing some of the requirements. For instance, (the) physical and medical aspects of the requirement procedures, we are going to relax a bit," he added. Brawner said this due to the realization that these "new breed of warriors" are not required to be physically strong but only intelligent and very skillful in the cyber domain. He added that studies for expanding the AFPCyG are now ongoing, noting that he expects the report to be completed by the end of the year. Brawner said the proposed AFP Cyber Command will not have a physical territory but it would be responsible for defending the cyber networks of the military. He said the creation of such a unit is timely in the wake of hacking incidents affecting government websites. He also added that all AFP cyber units have been warned to be vigilant and on the lookout for possible hacking attacks. While there have been attempts to hack into AFP cyber systems, Brawner is pleased to report that they have been very successful in warding this off. "But we're happy to note na so far hindi naman naging (are not) successful, we have been very See PH TERROR on 7
Meet OpSam’s New Endocrinologist By Adam Behar According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 37.3 million Americans have diabetes, or 11.3 percent of the population. Millions have it but haven’t been diagnosed. This is why OpSam Health, formerly known as Operation Samahan, has recruited Dr. Krystal Valdez, the first endocrinologist to join the OpSam team. Born and raised in the Philippines, Dr. Valdez says she wants her fellow Filipinos to know “that there’s a specialist who speaks Tagalog and who can converse with them in their native language.” She points out that there’s “a hindrance for some Filipinos,” because they may find it difficult to talk freely with non-Filipino doctors. “I’m here for them,” she says. OpSam Increases Specialists The addition of Dr. Valdez is part of OpSam’s ongoing commitment, under CEO Archie Bella, to expand its number of specialists. The OpSam team now has specialists including a cardiologist, a chiropractor, two dentists, and soon, a gastroenterologist. Dr. Valdez works out of both the Mira Mesa and National City clinics, and is fluent in Tagalog. She joined OpSam in February. As an endocrinologist, her specialty is diagnosing and treating diabetes, which she says “is the bread and butter of endocrinology.” Almost 70 percent of her patients are diabetic and the rest have thyroid issues or problems with obesity or with their adrenal glands. Her job, she says, “is to help patients keep their hormones in balance.” What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease in which
Dr. Krystal Valdez the body’s ability to produce insulin is impaired, which can cause your glucose level to increase. “First,” says Dr. Valdez, “you have to find out what type of diabetes you have, because that will determine how it’s managed and treated.” In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is unable to make insulin. In Type 2, the pancreas makes less insulin and your body becomes resistant to insulin. Type 2 is most common in older adults, says Dr. Valdez. However, according to the CDC, Type 2 diabetes has substantially increased among young people over the last two decades. Diagnosing and treating diabetes “Diabetes is a silent disease,” says Dr. Valdez. In other words, sometimes there’s not specific symptoms to detect. “The most common symptoms would be more frequently urination, feeling hungry all the time, or losing weight.” She typically treats Type I diabetes with insulin. Type 2 patients can “benefit from non-insulin agents,” she says, such as oral medications or
once-a-week injections that will help improve their insulin resistance. Whether a patient requires insulin depends on how high their sugar levels are, she says. It’s not the end of the world “When they get the diagnosis, it’s normal to feel worried,” says Dr. Valdez. “I calm my patients by giving them the facts: it’s a very manageable condition and it’s not the end of the world.” She says, if they follow her recommendations, diabetes “shouldn't be something that will cut years off of your life.” With advances in technology, managing diabetes is much easier today. For example, there are devices that make it easy to track your sugar levels and medications that can be taken instead of insulin. “I get a lot of Filipino patients who are diabetic,” she says. However, Filipinos are not more susceptible to diabetes than other people. She theorizes that “there might have been some changes in the diet when some Filipinos migrated to the U.S., which could be a factor. Other factors that could predispose you to the disease include having a family history of diabetes or being significantly overweight. Focusing on lifestyle changes is key. “It's a big part of managing diabetes,” Dr. Valdez emphasizes. “Eating well, getting enough exercise, and not smoking.” Her Inspiration Dr. Valdez grew up in Manila and came to the U.S. with her family when she was 25. They settled in the Norwalk section of Los Angeles, where her family still lives. She notes that she comes from a family of doctors. Her father, now retired, was a pediatrician and her mother an See Opsam's on
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