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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Volume 20 - No. 2 • 14 Pages
T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
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PH eligible again to participate USA UC system plans to in US H-2B visa program in 2021 return for in-person DATELINE
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
in consultation with the Department of State (DOS), announced the list of countries on Tuesday, January 12. For 2021, the acting secretary of homeland seTHE Philippines can now participate in the United States’ H-2B visa program again after two curity and the secretary of state have agreed to add the Philippines to the list of countries eligiyears of ineligibility. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ble to participate in the H-2B program. However, by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
classes in fall 2021
AFTER over a year of virtual classes, the University of California announced that it is planning to return to mainly in-person instruction starting in the fall semester. In an announcement on Monday, January 11, students will be welcomed back to the 10 UC campuses this fall as COVID-19 vaccines start to become available to students, staff and faculty. “As the University continues to monitor the evolution of the pandemic, we are also carefully planning a safe return to in-person classes,” President Michael V. Drake said in a statement. “Current forecasts give us hope that in the fall our students can enjoy a more normal on-campus experience.” Specific plans for resumption of fall classes, including additional safety measures and starting dates, will be announced by individual UC campuses as
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PH government targets vaccinations for up to 70-M Filipinos in 2021 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine rollout to start in February by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
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Greater Sacramento exits regional stay-at-home order THE Greater Sacramento area has exited the regional stay-at-home order based on four-week intensive care projections. The region, which exited the order on Tuesday, January 12, has a current intensive care unit (ICU) capacity of 9.4%, but in coming weeks is seen to be at 19.1% capacity. “We’re starting to see some stabilization both in ICUs as well as stabilization in our positivity rate. We’re also starting to see the rate of growth for hospitalizations beginning to decline,” Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday. “Today, effectively immediately, we’re pulling the Sacramento Region out of the stay-at-home order.” The determination was made based on current estimated regional ICU capacity available, measure of current community transmission, current regional case rates and the proportion of ICU cases being admitted. State guidelines say that a region must be above 15% to move back to the tiered reopening system.
it is still not eligible to participate in the H-2A program. The H-2A visa program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to fill temporary and seasonal agricultural jobs, while the H-2B visa program lets U.S. employers bring foreign na-
PEDDLING FAITH. Vendor Marife wipes the large statue of Sto. Niño which she sells in front of the church of the Diocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño, Bukidnon Street, Bago Bantay, Quezon City on Wednesday, January 13. She has been a vendor of religious items in the area for 20 years but only now have they experienced low sales due to the pandemic. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
THE Philippine government is aiming to vaccinate 50 to 70 million Filipinos in 2021, with up to 200,000 individuals receiving jabs every day. “We are trying to vaccinate at least 100 to 200,000 people every day. Yun po ang gagawin natin para at least magkaroon tayo ng record-breaking daily vaccination rollout (We are trying to vaccinate at least 100 to 200,000 people every day. That’s what we’re trying to do so that we can have a record-breaking daily vaccination rollout),” the country’s vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Tuesday, January 12. The vaccine czar also said that 25,000 vaccinators are currently being trained and that local government units are consolidating the list of individuals that will participate in the vaccinations.
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Coalition launches effort to get Rob Bonta appointed as CA’s attorney general by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
SEVERAL Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) elected leaders and organizations are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint Assemblymember Rob Bonta as the state’s next attorney general. Current Attorney General Xavier Becerra has been tapped to join the Biden administration as the Health and Human Services secretary, creating a vacancy in his seat if he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate later this year. Since Becerra’s nomination last month, Bonta — who was elected to the Assembly u PAGE A4 in 2012 and became the state’s first Filipino
American legislator — has been floated as a top candidate to be the state’s chief law enforcement officer. The 48-year-old lawmaker in November 2020 was reelected for a fifth term to represent the state’s 18th Assembly district, which covers the East Bay areas of Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro. He currently serves as the assistant majority leader, and sits on several committees, including appropriations and health. Bonta was reportedly among the contenders for attorney general in 2017 when Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. Becerra, then a congressman representing the 34th congressional district in
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A group of elected leaders and organizations is calling on California Governor Gavin Newsom (left) to appoint Assemblymember Rob Bonta (right) as state’s attorney general amid Xavier Becerra’s appointment to the Biden administration. File photo from October 2019 shows Newsom after signing AB32, authored by Bonta, which moved for California to be the first in the nation to ban for-profit, private prisons and civil detention facilities.
Manny Villar only Filipino on Bloomberg’s 500 richest list Groups criticize Biden admin as new Cabinet lacks AAPI secretary for first time in 2 decades by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
Manny Villar
Photo courtesy of Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc.
BUSINESS tycoon Manuel Villar is the only Filipino listed on Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world’s top 500 richest people. As of January 13, the self-made billionaire ranked 381st richest in the world based on the market value of his publicly-listed businesses. Villar’s businesses in real estate, retail, and utilities are estimated to be worth $6.75 billion. Tesla’s Elon Musk, mean-
while, emerged as the world’s richest person with a total net worth of $202 billion. He is followed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos with $183 billion, and Bill Gates with $133 billion. Villar, 71, is the founder and chairman of Vista Land and Lifescapes, the largest home builder in the Philippines. The firm has built about 300,000 homes in more than 140 cities. He also owns stakes in Golden Bria Holdings, a property and death care company, as well as Vistamalls, a shopping mall operator.
by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
AS the administration of President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take over the White House, fellow liberal lawmakers, activists and operatives excitedly await the new administration that has promised policies and public servants that represent the growingly diverse American public. Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), who comprise the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S., have become u PAGE A2 more visible and vocal over the last de-
cade in American politics, with activists and lawmakers propelling the community’s issues to the forefront. Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, has already made history as the first female, Black and AAPI to serve in the position. In addition to Harris, Biden appointed Chinese American Katherine Tai to serve as United States Trade Representative, the head of the government agency that is responsible for the development and rec-
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january 15-21, 2021 • nOrCaL aSIan jOurnaL
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From the Front Page
PH eligible again to...
PAGE A1
tionals to the U.S. to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. The Philippines was removed by the DHS from the list in 2019 because the country no longer met “the regulatory standards for the H-2A and H2B visa programs.” Last year, the ineligibility remained in place. A Federal Register document said the Philippines had a high H-2B overstay rate. In FY 2017, the DHS estimated that nearly 40% of H-2B visa holders from the Philippines overstayed their period of authorized stay.
The DHS and DOS, in their list, also announced that they are no longer designating the Independent State of Samoa and Tonga as eligible countries because they no longer meet the regulatory standards for the H-2A and H-2B visa programs. Meanwhile, Mongolia has been removed as an eligible country for the H-2A visa program as it no longer meets the regulatory standards for that program. “DHS maintains its authority to add countries to the eligible countries list at any time, and to
remove any country at the time it publishes a new list, should DHS and DOS determine that a country fails to meet the requirements for continued designation,” the DHS said. Examples of factors that could result in the exclusion of a country or the removal of a country from the list include, but are not limited to, fraud, abuse, denial rates, overstay rates, human trafficking concerns, and other forms of noncompliance with the terms and conditions of the H-2 visa programs by nationals of that country. n
UC system plans to return for in-person... PAGE A1 they continue to coordinate closely with local public health agencies and follow all local and state health guidelines.
The University of Southern California on Monday also announced the return back to primarily in-person instruction as well.
California State University announced the fall reopening for its 23 campuses last December. (Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)
FREE SWAB TEST. Residents of Barangay San Antonio sit in front of a plastic divider booth while being tested by the personnel of the Quezon City Health Department and City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit during the free rapid and swab testing at a covered court on Monday, January 11. In a statement posted on the Barangay San Antonio Facebook page, the free antibody test is to ensure the immunity and health of its residents. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfile
Coalition launches effort to get Rob Bonta... PAGE A1
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Southern California, was ultimately selected by former Gov. Jerry Brown. Now, a grassroots effort has been brewing to double down on why Bonta is the best choice given his track record as the state grapples with a multitude of issues from the ongoing pandemic to a racial reckoning. “Not only is he eminently qualified — probably the most qualified — he comes from communities that demand justice, that need this justice,” outgoing Rep. TJ Cox, the first Fil-Am to represent California in Congress, said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday, January 6. Cox added that in addition to the litigation side, Bonta in the top seat would provide “the example to be what you can see.” Bonta’s appointment would be a win for representation, advocates argued, as California is home to the largest AAPI population in the U.S. with over 5 million. Fil-Ams are among the top two largest Asian ethnic groups in the state with a population of over 1.6 million. “Rob Bonta’s march from his early days in the labor movement, with his activist parents living across from Cesar Chavez, to now being a potential appointee for attorney general of our great state,” said Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats founding president and community leader Joselyn Gaega-Rosenthal.
“What a special moment for our Filipino and AAPI communities who have eagerly and patiently awaited this kind of moment.” Bonta, who was born in Quezon City, Philippines, immigrated with his family to California’s Central Valley, where his parents worked for the United Farm Workers of America, organizing Filipino and Mexican American workers. In previous interviews, this upbringing shaped his decision to pursue a career in law and public service. He obtained a law degree from Yale Law School and clerked for Judge Alvin W. Thompson of theUnited States District Court for the District of Connecticut before moving to San Francisco law firmKeker & Van Nest. Prior to his election to the state Assembly in 2012, Bonta was San Francisco’s deputy city attorney for nearly a decade, and served as director of the Alameda Health Care District and then vice mayor of Alameda. “He’s fought for working families addressed inequalities in our criminal justice system, championed tenants and immigrant rights, all while also addressing health care and consumer protection issues. He’s authored significant legislation that promotes and defends our California values of justice, inclusion, equity and opportunity,” Alameda Vice Mayor Malia Vella, who is also Fil-Am, said on Wednesday. Amid the protests over the
summer, Bonta introduced a bill to classify racially motivated 911 calls as hate crimes. His legislation record includes a 2019 bill, which was signed into law by Newsom, to phase out the use of all private, for-profit prisons, including both prisons and immigration detention facilities in the state. Wednesday’s virtual event also featured remarks from California State Treasurer Fiona Ma; National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA) President Kristy Gonowon; California Asian Pacific American Bar Association President Zathrina Perez; CalAsian Chamber CEO Pat Fong; and KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress boardmember Christian Edlagan. In December, current and former Fil-Am elected officials, as well as legal organizations like the NFALA, sent letters to Newsom in support of Bonta. Support for Bonta has also come from high-profile personalities— from CNN’s Van Jones calling the assemblymember “a leader in the fight to restore justice in CA” to actress Maggie Q who worked with him “in the fight for more inclusive representation in media.” As Newsom has yet to announce a pick, the grassroots coalition has launched social media accounts to amplify its endorsement in an effort to influence the governor’s decision. n
Manny Villar only Filipino on Bloomberg’s...
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PAGE A1 According to Manila Bulletin, Villar owns 89 percent of Golden Bria through Fine Properties, Cambridge Group, and directly. He also controls about 75 percent of Vista Land through Fine Properties, Althorp Holdings, Manuela Corporation, and directly. The Filipino billionaire is also calculated to own 68 percent of AllHome Corp.
Villar was born in Manila on December 13, 1949. He was a former seafood vendor in Tondo who made an empire on property development. He was one of the candidates for Philippine president in 2010, garnering more than 5.5 million votes and placing third behind Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. He was also the former speaker of the House and Senate president.
Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a dynamic measure of personal wealth based on changes in markets, the economy and Bloomberg reporting. Each net worth figure is updated every business day after the close of trading in New York. Stakes in publicly traded companies are valued using the share’s most recent closing price. Valuations are converted to U.S. dollars at current exchange rates. n
Groups criticize Biden admin as new Cabinet...
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PAGE A1 ommendations of trade policy to the president of the United States. Tai, 46, is an attorney who currently serves as the chief trade counsel for the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means. But AAPI groups are calling out Biden for neglecting to include enough Asian Americans or any Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander in his cabinet appointments that became known in late 2020. The incoming administration will be the first in 20 years to not have an AAPI at the secretary level. Since Norman Mineta served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the Clinton administration, becoming the first AAPI to hold a Cabinet position, the past three administrations have had at least one AAPI Cabinet secretary. President George W. Bush had two AAPIs in his Cabinet; President Barack Obama had three; and Trump had one, Elaine Chao, who has since resigned as Secretary of Transportation. “Our elected officials owe a great debt of gratitude to the AAPI community. Many of their elections were made possible by the significant contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander votes,” Christine Chen, executive director for Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), said in a statement. “Approximately two-thirds of AAPI’s supported the new Administration, and AAPI’s turned out in record numbers during the general election. Accord-
ing to one analysis, AAPI voters increased their turnout relative to 2016 more than any other demographic group across the swing states.” As previously covered by the Asian Journal, organizations like APIAVote as well as the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) have been calling for more AAPI representation in Washington. Biden’s cabinet (which hasn’t been fully confirmed by the U.S. Senate) includes the most women in any presidential cabinet in American history (an equal number of men and women), and a majority of its members are not white. But with the growing number of AAPIs in government and law, NCAPA believes that there are “numerous qualified AAPIs who should be appointed to senior positions throughout the government.” “The Biden Administration, by nearly every standard, has set a new benchmark for what a diverse and inclusive government should look like,” NCAPA said in a statement, adding that the omission of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and “lack of AAPI representation among Cabinet Secretaries is an egregious step backwards.” For years, the fight for AAPI visibility in Washington has been akin to having the community’s specific needs addressed by top officials in all three branches of the federal government. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, AAPI senators and House representatives have put forth proposals,
policies and memoranda fighting against anti-Asian racism that re-emerged last year. With more AAPI representation in the federal government, it is the hope that those issues — including linguistic availability, data disaggregation, health care, immigration and other issues that pertain directly to the AAPI community — will be made a priority. The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) also weighed in on the lack of an AAPI Cabinet secretary. “NAPABA stands dismayed that AAPIs will not be represented at the Secretary level position in the inaugural Biden Cabinet,” A.B. Cruz III, president of NAPABA, said. “While there have been many historic positive firsts for the incoming Administration, the AAPI community cannot help but feel dismissed.” The lack of AAPI figures in the president-elect’s announced cabinet, however, may not represent the future of his cabinet over the next four years. Customarily, secretaries step down from positions, opening up the potential for future AAPIs to take over. Despite the oversight in Biden’s first cabinet announcements, Cruz hopes that Biden will keep the AAPI community in mind for future appointments. “We trust the new administration will specifically address this apparent disconnect by nominating and placing AAPIs into key leadership roles going forward,” he said. n
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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 15-21, 2021
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Breed announces new $62 million relief plan for small businesses Combination of grants and loans will triple San Francisco’s total direct financial support for small business during the pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor London N. Breed on Tuesday, January 12 announced a new plan to provide immediate financial relief for small businesses struggling as a result of COVID19. The $62 million plan will provide a combination of grants and very low to zero-interest loans, which will complement and expand existing local, state, and federal initiatives. Locally, San Francisco has already provided more than $24 million in grants and loans, and recently waived an additional $5 million in fees for hardest hit small businesses. This new small business relief plan will triple the overall support provided by the GREEN WALL. A worker of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) puts planters on this vertical garden along Roxas Boulevard City. This comes as the federal in Manila on Sunday, January 10. This unique gardening technique uses wire mesh filled with planters, making the once bare walls pop with government has directed new greens. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan funding in the expansion of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the State has launched its own Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program. “These have been long, hard months on so many of us, but in particular our small business owners and workers have really The $600 payment was first dicate how long the proposed struggled,” said Mayor Breed. by Klarize Medenilla AJPress announced on Wednesday, Jan extension would last.) “We have lost too many of our 7 when Newsom hopped on a Newsom’s budget proposal small businesses already during CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Zoom call with members of the also allocates $327 million for this pandemic, and this relief Newsom on Friday, Jan. 8 sub- legislature. COVID-19 vaccination avail- plan will help many businesses mitted the 2021-2022 state “This plan will provide relief ability and also includes the get through these next challengBudget proposal to the Legis- for Californians in need by dis- state’s “highest-ever funding ing months as the vaccine is dislature which includes a $600 tributing $600 rapid cash sup- level for K-14 schools.” n tributed and we can begin our stimulus check for low-income port for some — at least $1,200 residents financially struggling when coupled with federal reamid the coronavirus pandem- lief — and extend the eviction ic. moratorium,” Newsom said on The $227.2 billion fiscal plan Wednesday, asking lawmakprioritizes “immediate COVID- ers to immediately approve the 19” aid to families, individuals proposal so that people would and small businesses that have receive checks as soon as posborne the brunt of the eco- sible. nomic fallout of the COVID-19 The governor also said that 4 pandemic that has left millions million checks should be sent unemployed and on the verge out to eligible residents within of eviction. the next four weeks, meaning “In these darkest moments of that low-income Californians the COVID-19 pandemic, this may receive an additional $600 Budget will help Californians by February. with urgent action to address Though the statewide unemour immediate challenges and ployment rate has decreased build towards our recovery,” by half compared to the early Newsom said in a statement pandemic period — 16.4% released on Friday. during April and May — the According to the proposal, employment rate in November the plan would set aside $2.4 is at 8.2%, nearly twice a high billion for the Golden State as it was in November 2019 Stimulus, which would direct (3.9%). $600 payments to low-income The eviction moratorium was workers who had been eligible extended to aid the more than for the Earned Income Tax 2 million Californians who are Credit in 2019 and those who at risk of eviction, which could filed the 2020 Individual Tax- expose more renters to COVIDpayer Identification Number. 19. The current moratorium is About $575 million would be scheduled to expire on Jan. 31 set aside to increase funding if the legislature doesn’t apfor grants to small businesses prove the extension. and small non-profit cultural “Yes, we will get a deal done institutions that were heavily to extend these renter and impacted by the pandemic. eviction protections,” NewIn other words, the proposed som said on Wednesday. “It’s check would apply to those foundational, it’s fundamental. whose annual income is less We all recognize the need to than $30,000. do that.” (Newsom did not in-
Newsom proposes $600 COVID-19 relief, extends eviction moratorium
PH government targets vaccinations for up to... PAGE A1 t “Marami na po tayo nabigyan ng training. Ongoing ang training natin, we are training more or less 25,000 vaccinators (Many have already been given training. This is ongoing and we are training more or less 25,000 vaccinators),” he said. Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the Philippines may happen earlier than China’s Sinovac, according to Galvez. “Baka mauna ang Pfizer because the COVAX facility will be deploying the early rollout of Pfizer so iintayin din namin ‘yun sa February (Pfizer may come earlier because the COVAX facility will be deploying the early rollout of Pfizer, so we will wait for that in February as well),” he told ANC’s Headstart. The country is a candidate for the early rollout of the vaccine from the COVAX facility, a global platform that aims to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries. Earlier, Galvez said the country’s vaccination campaign may start as early as February through the COVAX facility, receiving “more or less 40 million doses” of COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, World Health Organization representative to the Philippines, said only Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is confirmed to be part of the COVAX early roll-out. Pfizer on December 23, 2020 submitted its application for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines.
The Philippine Food and Drug Administration, for its part, said it will release its decision on the American drugmaker’s application by Tuesday or Wednesday, ahead of the target date of January 14. Vaccine deals On Monday, January 11, the country reportedly secured 25 million doses of China’s Sinovac. “According to the Department of Health, we will have the first 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac. The vaccines will arrive in the Philippines next month,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in Filipino. Of the 25 million doses, 50,000 will arrive in the country in February. In March, 950,000 doses will arrive, one million doses in April, another million doses in May, and two million doses in June, until all 25 million doses are delivered by December. Despite Sinovac’s efficacy being called into question, Roque insisted that the vaccine has been “proven safe and efficient.” The Philippines also signed an agreement to secure 30 million doses of Covovax vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer; and Novavax, a U.S.-based biotechnology company. The delivery of the vaccine will begin in the third quarter of the year. It will be used to vaccinate 15 million Filipinos belonging to the vulnerable and poor sectors. Currently, Covovax is in third-stage trials and expected to be approved for use by international regulators. n
recovery. The San Francisco we are going to be moving forward needs our small businesses to provide jobs and make our neighborhoods vibrant again sooner for residents and visitors.” “With the rollout of COVID19 vaccines, we are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, but we are not there yet, and these resources will make sure some of our favorite neighborhood businesses will still be around when we get there,” said Carmen Chu, San Francisco Assessor and Co-chair of the Economic Recovery Task Force, a collaborative body responsible for compiling over 40 recommendations to help the City rebound stronger. “San Francisco will rise again and we can do this together.” Proposed grant program – $12.4 million SF Relief Grants: The proposed grant program will provide immediate relief to help stabilize small business operations by offering grants of $5,000 to $20,000, based on the number of employees that each employer had in February 2020. The goal of this program will be to reach businesses across the City and in high need neighborhoods in particular. This program will support small businesses operated by people of color, women,
long-standing businesses, those most impacted by Stay-at-Home orders, and those that were excluded from or otherwise unable to access state and federal programs. Businesses will be required to have a San Francisco location and/or a San Francisco business license to operate. These funds will be distributed quickly to help address impacts of the current surge, with more substantial loan funds to follow supporting businesses as they reopen and bring people back to work. Proposed loan program – Up to $50 million SF Community Investment Loans: This planned loan program is aimed at supporting businesses by providing working capital, especially to those left out of existing relief programs. This will include businesses that normally generate more than $2.5 million in annual revenue, including many restaurants. To meet the overwhelming need created by COVID-19, during the past year, the City has successfully leveraged investments to maximize available loans to small businesses. Working with the City’s established local community lending partners as well as federal and state government, the City plans to leverage this
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january 15-21, 2021 • nOrCaL aSIan jOurnaL
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Fil-Am Catholic priest in Utah dies of COVID-19
cover at home. The Fil-Am was the pastor of Saint James the Just in Ogden, A FILIPINO American priest in Utah at the time of his death. He Utah has died after a short battle also served as the spiritual adviwith the coronavirus. sor for the Diocesan Council of Father Reynato “Rene” RoCatholic Women. dillas succumbed to COVID-19 Born on January 25, 1962, in at the age of 58, a few days Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Rodillas after testing positive, Msgr. earned a Bachelor of Science deColin F. Bircumshaw, vicar gree in Civil Engineering (BSCE) general of the Diocese of Salt from the University of Northern Lake City announced on FriPhilippines before entering the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City, Philippines. He was ordained as a Divine Word Missionary in 1997. In 2007, Rodillas came to the Diocese of Salt Lake City and served as a parochial vicar at Saints Peter and Paul Parish, West Valley City; Saint George Parish, St. George; and Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish, Midvale. He also served as administrator of Saint Olaf Parish, Bountiful. In a 2019 interview by Intermountain Catholic, Rodillas said his greatest treasure is “being a priest.” “Celebrating the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, for me is the most satisfying experience, because in spite of my unworthiness I am privileged to celebrate it. Celebrating the Eucharist is a reward in itself,” he continued. “I am looking forward to knowing my new parishioners personally and journeying with them toward spiritual growth, and deepening my relationship with each of them and with God,” he added. Rodillas is survived by his mother, Capistrana Rodillas; and siblings, Condrado Rodillas, Rosemary Rubia and Imelda RoFather Reynato “Rene” Rodillas Photo courtesy of The Diocese of Salt Lake City dillas. n
by AJPress
day, January 8. “Date of death has yet to be determined by the medical examiner, but was probably on Friday, January 8, 2021,” read the announcement on the Intermountain Catholic website. Rodillas tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, January 5, and was sent home from the emergency room with oxygen to quarantine and to re-
Greater Sacramento exits regional... PAGE A1 t
The region encompasses counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba. Alpine County is in the red tier, or substantial, and Sierra County is in the orange, or moderate, while the rest is in the most restrictive purple tier, meaning COVID-19 remains widespread in those counties. Under the purple tier outlined in the “Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” retail stores,
shopping centers and malls can have indoor operations with 25% capacity, and hair salons, barbershops and personal care services can reopen indoors with modifications. Places of worship, gyms, and restaurants must operate outdoors. “This is such good and hopeful news for our community, our workers and our small businesses,” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. “Let’s stay vigilant and socially distant so we can continue our recovery.”
The purple tier counties will also continue under the statewide curfew that has a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew. Meanwhile, Bay Area (4.7%), San Joaquin Valley (0%) and Southern California (0%) regions which will remain under the order as their projected four-week ICU capacities do not meet the criteria to exit. California has 2,747,288 confirmed cases and 30,513 fatalities to date. The 7-day positivity rate is 13.5% and the 14day positivity rate is 13.5%. (AJPress)
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CLEAN CREEK. A creek along Airport Road looks clean with its still waters near the border of Pasay City and Baclaran, Paranaque City on Tuesday, January 12. The government has been cleaning up waterways ahead of the rainy season. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Air travelers now required to show proof of negative COVID-19 test before entering US
New measure applies to all foreign nationals and U.S. citizens by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
THE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday, Jan. 12 that anybody flying to the United States will be required to show proof of a recent negative coronavirus test. Travelers arriving from international airports will be required to take a test for the virus within three days before their departing flight to the U.S. The mandate applies to foreign nationals and U.S. citizens. The CDC’s new rule is an extension of a similar requirement announced last week concerning travelers coming from the United Kingdom, where the new strain of SARS-CoV-2 had been recorded. CDC Director Dr. Robert Red-
field signed the order on Tuesday and will be in effect starting Jan. 26, which the agency said should give enough time for travelers to comply and re-arrange plans. Redfield said in a statement, “Variants of the SARS-CoV2 virus continue to emerge in countries around the world and there is evidence of increased transmissibility of some of these variants. With the U.S. already in surge status, the testing requirement for passengers will help slow the spread of the virus as we work to vaccinate the American public.” Redfield acknowledged that a negative test doesn’t provide total protection, but noted it’s a safeguard. Passengers who test positive, don’t provide official documentation of a negative test or recovery, or refuse to take a
test, airlines will not allow them to board. “Testing does not eliminate all risk, but when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports and at destinations,” he said. COVID-19 has swept the U.S. in significant waves that have brought more than 22 million positive cases to date and 375,000 deaths, as of Tuesday. Since the beginning of the pandemic, international travel to the U.S. has suffered a huge economic loss due to pandemic restrictions. In December, foreign travel in and out of the U.S. was down 76% compared to 2019, according to the trade group Airlines for America. n
Breed announces new $62 million...
PAGE A3 t latest, unprecedented investment to make a $50 million loan program available, offering San Francisco small businesses very low to zero-interest loans ranging up to $250,000. By targeting small community anchor businesses that employ more people, with an ultimate aim of retaining and creating new jobs, the loan program will help stabilize San Francisco’s local workforce. This plan also includes a focus on microloans for businesses who may not otherwise be in a position to borrow capital. “We’re a city that tackles challenges head on and through this pandemic, we’ve seen our communities step up in support of our neighborhood small businesses who rely on everyday purchases to stay open,” said Joaquin Torres, Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “The announcement of today’s financial relief plan reflects the City’s commitment toward a more equitable future by investing millions to support our mom-and-pop shops and their workers who are struggling to make ends meet. Together, with state and federal resources, we’ll ensure our businesses have the capital to stay open, preserve jobs, and provide a continuity of services for the public over the next few months as we move toward an aggressive economic recovery.” Mayor Breed is working with Departments to analyze their budgets and spending in order to identify any possible savings that could be used to support our small businesses. This program will be funded by these departmental expenditure savings. This funding will require a supplemental ordinance to be approved by the Board of Supervisors, which will be introduced in January. “The devastating effect on our small businesses due to the pandemic has really crushed a vital part of our economy in SF. The millions of dollars in assistance, for these businesses from this relief plan, is the lifeline that we need to help a lot of our businesses survive,” said Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton. “I am super excited about the grants that will be provided from this funding and zero interest loans will also help maintain a safety net for our businesses. I am thrilled that this support is available, while we continue to fight off the virus and get to the point where we can reopen safely.” “In the face of budget deficit, our city is working hard to identify funding to provide a lifeline for our local merchants,” said Supervisor Connie Chan. “We know the only way we can get through this pandemic is for all of us to
work together and find creative solutions, including more grant programs to support our small businesses and working people. I’m committed to do whatever I can to meet that responsibility.” “The pandemic put our local economy into survival mode, and no one has been hurt harder than our small business community,” said Supervisor Catherine Stefani. “Small businesses employ half of the workers and make our neighborhoods vibrant places to live. They are the backbone of our city, and we need to do everything we can to support them. This relief package is an important step toward providing small businesses the stabilization they will need to survive.” “Our city is hemorrhaging small businesses: The Cliff House, Slims, The Stud, the list of businesses we’ve lost during the pandemic goes on, and on,” said Supervisor Matt Haney. “If we don’t act swiftly, we’re in danger of losing many more of our most iconic businesses that contribute so much to our city. As Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, I am proud to stand by the Mayor in announcing this package to help our small businesses. These funds can’t come soon enough.” “The pandemic has already permanently shuttered far too many San Francisco small businesses and we know that even more will follow in the coming months if we don’t intervene,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. “This relief plan is the sort of decisive and impactful action from City Hall that our small businesses need to stay afloat. The $62 million in this plan triples the amount of support we have previously provided small businesses and we must continue to find ways to do even more.” “I’m pleased to see we’re finally giving the people what they want: direct relief,” said Supervisor Peskin. “Over and over, small businesses have told us that to survive this pandemic, they must pay their employees, insurance and bills. People are suffering, and small business relief funds should be going directly to employers and employees, not landlords and consultants.” Since the beginning of the pandemic, the City of San Francisco has provided immediate and ongoing support for small businesses, including more than $24 million in grants and loans to more than 1,230 businesses, tens of millions of dollars in fee and tax deferrals, and assistance applying for state and federal funding. Additionally, just last week, the Board of Supervisors passed the Mayor’s legislation waiving $5 million in fees and taxes for entertainment and nightlife venues and small restaurants, mean-
ing that businesses that receive a waiver do not have to pay back the fees at a later date. In addition to creating and supporting programs that respond to the urgent and ongoing needs of COVID-19, Mayor Breed has continued to invest in programs that regularly support small businesses in San Francisco, including the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative and Grants for the Arts. Lastly, the City has advanced numerous initiatives to make it easier to operate and open businesses during COVID-19 and beyond, such as the Shared Spaces program and the Save Our Small Businesses ballot measure, which voters approved in November 2020. More information about San Francisco’s support for small businesses is available at https://londonbreed. medium.com/supporting-oursmall-businesses-def71f4633a1. “This is the biggest relief plan the City has pursued for small business since the pandemic started, and will save thousands of desperately needed jobs and businesses throughout the City,” said Sharky Laguana, San Francisco Small Business Commissioner. “With a vaccine now starting to be deployed, making sure that everyone who needs it has a bridge to economic recovery is critical to getting back on our feet as quickly as possible.” “Many of our mid-sized restaurants are the anchors of our neighborhood corridors and represent some of the longer operating businesses in the city. Expanding access to allow more mid-sized restaurants to apply will support this heavily impacted industry,” said Laurie Thomas, Executive Director, Golden Gate Restaurant Association. “We are thankful for the continued efforts on the part of the city leaders to try to help save our restaurant community.” “I’m grateful that the Mayor and her team are making efforts to get critically needed funds to our restaurants,” said Mat Shuster, Chef & Owner, Canela Bistro. “Without continued financial assistance to restaurants like mine that have been operating in the Castro for the past ten years, we will struggle to survive.” “Small food operators like myself are dealing with unprecedented challenges from COVID19. These City investments are vital to maintaining the operations of businesses like mine,” said Tiffany Carter of Boug Cali. “Funds from the City’s Small Business grant programs are a lifeline and have given my business the opportunity to deliver meals and groceries to some of our most vulnerable residents and essential workers around the city.” (SF Mayor’s Office Release) n
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Dateline PhiliPPines
A
PhilHealth, dialysis center officials ‘conspired’ in anomalous fund release – NBI by Marlon
raMos Inquirer.net
MANILA — Former Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) president and CEO Ricardo Morales and other senior executives of the state health insurer had “conspired” with officials of a private dialysis center that received P33.8 million in emergency funds specifically earmarked for hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, according to the National Bureau of Investigation. The NBI said Morales and his subordinates also ignored policies that they themselves set for the use of the P30-billion interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM) in providing “unwarranted benefits” to B. Braun Avitum Philippines Inc., a dialysis center. Sen. Panfilo Lacson had identified B. Braun as a “favored” recipient of the special financial package from PhilHealth. These findings prompted the NBI to bring an administrative and criminal complaint alleging corruption against Morales and more than 20 others in the Office of the Ombudsman. ‘Ghost, double claims’ The complaint was filed on Monday, a day before an interagency body headed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) endorsed also to the Ombudsman a report by the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC) alleging graft against
25 PhilHealth officials in connection with a “ghost” and “double claims” scheme that had financially strained the state insurer. The complaint prepared by the NBI’s National Capital Region (NCR) office said a “conspiracy between PhilHealth officials and B. Braun Avitum was sufficiently established.” It said PhilHealth “disregarded rules in approving and releasing IRM funds.” Worse, the NBI said PhilHealth “erroneously” computed the amounts given to B. Braun and other hospitals that requested financial aid, which PhilHealth had intended as the government’s response to the pandemic. The bureau cited PhilHealth Circular 2020-0007, which stated that the financial aid “must be based only on historical paid claims, which if properly computed, should only have been P23 billion,” not P30 billion. It said B. Braun received benefit claims for dialysis procedures done even before the first coronavirus case was reported in the country and prior to the effectivity of the IRM on March 20, 2020. Pending cases The company, the NBI noted, had pending administrative cases with PhilHealth Arbitration Office for the filing of multiple claims, breaching warranties of accreditation, claiming for patients that were not admitted nor treated and
unjustified admission beyond accredited bed capacity. “Despite these red flags, PhilHealth approved the grant of IRM fund to B. Braun,” it said. The NBI stressed that PhilHealth “failed to organize a validation team” which would have assessed the effects of the pandemic to properly determine the amounts to be taken from the IRM fund for health institutions.Besides Morales, the NBI recommended charges to be filed against PhilHealth executive vice president and COO Arnel de Jesus, senior vice presidents Renato Limsiaco and Israel Francis Pargas, Arturo Alcantara of PhilHeath Task Force Informatics and NCR area vice president Gregorio Rulloda. Also included in the complaint were PhilHealth NCR officials Lailani Padua, Dr. Cynthia Camacho, Recto Panti, Maricar Barangtay, Victoria Gatuz, Dr. Imelda Trinidad de Vera, Lolita Tuliao, Gemma Sibucao and several other unidentified personnel. The NBI said they should be held liable for graft, misappropriation of public funds, grave misconduct, gross negligence and conduct prejudicial to public interest. B. Braun managing director Eduardo Rodriguez, finance director Arsenia Ladores and sales and marketing director Ricky Paglicawan were named private respondents. n
DOH, Duque get high approval rating in survey
DESPITE criticisms over how it handled the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Health (DoH) had a 76% approval rating in the latest Pulse Asia survey. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also got an approval rating of 64% and an awareness rating of 97%. More significantly, the survey result puts the DoH in a statistical tie with the Department of Social Welfare and Development as the government agency with the highest approval rating. Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes said the high approval rating of the DoH represented the “general sentiment” of the respondents.
“What we gather is largely how people perceive the agency and the head of the agency. But it is not exclusive to how they perform related to the pandemic, but there are other factors also,” he told The Manila Times in a telephone interview. The respondents felt that the work that the Health department did was appreciated not just because of the pandemic, but because of its other services, he added. He said the DoH’s results in the survey were lower by 2 to 3% than the previous survey figure, and it was not one of the highest survey results the department has had in years.
Duque said the survey results were a boon to the employees of the department who continued to work tirelessly for the past year. “As we continue with our work, we aim to be responsive to the needs of the public. Let this recognition be one of our driving forces to deliver more for our countrymen” he added. The survey was conducted from November 23 to Dec. 2, 2020 and it involved face-to-face interviews with 2,400 respondents nationwide through multistage random sampling. The margin of error was plusminus five percentage points. (Red Mendoza/ManilaTimes.net)
DANGER. Unmindful of the danger, children step on the railings of Quezon Bridge in Manila on Monday, January 11. Although not fit for swimming, kids dipping in the Pasig River are a common sight, exposing themselves to viruses and diseases. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
CHR: ‘Drug war’ review report credibility may suffer if done ‘in the shadows’ by Kristine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
MANILA — Credibility of the Philippine government’s “drug war” review report would suffer if it will be done “in the shadows,” the Commission on Human Rights said. The CHR was left out of the crafting of the initial report by the Department of Justice-led panel, despite a promise to the United Nations Human Rights Council that the commission would be involved as an independent monitoring body. “If it’s done under the shadows, if it’s not transparent, then there is doubt as to the credibility of that report,” human rights commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit told ANC’s Matters of Fact on Wednesday. Gomez-Dumpit said they were “puzzled” and surprised when they learned that the initial report has been released because they were expecting that the CHR “would be a part of it from the beginning.” She added they have written to the DOJ four times, the latest was sent on January 7 after they learned that the initial report has
been released. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said they intend to engage the CHR in the “drug war” review panel, as he pointed out that only an initial report was released. “Our efforts have been severely hampered by current restrictions on mobility and physical access to records. Much collaborative work remains to be done,” the DOJ chief added. The high-level panel is conducting “a judicious review of the 5,655 anti-illegal drug operations where deaths occurred.” Human rights groups have estimated drug war deaths at four times the number acknowledged by the government. The initial report covers initial findings in a couple of provinces with the highest incidence of police operations resulting in deaths, particularly in Bulacan and Pampanga. ‘Nanlaban’ cases need review Gomez-Dumpit said they could have provided fresh eyes in the report and share evidence that they have gathered in their own investigations. “We are an independent mechanism, so we can actually advise the government
on what to do with all these cases,” she added. She urged the government to publicize the initial report or give the commission a copy, so the families of victims would have access to it. “We have said this in the past, and we are reiterating it: When there is a defense of ‘nanlaban,’ it has to be credible,” the rights commissioner said. “Even if it is within legitimate police operations, it does not mean that any death resulting from a police operation is actually excusable,” the CHR official stressed, adding that circumstances in every case must be reviewed, especially in those where the victim is unarmed. The UNHRC acknowledged the “drug war” review panel in its resolution in October 2020 that only pushed for capacity building to improve human rights situation in the country, short of launching an independent, on-the-ground investigation that rights groups have been calling for. Rights groups have flagged the “drug war” panel review as an attempt at damage control to avoid international scrutiny and investigation. n
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JANUARY 15-21, 2021 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
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FeatURes
OPiniOn
Worst traffic in the region
THE COVID-19 quarantines emptied the streets of Metro Manila and several other crowded urban centers across the country. Vehicular traffic, however, began picking up as the economy was gradually reopened, more people were allowed outside their homes and mass transportation resumed, although still on a limited basis. The pandemic-related mobility restrictions did not stop the Philippines from being ranked last year as the worst in terms of traffic situation among six Southeast Asian countries with high traffic densities, and the ninth worst among 81 worldwide. People who have been stuck in traffic especially along EDSA and surrounding areas in the past months will agree with the assessment. The ranking was reported by Numbeo in its 2020 Traffic Index, which assessed the traffic situation based on time spent to reach one’s destination, carbon dioxide emissions and overall inefficiency. The Philippines was ranked the worst among the four other founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore – as well as a later addition to ASEAN, Vietnam. Reacting to the Numbeo report, the govern-
ment vowed improvements in the traffic situation with the completion of more roads particularly within Mega Manila. Most of the new roads, however, are toll roads operated by the private sector. It remains to be seen whether enough motorists will use these roads to make a significant dent in the traffic jams that have returned. With the financial difficulties arising from the pandemic, a daily toll will be another burden many people can’t afford. Why can’t the government provide free basic road infrastructure at least in crowded urban centers? Where do our taxes go? Numbeo is a crowd-sourced global database of information on cost of living and quality of life indicators including housing, perceived crime checking for accuracy of Numbeo data. But perrates and quality of health care. Like other free ceptions serve as a guide for policy making as crowd-sourced databases, there is no third-party well as project planning and implementation.
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
The 2020 Traffic Index should drive improvements in the traffic jams in Metro Manila and other crowded urban centers. (Philstar.com)
Follow the Constitution: Impeach and convict Trump to save American democracy The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS BE HONEST. Let us all be honest in answering this very important question: What would and should true patriotic law-abiding citizens and supposed truth, fairness and justice-seeking Christians in America do when United States PresidenDonald Trump is now the leader and inciter of an insurrection to overturn election results and assault the democracy of the nation and the people he swore to serve? Nearly four years ago, the businessman-turned-leader of the free world was inaugurated and took the solemn oath as stated in Article II, Section I, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” But, in his time in office, Trump has been the biggest threat to our national security, and has failed in fulfilling his solemn duties and obligations as president. Five people have died because of mob riot, with the U.S. Capitol security breached and offices and hallways of this historic august chambers vandalized and de-
stroyed by Trump’s blind followers — carrying out his marching order to FIGHT based on lies of his votes and victory stolen, dismissed to be without merit by no less than the Supreme Court and other officials and watchdogs of the election. And what should we do as citizens of the United States when the other public servants — the vice president, representatives, senators, judges, political appointees, and federal employees — the people who work for us, the people of the United States, fail to fulfill the oath they took before they assume the public post entrusted to them as federal employees? Yes, they too took an oath of office, pursuant to Article VI of the Constitution which states that other officials, including members of Congress, “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this constitution.” Our Founding Fathers had the foresight that someday, there would be an elected leader who would abuse the power and public trust accorded to the Office of the President and other powerful posts in government that is why the Constitution had been written to demand accountability from each and every public servant. One important point that writer Jeff Neal wrote for the Federal News Network on the oath of office and what it means is very much a reminder not only for our federal employees. This is also a wake-up call for us citizens on
what to expect and demand from our public servants: “One thing that federal workers often hear is a career supervisor or political appointee talking about loyalty to the agency or the boss. One purpose of the Oath of Office is to remind federal workers that they do not swear allegiance to a supervisor, an agency, a political appointee, or even to the President. The oath is to support and defend the U.S. Constitution and faithfully execute your duties. The intent is to protect the public from a government that might fall victim to political whims and to provide a North Star – the Constitution – as a source of direction.” This is where we are now — facing a crossroads, about to embrace a defining moment that will determine the fate of our democracy in a government intended by the Constitution to be of the people, for the people, by the people. The power is ours to use to demand accountability from our public officials, lest we become complicit to enabling, condoning and nurturing a dictator who abuses the power and public trust for his/her own personal and political agenda. The power is ours to choose whom to give our loyalty: to the Constitution or to Donald J. Trump. The power is ours to demand the same from the public officials in the executive, legislative and judiciary co-equal branches of government -- obligated to fulfill
its oversight function and checks and balances responsibilities so that no person, no office, no branch of government will abuse the power and destroy our democratic institutions and processes. On Wednesday, January 13, barely a week before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris — who both won decisively in the November elections, certified by our electors pursuant to the rule of law and the Constitution — we, the people, would have to be fully engaged in the impeachment process initiated by the House of Representatives. “The sole article of impeachment that the House is expected to pass Wednesday charging Trump with high crimes and misdemeanors is damning. Its simple clarity explains why this impeachment is no mere futile partisan ritual in the waning days of the most aberrant presidency in history,” CNN reports. “Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law,” the article reads. Congress passed a resolution on Tuesday, January 12, urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. As the New York Times reported: “Lawmakers, escorted by armed guards into a
heavily fortified Capitol, adopted the nonbinding measure just before midnight largely along party lines. The final vote was 223 to 205 to implore Mr. Pence to declare Mr. Trump “incapable of executing the duties of his office and to immediately exercise powers as acting president.” Pence, however, wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying he would not invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, saying “I will not now yield to efforts in the House of Representatives to play political games at a time so serious in the life of our nation.” Pence also wrote to urge members of Congress to “avoid actions that would further divide and inflame passions of the moment.” Let the truth be told -- Vice President Pence has been complicit in Trump’s efforts to divide and conquer the nation in the past four years. He did nothing, said nothing, and even defended and emboldened Trump. Now, Pence chooses inaction despite what happened on January 6 when he, himself, could have been killed by the insurrectionists who set up a noose on a makeshift gallow, chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” After he defied Trump’s order to overturn the election results, as reported by radio.com. Pence chooses inaction despite Trump not showing any remorse for what he did and continues on with his toxic and dangerous lies and rhetoric that inflames anger
among his fascist base and blind followers. Pence chooses inaction despite the “FBI warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to Presidentelect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol,” according to the Associated Press. This is the second time that Trump will be impeached, the first time this is happening in the history of presidents in the United States — a testament to the corruption of this man and unfitness to be President. This time, however, we hear more Republicans in Congress coming out to express support for the impeachment of Trump following the January 6 siege of the capitol where their own lives had been threatened. “Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, the party’s third-ranking House leader, announced on Tuesday that she will vote to impeach President Donald Trump, becoming the highest-ranking official from her party to support charging and removing him from office following the Trump-incited riot at the Capitol last week,” CNN reported. “The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President,” said Cheney. “The
Both resulted in much bloodshed, including the death of 11 Colombian Supreme Court Justices. More familiar to Pinoys are People Power One, which ejected President Ferdinand Marcos from Malacañang, and People Power Two that cut short the tenure of President Joseph “Erap” Estrada. But neither one was bloody. America heaved a sigh of relief that no member of the Senate and the House of Representatives was harmed. But the crisis “ain’t over” — and it looks like it won’t be over even after Biden and Harris have taken their oath of office. The January 6 attack has been described as a Day of Infamy, like the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC, as well as the December 7, 1941 Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. In the wake of the attack on the Capitol Building which has been characterized as an insurrection, for which Trump is being held as mainly accountable, there is a determined move by Congress to impeach Trump. He will go down in history as the only American President to have been impeached twice (although he was acquitted by a Republican-controlled Senate the first time). But even after Trump is impeached, the “fat duck may not yet quack - or sing. In fact, the cri-
sis could escalate. And there are fears that it could escalate into a civil war! In an earlier piece, I wrote about such an apprehension expressed by New York Times journalist Tom Friedman in an interview with CNN. Friedman, who covered the first civil war in Lebanon, said that he was terrified over the prospect of a second civil war in America, fanned by Trump. U.S. media interviews with Trump supporters, who refer to themselves as “patriots,” have echoed Friedman’s fears. One publication quoted the following tweet by Pastor Robert Jeffress, a radio and TV talk show host, Fox News contributor and Senior Pastor of the 14,000- member First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas: “....If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal.” Noting that Trump was echoing Jeffress’ warning, the news item added: “It might seem tempting to dismiss this language as of a piece with President Trump’s typical Twitter rhetoric. But it is worth paying particular attention to this tweet—because among the people who read it were militia groups enthusiastic about exactly what Trump portended. And while no violence has yet resulted from the president’s tweet, it would be foolish to underestimate the
power of Trump’s comments to call rogue militias to action, particularly if there is an impeachment and he continues to use this rhetoric to fan the flames.” Will shots be fired by Americans against fellow Americans? We fervently hope not - but from all indications, that is what Trump’s supporters are preparing for - and arming for. Americans have a history of uprisings, some of them bloody, particularly the revolution against the British and the Civil War. The former may ring a bell because of the references to “patriots” and “militiamen” both terms being liberally used by Trump’s supporters. On the other hand, the Civil War may seem eerily similar to the current crisis because this one has heavy racial overtones and also pits people from America’s Southern States against proponents of Black Lives Matter. The Oath Keepers group, said to be a “far-right armed militia,” sent this post to its 24,000 Twitter followers: “This is where we are. We ARE on the verge of a HOT civil war. Like in 1859. That’s where we are. And the Right has ZERO trust or respect for anything the left is doing. We see THEM as illegitimate too.” -@StewartRhodesOK What makes the threat very serious is the fact that up to 70% of the 74 million who voted for Trump appear to have been completely brainwashed by Trump’s lies that the election was stolen
from him. None of his claims has been supported with verifiable proof. Election authorities have recounted the votes in the battleground states that Trump has challenged (as many as three times in Georgia), but Biden’s victory has held. Over 60 lawsuits filed by Trump’s legal teams have been dismissed by the courts — twice by the U.S. Supreme Court — for lack of evidence. Still, Trump persists. And so do millions of his supporters. That is where the danger is. Biden won the popular vote by over 8 million and the electoral votes by 306 to Trump’s 232. But he and his enablers in the Senate and the House of Representatives continue to repeat the lie — in the manner of Hitler and Goebbels who immortalized the axiom, “A lie repeated often enough will be taken for the truth.” Trump has often described himself as the greatest American president, next only to Abraham Lincoln. We fervently hope that the comparison does not include a civil war. We also pray that the fat duck quacks and quits.
It ain’t over till the fat duck quacks Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA PARDON the mixed metaphor but I think that the situation we now face in the U.S. calls for it. “It ain’t over till it’s over!” is attributed to Yogi Berra, a legend not only in baseball but also for mangling the English language. “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings!” is credited to Dick Motta, coach of the basketball team, Washington Bullets. Motta paraphrased Yogi Berra’s malapropism by referring to the buxom singer who usually sang the finale of an opera. In other words, if the “fat lady sings,” then the drama is all over. That applies not only to the turbulent presidency of Donald Trump, but also to the aftermath of the attack on the US capitol building by pro-Trump supporters last January 6. The last part of the mixed metaphor is my contribution to mangling American colloquialism. Because Donald Trump is now a lame-duck president, the temptation for a pun with Donald Duck was hard to resist.
In truth, the light-hearted title of this piece masks the very serious situation confronting America in the days leading up to the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, as well as Trump’s departure from the White House. This will be on January 20. Last January 6, America witnessed the Capitol Building in Washington DC stormed and taken over by thousands of fanatical Trump supporters, incited by him in a desperate effort to block the final congressional certification of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice-President of the United States. Mercifully, the protestors were turned back by the police and the National Guards, with only five fatalities, two of them police officers. It could have been worse. Much, much worse. Some of those who stormed the halls of Congress wore military garb and equipment that could have been used to hold high officials hostage. Subsequent reports reveal plans to harm Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice-President Mike Pence, against whom Trump held a grudge. One can recall the storming of the Bastille, that kicked off the French Revolution, as well as the raid by anti-government rebels on the Palace of Justice of Bogota, Colombia in November 1985.
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*** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Mother blames Dacera’s friends for not taking care of her MANILA — Sharon Dacera, the mother of flight attendant Christine Dacera who passed away on New Year’s Day, holds her daughter’s friends responsible for not taking care of Dacera the night of their party in a Makati hotel. To recall, Christine Dacera was found unconscious in a hotel bathtub the morning after and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she passed away. Over a week after the controversial incident on New Year’s Day, though, the circumstances of Dacera’s death are still largely unclear, and the National Bureau of Investigation has since launched its own probe into the alleged rape-slay. “Yes, [he had some lapses.] If he knew that my daughter had a headache, then he should have called the clinic of the hotel. They had one, didn’t they?” the victim’s mother said in Filipino in an interview aired over ANC’s “Hot Copy.” Sharon was referring to Rommel Galida, another flight attendant whom initial police reports said was with Dacera and two other men when they checked into the
hotel at midnight. According to the victim’s mother, Dacera had already told Galida about feeling nauseous and fearing that her drink may have been spiked. Sharon said Galida still went to bed after the party. “I hope Rommel just speaks the truth if Christine is really his true friend and little sister...they were the only ones with her that night,” the victim’s mother said. “When Rommel and I met at the police station, all he told me was that Christine leaned on his shoulder and said that something seemed to be put in her drink,” she also said. Both the national police and the Dacera family assert that there was foul play involved in the death of the victim, though the three main suspects who were with Dacrera that night, including Galida, have since been ordered released by the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office due to lack of evidence for the rape and homicide complaints, which the three have staunchly denied. Earlier this week, the Dacera family also sought another autopsy, pointing out that the existing
one did not take into account the contusions and lacerations found on the victim’s body. After initially tagging the case as “solved,” the Philippine National Police has since admitted to lapses in the investigation into the death, saying that an autopsy was not conducted before Dacera’s body was embalmed. Police Gen. Debold Sinas, PNP chief, had asserted in a press briefing that he still believes the death was a rape-slay, citing evidence he claimed the PNP could not yet share. For his part, though, Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento has also since disclosed that the national police has only submitted a medico-legal report and death certificate of Dacera thus far, leaving no evidence yet for such a claim. Asked if she believed a crime had indeed occurred, the victim’s mother said: “Yes. My daughter is dead now.” “All I know is I feel pain. All I can do now is pray. But I know my pain will be lessened once my daughter gets justice.” (Franco Luna/Philstar.com)
Follow the Constitution: Impeach and convict...
PAGE A6 President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not.” “There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution,” she added. “I will vote to impeach the President.” Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “is moving abruptly away from President Donald Trump, telling people that he thinks Trump perpetrated impeachable offenses,” the Associated Press reported. “The Kentucky Republican also sees House Democrats’ drive to impeach Trump as an opportune moment to distance the GOP from the tumultuous, divisive outgoing president.” BREAKING: The House on Wednesday, January 13 impeached President Donald Trump, adopting a single article of impeachment, voting 232 to 197 to charge him with “inciting violence against the government of the United States” and requesting his immediate removal from office and disqualification from ever holding one again, the New York Times reported. Ten members of the president’s
party joined Democrats to charge him with high crimes and misdemeanors for an unprecedented second time. More Republicans should do the right thing and protect and defend the Constitution instead of protecting Trump and their political ambitions. After all, during the 2016 Presidential Election campaign season, the high-ranking Republican leadership had been warning us about Trump. Why do some Republicans still choose to defend him? One is because of their political survival, and the other reason is because Trump continues to harass Republicans in Congress, threatening them, their safety and the safety of their families. All the more they should vote to remove Trump from office! The Times reported that vote set the stage for the second Senate trial of Trump in a year, though senators were not expected to convene to sit in judgment before Jan. 20, when Biden will take the oath of office. But who knows what McConnell might do to surprise us before then. Words have consequences. Actions have consequences. If we just let Trump go after his term is over, then we failed to
hold him accountable. Then he would run for office again and continue destroying our democracy. Then another candidate who may be worse than Trump could be emboldened to run for office. There can only be true unity when there is healing. There can only be true healing when justice and accountability are present. It is about time justice is served for all the transgressions Trump has committed against the Constitution and the American people. The House has impeached Trump. The Senate has to convict Trump. NOW. Let us ALL save the democracy of the United States of America. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
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Friday, January 15, 2021
INSIDE >>> L I F E S T Y L E • C O N S U M E R G U I D E • C O M M U N I T Y • M A R K E T P L A C E Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ ON December 31, 2020, Pres. Trump extended his “immigration ban” through March 31, 2021, just hours before it was set to expire. By way of background, and as I detailed in previous articles, in April 2020, Trump is-
Chef Reina Montenegro Trump extends immigration ban to March 31, 2021 rebrands with a clearer mission to deliver vegan Filipino food
sued a proclamation (which he renewed and expanded in June 2020), banning the issuance of immigrant visas for people outside the U.S. who were under petition by family members or employers. The ban also applied to temporary non-immigrant working visas, such as H-1B.
His justification for the ban were the effects of COVID-19 on the U.S. labor market, and the health of American communities as a matter of “ongoing national concern,” which have not been eliminated. His concern was the high unemployment rate in the U.S., and it’s
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Reina Montenegro
Photo by Mogli Maureal
CHristina M. oriel / AJPRESS
FOR small business owners, especially those in the restaurant industry, “pivot” was a buzzword of 2020 — whether it was making meal kits, embracing delivery services or offering online cooking classes — in order to survive during the ongoing pandemic. In the Bay Area, Filipina American chef Reina Montenegro knows the immediacy of having to shift and has, in fact, embraced it. “What I’ve learned is that if you don’t move with the times, you’re going to get left behind. You have to ride that wave anywhere it goes and be flexible,” Montenegro told the Asian Journal.
Since 2016, Montenegro has operated Nick’s Kitchen in Daly City, which was transformed into the first Filipino vegan restaurant in the Peninsula a year later, serving up plant-based versions of dishes that traditionally have meat as the central component. The standout items include sisig using grilled mushrooms and tofu, palabok with mock shrimp and chicharron, and silogs featuring alternatives to pork and beef and vegan eggs. The popular restaurant — garnering a PETA accolade as a cultural trailblazer and even praise and regular patronage from nonvegans — became a local micro PAGE B2
Comedian Rob Schneider’s Filipina mother passes away By
CITIZEN PINOY: MORE ANSWERS TO IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA, VIA ZOOM, THIS SUNDAY. Luchie of Azusa, CA (center) asks if it is OK for a green card holder to apply for naturalization if she already has a pending petition for her husband. From Redlands, CA, Ricky (right) would like to know if his two single daughters (whom he petitioned in 2011 in the F-2B category) can immigrate sooner now that he has naturalized. These are just a few of the immigration questions that will be answered on an encore episode of “CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot” this Sunday, January 17 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
aJPress
COMEDIAN Rob Schneider on Tuesday, January 12, announced that his Filipina mother died over the weekend. In an Instagram post, the FilAm actor said that his mother, Pilar Monroe Schneider, “passed away peacefully after spending a perfect Sunday evening family dinner surrounded with loved ones at her side.” Schneider paid tribute to his mother by sharing her life story as a World War II survivor from the Philippines who “had smallpox.” He also said Pilar was “raised for the first three years
by her aunt.” “Then one day this well dressed family showed up and told her they were her family and introduced her to her mother, Victoria,” wrote Schneider. He further said that Pilar grew up without a father as the American soldier “abandoned her family before Pilar was born.” They only met by accident 22 years later in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Pilar’s brothers, John and Bill, were “both killed by the Japanese as teenagers.” According to Schneider, food was scarce during the war, and Pilar’s family survived because of PAGE B2 Rob Schneider and his mother Pilar
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Award-winning actress Ara Mina engaged to PTIC head
to people who were part of the milestone as well as to those who expressed their warm wishes and congratulations. By Ferdie Villar Part of her post read: “Today I have received the most perfect gift from God. A FAMAS, Metro Manila Film by Nice Print Photo, took place in prayer I have always been sincerely trusting Him to bring into Festival and PMPC Star Awards San Pedro, Laguna. In her Instagram post, Ara my life. best actress winner Ara Mina is “Dave, thank you for being my now engaged to Philippine In- Mina, who started in showbiz ternational Trading Corporation at the age of 14 with the youth- answered prayer. [praying emoji] president and chief executive of- oriented late afternoon program [heart emoji] “Thank you for not giving up “That’s Entertainment” spearficer Dave Almarinez. According to an article in the headed by the late German More- on me. You are the reason why Philippine Star, the engagement no, expressed her thoughts on we have stronger days together. proposal, which was documented Almarinez and also gave thanks God led us to each other for a greater purpose. Let us live it with faith and love. “Yes, I will marry you!” [heart emoji] The actress, singer and model grew up in Marikina raised by mom Francis Marie Klenk and stepdad Romeo Reyes. Former politician Chuck Mathay is her biological father. Christine Reyes is her half-sister. Ara has been a mainstay in both television and the movies. She has done projects with some of the top networks in the Philippines, including ABSCBN, GMA Network and TV5. Her most recent TV appearances were for “FPJ’s Probinsiyano” and “Cinderella’s Sister” for ABS-CBN. Aside from her showbiz commitments, Ara is busy with her own skincare line, Ara’s Secret, which she launched in 2012, and Hazelberry Café which opened in 2017. The many-time Darling of the Press winner supports children with birth defects through the Ara Mina Foundation, which Ara founded in 2007. It is said that her inspiration for opening the foundation was her younger A recent Instagram post by 2018 Miss Universe winner Catriona Gray showed her celebrating sibling, Mina, who was born with her recent birthday with boyfriend Sam Milby in a rustic cabin. Instagram.com/@catriona_gray) Down Syndrome.
Teresa Proano, former coloratura soprano singer at Holy Angels Church, is shown with her husband welcoming the new year.
JD Charisma, a well-known recording artist and electrifying entertainer from San Jose, CA, can now be seen performing in the internet for his fans due to COVID-19 protocols implemented in the U.S.
Actress/singer/model/entrepreneur Ara Mina is officially engaged to PTIC president/CEO Dave Almarinez. Photo provided by www.niceprintphoto.com
*** And continuing with the love parade… Showbiz couple actor/singer Sam Milby and 2018 Miss Universe winner Catriona Gray spent the Christmas and New Year’s holidays together allegedly in the actor’s hometown in Tipp City, Ohio. A recent post by Catriona in
her social media, according to PEP.ph, showed the couple celebrating Gray’s recent birthday on January 6 in a rustic cabin. In her Instagram post, Gray said, “No birthday cake, only homemade birthday pizza. So in love with this rustic cabin in the woods (parang horror movie haha) that @samuelmilby got for my birthday get-
away. Also, stay tuned…this year I’ll be having another birthday fundraiser! Details coming soon!” And it seems that love agrees with the actress, singer and beauty queen as she made another Instagram post, which read, “never go in search of love. go in search of life. and life will find the love you seek. atticus.”
Rita gears up for face-slapping matches with Maricel By Marinel
Cruz
Inquirer.net
ACTRESS Rita Avila, who joined the popular Kapamilya drama series “Ang Sa Iyo ay Akin” in December, said she came prepared for her face-slapping matches with one of the show’s lead cast, Maricel Soriano. “Yes, there will be a lot of catfights with Maricel. I guess it’s because we’re of the same height and we can easily reach for each other’s cheeks and hair,” she recently told reporters during a virtual chat. “It’s an honor to be working with Maricel. She may be known as the ‘Taray Queen,’ but she has shown me nothing but kindness since we first worked together in this business.” Rita recalled the first time they met. “I was a newcomer then. I appeared in her show ‘Maricel Drama Special’ as a guest. When she learned that we would be working together on that day, she told everyone on the set, ‘You should have told me it was Rita. I would have brought clothes and accessories that she could use for the shoot;’ and then she turned to me to say, ‘It’s OK. You can use this ring as a costume,’” the actress reminisced. The actress said her eyes bulged at the size of Maricel’s diamond ring. “Maricel’s gesture actually made me feel more nervous. I told my yaya, ‘Never mind if my face is oily or my hair is a mess. I just want you to keep staring at this ring to make sure I don’t lose it.’” She added: “Fast forward to the present; when I learned that Maricel would be my character’s archnemesis in the show, I was happy.
Rita Avila with Maricel Soriano
I consider her a good friend. She’s always been kind to me. She’s a professional. I know we will be able to correctly read each other’s minds as coactors.” Rita plays Belen, mother of lead star Iza Calzado’s character, Ellice. People are secretly questioning Belen’s motives when she suddenly returns to Ellice’s life after decades of absence. She also admitted that there had been offers for her to join another teleserye in a rival TV network, “but I said ‘yes’ to this program without blinking an eye because it’s the No. 1 teleserye today.” Although she didn’t say it, another factor could also be that her husband, FM Reyes, is codirecting the series. During the virtual media conference, FM clarified that most of Rita’s scenes would be handled by his codirector, Avel Sungpoco. “Rita knows that I’m a strict director. She also knows that I don’t give her special treatment just be-
ABS CBN photo
cause she’s my wife,” FM pointed out. “In fact, I require more from her. She is aware of how difficult work is for people like us in the production team. She understands the demands of working behind the camera. That’s why, when something is needed on the set, it’s not usual for her to come rushing to help.” As an actor, one thing that FM appreciated about Rita was that, “she is quiet, intelligent and a deep thinker. When given instructions, she’s not the type who gives you affirmation; sometimes, she won’t even give you a nod. You’d wonder if she really got it. You’d just be surprised during the take because you’d see that she was able to do it.” Rita is also respectful, declared FM. “She isn’t the type who would throw her weight around the set because I’m the director. At work, we’re not a couple. We make that known to everybody,” he added.
Comedian Rob Schneider’s Filipina mother... PAGE B1
her ingenuity. “Her mother and sisters sewed pajamas from bed sheets and traded them with the farmers for sweet potatoes (kamotes), the ones that the Japanese didn’t steal from her,” he wrote. “After the war Pilar was able to ‘pay for school’ because she and her sister Rose found money the Japanese buried in a cave (along with what they thought were metal pineapples which turned out to be hand grenades),” he added. Pilar graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and moved to the United States in the 1950s. There, she earned her master’s degree as a reading specialist and was later elected to the school board in Pacifica, California. “Pilar b[e]came a beloved teacher for [three] decades and three generations of children who would be grateful that years later she remembered every one of their names,” said Schneider. “After retiring from teaching Pilar made sure that the [s]chools in her town where she raised all her children, Pacifica, all had music teachers and music classes, a program she ran for 15 years,” he added.
At Nick’s Kitchen, chef Reina Montenegro transformed classic Filipino dishes like sisig, lumpia and caldereta into plant-based options. Photo by Albert Law
Chef Reina Montenegro rebrands with a... PAGE B1 chain with Nick’s on Grand in South San Francisco and Nick’s on Mission in the city’s Filipino cultural district, SOMA Pilipinas. As of last fall, all three locations of Nick’s have shuttered their doors, partly due to the everchanging COVID-19 restrictions. But the silver lining was that the challenges gave Montenegro a window to rebrand and re-introduce herself as Chef Reina. “I was definitely getting tired of being asked, ‘Who’s Nick?’ Nick was the guy who I bought my first restaurant from and I didn’t change the name for legality reasons and it just happened to take off,” Montenegro said. “It was time to hide behind a mask and emerge out of this as this person that nobody even knows.” Montenegro, who immigrated to San Francisco from the Philippines in 1997, is ready to tell her own story and be “empowered” as a woman of color and entrepreneur, especially in the plant-based space. The stay-athome period has also fueled her creativity in the kitchen as she’s been working to ‘veganize’ and replicate the flavors and textures of animal products. “This is when I thrive, when I am creating new things and new dishes,” she noted. Now an online storefront operating out of a ghost kitchen, the beloved dishes from the Nick’s menus are available for delivery in the Peninsula, as well as in fro-
After his mother’s passing, Schneider shared a photo of Pilar with his two daughters with a tribute to her life. Photo from Instagram/@iamrobschneider
Schneider concluded his post by saying he is “proud to say [he is] the son of Pilar Monroe Schneider.” Schneider is an actor and comedian popularly known for starring in films such as “50 First Dates,” “Click,” and “Grown
Ups.” His most recent film, “Hubie Halloween,” hit Netflix in October, also starring Adam Sandler and Julie Bowen. “Asian Momma, Mexican Kids,” his first Netflix comedy special, premiered Vegan ube cinnamon rolls last August.
Vegan corned beef breakfast is a Chef Reina hit.
Leche flan
zen form for those who want to cook at home. Prices range from $12-20 for the prepared dishes, and prepacked vegan meats (e.g. chick’n adobo or caldereta) are available by the pound. In addition to the reimagined sisig, bestsellers continue to be mock pork tocino and lumpia. Chef Reina also offers variations of other non-Filipino dishes like loco moco, ‘chicken’ katsu, carnitas and bulgogi. On a grander scale, the chef sees this as an opportunity to make adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, while enjoying Filipino favorites, less intimidating. “If you’re stuck starting out as a vegan and don’t know what kind of meat to use and what alternatives are out there, that’s where we would come in with the pre-cooked frozen meals,”
Photo courtesy of Reina Montenegro
Photo by Albert Law
she said. “For the carnitas or sisig, they can add it with rice and a vegan egg and make burritos or tacos, or whatever they want, but at least the base is there.” With a fresh new year, Montenegro is ready to manifest a brick and mortar spot for Chef Reina in Brisbane, nationwide shipping for the frozen vegan meats to reach a broader audience outside of the Bay, and more virtual cooking demonstrations. “My whole concept is that this is my culinary activism. I’m here to save lives and if I can convince people to cook healthy meals at home, they don’t have an excuse because it’s already pre-made for them,” she said. “I want them to know that you can eat vegan food and feel like you’re suffering and like you’re not eating good food.”
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Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS The $150 billion-plus fastfood industry greatly impacts the health of the people in the United States and around the world. The concept of speed, convenience, practically hustlefree dining, reasonable pricing, and the “good” taste of the food items have all been most attractive to consumers globally. Not addicting in the strict sense, but comfort “gastronomic delight” to some people, especially the French fries. The problem is these food items are considered “junk food” by nutritionists and the medical community as a whole, who recommend consuming them only occasionally, especially by children. And the soft drinks (with the phosphoric acid and some other ingredients in them) that come with the “meal” are, without any question, toxic to the human body, contributing to the development of Metabolic Syndrome, especially among youngsters. Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome or its resultant illnesses (Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes Mellitus, Heart Disease, Stroke, Alzheimer’s, and Cancer), are also high risk for COVID-19, young or old, more so among seniors. Class action suits A trial lawyer in the U.S., Sam Hirsch, in 2002, sued McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC on behalf of his obese clients. Of the tobacco companies that had been sued, he says “you can’t stop tobacco from being unhealthy, but you can make food less unhealthy.” Obviously, he was referring to the health dangers of what many people consider junk food, with high cholesterol, fats, and other unhealthy ingredients causing obesity and major illnesses. Nobody thought the suits (the first one in 1983, and dozens thereafter) filed in the U.S. by families against the giant tobacco firms on behalf of their cancer-stricken or dead loved ones would succeed. But they did, with one individual getting as much as $50-plus million award, and billions in settlements thereafter, and the industry finally admitting they knew for decades tobacco was addicting and could cause cancers. Social responsibility As a cardiac surgeon, I do agree with one essence of this suit: that these food chains and other purveyors of food have the social obligation to make their products less unhealthy, or, better yet, as healthy as possible for the consumers, especially for the children. These youngsters are still developing habits and lifestyle that are essential for their future. Apparently pre-empting the loss of its health-conscious consumers, and future legal after-
Junk food
maths for food companies, the largest food giant in the U.S., Kraft, decided to “set the pace, launching a sweeping global overhaul of the way it creates, packages, and promotes its foods.” Kraft announced then its plan to reduce the portion size, fat content and calories of its food products. This move was expected to have a worldwide impact on other food companies and consumers around the globe. McDonald’s, for instance, introduced its Happy Meal in the summer of 2003, replacing the popular but fat-filled and deadly French fries, with a bag of fresh, sliced fruits. More and more restaurants started having a salad bar. Fish was added to the menu and became a popular option. There is today a greater awareness of the health benefit of staying away from high cholesterol foods, like red meats (beef, pork, etc) and eggs, and concentrating on fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other high-fiber foods as the mainstay of our diet. Obesity and cancer A chart from the American Obesity Association of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention published in USA Today showed the following prevalence of obese children ages 6 to 11: From 1976 to 1980, 7%; from 1988 to 1994, 11%; from 1999 to 2000, 15.3%. The incidence of obesity among 12-19: From 1976 to 1980, 5%; 1988-1994, 11%; and fast-forward to 2020: 18.5% average, highest in West Virginia (20.3%), Louisiana (19.1%), Oklahoma (18.7%), Ohio (218.6%) and Texas (18.5%). Obesity is a major risk factor in the development of major illnesses and cancer. Lifestyle is vital There is no question in my mind that a healthy lifestyle (for maximal health and longevity) must start from the crib because prevention is the key to great health. Children, as young as five or six years of age, who died of accident or disease, have shown on autopsies to have a thin lining of cholesterol plaques in their arteries (brain, heart, abdomen, etc). We, parents, must be doing something wrong for these youngsters, at those tender ages, to have arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) already. This is the essential message in the book I wrote entitled “Let’s Stop Killing Our Children,” an anthology of cardiovascular and other diseases, with emphasis on prevention starting from the crib, written in layman’s term and as a coffee-table health reference. The book is listed in the Library of Congress (www.philipSchua. com). There is no better antidote to diseases and premature death than living a healthy disciplined lifestyle. This includes the combination of diet, exercise, abstinence from tobacco, disciplined moderation in drinking, rest and relaxation as part of stress management.
Features
Genetics Genetics does play a role in arteriosclerosis, but it is noteworthy that only one in 500 people has the genetic defect that leads to familial hyperlipidemia. It is, therefore, obvious that only one in 500 has the “excuse” to have this abnormally high level of cholesterol. The 499 of us, who have no excuse at all, simply abuse ourselves to early death. Children of parents who had heart attack and/or stroke do not necessarily have to “inherit” these diseases. We now have enough scientific data to show that if these children live a healthier lifestyle unlike (compared to) their parents by doing daily exercises, watching their diet and weight, abstaining from tobacco and excessive alcohol intake, taking time out for rest and relaxation, and managing their stress effectively they do not have to have the same fate as their infirm parents. In short, the environmental factors and personal discipline (a healthy lifestyle) can greatly outweigh the negative effects of bad genes. While genetics play a role, our fate is not sealed at birth, and what becomes of us is basically within our control and depends to a large degree on what we do and fail to do. When it comes to our health, science has shown that “the ball is almost always in our court.” What direction it will take for ourselves and for our children rests on our own choices and decisions. In fairness to the tobacco and food industries, we, the consumers, should share a great part of the blame. Nobody is holding a gun against our head, forcing us to smoke cigarettes or to eat high-cholesterol or junk food. The choice is entirely ours. Discipline is the key. We ought to know better. Our health and future are really in our hands. And let’s not forget we have only one life, with no spare in the trunk. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com
Does your health app protect your sensitive info? NEW health apps are popping up every day, promising to help you track your health conditions, count your calories, manage your medications, or predict your ovulation. These apps often ask for some of your most sensitive personal information, like your health history, medication list, or whether you have ever suffered a miscarriage. Some apps use that sensitive information only to give you services. But others may use it for their own research, to target you with ads, or disclose — or even sell — your data to other companies. And, unlike your doctor, these apps may not be covered by health privacy laws like HIPAA. For example, Flo is a health app that functions as an ovulation calendar, period tracker, and pregnancy guide. In a settlement announced recently, the FTC said that the makers of the Flo app shared users’ personal health information with marketing and analytics companies like Facebook and Google — even though it had promised users to keep this sensitive information private. As part of the settlement, Flo Health, Inc. has agreed to get users’ consent before it can share their information in the future. The settlement also requires Flo to get an outside review of the honesty of its privacy promises. How can you avoid the risks associated with these types of health apps? Here are some things to consider: • Compare privacy protections. Many competing health apps offer similar services. When choosing between apps, compare their privacy protections. Look for a privacy notice that explains in simple terms what health information the app collects from you, as well as how it uses and shares your information with other companies and users. If the app shares your information, does it tell you why, and does it limit what others can
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wants consumers to check whether their health apps protect sensitive information. Image capture from consumer.ftc.gov
do with it? • Take control of your sensitive information. Take a look at the app’s settings to see if it gives you control over what health information it collects and shares. An app’s default settings often encourage sharing, so it can be useful to select more protective options. • Keep your app up to date. App updates sometimes include important fixes for privacy or security glitches. One of the best ways to protect your information is to keep your app (and your phone’s operating system) up to date. • Recognize the risks. What sensitive information will the app have access to? Are the app’s services worth the risk of someone else getting hold of that? Some companies don’t uphold their
privacy promises. In this case, we said that even if you reviewed Flo’s privacy promises and looked at the settings, your information could still have been disclosed to other companies. Sharing sensitive information always carries risks, so be sure you’re comfortable with what you’ve shared, in case privacy promises aren’t kept. • Report your concerns. If you think a health app isn’t keeping up its end of the bargain, let the FTC know at https://reportfraud.ftc. gov/#/. The FTC regularly brings enforcement actions against companies that misrepresent how they use or disclose people’s sensitive health information. (Miles Plant/Attorney, Division of Advertising Practices, Federal Trade Commission)
NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 15-21, 2021
Trump extends immigration ban to... PAGE B1
not fair to let people immigrate who will take away jobs from U.S. workers. Is there anything that can be done in the meantime? Here are some possibilities and the chances of success: 1. Biden could rescind or cancel this proclamation? But we have seen from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) the difficulty of a president trying to undo Executive Actions or proclamations of previous presidents. Obama instituted DACA by Executive Action, and Trump tried to rescind it by Executive Action, but there was lengthy litigation, going all the way up to the Supreme Court, which held Trump did not properly rescind DACA. 2. Legal action? By the time the case gets through the courts, it will probably be past April 2021, so it seems litigation would be a waste of time. Also, courts have held a president may, by proclamation, “suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens” whenever he finds that the entry of such aliens or class of aliens would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.” Trump
believes letting in immigrants who will take away jobs would be “detrimental.” So, it could be Trump’s proclamation would be found to be lawful. 3. Department of State (DOS), National Visa Center (NVC), and the U.S. embassies would still likely take months before they reopen and can start scheduling interviews, even if there were no proclamations. While DOS says it will start reopening posts on a caseby-case basis, there are still Covid concerns, travel restrictions, etc. Also, people would need to update medicals, and likely the U.S. will require Covid testing and vaccination. We still don’t know when vaccines will be distributed worldwide. The bottom line is that it is extremely disappointing Trump extended the immigration ban when he will already be out of office. But most likely, by the time anyone tries to challenge the proclamation, it will be April 2021 already. But keep reading my articles, subscribe to my YouTube channel (US Immigration TV), check my Law Office’s Facebook page (GurfinkelLaw), and continue watching Citizen Pinoy, to be
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kept updated, as many new procedures and policies will take place. And Biden promises change and reversal of Trump’s harsh policies. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Target for new COVID scam: Small business owners THERE’S a new coronavirusrelated scam making the rounds, but this time the crooks are targeting small businesses. It starts with an email that claims to come from the “Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance.” It says you’re eligible for a loan of up to $250,000 and asks for personal information like birth date and Social Security number. Let’s do a CSI-style investigation to spot clues that the email is a fake. Clue #1. You got an email or phone call out of the blue that claims to be from the IRS, the Social Security Administration, or – in this case – the Small Business Administration. The FTC has warned about government imposter scams like this. Clue #2. You were told that you’re automatically eligible for a big loan. Real lenders never do this. Clue #3. You’re asked to hand over your date of birth and Social Security number. This is a tip-off that the sender is trying to steal your personal information. Phishing attempts aren’t the
only scam that business owners are reporting. We’ve heard from people who have applied for loans through websites pretending to be part of the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, which has been extended to December 31, 2021. And other people report they’ve been contacted to repay loans they never took out. The likely culprits? Criminals who illegally applied for loans in their name. Here are steps you can take to help protect yourself. Check your credit report. The worst time to learn that someone has taken out a loan in your name is when you’re applying for a loan yourself. So check your credit report first at www.annualcreditreport.com, the authorized source for the free reports consumers are guaranteed by law. In addition, the three major credit bureaus are offering free weekly online reports to consumers through April 2021. If you’re not in the market for credit or a loan, freezing your credit offers an extra – and free – measure of protection. Look for reliable sources of
information. Looking for a loan? Don’t click on a link in an unsolicited email and be careful with online search engine results. Scammers often bait their online traps with sound-alike names and URLs, phony endorsements, and professional-looking websites. For small business owners looking for COVID-relief programs, always start at www.sba.gov, the official site of the Small Business Administration. Or reach out to a trusted financial institution in your community. Check out lenders before sharing personal information. Scammers who impersonate lenders have the perfect excuse to ask you for lots of personal information that can be used to steal your identity. Don’t leave a trail of personal information exposed by filling out lots of applications online with lenders you don’t know. Investigate lenders first and if you spot something amiss, stop. And then file a report at ReportFraud. ftc.gov. (Lesley Fair/Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education, Federal Trade Commission)
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January 15-21, 2021 • nOrCaL aSIan JOurnaL
EntErtainmEnt
Donny happy on solo flight
By Ricky lo
Bong and Lani on what steels their marriage amid trials by Tessa
MauRicio-aRRiola Manilatimes.net
Philstar.com
BECAUSE Donny Pangilinan has been absent from the TV5 show Sunday Noontime Live (SNL), there’s a rumor that he quit and Ricci Rivero was promoted to take his place. The truth is that Donny is in a lock-in shoot for a project (presumably for ABS-CBN/Star Cinema since he has remained Kapamilya forever) to be followed by another one. Busy bee. “I love doing SNL,” Donny told Funfare in a recent interview. “It has been very, very fun. I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with an amazing group of people like Papa P (Piolo Pascual), Catriona (Gray), Maja (Salvador) and my bro Jake (Ejercito). I enjoy it because I missed going to the studio physically and seeing people because we’ve been staying home for so long. “I would say that SNL really pushes me to my limits, making me work harder than I have ever worked in terms of rehearsing. I’ve never rehearsed this much in my whole life. Instead of just one production number, we have to rehearse for seven.” At first, admitted Donny, he was reluctant to do it. “But then, I thought, it’s a good chance to learn and to showcase more of my talent, to better improve my craft and have fun as well. It’s cool that our guests... most of them my friends are familiar faces, as well as the crew. Nice to see everybody.” Now happily going solo after the breakup of DonKiss, his
Donny Pangilinan
much-lamented team-up with Kisses Delavin (now with her family in her native Masbate due to the pandemic), Donny said he doesn’t regret over the incident while expressing gratitude to the DonKiss supporters. “I will cherish the good memories of DonKiss deeply in my heart. I am grateful for the support that the DonKiss family has given not just me but also Kisses. I sincerely hope that she is okay right now and safe during this pandemic.” Is he done with love-teaming? “Hindi naman siguro,” said Donny. “I’ve always been very open. I’m still very young and have so much to work on, so much I have to learn from different people. I am open to collaborating with different people.” The pandemic forced him to put many things on hold. “My friends and I were supposed to go abroad just before
Photo from Instagram/@donny
the lockdown. Sayang but it was such a small thing. As they say, everything happens for a reason. May kapalit naman. I was able to work again. I will be busy until the second quarter of this year. Fingers crossed, I hope that things will go back to normal.” Another plus factor of the pandemic is that it has given Donny time to bulk up. “I have made taking care of my health a priority... physically, mentally and spiritually. I have learned discipline. My mantra is ‘Don’t be lazy.’ Get up and move!” The minus factor? Because of the social-distancing protocol, Donny is unable to see his girlfriend. “I don’t have a girlfriend!” he exclaimed. “If I had, I would surely find time to keep in touch with her. Maybe Zoom na lang muna kami, hahaha!!!”
Roderick to star in comeback movie ‘Mudrasta’ by Ricky
caldeRon Manilatimes.net
Roderick Paulate
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
GMA photo
EMPLOYMENT
THE long wait is over for Roderick Paulate as he will soon start filming his comeback movie “Mudrasta” to be directed by Julius Alfonso. Kuya Dick signed a contract with TREX Productions for “Mudrasta” last year. They were already preparing for a presscon to announce the project when pandemic struck, sending everything into a halt. Even if the Inter Agency Task Force released guidelines to be followed for those who would want to resume movie shoots and tapings, Mr. Rex Tiri, the amiable owner of TREX Films, decided that filming will commence if and
when it is really safe for everyone. And with safety protocols to be followed. So we can be sure that health protocols will be followed once shooting for “Mudrasta” commences. The production team, headed by Direk Julius, is still finalizing the casting so they can’t announce yet who will be the co-stars of Kuya Dick in his first project under TREX. Although he had received other film offers, it is Kuya Dick’s choice to prioritize “Mudrasta” first before doing another film. “I am very excited to start work in “Mudrasta.” I haven’t had a movie for quite some time,” said the award-winning actor.
EMPLOYMENT
SERVICES
WHETHER a fan, voter, friend of theirs or not, no one can deny that among the most famous celebrity marriages in this country, that of actors-turned-public servants Bong and Lani Revilla (nee Mercado) has gone through hell and high water over and over again only to come out stronger than before. Set aside Sen. Bong’s ladies’ man days or even his time detained at Camp Crame. The year that was alone savagely brought them to their knees in more ways than the public apparently knew. As chief executive of Bacoor City, Mayor Lani hit the ground running when 2020 literally exploded via nearby Taal Volcano in January. In an interview a couple of weeks after the major eruption, Sen. Bong shared in a roundtable with Entertainment editors and columnists how his wife was among the first at the scene to help displaced families and allow them refuge in her city. Proud of her bravery and selflessness, the senator admitted she had him worried nonetheless returning home one day with high fever and a brutal cough from doing relief work amid the thick smoke and ash, which even had Metro Manilans scrambling for masks themselves. Not long after, the pandemic broke which had both husband and wife going out all the more to ensure the welfare of their constituents despite the threat of infection on everyone. Midway through the strict lockdowns, Sen. Bong’s hero, Ramon Revilla Sr., whose name he proudly carries, had his health turn for the worse, forcing the clan to have him hospitalized even as they feared exposing him to the virus. Albeit 93 years old by then, the Revilla patriarch meant everything to their close-knit clan and most especially to Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and his wife who rely on him as their life’s compass. It goes without saying then how their hearts and spirits broke when the former senator and legendary Hari ng Agimat of Philippine movies finally breathed his last on June 26, 2020 — a son and a family’s deep pain, raw as can be in every unabashed tear and every jolting quiver that came with the final goodbyes of Sen. Bong, the macho man, the action star to his beloved father. Down and dejected, neither Bong nor Lani had much time to
Actors-turned-public servants Bong and Lani Revilla
grieve, however, given their responsibility to serve especially in times of crisis. But even if it was expected how the pace of their work and tragic loss would catch up to them, it still came as a shock to the nation when the strapping 53-year-old senator announced he was the latest victim of COVID19. Suffering not just the worst of the plague’s symptoms and presentation, which had him hospitalized, Sen. Bong and his family also endured some of the worst ridicule, bashing and share of fake news while he was fighting for his life. “And ang hindi po alam ng marami, hindi lang po si Bong ang nagka-Covid pero pati po yung yung anak namin na si Inah who is based in Davao,” Mayor Lani told a small and socially-distanced huddle with The T-Zone a week ago today. “Actually her entire family and household, including our three-year-old apo, lahat sila nagka-Covid din and wala kaming magawa kungdi mag-dasal lang at mag-alala tulad nung nasa ospital si Bong mag-isa.” “Grabe talaga ang naging dagok sa amin ng 2020, hindi lang yung mga napaalam namin sa inyo,” her husband agreed. “Napaka-suwerte ko pa rin at nangyari itong lahat ng ito na kasama ko na ulit ang pamilya ko. Napakahirap ‘nun kung nasa loob pa ako. Kaya sobra sobra ang pasasalamat namin na nandito kami ngayon, 2021, in good health — kami ni Lani at ang buong pamilya namin — kaya kahit na ano pa man yung pinagdaanan namin — hindi lang ang pagkakasakit, ang pagkamatay ni Daddy pero pati na yung mga masasakit na atake sa akin na nag-tuloy pa rin ‘nun — set aside na natin yon. Kasi ang importante ngayon ay kung paano tayo magtutulungan pa rin para mabubuhay sa mga darating na
SERVICES
ManilaTimes.net photo
araw at mag-ingat. Kung paano natin aalagaan ang mga mahal natin sa buhay at mga kaibigan natin.” Asked what their secret is in surviving the trials that seem to keep hounding them together and solid as ever, Lani was first to share, “Yung attitude na ang mga bagay na hindi mo kaya, ipa-sa Diyos mo na dahil may mga bagay talaga na Siya lang ang makakagawa.” Ever open how steeling their Christian faith got them through Bong’s four-year detention in Crame in eventual acquittal, prayers — no matter how common and redundant it sounds — still remain to be the couple’s refuge to this day. Eager to leave all the bane of 2020 behind, Sen. Bong on the other hand playfully said, “Basta isipin mo pogi ka, malalampasan mo ang lahat!” setting off his wife into fits of laughter. Conscious in choosing lighter and more positive outlook in life despite unceasing detractors [“Tanggap ko na, hindi naman sila titigil kahit ano pa ang mangyari”], Sen. Bong — who, through his public service program on Facebook Live, has amassed an impressive social media following while fulfilling his promise to help the poorest of the poor — does make a good argument when he revealed another mindset he has taken on as a result of all his experiences in 2020. Often hit for carrying out his online public service via fun game show fashion, the naturally happy personality has this to say, “I don’t care. Kahit na magsasayaw pa ako diyan, kung napapasaya ko at natutulungan ang mga tao, masaya na ako noon. Hindi naman natin maiibigay lahat ng pangangailangan nila pero sa maliit na paraan ay makakatulong tayo para mapasaya sila — yun ang importante sa amin ni Lani ”
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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 15-21, 2021
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January 15-21, 2021 • nOrCaL aSIan JOurnaL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
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