031822 - New York & New Jersey Edition

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MARCH 18-24, 2022 Volume 15 - No.19 • 16 Pages

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DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

67-year-old Filipina in New York savagely beaten in anti-Asian attack PH Consulate urges authorities ‘to do more’ MOMAR G. VISAYA AJPress

A 67-year-old Filipino woman in Yonkers, New York is now recovering in a hospital after being brutally beaten in the latest anti-Asian hate attack to rock the community.

The victim was entering her apartment building in Yonkers when she was attacked from behind by the suspect. Security video shows the victim was punched 125 times, stomped on seven more times and spat on. She sustained fractures and lacerations to the head and face as well as bleeding in the brain.

Illustration shows the proposed Fil-Am Friendship Monument that will be installed in Glendale, California.

Proposed Fil-Am Friendship Monument gets unanimous approval from Glendale City Council

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US travel mask mandate extended to April 18

Courtesy of the Filipino American Business Association of

THE proposed Filipino American Friendship Monument for the city of Glendale, California has advanced to the next phase. This comes after the Glendale City Council on Tuesday, March 8 unanimously approved the construction and installation of the monument. The monument is slated to be located

The Philippine Consulate General in New York on Monday, March 14 called on authorities “to do more to protect the vulnerable” as it expressed outrage over the violent attack that left the elderly woman seriously injured. The latest incident took place on Friday

TSA extends the mandate as the CDC reviews new approach to travel protocol by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

ALMOST DONE. President Rodrigo Duterte responds to the queries of Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc. founder and leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy during a pre-recorded TV interview of the Sonshine Media Network International in Davao City aired on Saturday, March 12. With few months left before stepping down from power, Duterte said he has fulfilled his campaign pledges to the people when he ran for the presidency in 2016, from attaining peace and order to fighting illegal drugs and building modern infrastructures. Malacañang

THIS week, days before the masks on transportation requirement was set to expire, U.S. officials extended the mandate through to April 18. The measure affects those who plan to travel airplanes, trains, and buses — masks will also still be required at airports, train stations, and other hubs of public transit. In a statement released on Tuesday, March 8, the agency responsible for setting safety measures for transportation, the

Fil-Am educator is one of USA TODAY’s DFA: 370 Filipinos repatriated, US to help Philippines develop nuclear power program; groups ‘Women of the Year’ evacuated from Ukraine DR. Melissa Borja, a Filipina American educator, has been named one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year, a recognition of women across the country who have made a significant impact. Melissa Borja is a professor at the prestigious University of Michigan’s Asian/ Pacific Islander American Studies Program. She also advises an Asian American graduate student organization on campus. In 2020, she started the Virulent Hate Project, a research initiative that collects

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MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs said it has helped 370 Filipinos leave Ukraine, which Russian troops started invading in late February. As of Tuesday, March 15, the department said 286 have been repatriated, while 84 have been evacuated from Ukraine. The DFA is expecting 24 more seafarers to arrive in Manila Tuesday,

it said. During the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs hearing on Tuesday, the DFA reported that 39 land-based overseas Filipinos have been repatriated, while 247 seabased workers have been brought back to Manila. The DFA said in a statement that the seafarers repatriated

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push renewable energy instead by ANGELICA

Y. YANG

Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippines and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding last week to work together to develop the Philippines’ nuclear power program. The MOU was signed by Energy Undersecretary Gerardo Erguiza and U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms

Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins. Erguiza said he believes the partnership with the U.S. will help improve the country’s capacities in building nuclear infrastructure. “Through our cooperation, we hope to ensure the peaceful use of nuclear energy and fulfill our decarbonization goals,” Philippine Ambassador to the

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DFA: 370 Filipinos repatriated... PAGE 1 were from the following vessels: • MV Star Helena • MV Pavlina • MV Rio Grande • MV Key Knight • MV Riva Wind • MV S-Breeze • MV Global Aglaia • MV Polar Star • MV Star Laura • MV Bolten Ithaki • MV Marika • MV Bonita • MV Ithaca Prospect • MV Joseph Schulte • MV Puma Meanwhile, 41 land-based

workers and 43 seafarers have been evacuated out of Ukraine so far. The Department of Labor and Employment’s International Labor Affairs Bureau and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said during Tuesday’s hearing that they have accounted for 472 Filipino seafarers who have been affected by the war between Ukraine and Russia. From DOLE-ILAB’s count, it was expecting 30 crew members to arrive in the Philippines Tuesday, while another 19 are expected to

In this March 7 handout photo, Deputy Chief of Mission/Consul General Mardomel Celo D. Melicor (in orange shirt) oversees the check in of the group at the Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport. DFA photo

come home by Wednesday, March 16. Both have accounted for 27 vessels based in 11 ports. It said 146 Filipino seafarers remain onboard, while 277 have been repatriated and 49 have been evacuated and are awaiting repatriation. “Narinig ko po kanina (I heard) that the DFA has already reported that they already have 286 repatriated and 84 waiting to be repatriated. I guess the discrepancy lies with the receipt of the report through the local landing agencies through the POEA OFW Welfare Monitoring System, but we are coordinating with them, requesting for regular updating and reports,” POEA’s Charity Jacob said. DOLE-ILAB said it has provided assistance for repatriation to Filipino seafarers, transportation, help with food and quarantine facilities, cash assistance of P10,000, educational assistance starting at P20,000, and livelihood assistance worth P20,000. It has also provided stress debriefing services and psychosocial counseling. (Kaycee Valmonte/Philstar. com)

An Asian American woman was punched more than 100 times and stomped and spit on during an attack in her Yonkers apartment building on March 11, 2022. The assault was captured on surveillance video and the suspect was charged with a hate crime.

67-year-old Filipina in New York savagely... PAGE 1 evening, March 11, and came a few days after the Consulate reminded members of the Filipino community to be vigilant and to take the necessary precautions following two shoving incidents in Queens that left two elderly Filipino women injured. “We are outraged by this unspeakable act committed against another elderly member of the Filipino community,” Consul General Elmer G. Cato said on social media. “This is the third incident in less than a week where elderly kababayan have become victims of random violence.” “We call on authorities to do more to protect the vulnerable. We remind kababayan to be extra vigilant and to take the necessary precautions, especially in public,” Consul General Cato added. Yonkers officials led by Mayor Mike Spano have condemned the attack. “Hate crimes are beyond intolerable in our city. I applaud our Yonkers Police for swiftly apprehending this violent criminal and removing him from our streets,” Mayor Spano said in a statement. “I expect the suspect to be charged to the fullest extent of the law for his heinous actions. I continue to keep the victim and her family in our thoughts and prayers.” Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller agreed and called the hate crime despicable and one of the most appalling attacks he has ever seen. “This defendant must be held to the maximum punishment allowed by law to send a clear message that hateful, violent behavior will not be tolerated in our communities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family, that she may make a full recovery.” In a tweet, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “Everyone deserves to feel safe in our streets — discrimination, hate, & violence will never

be tolerated in New York State. I’m praying that the victim makes a full recovery and have offered assistance from New York State Police to investigate this horrific act.” The suspect, who was identified as Tammel Esco had 14 previous arrests and multiple convictions, was immediately arrested and charged with attempted murder as a hate crime as he was shouting anti-Asian slurs while he was beating up the victim. Consul General Cato said the Consulate is in touch with authorities in Yonkers and is also trying to reach the family of the victim. In a statement issued over the weekend, the Consulate expressed concern over the latest incidents that followed similar assaults against other members of the Asian-American Community since the start of the year. It said that the recent spate of attacks against Filipinos and other Asian Americans—whether triggered by racial bias or mental illness—is a serious concern that must be immediately addressed. On Thursday, March 10, a Filipina in her late 50s, who walks with a cane and suffers from poor eyesight, was injured after she was shoved down the stairs by an unidentified man at the 179th Street Station of the F Train in the neighborhood of Jamaica in Queens. On the same day, a Filipina in her mid-60s was pushed by an unidentified man at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train platform, also in Jamaica, causing her to land on her face and breaking her eyeglasses in the process. She sustained multiple injuries. The Yonkers incident brings to three the number of attacks involving members of the Filipino Community in New York that have been reported to the Consulate this year. There were 23 incidents reported to the Consulate last year. g

ORIENTATION. A beneficiary of the “Balik Probinsya. Bagong Pag-Asa” (BP2) program reads a pamphlet on the program during the dispatch procedure at Multi-Purpose Court 1, BP2 Depot, Quezon City on Monday, March 14. The 37 individual beneficiaries will undergo swab tests before being sent back to their hometown in Masbate. PNA photo by Robert

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From the Front Page

US to help Philippines... Fil-Am educator is one of USA TODAY’s ‘Women of... PAGE 1 U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez, who witnessed the signing, said in a statement posted on the Department of Foreign Affairs’ website on Monday, March 14. This comes a few weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order committing the Philippines to introducing nuclear power in its energy mix and developing a nuclear energy program for it. The EO, which was signed on February 28, instructs the DOE to develop and implement the nuclear energy program under the Philippine Energy Plan, a comprehensive energy blueprint which details the energy sector’s goals in achieving a clean energy future. Duterte said in the EO that nuclear power is a “viable alternative source” of baseload power that can bridge the gap between rising demand and supply. The EO also instructed an interagency body — the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee —to study the possible use of the $2.2-billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which was mothballed and never refueled. Public policy think tank InfraWatch PH earlier told Philstar.com that Duterte’s EO comes a little too late as he has only a few months left in his term. This leaves the fate of his nuclear push to his successor who may choose to adopt or reverse the new energy policy. ‘Nuclear will not solve climate crisis’ Manila-based climate and energy policy group Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities said that, contrary to the government’s claims, nuclear is no better than coal. “Nuclear is even worse than coal for energy security and self-sufficiency. It has always been plagued with protracted construction timelines and gargantuan costs that require constant massive subsidies,” ICSC Executive Director Red Constantino told Philstar. com over email on Monday. “[Nuclear] can only operate on a single level and cannot be ramped up or down. It is extremely rigid and completely unfit to respond to the country’s load

profile,” he said. Constantino said the DOE should take its power sector modernization goals more seriously and prioritize flexible generation by ramping up support for renewable energy. Last week, activists from environmental group Greenpeace Philippines marched to the DOE and called the push for nuclear power a “questionable energy policy which is the last thing the country needs.” The protest took place on March 11 during the commemoration of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, which killed at least 20,000 people, contaminated 240,000 square kilometers of land and caused $235 billion (around P12 trillion) of damage. “Greenpeace...maintains that nuclear power will not solve the climate crisis. The entire nuclear power plant life cycle contributes significantly to climate change, and these facilities take an average of 10 years to build,” the group said in a statement. Citing findings by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Greenpeace said humanity only has until 2030 to keep the global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius. “Setting up the country’s nuclear program and building a plant will take decades. Meanwhile, Filipinos will continue to suffer from climate impacts,” it said. Instead of focusing on a nuclear policy, the current administration should have instead doubled its efforts to ensure that renewable energy “gets a better foothold” in the country’s energy future, according to Greenpeace Campaigner Khevin Yu. g

PAGE 1 analyzes data on anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. Borja is highly respected for the attention she gives her students. “My job isn’t just to help them learn. I really should help them live,” Borja said. “And I really see the work I do, teaching in the classroom, mentoring a group of researchers …. I see it all as helping them live. Not just to learn. I want to give them skills to live. I want to affirm their value every day,” she told Indystar.com. Borja, earned a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in history from Columbia University, in addition to an M.A. in history from the University of Chicago and an AB in history from Harvard University. Before teaching at the University of Michigan, Borja was Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York. Borja researches and teaches about religion, migration, race, ethnicity, and

politics in the United States and the Pacific World, with special attention to how Asian American religious beliefs and practices have developed in the context of pluralism and the modern American state. Politically active in both Ann Arbor and Indianapolis, she is involved with the local National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) chapter and Faith in Indiana. Her book, Follow the New Way: Hmong Refugee Resettlement Policy and Hmong Religious Change is forthcoming from Harvard University Press, is about how religious communities are involved in refugee resettlement. Borja’s parents left the Philippines during the Marcos dictatorship, and became politically active in the United States. Her father served on Michigan’s Asian American Advisory Commission. “They just love voting. They love being involved in making the community better,” she said. (Inquirer.net)

Dr. Melissa Borja Photo courtesy of the University of Michigan

Proposed Fil-Am Friendship Monument gets... PAGE 1 at 201 E. Colorado Street, Glendale, California, near the Central Library by the entrance of the Adult Recreation Center. The project is being spearheaded by the Filipino American Business Association of Glendale (FABAG-GLAC), a non-profit organization of business and community leaders in

the city. According to the organization, the Friendship Monument “will be a part of Filipino American heritage and history, not only in Glendale and LA County, but in California.” The monument will have several symbols, including a tribute to the late Ruby De Vera, a community leader who was one of the founders

and past presidents of FABAG-GLAC. It will also commemorate the organization’s community service and inter-cultural relations among businesses and ethnic groups over the past 30 years, as well as gratitude and friendship to the city residents “for many years of unwavering help and support and for warmly

welcoming Fil-Ams and to this day, fully embracing [their] heritage and culture. And to the adjacent communities for helping FABAG-GLAC maintain its highest levels of service, trust and integrity,” the organization said. Details of the monument’s formal unveiling have not been disclosed, as of this writing. (AJPress)

US travel mask mandate extended to April 18... PAGE 1 Transportation Security Administration (TSA), said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will weigh other approaches to public safety, through a “revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances,

masks should be required in the public transportation corridor.” The transportation mask requirement was set to expire on March 18. “If you’re moving from one zone to another and picking people up, it’s a little bit different, and that

PFIZER VAX TRANSFER. A forklift loads the pallets of 868,140 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine into the truck at the NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Monday, March 14. The shipment will be immediately taken to the cold storage facility before distribution. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

requires some consultation, which is what [CDC officials] are going to endeavor to do between now and April 18,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a briefing on Thursday, March 10. As of March 3, the U.S. reached the benchmark — 90% of the U.S. population living in low to mid-levels of COVID positivity rates — to which the CDC no longer recommends face masks in public indoor settings. The relaxed mask guidance from the CDC was justified by the dwindling hospitalizations and many states and jurisdictions easing their own mask mandates. The mask requirement extension mirrors the continued mask mandates being upheld in several Philippine airlines, including Philippine Airlines (PAL), AirAsia Philippines,

and Cebu Pacific which all still require face masks and shields for passengers and cabin crew. “Alert levels may have eased, but Philippine Airlines’ safety protocols remain the same. The highest standards of safety continue to be observed on each and every flight,” PAL said in a statement. The move comes at a time when the Philippines expects an influx of travelers this year. “We are confident that summer 2022 is really the onset of recovery not only for AirAsia Philippines but also to all other airlines in the country,” AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan told the Manila Times, adding that the upcoming Easter holiday as well as the May 2022 election when many expect Philippine voters to travel home.g

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OPINION

FEATURES

Double Barrel Finale

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Philstar.com

WITH the easing of most of the country to COVID Alert Level 1, law enforcement operations have also intensified. The Philippine National Police said the war on drugs is now in its endgame. What this means exactly is raising concern among those who have decried the human rights abuses in the campaign against illegal drugs. Only time will tell if the concerns are valid. The PNP has said operation Tokhang has been dropped and the “finale” version of Double Barrel will instead be pursued in earnest with the lifting of most COVID restrictions. Tokhang is the knocking on doors ostensibly to encourage any drug personality within the premises to register and, if desired, to avail oneself of rehabilitation programs. Suspected pushers are also informed that they are under surveillance and must mend their ways, or risk arrest. Double Barrel Finale is more focused on a holistic approach to the problem, according to the PNP, which also calls it ADORE – for Anti-Illegal Drugs Operation through Reinforcement and Education. PNP officials have said the strategy is “reinforcement,

rehabilitation, recovery and wellness and reintegration” of the more than 1.2 million drug personalities who surrendered under Tokhang. According to the police, ADORE is a multisectoral approach to the drug menace that employs the so-called 8E’s: engineering the structure, extraction of information, enforcement, enactment of laws, environment, economics and evaluation. The problem has always been in the enforcement. No country has completely eradicated the drug menace. There’s simply too much money to be made in drug trafficking. Upon assuming power in 2016, President Duterte promised to eradicate the drug scourge in six months. Six years later, with over 6,000 drug personalities killed by police in the drug war, he himself has acknowledged that the

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS PHILIPPINE Vice President Leni Robredo’s momentum strikes like a flashing lightning with roaring thunder, gaining even more strength and velocity as she and her chosen candidate for Vice President Sen. Kiko Pangilinan weave through towns and cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with their caravans and the

scourge is still around – and very much so, as that one-ton shabu haul this week indicates. With enforcement come opportunities for

abuse. The PNP must show that there is no cause for concern as it pursues the finale of the war on drugs. (Philstar.com)

Leni Robredo’s momentum goes full speed and the trapos are in panic mode to stop her people’s rallies. Indeed, this is a campaign riding on the wave of our kababayans’ yearning for the truth, for clean, honest government that works for them and they found their hope in Leni and Kiko. True to what Filipinos have been saying on social media, this is more than a campaign — it is a movement propelled by the sense of volunteerism

and service inspired by the example of Robredo and Pangilinan. The Leni-Kiko followers took it upon themselves to give everything they have to support the fight of Robredo and Pangilinan for #GobyernongTapat, volunteering their time, their talents, their own hard-earned money in the truest sense of the Filipino Bayanihan spirit

to wake up and mobilize the silent majority wherever they go. Every stop of the caravan offered the experience of sharing their collective goal for the Philippines and the Filipino people with a “Fiesta” vibe in it, with songs and dances of artists who have come to share their talents to the people in this movement for free, with chants and

cheering, with the tender and funny moments of Leni reading the placards created by the people themselves expressing their support for Leni and Kiko, funny jokes and “hugot” emotional shout-out, including the call for hugs they long to get from a mother. Lights and fireworks, banderitas, waving pink hearts all frame Leni and Kiko and their candidates for Senator

on stage, as they deliver their vision, campaign promises, and platform to make these vision become their new reality. There has been a feeling of “Olympics style” friendly competition among different towns and cities on how they would create their own “peoples’ Rally, but the truth is — each new town/city PAGE 10

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal. ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

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MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor and Editor-in-Chief New York/New Jersey Asian Journal

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Dateline PhiliPPines

‘Nothing is impossible’ says Hidilyn Diaz As PH reopens after third PSA Athlete of Year plum borders, Immigration by Mark

GionGco

Inquirer.net

MANILA — Dreams do come true. Hidilyn Diaz could attest to it. Diaz had only dreamed of being at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night before. On Monday, March 14, Diaz recalled that moment after receiving her third Athlete of the Year award at the PSA Awards Night at Diamond Hotel. “Naaala ko noon pangarap ko lang na makapunta dito sa PSA Awards. Nakikita ko sina Ate Marestella Torres (long jumper and former PSA Athlete of the Year Awardee). Little did I know, pangatlo ko na ngayon. Wala talagang impossible ‘no?” Diaz said during her speech. (It was only a dream of mine to be at the PSA Awards. I

Hidilyn Diaz, the country’s first Olympic gold medalist, receives her Athlete of the Year award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association. Inquirer.net photo by Andy Santos

remember seeing Marestella Torres. Little did It know, I will win my third Athlete of the Year award. Nothing is really impossible.) Diaz was named Athlete of the Year for delivering the Philippines’ breakthrough Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games last year. The 31-year-old Diaz’s humble beginnings as an

aspiring weightlifter led to a realization that anything is possible. “Ibig sabihin lang ito na walang imposible at kaya nating mga Pilipino na manalo ulit ng ginto sa Olympics. Kung nagawa ko, kaya ng iba pang Filipino athletes,” stressed Diaz, who finally won the gold in her fourth Olympic stint. (This just means that nothing is impossible and Filipinos are capable of winning the gold medal in the Olympics again. If I can do it, so can other Filipino athletes.) “Sabi nila dati napakataas kong mangarap. Bakit hindi?. Isa kaya na magandang bagay na libreng gawin ang mangarap. Kaya kung ikaw at tayong lahat patuloy lang mangarap.” (They said before that I have such high ambitions. Why not? One of the best things to do that

are free is to dream.) The pride of Zamboanga City also won Athlete of the Year in 2017 for her silver medal feat in the Rio Olympics and again in 2019 for delivering the gold in the Asian Games. “Hindi pwedeng walang pagsubok kasi yon ang nagpapatibay sa atin. Okay lang ilang beses magkamali, ilang beses na matalo. Ang mahalaga ay natututo tayo at makabangon. Kayangkaya natin ito na mas marami pang Pilipino na mananalo sa Olympics at makakuha ng ginto,” she said. (There will always be challenges because these are what make us tougher. It doesn’t matter how many mistakes you make and how many times you lose. What’s important is we learn to rise again. We can do it that more Filipinos will win in the Olympics and get the gold.) g

renews warning vs online love scams

MANILA — As the country reopens its borders to foreign nationals, the Bureau of Immigration warned the public not to fall victim to online “love scams.” I m m i g r a t i o n Commissioner Jaime Morente reiterated the bureau’s warning against a syndicate that targets Filipinos seeking biracial relationships. “With the reopening of our borders to foreign tourists comes the return of the love scam,” he added. The BI chief said the syndicate usually meets victims online and they will

promise them international travels and small gifts, and then would say they are coming to the Philippines for marriage. But upon arrival to the country, the scammer would claim he is being held by immigration authorities or other government agencies. Morente added: “The scammer then will dupe his victim in depositing large sums of money in exchange for his freedom.” The government on February 10 allowed foreigners from visa-free countries to enter the PAGE 7

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Marcos steers AAJC affiliates continue in-language clear of Comelec bystander intervention training for presidential debate American Community nationwide

MANILA — Former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will skip the official Commission on Elections presidential debate scheduled for the weekend, his spokesperson confirmed Monday, March 14, preferring to couch the presidential candidate’s absence from the event as his “non-participation.” “Presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos’ words are his bond, thus we shall honor our commitment to our supporters to be with them on the field on this day,” lawyer Vic Rodriguez said in a statement to media. Marcos’ campaign previously said that the former senator’s attendance “will only be confirmed if his hectic campaign schedules permit.” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez has said that other presidential bets, including former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, labor leader Leody de Guzman, Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno, Norberto Gonzales, and Sens. Ping Lacson and Manny Pacquio sent their written confirmation while Faisal Mangondato, Jose Montemayor Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo expressed their commitments verbally. Marcos has been debateaverse since the start of his campaign and has opted out of forums organized by GMA

News and another arranged by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas that was aired over 300 member networks and stations. Marcos, son and namesake of the ousted dictator, also skipped a debate organized by CNN Philippines. He has a forum organized by SMNI — owned by pastor Appolo Quiboloy, who has already endorsed him and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio — but has generally preferred more controlled venues like a media briefing hosted by Trixie Cruz-Angeles and a panel interview arranged by radio DZRH. In a radio interview on Sunday, Sen. Imee Marcos urged her younger brother to attend debates and media appearances, so he could have the opportunity to answer criticisms against him. She pointed out that he was already starting to get flak for his media no-shows. “We shall continue with our preferred mode of direct communication with the people and engage them in a more personal face-to-face interaction that discusses real issues that affect them today, tomorrow and in the days to come as this election is all about our collective future,” Rodriguez also said in his statement Monday, March 14. — with a report from Kristine Joy Patag (Philstar. com) g

As PH reopens borders... PAGE 4 country for business and leisure purposes, after nearly two years of borders closure due to the pandemic. Modus The bureau said one victim requested about his partner who was allegedly being held at the Davao International airport. The victim showed screenshots of messages supposedly from Morente who was demanding payment in exchange for the release of the person. The scammer also told the victim he was held at immigration counters for holding large sums of money in his hand-carry bag. But Morente said that no foreign national has arrived in Davao He also explained: “It is not within our jurisdiction to check bags of arriving passengers. We are concerned with the person and their documents, and not his luggage.” The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. also reminded the public “to be cautious and verify identities of people while engaging them through online platforms.” “[K]ababayans must be war when giving financial and personal information, especially when they are not in a position to vet the identity of the other party,” the embassy added. (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.com)

THE Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliates in Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, DC continue to offer virtual “Bystander Intervention Training – Stop AntiAsian and Asian American and Xenophobic Harassment” in 2022 and are now proud to offer trainings in Asian languages for limited English proficient members of the community. Washington, D.C.-based Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles (Advancing Justice – LA) offer accessible in-language trainings in Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Additionally, Advancing Justice – AAJC offers trainings in Hindi and Thai, provides simultaneous interpretations along with English facilitations, and uses bilingual slides. Advancing Justice – LA trains directly in Asian languages, accompanied by translated slides as part of the interactive experience. Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Chicago (Advancing Justice – Chicago) provides bilingual trainings in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hindi, with verbal presentations in both English and the Asian language and slides in Asian languages only. Since the Advancing Justice affiliates in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. and Right To Be started training in the last two years, they have trained over 150,000 people. Of all people who

reported witnessing harassment after completing the training, 75% reported intervening, a best practice in reducing trauma and de-escalating violence. “The Asian American community has borne heightened discrimination as some have sought to place blame for the pandemic on us,” said Marita Etcubañez, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at Advancing Justice – AAJC. “We have heard from many in our community about the fear and anxiety they are feeling as Asian Americans have experienced increased hate crimes and hate incidents in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. Through our trainings, we share practical, actionable strategies that we hope our participants will be able to use to safely intervene in and stop harassment, and also mitigate the harm for the person who faced harassment.” “It is a privilege and a testimony to our collective commitment to the Asian American community that we are able to expand and offer these culturally competent, useful trainings with more Advancing Justice affiliates,” said Dax Valdes, Senior Trainer with Right To Be. “We always look for ways to make our sessions more accessible, so we can reach more community members who may be wondering what to do when they see someone else getting harassed, on public transportation or at the grocery store, for example. Offering

these trainings in Asian languages is a crucial step in meeting communities where they are.” In Right To Be’s evaluation and research, they found that 98.8% of those trained reported that as a result of the training, they were able to recognize and intervene when harassment occurred. According to Christina Yang, General Counsel and Pro Bono Director at Advancing Justice – LA, “It is essential for us to train directly in Asian languages and make bystander intervention trainings more accessible to broader audiences, especially those who are still under attack and scapegoated for the COVID-19 pandemic.” “As an organization that strives towards racial equity through community organizing, it is imperative that we respond to the requests from different communities and partners across the Midwest. We are excited to be a part of a strong affiliation and movement to make this training more inclusive for so many.” said Catherine Shieh, Anti-Hate Training Coordinator at Advancing Justice – Chicago. For the Asian language Bystander Intervention Training (with simultaneous interpretation in Tagalog) on March 23 (3 p.m. Hawaii/4 p.m. Alaska/5 p.m. Pacific/6 p.m. Mountain/7 p.m. Central/8 p.m. Eastern), register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_7SDDsr2qS5yLiEmt6PEfFA. (AAJC Release)

‘Plot’ to disrupt polls alarms Duterte by Kristina

Maralit and Francis Earl cuEto ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is concerned over what he claims is a plot by communist sympathizers and a political group to disrupt the May elections. The President said he received intelligence reports that the insurgents and the group, which he identified only as “dilawan” or the “yellows,” are closely following developments leading to the elections. “They are watching for that kind of situation. They might be... Iyon ang sinabi ko na puwedeng manggulo kasi (that’s what I said that they may start chaos because) they have these working relations now with the dilawan and the election is the objective really,” Duterte said in a televised one-on-one with Pastor

Apollo Quiboloy over the weekend. The President has said he has “reservations” about endorsing presidential candidates, particularly someone “influenced” by communist ideology. Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, who is running for president, is being backed by the Makabayan bloc, tagged by military officials as a front for the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Robredo has been the target of text blasts implicating her association with CPP founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison. The texts insinuate that Robredo has agreed to form a coalition government with the CPP, its armed wing the New People’s Army

(NPA), and the National Democratic Front (NDF) should she win. Robredo’s rival, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, has also warned about the possible “communist infiltration” of her campaign. The vice president has denied the allegations. This is not the first time Robredo and her camp have been accused of forging ties with the Left. In 2018, National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr. revealed what he said was a communist-led conspiracy to overthrow the Duterte administration. Esperon said the Liberal Party, chaired by Robredo, may have “wittingly or unwittingly” placed itself in the middle because of its affiliation with Tindig Pilipinas, a cause-oriented

group that has repeatedly called for an end to human rights abuses by the Duterte administration. Philippine National Police chief Gen. Dionardo Bernardo Carlos said he will comply with the President’s directive to look into reports that communists have infiltrated the Robredo campaign. Last week, Lacson said personalities from communist fronts were present during the rally of Robredo and her running mate, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, in General Trias, Cavite, which organizers said drew a crowd of 47,000. On Sunday, March 13 Robredo denounced fakenews peddlers who were behind the text blasts. Her spokesman, Barry Gutierrez, said in a statement the “blatant and PAGE 10

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Proximity of Las Vegas, a boon to Pahrump real estate buyers

The $1-B plus 17,500 seat Sphere Stadium at Venetian under construction will create hundreds of jobs when it opens in 2023.

The Abrishamis (seated) from Beverly Hills bought several commercial parcels along Highway 160, which is ideal for assisted living facilities. With them is Realtor Fely QuitevisBateman (center).

WHETHER you are buying real estate in Pahrump as an investment or as a place to live in or have a vacation home, its proximity to Las Vegas is a distinct advantage. Located about 62 miles west of Las Vegas, it is only about a 45to 55- minute drive for those who want to take advantage of the living in an area that does not present the big headaches of big city living, which includes traffic, crime, and higher rents/mortgages. Besides, you can enjoy all the things that Las Vegas has to offer, which has become an entertainment capital, aside, of course, from its traditional gambling reputation. Let’s take a closer, quick look at Las Vegas. According to Wikipedia, stablished in 1905, Las Vegas initially attracted farmers, mostly from the Utah area, and was a designated water stop for wagon trains – and later railroads – between Los Angeles and other areas. Las Vegas is the Spanish name for meadows or what can be termed as “fertile plains.” Clark County, which is the county where Las Vegas was incorporated in around 1911, was established in 1909. The city has undergone its ups and downs, and has experienced

From left: Edna Gonzales (extreme left) of Edna’s School in Dagupan City, Philippines, with Russ Bateman and Fely QuitevisBateman. Mr. & Mrs. Hung Yeh of Las Vegas invested on a commercial lot on Highway 160. They are in photo above with Fely QuitevisBateman (extreme right).

Gene Easton and his family from LA (behind Realtor Quitevis-Bateman in above photo) bought a 5-acre parcel two years ago, and is looking to invest more.

several booms and transformations from its humble beginnings. The first boom took place with the construction and completion of Hoover Dam in the 1930s, which was responsible for increasing its population five-fold. Along with Hoover Dam began the rise of the gambling industry, which initially mostly catered to the dam workers. Fremont Street, which is currently home to an oft-visited tourist

attraction, was the site of licensed casinos such as Las Vegas Club and Hotel Apache then. After World War II, another boom took place when banks began lending money to casino businesses, which led to the building of casinos like Sahara, the Sands, the Riviera and the Tropicana, with their glittering facades and promises of fun and excitement. With these PAGE 10

Dr. Irene Taburnal (left), one of Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman’s closest friends, bought several parcels of land that she can flip now should she desire so.

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Leni Robredo’s momentum goes full...

PAGE 5 stands on the shoulders of past towns/cities to make the movement stronger. Other people describe it like the relay and the batton is passed from one to another until we reach the Finish Line. The Leni-Kiko crowds sweep beyond capacity, attended by 40,000 to more than 70,000 people, breaking barriers in areas already marked as Marcos/Duterte territories, including those where other Presidential candidates come from — Bongbong’s “Solid North,” Isko Moreno’s Manila, Ping Lacson’s Cavite, and Pacquiao’s Gensan. While the one-month delayed surveys still show a Bongbong Marcos lead, the people’s investing themselves in the Leni-Kiko movement reveal what numbers in survey would not show: voter enthusiasm for their candidates, rooted in trust in their leadership by example. These are breathing, thinking, feeling people whose spirits are roaring like Tigers, ready, willing and able to fight head on roadblocks along their way to victory. THIS is what is scaring the Trapos who want to keep the status quo the most. Since the support for the Leni-Kiko campaign has reached a tipping point, these network of public officials have banded even more together and have launched even more attacks against Leni and Kiko, picking up from Dictators’ playbook. These questions beg some real answers for people to think about: On cue, why did they bring out the concerted “communist” scare card, with no less than President Rodrigo

Duterte himself red tagging, irresponsibly using the Office of the President for his claims. In an interview with his Pastor Apollo Quiboloy — Duterte’s “spiritual adviser”/ Kingdom of Jesus Christ pastor who calls himself the anointed son of God/SMNI news media network chief acting as Duterte/Marcos propaganda tool and one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitive, Duterte said on SMNI that there might not be a clean and orderly election in May because he claimed to have received intelligence reports that the Leni campaign and the “Dilawan” have been working with the NPA/NDF to disrupt the elections. This accusation was denied by the Leni campaign and the NPA/NDF. Where are the details, Mr. President? What are your proofs? Why are you using your bully pulpit to fabricate these lies for fear mongering? You know many deranged people have used this kind of accusations to put the law in their hands and kill people! Some members of the PNP, presidential candidate Panfilo Lacson, and the supporters of Marcos and Duterte also used the red tagging card and their followers even produced malicious videos full of falsehoods and disinformation to connect Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan to the NPAs. Why are political dynasties and Trapos like the Remullas of Cavite doubling down on malicious projection of their own dirty political tactics to the Robredo Campaign, downplaying the size of the crowd, and accusing their own constituents of corruption, alleging that they are in the rallies because they got paid

by the Robredo campaign? We have seen videos on social of these violations of the Omnibus Election Code on vote buying and hakot, in different places and they were all coming from the Marcos campaign, not from the Robredo movement! Why did these Trapos even connive with their friends and cronies to cancel bus service to people attending the Leni rallies, even orchestrating to have road and bridge work at the time of the rally that caused traffic congestion? To deter people from attending the event? Lo and behold, they learned that these supporters were on fire, and nothing could stop them. People walked to the venue while Leni rode and “angkas” ” a motorcycle to get to the rally on time. “Kung gusto, may paraan. Kung yaw, marrying dahilan” - like Bongbong and Sara declaring they would not join any Comelec-sponsored debates! Why did Comelec print out 66M ballots or 98% of all ballots as people have been talking about on social media. These were printed in violation of Sec. 15 of RA 9369 and Sec. 187 of the Omnibus Election Code. These laws require presence of observers for transparency and accountability. Commissioner Marlon Casquejo disallowed the presence of observers citing COVID ( alert 2) as reason, but this is no excuse to follow the law! With complaints from different sectors on this, the Senate under Imee Marcos who is Chair of the Committee on Electoral Peoples

participation, held a hearing but no action was made to nullify the illegally printed ballots. Why did Comelec sign the P353-M contract to transport ballots and election materials with F2 Logistics, owned by President Duterte’s Davao based favorite crony Dennis Uy? Why did President Duterte appoint election lawyer George Garcia to be Comelec Commissioner when he was Bongbong Marcos’ lawyer during his electoral protest in his failed Vice Presidential bid in 2016? Why are all these allowed to happen during the time when the people need to have faith and trust in the election system for a peaceful and orderly transfer of power to the next administration? How could they even perform their solemn duty to protect the integrity of the elections and honor the will of the Filipino people? What is driving them to desperately stop the Leni momentum? *** 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. She was a news anchor, TV host and radio commentator and public service host for ABS- CBN and DZMM. She is now working on her advocacies independently, serving the Filipino audience using different media platforms. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos. Also on Twitter, Instagram: Gel Santos Relos

‘Plot’ to disrupt polls alarms Duterte... PAGE 8 persistent” red-tagging of Robredo is a sign that her rivals are resorting to fear-mongering to dampen the energy of her campaign. Lacson said in a statement the information he got from intelligence sources dovetailed with the claims of Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, who admitted to be a former NPA cadre. Celiz, who has been disowned by the NPA, confirmed that members of the CPP and its fronts were at the General Trias rally. In a press conference in Parañaque City, Lacson said he is not sure if Robredo is aware that her camp has been infiltrated by communist groups. Robredo said in her Facebook she will never support armed conflict to solve the country’s problems. The text blasts quoted Robredo as saying that Sison deserved to be called

a hero and that he will be able to come home from his exile abroad if she becomes president. Another text alleged that the CPP and the NPA support Robredo’s presidential bid. In a recent tweet, however, Sison hailed labor leader Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman as a “principled and courageous political leader” and the “best” among the presidential candidates. On Monday, March 14 National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict spokesman Lorraine Marie Badoy echoed the claim that Robredo’s camp has struck a deal with communist groups. Robredo “should stop insulting the intelligence of the Filipino people by pretending they have not made a pact with the devil, the communist terrorist CPP-NPA-NDF,” Badoy said in a

statement. She said Sison’s official endorsement of the vice president on Twitter “is proof positive that this marriage made in the bowels of hell has been consummated.” Badoy further said Robredo “shares the stage with CPPNPA-NDF operative Neri Colmenares” and that CPP officials were at the General Trias rally. She mentioned “former Kabataan representative Raymond “Mong” Palatino, now head of the Regional Party Committee of the CPP Metro Manila Regional Party Committee; Obet de Castro, National United Front Committee of the CPP and urban infiltrator of the Movement Against Tyranny; Axel Pinpin of the Regional Urban Party Committee using the mask of KMP/Anakpawis Coordinator” as among those who helped mobilized the crowds for the rally. g

GATHERING ‘PINILIPIT NA SUSO’. Apart from enjoying a refreshing dip in the cool waters, these boys make the most of their trip by gathering freshwater snails (with long twisted tail) by hand at Kalasag River in Barangay Bayukbok, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija on Tuesday, March 15. This area is near the protected area of Minalungao National Park, also in the same town, known for its rock formations and emerald-colored river. PNA photo by

Proximity of Las Vegas... PAGE 5 casinos also came the entertainment – big-time performers like Frank Sinatra, Liberace, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Carol Channing and Bing Crosby started to sing/perform at intimate settings for their fans. It is said that Howard Hughes was responsible for starting the move of Las Vegas to a more cosmopolitan image from its initial Wild West roots. The aviation entrepreneur moved to the city in 1966 and quickly extended his empire, spending about $300 million to take over many of the well-known hotels/ venues. From 1989 to this day, Las Vegas has become the venue for the mega-resort. Not only armed with gambling and entertainment/shows, these huge venues are the go-to places for people for dining, shopping, photo opportunities, weddings/birthdays, conventions, expos and fairs, and just about any event you can think of. Starting with the Mirage in 1989, mega-resorts built in the Strip include: Rio and Excalibur (1990); MGM Grand, Treasure Island and Luxor (1993); Stratosphere and Monte Carlo (1996); New York-New York (1997); Bellagio (1998); Mandalay Bay, Venetian and Paris (1999); Planet Hollywood (2000); Palms (2001); Wynn (2005); Palazzo (2007); Encore (2008); The Cosmopolitan (2010); and The Linq (2014). The latest to join the bunch are Circa Las Vegas (2020) and Resorts World (2021). Currently, top performers like Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, BTS and The Weeknd have concerts scheduled in Las Vegas, while singers/groups like Katy Perry, Donny Osmond, Jabawockeez, Journey USA, The Australian Bee Gees and tribute shows to Prince, Whitney Houston and Elton John/Billy Joel have residencies in the area’s hotel-casinos and performance venues. Mariah Carey, Tina Turner and Celine Dion have been some of the major stars who have held residencies in the past. Dining has become a great experience in Las Vegas as well. Each of the mega-resorts have their specialty restaurants, and well-known buffets. Celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay, Giada de Laurentiis, Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsay, Jose Andres, Alain Ducasse, Todd English, Thomas Keller, Michael Mina, Nobu Matsuhisa, Joel Robuchon and Guy Savoy have restaurants in the city’s well-known resort-casinos where people can taste their take on different cuisines. You can find Filipino fare in restaurants in Las Vegas, including at Resorts World. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 count, Las Vegas’ estimated population is at 641,903, with Clark County having a total population of more than 2.2 million. If you are looking to buy real estate, investing in property in Pahrump – and even Las Vegas, for that matter – are great options for those with the ability to do so. Nevada has no personal income tax, and the effective property tax for both places are still significantly lower than the national average. Year-to-year, home prices have risen about 5.3 percent in Las Vegas; in Pahrump, home prices are up about 23% in 2022, as compared to last year. Precious Properties is a full-service company serving its clientele since 1992 and can be reached at 775-513-8447, 805-559-2476 and 702-538-4948. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days. (Advertising Supplement)

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Atty. Gurfinkel answers more immigration questions and concerns in part 2 of episode featuring the Fil-Am South Bay Community PREVIOUSLY, viewers watched leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel meet with the Fil-Am South Bay Community of San Jose, California, where he highlighted the organization’s mission of supporting one another, especially during the challenging times of the pandemic. In this second installment, Atty. Gurfinkel answers more immigration questions from the local community, like: • “Would expunging the felony conviction of a lawful permanent resident help him in renewing his expired green card?” • “My brother was petitioned by our mother, but she passed away. Will he be able to immigrate to the U.S.?” • “Our sister was previously charged with fraud. Is there still hope for her?”

• “Is there a way my son can come to the U.S. while waiting for his petition to be approved?” These questions and more will be answered by Atty. Gurfinkel in Part 2 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot” with the Fil-Am South Bay Community. Other Fil-Am community organizations in the U.S. can get the chance to be featured on Citizen Pinoy. Visit the Facebook page of the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel and signify your interest by sending a private message via messenger. Watch Part 2 of this community feature on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, March 20 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

LEADING U.S. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL (3RD FROM LEFT) ANSWERS MORE IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS FROM THE FIL-AM SOUTH BAY COMMUNITY IN PART 2 OF “YOUR TANONG, MY SAGOT” WITH FILIPINO ORGANIZATION. Atty. Gurfinkel provides answers to questions like: “Our sister was charged with fraud. Is there hope for her case?,” “My brother was petitioned by our mother, but she passed away. Will he still be able to immigrate to the U.S.?,” “Can a tourist stay in the U.S. and wait for his petition to be current and adjust status in the U.S.?” and “Is there a way for my son to come to the U.S. while waiting for his petition to be approved?” Watch Part 2 of this special brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, March 20 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo.

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3 Philippine cities chosen as national finalists in WWF’s One Planet City Challenge DAVAO City, Dipolog City, and Quezon City have been selected as national finalists for World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) 2021-2022. These 3 cities were selected among the 16 qualified cities from the Philippines. One Planet City Challenge is a friendly global competition initiated by WWF to recognize cities for their climate actions and ambitions and assess whether they align with the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement in limiting climate change to 1.5 °C. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, climate change directly impacts cities and urban life. Increasing global temperatures result in rising sea levels and more extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms, particularly affecting coastal communities. Further, increases in the spread of vector-borne and water-borne diseases and heat-related illnesses have affected urban populations as global temperatures increase. The recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report reinforces these findings, stating that cities are areas of concentrated risk to climate change with losses due to infrastructure damage and disruption in services and affected supply chains already occurring. Cities are also areas where opportunities for delivering urgent climate action abound.

Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte is among the 3 finalists in this year’s One Planet City Challenge. Photo shows the Dipolog Boulevard where people take strolls in the afternoon. Photos by Imee Bellen, WWF-Philippines

Sanzo funder, Filipino-American Sandro Roco at the Turning Red premiere. His company is disrupting the billion-dollar sparkling water industry by offering Asian flavors such as calamansi, lychee, mango and the just-introduced yuzu with ginger. Quezon City in Metro Manila is among the 3 finalists in this year’s One Planet City Challenge. Photo shows the Quezon Memorial Shrine which is in the Quezon Memorial Circle national park where many people come to enjoy green open spaces. Photo courtesy of Quezon City Local Government

How Asian American businesses like Panda Express and Sanzo worked with Disney and Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ by AJPress

Davao City is among the 3 finalists in this year’s One Planet City Challenge. Photo shows the Davao City People’s Park where locals take strolls in the afternoon.

Cities are also key contributors to climate change, as urban activities are significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. An estimated 75% of global CO2 emissions are from cities, with transport and buildings being among the largest contributors. However, some cities have started to use renewable energy sources, implement regulations to limit industrial emissions, and institute energy efficiency measures. Many have undertaken climate actions to increase their city’s resilience with its residents and businesses adapting to the changing climate. Others have also enforced laws that help to restore and preserve the environment. In OPCC, cities are encouraged to present their best practices and holistic plans to substantially reduce the effects of climate change and accelerate climate transformation. For the 2021-2022 leg of OPCC, there are a total of 280 cities participating, coming from 50 countries. Since its inception 10 years

ago, close to 600 cities from 53 countries on 5 continents have already participated in this challenge. One Planet Cities Project Manager for WWFPhilippines Imee Bellen hopes that more Philippine cities will participate in OPCC in the near future. “We are always welcome to showcase inspiring transformative urban solutions to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.” Atty. Angela Ibay, Head of Climate and Energy Programme of WWFPhilippines, also encouraged citizens to help their cities boost their capacity to respond to the climate crisis. “The cities’ plans would not come to life if it wasn’t for the collective action of its residents. However, we as individuals can still make a difference on our own. Even the most trivial habits, such as reducing energy consumption, can have a long-lasting impact on the community and nature.” The three Philippine finalists, along with those PAGE 13

For Turning Red, Sanzo came up with special-edition packaging for its Lychee 12-Pack. Photos courtesy of Sanzo

IN celebration of Disney and Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ movie release last week, a couple of Asian-Americanowned businesses have announced collaborations to promote the film which highlights an Asian storyline, characters, and creators. Panda Express the largest family-owned and operated American Chinese dining concept in the world, launched the Embrace Your Inner Panda Sweepstakes and release themed sticker sheets with its Panda Cub Meal sets. The sweepstakes offer guests

the chance to win a $10,000 education fund, a year’s supply of Panda Cub Meals, movie-themed prizes, and more. Sanzo, a sparkling water brand founded by Queensborn Filipino American Sandro Roco, is on its third project partnership with Disney. As a brand, Sanzo celebrates high-quality Asian flavors using real fruit and no added sugars. “What started as a fun, but digital-only co-marketing relationship for Raya and the Last Dragon has evolved into something pretty special for team Sanzo, culminating in special edition cans and

From Feb. 16, 2022, to April 1, 2022, guests who order a Panda Cub Meal and keep a copy of their receipt can enter for the chance to win big. Eligible participants in the U.S. and Canada can visit www.EmbraceYourInnerPanda.com to enter for a chance to win prizes valued between $188 and $10,000. Photo courtesy of Panda Express

red carpet sponsorships for Marvel Shang-Chi and now Pixar Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red,” Roco posted on Facebook. Roco also acknowledged friends Panda Express and Fly By Jing at the red carpet premiere, saying that he hopes “to continue our collective mission of bridging cultures.” Like in their previous Disney projects, Sanzo came up with special-edition packaging for its Lychee 12-Pack, featuring the many faces (and forms) of the film’s main character. Aside from lychee, Sanzo also has calamansi and mango, and just a couple of months ago, launched its newest flavor, yuzu with ginger. On top of this, Sanzo will be donating 5% of all proceeds from this collection to the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) which champions diversity by educating, connecting, and empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and leaders in entertainment and media. “It is empowering and gratifying for our team to be a part of the overdue cultural shift of honoring Asian stories through film,” Roco said, adding that as a son of Filipino immigrants, the mother and daughter interactions throughout Turning Red resonated with him. Directed by Academy Award winner Domee Shi (Pixar short “Bao”), “Turning Red” is the studio’s first feature with a main character PAGE 13

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Bea on being told she Adarna Gang: A stylized drama used John Lloyd: ‘We with an occasional touch of humor both benefited from the partnership’ By leAh

C.sAlterio Philstar.com

BEA Alonzo stressed that her team up with actor John Lloyd Cruz benefited both of them and not only her, in response to a comment saying she’s using him for publicity. Alonzo addressed the comment in a sit-down vlog where she answered mean tweets about her, as seen on her YouTube channel last Saturday, March 12. “Naging user, liar at gimikera ka na. Hindi ka na lang nahiya sa 20 years niyo ni [John Lloyd Cruz] at sa mga fans niyo. You shouldn’t have [gone] that lane na need mo gamitin si [John Lloyd] at mga fans kasi para mo na ring na-scam ang fans mo who supported you for 20 years for publicity,” a part of the netizen’s tweet read.

(You’ve become a user, liar and schemer. You have no shame for using your fans and 20 years of teamup with John Lloyd Cruz. You shouldn’t have gone that lane where you needed to use John Lloyd and your fans because it’s as if you also fooled your fans who have supported you for 20 years.) “Magkasama kami sa 20 years so parang (We’ve been together for 20 years so) in a way, we both benefitted from the partnership because for me it’s a partnership more than anything and sa friendship pareho kayong nagbe-benefit doon (in a friendship, you both benefit from it),” Alonzo answered. “It’s not a one way street.” The actress also pointed PAGE 15

3 Philippine cities...

PAGE 12 those finalists from other countries, also have qualified to participate in the OPCC’s We Love Cities campaign, which aims to bridge and foster better communication between city officials and the citizens they represent on climate and sustainability issues. All OPCC finalists will be evaluated by an international jury panel with members who are leading experts within the field of urban sustainability from around the globe. The winners will be announced this May-June 2022. For more information and updates about One Planet City Challenge, visit http://panda.org/opcc. For more information, please contact: Ms. Imee Bellen One Planet Cities Project Manager ibellen@wwf.org.ph Atty. Angela Ibay Climate and Energy Program Head gibay@wwf.org.ph For media arrangements, please contact: Ms. Chezka Guevarra Assistant Manager for External Communications and Ambassador Programs 09276566436 cguevarra@wwf.org.ph n

THE character of the feisty and brave Adriana in director Jon Red’s Adarna Gang, is an ideal comeback vehicle for actress Coleen Garcia, who made her venture in an action-drama film for the first time. You thought Coleen could only be dramatic or sexy? She can brandish a gun, too. She proved that in Adarna Gang, which marks the first time she uses a gun in an action-drama, something new and different for her. As the daughter of Jose (played by Soliman Cruz), who gets killed in a bloody encounter, Adriana exacts vengeance with the rich and powerful Don Fernando Castillo (Ronnie Lazaro), the syndicate’s big boss and his adopted sons, Pedro, Juan and Diego, respectively, played by Mark Anthony Fernandez, JC Santos and Diego Loyzaga. The latest iteration of the classic Ibong Adarna was written and directed by the multi-awarded and internationally-acclaimed visionary, Jon, who found inspiration from his favorite director, Akira Kurosawa in Ran (1985), a Shakespearean tragedy. Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) became another inspiration. Two minutes into the action-drama, the characters repeatedly cursed in their dialogue. The wealthy Castillo couple just came

her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. As an immigrant-founded brand with a distinct American-born Chinese identity, Panda Express aims to uplift the Asian, Asian American & Pacific Islander stories to celebrate diverse experiences that invite a greater sense of cultural appreciation. g

from the church, with Don Fernando even from the confession booth. But a mere mistake caused Valeriana, the wife of Don Fernando, brilliantly played by Shamaine CenteneraBuencamino, to easily utter bad words. For a change, the consistently good girl Shamaine plays bad in Adarna Gang. “Pu…ina, nakalimutan ko ang sobre,” Valeriana readily shouted as soon as she went out of the church. Clearly, the Castillo family lives a life of endless mortification. Going to church and confessing their sins are good cover-ups for their life of embarrassment and shame. The musical chant of Pulang Lupa, used in the background of Adarna Gang, was beautifully woven into the scenes, from start to finish. Adriana used to lead

a simple life singing in a church choir, teaching voice lessons and quietly living with her parents – Jose and Maria (Mickey Ferriols) – or so she thought. Adriana’s dream of living a life in the province with her parents got shattered when her father was killed. Subsequently, Adriana turned vengeful and with the help of Jay Manalo, one of her father’s trusted men. Jay hardly used any dialogue, but his character became an important factor for Adriana, whom he helped in every aspect of her vengeful wrath. She discovered and entered a life of money, drugs, politicians, guns, women, goons as she planned to get even with the Castillo family, hardly listening even to the cunning Valeriana. Adriana learned target shooting and she became good at it in no time.

Alexa finally graduates from college: ‘My greatest achievement’ By Anne

PAsAjol Inquirer.net

How Asian American...

PAGE 12 who is Asian. ‘Turning Red’ introduces Mei Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang), a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming (voice of Sandra Oh), is never far from

Jon Red’s Adarna Gang, the latest iteration of the classic Ibong Adarna, stars (standing, from left) Diego Loyzaga, JC Santos, Coleen Garcia, Mark Anthony Fernandez and Jay Manalo, as well as (sitting, from left) Mickey Ferriols, Soliman Cruz, Ronnie Lazaro and Sharmaine Buencamino. Philstar.com photo

Eventually, she carefully plotted her moves to exact revenge. Ultimately, however, she sadly realized there’s no fulfillment in revenge as it is simply a never-ending cycle. What stood out for her is that it is always better to choose the narrow path, the better path. Working with a mainstream film outfit like Viva with a major cast is rare for direk Jon, who previously megged mostly independent productions. He spent his own money for most of the films he released. “Very personal works,” he said. Direk Jon made it a point to tone down the action for Adarna Gang, that also casts Rob Guinto, Archie Adamos, Raul Morit and even director Roman Perez Jr., this time as supporting actor. “When we watch action, the violence is used as entertainment,” Jon explained. “Para siyang musical number. Doon na desensitize ang audience natin. Parang bale wala na. Sinadya namin ‘yun. “In real life, makarinig ka lang ng putok ng baril, takot ka na,” he added. “Gusto namin ibalik ‘yun kaya hindi siya bugbog sa action. I realized that when we were doing pre-production, I checked when we would be needing gun effects.” Direk Jon delivered a stylized drama in the newest presentation of Ibong Adarna. More of a drama with occasional touch of humor. In a way, Adarna Gang had a touch of satire, too. g

Alexa Ilacad Photo from Instagram/@alexailacad

ALEXA Ilacad has reached another milestone in her life as she finally earned her bachelor’s degree, describing it as her “greatest achievement.” Ilacad expressed her gratitude to those who supported her in her school journey while showing herself in a black graduation robe and cap, via her Instagram page on Monday, March 14. “I have nothing but

gratitude in my heart for my [Treston International College’s School of Business and Technology] family. I am blessed to have had a great support system in school and at home,” she said. The actress then dedicated her achievement to her loved ones, particularly her parents and fans. “Thankful for my professors and mentors who helped me power through college without ever sacrificing excellence,

and to my peers/barkada (friends) for making college life easier! To my parents [and] supporters, I hope I made you proud,” she added. Aside from greetings from her fans, Ilacad was also congratulated by fellow actress Melai Cantiveros. Ilacad announced in August last year that she’s “gradwaiting” after she finished her last term with an average grade of 1.00. She had also been a part of the dean’s list in her sophomore year. g

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people events arts culture entertainment

Martha Millan grabs the spotlight as an undocumented Filipino character in The Cleaning Lady M

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA / AJPress

EET Martha Millan, a Filipino actress who recently made a splash in the barrier-breaking and history-setting Fox series The Cleaning Lady as Fiona de la Rosa, an undocumented immigrant in America.

Martha Millan plays the role of Fiona dela Rosa in the Fox series ’The Cleaning Lady’

Elodie Yung and Martha Millan with their characters’ children in a scene from ’The Cleaning Lady’ Photos from ©2022 Fox Media LLC

Lou Diamond Phillips made a guest appearance on ’The Cleaning Lady’ in an episode entitled ‘Kabayan’. In this scene, he is with Adam Canto who plays the

The Cleaning Lady’s diverse cast is led by FrenchCambodian Elodie Yung who fans might recognize as Elektra on the Netflix series Daredevil. The show has broken barriers by having Southeast Asian leads and a core storyline as it celebrates diversity, not just in the cast and the issues it tackles but also in the people involved in it, from the writers, producers, editors, and directors. The series premiere became the highest-rated new drama debut in two years for Fox. It’s not every day that Filipinos are treated to a mainstream series (or a Spiderman film, hello Ned’s Lola) where we can hear the characters converse in Filipino so when we see it happen, we rejoice. “It’s wonderful. I mean, to be honest with you it is the first time I get to dive into a role completely as Filipino and flesh it out over a season,” Millan told the Asian Journal. “So it’s just been an incredible ride and my family who is also Filipino are eating it up because they see all the references here and there, and obviously, my accent is slightly Filipino, Filipino enough for them to enjoy.” Millan describes her experience doing the show as “an amazing journey right from the beginning.”

Elodie Yung and Martha Millan play cleaning ladies in the Fox series. Yung is Thony dela Rosa, a Cambodian doctor married to a Filipino while Millan is Fiona dela Rosa, an undocumented immigrant and Thony’s sister-in-law.

The global pandemic has just started and she was teaching acting workshops online at the time because there was no work. Her manager asked her to do a self-tape for an audition which was then sent to the casting directors. She got a callback and eventually booked the job as the pandemic peaked and plateaued. They shot the pilot pre-vaccine and she remembers flying in from New York to Albuquerque to shoot it and to be on the set where everybody was masked. “We’ve been so blessed that everybody on set is just so lovable. I mean, we’re all like family off the set. The children who play my kids Sean Lew, who plays Chris and Faith Bryant, she plays my daughter Jazz - they’re

just so down to earth and so just real and loving,” Millan said. “Elodie and I have become very close off set as well. So that also transcends through the screen.” She first met Elodie through Zoom and felt the chemistry right away. The relationship has evolved into a deep friendship similar to their characters on the show. “She was so lovely and she had her props ready. And we were just really bonding online. It was just an amazing kind of process to experience especially since normally you’re in the room with people and this is the first time that it was all through Zoom and yeah, it was just magical,” Millan shared. “And now it being out there, the response has been so positive, and you just never know shows have been

taken by the viewers and especially this being such a groundbreaking show.” Filipino stuff Bits and pieces of Filipino culture and issues make it to the show. From an episode title (“Kabayan”) to a Filipino movie or teleserye playing on the background to the names on the end credits - an editor by the name of Diva Magpayo, music by Ruby Ibarra, an episode directed by Marie Jamora - to the numerous Tagalog words blurted by the characters, there definitely was no shortage. And then there’s Lou Diamond Phillips in a guest role. “It was extremely intimidating. I mean, not because of him, just me because he was…it was our first movie as a family that we saw in the cinema - La Bamba,” Millan recalled. She remembered feeling so nervous that she was actually going to be acting with him that she couldn’t get her first line out. “He is so gracious and humble, and just so much fun on set and giving as an actor. It was just an amazing experience to work with him. And then on top of that, his real daughter plays his daughter on there. So it’s kind of family feeling on set and it was very touching to see PAGE 15

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Ben&Ben’s Paolo Guico Martha Millan grabs the... shares fitness journey By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

BEN&BEN frontman Paolo Benjamin Guico shared his weight loss journey on social media. Paolo shared his before and after photos on Twitter, showing his weightloss transformation. “These pictures represent years of hard work and sacrifice,” he wrote. “Today, I just wanted to celebrate this growth with all of you. Thanks for being there to cheer me on at my lowest moments. I hit my goal weight this week, finally,” he added. Earlier this week, Paolo shared a video on his Twitter account that he’s running. “Today, I want to be vulnerable and share a major life achievement with

Paolo Guico shared a before and after photos of him in his Twitter account showing his weight-loss transformation. Photo from Twitter/@

you all. Yesterday, I hit my goal weight ever since I started this weight loss commitment right before the pandemic. A big part of that has been running, on these roads (in the video),” he said. “I was never really a

runner. I started from not being able to run straight for 2 minutes, to conquering 21 kilometers. I want to unapologetically celebrate this moment because it took literal blood, sweat, and tears to get to this point,” he added. g

Bea on being told she used John... PAGE 12 out in response to another commenter later that she and Cruz have a valuable friendship, despite not having been in a romantic relationship together. “Hindi naging kami pero there’s more to a friendship than having a romantic relationship,” she stated. “Kaya kong sabihin na mahal ko si John Lloyd regardless kung nagkaroon kami ng relasyon or hindi, na romantic ha.” (We never really got together romantically but there’s more to a friendship than having a romantic relationship. I can say that I love John Lloyd regardless if we had a romantic relationship or not.) Meanwhile, the same netizen who accused her of using Cruz earlier also supposedly claimed that Alonzo’s boyfriend Dominic Roque also uses her for

publicity. Alonzo laughed and shrugged it off. “Dati I admired you for being best drama queen actress and as Bea but now naging best gimik queen ka na. Dahil din ‘yan sa mga post ni [Dominic Roque] kung bakit nabibisto ka. Masyado din siyang uhaw sa publicity. Ayaw niya masabihan na ginagamit ka pero iba ang nagiging behavior niya so hindi niyo mabi-blame ang viewers,” the netizen said. (I admired you for being yourself and the best drama queen actress but now you’ve become the best gimmick queen. It’s partly because of Dominic’s posts why you’re being exposed. He also craves publicity. He doesn’t want to be tagged as a user but his behavior says otherwise so you can’t blame the viewers.) “Kung ginagamit ko si Dom or nagpapagamit ako kay Dom — parang ‘di

Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz Photos from Instagram/@beaalonzo, @johnlloydcruz83

ko gets ‘yung ibig niyang sabihin. Ibig ba niya sabihin kapag nagka-jowa ako, ibig sabihin ginagamit lang ako or ginagamit ko?” Alonzo asked. “Di ko gets pero sana maging okay ka kasi okay kaming lahat.” (If I’m using [Dominic] or I’m being used by [Dominic] – I don’t understand what the netizen is trying to say. Does it mean that whenever I have a partner, it’s either he uses me or I use him? I don’t get it but I hope you’re (netizen) okay because we’re all good.) Alonzo then spoke about how she deals with bashing, adding how she chooses to focus on good comments for her “sanity.” “Through the years, natutunan ko nang mag-filter siguro for my survival and sanity kasi nasa business kami kung saan kahit sino pwedeng magbigay ng opinion tungkol sa ‘yo, totoo man o hindi,” she added. (Through the years, I learned to filter comments for my survival and sanity because we’re in a business where anyone can say anything about you, may it be true or not.) Meanwhile, Alonzo and Alden Richards have been confirmed to star in GMA Network’s Philippine adaptation of the hit South Korean drama series “StartUp.” (By Anne Pasajol/ Inquirer.net)

PAGE 14 them work together as father and daughter but it was an incredible experience.” she said. Episode 6 was directed by Marie Jamora, a Filipino American director and writer. Millan describes her as amazing and working with her is a real honor. “She communicates with the actors in a very nurturing way and it allowed me just to be safe and comfortable to explore all sides of the scenes whenever we’re working,” she shared. “She has so much energy and she’s just so sweet as well. At the end of the shoot, she brought in all these Filipino treats like bibingka and ube for everybody to eat and sugar up. Journey to Down Under Millan’s family immigrated from the Philippines to Australia when she was only four years old. Her mother is from Pampanga while her father is from Cantilan, Surigao del Sur. They’re still based down under and Millan gets to go home and visit them once in a while. “My mother, she’s the matriarch of the family. She’s the first one that actually immigrated there and then brought her whole family, eight brothers, and sisters over to Australia and it was something very special to me, obviously with the show,” she shared. “I can relate a lot of my experiences, of the transitions that my family had, to the experiences that Fiona is having with her children as well.” She admitted that she saw herself in the fights that her character Fiona had with her son Chris. “I saw myself as Chris and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I was such a little brat.’ I know who he is and that was me. So I really empathize with my parents, I probably put them through hell growing up,” she said laughing. Millan’s parents thought that her dream of becoming a performer was just going to be a phase especially since she was already accepted at the University of Sydney where she was going to take either business, law, or communications. “And then I ended up doing English history, Greek mythology, and stuff. I needed to take a break and my mother was ‘Well, you can’t just go gallivanting around this joy courses’ and I said, ‘Okay, fine. I’m going to take a summer course in acting in LA’ so I actually took it and I loved it,” she shared. When she visited some family in New York, she applied to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and got accepted. “I guess they just kind of had to give up on their idea of what I was supposed to be, especially since I already started working and financially supporting myself doing what I love to do. So, yeah, they’re very proud though. They’re so supportive. I mean, every week I get feedback and reviews from them.” Creating Fiona “Initially I thought that I was very different from her but now watching it, I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness. I think there are too many similarities,’” she said. “She is a very strong woman, but at the same time, in the way she handles her situation of being undocumented, a single mother and these are all extraordinary situations, that her Filipinoness of being lighthearted - always finding a way to kind of dance, eat, laugh through those times, I think was essential to her character.” Millan said she wanted to amplify those things about her that she knew growing up were very important as Filipinos. She related

Millan’s message to the Filipino fans of ‘The Cleaning Lady’: I just want to say thank you so much for the support and the love that you guys have brought to the show and nothing but positive responses about the representation and embracing us. So I just want to say salamat, maraming salamat po!

with the fire that Fiona had and her resilience and wove it into the way she attacked the role. She knew that the character was complex enough for her to shift from strong and feisty to caring and vulnerable, approaching it with a nuanced and tempered perspective. “For me, I knew that this was reality for many people in terms of being undocumented, a single mother, and I wanted to be careful in how I portrayed that because these are human beings dealing with emotional and extraordinary circumstances.,” she said. From Rejection to Representation Millan has been working as an actor for 25 years now. Eagle-eyed fans might recognize her for her stint in HBO shows such as Entourage and Succession. As someone in the industry, she knows all too well that there’s so much rejection to deal with in show business that she learned to build a certain layer so she could move forward and continue to fight. She has faced multiple rejections in her career, not because she couldn’t act but because she was either “too Asian” or “not Asian enough” for the token Asian role that she was up against other Asian American talents. “And you know, back then 25 years ago, the roles were very limited for Asians in general, and then to be specific for Filipinos. You end up playing stereotypes, but in a way that you couldn’t show the humanity, it was very just like a two-dimensional portrayal,” she revealed. That is why she appreciates that showrunners Miranda Kwok and Melissa Carter wanted to create a platform for marginalized people and show the humanity in them. “So, for me, the representation is necessary only because the world is changed in how we see ourselves, we’re constantly on social media where we are exposed to so many cultures,” she explained. “To ignore that, for the media to ignore that is a disadvantage in not representing those cultures because that’s what people want to see now in terms of different content.” g

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