January 20-22, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 5 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages
USA
DATELINE High hopes or another false hope? Green cards for undocumented ‘essential workers’ on Biden’s agenda FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
ON a recent Monday, Maribel Lapuz got up at 4:30 a.m. The 46-year-old immigrant from the Philippines braved the sub-zero weather and took the train from Jersey City, NJ to a nursing home in Brooklyn, NY, where she has worked six days a week as a caregiver since last February. A thousand miles away, Mario Ramirez drove from one house to another starting at 5:00 a.m. doing construction and plumbing work in Marietta, Georgia. Ramirez, a 52-yearold Mexican immigrant, has never missed a working day since the start of the pandemic. “When the Trump administration sent the $1,200 stimulus checks to workers,” Lapuz said, “I didn’t get it; I was ignored.” “Someone like me in this country is not eligible for unemployment,” Ramirez said. “That means I can’t stop working in order to support my family, despite the risk of COVID-19.” Their situations may soon change.
LA County expands vaccinations to residents 65 years and older by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA
County surpasses 1 million COVID-19 cases
AJPress
AS Los Angeles County continues to grapple with unprecedented coronavirus cases and deaths, the county this week moved to officially allow residents
who are 65 years and older to get vaccinated. Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 20, the county will begin to accept vaccination appointments from residents who are 65 years old or over, a move made possible through an executive order signed
Duterte extends last minute travel ban that left airport staffers, travelers in a confusing scramble LIKE countries across the world desperate to mitigate the coronavirus, the Philippines instituted a new ban on international travel from certain countries where the new strain of the virus has been detected. The latest ban includes and applies to foreign travelers coming from Pakistan, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Oman, mainland China, United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Israel, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lebanon, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, South Africa, Canada, Spain, United States, Portugal, India, Finland, Norway, Jordan,
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Palace hails Biden proposal to prioritize legal status for millions of immigrants by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
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Filipina traveler from SoCal details ‘frustrating’ two days in NAIA custody following PH travel ban
by County Supervisor Hilda Solis. “Over the past several weeks, the County of Los Angeles has administered the vaccine to frontline healthcare workers, so that they can stay safe while
QR CODE. Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso shows his QR Code on his smartphone that he is already vaccinated during the COVID-19 vaccination simulation exercise at the Universidad de Manila on Tuesday, January 19. Many local government units have been preparing vaccination plans for their constituents ahead of the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines in the country. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
MALACAÑANG has welcomed United States President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to offer legal status to millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. “Ang mabuti sigurong mangyayari, ngayon pa lang inanunsyo na ni President-elect Biden na magpo-propose siya ng batas (One good thing we can expect, is that as early as now President-elect Biden proposed a law) to legalize the stay of 11 million illegal aliens in the United States at siyempre po may mga Pilipino na magbebenepisyo sa batas na ‘yan (and of course there are Filipinos will benefit from that law),” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing on Monday, January 18. Biden plans to send a groundbreaking legislative package to Congress addressing the goal of immigration reform, according to various reports. It would include a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million immigrants who are in the country without legal status.
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Relieved, but still cautious: Fil-Am health care workers get second dose of COVID-19 vaccine by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
LAST month, Eva Teniola kicked off Sacramento, California’s vaccination campaign as she became the city’s first health care worker to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Three weeks later, Teniola, a 47-year-old emergency room nurse at UC Davis Medical Center, received her second jab on January 5 and completed the process to be fully inoculated. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 95% effective against COVID-19, and must be administered in two doses 21 days apart, according
to the Food and Drug Administration. The path to hope and protection after a grim year outweighed the “tolerable soreness” the nurse felt on her left arm into the next day. “I feel thankful, proud, honored, and hopeful for the safety of myself, my patients and my loved ones,” Teniola told the Asian Journal. Her experience mirrors that of hundreds of other health care workers across the country who have been on the frontlines of the devastating virus since last March. And while both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Eva Teniola, an emergency room nurse, celebrates after receiving the first dose of the Pfizer-
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BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California, on December 15, 2020. She received her second dose on Jan. 5. Photo by Wayne Tilcock/ UC Davis Health
PH 2nd ‘most instagrammable’ Report: Black market for illegal place in the world for 2021 COVID vaccines emerges in PH by AJPRESS
WITH 7,017 islands, the Philippines has been hailed as the world’s second most “Instagrammable” destination in 2021. Global travel website Big 7 Travel on Thursday, January 14, released its 50 Most Instagrammable Places in the World-2021 list, placing the Philippines in second place just behind Tokyo, Japan. Some of the country’s attractions that the ranking referenced The Batad rice terraces in the Philippine Cordilleras, which was named a World Heritage Site by include the Puerto Princesa SubUNESCO. DFA photo terranean River National Park
and the rice terraces. “Home to incredible natural wonders like an underground river and tranquil rice terraces in addition to a vibrant culture and history spanning several millennia; and over 7,500 islands – the Philippines as a whole are extremely Instagrammable,” the article read. “From the bustling capital of Manila complete with colorful colonial streets to the absolute oasis of Boracay, the gram opportunities here are endless,” it added. Aside from Tokyo, the Philip-
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by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
A BLACK market for unauthorized COVID-19 vaccines is ‘thriving’ in the Philippines, according to a recent report by the Washington Post. Only Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine has been granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) in the country, but the national government is still in talks with the American pharmaceutical firm to secure a deal. The country may only start its rollout of Pfizer vaccine in February through the COVAX facility, a
global platform that aims to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries. The Philippines also only recently secured 25 millions of China’s Sinovac, of which the first 50,000 doses are set to arrive in the country — officially — next month. However, a number of Chinese workers employed by the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) have reportedly been inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine already. “It is illegal to import unau-
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LA County expands...
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doing the important work of saving lives and residents and staff in nursing facilities and longterm care facilities,” Solis said in a statement. The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has left a lot to be desired, as previously reported in the Asian Journal, and in LA County where the continuing surge continues to overwhelm hospitals, expansion of the vaccine may help quell the spike in cases. “If we are to ever get out of this dark winter, it is critical that we make headway vaccinating people 65 years of age and older as soon as possible in line with Governor Gavin Newsom’s recommendations,” Solis added. LA County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said that there were enough vaccine supplies to effectively get through this week’s vaccination appointments. About 50,000 appointments were made on Tuesday, but the county is unsure how many more doses will be available next week. (As of press time,
the California COVID-19 vaccination appointment website is experiencing heavy traffic and may be unavailable to people looking to schedule an appointment) Ferrer said that at the end of last week, the county received 685,000 vaccine doses and by Tuesday, more than 70% have been administered; the county expects to receive an additional 168,000 doses later this week. “One of the issues that everyone has had around the allocation and distribution from the federal government is it has been week-to-week, which makes it difficult for our sites to do a lot of planning, and it really makes it difficult to extend appointments beyond a few days, which makes it hard on the public,” she said. Both Ferrer and Solis noted that the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday may provide some hope amid the darkness and confusion left by the outgoing Trump administration. “Tomorrow the new federal
From the Front Page
administration takes over, and we expect our situation to improve greatly,” Solis said at a press conference on Tuesday. The vaccine is still limited, but the county has established five large-scale vaccination sites across the region that could accommodate about 4,000 patients per day at each site: Pomona Fairplex in Pomona, The Forum in Inglewood, Cal State Northridge in Northridge, A. County Office of Education in Downey and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia. Residents in this high-priority age group should visit VaccinateLACounty.com to schedule their appointments. Residents who don’t have computer access may call (833) 5400473 between 8 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. for assistance with reservations. The announcement comes CALCULATIONS. One of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) personnel uses chalk to calculate the exact size of a metal frame to be used at a time when the county has as a post at their worksite on Mindanao Avenue Extension corner Regalado Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday, January 19. The MRT-7 PNA photo by Oliver Marquez exceeded 1 million cumulative is one of the ongoing flagship projects under the Duterte Administration. COVID-19 cases. As of Tuesday, there have been 1,031,874 total cases and 14,122 total deaths due to COVID-19. n PAGE A1 inconvenience in a time colored “I actually didn’t buy a return by inconveniences. ticket because I planned to stay Brazil, and Austria. And the Philippine govern- for as long as possible to care Specifically, the mandate applied to the U.S. starting on Jan. ment has said that it wasn’t plan- for her and provide any kind of ning on barring Philippine-born financial aid and be her primary According to Ateneo de Manila 3. The Philippines’ new ban kababayan from entering the caregiver,” Almares told the political science professor Melay Abao, Biden would not sup- comes as more of the world is country: Roque said on Jan. 14, Asian Journal in a recent phone port Duterte’s controversial war becoming more exposed to a “Nanindigan na po ang Presiden- interview. “She’s my only living lola and new variant of SARS-CoV-2 and te walang Filipino na pupwedeng against illegal drugs. “Duterte has lost an ally. The earlier this month, the new vari- mapigilang umiwi (The President I call her my last ancestor on Biden camp is not likely to com- ant (which was first found in the has stood form that no Filipi- my mother’s side so I definitely promise on the human rights is- United Kingdom) was found in nos will be barred from coming wanted to take care of her, and home).” unfortunately there are no other sue so for sure, it will frown upon the Philippines. But the ban reflected dissimilar family members so I made the To date, the Philippines has the the extrajudicial killings and the drug war,” she told Rappler in second-highest number of CO- sentiments for the dozens of trav- choice and set out on this jourVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia elers who arrived at Ninoy Aqui- ney,” Almares added, saying that November. Biden was inaugurated as behind Indonesia, according to no International Airport (NAIA) she was able to make the trip fion Jan. 3 with unsettling news. nancially since airline tickets are the 46th U.S. President on Jan. the World Health Organization. “They took our passports and at an all-time low (about $400 for “Huwag na kayong bumili ng 20. n a one-way journey, she said). ticket kung galing kayo sa mga gave us no information.” Ms. Almares, who declined to Ahead of her flight on Jan. 3, lugar na iyan at hindi kayo Pilipino at darating kayo on or about give her first name for privacy, Almares prepared all the docuthe 15th of January (Don’t buy was en route to the Philippines ments needed to prove that her Big 7 Travel used a scoring plane tickets if you are from areas on the same day that the travel travel was considered essential. system that analyzed the num- included in the travel ban and if ban included the U.S. The Filipi- Since the beginning of the panber of hashtags per destination, you are not Filipinos; also, if you na expatriate — who was born in demic, governments across the survey results from their social wish to come here on or around Batangas and moved to Los An- world have imposed travel bans audience, and input from their the 15th of January),” Presiden- geles with her family to escape on foreign travelers with varying editorial team to create its top tial Spokesperson Harry Roque martial law in the 80s — had degrees of severity and rigidity. The Philippines had previously said to foreign travelers from the been adhering to pandemic pub50 list. imposed travel bans that allowed In October 2020, the website temporarily banned countries in a lic safety rules. But when she found out her those who were mid-flight amid included the country’s Palawan press briefing last week. For many travelers, the ban grandmother in Manila had been the ban’s implementation to and Boracay Island in its list of 50 Most Beautiful Places in the simply halts immediate plans to sick with nobody to look after quarantine for 14 days in a safe World, ranking the two tourist travel, forcing people to resched- her, Almares took the initiative location and either allow them to attractions at eighth and 18th ule and request refunds for any to go back home and care for her stay in the Philippines or travel purchased plane tickets: another lola. place, respectively. n u PAGE A4
Palace hails Biden proposal to prioritize...
PAGE A1 In November 2020, Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez said some 350,000 Filipinos are facing deportation in the country. Roque expressed hope that the bilateral relations between the Philippines and the U.S. will have “continuity.” “Pagdating po sa panlabas na relasyon, may continuity naman po ang Estados Unidos (When it comes to foreign relations, the U.S. has continuity),” he said.
The spokesman also dismissed claims that outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump losing the presidential election meant Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte “lost an ally.” “Wala po kaming comment diyan, walang basehan iyan. Ang mayroon po tayo ay mainit at malapit na relasyon sa bansang Estados Unidos (We do not have a comment on that. It has no basis. What we have is a warm and close relationship with the U.S.),” said Roque.
PH 2nd ‘most instagrammable’ place in the... PAGE A1 pines was joined by international destinations Paris in France, New York City, and Istanbul in Turkey in the top five of Big 7’s list. Completing the top 10 were Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Havana, Cuba; Sydney, Australia; London; and Chicago, Illinois. The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), for its part, welcomed the country’s inclusion in the travel website’s list.
“The Department of Tourism (DOT) celebrates the inclusion of the Philippines in the Most Instagrammable Places in the World list of the renowned travel website Big 7 Travel for the year 2021,” it said on Friday, January 15. “Coming at 2nd place, the Philippines bested other places including Paris, France; New York City, USA; Istanbul, Turkey; and Dubai, UAE in the list,” it added.
Filipina traveler from SoCal details ‘frustrating’...
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Dateline USa
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A
Relieved, but still cautious: Fil-Am health care... Newsom formally appoints Alex
PAGE A1 Moderna vaccines’ record development and arrival in the U.S. offered some reprieve, the daily infection and fatality numbers remind of the sobering reality and the infectious nature of the virus. In Teniola’s case, she continues to witness numerous deaths working in the emergency room, especially in individuals over the age of 45. “These ages supposedly are the prime years and best time to
travel or spend quality time with family and friends, but instead, because of the deadly COVID, we have to isolate ourselves from our loved ones,” she said. For Emmanuel Bando, a nurse manager of ambulatory care at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in New York, his turn to get vaccinated came as a blessing because he initially wasn’t prioritized since he does not work in an emergency room or intensive care unit. But, he made his case for being vaccinat-
ed as overflow COVID patients have been sent to his unit. During the first round of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, he reported muscle weakness and a spike in blood pressure, but did not experience other side effects other than soreness at the injection site the second time. He completed his vaccine on January 12, which made him “feel more confident and effective” in stopping the spread of the virus. “Right now, in our hospital, we have 60 cases and I found out that the other Health and Hospital [locations] are sending their COVID patient to us,” Bando told the Asian Journal. “The really sad part is that they removed my three ambulatory care nurses to work in the inpatient units and left me with [a] skeletal crew.” As of this writing, the United States passed the 24 million mark of total cases and over 400,000 deaths. In California, three areas — the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California — continue to be under the state’s regional stay-at-home order as their ICU capacities are well below the 15% threshold. The state confirmed over 2.97 million cases to date with a seven-day positivity rate of 10.6%. Los Angeles County over the weekend became the first county in the country to hit 1 million cases, and estimates show that 1 in 3 residents have been infected at some point, according to the Los Angeles Times. “The public needs to be reminded that the vaccination does not provide full protection from COVID-19 right away as it takes some time for the body to develop immunity to it,” Anna Medrano, a nurse practitioner at City of Hope in Duarte, California, told the Asian Journal. “Collectively, we can help control the staggering number of new cases by continuing to practice social distancing, wearing a mask and practicing other infection control measures. Continue to stay informed and stay healthy for the sake of our loved ones, our communities and our country.” Medrano, who was the first at her hospital to receive the PfizerBioNTech vaccine last month, got her second dose on January ALL VACCINATED. (Top) Dr. Antonio Moya, a neurologist in Los Angeles County; 4. (Middle row, L-R) Dr. Joyce Javier, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; Similar to the first round, she Emmanuel Bando, a nurse manager of ambulatory care at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health experienced a slight fever, genCenter in New York; and (bottom) Anna Medrano, a nurse practitioner at City of Hope in eralized body aches fatigue, and Duarte, California, have all completed both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. PAGE A4 Contributed photos; Photo credit - City of Hope
Padilla to the US Senate, nominates Dr. Shirley Weber as secretary of state
CALIFORNIA Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, January 18 formally submitted the appointment of Alex Padilla to become California’s first Latino U.S. Senator and the nomination of Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber to become the state’s first African American Secretary of State. The announcement comes as Kamala Harris formally resigned her position as U.S. Senator as she prepares to make history by becoming the first African American and woman to become Vice President of the United States when she is in-
augurated alongside Presidentelect Joe Biden Wednesday, January 20. Alex Padilla also formally resigned as secretary of state, making James Schwab, current Chief Deputy Secretary of State, the Acting Secretary of State in California in accordance with state law. The governor formally submitted a letter to Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon nominating Dr. Shirley Weber to fill the Secretary of State vacancy. The Legislature will have 90 days to vote on Dr.
Weber’s confirmation. “It is fitting that on the same day we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — a civil rights icon who fought for justice and representation — we also move forward the appointment of California’s first Latino U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and the nomination of Dr. Shirley Weber who will serve as the first-ever African American Secretary of State. Both will be strong defenders of our democracy during this fragile moment in our nation’s history,” said Governor Newsom. “These apPAGE A4
Report: Black market for illegal COVID vaccines... PAGE A1 thorized pharmaceuticals. But soaring demand among Chinese workers, many of them employed in the Philippines’ lucrative online casinos catering to gamblers in China, is driving a black market in which vaccine doses are sold for many times the standard $30 price in China,” said the Post’s article by journalist Regine Cabato. The article also noted how the black market “exposes pandemic inequalities and problems with immunization drives in places plagued by corruption and patronage.” The unauthorized distribution of the vaccines isn’t limited to Chinese POGO workers. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in late December, revealed that some members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) have received Sinovac jabs — angering ordinary Filipinos as well as healthcare workers. Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, for his part, confirmed that the vaccines administered to the country’s military personnel were smuggled, since they have not been authorized by the government. “Time and again, health workers are being neglected,” Reigner Antiquera, president of the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates, told the Post. He added, “Nurses, doctors, and other health workers should be prioritized in receiving these
vaccines because they are the most at risk and exposed to the virus.” Decentralized operation Teresita Ang See, a FilipinoChinese civic leader, told the Post that an estimated 100,000 Chinese nationals in the Philippines have already been vaccinated, citing advertisements on Chinese media and information from gambling industry worker chat groups. “The vaccine could fetch between $200 and $300 on the black market, presumably for both doses,” the newspaper quoted. Meanwhile, Jesse, a Filipino POGO worker who chose to go by her nickname for fear of reprisal, divulged that she accidentally read the conversation of her Chinese colleagues in a group chat where they discussed getting administered the Pfizer vaccine, shipped in from China. “In an emailed statement Tuesday, Pfizer did not address questions about whether it had shipped doses to the Philippines. The company said it was committed to engaging with the Philippine government to make its coronavirus vaccine available in the country,” wrote the Post. The article also noted that Beijing’s efforts to distribute vaccines for its nationals working overseas have raised suspicions that it could “use vaccines for political leverage in areas where
it is trying to expand its influence.” A Philippines-based businessman revealed to the Post that he had been approached by Chinese businessmen from the online gambling industry about supplying the Sinopharm vaccine to their employees. “The process, he said, entailed the buyer declaring the smuggled vaccines as supplements, before customs officials would relabel the shipment accordingly and approve the importation,” the article said. “Would-be local distributors would have to agree to assume legal responsibility and sign a waiver committing not to resell the vaccine. The businessman said that many groups were interested and that it was a ‘decentralized operation,’” it added. Neither the Philippine Bureau of Customs nor the Chinese Embassy in Manila commented on the matter. Meanwhile, Malacañang assured that the investigations of health and law enforcement authorities are already underway. “Both FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] have been investigating this issue,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday. “Abangan nalang po natin ang resulta ng kanilang imbestigasyon (Let’s just wait for the results of their investigation),” he added. n
A january 20-22, 2021 • SoCal aSIan jOurnaL
Dateline USa
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Newsom formally appoints Alex Padilla to the... Filipina traveler from SoCal details ‘frustrating’... PAGE A3 pointments are only possible because of the trailblazing leadership of my dear friend and California’s own Kamala Harris, who will move on from the Senate to make history by becoming the first African American and woman to serve as Vice President of the United States. This is a proud day for California.” State law empowers the Governor to fill vacancies to the U.S. Senate and, subject to confirmation by the State Senate and Assembly, the Secretary of State. Governor Newsom announced his selection of Padilla Gov. Gavin Newsom signs appointment papers for Padilla and Weber as U.S. and Dr. Weber in December. n Senator and California secretary of state, respectively.
High hopes or another false hope? Green cards...
PAGE A1 Deemed “essential workers” by the federal government, Lapuz and Ramirez are among the 5 million undocumented immigrants who may be rewarded a path to citizenship—and it could happen during the first days of the BidenHarris administration. Indispensable to American life and economy, undocumented essential workers are now at the core of an immigration plan currently being drafted by congressional Democrats and immigrant rights advocates, and aggressively promoted by the incoming administration. The new immigration legislation—folded into the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill that Biden unveiled last week—will include granting undocumented essential workers a green card and decreasing the wait time to obtain U.S. citizenship. “Essential workers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, are unsung American heroes—risking their lives during this deadly pandemic to care for our communities and ensure food is on the table,” Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said in a recent virtual press conference. “I’m working on legislation to immediately protect essential workers and their families from deportation and provide them with a fast-track path to citizenship.” Vice President-elect Kamala Harris weighed in publicly on the issue. Speaking last week with Spanish-language Univision, she said the incoming administration would automatically grant green cards not only to undocumented essential workers but also to DACA (Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals) recipients as well as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and shorten by 5 years the time it takes to get U.S. citizenship.
“The incoming administration has a golden opportunity to set things right and offer immigrant essential workers and their families relief from this pandemic, relief from persecution because of their immigration status, and relief from invisibility,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights, on a press call organized by America’s Voice. Pushback from Republicans has already started. Lora Ries, former acting deputy chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, told The Los Angeles Times that the legislation will create more problems. “Such rewards will attract more people to illegally enter the U.S. to await their eventual green card, undermining border security,” Ries said. This week, more than 6,000 Honduran migrants and asylum seekers have reportedly been making their way north through neighboring Guatemala and Mexico. This caravan could represent a resurgence of such efforts as Biden has vowed to reform President Trump’s hard-line immigration policies. Some immigration advocates and scholars also question whether the upcoming immigration plan is the right approach. If the BidenHarris administration proposes to extend legalization opportunities to 5 million undocumented essential workers, what about the other 8 million undocumented immigrants? “Millions of immigrant workers are on the frontlines, risking their lives to keep our country running. The depth of this crisis requires urgency,” said Mary Kay Henry, president of SEIU, on the press call with America’s Voice. “We can’t beat the virus when millions of undocumented essential workers are left out. Providing
[a fast-track to citizenship] is the only way we’ll be able to tackle the pandemic.’ Alex Padilla, California’s Secretary of State who is set to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, defended the immigration plan for undocumented essential workers. “It’s not that we are not going to deal with other undocumented immigrants,” Padilla said on the call with reporters. “Because of the urgency of COVID relief, it’s better to act sooner rather than later.” Padilla invoked the immigration experience of his own parents, who came to California from Mexico in the 60s. They never had a formal education, he said, and never had a day off—his dad worked as a cook and his mom cleaned houses. “But they told us that if we work hard and do well in school, we can do what we want to be. That’s the American Dream,” he added. “After four years of [Trump’s] constant attack on immigrant communities, the Biden-Harris administration will help us turn the tides. I hope the Congress and our nation will recognize that these [undocumented essential] immigrants stepped up when the U.S. needed the most and put themselves in danger during this deadly pandemic.” “I’m very excited when I heard about this great news,” Lapuz said in Jersey City, NJ. “But I can’t help worrying that they are sending another false hope. I have been through this before.” “My family has been waiting for this moment. We risk our lives and help this country to survive the pandemic,” Ramirez said. “We should not be left in the dark anymore. My children were all born here—this is our home.” (Anthony Advincula/Ethnic Media Services)
PAGE A2 back home. Travel advisories posted at that time by the Philippine Embassy and U.S. and Philippine immigration noted that Filipinos were able to travel back to the Philippines if they provided documentation of essential travel (in Almares’ case, proof that her grandmother was hospitalized). Through the Philippines’ Balikbayan Program, travelers were also allowed to travel if they provided their old Philippine passport or a copy of their birth certificate. “All of us were solely on that flight because of the Balikbayan Act, so you know we were prepared,” she said. But in the case of Almares and the dozens of travelers on her flight, airport staff and security were ill-equipped in the face of the new travel ban. According to Almares, once she landed, travelers were notified of the new ban. She still had to pay the $80 USD for a swab test through Philippine Red Cross, but once they reached immigration, they were notified that the new ban included the United States. But Almares’ flight was in a gray area because they had a layover in Guam, meaning that in Guam, United Airlines could have notified them of the ban and that they were unable to enter the Philippines, but because “it said Philippines on our passports,” the airline let them continue on to Manila. According to the Almares, an airline official told them that the airline could not “prevent you from going to your birth country,” and that they had certain birthrights as Philippine-born Filipinos. “But that day [at NAIA], I guess we didn’t,” Almares said. At the immigration kiosk at NAIA, Almares said that airport security told travelers that they could not travel any further, reportedly confiscated their passports with no explanation, and stuck the travelers in a holding room at the airport. “Mind you, I’m coming off an almost 14-hour flight. It’s 10 p.m. when we landed, nothing is open to eat because airport restaurants were closed, and we’re put into this holding room that had no beds, no showers, no TV and it was just completely uncomfortable and we had no idea what was happening because nobody gave us any information, even when we asked,” Almares recounted. The next day, they were shown the government mandate that banned visas from countries that appeared on the list of barred nations. The mandate had been implemented while Almares’ plane was in the air, but airline security did not announce plans to quarantine the travelers in a legitimate way or provide any accommodations beyond the holding room. The passport confiscation, in particular, made Almares uncomfortable: “They had them in backpacks, not secured whatsoever. There were already incidents of stealing throughout those two days so I was worried something might happen to my passport.” Almares said that throughout their detainment, she befriended fellow travelers and offered to help those who didn’t have any internet connection by giving what information she can find. One of
the travelers she got to know was an 85-year-old Filipina and her grandson (who is autistic) who were worried that they would not be able to go home. The situation was frustrating, stressful and scary for many of the travelers, Almares said. At one point, she began to reckon with the fact that she wouldn’t be able to see her grandmother and the plans she had to care for her would never come to fruition. Unlike previous instances where travelers were in mid-air when a ban was imposed, there were no moves to quarantine the travelers once they touched down. They ended up spending “48 hours going into 72 hours” in the holding room, Almares said, adding that they all had to keep their face masks and shields on. All the while, Almares and others tried to call embassies and consulates in an effort to have a government body advocate on their behalf, but those communication attempts didn’t amount to much. Almares decided to confront airline staff and security about the situation, asking for any answers to the questions that she and others had: Are we able to get a flight back home? If so, when will we be going home? Do we have to pay for a new boarding pass? Are we going to be quarantined? How long are we to stay in the holding room? But she received the same, unsatisfying answers every time: “We’re working on it, and we’ll give you information once we receive it.” At the peak of her frustration, Almares pulled out her phone and began recording her interactions with airline security, demanding answers and letting staff know about the “unfair” treatment the travelers are receiving. On Filipino Facebook groups, she began detailing in real time her experience, providing updates to the nearly three-day saga. At one point, according to Almares, an airline staff member told her that she was being “maarte (dramatic),” and tried to get her to calm down. The Philippines is a country that for the last few decades has poised itself to be a tourist destination to the Western world that rivals Bali, Indonesia; Phuket, Thailand and other tropical locales in South East Asia. The tourism effort has kickstarted many a campaign to attract Western travelers (i.e. wealthy white folks with a hunger for wanderlust) to places like Boracay, Surigao and Palawan — Philippine locales that represent the natural beauty of the land that conveniently hides the less savory characteristics of a country that is still considered Third World. It’s not lost on Almares that the hospitality that the Philippines touts in its tourism campaign seemed to be absent the day she and the dozens of other members of the Filipino diaspora and expats were forced into the purgatory of an NAIA holding room with no help from airport and airline staff and the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Of course, she’s understanding of the usual circumstance of the pandemic and the new viral strains that have put the entire world on high alert. But the “in-
humane” treatment that she received from the staff and security and the unusual protocols were far from the realm of acceptable conduct, even in a pandemic. More than two days after she had first landed at NAIA, Almares said that the frustration and confusion had pent up and she decided to make a stand. After retrieving her passport from the backpack where all the passports were stuffed into, she decided to book a flight over the phone through United Airlines and try to get back home, but airline security at NAIA told her she couldn’t do that. Originally she wanted the 2 p.m. flight through Nippon Airways (United Airlines’ sister airline), but they were given the 11 p.m. flight. “I had to release some pent-up anger and the only way I could do that was just to voice myself and I told them, ‘What happened to kababayan? What happened to bayanihan, the welcoming of countrymen?’” Almares recalled. “The Philippines has a history of treating its own citizens poorly and if they were to anger a large number of people who are trying to travel to the Philippines, they could get a lot of backlash for this.” She understands that many of the staff she interacted with at NAIA weren’t ultimately the ones to blame and that they were just as much in the dark as she was, but it doesn’t excuse what she went through. “I told them, you know, that I know that they’re just doing their jobs but they’re getting so little pay and I said, ‘You’re doing this and it puts so much burden on you,’ because if I had lost my passport when they confiscated it, they would be in a lot of trouble,” Almares said. “I was trying to reach their hearts and let them know that this situation doesn’t help anybody involved.” Eventually, Almares and her fellow travelers were given free flights to go back home, more than two days of sitting in the NAIA waiting room. She was able to get a refund for the ticket she purchased, but the frustrating ordeal offered no relief. The 85-year-old lola she befriended had stayed behind because she couldn’t physically travel again on such short notice, so Almares offered to help the grandson get home safely. The current ban on travelers in the Philippines was extended two weeks and is now in effect until Jan. 31, according to Malacañang. “I came out of that experience feeling very disconnected,” Almares said, who was able to arrive back in Los Angeles safely. She described feeling a strange betrayal from her birth country, noting its sensitivity to criticism. “You cannot criticize the Philippine government at all. You could be blacklisted, but honestly, I’m fine if they blacklist me for speaking about what happened. They are vulnerable and the [Philippine] government can change the law on a whim, we know this. I just wanted people to know that people who want to come to the Philippines, that your health and physical being could be put in a very compromising situation,” she added. (Klarize Medenilla/ AJPress)
Relieved, but still cautious: Fil-Am health care... PAGE A3 tenderness on her left arm afterward. She seeks to dispel any misinformation about the side effects of the vaccine. “For those planning to receive the vaccine, please plan ahead of time. If you can, take Tylenol or ibuprofen before getting your vaccination and plan to take the vaccine when you can stay home and take care of yourself for one to two days, depending on your symptoms,” she said. Setting an example For every individual who gets vaccinated, there is the other side of those who are still skeptical, despite studies showing the safety and efficacy of the PfizerBioNTech and Moderna vaccines. Still, health care workers are pleading with colleagues and those eligible in the next tier to complete their injections and trust the science. “Let’s be encouraged. If not for yourself, think of your loved ones and the future of humanity. COVID is like the lottery: if you get it, you may have mild side effects, or you get it big time, that you get sick and die. We don’t know what effect COVID will bring until you get it. So, get vaccinated before COVID gets you,” Teniola said. Jesse Caloza, an operating room orderly, said getting the vaccine was the “most important decision” he’s made in his 25 years working at an LA Countyarea hospital. “Taking the COVID-19 vaccine was the most important decision I’ve had to make in my 25-year career at the hospital. It was also
one of the easiest. I hope all health care workers, especially my kababayans, take it,” Caloza told the Asian Journal. “The fight against COVID-19 isn’t over, but taking the vaccine means we are one step closer. We must do everything we can to protect ourselves, our patients, our families, and our community.” For Dr. Antonio Moya, a neurologist and public health advocate, getting both rounds of the vaccine goes further than protecting himself and his patients — but to provide an example for the greater Fil-Am community as LA County is set to roll out vaccinations for individuals 65 years and older. “I recommend all Filipinos to be proactive and ask their primary care providers about when they can be considered for the vaccine. It would be great for younger Filipinos to also help advocate for their elderly parents or grandparents to get the vaccine as soon as possible,” Moya, who completed his second dose on January 8 as part of LA County’s effort to vaccinate health care workers, told the Asian Journal. However, Moya cautioned that being inoculated is not “a free ticket” to engage in nonessential travel and to forget the public health precautions that have become part of the new normal. “Regardless of vaccination or not, our community needs to stop the spread through public health…These actions are the easiest ways to prevent overwhelming our hospitals nationwide,” he said. Dr. Joyce Javier, a pediatrician
and researcher at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, echoed the importance of the community to be protected, given the numerous factors that have contributed to Fil-Ams being at higher risk — being employed in frontline, essential services like the medical field as well as living in multigenerational households. “It’s important for our health care workers to model to our community that the vaccine is safe and that can help alleviate fears about the vaccine,” Javier told the Asian Journal, citing National Nurses United’s findings that Filipino nurses make up 31% of COVID deaths, despite only being close to 4% of the nursing population in the U.S. She added, “I hope my story can encourage others to get the vaccine when it’s available to them. My hope is that having the vaccines available will help address not only the health impacts of the pandemic, but also the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on all our communities.” Javier and Moya shared culturally relevant resources, including the Filipino Family Health Initiative, a program that is offering parenting workshops; and Tayo Help, an online platform with expert-backed articles to dispel any COVID misinformation, as Fil-Ams continue to navigate the pandemic and wait for the opportunity to get vaccinated. “There’s obviously a lot of anxiety among all communities and also with our teens, children and health care workers. I think it’s just important to keep the communication lines open in the family,” Javier said. n
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A
Dateline PhiliPPines
Robredo slams Duterte over claim that presidency not for women by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
PHILIPPINE Vice President Leni Robredo has responded to President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks claiming that women are not fit for the country’s highest office. During her weekly radio show on Sunday, January 17, Robredo said: “Unang una, alam natin kung ano iyong pagtingin ni Pangulo sa mga kababaihan, at hindi tayo sang-ayon doon. Napakababa ng pagtingin sa mga kababaihan, kaya nga nangyayari itong mga sinasabi niya (First of all, we know already know how the President views women, and we disagree with that. He has a very low regard for women that’s why he said what he said).” Duterte on Thursday, January 14 revealed that he advised his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, against running for the presidency in 2022, after which, he claimed that women are not equipped to handle the top government post. “My daughter, they are urging her. I said my daughter is not running. I have told Inday not to run because I take pity if she goes through what I went through. It’s not for women,” he said in Filipino. “You know, the emotional setup of a woman and a man is totally different. You will become a fool here. That is the sad story,” he added. Robredo, for her part, contradicted his sexist remark, noting that countries led by women have
Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo
performed better in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. “Pangalawa, napapaligiran tayo sa buong mundo ng mga babaeng napakahuhusay na chief executives. In fact, during the pandemic, iyong mga best performing na mga bansa ay led by women (Second, we are surrounded by women who are excellent chief executives. In fact, during the pandemic, the bestperforming countries are those led by women),” she said, The vice president also pointed out that Duterte’s words are not helping the ongoing fight for gender equality and women’s rights. “Kapag iyong pangulo nagsalita ng ganito, hindi siya nakakatulong. Nade-deflate niya iyong kampanya. Na tingin ko dapat sana responsibility niya din na maging circumspect sa mga sinasabi, kasi pangulo siya eh (If the president says this kind of words, he is not helping. He deflates the campaign. I think it is his responsibility to be circumspect in his
Inquirer.net photo
words, because he is the president),” said Robredo. “Hindi lang naman ito kay Mayor Sara o sa akin o kung sino pang mga kilalang women leaders, pero sa lahat ng kababaihang mga Pilipino, lahat ng Pilipina, may epekto ‘yung mababang pagtingin ng pinuno (It is not just against Mayor Sara or me or other female leaders. The low perception of the President on women has an effect on all Filipino women),” she added. Robredo underscored the importance of women in government. “Iyong values na pinapaniwalaan natin, iyong respeto sa kababaihan ay mataas, dapat ginagalang iyong mga kababaihan. Iyong sa akin, iyong participation ng kababaihan sa governance, mahalaga (The values that we believe in, the respect for women is high, women should be respected. For me, the participation of women in governance is important),” she said. n
Immigration: More than 11,7000 Filipinos stopped at airports in 2020 MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration stopped more than 11,700 Filipino passengers from leaving the country in 2020. Aside from government efforts against illegal recruitment and human trafficking, last year also saw travel restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement Monday, Immigration Commissioner Jai-
me Morente said the bureau stopped the departure of 11,706 passengers in 2020. Of these, 9,411 were supposed to fly out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. This is 70% lower than the 38,522 travelers barred from leaving the country in 2019, BI said. Morente explained to travel restrictions and international
flight suspensions enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic naturally caused a dip in the number of Filipinos who traveled abroad in 2020. Fraudulent or missing documents But even with strict travel restrictions in the past year — the government only started easing the ban in October — “the u PAGE A7
ONE-STOP SHOP. A Pasay City Hall personnel entertains the queries of a business owner who will renew their permit under the city’s OneStop Shop program at the Cuneta Astrodome on Tuesday, January 19. Taxpayers are reminded to bring all necessary documents when going to the city’s One-Stop Shop. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
FDA eyes limiting use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in elderly Filipinos by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
THE Philippine Food and Drug Administration may issue an advisory on the use of PfizerBioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on the country’s elderly following reports of post-vaccination deaths among elderly patients in Norway. FDA Director General Eric Domingo on Tuesday, January 19, said the agency may exclude elderly people with critical illnesses from the list of individuals who can receive Pfizer’s jabs. “Possibly, magkakaroon po tayo ng (we could have) guidelines that will limit the use of the vaccine in very old, very sickly or very frail individuals,” he said during the Laging Handa briefing. In Norway, 33 people reportedly died days after receiving their first dose of the vaccine. Thirteen of the fatalities were people of advanced age, were frail and had serious illnesses, according to Norwegian Institute
of Public Health Director Camilla Stoltenberg. However, Norway sought to allay safety concerns on Monday, saying that there’s no established link between Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and the post-inoculation deaths in the country. It has nonetheless urged doctors to consider whether patients who are frail or terminally ill should receive the vaccine. “It’s not impossible that some of those who have gotten the vaccine are so frail that maybe you should have reconsidered and not given them the vaccine, because they are so sick that they might have become worse from the normal side effects as the body reacts and builds up immunity,” Stoltenberg said. The Philippines on January 14 granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, allowing the vaccine to be administered to individuals 16 years old and above. The country’s Department of Health (DOH) on Monday
said Pfizer’s EUA will stay for now while officials wait for the American pharmaceutical firm to submit a report on the reported deaths of elderly people with serious underlying health conditions in Norway. “Once we evaluate the report, the FDA can decide on the EUA based on its conclusion. For now, there is no sufficient evidence yet to say that the deaths were caused by the vaccine so we will still be on status quo for the EUA we issued to Pfizer,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in Filipino. She also pointed out that the deaths might be”coincidental” given the patients’ health conditions. “They seem to be saying it’s coincidental because the patients are severely ill and even the minor reactions to the vaccine may have an effect on them. That’s why it led to their death,” said Vergeire. “Still they are not closing the issue. They would like to look into it further,” she added. n
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A6 JANUARY 20-22, 2021 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
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O PiniOn Crime pays
FeatURes
IF the government wants to intensify its campaign against criminality, it must ramp up efforts to go after financial crimes. Based on reports, if regulators could go after dirty money in the Philippine financial ecosystem, the amount would be more than enough to buy all the reputable COVID vaccines needed by the country, with many more in reserve. A recent report from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas estimated that proceeds from money laundering, proliferation financing and terrorist financing across the financial ecosystem have breached the P1-trillion mark. Proliferation financing, as defined by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force, relates to dirty money used in the trafficking of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. In March last year, calls for tighter regulation of money laundering in the Philippines were aired after Australia’s Westpac Banking Corp. was blamed for that country’s worst-ever money laundering breach in 2019, with millions in cash remittances, some allegedly sent to child pornographers, going to Southeast Asia. Westpac’s Philippine banking partner warned at the time that weak laws against money laundering combined with tough bank secrecy laws were attracting dirty money and eroding confidence in the country’s financial system.
The BSP reported that criminals continue to use cash-based transactions to move dirty money in and out of the country’s banking system. Criminal proceeds in the country were estimated to have reached from P938 billion to a whopping P1.02 trillion. Topping the list of sources of dirty money was corruption, with proceeds estimated at P670 billion to P752 billion. Other sources were smuggling with an estimated P100 billion; tax evasion, P75 billion; environmental crimes, P50 billion; intellectual property violations, P31.9 billion, and drug trafficking with P11 billion in just the first half of 2020. Among the suspicious transactions monitored by the BSP in 2020, swindling accounted for 41% or P12.83 billion in terms of value as of end-June. Trafficking in persons followed, with 20% of P6.19 billion. Drug trafficking placed third with 15% or P4.6 billion. Those amounts are so hefty criminals would be as a criminal activity pays, it will proliferate. Shutwilling to risk capture or even tokhang. As long ting off the pipeline for dirty money is critical for
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
the success of any campaign against criminality. (Philstar.com)
January 20, 2021: The dawning of a new day as we reclaim the soul of America The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS THE “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never sounded more real, more poignant and meaningful for us, citizens of our beloved adoptive country the United States of America. The past four years had been like a nightmare that has made many people almost lose faith in America. But on January 20, 2021, we wake up to the dawning of a new day. From out of the rubbles and ashes of the Trump presidency, the soul of America has seen its rebirth, because we chose to rise with faith over fear, love over hate, light over darkness, empathy over apathy, and decisive action over learned helplessness. We dared choose to use the
Commentary
ANTONIO P. CONTRERAS WE saw in the siege of the United States Capitol the horror that unbridled free hate speech can bring. The repeated lies and extremist rhetoric of Donald Trump and his enablers in the Republican political class have damaged the rationality of democratic discourse. It proved Aristotle’s theory about the flaws of democracy as a tragic prophecy; seen in the diabolical effects of unrestrained and uncensored freedom to peddle untruths. It is in the seriousness of the political implications and the steepness of the political costs that one is confronted with the painful question of whether democracy and the freedom to speak are still worth the price at a time when the speed of technology enables the depth of the damage of the lies from the extent of coronavirus deaths in America to the threat to its democratic institutions. Free speech, during the pre-internet era, was at least tempered by logistical challenges. False news and fakery were at least distilled, if not dissipated, by the time and distance it takes to travel across entire political landscapes. This made the filtering of disinformation possible to stave off insanity masquerading as people’s uprisings. It is no wonder that almost all mass movements that emerged were spurred by ideologies that took time to fertilize the minds of people from the
power of our vote and our trust in every American to make the right choice and take the right path toward healing, unity, and a better, brighter, stronger Union and that day in America sees its renaissance at noontime of January 20, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn into office as our duly elected President and Vice President of the United States, respectively. We did so because somehow, somewhere in our heart and soul, we still dare to dream on and believe... I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we all will see the goodness in the hearts of our fellow Americans, regardless of their political party affiliations, holding on to the faith that we all love our beloved country and only want the best for our people in this generation and in the next generations to come… I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we shall all again live in one universe, embracing the same truth and facts no matter how painful and inconvenient, but it will be a good start toward our
collective effort in making our wrongs right, and in rebuilding our nation together standing on a strong solid foundation… I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we shall again see the sacred value of each and every American, appreciating our uniqueness intrinsic in our differences in skin color, ethnicity, culture, life story, faith, gender, age, talents, expertise — yet unified by that one collective goal — to give all we’ve got to enrich and strengthen the United States of America, the nation that immigrants like all of us build... I HAVE A DREAM that one day, this goal will make us realize that what we share in common is far stronger and more powerful than what divides us, and therefore, we shall again treat each other with respect and decency as we let our voices heard, exchange of differing perspectives, debate on policies and programs without having to doubt in the integrity of our leaders who we trust and know share the same faith in the strength of our unity and com-
mon purpose… I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we will again share the value of the life of every human being from womb to tomb, and use the God-given intelligence of our people, scientific knowledge and procedure to save lives especially in our war against the coronavirus pandemic, against the abuse of Mother Nature and our environment so we can pass on a healthy thriving planet to our children and grandchildren… I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we will all honor our solemn oath as citizens of the United States — to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that we will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that we take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and expect our leaders to fulfill their oath of office as a public servant as well, exercising our constitutional duty to make them accountable, in affirmation
that in our democracy, nobody is above the law, not even the President of the United States of America… I HAVE A DREAM that one day, our electorate and our government will be a reflection of who we are, honoring our diversity in appointing and electing officials and public servants in the executive, legislative and judiciary that will be responsive to the needs and concerns of our people — especially those that are most vulnerable and marginalized throughout our nation’s history… I HAVE A DREAM that one day, we will again be investing in the American people, by allocating resources toward education, health care, science and technology, environmental protection, peace and order, a more vibrant and honest watchdog in our fourth estate — the news and information media — so that we can help foster and bring out the best in each one of us despite our differences, helping us all to be more informed and engaged citizens, inspiring
and empowering us to give back and do our share to help create a more perfect Union… I HAVE A DREAM that one day, the United States of America will again be a government of the people, for the people, by the people, and on January 20, 2021, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took their oaths, we have proven we still have the vision, the resolve and the commitment to make this come true… So help us, God! *** 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.
The deadly outcome of free hate speech
religious uprisings to the mass mobilization of peasants and workers. Thus, while riots erupted, what dominated history were mass mobilizations that were inspired by political ideologies, from nationalism to liberalism to socialism and communism to feminism and other identity-based ideologies. There was at least some sense of political sanity, a collective reason driving the interest of marginalized class, gender and ethnic identities. These movements required the embedding of more stable, deeper and far-reaching political ideals that are inspired by the suffering of a marginalized multitude, and not driven by the ambitions of one individual. But the transformation in the political landscape brought about by revolutions in information and communication technology has not just individualized collectives. It has also enabled the diminution of ideologies to depart from grand narratives and the written text, and to now flow through computers and handheld gadgets. The town square is now replaced by internet chat rooms. Politics has become digitized. And the revolutionary leader is no longer the one with principles and the one who fights for the greater good, but one who can control social media conversations to advance personal ambitions and whip up collective support to make people believe that it is their interests that are being served. This is the era of the Donald Trumps of this world. And the horrifying consequences of their politics are what we saw in the
insurrection that attempted to upend a democratic election. The irony is that these deadly destructive forces rode on the very logic of democracy and free speech. The extremist right-wing insurrectionists used the power of the internet and social media to propagate their hate. Trump and his enablers in the Republican Party used their freedom to speak to undermine faith in the very system that shelters that freedom. This is the same logic that fertilizes the social media enablers of President Rodrigo Duterte as he descends into the dark side of political adventurism and challenges the rule of law and even the Constitution. These diehard Duterte supporters (DDS) have intense distaste for political rights, particularly free speech; even as they spew their vitriol, idiocies and inanities in the internet. They seem not to be conscious of the fact that the very rights that they use to Red-tag and malign the Duterte critics are the same rights they are trying to muzzle and undermine. It is not accidental that the sympathy of most DDS, whether they are in the Philippines or in the United States, lies with Trump and the insurrectionists, who attempted to capture the US Capitol. Most of those who are in the US are Republicans. They hate CNN and MSNBC in the same way the DDS hate Rappler, the Inquirer and ABS-CBN. They hate socialists and the political left. The DDS in the Philippines Red-tags anyone critical of the government, including those
Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during a meeting in Pasay City in November 2017. Malacañang photo by Robsinson Niñal
who are simply fighting for human rights while the Trump Republicans Red-tag Democrats. They even label the ideologically moderate Joseph Biden Jr. as a communist. The similarity of the discourse that flows through the loyal Trump base and the DDS is uncanny and horrifying. A cursory look at their social media posts reveals a prevalence of conspiracy theories. Both serve as nesting grounds for lies and disinformation, even as the dominant trope is cast in threats of political violence, from assassinating Speaker Nancy Pelosi to harming critics of Duterte. Many of them would deflect
criticisms from groups from the other side. In the US, Trump Republicans pointed to the alleged violence of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Here in the Philippines, the DDS will confront you with the violence of the New People’s Army (NPA). There is no justification for the use of violence by anyone, regardless of political ideology. However, the BLM and the NPA are at least fighting for causes beyond the ambitions of one person. These are movements that are steeped in ideology and are not mere personality cults. This is something that cannot be said of the Trump Republicans or the DDS. Their politics
revolve around their idolatry of particular political figures — Trump and Duterte. They both take advantage of the freedom they enjoy to propagate fakery, lies, hate speech and bigotry as they assault and undermine the freedom of others and label them as enemies who should be tagged, labeled, jailed and even killed. There is, however, an important difference. Trump Republicans are a minority, and Trump is reviled by most Americans. Meanwhile, and if we believe Pulse Asia’s surveys, the DDS have the ear of the majority of Filipinos who still trust and approve of Duterte. (ManilaTimes.net)
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Dateline PhiliPPines
SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 20-22, 2021
A
PH now fastest growing market for yuan-denominated trade in ASEAN by DAxim
L. LucAs
Inquirer.net
MANILA — The local unit of Bank of China has been officially established as the clearing bank for yuan in the Philippines following a deal signed between the monetary regulators of both countries in 2018, the bank said on Tuesday, January 19. This developed as the Philippines was cited as the fastest growing renminbi (RMB) market in Southeast Asia by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift) network, whose June 2020 data showed the Philippines ranked first in the region in terms of growth rate of RMB clearing volume this year, ahead of countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. The total volume of RMB cleared in 2020 was 447 billion yuan, a 133.8 percent increase over 2019’s total of 191 billion yuan. In a statement, Bank of China Manila said that, as the designated clearing bank for yuan-denominated business in the Philippines, it can now process the
settlement of accounts and other core services such as remittance, foreign exchange, liquidity support, and banknotes for local participating banks. The new clearing scheme can also provide local market participants with access to mainland China’s yuan onshore rates as an alternative to the more accessible offshore rate. The onshore “CNY” is the renminbi rate that can only be traded in mainland China or through clearing banks appointed by the Chinese central bank internationally. By making it easier to trade with counter parties in mainland China, Bank of China Manila can help improve economic and trade partnership to promote development between Philippines and China. At the weekend, the ceremonial launch of RMB Clearing Bank in the Philippines operated by Bank of China Manila was held at Shangrila The Fort in Taguig, with China’s State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, together with Bangko Sentral Governor Benjamin Diokno and Foreign Affairs
Secretary Teodoro Locson Jr. in attendance. “We’ve seen tourists, traders, and investors grow more confident in using the currency in the local market,” said Bank of China Manila’s country head Deng Jun. “As we work towards growing the market even further, this establishment will help us provide more focused RMB services to all the local participating banks.” He thanked the People’s Bank of China and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for their support and guidance in establishing the RMB Clearing Bank in the Philippines. Diokno said that the establishment of an RMB clearing bank in the Philippines is an important step in the currency diversification of the local market which “opens up a lot of opportunities for local business in the easing of transactions and reducing the cost of settlement between Philippine and Chinese companies.” “As we further diversify the currency basket in the local market, we move towards an environment with more choice, and that is good for business,” he said. n
Registrants for 2022 polls reach 1 million The Comelec is expecting one million old voters to apply for reactivation of registration. MANILA — The Commission Under Comelec regulation, on Elections (Comelec) has re- voters who failed to vote for corded over one million regis- two consecutive elections are trants for the 2022 presidential automatically removed from the polls. list. Comelec data showed that The poll body said the low 1,050,793 people have signed up voter registration turnout was since the voter registration re- expected amid quarantine resumed on Sept. 1 last year. strictions due to the COVID-19 The poll body said it expects pandemic. the number of registrants to The voter registration will run reach four million. until Sept. 30. n by sheiLA
crisostomo Philstar.com
Comelec data showed that 1,050,793 people have signed up since the voter registration resumed on Sept. 1 last year. Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban
Immigration: More than 11,7000 Filipinos stopped... PAGE A5 pandemic did not stop human traffickers and illegal recruiters from continuing with their nefarious activities and recruiting victims,” the statement read. BI Intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., who supervises the bureau’s travel control and enforcement unit, explained that passengers are barred from leaving the country commonly due to failure to present required documents, carrying fraudulent documents and misrepresentation. He also said that 295 passengers were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IACAT) as possible victims of trafficking.
BSP issues P5K Lapu-Lapu banknote
the respect and admiration of succeeding generations of Filipinos, even those born hundreds THE Bangko Sentral ng Pili- of years after his death. Today, pinas (BSP) and the National we pay him the same respect and Quincentennial Committee immortalize his glory through (NQC) launched on Monday the the 5000-Piso commemorative P5,000 Lapu-Lapu Commemora- banknote and medal,” BSP Govwith its more than 504,000 cas- tive Banknote and Medal to kick ernor Benjamin Diokno said in 603 and recoveries at 4,704. Asia Pacific follows with 2,747 es, put it at the 32nd spot, and off the 99-day countdown to the his speech read by central bank infections, 21 deaths and 1,961 remains the second highest in 500th anniversary of the “Victory Officer-in-charge Francisco Dapatients who have gotten better. Southeast Asia. (Christian Deipa- at Mactan.” kila Jr.. Europe, meanwhile, now ac- rine/Philstar.com) The celebration of the 500th “Lapulapu’s heroism gained counts for 2,202 infections, 118 deaths and 1,486 recoveries, while the Americas have 813 cases, deaths at 199 and recoveries at 533. Globally, the COVID-19 has infected over 95.64 million with deaths at 2.04 million and recoveries now at 52.76 million. The United States, where the outgoing administration of President Donald Trump has faced criticism for its handling of the pandemic, crossed the 24 million mark on infections and its fatality count at the brink of reaching 400,000. India (10.5 million), Brazil (8.5 million), Russia (3.5 million) and the United Kingdom (3.4 million), follow in the list of Top 5 countries with the highest cases. The Philippines, meanwhile,
Filipinos overseas with COVID-19 now at 13,605 MANILA — The number of Filipinos abroad with the coronavirus reached beyond 13,600 on Tuesday, as officials logged 14 additional cases. DFA in its daily bulletin said the new infections were reported from Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, nearly a year since the first known cases of COVID-19 among Filipinos overseas were tallied, The agency said two more Filipino patients had also recovered, bringing the number of those who got well at 8,684. Some 3,980, meanwhile, continue to receive treatment, while the death toll remained at 941 with no new fatalities on January 19. The overall count reached its present figures also after the DFA reported 48 additional cases on Monday, along with six fatalities and 55 recoveries. To date, the Middle East continues to have the most number of cases at 7,843, with deaths at
Photos courtesy of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Morente, meanwhile, expressed worry that once international travel returns to normal, the number of human trafficking victims may also rise. He reminded those who wish to work abroad that illegal recruiters will make them agree with belowstandard arrangements. He then urged aspiring OFWs to coordinate with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to ensure that their work is legal and registered. The Philippines maintained its Tier 1 ranking in the U.S. State Department’s 2019 Trafficking in Persons report released in July 2020. (Kristine Joy Patag/ Philstar.com)
by AnnA LeAh
e. GonzALes ManilaTimes.net
anniversary of Lapulapu’s victory and the special part the Philippines played in the world’s circumnavigation are collectively referred to as the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines. On its obverse, the banknote depicts a young Lapulapu, an image of the battle of Mactan, the QCP logo, and the Karaoka, the large outrigger warships used by native Filipinos. n
A january 20-22, 2021 • SoCal aSIan jOurnaL
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Looking onward to 2021 after a year of challenges, social distancing 2
by Ritchel
Mendiola / AJPress
020 not only brought the world to a standstill, but also changed our way of living. COVID-19’s global sweep prompted countries to close borders, and with it, came the safety measures that we have taken into the new year — face masks, hand sanitizers, and social distancing. Concerts, festivals, and even traveling took a backseat in favor of home quarantines, while digital technologies rose to the occasion in battling pandemic fatigue. Still, the impact of COVID19 has been egregious. By the end of 2020, over 82 million people have contracted the virus, and a staggering 1.8 million have died because of it. To make matters worse, natural disasters, systemic racism, and political tensions between countries ran rampant alongside the pandemic, bringing horror after horror, grief upon grief, throughout the entire year. 2020 was, no doubt, a year of profound loss. We mourned for human lives, the ‘normalcy’ we were once used to, and the opportunities that would have catapulted us to a better future. But in the midst of all the dark tragedies and adversities we had to deal with, we also found little pockets of light that guided us in navigating a rocky year plagued by the pandemic. An opportunity for selfreflection Being in isolation gave people the time to grapple with the lull that the pandemic presented, and the effect on their careers and long-term life goals. For Yana Gilbuena, chef of Salo Series, it meant looking at her
life’s work in a new light. “[2020] was a retreat that had me reflecting on what’s important in the face of uncertainty and calamity. A big realization I had was I was not an essential business, and my model is not pivotable because the main thing I’m providing is community, culture and connection over food,� she told the Asian Journal. “I had to remind myself that as much as my identity has been tied to Salo Series for the past seven years, it was not all that I am. I knew that food was just a vehicle for the main driver of what I do, which is to have an impact in people’s lives, and that I can still do that in other ways,� added Gilbuena. “This pandemic provided me with an opportunity to reconnect with the other facets of Yana and discern what ways I can still create and impact even if it’s not through food.� Familial comfort Having your family’s support certainly softened the blow that came with the pandemic upending your plans. In 2020’s trying time, family members
lent strength, and gave us the reassurance that, even in a seemingly endless period of isolation, we weren’t alone. Lally Reyes from Dublin, California underscored the importance of her family while working from home. “I am so grateful for a great and loving family life at home. To be together 24/7 for nine months now would have been difficult if we didn’t have a loving and understanding relationship at home,� she said. Meanwhile, Ginger Lim-Dimapasok, chef and co-founder of Cafe 86, shared that the pandemic gave her the opportunity to spend more time with her family. “The news of the pandemic hit us like a pile of bricks. On a personal level, it meant being separated from family, especially the ones living in the Philippines. On a business level, it meant closing up shop. It was a truly scary and uncertain time, but we tried our best to focus on the health and well-being of
Ginger Lim-Dimapasok Photo by Noel Ty
Nikki Guevara Perez de Tagle Instagram photo by/ @miss_guevara
Yana Gilbuena Photo by Mogli
not just our family, but our staff,� she said. “Amidst all the uncertainties of the situation, I found joy in being given time to be at home with my family. As a business owner, time at home is something we rarely get, and all of a sudden, I was able to cook three meals, I was able to have conversations with the kids, and I got to take care of things I rarely had time for while working,� she
added. Nikki Guevara Perez de Tagle, on the other hand, reflected on the “bittersweet� year — from giving birth after years of trying to struggling with business downturn. “2020 was bittersweet for me. It was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. It was sweet because, after four years of trying to get pregnant, my husband and I fi-
nally conceived through IVF (In vitro fertilization) and delivered our sweet baby girl in November,� she said. “It was bitter because my businesses suffered due to the pandemic. My salons had to close for a few months leaving my employees jobless for a while. Thankfully my husband still had his job. It Continued on Page 2
entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 20, 2021
Fil-Am actress Tess Paras to direct, produce ViacomCBS’ virtual ‘Showcase’ by
AJPRess
FILIPINA American actress Tess Paras is set to direct and executive produce ViacomCBS’ 2021 virtual “Showcase,” making her both the first Asian American and Filipina director to do so. “Showcase” is a hybrid comedy show with Broadwayworthy live performances and original, creative writing attended by senior-level executives, showrunners and casting directors from ViacomCBS properties, as well as other networks and talent agents/managers from across the entertainment industry. Paras expressed her excitement over the production in a tweet posted on Wednesday, January 13: “Excited to share: I’m the first female #Director & EP of CBS Showcase (also the 1st Asian-American Dir. & the 1st #Filipina Dir.!)” “Been directing socially-distant sketches here in LA & over Zoom & Facetime in CHI, NYC, PA, Boston & D.C. w/ a cast of 16 comedians!” added Paras. Along with Paras, comedian Tien Tran will serve as executive producer and head writer, while actor Frank Garcia-Hejl will be producer and associate director. Filmmaker and musician Tyler Davis will be producer and associate head writer. “This year has certainly brought its challenges and we’re so proud of what Tess, Tien, Frank and Tyler have been able to accomplish with the show going virtual,” said Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, executive vice president, entertainment diversity and inclusion, global inclusion. Claudia Lyon, CBS Entertainment’s executive vice president for talent and casting, praised this year’s “Showcase” production team for its “ingenuity.” “Not only are Tess, Tien,
In 2012, Nepales became the first Filipino to be elected as chairman of the board of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the association of international journalists which votes on and presents the Golden Globe Awards. “Through a Writer’s Lens” is the photojournalist’s second book. Photo by Janet Nepales
Tess Paras is an actress, writer, and director popularly known for her recurring role on the critically acclaimed musical comedy “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
“THrougH a WriTer’s Lens”
Hollywood journalist recalls how his ‘pandemic baby’ was conceived By MoMAR
G. VisAyA
AJPress
IT’S a pandemic baby like no other. Coming out at a hefty 6 pounds, 7.6 ounces, “Through a Writer’s Lens” is a beautiful 12by-14-inch 260-page hardbound compilation of photographs taken by award-winning Hollywood photojournalist Ruben V. Nepales. A true collector’s item, the coffee table book offers more than 1,000 photos of stars that Nepales himself took in almost two decades. The photos themselves offer a different, more casual side of the stars. Through the years, (L-R) Tess Paras, Tien Tran, Tyler Davis and Frank Garcia-Hejl Courtesy of John Keatley/ViacomCBS Nepales has developed a knack for capturing the right moments Frank and Tyler gifted multi-hy- “Just Add Magic: Mystery phenates in their own right, but City” after heavily recurring on of his subjects when they show the Daytime Emmy-nominated their range of moods, from they’ve excelled in motivating pensive to playful. season of “Just Add Magic.” and inspiring our talented cast The book is a compendium Paras also participated to realize their limitless potenof some of Hollywood’s best in the 2014 “Showcase” as tial,” she added. and brightest stars taken during a performer and writer while Paras, the youngest daughtheir interviews with Nepales, she served as the associate ter of Filipino immigrant docdirector for the 2019 and 2020 an active officer of the Hollytors, is an actress, writer, and wood Foreign Press Association “Showcase.” Alumni of the director popularly known for “Showcase” include Fil-Am ac- (HFPA). her recurring role on the criti“I literally trembled with cally acclaimed musical comedy tor Nico Santos (“Superstore” and “Crazy Rich Asians”), Kate emotion that I had in my hands “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” She also a concrete realization of many McKinnon (“Saturday Night starred in “The Good Wife,” months of long days and nights Live”), Tiffany Haddish (“Girls “Grimm,” “Girl Meets World,” of intense work and countless Trip”), Nicole Byer (“Nailed and “Reno 911.” emails between Bessie and me,” It!”) and Ego Nwodim (“SaturCurrently, she stars as Erin Nepales told the Asian Journal. day Night Live”). Chua on Amazon’s new spinoff “I was surprised by my own reaction. I hugged Janet tightly while I brushed away what appeared to be water droplets coming from my eyes. No, I was not crying,” Nepales jokingly said. Bessie, of course, is the multi-hyphenate Bessie Badilla, erstwhile model-actress and the book’s publisher. The concept of a book was born around 2016, over a dinner at the Conrad New York Downtown Hotel, when Bessie broached the idea to him. “When Bessie first suggested and encouraged me to come up with a book of my photos, I was very surprised and flattered that she thought my photos were worthy of a coffee table book compilation,” Nepales recalled. “I was thrilled but in the back of my mind, I was going, how am I going to
Alex explains why she had to keep wedding a secret By JAn
MiLo seVeRo Philstar.com
KAPAMILYA actress Alex Gonzaga revealed yesterday that she got married with boyfriend Mikee Morada last November. In her YouTube account, Alex said that the intimate wedding was only attended by their immediate family and was held in their family residence in Taytay, Rizal. “Isa na po akong may bahay at isa na po akong wife,” Alex said. She also apologized to her fans for not immediately talking about the wedding. “We want to celebrate together as a family muna and s’yempre alam din namin ‘yung timing din at tsaka alam din namin na may pandemic. So we just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a little while to celebrate,” she said. Celebrities such as Melai Cantiveros, Bianca Gonzalez, Loisa Andalio, Billy Crawford, Karla Estrada, Jessy Mendiola, to name a few, commented on Alex’s Instagram post, extending their congratulations for the couple.
find the time to search among my thousands of photos of stars, given my hectic pre-pandemic schedule?” Multiple dinners and meetings followed and every time, Bessie would remind him about their coffee table book project and he always replied, “Yes, let’s do it.” But much as he wanted to make the book happen, Nepales just did not have the time. Until the coronavirus pandemic struck in March. “So it took four years before I finally sat down to work on the book,” he shared. What followed was a series of virtual meetings, phone calls, and text messages, along with a healthy dose of time travel he didn’t know he needed. The pandemic slowdown gave them a chance to collate the materials, with great help coming from Ruben’s wife Janet, who helped in searching among many photo files they have amassed through the years. Weeks into the pandemic lockdown turned to months and the team found themselves having plenty of time to concentrate on finishing the book, gathering thoughts and ideas that would also accompany the photographs. Bessie, who also took on a couple of more challenges on top of her role as a publisher, realized a book had to be made to collect the snapshots Nepales has taken when she saw a Sarah Jessica Parker photo he took. “His photos made me curious. They have the ability to make you want to ‘get to know’ more the celebrities that he features,” Badilla said. “When I saw Ruben’s photos for his column on the Philippine Daily Inquirer, they made me want to read his latest column right away.” “It was Ruben’s photo of Sarah Jessica Parker that got me thinking he has a special talent! It was the best photograph of Ms. Parker I’ve ever seen,” Badilla added. “Ruben has the eye for capturing his subject’s best angle and he also has perfect timing.” Her comment about his Sarah Jessica Parker photo made him realize that Bessie, having
worked with top photographers as a model, has a really good eye for photos and a keen sense of visual aesthetics. This is why doing the art direction and layout almost became like a second skin to her. “Credit for the sequence and combination of stars in spreads goes to Bessie who is also the book’s art director and layout artist. I gave several photos of each talent for Bessie to choose from. She decided on which photos to use, the order and pairing,” he said. “I was impressed with her pairing ideas. I just gave a few suggestions here and there. Bessie, who taught herself how to layout, etc. on her Mac, did a very professional job in her first crack at art direction and layout!” Nepales added. Variety editor Tim Gray praised “Through a Writer’s Lens”: “Ruben Nepales is smart, has great taste, and observes things that most people overlook. These qualities make him a good photojournalist and they make this book so great.” Each of the 200-plus top and beloved talents, from Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Sandra Oh, Jennifer Lopez, Kristen Stewart, Darren Criss to Robert Pattinson, included in the tome has an interesting, memorable quote culled from the photojournalist’s columns of these stars. Some of the quotes were also culled from Nepales’ monthly Hollywood feature on Smile Magazine, Cebu Pacific Air’s inflight magazine. “Through a Writer’s Lens” is Nepales’ second book, following his 2012 book, “My Filipino Connection: The Philippines in Hollywood,” which won in the print journalism – book category of the Migration Advocacy and Media Awards presented by the Office of the President of the Philippines’ Commission on Filipinos Overseas. Special, limited edition hardbound copies of “Through a Writer’s Lens” are available at $125 plus $10 for shipping and handling; in the Philippines, 6,000 plus 200 for shipping and handling. To order, send a message to: https://www.facebook. com/throughawriterslens/.
Looking onward to 2021 after... Alex Gonzaga with husband Mikee Morada
“Congratulations alsy balsy and mikee,” Melai wrote. “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Morada,” Bianca commented. “Netizens, we are married!” Alex said in an Instagram post.
From Page 1 would’ve been hard not having income while I was pregnant.” “Another reason why 2020 Photo from Instagram/@cathygonzaga is bitter is because I get no help taking care of my little one. So Luis Manzano, who is also I’m very hands-on with my baby. set to be married to Jessy My whole family was supposed Mendiola, jokingly commentto fly here in November and ed: “Alam naman ni Mikee?” December to be with me for Alex and Mikee got the birth of Shiloh and for the engaged in 2019. They anholidays. But yet again, it was nounced their engagement cancelled because of COVID,” last January 2020. De Tagle added. She continued, “The worst part of it all is that my husband caught the virus. Thankfully, his symptoms were mild but he still had to be isolated...However, I wouldn’t change a thing about everything that happened. Not only did my family overcome this obstacle, we became stronger. I became stronger because I had to take care of my family all by myself. I learned how to suck it up and be strong for my family. Through all of this, I became resilient.” Appreciating the little things As the pandemic continued to hang over 2020 like a dark cloud, we learned to tone down our profligacy. Being deprived of the most basic things also led to us appreciating the mundane. “Living during these times taught me how to live with just the bare necessities; buying what’s needed and seeing a limited amount of people. It teaches you that it’s okay to just have enough and not live in excess,” said Lim-Dimapasok. Deo Jaravata, a teacher with Inquirer.net photo the Los Angeles Unified School
Willie’s charity work not ‘politically motivated’ By Ricky Lo Philstar.com
TIME and time again, especially as the election season approaches, rumors spread that Willie Revillame is being lured by different political parties to run in 2022, thanks to his various charity projects during calamities, continuing on his GMA show Tutok To Win (a spinoff of his bigger show Wowowin which is on hold due to the pandemic). Five times a week, Willie gives away cash prizes to his followers from Aparri to Jolo. All they have to do is make tutok to (stay glued to) the show aired from Willie’s WilTower, wait for their submitted phone numbers to be dialed and, voila, instant winner! As we all know, Willie donated P500,000 Continued on Page 5 Willie Revillame
District, likewise told the Asian Journal that 2020 taught him to be content with the simple things. “My beginning of the year was excellent. I went on some trips and finished five marathons. I even celebrated my birthday with family and friends on the first Saturday of March. After that, my year went downhill. All races were canceled. My annual summer trip to the Philippines was canceled, too. My trip to Tokyo to watch the Summer Olympics was canceled as well,” he said, adding that he resorted to hiking local LA trails and mountains. As a teacher, he taught summer school for the first time with the LAUSD but virtually. “From these cancellations, I realized that I can easily be contented and I can accept what life gives me. I’m very fortunate that I have my teaching job and am still physically fit,” he added. Vivian Cruz had the same sentiment. She said, “In 2020... we realized that we could live with less; that a simple life is actually good for us. We did more as a family confined in our homes and together we prayed, and played, cooked, and did a lot of things with joy. Family relationships, friendships flourished thanks also to the technology of Messenger, Viber, and Zoom.” Truly, the pandemic has taught us it doesn’t take much to make a day feel special. Even the act of coming home is considered a moment to celebrate. “My wife works as a nurse
responsible for taking care of COVID patients and helping manage resources. Every time she comes home from a long day of work is a nervous time for me so they are big moments,” Norbert Piega from Chino Hills, California told the Asian Journal. “She brought heart-breaking news of suffering and death and her efforts to keep things afloat amidst challenges are nothing less than heroic to me,” he added. What’s next? The end of the year generally has people feeling hopeful that the next one would be better. A new year means a new chapter, a new page unblemished by mistakes or regrets. Looking back at 2020 may have unearthed various feelings, but looking ahead at 2021 only elicited one: hope. “What I am looking forward to this coming year, 2021 is a new beginning. I am hopeful that the COVID-19 vaccine will help eradicate this pandemic,” said Christienne Silverio from Las Vegas, Nevada. Jaravata expressed hope for the promise of the vaccines. “Hopefully, the vaccine will help us with this virus. I know it won’t be 100% back to normal but hopefully I can still run marathons, travel, mingle with family and friends, and be back to see my students face-to-face.” “I am most hopeful that we will get through this; that more lives will be saved, and that we will take the lessons of 2020 and slay 2021,” Gilbuena added.
Shaina on most challenging part of working in the ‘new normal’ By MarInel
Cruz
Inquirer.net
FOR actress Shaina Magdayao, who is among the cast members of the long-running action-adventure series “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” the most challenging part about working in the “new normal” was going through the mandatory two-week quarantine before entering the lock-in set. “Just think of all the things you could still do during those two weeks if we weren’t in a pandemic. We’re all used to having rackets. Prepandemic, I would often juggle two or three projects at the same time,” Shaina recalled. “Back then, while doing ‘Ang Probinsyano,’ I was able to do a movie on the side and then go abroad for a vacation.” The actress added: “The sad part is that, no, you can’t do that anymore. I remember how some crew members would tell me that they haven’t slept because they had ‘segue.’ They won’t be able to say that anymore these days since everyone is forced to stay in a bubble. That’s the reality these days,” she told Inquirer Entertainment. Shaina said Ystilo, a chain of salons she operates with her sisters, had also been gravely affected by the pandemic. “We were among those that needed to close for a
Philstar.com
TV5 shows “Sunday Noontime Live,” “I Got You” and “Sunday Kada” broadcast their final episode yesterday. In a statement released to the press last Saturday, Brightlight Productions Chief Executive Officer Albee Benitez said that “Sunday Noontime Live,” the Sunday variety show that featured Catriona Gray, Maja Salvador, Piolo Pascual, Jake Ejercito and Ricci Rivero, among others, had a great three-month run. “Sunday Noontime Live
Shaine Magdayao
while because of quarantine protocols. Now, most of our branches are already open. Members of our staff are required to wear PPE,” she said. “In order for us to be allowed to operate again, we had to follow regulations. I honestly don’t mind. Ours wasn’t the only business that got affected, but everyone else’s around the world.” She said her other business, Living Oils, had actually been “strengthened” by the
FOUR months after she and her husband Noli were afflicted with what the doctors described as a “rare disease,” Lani Misalucha is slowly recovering but she and Noli are not completely healed. She has gotten back her sense of hearing and balance, and, most importantly, her voice...losing it could be the worst that could happen to a singer famous for her perfect pitch. But we’re getting ahead of the story... “It was bacterial meningitis,” Lani, Asia’s Nightingale (also jokingly dubbed Reclining Diva because she can hit the highest note while flat on her back), told Funfare Thursday Photo from Instagram/@shaina_magdayao night in a phone interview. “The doctors said that it was a rare pandemic, “since we don’t case that infected us. It was have an actual store and simweird. The doctors were puzply sell our products online. If zled why both Noli and me got you look at the trend, online infected.” stores really prospered.” Actually, it was a double The 31-year-old added: whammy. “At the end of the day, As Lani related, Noli underyou just have to look at the went a triple bypass on Aug. brighter side of life; find 17 last year. In September, one something good in every situ- month and one week later, they ation you are in and recogate at a restaurant. nize that things happen for a “It was a Tuesday. Two days reason. The situation may be later, Noli and I got a fever at bad, but try to keep the good dawn, 38 to 39 degrees. Noli in everything.” was shivering. A few hours later, I started shivering, too. At first, we were scared since we thought that it was COVID-19. Noli was delirious, disoriented, at hindi na maka-usap. Iba na ang hitsura. When he tried to get up, he was groggy, bumabangga-bangga sa walls. Sabi ko, ano ‘to?” Early Friday morning, they summoned an ambulance that brought them to the St. Luke’s Medical Center. When the doctors talked to her, Lani replied, “Ano po ‘yon, ano po ‘yon?” By Sunday, she couldn’t hear anymore, except garbled sounds. She had to talk louder and louder. That was when she realized she was losing her sense of hearing. Noli was confined at the ICU for six days and Lani four days. “We suspected that we must have eaten pork,” said
TV5 photo
(SNL)’s delightful run is about to end and we await future endeavors from its outstanding stars and phenomenal newcomers,” Benitez said. “I Got You will re-air its concluding, exciting finale episode in response to numerous requests,” he added. Reports said that the cancelled shows’ staff and crew, including the celebrities, were surprised why the shows were suddenly cancelled without notice because they still had upcoming taping schedules. Reliable sources told Philstar.com that the shows were canceled for not doing
well in ratings. It can be recalled that TV5’s morning show “Chika: Besh” has gone ahead in announcing its cancellation and the return of one of its hosts, Ria Atayde, to ABS-CBN. Meanwhile, “Lunch Out Loud,” Brightlight Productions’ weekday noontime show, will continue to air on TV 5, according to Benitez. “We are truly grateful for all your support which inspires us to create new and exciting programs. Brighter days continue as we collaborate with TV5 and our other industry partners,” Benitez said.
Janine receives warm welcome as she officially transfers to ABS-CBN By Ian
BIong Inquirer.net
ABS-CBN stars have been giving award-winning actress Janine Gutierrez a warm welcome as she officially transfers to the Kapamilya network. “Hello Kapamilya!” Gutierrez simply posted on Instagram, sharing a photo of herself during the contract signing on Friday, Jan. 15. “Welcome Elise [heart emoji],” Dee wrote in the comments section. “Can’t wait to work with you [heart emoji],” Panganiban said, while Ruffa Gutierrez reacted with a bunch of hearteyes emoji. “Wooooooohooooo!!!! So happy for you!!!! [heart emoji],” Iza Calzado also said. Singer Kiana V, meanwhile, told Gutierrez that it was “so nice bumping into [her] yesterday!!!” BJ Pascual, Carla Abellana and Dianne Medina likewise congratulated Gutierrez for the transfer. During the contract signing, Gutierrez was joined by top ABS-CBN officials includ-
Cruz
Inquirer.net
TV5 shows bid goodbye reportedly due to poor ratings MIlo Severo
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 20, 2021
By MarInel
Cast members of TV5’s “Sunday Noontime Live”
By Jan
entertainment Lani: Life is precious
Janine Gutierrez
ing president and CEO Carlo Katigbak, chairman Mark Lopez, COO of broadcast Cory Vidanes, CFO Ric Tan and Dreamscape Entertainment head Deo Endrinal. Her manager, Leo Dominguez, was present as well.
ABS-CBN photo
Even before switching networks, the “Babae at Baril” star had expressed her support for ABS-CBN by being among the Kapuso stars who spoke out against the franchise denial of the said network in May last year.
Lani Misalucha
Lani. “We seldom, if ever, eat pork and I don’t remember ordering pork. There were other people in the restaurant but they were okay naman.” Naturally, she was depressed. “I was in denial. Feeling ko, hindi na ako marunong kumanta. I was having a hard time singing. I kept trying to hum. Feeling ko, nag-shutdown ang lalamunan ko.” Before that fateful September day, Lani was able to co-host (with Ai-Ai delas Alas and Christian Bautista) three episodes of the GMA talent search The Clash, and was later replaced by Pops Fernandez. In December, she joined the shoot of the network’s Christmas special and kept apologizing because she couldn’t do it right. She was worried that she was causing the delay but her co-stars (Ai-Ai included) assured her that everything was all right. After several takes, she managed to render a heart-tugging version of O Holy Night. “I felt that I lost my confidence,” sighed Lani. Her co-stars told her that she was as good as new. Lani and Noli had to return several times to the hospital for therapy. Back home, they are taking so many medications that Lani exclaimed, “OMG, grabe ang dami, especially Noli
GMA photo
who has to take nine different medicines.” Aided by a nephew, Lani and Noli exercise daily by walking around BGC. “I can walk without holding on to my nephew, diretso kung flat ang surface. I have started vocalizing at home. I have regained my balance and sense of hearing. My voice is back. Pero si Noli, dapat inaakay pa when he walks.” Results of the doctors’ findings were submitted to the Department of Health (DOH). “Para may record that there is such a rare case of bacterial meningitis,” noted Lani. The couple were caught home by the lockdown and unable to fly to Las Vegas where they are based. They do plan to go when they are well enough. “In the meantime, we cannot because it’s risky. The air pressure inside the plane might be bad for our ears, at nandyan din ang altitude. At baka tatabitabingi ang lakad namin.” Asked what the incident has taught her, Lani said, “That life is precious,” adding, “that you are not sure what could happen. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, may mangyayari pa rin sa’yo. I think we should just be grateful every single day that we can still walk, we can still talk, we can still move.”
community Fair warning: Think before you post
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 20, 2021
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Continued from last week’s issue…) Your postings at all social networking sites define who you are and delineate your character to the world. Your thoughts, your ideas and comments, your images, even your choice of words give an insight to your personality and character traits. They reflect your values, give a hint of your weaknesses and vulnerabilities and can be a measure of the size of your ego. Taken altogether, they paint a composite picture of you. Even the amount of time you spend on online games is a sliver of insight into your interests and how you spend your free time. It may be indicative of whether you are near the brink of obsessive-compulsive behavior or a candidate for the nuthouse. Unfair? Of course it is. It is a flat and one-dimensional picture of who you are. You are a far more complex person than what your Facebook and Twitter postings give you credit for. But based on available information that you yourself provided, that’s how you want the people that orbit in your universe see you. Take heed from a phrase that police officers read to suspects, “ … Anything you say (and in social networking, what you post) can and will be taken against you…” If you have posted something offensive, ranting and raving at someone or something as a gut reaction to a situation that angers you, you would get the instant gratification of venting your ire. But do think about the far-reaching consequences of being hauled off to court and wasting your time and money defending yourself. A story is told of a CFO of a pharmaceutical firm earning $200,000 per year and with stock options worth $1 million.
EMPLOYMENT
(Part 2 of 2)
“You are free to post whatever you like. You are not free of its consequences however.” A few years back, he decided to take advantage of the free water offered in a Chick-fil-A drive thru as a ruse for his hidden agenda to film himself berating the staff who served him the water so he can attack the corporation’s stand on traditional marriage. He recorded himself saying some awful words to the staff member who was stunned but remained gracious under fire despite the unwarranted attack. The guy then gleefully posted his video on youtube. Upon returning to his office, his secretary was in shock because of the overload of emails sent to him by people who took umbrage against his action. To make a long story short, the married father of four was fired from his job, lost his home and his possessions reducing his status to live on food stamps. He found another job but when it was discovered that he was the author of that video, he was fired again. He has since then apologized to the staff member but maintains his position. No job offers seems to be forthcoming though. He has written a book about his experience and hopes that his book sells. Here is hoping he is able to recover from this debacle. In the internet, karma can be swift and unforgiving. Not only do we now live in a sue-happy, highly litigious environment, we also have to deal with unpredictable backlash. Your posts are evidentiary proof. You are free to post whatever you like. You are not free of its consequences however. So if you’re angry, try venting the old fashioned way. Punch a bag. Break some plates. Or sweat it out and take a cold shower. Write if you have to vent as a form of release but give yourself a week or two to cool down and pull yourself
together. Write it, then trash it. Think of posting to the public as ripping a pillow filled with countless goose down feathers to the four winds. Damage is beyond repair. Someone once said that you cannot take something off the internet. Someone can always save and screen shot your post and repost it if you delete it yourself. It’s like peeing in a pool. It is quite easy for professional internet sleuths to find out where a message posting comes from even if you try to cover your tracks with bogus identities. 9 out of 10, you will be unmasked. Like it or not, transparency has become the nature of this wired world. Of course, as it is playing out on the political stage at the moment, a noted political figure has wiped her internet server clean to erase all emails and proof of possible wrongdoing. Is there a technology out there that can undelete deleted emails? How about recipients of those emails who have their own servers? This drama bears watching if only to see if it is really true that emails can be wiped out clean. For now, you will be held accountable and may have to plead temporary insanity to free yourself from the sticky mess of your own doing. Increasingly, the justice system has come to rely on words in documents, images in photos and videos on the internet and DNA matches, as irrefutable evidentiary proof. As they often say in the movies, but no longer as empty bluster these days, “You can run, but you can’t hide.” The ease with which we send and receive information is matched only with the ease with which messages are traced and tracked back to the original source. This is Continued on Page 5
EMPLOYMENT
Chapter 13: Reduce your debts and only pay what you can Minding Your Finances Atty. RAyMond BulAon HAS your income been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? If you are currently unemployed and have no resources to pay creditors, filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to wipe out your debts and start fresh may be the clear and only option. To file Chapter 7, you generally need to be able to show zero disposable income every month. But what if you had some disposable income but not enough to pay all your creditors? Is there a way to pay
only based on how much you can afford? If you are struggling to pay your bills due to insufficient income and/or excessive expenses, yes, there is a way to make your debts more manageable so you can sleep better at night. For individuals, it’s called Chapter 13. While every case is different, of course, let me explain in general terms how Chapter 13 works and how it might benefit you if you are in the situation I described above. Chapter 13 is the section of the US Bankruptcy Code that allows individuals in the United States to reorganize their finances. If you are having difficulty paying your debts (credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, taxes, late mortgage payments and property taxes- all kinds of debts), don’t despair.
Chapter 13 can give you the relief that you need so that you can get back on track as quickly as possible. Let me explain. We all know how difficult it is to catch up once you start falling behind on debt payments. If you’ve experienced a reduction in income (example: reduced income from employment - or business, if you’re self-employed), Chapter 13 allows you to pay back your creditors (with the exception of a few types of debts, you will also pay 0% interest) over a 3-5 year period based only on the amount of your surplus income every month, not based on how much you owe. In Chapter 13, you also don’t need to worry about losing any assets you may have because you will keep everyContinued on Page 5
Do I have a community property interest in a house which my spouse acquired before our marriage? Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRsuA Reyes GENERALLY, in California, property acquired by a spouse prior to marriage is considered separate property under family code section 770 while those acquired after marriage are considered community assets under family code section 760. How do you characterize real property purchased prior to marriage but with the mortgage principal paid down using community income or funds during the marriage? The community in this situation acquires a pro tanto interest in the ratio that the payments on the purchase price made with community funds bear to the total payments on the purchase price and any appreciation should be apportioned accordingly. Mar-
riage of Moore (1980) 28 C3d 366, 371, 373, 168 CR 662, 664, 665. Other expenses associated with the property are not considered in the calculation such as mortgage interest, taxes, and insurance. In essence, the real property would accumulate both a separate property and a community property component by the date of separation. The appropriate remedy in this situation where separate property is subsequently paid with community funds is “apportionment.” The process of apportioning between the separate and community property component is laid out in the Marriage of Marsden. In that case, the court determined the ratio or percentage in which the mortgage loan principal was reduced during the marriage and applied that percentage to the appreciation of the real property during the marriage. The community property component would then consist of the reduction in the mortgage loan principal during the marriage plus the portion of appreciation during the marriage
EMPLOYMENT
applying the ratio discussed above. In the Marriage of Marsden, the real property was purchased by the husband for $38,300 prior to the marriage. The original mortgage was $30,000. By the time the husband got married, the house was now worth $65,000 while the mortgage has gone down by $7,000. Both the appreciation of $26,700 and the mortgage reduction of $7,000 would be separate property since it occurred prior to marriage. Marriage of Madsen (1982) 130 CA3d 426, 181 CR 910. During the marriage until the time of trial, the property has appreciated another $117,500 (property now valued at $182,500) while the mortgage has further declined by $9,200 up to the date of separation. The ratio at which community funds paid down the mortgage ($9,200) during the marriage to the original purchase price ($38,300) amounts to 24.02%. This percentage Continued on Page 5
Willie’s charity work not...
From Page 2 to jobless jeepney drivers, another P500,000 to Marikina City which was badly hit by Typhoon Ulysses and undisclosed cash to this and that charity. Is Willie doing it as investment in a political career? Even if he continues to deny that his charity work is, uhm, to use an overused and overabused term, “politically motivated,” many people still don’t believe it, and the rumor has started to sound like a broken vinyl record. “Once and for all,” Willie texted Funfare in answer to a question, “I don’t have any political plans. I am not a politician. I have experienced how it is to be poor and now that I can afford it, gusto ko lang maging masaya ang mga mahihirap; I just want to make them happy.” As a tradition on his birth-
day, instead of receiving, Willie is the one who will give away gifts next Wednesday, Jan. 27, when he turns 60. “Every call I make is worth P60,000,” revealed Willie, so Tutok To Win viewers better stay close to their phones Monday thru Friday. “In the Pera o Kahon segment, at stake is P1M cash and house and lot. There will be more prizes.” Does a million-peso celebrity who flies his own chopper, lazes around in his own yacht and shuttles between several houses (one in Ayala Heights, one in Tagaytay and one in Mindoro) still wish for something on his birthday? “Nothing more,” said Willie. “I can only thank God for all the blessings. My only wish is for the pandemic to be over at bumalik na tayong lahat sa dating normal, bumalik ang
kasayahan ng buong mundo, for our planet to be safe again. All of us have learned a lot of lessons during this pandemic. Let’s pray that we will all be safe and sound.” Incidentally, although open about most everything in his life, Willie is mum about his love life. Survivor of two failed marriages (first to Princess Punzalan who is based in the U.S. with her husband and to Liz Almoro who is now married to Victor Aliwalas; Princess has no child by Willie and Liz has one, Juan Emmanuelle/Juamee, now 12), Willie has three daughters by three different women, one of them Meryll Soriano (with Bec Bec Soriano, Maricel’s sister) who has given him two grandchildren, Elijah (now 10, by her ex-husband Bernard Palanca and a weeks-old baby by her partner Joem Bascon).
Fair warning: Think before you post...
From Page 4 the reason why terrorists and kidnappers revert back to the old fashioned, slow way of communication — coded messages by couriers on beasts of burden, for fear of being traced. Your postings and when you log on to Facebook, particularly during work hours, can get you fired. Employers are exercising their right to be picky when
there are others out there who may be qualified to take your job. As in anything, balance, good old common sense and a smidgen of humility should guide us all while social networking. Since we still live in a physical world, what is real still trumps what is merely virtual. Or you can just log off, canoodle with a loved one or go
fly a kite with your kids. ***
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.
*** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
Chapter 13: Reduce your debts...
From Page 4 thing and lose nothing. And if you are in business, you will be allowed to continue running your business as usual. This is another reason Chapter 13 makes more sense than Chapter 7- when you have assets that cannot be exempted in a Chapter 7 case (Most assets can actually be protected in Chapter 7 but this is not true for all cases where people have significant assets). Chapter 13 immediately stops all collection actions against you. That means no more annoying creditor calls, collection letters and no marshals at your door. If you are behind on your mortgage payments or worse, about to lose your home in foreclosure, Chapter 13 also allows you to keep
your home while including all your back mortgage payments in your debt consolidation. Once the court approves your proposed Chapter 13 plan, creditors are legally bound by the terms of the approved plan and cannot ask for more money. Your bankruptcy attorney can review your monthly living expenses with you, analyze your income and help you propose a realistic payment plan that you can afford. In most cases, Chapter 13 is a far better alternative than trying to pay debts on your own or hiring a debt management company. This is because in Chapter 13, you cannot be sued by your creditors as long as you remain under court protection. And if you are being represented by an attorney, all
creditor communications go to your attorney so that you do not have to deal with your creditors directly. For a free evaluation of your case, please call our office at Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772 to schedule a free consultation. Let us help you. *** NOTE: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, I am offering free consultations BY PHONE to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems. ***
None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1866-477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)
community
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 20, 2021
Do I have a community property...
From Page 4 of the property appreciation during the marriage of $117,500 ($28,223.50) plus the reduction in mortgage balance during the marriage ($9,200) would constitute the community component of the real property. The rest was the husband’s separate property. The husband in that case was awarded his separate property component of the real property plus one half of the community property component. The Marsden apportionment method is also applicable to situations where a community real property is later transmuted into one spouse’s separate property through execution of a quit claim by the other spouse but is subsequently paid using community funds. Marriage of Broderick (1989) 209 CA3d 489, 257 CR 397. In litigation, the community interest in the situations mentioned about is proven through expert witness testimony typically by a forensic CPA. Since California case law allows the creation of a community interest in real property acquired prior to marriage, one has to consider vehicles to protect themselves if you own property and you are contemplating of getting married. There are several ways of avoiding the creation of a community interest on your separate real property. One, you can sign a prenuptial agreement. Two, the parties can execute a postnuptial agreement if the parties are already married. Three, the parties can execute a transmutation agreement with a waiver of any family code section 2640 reimbursement claim. If your divorce case involves complex issues of asset distribution, it is best to retain the representation of competent counsel.
*** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC This article is not
a solicitation.
*** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los
Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
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