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FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c a n C o m m u n i t y N e w s pa p e r
Serving San Diego Since 1987 • 12 Pages
Also published in LOS ANGELES • ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE • NORTHERN CALIFORNIA • NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY • LAS VEGAS
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California lawmakers introduce USA Filipina missing after measures to combat hate crimes hiking in Angeles DATELINE
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
$1.4 million allocated to track anti-Asian incidents
National Forest
by Christina
M. Oriel
AJPress
A 60-year-old Filipina has been missing for nearly two weeks after she was last seen hiking in the Angeles National Forest during Valentine’s Day weekend. Maria Loida Tice, a resident of Los Angeles County, was last seen on Saturday, February 13 between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.
CALIFORNIA legislators this week are seeking to address the recent surge of hate and violence against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community with proposals to
increase funding and resources for victims. Through Assembly Bill 85 — a fiscal measure to provide more resources as part of the state’s pandemic response — Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) secured $1.4 million to help track and collect data on anti-Asian hate incidents. “The rise in hate incidents against Asian Ameri-
De Blasio warns against Asian hate incidents in NYC
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US tops 500K COVID deaths
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“LET’S be clear, if you’re even thinking about committing a hate crime, if you dare to raise your hand against a member of our Asian communities, you will suffer the consequences. We have the strongest efforts in this country to fight hate crimes. The NYPD is focused like never before on finding anyone who commits a hate crime and making sure they suffer the penalties they deserve for what they’ve done.” That was the warning issued by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday, Feb. 23 in response to the rising number of reported violent hate incidents against Asian-Ameri-
cans during the pandemic is alarming. But, we can’t solve a problem without knowing how big it is,” Ting, chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, said in a statement on Monday, February 22. The funding will support the efforts of Stop AAPI Hate, an online reporting site started by the Asian
by AJPress
CELEBRATING FREEDOM. The People Power Monument stands proud along EDSA in Quezon City as a symbol of the peaceful revolution in February 1986 that unshackled the 20-year stronghold of then President Ferdinand Marcos. Confetti rained on the monument to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the event on Thursday, Feb. 25. But unlike in previous years, there was neither a street party nor the presence of the protagonists to mark the four-day drama that captivated the world. ManilaTimes.net photo by John Orven Verdote
HALF a million people in the United States have lost their lives to the novel coronavirus. According to a Reuters tally of public health data, the country logged more than 28 million COVID-19 cases and 500,264 fatalities on Monday, February 22. The grim number of deaths “matches the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined,” the Associated Press reported. The U.S. recorded an estimated 405,000 deaths in World War II, 58,000 in the Vietnam War and 36,000 in the Korean War. “These numbers are stunning,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said in a “Good Morning America” interview. “If you look back historically, we’ve done worse
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Search continues for missing Duterte undecided on VFA abrogation, Fil-Am mom in Chula Vista
seeks public opinion
by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
THE search for the missing Filipina American mother of three in Chula Vista, California continues, nearly two months after her sudden disappearance. A group of people looking for May “Maya” Millete on Tuesday, February 23, put up a billboard on Main Street between Hilltop Drive and 3rd Avenue in Chula Vista to raise more awareness on the case. “Maybe somebody will see it and will know where she is,” Amber Patterson, a member of a Facebook group dedicated to finding Millete, told Fox5 San Diego. “Having her face up there and having everybody see it brings light to the story and what’s happening,” she added.
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Vallejo Fil-Am store owner in recovery after being shot multiple times during attempted robbery by Christina
M. Oriel
AJPress
A FILIPINO American small business owner and father of three in Vallejo, California is expected to recover and walk again after being shot multiple times during an attempted robbery earlier this month. Marc Quidit, 49, was discharged from the hospital and greeted at home with flowers and balloons as family members led a prayer on Sunday, February 21. His homecoming comes five days after
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PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is turning to the public as he remains undecided on what to do with the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). In a public address aired Wednesday night, February 24, he admitted that he doesn’t know whether to renew or abrogate the agreement with the United States, adding that he wants to hear Filipino public’s sentiment. “I must be frank, I do not keep secrets to the people. I have not yet decided on what to do. Meaning to say, to abrogate or renew because I want to hear the people,” said Duterte. “I want the narratives to come up, not necessarily from the [lawmakers]. Well, of course they count very much pero hindi limitado dito sa (but it is not limited to) Congress,” he add-
May “Maya” Millete
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Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto recognized by US as anti-corruption champion by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
PASIG City Mayor Victor “Vico” Sotto is one of the 12 individuals recognized by the United States Department of State as an international anti-corruption champion. The Biden administration launched the International Anticorruption Champions Award to recognize individuals who have worked to defend transparency, combat corruption, and ensure accountability in their own countries, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Monday, February 23.
“Around the world, corruption threatens security and stability, hinders economic growth, undermines democracy and human rights, destroys trust in public institutions, facilitates transnational crime, and siphons away public and private resources,” said Blinken. “The Biden Administration recognizes that we will only be successful in combating these issues by working in concert with committed partners, including courageous individuals who champion anticorruption efforts and countries working to fulfill their commitments to international anticorruption standards,” he added. According to the U.S. Department of State,
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Family members remember Angelo Quinto, a 30-year-old Navy veteran, as someone who enjoyed fishing, scuba diving and video games. Quinto died on Dec. 26, 2020, three days after a police officer reportedly knelt on his neck during a mental health episode. Photo courtesy of Quinto family
Family takes legal action for death of Fil-Am Navy veteran who died in Antioch police custody A FILIPINO American family in Antioch, California has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city arguing that their 30-year-old son died after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost five minutes. Angelo Quinto, a Navy veteran who was born in the Philippines, was suffering a mental health crisis on the night of December 23, 2020, prompting his sister to call 911 for help. But what transpired is renewing questions about whether police are equipped to respond to such episodes. “I was just hoping they could deescalate the situation,” Isabella Collins, Quinto’s younger sister, said during a press conference on Thursday, February 19.
His family reported that his behavior changed after sustaining a head injury earlier last year, which led to him experiencing bouts of paranoia and anxiety. When police arrived at the house, Quinto was holding onto his mother, Cassandra Quinto-Collins, and reportedly would not let go. A cellphone video shot by Quinto-Collins — presented by the family’s attorney on Thursday — shows him unresponsive on the floor after an officer pinned and subdued him with a knee to the back of his neck for nearly five minutes, while another officer held him by the legs.
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FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588
From The Front Page
Sara leads survey for president, VP by Red
Mendoza ManilaTimes.net
DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was the top choice for president and vice president in the noncommissioned survey conducted by Octa Research, the same group that tracks the country’s Covid-19 cases. The group’s Tugon Ng Masa (Pulse of the Masses) survey conducted from January 26 to February 1, showed the mayor, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, leading the poll for president at 22 percent, with the highest support coming from Mindanao at 48 percent and from socioeconomic class D at 22 percent and class E at 24 percent She was followed by Sen. Mary Grace Poe at 13 percent; Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., both at 12 percent; Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso, 11 percent; Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, 6 percent; Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, 5 percent; and Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, 3 percent. Marcos was the most preferred presidential candidate in the National Capital Region at 18 percent and in socioeconomic class ABC at 22 percent. In the vice presidential survey, Duterte-Carpio and Domagoso were in a statistical tie at 14 and 11 percent, respectively, followed by Pacquiao, Poe, Cayetano, Sotto, Marcos, Go and Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero. Support for Duterte-Carpio was high in Mindanao at 23 percent. She was also the top choice among all socioeconomic classes, while Domagoso was the top choice in Metro Manila at 15 percent. Re-electionist and returning senators comprise the top 15 senatorial candidates led by Pacquiao, Escudero, Cayetano, broadcaster Erwin Tulfo, Antique Rep. Loren Legarda, Domagoso, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Marcos, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, former senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and JV Ejercito, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista, and former senator Paolo Benigno Aquino 4th.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio
ManilaTImes.net photo
Pacquiao had a high preference rate in all regions and socioeconomic classes. Among President Duterte’s Cabinet members, only Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar had a statistical chance of making it to the top 12, followed by Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr., Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who are all outside the magic 12. The face-to-face survey polled 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above across the country using multistage probability sampling. It has a sampling error of plus-minus 3 percent and a confidence level of 95 percent. Metro Manila had 300 urban respondents, followed by Balance Luzon at 135 urban and 165 rural respondents, the Visayas at 110 urban and 190 rural respondents, and Mindanao with 70 urban and 230 rural respondents.
An employee at the County Psychiatric Hospital gets her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
File Photo www.countynewscenter.com
cility staff and residents, and those who are 65 years and older are eligible for vaccines. The County decided to open the vaccines to more people in Phase 1B, Tier 1 as vaccine sup-plies increase and more progress is made in vaccinating those cur-rently eligible. Three agencies will take the lead in vaccinating some of the newly eligible groups. The San Diego County Office of Education and the California Schools VEBA will exclusive-ly schedule appointments for transitional kindergarten (TK) through 12thgrade teachers and staff through vebavaccinates.com. The priority will be schools open and planning to open, and then those closed, starting with those in the fourth quartile of the California Healthy Places In-dex (HPI). “The state called for setting aside 10% of vaccine supply for education but the County of San Diego is going further,” said County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten. “We are setting aside 20% to get teachers back in schools.”Appointments exclusive to the law enforcement community will be organized by Scripps Health.For farm workers in fields and rural locations, CAL FIRE and Operation Collaboration will take the lead in scheduling remote vaccination events.All others eligible in these groups can sign up for appoint-ments through vaccination-superstationsd.com. However, patience is advised as the newly opened tier includes half a mil-lion people. Not everyone will be able to get an immediate ap-pointment, but more time slots will open as additional vaccines arrive. People with underlying condi-tions can begin signing up for vaccinations on March 15.To date, over 828,000 COVID-19 doses have been delivered to the region with more than 777,000 administered. The differ-ence between the two
numbers represents approximately what is expected to be administered the next seven days and doses still to be entered in the record system. More than 6,200 doses were administered and pending documentation.Those vaccinated to date in-clude more than 196,000 San Di-egans who are fully vaccinated, while 19.6% of the population over age 16 has received at least one dose. More information about vaccine distribution can be found on the County’s vaccination dash-board at https://sdcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/ State metrics • San Diego County’s state-calculated, adjusted case rate is currently 15 cases per 100,000 residents (as of Feb. 23) and the region is in Purple Tier or Tier 1. • The testing positivity per-centage is 5%, placing the County in Tier 2 or the Red Tier. While the testing positivity rate for the County qualifies it for the Red Tier, the state uses the most restrictive metric – in this case the adjusted case rate – and as-signs counties to that tier. There-fore, the County remains in the Purple Tier or Tier 1. • The County’s health equity metric, which looks at the testing positivity for areas with the low-est healthy conditions, is 7.4% and is in the Red Tier or Tier 2. This metric does not move coun-ties to more restrictive tiers but is required to advance to a less restrictive tier. • The California Department of Public Health assesses coun-ties on a weekly basis. The next report is scheduled for Tuesday, March. 2.More detailed data summa-ries can be found on the Coun-ty’s coronavirus-sd.com web-site which are updated daily. (Tracy DeFore/County of San Diego Communications Office)
Vaccinations to open to teachers, law enforcement, food workers on February 27 THE County of San Diego announced on Wednesday, Febru-ary 24 that COVID-19 vaccina-tions will open Saturday, Feb. 27, to people who work in emergen-cy services, child care and edu-cation, and food and agriculture (including grocery stores).Currently, health care person-nel, long-term care fa-
DOLE clarifies plan to exchange PH nurses for COVID-19 vaccines by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
FILIPINO health care workers are not “commodities” that can be traded in exchange for COVID-19 vaccines, an official from the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) clarified. DOLE public information head Rolly Francia on Wednesday, February 24, said that the agency wanted to ensure that the Filipino health care workers who will be deployed to the United Kingdom and Germany would receive vaccines from the host country. “Ang gusto lamang na tiyakin ay ‘yung ipapadalang mga nurses ay nabakunahan na and the vaccine should come from the host country (We just want to make sure that the nurses who will be deployed have already been vaccinated and the vaccine should come from the host country),” he said. “What is clear is that we are not dangling our available nurses and healthcare workers for vaccines. Hindi intensyon ng department na ituring na materyal upang i-trade ang ating mga nurses para lang makakuha ng vaccine (It is not the department’s intention to treat our nurses as materials for trade just to get vaccines),” he added. Francia’s statement came af-
ter International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) director Alice Visperas said that Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III asked the United Kingdom and Germany to donate vaccines in exchange for the deployment of more Filipino health workers. “Secretary Bello’s request is for our (Overseas Filipino Workers), these are the OFWs that were repatriated, who are here in the country including those who will be deployed. It is important, especially those who are set to leave since many countries who are hiring migrant workers want workers that have been vaccinated,” she said Monday, February 22. “Also, Secretary Bello requested for their government to give us vaccines especially for our OFWs,” she added. Francia said that the negotiations between Bello and British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce are still ongoing, adding that the DOLE might request additional vaccines that would cover repatriated overseas Filipino workers. “Considering napakagalante or generous ng pamahalaan ng UK, baka sakali, request lang naman ‘yun, kung magbibigay man sila, e ‘di dagdagan na
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(818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588 • http://www.asianjournal.com
SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
Vallejo Fil-Am store owner in recovery after... California lawmakers introduce measures...
PAGE 1 two armed suspects entered his store, Dollar Plus & Party Supplies along Sonoma Blvd., and shot him five times. His family had feared the worst and that he wouldn’t be able to walk again. But with physical therapy, a video taken at the hospital shows Quidit using his legs with the help of a walker and being able to walk up to 100 feet. He is expected to fully walk again within two months. Quidit, who is known to work seven days a week, remarked how he was ready to return to the store. “Despite all the circumstances, my uncle has a positive attitude about his recovery. He was saying to his wife, ‘Honey, did you see that? I can go back to work next week,’” Quidit’s niece, Joanne Pomares, told the Asian Journal. “I think that’s what’s helping him with his quick recovery because he seems so positive about everything, making sure to have high spirits, and being thankful he’s alive.” Surveillance footage from 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, February 16 shows Quidit vacuuming while his sister stood behind the register. Then, two hooded and masked men enter with guns in an attempt to rob the store. One of the suspects opened fire, hitting Quidit’s lower body five times, before they both took off. His sister, who was not harmed in the attack, screamed out for Quidit. Thinking she had also been injured, he found the strength to make it toward the counter, Pomares said. Quidit was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center’s trauma center in critical condition. He underwent surgery and had four bullets removed from his body. The morning after, his wife Nina took time off from her other job to reopen the store. “They had to open up the store the next day because that’s pretty much how my uncle and his family support [themselves] with three kids and they rely on it as a source of income,” Pomares said. “It’s a testament of how strong-willed they are.” Quidit was born in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines and migrated to the United States in his teens, his niece said. He worked several jobs before he took over Dollar Plus & Party Supplies from his other sister, Pomares’ mother, about 14 years ago.
Photo shows Marc Quidit (far right) and his wife Nina (left) and their three young children. Quidit, who owns Dollar Plus and Party Supplies in Vallejo, California, is expected to walk again after he was shot in an attempted robbery on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Photo courtesy of Joanne Pomares
Quidit returned home on Sunday, Feb. 21 after five days in the hospital. Family members say he will be able to walk on his own within two months. Photos courtesy of Joanne Pomares
The Feb. 16 incident is not the first time the store had been robbed. “It’s not fair that families have to be terrorized with these types of instances because they were so desperate for money or whatever it was that they were looking for,” Pomares said. Quidit’s eldest daughter, who is 14 years old, expressed worry about the medical bills the family would face. This prompted Pomares to start a GoFundMe page, which has reached over $84,000, as of this writing. All of the donations will go toward her uncle’s medical expenses and rehabilitation. Pomares said Quidit was emotional to see the financial support and that other community members have been bringing food and flowers to the family. The investigation into the robbery is still ongoing and suspects have not been identified. The Vallejo Police Department has not returned a request for comment, as of this writing. It is also unclear whether it will be classified as a hate crime as it comes during a surge in attacks against Asian American commu-
A video shared by Quidit’s niece shows him being able to walk up to 100 feet with the help of a walker.
nity members. “If anyone has any information regarding the incident that night, come forward and help bring justice to what happened. That’s only fair to the family and can bring peace to the incident,” Pomares said.
PAGE 1 Pacific Policy and Planning Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies department to gather incidents of xenophobia, racism and discrimination. It will also go toward research into the COVID-19 related challenges directly impacting AAPI communities and the COVID-19 Multilingual Resources website (www.translatecovid.org), which was developed by faculty from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)’s Asian American Studies Center and the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, according to a release from the university. “New state funding allows the data gathering to continue, and the research will ultimately lead us to solutions that will make all communities safer,” Ting added. The bill was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday, February 23 as part of the Golden State Stimulus package. From March, when Stop AAPI Hate was started, to the end of 2020, the center received over 2,808 firsthand accounts of anti-Asian hate, ranging from shunning to physical attacks. During the same period, 126 accounts involved Asian Americans over the age of 60. California accounted for the highest number of reports with 43% or more than 1,200 incidents. However, community leaders and activists say that the number of incidents targeting AAPIs is underreported due to factors like language and cultural barriers that prevent victims from speaking up. In the first two months of this year alone, several unprovoked attacks against AAPIs, particularly elderly individuals, have been documented in the Bay Area. Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old immigrant from Thailand, died of injuries after being shoved to the ground during his morning walk in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco on January 28. The 19-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder and elder abuse. Another viral video shows an unidentified 91-year-old man pushed in Oakland’s Chinatown. The suspect, 28-year-old Yahya Muslim, was later arrested and accused of assaulting two other
California Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) speaks during a press conference at the state Capitol on Monday, February 22 to introduce AB 886, a measure to address the recent surge in hate attacks with community-based solutions. He was joined by representatives of the Asian, Latino, Black, Jewish and LGBTQ legislative caucuses. Photo courtesy of Assembly Democratic Caucus
seniors that same day. Incidents have also been recorded elsewhere, showing an alarming trend nationwide. Noel Quintana, a 61-year-old Filipino man, was riding the New York subway on his way to work when he was slashed in the face by another passenger, requiring almost 100 stitches. “Because of hate, our Asian American community has been yelled at, spat on, shoved down and beat up, punched in the face, slashed and disfigured, and murdered,” Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) said during a press conference at the south steps of the state Capitol on Monday. Bonta, the state’s first Filipino American legislator, recounted how the recent attacks reminded him of when his mother was shoved to the ground and robbed while leaving work years ago. “I haven’t thought about that in a while. The surge in hate crimes has reopened old wounds and created new ones,” he said. “Our community is in pain. We’re hurting. Many are scared and many like me are angry.” Bonta blamed former President Donald Trump for using terms like “China virus” and “Kung flu” to describe the coronavirus, which has fueled the rise in incidents since the beginning of the pandemic. The lawmaker was joined by representatives of the Asian, Latino, Black, Jewish and LGBTQ caucuses as they introduced several bills. Among the proposals include providing culturally sensitive support for victims, increasing training for law enforcement to document and
collect data, and establishing a state government commission to monitor hate crimes. Bonta’s bill, AB 886, seeks to fund community-based organizations that provide culturally competent mental health services for victims of hate violence and restorative justice programs, and to expand eligibility for victims of hate violence to access compensation funds even if they do not file a police report. The measure also addresses prevention through “to proactively increase the likelihood that an individual who caused the harm would not do additional harm,” Bonta said. Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) and David Chiu (D-San Francisco) also introduced AB 557, a bill that would direct the state’s Department of Justice to establish a toll-free hotline and an online reporting system that would make it easier to report hate crimes and incidents. Last week, House Democrats came together to denounce the attacks and pushed for more action from the Department of Justice to prevent future incidents. President Joe Biden on January 26 signed an executive order to combat xenophobia and racism against AAPIs, which includes a directive for the Department of Justice to expand the collection of data and public reporting of hate incidents. While the order was welcomed, many AAPI organizations and advocates said the administration can take bolder action to stop the incidents and address other pandemic-related issues the community is experiencing.
EXPRESS YOURSELF. PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY.
MASK UP. Wear a mask to help keep your community healthy. Take a risk with fashion, not your health. covid19.ca.gov
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FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
Duterte undecided on VFA abrogation, seeks... PAGE 1 ed. Duterte said the public can submit their opinion on VFA through the government’s 8888 citizens’ complaint hotline. “Ordinary mamamayan (citizens) can have the say and I said there’s always the 888 and you can enter your objections or any comment that you think would help the country. Pati kami dito, matulungan ninyo (You can help us),” he said. Earlier this month, Duterte said the U.S. would have to “pay” to keep the VFA from being terminated. “I would like to put on notice if there’s an American agent here that from now on, you want the Visiting Forces Agreement done? Well, you have to pay,” Duterte said in his speech on February 12 at Clark Air Base in
Pampanga. “It’s a shared responsibility but your share of responsibility does not come free because after all when the war breaks out, we all pay,” he added. Malacañang then said that the Philippines should get “something like $16 billion or close to that amount” from the U.S. Citing a study by Washington-based Stimson Center on counterterrorism spending, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque noted that the Philippines only received $3.9 billion for counterterrorism efforts compared to Pakistan’s $16.4 billion. “When did Pakistan become an ally of America? They do not have a basis to say that they have a longstanding relationship with America unlike the Filipinos who died in the Death March during World War II,” he said on Febru-
ary 15. Roque also cited the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, a 2014 deal that gave American soldiers access to the Philippines’ military establishments. “But how much are we getting for this? According to the study, we got $3.9 billion. Is this a big amount? It is loose change when compared to what other countries got,” he said. The spokesman continued: “Pakistan got $16 billion, we think we should get something similar or close to that amount. But definitely, not the amount we are currently getting.” The VFA, which came into force in 1999, covers the conduct of U.S. soldiers in the Philippines. Among the provisions of the deal include relaxed visa and passport policies for U.S. troops,
De Blasio warns against Asian hate... PAGE 1 cans across the city. De Blasio’s daily press briefing also focused on the city’s efforts to curb the rising violence against the Asian American community. “Now, every community suffered, but there’s been a particular pain, a particular horrible challenge faced by the Asian-American community. Because on top of all the suffering from the coronavirus itself, on top of losing loved ones, losing businesses, people have had to con-
front horrible discrimination and hatred. From the very beginning, even before we had a single case in New York City, Asian American communities were suffering discrimination, Asian American businesses saw their customers no longer come,” he said. The mayor assured that the NYPD is “focused like never before” on finding anyone who commits a hate crime and making sure they suffer the penalties they deserve for what they’ve done. He also mentioned the
NYPD’s Asian Hate Crime Task Force, which is working closely with communities, the Office for Preventing Hate Crimes and other City agencies, and the City Human Rights Commission. The NYPD put together a specific group of officers from Asian communities who speak languages and dialects from multiple communities to help in all aspects of an investigation. “We have 25 of the best Asian-American detectives in the world, speaking 11 different languages. These detectives have the background and skillset to effectively help the Asian Americans living here in New York City,” said Deputy Inspector Stewart Loo, Commanding Officers of the Asian Hate Crimes Task Force. “The task force is here and we are here to guarantee there’s a strong appropriate response to the hate that’s infecting our city.” City officials are encouraging all New Yorkers to get involved in efforts to stop hatred against Asian communities. A website (nyc.gov/stopasianhate) has been set up to let people know about what they can do to help or report an attack or a bias crime and learn about the efforts that are being made all over the city. Inspector Loo said that there were 28 reported incidents of COVID-related hate crimes against Asians last year; they had three in 2019 and for 2021, they have received two.
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588 and the rights of the U.S. government to retain its jurisdiction over its military personnel when they commit crimes in the Philippines. In February 2020, the Philippines sent the U.S. a notice terminating the VFA reportedly after the U.S. canceled Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s visa. The termination was later suspended in June “in light of political and other developments in the region,” and the suspension was extended in November for another six months to enable the Philippines and the U.S. to find a more enhanced, mutually beneficial, mutually agreeable, and more effective and lasting arrangement on how to move forward in their mutual defense. In December, the president threatened to continue with the VFA’s termination if the U.S. did not extend at least 20 million vaccines to the Philippines. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress) Out of the 28 incidents, they have made 18 arrests. “Of course, we’d like to have 28 out of 28, but most of the investigation are still active. Out of the pending 28 arrests that we made they’re in criminal court, in their respective boroughs. So, we’re working very closely with the Hate Crimes Division of the respective DA’s offices to maximize those charges and bring the best investigation forward to prosecute these criminals,” Loo said. Rep. Grace Meng, who was part of the briefing, thanked other communities of color for their support. “That allyship is incredibly welcome and meaningful. Here in New York, we recently saw cases of hate incidents, from the Filipino man who was slashed across the face on the New York subway to the Asian American in my district who was violently shoved to the ground,” Meng said. Noel Quintana is the Filipino man Meng mentioned. He was on the L train from Brooklyn on his way to work when his face was slashed. “Although Donald Trump is no longer in office, his past anti-Asian rhetoric and use of terms like Chinese virus, kung flu continues to threaten the safety of our community in New York and around the country. So many Asian-Americans literally live in fear and are afraid to leave their homes because they don’t know what might happen to them,” Meng added. (Momar G. Visaya/ AJPress)
Isabella Collins, Angelo Quinto’s younger sister, speaks during a press conference outside their Antioch, California home on Thursday, February 19. Photo courtesy of John Burris Law Offices
Family takes legal action... PAGE 1 The former sailor repeated, “Please don’t kill me,” as he lost consciousness. The video then shows a handcuffed Quinto turned onto his back with blood streaming out of his mouth. “The most tragic part of this is the ‘George Floyd hold,’” said John Burris, a civil rights attorney representing the family. “On the way down he said, ‘Please don’t kill me’ and they muttered some words like ‘We’re not going to kill you,’ but in moments they had.” Quinto never regained consciousness and was taken by an ambulance. He died at Sutter Delta Medical Center three days later. The family has filed a wrongful death claim against the Antioch Police Department and is seeking answers after minimal information has been released. The police department has not given an official cause of death and has not revealed the officers’ names and whether they were wearing body cameras at the scene. Supporters and family rallied on Thursday for more humane treatment of people in mental distress, as well as for a ban on the controversial chokehold. “This is wrongful death in the sense that their conduct caused the death of this person. This was a healthy person before, and now his life is gone,” said Burris.
Family members remembered Quinto for his love of video games, fishing and scuba diving. He was medically discharged from duty in 2019 because of a food allergy, the family told the San Francisco Chronicle. Quinto’s sister said she has remorse about calling the police and that she hopes no one has to regret “doing what they think is the right thing.” With Quinto gone, they are seeking justice and changes to the police department, such as the end of the knee-to-neck restraint used on Quinto as well as in other high-profile cases, such as in the death of George Floyd last year. “I want to bring him back, but if we can’t do that, we want justice in any way we can get it,” Collins said. “We want a new number to call, someone who can help us with mental health crises and other related domestic incidents.” They also are calling for a mental health crisis response team that can respond to similar situations, and body cameras and dash cameras for police officers in the department. The police department has not provided any new information regarding the case, as of press time. Meanwhile, the Contra Costa District Attorney is conducting an automatic and procedural investigation. (by Christina M. Oriel and Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)
Civil rights attorney John Burris, who is representing the Quinto family’s case against the city of Antioch, presents photos and a video from the incident on Dec. 23, 2020 during a press conference on Thursday, February 19. Photo courtesy of John Burris Law Offices
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Dateline Philippines
2 out of 10 Filipinos willing to get COVID jab — survey by Red
Mendoza ManilaTimes.net
ONLY two out of 10 Filipinos across the country, or 19%, are willing to get vaccinated for the coronavirus disease 2019 despite assurances that the inoculation is safe and effective, according to an independent survey. In its second Tugon ng Masa (Answer of the Masses) poll, Octa Research said that nearly half of those surveyed, or 46%, said that they will not have themselves vaccinated even if the drug becomes available. On the question of willingness to get vaccinated, only a quarter of respondents in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Mind-
anao answered in the affirmative while only 14% of those from Balance Luzon indicated that they were willing to get inoculated. Balance Luzon and Visayas had the highest percentage of respondents who are not willing to get vaccinated at 47%, followed by NCR and Mindanao at 43% each. Socioeconomic class D expressed the lowest intent among all scoio-economic classes at 18%, followed by Classes ABC and E at 23% each. It also had the highest percentage for those unwilling to get vaccinated at 46%, compared to Class ABC at 45 percent and Class E at 44%. A third of adult Filipinos, or 35%, said that they are undecided.
Seventy-three percent of the respondents cited safety as the reason for rejecting the vaccine while 29% cited efficacy. The rest said the vaccine either wasn’t needed to combat COVID-19 or that it was not free and was expensive. Four out of 10 Filipinos trust the United States-made vaccines, while 13 % trust the Chinese-made vaccines, which also garnered the highest distrust rating among those surveyed. The face-to-face survey, conducted from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, 2021, had 1,200 respondents and used multi-stage probability sampling. It has a 95 % confidence level and a margin of error of plus-minus three percent.
Search continues for missing... PAGE 1 t Millete, a 39-year-old civilian Navy employee, is described as 5-foot-2 and about 105 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes, freckles and a wrist tattoo. She was last seen by family at her home in the San Miguel Ranch area on January 7 and was reported missing two days later. That Saturday, the family was planning a trip to Big Bear Mountain Resort for her daughter’s 11th birthday, but Millete was never heard from, as previously reported by the Asian Journal. Her husband, Larry, reportedly thought Millete was asleep in a bedroom, but then he found the room empty, according to various reports. In addition to her 11-year-old, she has children ages 9 and 4. “She’s an amazing mom. She
has three wonderful kids and it’s her life…she wouldn’t leave her kids this way,” Milette’s sister Maricris Drouaillet previously told the Asian Journal. Members of the Facebook group called “Missing Maya Millete Discussion and Theories” are still relentless in their pursuit to help Millete’s family find her. “Printing fliers, getting banners donated, getting a billboard, whatever they need. We want to try to make it happen without them having to do anything,” said Patterson. She recently reached out to the advertising company Lamar, which operates billboards and signs across the U.S. “Everything was included from start to finish, all we had to do was just give the information we wanted on the billboard
DOLE clarifies plan... PAGE 2 t (Considering that the UK government is very gallant or generous, if by any chance, and it’s only a request, if they do give, they might as well increase it),” he said. “Halimbawa kung 5,000 ‘yung request nilang nurses, alangan naman for 5,000 nurses ‘yung vaccine na ibibigay nila, baka
kaya magbigay na more than that to cover OFWs who have been repatriated to the Philippines (For example, if they’re requesting for 5,000 nurses, obviously they can’t donate vaccines only for 5,000 nurses, if it’s possible to give more than that to cover OFWs who have been repatriated to the Philippines),” added Francia.
and include pictures,” Patterson said. She added, “Just having her face up there and having everybody see it, it brings light to the story and what’s happening.” Millet’s family has previously held community searches and vigils, and has posted flyers in the neighborhood and in the greater San Diego area. They have set up a Facebook page “Find May/ Maya Millete” and encourage others to say a prayer at 5:01 p.m. — her birthday is May 1 — until she is found. A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $13,000 to help with the search. Anyone with information on Millete’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Chula Vista Police Department at 619-691-5139 or San Diego Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Meanwhile, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) noted that the focus of the discussion is the protection of Filipino nurses who will be deployed abroad amid the pandemic. “We should just focus on the intention of the talks – they wanted nurses, but before we deploy more nurses above the limitations, we need to ensure that they will be protected,” POLO-Milan Labor Attaché Corina Buñag said.
SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
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Medicare Story #3
Mga Dahilan Para Piliin ang Clever Care Health Plan Bilang Inyong Medicare/Medicare Advantage Provider Ito ang pangatlo sa serye ng Medicare Tips hatid ng Clever Care Health Plan, isang nangungunang tagapagbigay ng East meets West Medicare services na sensitibo sa kultura ng kanilang mga miyembro. May importante tayong desisyon na kailangang gawin kapag tayo ay nag65: ang pagpili ng Medicare o Medicare Advantage provider. Maraming kailangang pag-isipan sa pagpili ng provider na tama para sa iyo. Kasama dito ang bayad sa co-pay o premiums; kung sakop nito ang kasalukuyan ninyong doktor, mga tipo ng benepisyo na kasama, allowances para sa vision, dental at hearing services at gamot na may reseta, pati na ang customer service at suporta na hatid ng inyong plano sa mga miyembro nito. Ang Clever Care Health Plan ay isang napakahusay na opsyon para sa seniors na naghahanap ng all-in-one, maaasahan, abot-kaya, at hassle-free na insurance provider na may malasakit sa kanilang mga miyembro, at may kasamang benepisyo para sa Eastern at Western na medisina. Maraming benepisyo sa pagiging miyembro ng Clever Care Health Plan. Una, kasama sa Clever Care plans ang coverage na tipikal na sakop ng orihinal na Medicare plan. Pero, hatid din ng kompanya ang coverage na hindi inaalok ng ibang providers. Hatid ng Clever Care Health Plan sa mga seniors ang kakaibang paraan ng pag-aalaga, na nagbibigayhalaga sa diversity. Kasama sa kanilang supplemental coverage ang daang-siglo na Eastern treatments upang mapanatili ang kalusugan, maalagaan ang chronic conditions, at mabawasan ang sakit, kasama ng pinakabagong advancements at treatments sa Western na medisina. Ibig sabihin, kasama ang unlimited acupuncture sa plano, at mayroon ding allowance para sa herbal supplements. Hatid ng Clever Care ang mga plano na walang monthly premium costs para sumali, at covered ng plano ang lahat ng kasama sa Medicare, at marami pang iba. Covered ng Clever Care’s Medicare Advantage HMO ang mga serbisyo na magpapanatili sa kalusugan, na may mababa o $0 copays. Maari ding magpakonsulta ang seniors sa kanilang doktor o espesyalista na walang cost out of pocket fees. Isa pang dahilan para piliin ang Clever Care Health Plan ay ang level ng mga benepisyo nito. In addition sa allowance, covered ang routine dental exams, cleanings at x-rays. Ibig sabihin, kung pagkatapos ng exam, kailangan pa ng
miyembro ang root canal, dentures, crowns o bridges, mayroon sila na hanggang sa $1,600 na allowance kada taon para ipambayad sa mga serbisyong ito. Ang mga miyembro ng Medicare Advantage at Clever Care Health Plan ay eligible din para sa routine eye exams, at mayroon sila na hanggang sa $300 na allowance para sa salamin at contact lenses bawat dalawang taon. At, sa Clever Care’s Medicare Advantage plan, kasama na ang hearing exams at hearing aid fittings. Tatanggap din ang mga miyembro ng hanggang sa $1,500 na allowance kada taon para sa hearing aids. Dagdag pa rito, may allowance ang Clever Care Medicare Advantage plan para sa overthe- counter items, tulad ng benda, antiitch creams, ice packs, at incontinence products na hindi karaniwang covered ng ibang providers. Ang pagpili ng Clever Care Health Plan ay magandang ideya lalo na ngayon sa panahon ng COVID-19. Sakali mang may miyembro na magka-COVID-19, ang lahat ng kaugnay na testing, treatment at transportasyon, ay covered na $0 ang copay. Isa pang dahilan kung bakit naiiba ang Clever Care Health Plan sa ibang insurance providers, ay ang kanilang pagbigbigay-importansya sa in-language na suporta sa kanilang mga miyembro. Hangad ng Clever Care Health ang kalusugan ng lahat ng kanilang mga miyembro sa pamamagitan ng pagintindi kung paano sila aalagaan. Kung may miyembro na may tanong tungkol sa kanilang treatment, billing o coverage, ang mga in-language medical advisor representative ng Clever Care Health Plan ay handang tumulong sa telepono. (Ang in-language support ay available sa Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Spanish at Vietnamese.) Sana ay nakatulong ang artikulong ito sa pagbigay ng impormasyon na inyong magagamit para malaman kung bakit ang pagpili sa Clever Care Health Plan ay ang tamang desisyon. Buti na lang at may resources para tumulong. Kung mayroong pang katanungan o kailangan pa ng impormasyon, ang Tagalog-speaking representatives ng Clever Care Health Plan ay handang tumulong sa: (833) 365-1888 (TTY: 771). clevercarehealthplan.com
Ang Clever Care of Golden State ay isang HMO plan na may Medicare contract. Ang enrollment ay naka-depende sa contract renewal. H7607_21_CM0379D_TAG_M Accepted 02162021
A10049-D-TAG (0221)
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FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588
Opinion
Shuttered businesses
Features Philstar.com photo
PASAY City expanded on Tuesday, February 23 from 34 to 55 the number of barangays under granular lockdown because of a surge in COVID cases. The Pasay government has also sent an SOS to the Department of Health amid fears that the city is facing a transmission of the coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom, which is said to be highly infectious. One of the confirmed UK variant cases in the Philippines is a Pasay resident, a 46-year-old mother of a worker at the Metro Rail Transit-3 depot where a cluster of COVID-19 infections has been reported. The growing problem in Pasay illustrates the continuing unpredictability of COVID-19. It also shows that President Duterte’s decision to maintain the quarantine status in Metro Manila and several other areas is sensible. The President decided that without a vaccine rollout, areas under general community quarantine including Metro Manila could not be eased to the most lenient modified GCQ by March 1, as suggested by the National Economic and Development Authority. The President, apart from deferring the shift to MGCQ, also rejected proposals for limited face-to-face classes. While some business leaders acknowledged
the issues that were considered in the President’s decision, they also expressed concern over the possibility that full economic reopening might have to wait until 2022. Last year, at least 119,596 registered businesses were forced to shut down, costing the government P7.767 billion in “forgone revenues,” the Bureau of Internal Revenue told the House of Representatives. Apart from revenue losses from shuttered business enterprises, livelihoods in the informal economy have been decimated by the COVID pandemic. With the shift to MGCQ in Metro Manila, the country’s economic center, rejected by the President, NEDA is revisiting its 2021 target for gross domestic product growth, as analysts warn that recovery will be slow for the Philippines. cination. Even President Duterte, according to infectious COVID variants should provide more Protecting lives and reviving livelihoods will Malacañang, is becoming impatient. The eco- impetus for speeding up the vaccination rollout. depend heavily on the start of mass COVID vac- nomic prognosis and the risks posed by the more (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Supreme Court ruling schools Trump: No president is above the law The Fil-Am Perspective Gel Santos-Relos DONALD TRUMP might have been “acquitted” by his power-hungry Republican minions in Congress twice after being impeached by the House of Representatives twice despite his abuse of power and obstruction of justice in 2020 and for inciting January 6 insurrection in the nation’s Capitol. But the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that reminded Donald Trump that no one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law. As the New York Times broke the news on Monday, February 22: “The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a last-ditch attempt by former President Donald J. Trump to shield his financial records, issuing a brief, unsigned order that ended Mr. Trump’s bitter 18-month battle to stop prosecutors in Manhattan from poring over his tax returns as they investigate possible financial crimes. The court’s order was a decisive defeat for Mr. Trump, who had gone to extraordinary lengths to keep his tax returns and related documents secret, taking his case to the Supreme Court twice. There were no dissents noted.” Yes, NO DISSENT. Not even from the justices he appointed
to the highest court. These honorable justices did not betray their oath just to please Trump, who has demonstrated consistently his “quid pro quo” style of leadership. The Washington Post reported that the Supreme Court also “turned away Republican challenges to the presidential election results in Pennsylvania, refusing to take up a months-long dispute over extending the deadline in that state for receiving mail-in ballots.” The Post further reported: “It was part of a purge of sorts. The high court formally dismissed a range of suits filed by Donald Trump and his allies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Arizona — all states won by Democrat Joe Biden. The court’s intent in most of those had been signaled when it refused to expedite consideration of them before Biden was inaugurated as president. The case about deadlines for receiving mail-in ballots was different, though. Three justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch — said it deserved the court’s attention, even though the number of votes at issue would not call into question Biden’s victory.” These are great signs that justice is still alive in the United States, and that more democratic institutions are doing their role of checks and balances and demanding accountability from former President Donald Trump, after his efforts to trample on our democracy to feed his insatiable greed for power, money and
ego. Now that Trump is no longer in power, he has lost the shield he had been desperately trying to hold onto in order to protect himself from all the legal battles that await him, on both personal and political fronts. Congress has also started hearings to investigate deeper into what led to the January 6 insurrection, make people accountable, and write legislation to prevent this tragedy from happening again. Another reason to be optimistic that the rule of law will be upheld again pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution is President Joe Biden’s nomination of Merrick Garland to be the United States’ attorney general. In his Senate confirmation hearing on Monday, February 22, Garland vowed “to keep politics out of the Justice Department and to fully prosecute the “heinous” crimes committed in the attack on the U.S. Capitol in the deadly riot on January 6,” CNN reported Garland was former President Barack Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court in 2016, but the Republican-led Senate never even got to have confirmation hearings for his nomination. As the National Public Radio (NPR) chronicled: “Widely regarded as a moderate, Garland had been praised in the past by many Republicans, including influential senators such as Orrin Hatch of Utah. But even before Obama had named Garland, and in fact only hours after Scalia’s death
was announced, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared any appointment by the sitting president to be null and void. He said the next Supreme Court justice should be chosen by the next president — to be elected later that year.” Lo and behold! We knew what happened: The Senate Republicans went against their rationale that denied Garland any confirmation hearing. Instead, on September 25, 2020 — an election year — Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg as an associate justice of the Supreme Court. The Republicans in Congress rushed the confirmation hearings despite the urgency of COVID-19 issues and on October 26, 2020, Barrett was confirmed. The confirmation of Garland as attorney general means finally, after four years of having AGs whom Trump used as his own lawyer, we will have in Garland someone who will represent us, the American people. “If confirmed, I will supervise the prosecution of white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol on January 6 — a heinous attack that sought to disrupt a cornerstone of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected government,” Garland says in his opening statement. Garland “plans to stress that the role is meant to “serve the Rule of Law and to ensure equal justice under the law,” noting that July 2020 marked the 150th anniversary of the Justice Department’s founding in the aftermath of the
Civil War and that its core mission was to secure the civil rights promised by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. “The mission remains urgent because we do not yet have equal justice,” CNN quoted Garland in a report. “Communities of color and other minorities still face discrimination in housing, education, employment, and the criminal justice system.” In his confirmation hearing, Merrick Garland assured Congress that he would remain independent of partisan influences if he is confirmed to the post. “I do not regard myself as anything other than the lawyer for the people of the United States. I am not the President’s lawyer. I am the United States’ lawyer,” Garland said. This is consistent with what Biden said he told Garland when announcing Garland’s nomination. “You won’t work for me. You are not the president’s or the vice president’s lawyer. Your loyalty is not to me. It’s to the law, the Constitution.” As TIME reported, “Garland would oversee a wide-reaching department that has a hand in everything from the prosecution of rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 to the nation’s broken immigration system. He’s set to take over the Department at a particularly fraught moment, with a crisis in confidence about the DOJ’s impartiality spurred by Donald Trump’s presidency and numerous hot-button political investigations underway, including one into the financial dealings of Biden’s son Hunt-
er and another into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe. How Garland navigates the tricky partisan environment could have huge consequences for public faith in the Department.” We have seen how Trump’s AGs politicized and weaponized the position to serve him, in betrayal of the law and of the public trust accorded to him. “I would like for the time that I’m in the Justice Department to turn down the volume on the way in which people view the department. That the Justice Department not be the center of partisan disagreement. That we return to the days when the department does its law enforcement and criminal justice policy, and that this is viewed in a bipartisan way,” Garland said in his closing remarks on Monday as reported by TIME. “I know these are divisive times. I’m not naive. But I would like to do everything I can to have people believe that that’s what we’re doing.” *** 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 lines between us
Commentary
How upcoming redistricting will shape Asian American communities for the next decade Sonni Waknin
and Alex
De Ocampo
IF there is one takeaway from the Presidential and Georgia Senate elections of 2020, it is the power of communities. Organizers all across the country, from the Navajo nation in Arizona to African American and Southeast Asian voters in Georgia, mobilized their communities to flex their political power and show that they will have their voices heard. While federal elections are two years away, those very communities — and your community — could be at stake this year because of redistricting. From your county school board to your state legislative and Congressional districts, every ten years election district lines are redrawn through
the redistricting process. Redistricting is how we ensure that, as population densities change, we maintain roughly equal populations in each district. Using the decennial Census numbers, each state’s population is totalled and each state receives their Congressional district allotment. Additionally, the Census provides the population numbers to each state for their own state level district apportionment. From there the real challenge begins: drawing the districts. District lines can be drawn by politicians, advisory commissions, or non-partisan citizen commissions. No matter who draws them, district lines determine resources, funding, and even what constitutes a neighborhood. More importantly, when lines are drawn without community input,
existing neighborhoods or communities can be split up. That means that during redistricting your community could be put into a district with a community that has nothing in common with yours. Take, for example, what happened in New York state in 2011. The Census had just been completed, and the state of New York had drawn new district lines. The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), however, filed a complaint in a Brooklyn, NY federal court on behalf of four Asian American voters stating that the redistricted map that the state was proposing to adopt would have disenfranchised that area’s AAPI community. The court sided with AALDEF, and an independent “Special Master” was designated
to redraw the maps, using neighborhood maps, ethnic data, and a “unity map” from the plaintiffs, resulting in a district in the Queens neighborhood that was 40% Asian American. This district ultimately went on to elect Grace Meng to represent them in Congress, making her the first AAPI Congressmember from the state of New York. District lines matter because representation matters. So what can be done to keep communities together? In your area, local redistricting commissions will soon be hearing public testimony to inform how district lines are drawn. This is your chance to make sure that your community is represented and stays intact. Attend (or log on to) these meetings and give public comments about the impor-
tance of your community and that you do not want it to be split up. Organize your neighborhood and make sure that you let the redistricting commissioners know about the social and historic importance of where you live, and that you intend to keep it unified. In 2021, we are all exhausted. From a pandemic that has kept us inside and isolated for a year, to a seemingly never ending Presidential and then Senatorial election, we all just want to relax. But the effects of redistricting are not like an election-- they will last for the next ten years and have far reaching consequences. So for the future of your community, take an active part in the redistricting process and make your voice heard. To learn more about redistricting in your community and
our work, go to https://latino. ucla.edu/votingrights, or visit FVEP at www.fvep.org. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints e x p re s s e d b y t h e a u t h o r d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
***
S o n n i Wa k n i n i s t h e M a n a g i n g Attorney and Voting Rights Counsel at the UCLA Voting Rights Project. Her legal scholarship has been published in The California Law Journal, UCLA Law Review Discourse, and the Northwestern University Law Review of Note.
***
Alex De Ocampo practices Philanthropic Advisement for a private family foundation. In 2017, he was one of three co-founders of the Filipino Voter Empowerment Project which boosted voter turnout through direct voter contact and online/terrestrial media strategies.
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal. ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC. Publisher
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US tops 500K COVID deaths... PAGE 1 than almost any other country and we’re a highly developed, rich country,” he added. To mark the grim milestone, U.S. President Joe Biden held a sunset moment of silence and a candle-lighting ceremony at the White House. He also ordered the American flags lowered to half-staff on public buildings and grounds until February 26. Bells also tolled at the National Cathedral in Washington to honor the lives lost. “As a nation, we can’t accept such a cruel fate. We’ve been fighting this pandemic for so long. We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow,” said Biden. He added, “We have to resist viewing each life as a statistic or a blur or on the news. We must do so to honor the dead, but equally important care for the living, those they left behind.” Biden urged Americans to stay vigilant and follow safety protocols amid the pandemic. “I ask all Americans to remember, remember those we lost and those they left behind. I also ask us to act, to remain vigilant, to say socially distant, to mask up, to get vaccinated,” he said. “We have to fight this together as one people, as the United
HALF A MILLION. U.S. President Joe Biden marked the grim milestone of 500,000 Americans killed by COVID-19 with the somber ceremony on Monday evening, February 22 at the White House. He was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff during the candle-lighting ceremony and a moment of silence. White House photo
States of America,” he added. The president was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in marking a moment of silence in front of 500 candles representing the death toll. In a separate tweet, Biden said: “500,000 lives lost to COVID-19. It’s an unfathomable number, but each one represents a family that will never again be whole. To those who have lost loved ones: I know no words can numb the pain, but I hope you find some solace in knowing the nation grieves with you.”
The U.S. has reported more COVID-19 cases and deaths than any other country in the world. However, average daily deaths and cases have plummeted in the past few weeks, as reported by AP. The fatalities have fallen from more than 4,000 reported on some days in January to an average of fewer than 1,900 per day. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said that about 19.4 million Americans have been fully vaccinated as of Sunday, while more than 44.1 million Americans have received their first dose.
Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto recognized... PAGE 1 Sotto is “a standard-bearer for a new generation of Philippine politicians who prioritize anticorruption and transparency initiatives in their election campaigns and in office.” The agency noted that Sotto was just 29 years old when he broke the 27-year rule of a political dynasty in Pasig City in 2019, adding that his prior work as city councilor resulted in a freedom of information legislation. “Sotto has sought to solidify his reputation as a fresh voice with a new, more transparent approach to governance,” the U.S. State Department said. “He pledged to avoid any kickbacks in the awarding of city contracts, established a 24/7 public information and complaints hotline, formally involved civil society organizations in the city’s budgeting and policy making, and mandated that the value of all city government contracts be reduced by at least 10 percent – a measure intended to reduce
bribery in the contract awarding process,” it added. The other recipients of the International Anticorruption Champions Award are: Ardian Dvorani of Albania; Diana Salazar of Ecuador; Sophia Pretrick of the Federated States of Micronesia; Juan Francisco Sandoval Alfaro of Guatemala; Ibrahima Kalil Gueye of Guinea; Anjali Bhardwaj of India; Dhuha A. Mohammed of Iraq; Bolot Temirov of the
Screenshot from Twitter
Kyrgyz Republic; Mustafa Abdullah Sanalla of Libya; Francis Ben Kaifala of Sierra Leone; and Ruslan Ryaboshapka of Ukraine. “The State Department continues to stand by citizens around the world calling for transparent, accountable governments. We proudly recognize these international champions of anticorruption and all those who have taken a stand against corruption,” the department said.
SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
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FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
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California Community Colleges Chancellor Oakley urges Filipina missing after hiking... students to apply for financial aid before March 2 deadline CALIFORNIA Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley sounded an alarm for students to apply for financial aid ahead of the Cal Grant March 2 deadline to get the most aid possible. Applications are down significantly compared to last year, and with the effects of COVID-19 impacting students’ income, more students are facing financial barriers that could prohibit them from going to college. Data from the California Student Aid Commission, who administers the Cal Grant and California Dream Act programs, reported that Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completions among graduating high school students are down by 11 percent (19,330) compared to this same time last year. California Dream Act Applications, which allow eligible undocumented students to apply for the same state-based financial aid opportunities available to others, are also down by 15 percent (2,712) year over year. “For too many students, finances are the main barrier to achieving their college goals,” Oakley said. “While there are many types of financial aid available for California community college students, most financial aid is contingent on filing a FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. However, every year there is money left on the table because students simply don’t apply. That’s why it is important for every graduating senior to submit a financial aid application – even if they don’t think they will qualify or if they have not yet decided on their plans after high school.” Each year there is $6 billion dollars in financial aid available to California college students. Yet all too often current and prospective students are not aware of financial aid opportunities and they do not apply for aid, missing their chance to benefit. If these dollars earmarked for financial aid are not awarded they go unspent, meaning potentially millions of dollars are left unclaimed every year. “Students must complete their FAFSA by the March 2 Cal Grant deadline to be eligible for state and federal aid, which maximizes
LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE
CASE NUMBER: 37-2021-00005554-CU-PT-CTL
CASE NUMBER: 37-2021-00005191-CU-PT-CTL
TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Damiana Starr Young filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Damiana Starr Young to Damiana Starr Rojas. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 03/23/2021 Tine: 8:30 AM Dept. C-61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. C-61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: FEB. 05, 2021 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 691 02/12, 02/19, 02/26, and 03/05/2021 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE – Name Change (NC120) Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, which poses a substantial risk to the health and welfare of court personnel and the public, rendering presence in, or access to, the court’s facilities unsafe, and pursuant to the emergency orders of the Chief Justice of the State of California and General Orders of the Presiding Department of the San Diego Superior Court, the following Order is made: NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120). If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner. If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions. If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions. A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date. Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court.
TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner FE PRADO ESCALONA filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: FE PRADO ESCALONA to MARIA FE PRADO ESCALONA. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 03/22/2021 Time: 8:30 AM Dept.: 61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. C-61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: FEB. 09, 2021 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 695 02/19, 02/26, 03/05, 03/12/2021 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE – Name Change (NC120) Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, which poses a substantial risk to the health and welfare of court personnel and the public, rendering presence in, or access to, the court’s facilities unsafe, and pursuant to the emergency orders of the Chief Justice of the State of California and General Orders of the Presiding Department of the San Diego Superior Court, the following Order is made: NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120).. If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner. If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions. If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions. A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date. Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court.
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the amount of money they can qualify to receive,” said California Student Aid Commission Executive Director Marlene Garcia, “The Cal Grant deadline is especially important for undocumented students who must complete the California Dream Act Application by March 2 in order to be eligible for state-based aid, which is critical because they are not eligible for federal aid.” The Cal Grant offers free money for California students attending a community college, UC, CSU, or a fully online or independent, non-profit university, and can help students pay for college costs such as books, supplies, transportation and rent. “Financial Aid is the sole reason I am able to afford college,” said Consumes River College student, Ky Mazyck-Holmes. “I use it to maintain my living arrangement, buy books and ultimately change my life for the better through education.” The California Community Colleges encourage students and parents to attend one of the upcoming virtual Cash for College workshops led by financial aid professionals who provide resources and individualized support for filling out financial aid forms. For more information about the financial aid applications visiticanaffordcollege.com. To register for a free, virtual Cash for College workshop visithttps://cash4college.csac.ca.gov. “We understand that during COVID, graduating seniors and their families are facing many tough decisions,” Oakley said, “We hope that going to college isn’t one of them. Finances should never get in the way of someone pursuing their higher education. If we don’t get more students to complete the FAFSA, we could see a lost generation of tens of thousands of Californians who are left behind and cannot pursue their college education because of the lack of financial support.” The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.
PAGE 1 on the Heaton Flat trail toward the summit of Iron Mountain in the unincorporated Angels Crest area of the national forest, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said. The mountain is considered one of the toughest hikes within the national forest. The LASD’s Missing Persons Unit investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating her as her family is “very concerned about her well-being.” Tice is described as a 5’4”, 130-pound Filipina with shoulder-length brown hair. She also wears glasses. Her last worn clothing is unknown. Search and rescue teams from across Southern California were deployed to the area last week but no further information has been released. Anyone with insight into Tice’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the LASD’s Missing Persons Unit at (323) 8905500. (AJPress)
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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9000660
EMPLOYMENT FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9001134
Dollars Smog And Repair located at 231 Beyer Way, Chula Vista, CA, 91911. Registrant: Kristopher Charles Holcomb, 3993 Coleman Ave., San Diego, CA 92154. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 07/06/2015. Signature Kristopher Holcomb. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 01/22/2021. AJ 689 02/05, 02/12, 02/19, and 02/26/2021.
California Distribution located at 7062 Convoy Court, San Diego, CA 92111. Registrant: California Distribution, 7062 Convoy Court, San Diego, CA 92111. This business is conducted by Corporation. REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 11/01/2020. Signature Alan P. Ang. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 01/28/2021. AJ 690 02/05, 02/12, 02/19, and 02/26/2021. AJSD 690
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9001722
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9000305
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9001534
STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2021-9001504 DATE: 02/01/2021
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SKYLINE DENTAL CENTER located at 1411 SKYLINE DRIVE, LEMON GROVE, CA 91945. Registrant: JEAN EMILE F. PIANSAY, DDS, INC., 1411 SKYLINE DRIVE, LEMON GROVE, CA 91945. This business is conducted by CORPORATION. REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 09/28/2000. Signature JEAN EMILE PIANSAY. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/03/2021. AJ 692 02/12, 02/19, 02/26, 03/05/2021. AJSD 692
SWINE MERCHANT located at 10207 CAMINO RUIZ APT. #160, SAN DIEGO, CA 92126. Registrant: BRANDON EUGENE AKIATEN, 10207 CAMINO RUIZ APT. #160, SAN DIEGO, CA 92126. This business is conducted by INDIVIDUAL. REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 01/04/2021. Signature: BRANDON E. AKIATEN. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 01/21/2021. AJ 694 02/12, 02/19, 02/26, 03/05/2021.
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XIN CHAO A VIETNAMESE EATERY located at 3545 DEL MAR HEIGHTS RD C5, SAN DIEGO, CA 92130. Registrant: XIN CHAO DEL MAR, 3545 DEL MAR HEIGHTS RD C5, SAN DIEGO, CA 92130. This business is conducted by CORPORATION. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 11/19/2020. Signature: ANH HUYNH. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 01/21/2021. AJ 693 02/12, 02/19, 02/26, 03/05/2021. AJSD 693
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS(S) NAME TO BE ABANDONED: LIMAN located at 11269 CARMEL CREEK RD., SAN DIEGO, CA 92130. MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 7011, RANCHO SANTA, CA 92067. THE FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IS BEING ABANDONED BY: A. KARILYN M. PERRY, P.O. BOX 7011, RANCHO SANT, CA 92067. B. SVETLANA MARIC, 11269 CARMEL CREEK RD., SAN DIEGO, CA 92130. This business is conducted by GENERAL PARTNERSHIP. Signature SVETLANA MARCI. Statement filed with Recorder/ County Clerk of San Diego County on 02/03/2021. AJ 696 02/26, 03/05, 03/12, 03/19/2021. AJSD 696
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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
JOURNAL
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9 books by Fil-Am authors to put on your 2021 reading list L
by AJPress
OOKING for your next quarantine read? Here is a roundup of several books — from fiction to food — by Filipino/a American authors that hit shelves in the new year or are slated to be released later in 2021.
“The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata” by Gina Apostol (Jan. 2021, Soho Press) Award-winning writer Gina Apostol’s novel “The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata” — for which she won her second Philippine National Book Award in 2010 — has been rereleased in the United States by Soho Press. It’s structured as a memoir by Raymundo Mata, a halfblind bookworm and revolutionary, who narrates his childhood, his education in Manila, his love affairs, and his discovery of writer and fellow revolutionary, Jose Rizal. The 19th-century story features footnotes from three fiercely quarrelsome and comic voices: a nationalist editor, a neo-Freudian psychoanalyst critic, and a translator, Mimi C. Magsalin. “Filipino American Psychol-
ogy: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice” by Dr. Kevin Nadal (Feb. 2021, Wiley) Dr. Kevin Nadal, a New Yorkbased psychology professor, queer activist and author, has published the second edition of “Filipino American Psychology,” a resource for understanding the mental health of the second largest Asian American group and fast-growing demographic. From exploring cultural values to historic traumas, Nadal’s text is a must-read guide for working with the community and a conversation starter to help decrease mental health stigma across generations. “With You” by Michelle Lopez Clark (March 2021, Mascot Books) Michelle Lopez Clark, a psychotherapist from Southern Cal-
ifornia, makes her debut as an author with a children’s picture book about the loving relationship with dogs. “With You” is a relatable story of rhymes and representation that promotes the value of fostering an emotional connection with children. “Cook Real Hawai’i” by Sheldon Simeon (March 2021, Clarkson Potter) Two-time “Top Chef” finalist and three-time James Beard Award nominee Sheldon Simeon takes at-home cooks at any skill level on a tasteful journey through Hawai’i and the influences that shape its culinary traditions in his forthcoming cookbook. Simeon, the chef and owner of two restaurants in Maui, shares 100 uncomplicated recipes from wok-fried poke to charred huli-huli chicken while providing poignant stories
and historical accounts. “In a Book Club Far Away” by Tif Marcelo (April 2021, Gallery Books) Tif Marcelo, a former Army nurse turned best-selling author, offers a look into the dynamics of a military family with her latest novel, “In a Book Club Far Away.” The story follows three Army wives who bond during a “Manifest Technique: Hip Hop, Empire, and book club, but must later overVisionary Filipino American Culture” by Mark R. Villegas come their differences when one of them is desperate for help. “Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey” by Erin Entrada Kelly (May 2021, Greenwillow Books) Newbery Medal-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly is set to release an illustrated novel loosely based on her biracial identity as a Filipina American growing up in a small Louisiana Chef Angela Dimayuga is set to release her town. “Maybe, Maybe Mari- debut cookbook “Filipinx” in October 2021.
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Photo by Guang Xu
“When Lola Visits” by Michelle Sterling
“The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata” by Gina Apostol
“Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice” by Dr. Kevin Nadal
“With You” by Michelle Lopez Clark
“In a Book Club Far Away” by Tif Marcelo
“Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey” by Erin Entrada Kelly
“Cook Real Hawai’i” by Sheldon Simeon
SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
Recipe Corner
Chicken Macaroni THE American touch to the Filipino celebratory noodles is this Chicken Macaroni salad. Its richness comes from the dressing, the combination of mayonnaise, condensed milk, and cheddar cheese. Raisins and pineapple not only add color but also contribute sweet and tangy flavors. Ingredients: 1 pack PAGASA Elbow Macaroni ¼ lb skinless chicken; cut into strips 2½ cups Best Foods Real Mayo 2 cups carrots 1 medium size onion ¼ cup Jans Sweet Cow Condensed Milk ½ cup Kraft Cheddar Cheese Easy Open Can 1 can PAMANA Pineapple Slices; drained 1 pack Sunmaid Raisins Bag 1 stick celery (optional)
Directions 1. Bring onion and chicken to a boil. Cook thoroughly. Cut into strips. 2. Cook elbow macaroni. Follow the cooking instructions on the packaging. 3. Use the boiled water in Elbow Macaroni to blanch the carrots. 4. Mix together condensed milk and elbow macaroni while still warm. 5. Let the macaroni pasta cool down before adding mayo. 6. Add PAMANA Pineapple Slices (cut into cubes), chicken, celery and carrots. Mix well. Serve.
This recipe is provided courtesy of Seafood City. Visit their Facebook Page or http://www.seafoodcity.com for more recipes. If you have any recipes that you would like to share with Asian Journal readers, please send email to editor@asianjournalinc.com or info@asianjournalinc.com, and include a photo of your dish.
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FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
Entertainment
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Lovi returns to her ‘first love’—singing By Allan
Policarpio Inquirer.net
MUSIC has always been Lovi Poe’s first love. But somewhere along the way, she found herself getting drawn more and more into acting. Now, with a new single out, the actress feels it’s high time to revisit her roots and rediscover the joys of singing. Her latest song, “Under,” was recorded and released under the Los Angeles-based label VIM Entertainment, and will be part of her upcoming EP in May. “Honestly, this is so nerve-wracking. Singing was what I originally planned to do when I first entered show biz. However, I ended up being more of an actress. But now that I’m about to do it again, I’m starting to get butterflies in my stomach,” she told the Inquirer in a virtual conference. While she didn’t stop putting out singles entirely, they were few and far between, and were usually used for her movies or other acting projects. In fact, the last time she released a proper album or a compilation was way back in 2008. “It’s like going back to your first love, to someone you loved before and then rekindling the relationship,” she said of her return to music. “It’s the kind of feeling.” Because it has been quite a while since she took music seriously, Lovi admitted that she lost some of her confidence. “Acting did become my priority and I really devoted my time to it. Back then, I used to sing a lot in school, onstage. But now I get shy,” Lovi said. “Things are different. But slowly, I feel like I’m regaining my confidence and I’m excited again.” For “Under”—a synth-laden pop song about being under a lover’s influence and spell— Lovi collaborated with American producers KrisKeyz, Bob Robinson and Grammy Award winner Omen during her recent stay in Los Angeles. It was then recorded at musician Austin Ward’s studio in West Hollywood.
Lovi Poe
“The opportunity just came up when I was there,” she said. Lovi was especially proud of the material they came up with, because she was closely involved in the creative process. “I wrote a lot of songs and it was a nice and good experience. Typically, I would write poems and then we put music on it. But this time, the music came first and then I was asked to freestyle over it,” she recalled. “Austin, who’s so good, asked me to do it. I didn’t know what to say at first. Then I just started talking about how I was feeling, what was in my heart. Eventually, we were able to make a song out of that session,” added the Kapuso star, who also shot an accompanying music video with director Jessica Fee, also in Los Angeles. Aside from recording new music, Lovi also hopes to return onstage and do concerts— once the situation finally permits them, of course. “Why not? It’s something I have always loved doing,” she said. That doesn’t mean she will be lying low from acting, though. Lovi is set to star in two upcoming movies, one with Viva Films and the other with Regal Entertainment. “I can’t really talk about it much or reveal the genres. But
Photo from Instagram/@lovipoe
they’re very different. And I’m hands-on, I’m having discussions with the director and writers,” she said. Lovi is also one of the leads of the new GMA 7 prime-time drama series “Owe My Love,” which pairs her with Benjamin Alves. She plays Sensen, a girl who quits nursing school and takes on various odd jobs to keep her family’s finances afloat. As she pays for her father’s debts and sibling’s mounting hospital bills, she finds herself indebted to Doc Migs (Benjamin), who makes her take care of his grandfather who has dementia. The show teaches, among other things, financial literacy—something that has become even more important now that there’s a pandemic. “Know your priorities. I’m going through this process myself, because my priorities have been changing this past year. You have to regroup and know what’s on the top of your list and make sure that you spend your money only on what’s important,” Lovi said. “I won’t think twice if I have to buy something for my friends for loved ones. But if it’s something for myself, I get second thoughts.” “Of course, you also want to enjoy what you earn, what you’re working hard for. After all we don’t live just to pay the bills. It’s about knowing the right balance,” Lovi added.
World’s first all-civilian mission to space, Inspiration4, names second crew member Two remaining seats on mission still available to the general public until February 28
MEMPHIS – Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space, has announced its second crew member, Hayley Arceneaux of Memphis, TN, a 29-year-old physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® who was treated as a child for bone cancer at St. Jude. Arceneaux joins Inspiration4 mission commander Jared Isaacman. She will occupy the mission seat representing Hope. “It’s an incredible honor to join the Inspiration4 crew. This seat represents the hope that St. Jude gave me—and continues to give families from around the world, who, like me, find hope when they walk through the doors of St. Jude,” said Arceneaux. “When I was just 10 years old, St. Jude gave me the opportunity to grow up. Now I am fulfilling my dreams of working at the research hospital and traveling around the world. It’s incredible to be a part of this mission that is not only raising crucial funds for the lifesaving work of St. Jude but also introducing new supporters to the mission.” Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments [NYSE: FOUR] and an accomplished pilot, donated two of the four seats on Inspiration4 to St. Jude, including the seat filled by Arceneaux. The mission name Inspiration4 recognizes the four-person crew’s purpose – to send a humanitarian message of possibility and inspire support for St. Jude – and represents the pillars of Leadership, Hope, Generosity and Prosperity. “Assembling a unique and diverse crew whose personal stories and values will inspire people everywhere is at the heart of the Inspiration4 mission,” said Isaacman. “As I’ve spent time with Hayley in the earliest days of mission prep, she’s everything we want our team to represent – she’s interested in the world around her, devoted to caring for others and hopeful for a better future for all of us. She already inspires me, and I’m certain she’ll inspire many others as they get to know her in the course of our mission.” Isaacman has committed to give $100 million to St. Jude and is inviting everyone to join him in support of St. Jude’s multi-billion-dollar expansion designed
Hayley Arceneaux of Memphis, TN, a 29-year-old physician assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® who was treated as a child for bone cancer at St. Jude, will be a crew member for Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space. Photo courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
to accelerate research advancements and save more children worldwide. The fundraising effort will continue through the mission launch later this year. “It has been a personal honor to watch Hayley grow up and fulfill her dreams. As a patient, an intern at ALSAC, and then in the Pediatric Oncology Education program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she was always a rising star,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. “From the beginning, St. Jude has been at the forefront of innovation and inclusion, leading in cancer research, and treatment for some of the world’s sickest children regardless of race, ethnicity, or a family’s ability to pay, so that children like Hayley can live full, healthy and awe-inspiring lives. She will be an incredible ambassador through this mission and inspiration to children fighting cancer and survivors worldwide.” The mission is being targeted for the fourth quarter of this year. Arceneaux, Isaacman and the Inspiration4 crew will undergo commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, including a specific focus on orbital mechanics, operating in microgravity, zero gravity, and other forms of stress testing. They will receive emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial- and full-mission simulations. The mission will launch from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Cen-
ter in Florida and will be carefully monitored at every step by SpaceX mission control as the spacecraft orbits the planet every 90 minutes along a customized flight path. Upon conclusion of the multi-day journey, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida. The remaining two seats representing Generosity and Prosperity are available to the general public through February 28, with details available at the mission website, Inspiration4.com. The Generosity crew seat can be secured by a member of the public who enters for an opportunity to join the flight to space. The Prosperity seat is available to any deserving entrepreneur who utilizes the new Shift4Shop eCommerce platform to submit their idea and be selected by a panel of distinguished judges. The Shift4Shop platform is designed to empower entrepreneurs to build and grow successful eCommerce businesses. To learn more about Inspiration4, how to support and potentially join this historic journey to space and the specific conditions of the promotions, visit Inspiration4.com and follow the mission on social media on Twitter (@inspiration4x), Facebook (@ inspiration4mission), Instagram (@inspiration4) and YouTube (@ Inspiration4) to receive the latest news on mission training and preparation. Individuals who are interested in learning how to enter for an opportunity to secure one of the two seats still available should visit Inspiration4.com and review the Official Rules for the applicable promotion.
PECHANGA CELEBRATES LNY WITH LION DANCE. This last year has been different in so many ways. But if you celebrated Lunar New Year, Pechanga understands the importance and cultural significance of the occasion for so many in the Southern California community. The resort held a brief lion dance in an outdoor courtyard to bless the resort for the Year of the Ox. The blessing was not open to the public or spectators. The performers danced beautifully and safely. Pechanga remains committed to its stringent, comprehensive health and safety measures instituted since June 1. They hope to be able to fully celebrate Lunar New Year traditions like they have for many years in the past at Pechanga next year. Photos above show images from the Lion Dance ceremony and décor inside the resort/casino for the Year of the Ox. (Advertising Supplement)
9 books by Fil-Am author... PAGE 9 sol Rainey” introduces readers to Marisol, an imaginative, yet cautious girl who learns how to overcome her fears. With witty humor and nuanced childhood friendships, it’s a must-read for early elementary grade students. “When Lola Visits” by Michelle Sterling (May 2021, Katherine Tegen Books) Inspired by childhood summers with her lola (grandmother) visiting from the Philippines, author Michelle Sterling and illustrator Aaron Asis come together for a children’s picture book that captures this special lola-apo bond. Expect pages that bring the sights and senses as well as
traditions that mark the Filipino American experience. “Manifest Technique: Hip Hop, Empire, and Visionary Filipino American Culture” by Mark R. Villegas (July 2021, University of Illinois Press) From DJs to successful artists like Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, Filipino Americans have undoubtedly made their imprint on hip hop. But in “Manifest Technique,” Mark R. Villegas — an assistant professor of American studies at Franklin & Marshall College — takes the genre’s significance to the FilAm community within the context of decolonization and racial identity.
“Filipinx Cookbook” by Angela Dimayuga (Oct. 2021, Abrams) Chef Angela Dimayuga — a James Beard Award nominee for Rising Star Chef who previously served as creative director of food and culture at the Standard hotels — will release her debut cookbook in time for FilAm History Month. “Filipinx” is filled with more than 100 deeply personal dishes and stories that trace “how she learned to cook from her mother in Southern California and became a classically trained chef of French cooking before finally learning to love to cook food from the Philippines.”
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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021
“A Taste of History”
In celebration of the 500th Year Anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021, experience MonteMaria Cellars, an exclusive wine collection cellared and bottled in Napa Valley, California by the Buhman Estate Vineyards specially made in honor of the Holy Site of MonteMaria located in Batangas Province of the Philippines.
Browse our collection and order today on MonteMariaCellars.com.
Please enjoy our wines responsibily.
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FEBRUARY 26 - MARCH 4, 2021 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588