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March 10-12, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 17 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

74-year-old Filipino dies after being attacked for ‘no apparent reason’ in Phoenix, Arizona AMID the uptick in violence against older Asian Americans, an elderly Filipino man was killed last month in an unprovoked attack in Phoenix, Arizona. Juanito Falcon, 74, was out on a morning walk on February 16 when he was punched in the face by a man for “no apparent reason,” the Phoenix Police Department said in a statement. Officers responded to reports of an assault around 11:20 a.m. at a Kentucky Fried Chicken parking lot near 17th Avenue and Bethany Home Road in Phoenix.

CDC releases guidelines for fully vaccinated people by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

AMERICANS fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can now gather with other fully vaccinated individuals indoors without wearing a mask or social

distancing, according to new guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna) or two weeks after re-

ceiving a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson and Janssen). “As more Americans are vaccinated, a growing body of evidence now tells us that there are some activities fully vaccinated people can do,” CDC

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Senate passes $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill with $1,400 checks, vaccine funding House to approve of Senate amendments to sweeping relief bill

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by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

AFTER several pressure-filled weeks of negotiations, the United States Senate narrowly approved President Joe Biden’s sweeping coronavirus relief bill on Saturday, March 6 in what is one of the new president’s most monumental political victories. The massive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill — dubbed the American Rescue Plan — includes provisions for $1,400 checks to millions of American taxpayers, $300-a-week federal unemployment benefits, and more funding toward vaccine distribution. “This nation has suffered too much for much too long,” Biden said from the White House on Saturday, March 6. “Everything in this package is designed to relieve the suffering and to meet the most urgent needs of

VOTER’S REGISTRATION. Qualified registrants flock to the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Dasmarinas City, Cavite near City Hall on Tuesday, arch 9 for the voter’s registration. The poll body targets four million voter registrants for the May 2022 elections. PNA photo by Gil Calinga

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One year later: Remembering Loretta ‘I’M NOT GOING TO BE A STATISTIC’ How Noel Quintana’s Dionisio, the first COVID death in LA County AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

ONE year ago, Los Angeles County marked its first death attributed to COVID-19. Loretta Mendoza Dionisio, a retired 68-year-old Filipina, was traveling with her husband, Rodrigo, when she contracted COVID-19. “The couple had a recent layover in South Korea, and once they landed in Los Angeles on March 8, the wife had tested positive for COVID-19,” the Asian Journal reported in March

2020. Dionisio fell ill on March 9, 2020 and died the next day on March 10 at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. She was 68 years old. She was described as “outrageously friendly, the kind of person liable to invite the sales clerk at T-Mobile to join the family for dinner,” in a New York Times report. It was a trait that made her children cringe, but was also something they loved. She was also described as

day. “We are happy that the Philippines is part of those numbers and that we have already administered more or less 44,000 doses,” he said, speaking partly in Filipino. Galvez said many people were requesting “almost every day” allocations of the vaccines, an indication of their willingness to get immunized against the deadly respiratory disease. “When we had the vaccination of hospital directors, their level of VACCINE ARRIVAL. Boxes containing vials of AstraZeneca vaccines are offloaded from KLM Asia confidence increased,“ he said. that flew in from Amsterdam on Sunday, March 7. The 38,400 doses are part of 525,600 secured

Contributed photo

MANILA — A lawmaker is urging the House panel of the congressional oversight committee on the Philippine-United States Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) to convene and have a discussion on the possible options for the country regarding the pact. Under House Resolution No. 1606, Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon, who also serves as the vice chairperson of the House committee on national defense and secuPNA photo by Robert Alfiler rity, highlighted the “renewed

LEN EN DEALS

vigor in relations” between the Philippines and the United States especially with the recent election of U.S. President Joe Biden. “The volatile situation in the West Philippine Sea and the continuing need of the country to modernize its armed forces and improve its capability to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief compels it to seek and maintain alliances with other countries to attain these objectives,” Biazon said in the resolution. “In light of these and the re-

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by NEIL

MANILA, Philippines — Over 44,000 vaccine doses against COVID-19 have so far been administered in the Philippines since it started its immunization program last week, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., the vaccine czar, said Monday, March 8 in a pre-recorded briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte. According to Galvez, the global vaccination figure has reached 300 million, with seven million people being vaccinated per

Loretta Mendoza Dionisio with her husband Rodrigo.

GALVEZ Inquirer.net

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Solon urges House panel to tackle possible options for PH on VFA

PH has so far vaccinated 44,000 against COVID-19 – Galvez by DAPHNE

“tough,” having been a diabetic and survivor of two bouts of breast cancer. Dionisio was born in Pasay City, Philippines, to parents who had fled by foot into the countryside to escape the Japanese occupation during World War II, at times eating roots to survive, according to the NY Times. She met her husband at an art school in the Philippines, and they left for the United States in the 1970s, finding work as com-

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MENDIOLA AJPress

THE gash on his face may have healed but it has left a big scar on Noel Quintana’s face and every time he looks at the mirror, he is reminded of that terrifying morning on February 3 when an assailant slashed his face with a box cutter. A few days after the incident, he joined a group of Filipino American leaders and supporters gathered to pray for his recovery. He has been expressing his thoughts and opin-

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From the Front Page

CDC releases guidelines for...

PAGE A1 Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at the White House briefing on Monday, March 8. The new CDC public health recommendations said fully vaccinated people can: • Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or staying six feet apart; • Visit with unvaccinated people from one other household indoors without wearing masks or staying six feet apart if everyone in the other household is at low risk for severe disease; • Refrain from quarantine and testing if they do not have symptoms of COVID-19 after contact with someone who has COVID19. This means fully vaccinated grandparents can now gather with their unvaccinated grandchildren indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing, provided none of the unvaccinated family members are at risk of severe COVID-19.

“COVID-19 continues to exert a tremendous toll on our nation. Like you, I want to be able to return to everyday activities and engage with our friends, families, and communities. Science, and the protection of public health must guide us as we begin to resume these activities. Today’s action represents an important first step. It is not our final destination,” said Walensky. “As more people get vaccinated, levels of COVID-19 infection decline in communities, and as our understanding of COVID immunity improves, we look forward to updating these recommendations to the public,” she added. However, the CDC maintained that fully vaccinated people should wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households. They should also continue to wear masks and social

distance in public settings and avoid medium-sized to large gatherings. On traveling, the CDC has yet to change its recommendations, urging people to delay travel and stay home. While 30 million people in the U.S. have received their vaccines, the country still averaged more than 60,000 cases per day over the last seven days, as reported by Johns Hopkins University. “I want to stress that we continue to have high levels of virus around the country, and more readily transmissible variants have now been confirmed in nearly every state, while we work to quickly vaccinate people more and more each day, we have to see this through,” said Walensky. She stressed, “Let’s stick together. Please keep wearing a well-fitting mask and taking the other public health actions we know work to help stop the spread of this virus.” n

One year later: Remembering Loretta... PAGE A1 mercial artists. They settled in Orlando and raised their two children, Rembert and Rowena. However, “an unfinished business” in the Philippines nagged at Loretta. “Her father, who had grown up in poverty, had spent years scrimping to buy land for a coconut plantation in the coastal region of Camarines Norte, promising his children it would support them in their old age,” said the NY Times. “This was dubious — the land’s value had dwindled over the years to a few thousand dollars, and the government had forced the family to surrender the property when they immigrated to the United States,” it added. According to the report, Dionisio was intent on collecting compensation for the plot from the Philippine Department of Agrarian Reform. “She and her sister had chipped away at this task for years, a wrestling match with

provincial land bureaucrats who demanded a long list of notarized documents,” the NY Times noted. “This spring’s trip was the one in which Ms. Dionisio would collect the check.” Her husband tried to dissuade her as news about COVID-19 was “beginning to circulate.” The NY Times said Loretta called home in early March to announce that “she had achieved her goal: Zipped inside her suitcase was a check from the Filipino government, compensating the family for the loss of the coconut plantation.” “She turned toward home, a trip that would take the couple through Thailand and, briefly, South Korea,” it added. At one point during the couple’s trip, Dionisio had a fever. The couple landed in LA to stay at Rodrigo’s sister’s home in Walnut for two days before returning home to Orlando. When they arrived, Dionisio called her daughter saying she needed to rest after the 11-hour flight. “She was joking and laughing

about not being able to get into the house,” Rowena told the NY Times. “She said, ‘I’ll call you later. I need to sleep.’ And then I never heard from her again.” According to reports, Rodrigo performed a cardiopulmonary resuscitation first aid procedure on Dionisio when he couldn’t wake her up. She was taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center and went into cardiac arrest four times. She was declared dead at 2:57 a.m. on March 10. The day after, LA County officials reported that Dionisio tested positive for COVID-19 and that her death was the first known case connected to the virus in the county. “It’s hard for me to come to terms with the fact that Mom is gone,” Rowena told the NY Times. “I’m searching for her. Her smell. I want to touch her hand.” To date, 525,904 people from the U.S. have died from COVID19. In LA County alone, 22,041 individuals have been taken by the virus. n

WOMEN’S MONTH. Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar (3rd from right), DA Undersecretary Evelyn Laviña (2nd from right), DA Director Annray Rivera (extreme left), and Diplomatic officials of various countries during the Women’s Month celebration themed “Juana Para sa Pandemya: Kaya”, held at DA central office in Quezon City on Monday, March 8. This year’s National Women’s Month celebrates the extraordinary roles of ordinary Juanas in society as trailblazers and harbingers of change. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

74-year-old Filipino dies after being attacked... PAGE A1

When they arrived, they found Falcon with head injuries from falling on the ground and hitting his head on the pavement. Falcon was initially believed to have suffered only abrasions and contusions to the face. However, when he was taken to the hospital, doctors found he had a skull fracture and that he needed surgery. Falcon ultimately died from his injuries two days later on February 18. “It is in such great sorrow that we are mourning my father’s passing. I have a lot of questions. Nobody should experience what happened to my father. I want this incident to be a cause of awareness to everybody,” Malou Acunin, Falcon’s daughter, told 12 News. “I don’t want the same incidence of violence and crime to happen to anybody, especially to the elderly,” she added. The detectives found probable cause to arrest 40-year-old Marcus Williams in connection to the homicide, according to ABC15. Williams was taken into custody on Wednesday, March 3, after an autopsy identified that Falcon’s cause of death was blunt force trauma. Court documents stated that Williams fled in a car after attacking Falcon. Witnesses were able to provide a partial license plate and description of Williams’ car, leading to his arrest. He was booked into Maricopa County Jail for one count of murder. The Phoenix Police Department said there were “no indications” that the attack on Falcon was motivated by race. “If information is discovered, that will be part of the investigation,” said the department.

Juanito Falcon, a 74-year-old grandfather, died from injuries on February 18, two days after being punched in the face while on his morning walk.

Falcon’s family has set up a GoFundMe page (https://gofund.me/7234e6b2) to help with expenses. “We will always remember him as a loving man, always attentive to the needs of others. He was an avid gift giver, willing to go out of his way to make someone’s day. He was a man of sacrifice, especially for his family and us, his grandchildren,” the page said. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCh 10-12, 2021

Senate passes $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill...

Noel Quintana speaks at the Rise Up rally in New York on Feb. 27

AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

How Noel Quintana’s faith led him to... PAGE A1 ions on the matter, and in recent weeks, he has become the poster child of anti-Asian hate in New York. Quintana, who moved to the United States from the Philippines in 2007, juggles two jobs with a nonprofit organization and a tax preparer. Migrating to a new country without any family, he has found a support system by volunteering at the Migrant Center, a nonprofit organization at St. Francis of Assisi led by Fr. Julian Jagudilla. “His attack has made Asian members of our community scared and anxious. Reassuring them and finding resources for them so they can live safely in our city is the need of the hour. We have to fight racism and protect our Asian communities through vigilance and community action,” Fr. Jagudilla said at the ”Rise Up Against Anti-Asian Hate” rally on Feb. 27. It was a gathering of a veritable who’s who in New York politics led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Grace Meng, Attorney General Letitia James and Mayor Bill de Blasio, along with community allies and non-government organization leaders across the city. They were one in denouncing the surge of anti-Asian hate incidents in New York. A couple of blocks from the rally, a 36-year-old Asian American man was stabbed unprovoked two days earlier. “Pagaling na pero medyo masakit pa rin (It’s healing but it’s still a bit painful),” Quintana told the Asian Journal said on the sidelines of the program. “I’m overwhelmed by the support of the people, the community, even outside the U.S. I am so

thankful for the support. I think that something has to be done so it would be safer not just for Asian Americans but for everyone,” he said further. “There’s a lot of violence that happened during this pandemic and people should be aware that we need one another so that this would be avoided.” A Brooklyn resident, he was on his way to work in Harlem that fateful morning. He boarded the subway at the Jefferson Station in Bushwick. It was full so he picked a spot where he stood. A few stops later at Bedford Station, he recalled that a man hopped in and stood beside him. He was praying the rosary when the same man kicked the tote bag Quintana was carrying. Quintana recalled moving his tote bag away from the man but he kicked it one more time. He turned to the man and said, ‘What’s wrong with you?” and moved to the other end of the train car. At this time, the train has reached the First Avenue station. The painful memory of an incident two years ago came rushing back that Wednesday morning, Feb. 3 as his assailant moved towards him. He thought he was going to be punched again and he somehow readied himself for the strike. But it didn’t happen. It was moments later when Quintana realized something worse had happened. He saw the shocked faces of his fellow subway passengers. He touched his face, looked at his hand and saw blood. “Nobody helped,” he said, his voice almost breaking. “We’re all New Yorkers and no one helped me. There should be an awareness campaign on how to deal with this kind of problem, not only on the subway but also on

the streets, so people know who to respond to victims such as myself.” Realizing that no one called 911 or alerted the train conductor and that the subway was moving on, Quintana stepped out and walked toward the end of the platform. He stayed by the station booth as the attendant called 911 and asked for help. After answering questions from the police, he was brought to Bellevue Hospital where he received about 100 stitches on his face. New York police arrested the man who attacked Quintana, and according to him, the man is scheduled to be arraigned this week. As he said in a Zoom prayer meeting a week after the incident, he did not want to just be a statistic. Not this time, not anymore. A couple of years ago, he was assaulted outside his work in Harlem. He just left the office that day and as he was walking, he saw a man running towards him and before he knew it, the man had already punched him in the face. Gathering his composure, he stood up and attempted to walk but he faltered. He reported what happened to the nearest police station and moved on with his life. That was the end of it. Little did he know that two short years later, he would be facing another similar incident. Only this time, it would be more bloody and gruesome. In the past few weeks, he has been on the front page of the Washington Post and featured in People magazine, along with other mainstream publications. He has no problem being thrust into the limelight and becoming the face of the issue. In PAGE A4

PAGE A1 the nation and put us in a better position to prevail, starting with beating this virus and vaccinating the country.” The $1,400 checks, which were promoted as an add-on to the $600 stimulus checks approved by the federal government in late 2020, are expected to be distributed to an estimated 17 million Americans by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) later this month, Biden said on Saturday. Because the Senate made numerous amendments to the original legislation — including the deletion of the federal minimum wage increase to $15 an hour — the House still has to approve the amended bill. Though the House hasn’t officially passed the revised bill as of press time, the Democratcontrolled chamber passed a significant procedural measure on Tuesday evening that will allow House members to debate for two hours before voting. Approving the American Rescue Plan has proved to be a laborious effort for Democrats, whose seats are likely to be challenged

in the 2022 midterm elections. Historically, the party in power tends to lose seats in Congress in the midterm election, but Democrats are hopeful that the passage of the COVID-19 relief bill will secure their House majority. “Anytime you’re delivering for the American people, you’re strengthening your position politically. So this is going to strengthen us because it’s good policy,” Rep. Sean P. Maloney (D-N.Y.) said in an interview as quoted by NBC News. “We should shout it from the rooftops that we are passing historic legislation that will reboot the economy and end the pandemic.” As previously reported in the Asian Journal, the American Rescue Plan seeks to expand pandemic-related benefits, including a per-child cash payment of at least $3,000 for one year and an expansion of health care subsidies from the Affordable Care Act for two years. The unemployment benefits would be extended through Sept. 6. Regarding the $1,400 stimulus checks, couples who

file jointly would receive double that and an additional $1,400 for each dependent. The stimulus checks apply to individuals earning up to $75,000 a year and married couples whose combined income does not exceed $150,000 a year. However, the check’s amount would decrease for those who make more than these benchmarks with a strict cut-off at $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for married couples. Most Americans will receive the full amount from the IRS; according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in the country was $68,703 in 2019. The bill also allocates $130 billion in federal aid to K-12 schools, specifically to reduce class sizes and adjust classrooms to comply with social distancing and personal protective equipment guidelines. The bill also creates a new $25 billion aid program to businesses hurt by the pandemic, granting up to $10 million per company with a limit of $5 million per brick-and-mortar location. n

Solon urges House panel to tackle possible...

PAGE A1 newed vigor in relations between the Philippines and the United States under the Biden administration, now may be the opportune time for policymakers to discuss possible options for the country regarding the VFA,” he added.

It was in February 2020 when the Philippine government — upon the instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte — sent to the U.S. a notice to terminate VFA. The termination was supposed to take effect in August 2020. However, the scrapping of the VFA was

shelved for six months in June last year. The termination was once again suspended in November 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Duterte has asked for the public’s opinion as well as the views of the military on the country’s VFA with the U.S. n

MAKING ENDS MEET. One corner of a sidewalk on Quirino Highway, Quezon City serves as a place of business for a female vendor on Tuesday, March 9. Whatever food items she’s selling will be enough for minimum wage earners who, like her, try to make ends meet for their families. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

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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Ouch! Needle-phobic people scarred by so many images of COVID shots by Julie

Appleby Kaiser Health News

COVID-19 SALIVA TEST. A staff of the Philippine Red Cross confirms the online appointment of a driver who will undergo saliva testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) inside his vehicle at the drive-through testing site in Araneta City Bus Port in Quezon City on Tuesday, March 9. Those without a vehicle can get tested as long as they booked an appointment, completed other processes, and made an online confirmation before their visit to the testing center. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

AARP names Joe Garbanzos as its first Filipino state president JOE Garbanzos has been named AARP’s California state president, becoming the first Filipino in the capacity. The state president is a volunteer who serves as spokesperson and representative for AARP across California. In this role, Garbanzos will chair the all-volunteer Executive Council, a diverse group of professionals who provide advice and counsel to advance AARP’s social mission in California. Prior to his appointment, Garbanzos served on the Executive Council for six years, serving as volunteer leader for Asian American Pacific Islander outreach, chairing the Education Committee for the California Telehealth Coalition, co-leading AARP’s livable communities work in San Diego County, and chairing the new Hi-Speed Internet Advisory Committee. Garbanzos brings to his new role extensive experience in leadership, public health, change management, and public policy, having previously served as the CEO and Executive Director at Samahan Health Centers, a federally qualified health center in San Diego. He was also involved as a health care consultant in launching the Affordable Care Act in California, as well as the implementation of the Coordinated Care Initiative in San Diego County. He is an adjunct faculty

Joe Garbanzos, AARP CA State President

member at the California School of Management & Leadership at Alliant International University San Diego, teaching courses on healthcare. His knowledge and expertise includes leading outreach and education in culturally diverse communities with hardto-reach populations. “We are thrilled to have Joe as our new state president,” said AARP California State Director Nancy McPherson. “Joe’s contributions to the Executive Council and as an ambassador on a multitude of programs and campaigns has helped position AARP as a trusted leader across California. Joe is committed to championing the issues that matter most to Californians 50+ and their families.” As volunteer state president, Garbanzos will work in close partnership with the State Director

Nancy McPherson to co-lead the California Executive Council, as well as collaborate with other volunteers and staff statewide to advance AARP priority issues, such as promoting “age-friendly” communities, supporting family caregivers, awareness and prevention of fraud, and promoting financial resilience among the 50+ population. AARP California is the largest of AARP’s 53 state and territorial offices, representing 3.3 million members with office locations in Pasadena, San Jose, and Sacramento, as well as staff and volunteers supporting the San Diego Information Center. Approximately 30 staff and more than 5,500 volunteers across the state serve AARP California members through community engagements, programming, and advocacy. Garbanzos succeeds Patricia Pérez, who served with distinction as state president for AARP California since 2015. Garbanzos is a Peter F. Drucker MBA alum and has a post-graduate degree in Public Health from the School of Community and Global Health at Claremont Graduate University. Joe earned a BA in Mass Communications from the University of the Philippines. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration in Leadership and Management at Alliant International University. n

EACH night it’s the same. Story after story on the TV news is about the covid vaccination effort, and they are all illustrated with footage of needles sinking into exposed upper arms. Could those visuals, ostensibly making this all seem routine, backfire? More than causing squeamish people to look away or change the channel, researchers say such illustrations could hamper efforts to get a broad swath of U.S. residents vaccinated. Bottom line: Many people don’t like needles, and that could further slow vaccination efforts as winter turns to spring when supplies are expected to multiply and efforts to get the hesitant to sign up for a dose will intensify. “Fear of needles was one of the barriers that was a significant predictor of people saying, ‘I don’t think I will get this vaccine,’” said Jeanine Guidry, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who researches visual communication and conducted a survey of 500 people in July. And it’s not just TV news using what could be sensitive video footage. Disinformation spread on social media often incorporates images of giant syringes, Guidry recently told the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to federal health officials. Social media has been a source of much incorrect information about vaccines in general, and covid specifically, designed to dissuade people from getting shots. Such “fear visuals,” Guidry said, “get more attention,” and may be remembered longer than other types of illustrations. Legitimate efforts to encourage vaccination may have also inadvertently sparked fear by showing exaggeratedly large syringes, said Guidry, who urged public health experts to be careful with their messages, too. “If you use a picture of a huge syringe that looks twice the size of my head, that makes you go, ‘OK, that’s big,’” said Guidry. “I can’t fathom what that would do to someone who has a needle phobia.” Even attempts to reassure people by showing leaders such as Dr. Anthony Fauci or the president and vice president getting their covid vaccinations on TV can be triggering, said Hillel Hoffmann, an independent communications consultant and freelance writer in Philadelphia. “I always turn away,” said Hoffmann, who recently wrote of his near lifelong fear of needles in a piece for Medicalbag, an online publication aimed at physicians. “I know those pictures are supposed to psych me up for the fact that the vaccine is safe and available, and I’m not worried at all about the vaccines’ safety,” said Hoffmann. “But what I can’t take because of my fear of needles is looking at a picture of someone with a small-bore needle buried in their deltoid muscle.” Public health experts say it’s important to get at least 70% to 80% of the public vaccinated to reach what is called herd immunity, when enough people will either have had the covid virus or a vaccination, to severely limit its further spread. But fear of needles contributes to some people’s vaccine hesitancy. An analysis of a broad range of

studies from the U.S. and other countries on this topic by researchers at the University of Michigan showed that 20% to 30% of adults studied cited concern about needles, ranging from mild anxiety to a phobia strong enough to keep some from seeking medical care. Even many health care workers cited a fear of needles, according to the research, published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing in August 2018. “There’s a perception that people who work in hospitals would be less afraid of needles, because they’re surrounded by them all the time, but one study found 27% of hospital employees who did not take the flu vaccine said it was because of needle fear or they did not like needles,” said Jennifer McLenon, an infection preventionist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit who completed the study while getting her master’s degree in epidemiology. Another study found that 18% of health care workers in longterm care facilities felt the same way, she said. An extreme fear of needles or medical procedures involving injections is technically called trypanophobia, said Jeffrey Geller, president of the American Psychiatric Association. “Some people avoid needles because of fear of pain, some from fear of fainting,” said Geller. “And some people do faint.” It may have an evolutionary basis, said Thea Gallagher, an assistant professor and the director of the clinic at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania. “We know from evolutionary biologists that seeing a sharp object going into our bodies is not something we are supposed to be cool with,” said Gallagher. But Geller and Gallagher said barriers created by this fear or phobia could be lowered with careful public health messaging, along with self-help techniques individuals can practice or, in severe cases, professional assistance from a therapist. Public health messaging should avoid drawings that exaggerate the size of needles or syringes, “which are not helpful,” said Geller, noting that the covid vaccinations involve “a small syringe and needle.” But, as to the effect of those TV images night after night? Well, it could go either way. “For those with a fear, it could exacerbate it,” said Geller. “For those who don’t have the fear, it could be reassuring to show that it’s a routine practice.” McLenon, the researcher from Michigan, said she has heard, anecdotally, that those shots on TV “make people more afraid.” “Can’t we get some pictures of the vials or something else?” she suggested. For instance, Hoffmann, the writer, said if he were designing the perfect visuals for a covid vaccination campaign, it would not refer to injections directly at all. “If I were to drive by a drugstore and it had a poster in the window saying ‘Come get it today for your family. Do it for the nation. Do it for the public good’ We would all know what the ‘it’ is. They don’t have to show it.” Still, McLenon and others say no one has yet studied the effect specific images about the covid vaccine have on people because it’s so new. And the desire to get back to a more normal society may help those with a fear of needles push

themselves to get a covid vaccine, whereas they might not feel the same way about, say, an annual flu vaccination. Hoffmann, who said his fear began after extensive dental work as a child, said he intends to get a shot. But when his turn comes, he said, he’ll likely be very nervous; his heart will race and he will sweat. Unlike some people with a fear of needles, he does not faint, although he understands that reaction. “A lot of people assume that what I’m afraid of is the pain,” said Hoffmann. The worst part for him, he said, is how he can’t control his fear in that public setting. And it’s embarrassing. “I’m not alone when it happens. The person giving me the injection sees it. I can’t hide it.” The emergency use authorization granted Feb. 27 by the Food and Drug Administration for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is good news for people like Hoffmann. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines currently available require two doses, spaced a few weeks apart. Which means facing fears twice. Whether it’s one or two shots, experts suggest a variety of steps to help people who struggle get through the process — bring a support person, take deep breaths, stay positive, just to name a few. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We come by it honestly,” said Gallagher from the University of Pennsylvania. “Anxiety is likely making it into a bigger monster” than it should be. “It’s not worth beating yourself up about.” Facing the fear For the millions of Americans who have some fear of needles, there are ways to help yourself cope, say experts. • Put it in perspective. Be positive about the reasons you are getting the vaccine and remember that the pain will be short-lived, like a stubbed toe, said Thea Gallagher, director of the clinic at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania. For those getting the two-dose regimens, “be objective about how the first one went,” she said, “and that you got through it.” • Bring a support person. Some vaccination sites will allow this. Ask. • Practice deep breathing or other techniques to help stay calm at the site. Eat something and drink water beforehand; it reduces the chance of fainting. And you can request being inoculated in a reclined position. • Tell your vaccinator of your concerns. “When you get there, you can say, ‘Look, I don’t like needles.’ The health care providers are used to that,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. • Don’t be afraid to seek professional help if your fear is intense but you feel strongly about getting vaccinated. A therapist can use cognitive-behavioral techniques or exposure therapy to help, said Dr. Jeffrey Geller, president of the American Psychiatric Association. KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. n

PH has so far vaccinated 44,000 against...

PAGE A1 The Philippines kicked off its COVID-19 vaccination program last Monday, March 1 after the arrival of 600,000 doses of CoronaVac, the vaccine pro-

duced by China’s Sinovac BioTech. The first to get vaccinated was the director of the Philippine General Hospital, Dr. Gerardo “Gap” Legaspi.

Also last week, over 400,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were delivered. Earlier, Malacañang said more than 29,000 individuals had been vaccinated against COVID-19. n

How Noel Quintana’s faith led him to... PAGE A3 fact, he is embracing it. “I guess you can call it the bright side of the incident because may action na nangyayari (there is action going on). Hindi yung naging victim ka lang at wala ka nang nagawa (It’s not that you just became a victim and did nothing),” he said. “Even if I was victimized, in my little own way, I would contribute in helping other Asians to not experience what I went through. I don’t want others to experience what I have experienced.” He is urging people to be safe and aware, to take videos and report incidents. He is also hoping for the strengthening of laws against hate crime. “It is important for me to voice my story so that people would be aware. Most of the time, Asians, in general, are shy, timid people. We keep things to ourselves, so it is important to reach out to other people, especially to our government, that we are also part of the society and we should not be ne-

glected by them,” he said. It has been weeks since the incident and the scars have healed somehow but there’s still a little pain here and there, according to him. On top of that, he admitted he is still unable to sleep as the horrific scene keeps on replaying in his mind. “Hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin ako makatulog ng maayos (To this day I still can’t sleep well). I try not to think about it and do meditation pero yun pa din ang problema ko, hindi pa rin ako makatulog (but that’s still my problem, I still can’t sleep),” he shared, adding that he continues to undergo counseling sessions. And when asked about his advice to kababayans who might be unnerved by his story and now scared to take the subway, he gave the following advice: “Be alert [of] your surroundings and magpasensya na lang din siguro tayo, umiwas (and we should be understanding too, and stay away [from trouble]).” Quintana is hopeful that in due

time he will be completely healed psychologically and physically and that he’d be able to wear the scar across his face like a true survivor. For now, he says he derives strength from God and members of the community who continue to reach out to him and send him their prayers and support. A GoFundMe page (https://gofund.me/98ac2db9) to support Quintana has received nearly $5,000 as of this writing. As New York State Attorney General Letitia James told the crowd, “When I think of Noel, I think of the words of Dr. King. It is the good people who fail to stand up. It is the silence of good people who fail to stand up, who allow racism and hate to persist and so all of us are here today, all of us who believe in the goodness of one another. All of us who recognize that his scars will heal but the scars of hate, and the taint of hate, and the pain of hate that we have got to cure, so all of us must stand together.” (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCh 10-12, 2021

DATELINE PHILIPPINES

With 2,668 new infections, COVID-19 cases in Philippines cross 600,000 by GAeA

KATReeNA Philstar.com

CAbiCO

MANILA — Coronavirus infections in the Philippines climbed past 600,000 Tuesday, March 9 after the Department of Health reported 2,668 additional cases. Nearly a year since the government first imposed lockdowns, the country’s caseload reached 600,428. Of these, 41,822, or 7%, are active cases. This is the first time in five Students wearing protective face masks have their temperatures taken while entering their college campus in Manila on January 31, 2020. Philstar.com photo days that the country reported fewer than 3,000 additional cases. The department also announced that 171 more patients recovered from the disease, pushing total recoveries to 546,078. government [that] has practically saw to the installation of water faby CHRiSTiAN DeipARiNe Meanwhile, seven new deaths abandoned our youth and has tied cilities, hiring of school nurse and Philstar.com related to COVID-19 were their future to the availability of retrofitting of classrooms in the logged, raising the fatality MANILA — Classes in Metro the vaccines.” past months among other meacount to 12,528. ■ Manila were called off on this day DepEd in January 2021 said it sures,” ACT said. in 2020 as the coronavirus crisis has yet to see signs of a massive Education officials have yet to unfolded in the country. But the dropout with the second quarter convince Duterte to allow a pilot suspension initially thought to last of the school year ongoing al- run of in-person learning, which a few days has stretched to a year though surveys have suggested he shelved in December 2020 due now, with plans for a safe reopen- teachers do not think students are to the threat of a new COVID-18 Overall, 1.4 million jobs were re- ing still unclear. learning as much as they should. variant. stored during the period. President Rodrigo Duterte’s In the poll by the Movement for But in a Senate education The biggest improvement was declaration of a class suspension Safe, Equitable, Quality and Rel- committee hearing last week, recorded in Metro Manila where after a meeting with Metro Manila evant Education, 70.9% of 1,395 members of the upper chamsome 269,000 jobs were re- mayors was only supposed to last teacher respondents said they ber told the agency to narrow stored, with the unemployment until March 14, 2020 but students are not confident that students down the number of schools for rate declining to 8.8% from have yet to go back to their class- are able to grasp concepts being the proposed study. With over a 12.4%. rooms since then. taught. thousand schools eyed, senators In a joint statement, the finance Classes, which only began in OcGrowing calls for safe resump- said officials are unlikely to get and budget departments and the tober 2020, have been carried out tion Duterte’s nod. National Economic and Develop- remotely under the education deThe much-needed vaccines Groups have since stressed that ment Authority said the smaller partment’s distance learning. against the coronavirus arrived the longer schools remained shut, progress in the past quarter sugBut by end of last year, the in the Philippines this March and the heavier the losses will be in gests that there is still a need to Duterte administration admitted the delayed vaccination program the long run for students and in address the remaining restric- that the setup is far from ideal, is udnerway. turn, on the economy. tions before the economy could with students struggling with lack It comes at a crucial time when Across the world, the United get closer to normal. of access to the internet and gad- two variants of the COVID-19 Nations Children’s Fund, UNI“As we further reopen the gets, and with errors in printed have already been detected in the CEF, said that 168 million stueconomy, we continue to see learning materials. Philippines and a spike in daily dents are affected by school closigns of recovery. The results Enrollment figures also saw cases. sures, a “catastrophic education are promising as it tells us that a significant decrease, with only The rollout of the program emergency” resulting from the we are on track to getting back 25 million opting to continue has led groups and even lawmak- pandemic lockdowns. most of the jobs we have lost schooling from the 27 million who ers to renew the call for allowing “With everyday that goes by, due to COVID-19 and the lock- enrolled in 2019. physical classes in areas with children unable to access in-perdowns,” the economic manag“Two million more out-of-school low virus transmission although son schooling fall further and ers said. youth while millions are not effec- Duterte previously said in-person further behind, with the most They pushed for the gradual tively learning, and many are on classes might not resume until marginalized paying the heaviest and safe relaxation of commu- the verge of dropping out,” said August. price,” UNICEF Executive Direcnity quarantine, expansion of the Raymond Basilio, secretary gen“Many schools in far-flung ar- tor Henrietta Fore said. “No effort age group allowed outdoors and eral of the Allianced of Concerned eas with zero COVID case could should be spared to keep schools the further reopening of public Teachers on Tuesday. “This is have been reopened safely by open, or prioritize them in retransport. ■ the grim legacy of the Duterte now had the Duterte government opening plans.” ■

A year since pandemic cancelled classes, plans unclear on return to classrooms

4 million Filipinos jobless in January by lOuiSe

MAuReeN Philstar.com

SiMeON

MANILA — Unemployment in the country rose to 8.7% in January, accounting for four million jobless Filipinos due to the pandemic, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday, March 9. This is steady from the October rate of 8.7% but higher than the 5.3% unemployment recorded in January 2020, still reflecting the relatively slower pace of economic recovery in the country. Malacañang said the government would reopen the economy to address unemployment. “Providing aid is not among the options. What we will do is first, reopen the economy; second, expand the age group that can go out and third, increase the modes of transportation,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said. Roque said the government has adopted a three-pronged strategy for economic recovery that involves the reopening of the economy without compromising

health standards, implementation of the recovery package under the Bayanihan 1 and 2 and the 2021 national budget as well as the vaccination program. The January unemployment rate is the third highest recorded since 2005. The first two were recorded in April and July 2020 at 17.6% and 10%, respectively, both at the height of the pandemic. The PSA said the country’s labor force population or Filipinos aged 15 and above rose to 74.73 million in January from 74.3 million in October last year. The labor force participation rate improved to 60.5% of the total working age population from 58.7%. The January 2021 participation rate is the fifth lowest recorded since 2005. This is equivalent to around 45.2 million economically active Filipinos, whether employed or looking for work. This means that while more people searched for livelihood as quarantine restrictions were eased, the number of jobs generated failed to match the supply.

Did you know you have safety and health protections from COVID-19 at work? Workers in California have the RIGHT to: • Protection from safety and health hazards, including COVID-19 • Report an unsafe workplace • Refuse to work in an unsafe condition To file a confidential complaint about an unsafe workplace, contact your nearest Cal/OSHA district office. It is illegal for your employer to reduce your hours, fire you or otherwise retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Learn more about your RIGHTS and how to contact Cal/OSHA at dir.ca.gov/covid.

Your Actions Save Lives

A6 March 10-12, 2021 • Socal aSIaN JOUrNaL

OpiniOn & Features

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Women in the time of COVID

WITH COVID-19 affecting the entire planet, some governments are doing better than others in pandemic response. And several of those with the best responses – as gleaned from both the health and economic indicators – are New Zealand, Taiwan, Denmark, Finland and Germany. They happen to have one thing in common: their governments are led by women. Such performance in a once-in-acentury catastrophic crisis says a lot about the leadership capabilities of women. This is being recognized in this year’s theme for International Women’s Day on March 8: “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.” Women also account for a substantial number of those in the frontlines of the battle against COVID: nurses, caregivers, doctors, scientists, social workers as well as those providing health care for persons suffering from psychological and emotional distress arising from the pandemic. The lockdowns have also seen a spike in domestic violence against women and girls as well as online sexual exploitation of children. While the leadership capabilities of women have been recognized, the United Nations reports that

women are heads of state or government only in 22 countries, and account for only 24.9 percent of national parliamentarians. At this rate, the UN estimates that it could take 130 years before gender equality is achieved among heads of government. And while many women are health frontliners in the pandemic, the UN reports that on average, they are paid 11 percent less than their male counterparts for the same work. A study of COVID teams in 87 countries found only 3.5 percent with gender parity. This month the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women will be held. Its theme Philstar.com photo gains more urgency in the pandemic: “Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of vio- powerment of all women and girls.” While there lence, for achieving gender equality and the em- have been significant gains in women empower-

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective

After a year of coronavirus pandemic: Help is on the way to the American people to save more lives and rebuild our nation for them to do their job and pass this bill so it gets to President Biden’s desk for his signature to make this legislation final and executory. As reported by NPR, the American Rescue Plan will provide: Direct payments The bill allocates funds for a third economic impact payment to qualifying Americans. Individuals earning up to $75,000 and couples earning up to $150,000 would receive the full direct payments of $1,400 per person. Individuals will also receive an additional $1,400 payment for each dependent claimed on their tax returns. Senate Democrats agreed to lower the income cutoff at which payments phase out from $100,000 to $80,000 for individuals, and from $200,000 to $160,000 for couples filing jointly, following demands from moderate Democrats. Unemployment benefits Under the Senate version, federal unemployment insurance payments will remain at $300 per week — down from $400 per week in the earlier package passed by the House. The benefits will extend through Sept. 6. The Senate’s bill makes the first $10,200 in unemployment payments nontaxable for households with incomes under $150,000. Child tax credit The legislation would temporarily expand the child tax credit, increasing the amount to $3,000 for children ages 6 to 17 and $3,600 for children under age 6. The amount is gradually re-

YOU, yes, you. You and all the ordinary hardworking Americans will finally get the much-needed help to defeat COVID-19, save more lives and rebuild our nation -- after a year of death, destruction and desperation brought by the coronavirus pandemic. Yes, YOU, and not just the millionaires and billionaires and corporations of America, have so much to look forward to in order to rebuild your livelihood that was disrupted by the pandemic. Despair no more. This will be made possible by the $1.9 Trillion coronavirus relief that “allocates money for vaccines, schools, small businesses and anti-poverty programs such as an expanded child tax credit that would mean new monthly payments to many parents,” the National Public Radio (NPR) reported. Following the process of passing legislation, the American Rescue Plan that the House of Representatives passed was sent to the Senate. The Senate, in turn, had to make some changes, which the NPR explained, are needed to satisfy Senate budget rules and to gain bipartisan support. This process required negotiations and compromise. No one party could get all that they wanted. This paved the way to the vote on the budget resolution which, the NPR reported, “set in motion a decades-old budget rule called reconciliation to get around the 60-vote threshold to end a filibuster and pass the legislation with a simple majority.” The Democrat-led Senate was

able to pass the bill because they have the numbers for a simple majority to do so even without Republican support to move the bill back to the House of Representatives. The Republicans refuse to support the bill which they contend is too broad, and does not just fund COVID-related urgent needs. The Democrats, on the other hand, counter-argue that “the bill takes a holistic look at the entire American economy and how it was affected by the pandemic.” “The major pieces of the bill — payments to individuals, extended unemployment, money for states and localities, money for schools — all of those things were in the COVID package that passed last year that all the Republicans voted for. So they were OK then, but they’re not OK now, and I frankly can’t really figure out that argument,” Maine’s Independent Senator Angus King pointed out. President Biden’s legislative agenda aims to help the American people and the nation “build back better,” a campaign promise he aims to fulfill with the support of Congress. Time is of the essence, especially for Americans who depend on the help coming from the enhanced unemployment benefits to pay for the basic needs of their families. Congressional leaders urgently push to get the bill to President Biden before March 14 — the date when current enhanced unemployment benefits are set to expire. ALL of us need to do our share to tell our representatives in Congress how important it is

Demand and Supply

Appreciating Pinoy talents

Gel SantoS-ReloS

Boo ChanCo AFTER being sworn in as an American citizen two weeks ago in St. Paul Minneapolis, Minnesota, Chess Grandmaster Wesley So said taking on US citizenship “doesn’t mean that I don’t love the Philippines. I have good memories from there, but I did not have the connections I needed in that culture. “I was from the province, not a city boy. Had no money, etc. I wanted to go further, and there is only one country that a nobody could make it. The USA.” So became the youngest grandmaster of the Philippines when he was 14 years old. It is well known he left the Philippines for the US after being exasperated with the politics of our local chess and national sports organizations. So is the inaugural World Fischer Random Chess champion, whipping world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen 13.5 to 2.5 points in the finals held from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, 2019 in the Norwegian’s

ment worldwide, there is still much work ahead. (Philstar.com)

home turf. He reasserted his supremacy over Carlsen not once, but twice in a span of a few months recently, beating the latter in the finals of Skilling Open, the first leg of the online Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, last November 2020, then again in the Europa Rapid meet finals in February this year. So’s story highlighted the long running problem with Philippine sports federations which have been plagued by corruption and favoritism for decades. Our inability to win medals in the Olympics is largely the result of politics infesting sports development in the country. Even Manny Pacquiao and countless other boxers have been victimized by our exploitative sports structure. Manny only got respect after winning big internationally. In recent years, those who make good in international sports are those who come from well to do families and are able to support their expenses for training and attendance in international competitions. It isn’t only sports. Our propensity to make it difficult for

fellow Pinoys to succeed can be seen even in an exalted field like Medicine. I came across the story of a talented Filipino doctor who went to the US for training, got his specialty credentials as a diplomate in neurosurgery. He opted to go home, anxious to practice, teach, and give back. Sadly, he found out his colleagues in neurosurgery did not welcome him. He could not get in as a faculty in UST (where he was an alumnus), neither in UP, UE, FEU or MCU, even though he offered to teach with no salary. None of the major hospitals in Metro Manila would take him as an active staff, but only allowed visiting privileges. It is not unexpected. Local doctors don’t want him or any foreign trained and credentialed Filipino doctors back. He patiently tried to work his way into the local system. Eventually, one hospital took him at the behest of a college buddy who knew the hospital CEO personally. The neurosurgery chief of the hospital in the US where he trained, upon learning about

duced for couples earning over $150,000 and individuals earning over $75,000 per year. Families eligible for the full credit would get payments of up to $300 per child per month from July through the end of the year. Congressional Democrats and the White House may want to figure out how to make the credit permanent. Paycheck Protection Program The bill includes $7.25 billion in new money for the small-business loan program known as PPP and would allow more nonprofits to apply, including those groups that engage in advocacy and some limited lobbying. It also allows larger nonprofits to be eligible. Education There are over $128 billion in grants to state educational agencies, with 90% allocated to local educational agencies, plus $39 billion in grants to higher education institutions. Nearly $15 billion in funds are directed to the Child Care & Development Block Grant program to help support child care facilities, particularly in high-need areas. The Senate version added a provision to make any student loan forgiveness passed between Dec. 31, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2026, tax-free — rather than having the forgiven debt be treated as taxable income. Support for low-income families The bill includes $4.5 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, to help families with home heating and cooling costs.

One provision would give the agriculture secretary the authority and funding to temporarily boost the value of cash vouchers for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) up to $35 per month for women and children for a four-month period during the pandemic. There is $1.4 billion in funding for programs authorized under the Older Americans Act, including support for nutrition programs, community-based support programs and the National Family Caregiver Support Program. The bill provides $37 million to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for low-income seniors. Public health The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to receive $7.5 billion to track, administer and distribute COVID-19 vaccines. Another $46 billion would go toward diagnosing and tracing coronavirus infections, and $2 billion would go toward buying and distributing various testing supplies and personal protective equipment. Industry support There’s a variety of provisions in the legislation to offer support to different industries. The Small Business Administration would get $25 billion for a new grant program for “restaurants and other food and drinking establishments.” Grants would be up to $10 million per entity and $5 million per physical location, with a maximum of 20 locations. The legislation sets aside $5 billion of the total money to

be targeted to businesses with less than $500,000 in revenue in 2019. The bill includes another $1.25 billion for the Small Business Administration’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program. To support the transportation sector, the bill allocates nearly $30 billion for transit costs, including payroll and personal protective equipment; $8 billion for airports; $3 billion for a temporary payroll support program to help support the aerospace manufacturing industry; and $1.5 billion to recall and pay Amtrak employees who were furloughed because of the pandemic and to restore various daily routes. Another $15 billion would also be allocated to support workers in the airline industry. Rental assistance There is $25 billion for emergency rental assistance, including $5 billion for emergency housing vouchers for people experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence and victims of human trafficking. ***

his plight, wrote and offered to help him return to the US if he wanted to, saying, “You would think they should embrace you with your training. You are a man without a country.” But he was not deterred. “Did fairly well very slowly, enough to buy a used car and a home with the help of my wife who taught in UP. Curiously, I had to buy my own portable operating microscope, specialty neurosurgery instruments… none of the hospitals had them. All the neurosurgeons had their own equipment.” This doctor didn’t take the snub personally. He said that perhaps we have just developed a tenacious instinct for survival, topped by unsinkable, maybe misplaced, pride. “We can argue beyond self, that the locals’ brazen efforts to block outsiders are outright wrong! But realistically, we who return to practice in the Philippines, regardless of lofty aims and purposes, are serious competition in the profession and a threat to their income and livelihood. Would we, if we were in their shoes, act or do any different?” So, this doctor thought that “rather than fight fire with fire, I opted to humble myself and

took extra effort to keep a low profile, be one of the guys. The initial enmity, which was overt, has gradually softened.” Actually, the local medical community has been inhospitable not just to returning medical practitioners who are seen as competition. They are also making it difficult for medical missions organized by USbased Filipino doctors. Visiting Fil-Am doctors who serve for free should not be seen as competition. Since 1998 Fil-Am doctors have met with seven different secretaries of health to try and work things out to no avail. In 2016, leaders of medical mission groups formed the FilAmerican Initiative to Transform the Homeland (FAITH) and once more they met with the DOH secretary and Philippine Medical Association leaders. A memorandum of agreement was drawn up by 2017, but has not been signed by DOH Secretary Francisco Duque. We need a new attitude that looks at all Filipinos, including those in our diaspora, as allies in the task of building our nation. In Medicine, so much change and progress is happening and interaction between our foreign-based doctors and

local practitioners should be helpful. As this neurosurgeon puts it, “There is much to do in Medicine and for the country as a whole, and the hurdles are many, and steep. We cannot give up on our Philippines now. Shouldn’t we who are in positions to help be part of it?” Our inability to appreciate Pinoy talent out of jealousy or simply because they don’t fit into our culture of corruption explains why there is so much misery in our country today. We could be roaring with the region’s tiger economies if we welcomed and used all the talents Filipinos have worldwide. A change of attitude is called for. We must put out a wide welcome mat for Filipinos returning from the diaspora to help us improve life in the motherland. Our ability to compete and even survive depends on it. (Philstar. com) ***

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 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.

*** Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@ gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @ boochanco

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mdwk T h e A s ian Jour nal MDW K M A G A Z I NE - M a rc h 10, 2 0 2 1

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Pinay chef Isa Fabro voices restaurant owner in Netflix’s new animated series ‘City of Ghosts’ F

by Christina

M. Oriel / AJPress

ILIPINA American chef Isa Fabro can now add voice actor to her growing résumé. Fabro — who creates Filipino-inspired desserts and conceptual pop-ups under IsaMADE — voices Chef Jo in the first episode of “City of Ghosts,” Netflix’s new documentary-style animated series that follows a group of friends from different backgrounds as they interact with ghosts and learn about the rich history of LA’s neighborhoods. “I’m opening an Asianinspired eatery here in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles,” narrates Chef Jo, who dons purple hair in a top bun and round fuchsia glasses. “I’ve been working all over LA, and this is the first time I’m gonna be able to cook my own food in my own place.” As Chef Jo prepares for the grand opening, strange occurrences start to happen, from the sink turning on by itself to appliances being tossed out. Her friend Mariko (voiced by chef Kuniko Yagi) suggests get-

ting help from the Ghost Club, a group of adolescents led by Boyle Heights resident Zelda (August Nuñez). The paranormal activity uncovers the neighborhood’s Japanese community and stories of the family who owned the restaurant before Chef Jo. Along the way, the Ghost Club takes viewers inside their meeting place, the LA Central Library in Downtown, and gets a lesson in making gyoza (dumplings). The first season of “City of Ghosts” features six 20-minute

Isa Fabro voices Chef Jo (far right) in the first episode of Netflix’s “City of Ghosts.” Eva (Kirikoiu Muldrew) and Zelda (August Nunez) are part of the Ghost Club and uncover a ghost named Janet (Judy Hayashi) at the restaurant. Photo courtesy of Netflix

episodes featuring neighborhoods, such as Leimert Park and Koreatown, and groups like the Tongva, the indigenous people of the Los Angeles basin. Ghosts are presented as traces of storytelling and history, rather than a haunting presence. Though a children’s show, it’s a fun, informative binge watch for Angelenos — and those who want to learn more about the city beyond Hollywood and the stereotypes — of all ages. “There’s a lot of history out there. There are stories that people don’t know about…in these neighborhoods that are very much a part of LA, that you may just drive through or don’t know about. But they are there to be enjoyed, discovered and experienced,” Fabro told the Asian Journal. Fabro was first approached with the project Continued on Page 2 Chef Isa Fabro of IsaMADE

Pinay actresses Liza Soberano and Shay Mitchell will voice Alexandra Trese in the upcoming Netflix original anime series “Trese.”

Liza Soberano, Shay Mitchell to voice Alexandra Trese in upcoming Netflix anime series By Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

ACTRESSES Liza Soberano and Shay Mitchell have been cast to voice supernatural detective Alexandra Trese in the upcoming Netflix original anime series “Trese.” Soberano and Mitchell will be lending their voices for the titular character of the highlyanticipated anime series, Netflix Philippines announced on Monday, March 8. The series is based on the Philippine graphic novel created by Budjette Tan and KaJO Baldisimo. “Call Alexandra… cause I’ve got news. It’s official, @ lizasoberano [and] @shaymitch are Alexandra Trese!!! May strong women always lend a voice to one another, especially when there’s an aswang or two Contributed photo around. Happy International

Women’s Day,” the streaming platform said in a tweet. Soberano will voice Alexandra Trese in the Filipino language version of the series. She took to Twitter to share her excitement over the project. “Screaming on the inside!!!!!! It’s an honor to be the voice of an iconic character such as Alexandra Trese. I’m a huge fan of Budjette and KaJO’s award-winning Trese comics. Maraming salamat! Excited nako (Thank you so much! I’m excited)!” she said. Filipina-Canadian Mitchell, who previously starred in “Pretty Little Liars” and Netflix’s “You,” will voice the female lead character in the English version. “I’m so excited to be a part of a unique and amazing project like Trese, and to voice a character as brilliant as Alexandra Trese. Philippine folklore is rich Continued on Page 2

entertainment T h e A s ian Jour nal MDW K M A G A Z I NE - M a rc h 10, 2 0 2 1

Silk Sonic’s Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak

Fabro’s character, Chef Jo, is a restaurant owner in Boyle Heights who experiences some strange activity.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Pinay chef Isa Fabro voices...

From Page 1 in 2018 and sat down with the show’s creator, Elizabeth Ito, an Emmy Award-winning story board artist and writer who’s worked on “Adventure Time” and “Phineas and Ferb.” During the hours-long conversation, Fabro shared her experiences as a small business owner and a woman of color working at fine-dining restaurants throughout the city. “From that first interview, they actually took a lot of that and modeled the character of Chef Jo after what I had said,” Fabro said. “They sent me artwork too. There were different character designs of what they thought maybe Chef Jo would look like and it’s definitely me.” Nearly three years later, Fabro’s mannerisms, facial expressions and back story loosely come to life in Chef Jo. Fabro, born in Canada to Filipino parents, was raised in LA where she went on to work in the music and film industries in her 20s before attending culinary school and charting a career in food, first on the savory side before pastry. After a life-changing trip to Illustrations of Chef Jo the Philippines, she ventured carioca; mango royale pie, an off on her own to start IsaMAicebox cake inspired by crema DE, which puts Filipino flavors de fruita; and Food for the at the forefront. Gods, chewy bars comprised Some of her popular pasof dates and nuts often astries include: coconut malas, sociated with the Christmas a hybrid of Hawaiian malasaseason. dasand Filipino sweet rice balls “I really threw myself into

Image courtesy of Atlantic Records

Bruno Mars debuts new song with Anderson .Paak by

AJPress

GRAMMY Award winners Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak have joined forces under the moniker Silk Sonic to debut the smooth-sounding new single, “Leave the Door Open.” The song was released on Friday, March 5, along with an intro track featuring “special guest host” Bootsy Collins — both of which will be included in the forthcoming album “An Evening With Silk Sonic.” “Even though the classic R&B sound the pair evokes is a decade older than they are, both the song and the arrangement are pitch-perfect, with swooning strings, honeyed backing vocals and even a

glockenspiel — think Delfonics, the Chi-Lites and basically everything on the Philadelphia International label,” Variety said of the song. “Leave the Door Open” was produced by Mars and D’Mile, and written by Mars, .Paak, D’Mile and Brody Brown. Mars and .Paak announced their collaborative effort last week. “We made an album!! Y’all get the first song next Friday 3/5!! Rocket emojis and all that!!!” .Paak wrote on his Instagram. For his part, Mars said: “We locked in and made an album. The band’s called Silk Sonic. First song drops next Friday.”

But this isn’t the first time Mars and Paak have worked together. In 2017, they toured extensively together, with .Paak serving as the supporting act on the European leg of Mars’ “24k Magic” world tour. Mars hasn’t released another album since 2016’s “24K Magic,” which earned him six Grammy Awards including the coveted Album of the Year. His wins marked the first time a Filipino-American has won multiple accolades in the major categories at the Grammy Awards. .Paak’s 2019 album “Ventura” won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, marking his first-ever win in an album category.

Robbery victim Xian: You can never be too careful By MArinel

Cruz

Inquirer.net

“STOP blaming the victim.” Thus said Xian Lim, whose house was ransacked and robbed last January. The actor said he had read some articles Contributed photo saying celebrity vloggers like him should not show too much [‘City of Ghosts’]. I’m kind of of what’s in their homes, lest a cartoon character already,” robbers could easily plan on Fabro said. “I love all kinds of how to break and enter. creativity and storytelling…I “People are always going would totally do it again.” to find someone to blame. I did “City of Ghosts,” which read people saying it’s not right premiered on March 5, is now for vloggers to reveal too much available to stream on Netflix. of what’s inside their houses, Xian Lim but really, it’s not right to shift the blame onto the victim,” Xian Xian said thinking about the told reporters during a recent incident would still cause his virtual gathering for his latest heart rate to rise quickly. What show “1000 Heartbeats-Pintig he said was actually related to Pinoy” on TV5. the concept of the quiz show “The issue here should be he would be hosting for TV5 that it’s wrong to steal. Vlog“1000 Heartbeats-Pintig Pinoy” gers are going to do what wherein a contestant’s heartvloggers want to do. For me, beats are continuously counted that shouldn’t be wrong,” he and deducted from an initial pointed out. “Now, should 1,000 points. there be limitations on what we The local version of the should show on our channels? British daytime game show will I don’t think creative people premiere on TV5 on March 21 should be forced into holding at 8 p.m. back. No holds barred dapat. Xian was also asked what The bottom line here is that it’s past controversy made his heart wrong to steal.” race, to which he replied: “I’m Xian added: “It’s also your no longer at a stage where job to keep your family safe I would easily get nervous and do whatever is necessary in because of rumors. I’ve already order for this not to happen to accepted that whatever I do, your home; and in my case, for people would always have it not to happen again.” something to say about me, In his Instagram post, Xian whether positive or negasaid robbers had shattered tive. When I was just starting, some of the window glasses and I would still question a lot of hammered the metal grills bethings. These days, I just strive fore going in and taking all the to be better at what I do every TV sets and computers. He has single day.” already reported the incident to Xian also said that his relathe police, Xian said. tionship with actress Kim Chiu, “After I’ve filed the case, I onscreen and off, is now pretty realized that I could no longer much stable. “When our love take it further. There’s no more team, KimXi, was just starting, next step. It will just be a waste mainit-init pa, people had all of your energy if you look for sorts of things to say. We just these people. It’s just a matter kept doing our thing and, evenof not letting it happen again,” tually, all the buzz died down.” the actor declared. “You can Does Kim still make his never be too careful. That’s the heart race? “Of course she moral of the story.” still does. I always say that for

TV5 photo

a relationship to succeed, you should work on it every single day. You should never feel complacent,” he declared. Since Xian started in the biz in 2009, he has worn numerous hats: as an actor, singer, concert performer, events host and filmmaker. “1000 Heartbeats” is Xian’s first shot at being a game show host. “Have I felt jitters the first time? Definitely. The same goes for all the projects I’ve done in the past. I remember what Direk Bobet (Vidanes, program director) told me, ‘It’s OK to feel nervous. It only means that this project means the whole world to you. You should start worrying if you’re no longer feeling anything at all.’ That’s why I simply tried to enjoy the show. While it’s nerve-wracking, it’s actually a fun type of game show.” As to which part of the show resonated with Xian the most, he said: “We’ve shot a couple of episodes already and what really hit me emotionally was that most contestants come to the show with a goal: to bring home the grand prize because, for example, they want to help build a home for their aging parents. When contestants break down, I, as a host, get teary-eyed, too. It gets personal for me when contestants start talking about their families.”

Liza Soberano, Shay Mitchell to voice...

From Page 1 and fascinating, and I am thrilled to be a part of the team bringing this story to life,” she said. “Trese” tells the story of Alexandra Trese, who protects Manila from threats of the supernatural kind such as tikbalang and kapre. It is executive produced by Jay Oliva and produced by Shanty Harmayn and Tanya Yuson of BASE Entertainment, a Jakarta and Singapore-based studio. Oliva, a Filipino American, is an executive producer, director, and showrunner for several animated series as well as the founder and CEO of Lex and Otis animation studio. He directed “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” 1 and 2, and worked as a storyboard artist for live-action films such as “Man of Steel.” In a release to the media, he admitted that casting Alexandra Trese was going to be challenging.

Alexandra Trese is a supernatural detective from the Philippine graphic novel created by Budjette Tan and KaJO Baldisimo. Photo courtesy of Netflix

“It is important for the voice talent to embrace the layered character to fully become Alexandra Trese,” he said. “My concerns went away as soon as Shay Mitchell stepped into the recording booth. Shay’s Alexandra exceeded my expectations and she delivers a performance of strength, determination and family duty that is at the very core of the character,” he added. Oliva also praised Sober-

ano’s casting, saying he was a “big fan” of hers. “If that wasn’t enough, imagine my delight when we confirmed Liza Soberano joining the Filipino voice cast! I am a big fan of hers and she fits the character so well. Having Liza play Alexandra Trese for the series makes this project even more special to me and my team!” he said. “Trese” will be released on Netflix later this year.

New California law gives greater protection to homeowners in bankruptcy Minding Your Finances Atty. rAyMond BUlAon THIS has got to be the BEST NEWS for homeowners who are filing for bankruptcy to get out of debt! Given the huge job losses and high unemployment rate that have left many unable to pay their debts, this may be the biggest change in the law that can help many people protect and keep the substantial equity they have in their family home. On September 18, Governor Newsom signed AB 1885 into law which took effect on January 1, 2021. What exactly is AB 1885 all about and how does it benefit homeowners? In California, prior law (Section 704.730 of the Code of Civil Procedure) provided that a specified portion of the equity in your residence was exempt from execution to satisfy a judgment debt: $75,000 for single person, $100,000 for a married couple (or the debtor and a dependent living in the residence) and $175,000 for homeowners over 65 years of age or disabled. So, for example, if a judgment creditor were to force a sale of your residence to satisfy the judgment, these were the amounts that they could not take from you. But what if you had substantial equity in your home that was above these amounts? Well, under the law, you were simply out of luck. These exemption amounts also apply if you were to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If your home equity exceeded the al-

lowable exemptions amount, a bankruptcy trustee can force a sale of your home to pay creditors. While the old law did provide protection to SOME homeowners, it still was not enough to protect those homeowners with higher equity amounts. So, if you have worked hard all your life and have accumulated significant equity in your home, the old law not only left you vulnerable to judgment creditors but would have also put your family home at risk of being lost. Enter the new law. AB 1885 was passed to amend these outdated homestead exemption amounts. Beginning the 1st of next year 2021, you now get to exempt the greater of $300,000 or the median sale price of a single-family home last year in your county, not to exceed $600,000. To help you understand what this means for you, here are some projections for several counties: 1. Los Angeles: $600,000 (Estimated Median = $645,000) 2. Riverside: $400,500 3. Orange: $600,000 (Estimated Median = $765,497) 4. San Bernardino: $370,215 So, let us say you were married and lived in Los Angeles County. If your home was worth $550,000 and you still owed $100,000 on it, that means you have $450,000 in equity. Normally, filing Chapter 7 (which only allowed a $100,000 homestead exemption for married couples) would have been a problem. Under the new law, however, since you get to exempt $600,000 instead of only $100,000, you can file bankruptcy without losing you home. Going forward, these

dollar amounts will continue to be adjusted by inflation. In Chapter 13 where the court also looks at the unprotected home equity in determining how much a should pay, the old law made the Chapter 13 plan payment too high and unaffordable to a lot of people. The higher homestead protection amounts will now make a lot of Chapter 13 plans affordable by significantly reducing the amount that has to be paid in a lot of cases. For people in dire financial situations caused by COVID19 who could not obtain bankruptcy relief under the old law, this new law provides the greatest protection that we have not had for a very long time. Homeowners who are crippled with overwhelming debt will now be able, in many situations, to file bankruptcy and discharge their unsecured debt while keeping their home 100% safe. Of course, every case is different, and you should seek the advice of a competent bankruptcy attorney to fully understand your legal rights. If you are in debt and need to find a way out, I can help you figure out all possible options. *** NOTE: Due to the current lockdown order caused by COVID-19, I am offering free consultations BY PHONE to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems. . *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)

An old tale on self-absorption Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA

(Part 1 of 2)

“Vanity of vanities; ALL is vanity.” — From Ecclesiastes

of sacrifice still remains the most concrete, visible form of WE now live in an age of love for another. extreme self-absorption. Many In the end, happiness finally already believe they have comes with the humble awarebecome legends in their own ness and quiet appreciation of minds. They believe the world what was, what is and what is revolves around them and that yet to come — right now, right their personal happiness is here where we live our days paramount. and nights. Following the lead of Long ago when enchanted celebrities in the sports and creatures peopled the earth, entertainment world, we are there was a nymph called Echo. being led by the media to beShe probably rated a nine lieve that life is all about I, Me and a half on a 10 point-atand Myself at center stage. The tractiveness scale, gorgeous, songs and stories in popular knowledgeable and perfect in media all amplify and sell the every way except for one thing story of self-love as the highest — she was a chatterbox nonform of love. pareil. She liked to hear herself We have all the electronic talk far too much and perhaps, tools for self-absorption at with a tinge of hubris, would hand: camera phones, comput- insist on having the last word in ers, tablets, Facebook, Twitter every conversation. and other forms of social media Juno, the queen of the and the unceasing, unrelenting Gods, was so irked by Echo’s advertising messages that prick habit that she meted out a our vanity. We have become punishment just for her. Echo the stars in our own firmament. will no longer be able to talk, It’s not a new phenomenon except for one tiny concession though. Advanced, wealthy civ- — she will be able to say only ilizations in history have fallen the last word. for the same trap. Maybe it’s In the same forest where time to dredge out those stothe nymphs lived, there was a ries from mythology, told and young man named Narcissus retold from the distant past so who was so classically handwe can better understand how some and perfectly proporto deal with this disconcerting tioned that all the nymphs trend and see how too much oohed and ahhed and fell in self-absorption eventually lead love with him at first sight. to despondency and unhappiPicture Michelangelo’s ness. marble sculpture of “David” in The antidote to self-abflesh and blood or a composite sorption, like for many ills that between diCaprio and Brad plague our world today, is still Pitt. If he were real person the same as it was in the past today, he would have made — love and concern for others, the cover of People Magazine’s interest in the well-being of “Sexiest Man of the Year.” His someone or being involved fans became legion that all that in something bigger, higher, adulation got into his head. loftier than one’s self. The idea He became extremely vain. No

nymph was good enough for him. One day, Echo espied Narcissus while he was hunting with his peers and fell like a ton of bricks in love with him. She longed to tell him of her feelings, but in her afflicted state, she became painfully shy and simply contented herself silently watching him from a distance, shadowing Narcissus’ every move. Narcissus, however, became aware of her shadowy presence and talked her out of her hiding place. Echo could only repeat the last words of what Narcissus was saying in their conversation so she may have came out sounding like a mindless idiot, vexing Narcissus. Besotted with love for the hunk however and believing Narcissus’ plea that she come out so they can be joined together, she finally overcame her crippling shyness and revealed herself. However, Narcissus felt she wasn’t good enough for him and scorned her for her bold presumptuousness and repudiated her total being. He sent her away devastating Echo in the most cutting words, slashing and burning her very existence, swearing he would rather die than be with Echo. (To be continued …) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Sharon thrilled to star in comeback movie ‘Revirginized’ By Ricky

cAldeRon

ManilaTimes.net

THE Sharonians have nothing to worry about Megastar Sharon Cuneta’s comeback film under Viva Films titled “Revirginized” seems shocking. Sharon is being handled for the first time by the now controversial young director Daryll Yap who eats bashing for breakfast. “The title is shocking but I liked the story and I’d like to assure my fans that I am accepting the project because I am portraying something I haven’t

done before,” Sharon told the press during the zoom presscon of the movie last Sunday. She also has no qualms working with a young director. As a newbie in the biz before, Sharon worked with new directors. If not for these directors who gambled on a newbie like her, the Megastar said she probably won’t be at her lofty status now. In “Revirginized,” Sharon is playing the role of Carmela who at the age of 16 bore a child, thus robbing her of a chance to enjoy her still young

life since she is taking care of a baby. The role seems tailor made for Sharon who became a mother of 19. When asked if having a baby at 19 robbed her of her “pagkadalaga,” Sharon said no. But she was robbed of privacy and anonymity because she was already a celebrity at that time. She is also not afraid on what could be the possible reaction of her husband Senator Kiko Pangilinan if he watches the movie. She said Kiko will probably be surprised but Continued on Page 4

community 3 How to obtain custody and visitation rights for unmarried dads T h e As ian Jou r n al MDWK MAGAZ IN E - M arch 1 0 , 2 0 2 1

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes ESTABLISHING parentage rights for Moms is a lot easier than establishing one for unmarried Dads. Moms can establish this by simply showing proof of her having given birth to the child. Family Code §7610. Establishing parentage rights, including custody and visitation rights, becomes more problematic with unmarried Dads because proving yourself as the biological father does not automatically make you the natural father of the child. Under the family code, there are competing presumptions of paternity which allows the non biological father to be deemed the natural father of the child. A typical situation is when boyfriend gets girlfriend pregnant. Girlfriend for some reason decides to exclude boyfriend from baby’s life so she breaks up with boyfriend, does not give the boyfriend any information about her delivery, and does not state the boyfriend as the father in the birth certificate or decides to name someone else as the father. Girlfriend does this because her parents disapprove of the ex boyfriend. One way a presumption of Paternity is created is by executing a voluntary declaration of paternity. A Voluntary declarations executed before 1997 give rise to a conclusive presumption of paternity and can be overcome only by blood or genetic tests ordered on noticed motion by the mother or presumed father must be made within three years of the date of execution of the voluntary declaration Family.Code. § 7576; Kevin Q. v. Lauren W. (2009) 175 CA4th 1119, 1133, 95 CR3d 477, 485 If the voluntary declaration of paternity is executed after 1996, it is not characterized as a conclusive presumption. Instead, it “shall establish the paternity of a child and shall have the same force and effect as a judgment for paternity issued by a court of competent jurisdiction” and trumps §7611 presumptions discussed below. A post 1996 voluntary declaration of paternity “shall be recognized as a basis for the establishment of an order for child custody, visitation, or child support.” Family .Code §§ 7573, 7644; Kevin Q. v. Lauren W., supra, 175 CA4th at 1132, 95 CR3d at 485; In re J.L. (2008) 159 CA4th 1010, 1019, 72 CR3d 27, 33. Another way of establishing presumed father status is if you fall under any of the categories listed (a) to (f) under family code §7611: (a) He and the child’s natural mother are or have been

married to each other and the child is born during the marriage, or within 300 days after the marriage is terminated by death, annulment, declaration of invalidity, or divorce, or after a judgment of separation is entered by a court. (b) Before the child’s birth, he and the child’s natural mother have attempted to marry each other by a marriage solemnized in apparent compliance with law, although the attempted marriage is or could be declared invalid, and either of the following is true: (1) If the attempted marriage could be declared invalid only by a court, the child is born during the attempted marriage, or within 300 days after its termination by death, annulment, declaration of invalidity, or divorce. (2) If the attempted marriage is invalid without a court order, the child is born within 300 days after the termination of cohabitation. (c) After the child’s birth, he and the child’s natural mother have married, or attempted to marry, each other by a marriage solemnized in apparent compliance with law, although the attempted marriage is or could be declared invalid, and either of the following is true: (1) With his consent, he is named as the child’s father on the child’s birth certificate. (2) He is obligated to support the child under a written voluntary promise or by court order. (d) He receives the child into his home and openly holds out the child as his natural child. (e) If the child was born and resides in a nation with which the United States engages in an Orderly Departure Program or successor program, he acknowledges that he is the child’s father in a declaration under penalty of perjury, as specified in Section 2015.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure. This subdivision shall remain in effect only until January 1, 1997, and on that date shall become inoperative. (f) The child is in utero after the death of the decedent and the conditions set forth in Section 249.5 of the Probate Code are satisfied. An alleged biological father who does not meet any of the § 7611 conditions for presumed father status has no constitutionally-protected “liberty interest” in establishing a parentage relationship with a child as against the rights of a presumptive father who has an extant parentage relationship with the child. Dawn D. v. Super.Ct. (Jerry K.) (1998) 17 C4th 932, 940–942, 72 CR2d 871, 876–877 The facts get even more complicated if the girlfriend, whom boyfriend gets pregnant is married to another man because the law provides a conclusive presumption of paternity to the husband of the girlfriend. Under Family Code §7540, the child of a wife cohabiting at

time of conception with her husband, who is not impotent or sterile, is “conclusively” presumed to be a child of the marriage. This conclusive presumption may be challenged by showing that the husband was sterile. It may also be challenged by filing a motion for blood or genetic testing under Family Code §7541 but this has to be done within 2 years of the childs birth. In addition, only persons with standing can bring this motion which is limited to the husband, child, mother and a presumed father as listed in Family Code §7611 and 7612. Even absent a recognized rebuttal, the court has discretion as a matter of due process not to apply § 7540 conclusive presumption of paternity when it would not further the statute’s underlying policies of preserving the integrity and stability of an extant marital family, protecting children from the stigma of “illegitimacy,” and promoting individual rather than State responsibility for child support ... as where the ostensible § 7540 presumptive father never developed a parental relationship with the child and the only established parent-child relationship is with a third person. Brian C. v. Ginger K. (2000) 77 CA4th 1198, 1200–1201, 92 CR2d 294, 296; In re Kiana A. (2001) 93 CA4th 1109, 1115, 113 CR2d 669, 675. Procedurally, the ex boyfriend should file a Petition for Parentage as soon as the child is born. While the case is pending, the ex boyfriend may seek temporary visitation order although this may be on a limited or even monitored basis. If successful in proving parentage, the ex boyfriend may be granted custody and visitation rights. However, the ex boyfriend would also have the obligation of paying child support based on California guidelines. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com. Visit our website at Kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)

Gerald confirms what people knew all along

By Boy

ABundA Philstar.com

THE guessing game is over. Gerald Anderson has finally revealed the real score about him and Julia Barretto, saying that he is “very happy” with her. He also aired his side on his breakup with Bea Alonzo. The revelation was made during my one-on-one interview with Gerald for The Boy Abunda Talk Channel segment The Interviewer. His response to the question, “Are you happy because of Julia Barretto?” made clear that they are making beautiful music together. “Very happy. Very happy, Tito Boy, it’s a yes,” said Gerald with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. Gerald and Julia worked together in 2019 for the movie Between Maybes that sparked rumors linking them to each other. Both denied the yarn. At that time, Gerald was still with Bea. Tongues started wagging again when Gerald and Bea’s romance fizzled out with Julia’s name being dragged into the controversy. Some quarters alleged that Julia was the major cause of the breakup. But Gerald kept mum on the matter even when he was reported to have “ghosted” Bea.

Gerald Anderson

During our interview, Gerald said that he vividly remembered the scenes leading to the breakup. “As if it was only yesterday,” he clarified, “but I didn’t have the guts to speak up because I didn’t want to put someone in a bad light although I wanted to clean my image or sort out my side.” Gerald vehemently denied that he “ghosted” anyone as he asked what the definition of “ghosting” was. He then

Photo from Instagram/@andersongeraldjr

added that his understanding of the term might be different from what it meant. Ghosting is a colloquial term used when someone you’re dating suddenly ends the relationship by cutting off all communication, without any explanation. Gerald further asked, “Ano po ba ang definition ng ghosting? Kasi ang dating sa akin, nasa gitna kami ng dinner and nag-decide ako Continued on Page 4

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Sharon thrilled to star in...

From Page 3 added her hubby had always been very supportive of her. She is blessed to have a husband like him. Sharon was also asked her reaction on celebrities and

Sharon Cuneta

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someone she doesn’t believe in. She’d rather stake her name with someone whose beliefs and principles are similar with her, no matter if that person stands to lose. She said this was also her practice when accepting endorsements. She turned down many endorsement offers because she didn’t believe in the product. That is the reason why she cannot be a purveyor of fake news. “I know times are hard, but when does it stop? When does the moral high ground come in? Do you even have it? Do you even know it? “I have more respect for real people who are true to themselves rather than those who accepts payments and allow themselves to spread fake news. You are using your influence the wrong way. That is despicable and unacceptable. Ikinahihiya kong sabihin kasama Photo from Instagram/@reallysharoncuneta ko sila sa industriya.”

other social media influencers who got paid to spread fake news, “Oh my God, ikinahihiya ko sila!” said the Megastar emphatically. She said she would never allow her herself

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Julia Barretto and Gerald Anderson

Photo from Instagram/@juliabarretto

Gerald confirms what...

From Page 3 mag-back out and hindi na magpapakita kahit kailan. ’Yun ba ang definition? Or is it walking away from a very unhealthy, toxic -- not saying na siya ‘yun or ako ‘yung toxic, but being together, we were toxic – and hindi nirerespeto ‘yung explanation na binibigay mo, hindi tinatanggap after months and months and months of being on the rocks? I’m just gonna leave it at that. If that is ghosting, then I am

guilty of one of those two.” He emphasized that, “Wala po akong ghinost.” In spite of the unsavory remarks against him, Gerald said he still feels grateful and blessed. Acting projects continue to land on his lap even at the height of the pandemic. “At the end of the day, ako ‘yung pinaka controversial na tao siguro sa buong Pilipinas ngayon but I’m so blessed with good health. ‘Yung pamilya ko (also in good

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health), nakakakain kami arawaraw. May work ako, I can still provide for them and nabibigay ko lahat ng gusto nila, yung nanay ko. I’m just so grateful and so blessed,” he declared. It was a delight to see Gerald after a year of unfortunate, unexpected events — first, the global pandemic that caused disruption of work for all of us; and second, the shutdown of ABS-CBN due to the nonrenewal of its franchise.

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5-star rated LA Downtown Medical Center celebrates 2nd anniversary by

AJPRESS

LA Downtown Medical Center celebrates its two-year anniversary under new leadership.

LA Downtown Medical Center (LADMC), a five-star rated hospital by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the heart of Historic Filipinotown, is marking its second anniversary. LADMC held a socially distanced anniversary celebration on Friday, March 5 with giveaways, a vaccination drive, entertainment and lunch for staff and community members. The medical center, located along Temple St., is one of only two hospitals in the city of LA to receive the highest rating from the CMS last January. The rating is a testament to the center’s transformation in two years under the leadership of Vicki Palana Rollins, the first Fil-Am to co-own a hospital system in the United States. Rollins, along with business partner William “Bill” Nelson, purchased the struggling medical center after it went into bankruptcy in February 2019. “We’ve worked so hard to get to this point. Our staff are very, very satisfied with how they’ve grown with our company. Our affiliates that we’re involved with have also appreciated what we’ve done [with] the way we’ve meshed the cultures together — a culture of success and efficiency and all the values that we have cultivated over the years,” Nelson said. Today, the 36,000-squarefoot hospital holds 219 inpatient beds and has a 24/7 urgent care center with over 1,600 staff members total — about 65% of

whom are of Filipino descent — to deliver quality and culturally sensitive health care to Historic Filipinotown as well as to the surrounding neighborhoods of Echo Park and Silver Lake. “We were fully committed to take over the hospital and rehabilitate it the way we have,” Rollins said. Despite the past year’s challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, Rollins credited the leadership and staff’s ability to quickly adapt to the changing measures and handle the surge. Now, the hospital is administering vaccines to the community. “As a nurse myself, I learned that we can quickly adapt to the changing environment and do what you have to do to lead people to do the medication plans and treat the patients,” Rollins said. “The patients are the foremost in our mission and goal for the hospital…and obviously the safety of the staff.” Rep. Jimmy Gomez, who represents California’s 34th District covering Historic Filipinotown and surrounding areas, attended Friday’s festivities, praising LADMC’s service to the community. “The LA Downtown Medical Center is a godsend for this area. This area, as well as the heart of Los Angeles, has been one of the most disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic when it comes to infection rates and death rates,” Gomez said. “So being right here in this neighborhood is huge. They’re doing vaccinations now [and

are] getting shots into arms and getting people protected.” Over 100 individuals received jabs of the Moderna vaccine at LADMC, including staff from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles. “Since Bill and I started our company, we’ve always supported the community where we are located,” Rollins said. Among the Consulate officials who received the first dose of the vaccine was Acting Head of Post Ambrosio Brian F. Enciso III. He said having this layer of protection will help him and other Consulate staff safely do more outreach of its services. “I feel lucky and blessed. But I also feel safer and braver to face the frontline work that we have Dr. Louis Acosta, Vicki Rollins, Dr. Martin A. Schwartz, Mark Valentino and Bill Nelson to do,” Enciso said. “It’s also incumbent upon us to protect ourselves to continue serving the community.” He urged Filipino Americans to continue to seek reputable sources and to get vaccinated when it’s their turn. “Get informed for those who are still in the dark. Use your local resources, contact medical professionals, or for Filipinos, your network of family and friends. Don’t sit it out — proactively seek it out,” he said. In addition to the Historic Filipinotown hospital, LADMC runs an Ingleside campus, which has 118 psychiatric beds, in Rosemead about 10 miles away. LADMC is located at 1711 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Visit ladowntownmc. com or call (213) 989-6100.

LADMC owners Vicki Rollins (standing row, center) and Bill Nelson (bottom row, left) with registered nurses at the hospital.

LADMC held a socially distanced luncheon for company leaders to mark its second anniversary. Rep. Jimmy Gomez speaks during LADMC’s anniversary celebration on Friday, March 5.

Vicki Rollins (LADMC president and co-owner), Bill Nelson (LADMC CEO and co-owner), Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), and Mark Valentino (LADMC CEO)

Vicki Rollins administers the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to Acting Head of Post Ambrosio Brian F. Enciso III of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles.

LADMC hosted a food giveaway and vaccination drive on to mark its two years of serving the community on Friday, March 5.

AJPress photos

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