2 APRIL 13-15, 2022 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
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From the Front Page CA museum launches digital archive on... PAGE 1
when Filipino farm workers were violently attacked by the local residents who opposed immigration and socializing between Filipino men and white women. “Filipinos have been in Watsonville since that time, but today there isn’t a single historical marker that Filipinos have played
a role in Watsonville,” said McKay. Included in the archive are photos, family heirlooms, handwritten letters, newspaper clippings and oral histories from the descendants of the farm workers. It is a joint initiative of The Tobera Project and UCSC “Watsonville is in the Heart”
research initiative. Fermin Tobera was the Filipino farm workers who was killed during the Watsonville anti-Filipino race riots. The project plans to make the archive a part of the curriculum for the Pajaro Valley School District. A large exhibit on Filipinos in Pajaro Valley will held at the Museum of Art and Hisory in 2024. (Inquirer.net)
Returning Filipinos no longer required to fill...
PAGE 1 “We required the submission of these disembarkation cards by arriving Filipinos to help the government in its contact tracing efforts at the height of
the pandemic. Now that COVID cases are declining, these cards can now be dispensed with,” Capulong said. The adjustment, according to Capulong, will significantly
lessen the requirements and processing time of arriving Filipinos. The policy had also been approved by BI Commissioner Jaime Morente. g
LA County COVID-19 case rates...
PAGE 1 in hospitalizations a few weeks after their recent rise in case numbers, reflecting past patterns where, within a couple of weeks of increasing case numbers, hospitalizations start to rise, followed, by increases in deaths, the LA County Department of Public Health said in a release. With increased transmission across the County, being up to date on vaccines and boosters offers protection against severe illness and death. For the week ending March 25, unvaccinated people were five times more likely to be hospitalized compared to fully vaccinated residents. And the likelihood of dying for those unvaccinated was also higher. For the week ending March 18,
unvaccinated residents were eight times more likely to die than residents who were fully vaccinated. “I send my deepest sympathies and wishes of peace and comfort to the many families who have lost a loved one due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health. “The evidence is becoming clearer that given the current approved vaccines and the reality of a mutating virus, some of us will need to boost our immune systems a couple of times during the year in order to be optimally protected. This includes those infected with Omicron over the winter, since natural immunity against SARS-CoV-2 also wanes over time. As we celebrate the spring holidays, let’s do our very
best to make use of the powerful tools at hand, vaccinations, boosters, testing, and masking, to keep ourselves and those most vulnerable to severe illness, as safe as possible.” The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) released the latest data on COVID-19. The number of cases and deaths are likely to reflect reporting delays over the weekend: 742 new cases, bringing the total to 2,846,303 cases to date. Seven new deaths were reported with 31,807 deaths to date. There are 265 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19. More than 11,758,000 individuals tested; 22% of people tested positive to date. g
Starfleet Innotech shows strong 2021 performance, $25M in Bataan Death March heroes honored through... revenues in first annual report PAGE 1
“JUST as our acquisition efforts have turned our F&B division into a cost-effective, efficient growth engine for SFIO, we continue to invest in acquiring and incubating businesses to empower our conglomerate,” SFIO said in its first annual report that was released recently. Starfleet Innotech, Inc. (OTC Pink: SFIO) (“SFIO” or “The “Company”) announced details around the release of the report. SFIO is a global investment holding company focused on innovation through disruptive collaborations across three key industries: Food and Beverage, Real Estate, and Technology. On Wednesday, March 30, the company filed its Annual Report. By year-end, as of December 31, 2021, SFIO closed with a total consolidated revenue of $25.11 million. The company ended this period with corporate cash of approximately $2.36 million. Gross profits reached $13.99 million, led by the Food and Beverage division, which, along with its branch operations, accounted for 40% of total revenue. These did not include the revenues generated by franchised sites. Strategic partnerships and acquisitions across the supply chain led to new revenues and greater efficiencies, showing a net margin of 23%. By end of year, the company exhibited net income before taxes amounting to $5.87 million. Through these strategic partnerships, joint
ventures, and acquisitions, SFIO grew its assets substantially in 2021, all while keeping liabilities to a minimum. “We ended 2021 with a strong showing, highlighting the sound strategy behind our ecosystem-building initiatives,” said SFIO CEO Jeths Lacson. “Just as our acquisition efforts have turned our F&B division into a cost-effective, efficient growth engine for SFIO, we are investing further in acquiring and incubating more businesses to empower our conglomerate.” “While we continue to be opportunistic around growth, we have taken a mindful, strategic approach to these opportunities. To accomplish this, we’ve invested in onboarding top global talents onto our management team,” Lacson said. “This highly-aligned, empowered roster of leaders bring decades of experience across F&B, Real Estate, and Technology to help guide our mission of forging the futures of these industries.” SFIO was to conduct its very first webinar on Tuesday, April 5, where Starfleet Innotech’s leadership team presented the latest updates and answer questions from the community. Details on how to participate in this webinar was shared through SFIO’s online channels. As part of SFIO’s initiatives to maximize shareholder value, the company is working on restructuring shares and acquisitions which will be announced soon. (Advertising Supplement)
participated in the cause through generous donations by sponsoring a specific number of miles walked by the marching team in remembering and celebrating those who were in the death march. All donations will go to the FilVetREP in support of its efforts to continue raising awareness and obtaining national recognition of the wartime services of Filipino World War II veterans to the United States and the Philippines. This year’s March was cosponsored by FilVetREP, VFW Post 5471, Filipino Young Professionals (FYP-DC), NaFFAA Region 2, Bicol Association of Metro DC, Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of DC, and Philippine American
Members of the Philippine Embassy led by Deputy Chief of Mission Jaime Ramon Ascalon, Jr. (4th from the right) with U.S. Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones during the Bataan Memorial Death March on April 2.
Nurses Association of Metro DC (PNAMDC). On April 9, 1942 in the province of Bataan, Philippines, 76,000 Filipino and American
prisoners of war were forcemarched to camps 65 miles away during the early stages of World War II. This became known as the Bataan Death March. g
Members of the Filipino and Filipino-American Community join the Bataan Memorial Death March
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A sea of red took over the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) building in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown as over 300 Fil-Am supporters of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte convened for a rally on Saturday, April 9. AJPress photo by Donnabelle Gatdula-Arevalo
Fil-Am supporters flock to HiFi for BBM-Sara... PAGE 1
administer and oversee the BBM 2.0 app in their respective jurisdictions. Tancredo Guray Jr., BBM 2.0 (USA) president for California, told the Asian Journal at the group’s last rally in the Southern California leg, that all of their members are rooting for Bongbong Marcos and DuterteCarpio to take the next top two posts of the Philippines. “We believe that he is the most qualified and more experienced (among all the other presidential candidates) being able to serve the government as governor, congressman, and senator. To us, he’s the right person to lead our country,” Guray, who has always been an avid supporter ever since BBM ran for the vice presidency in 2016, said. According to Guray, with Marcos and Duterte-Carpio’s leadership, there would also be a continuity of programs of the present administration. “I also believe that BBM will continue the programs of President (Rodrigo) Duterte. We need to continue carrying out all these good programs and reforms of President Duterte,” Guray said. Guray said they have participated in more than 10 rallies and caravans for the Uniteam. To date, the BBM 2.0 (USA) has members in California, Las Vegas, New York, Florida, and other U.S. states. BBM 2.0 (USA) vice president for California Philip Jaramilla, for his part, believed that Marcos’ commitment to enhancing measures that would ease up doing business in the Philippines and restore investors’ confidence,
has made him and his family want to vote for Marcos. Jaramilla, who owns a biotechnology and pharmaceutical components and fabrication manufacturing company, Fluid Line Technology, said there are a lot of investors who would want to do business in the Philippines but are wary about several business obstacles such as higher taxes, corruption, peace and order, and lack of efficient supply of electricity and water. “We need a leader who would address all of these concerns in the business sector,” Jamarilla said, noting that BBM reportedly has the potential to do great in implementing key reforms in the business industry. In an earlier statement issued in reaction to the latest World Bank’s Doing Business report in 2020 where the Philippines ranked 95th, an improvement from the previous rank of 124th in 2019, Marcos was quoted as saying that “jumpstarting our economy would be a top priority for us, should we be given the mandate by the people in this year’s elections.” “It only means that businesses will need to focus on being efficient. The government can help by instituting policies that will make it easier for them to do this,” Marcos earlier said. Husband and wife Ron and Jocelyn Fernando, in an interview during the rally, said they never doubted BBM’s capability to “bring greatness back to the Philippines." Ron works at Sync Brokerage, a boutique real estate firm with offices in Los Angeles and Miami, specializing in luxury and commercial real
estate markets. “Bongbong Marcos comes from the Marcos legend, and the (Marcos) family when it comes to politics, they are really good. I think, moving forward the Philippines will be in good shape under his helm if he wins this election,” Ron Fernando said. “Sara Duterte, with her background in Davao, I’m sure she would be a good support for Bongbong,” Fernando opined. In a video message played during the rally, Marcos thanked all his supporters in Southern California. “I would like to congratulate you and thank you for the efforts that you have done to help our campaign and to continue to spread the message of unity that is the message of our campaign. Thank you for all that you have done and until we succeed in victory,” Marcos said. Actress Jobelle Salvador, who flew in from Las Vegas, attended the rally. The rally was also done in partnership with Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) under its Philippine coordinator and former congresswoman Maite Defensor. Other rally coordinators are Uniteam overall coordinator for USA/Canada Chona Verona Lopez Galvez; BBM 2.0 (USA) vice president for Media Affairs Larry Pelayo; and Barbie Sanchez and Luzviminda Marcos, Marcos’ close relatives who are based in California. Last March, Historic Filipinotown was the site of a pink caravan for Fil-Am supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan’s bid for the presidency and vice presidency of the Philippines. g
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Democrats celebrate the appointment of Probe absentee voting mess, senators... Judge Jackson to US Supreme Court, historic diversity of Biden-Harris administration PRESIDENT Joseph Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Democrats are keeping their promise to the Filipino American community because they make the difference. The president helped get America back to work, provided funding to support Asian American families and small businesses, and got kids safely back to school. He’s creating a government that looks like America. Starting at the top with the nation’s first Black and South Asian vice president, the Biden-Harris administration nominated 16 Asian American federal judicial nominees, which represents 18 percent of all federal judicial nominees. President Biden has also placed Asian Americans in senior roles in the White House and the Cabinet. As Republicans stand in the way of progress for the American people, Democrats
continue to fight for a diverse America and deliver results that matter. DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, DNC AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong-Hong, and DNC Women’s Caucus Chair Lottie Shackleford, issued the following joint statement regarding the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson: “History has been made. The U.S. Senate voted in a bipartisan fashion to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. In doing so, they reaffirmed what millions across the country have seen: Judge Jackson is a brilliant, graceful, experienced, fair-minded jurist who will bring much-needed perspectives to our highest court. The court would greatly benefit from the insight of a woman of color, a public defender, a
judge who has served at the district and appellate levels and clerked at the Supreme Court. It is staggering that Judge Jackson embodies all those perspectives and more. Judge Jackson has shown girls — especially girls of color — how big they can dream and just how profound an impact they can have on our nation. Her story is uniquely American. She represents the best of us and our shared values. We are grateful to President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the senators who confirmed Judge Jackson for taking another important step to build a government that looks like America. Today proves once again that diverse women can accomplish anything. They can be vice president. They can shape the future of our nation. And, they can serve on the Supreme Court.” (DNC Release)
Not too soon to engage in Census 2030 by Khalil
abdullah Ethnic Media Services
ARTURO Vargas has been involved in census education and advocacy for over 30 years and says that after each decennial April 1—the day America takes a snapshot of its population—“it gets a little lonely.” The public disengages and community grassroots activists redirect their focus to other pressing concerns. Not so much after the 2020 census. Given the significant undercount—in the millions—of Black and Latino residents, as well as the unexpected overcount of Asian Americans, Census 2020 seems to have sustained the attention of a broader swath of America’s public than any census in recent memory. Amid our highly polarized political landscape, the potential social and economic ramifications of the census results are animating an already contentious public debate. Vargas, executive director for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, joined a panel of speakers
for a recent forum, “Eight Years and Counting: Roadmap to 2030!” Hosted by the Leadership Conference Education Fund and moderated by Meeta Anand, senior program director for Census and Data Equity, the event focused on lessons learned in the run-up to and during the 2020 census. “To reflect on past work and to start getting geared up for 2030, because the imperative—to ensure that all of our communities are fairly and accurately counted—continues,” Anand stressed. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-CA, echoed those sentiments in pre-recorded video remarks aired during the April 1 program. He ceded that many Americans will likely confess surprise that demands for their engagement in the 2030 census are already underway. As chair of California’s Complete Count Committee for the 2020 census, Padilla had a panoramic view of the unique distortions that affected enumeration efforts. “In the leadup to the 2020 count, the Census Bureau faced unprecedented, unexpected— and unacceptable
barriers to its task,” Padilla exclaimed. Some barriers were circumstantial, or event driven, like bad weather or the impacts of COVID-19 that, among other things, tested the willingness of some community members to open their doors to census takers. Other barriers were overtly political, notably the Trump administration’s attempt— overruled by the Supreme Court—to introduce a question on citizenship on the census form. That act was generally viewed as a transparent effort to intimidate undocumented residents from responding. However, the constitutional mandate is for the government to count all persons residing in America, regardless of citizenship or legal status. Lower response rates skew accurate representation in the assignment of congressional seats in the reapportionment process. New York’s total population count, for example, was 89 persons shy of gaining another seat in the U.S. House of Representatives under reapportionment formulas. That number, 89, would have u PAGE 8
PAGE 1 embassies in Wellington, New Zealand; Islamabad, Pakistan, and Dili, Timor-Leste, as well as in the Philippine consulates general in Milan, Italy, and in New York. On Monday, however, Election Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, who is in charge of overseas voting, said these “logistical issues” would be resolved soon. He said five more votecounting machines (VCM) would be deployed to the consulate in Hong Kong to bring the total number of machines to 10 to accommodate the huge turnout there. He said VCMs would arrive soon in the consulates in New York, Wellington, and Milan, although the ballots have already been sent by post to the registered voters. The election materials for 564 voters registered with the embassy in Islamabad held up by Pakistan customs were expected to be released the same day, according to Casquejo. He said the election materials for the embassy in TimorLeste with 706 voters would be deployed upon the next flight availability, which is expected on Thursday. Also on Monday, Philippine Consul General in New York Elmer Cato said boxes containing election paraphernalia had arrived in Memphis, Tennessee, from Alaska. Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand Gary Domingo also said in a Twitter post that boxes containing ballots for
the elections had arrived at the Philippine Embassy in Wellington. Problems Meanwhile, Migrante International lamented that out of the 93,000 registered voters in Hong Kong, only 35,000 to 40,000 might be able to vote if the number of VCMs remained at five. It pointed out that most OFWs could vote only on Sundays. During the first day of overseas absentee voting on Sunday, only 3,285 OFWs were able to cast their votes compared to 6,000 to 7,000 who were accommodated in one Sunday during previous elections when there were 10 VCMs in use, the group said. In Dubai, Migrante said there were long lines of voters waiting two and a half to five hours to vote because of the small polling precinct at the Dubai consulate. In Saudi Arabia, no indelible ink was available after voting, Migrante said, citing reports to the group. Migrante said they also received reports of delays in ballot distribution in Japan and in Bologna and Milan, Italy. “Voters who went to their consulates in person were told ballots have not arrived yet,” the group said. Senator Marcos said her office also received complaints of disorder in the conduct of overseas voting in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The Philippine Embassy in Singapore on Monday, likewise, confirmed an incident wherein a “spoiled”
Robredo-Pangilinan campaign... PAGE 1 her with other vice presidential bets, notably Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Senate President Vicente Sotto III. In Dagupan on Friday, for instance, the senator looked on as the De Venecia family raised the hands of Robredo. The Pampanga rally was attended by Pangilinan’s wife, actress and singer Sharon Cuneta and other celebrities. LOAMCP backs Leni-Kiko tandem Meanwhile, the League of Organic Agriculture Municipalities, Cities and Provinces of the Philippines (LOAMCP Philippines) has also endorsed the RobredoPangilinan tandem.
Rommel Arnado, LOAMCP national president and mayor of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, said only the Leni-Kiko ticket can bring prosperity and development to the countryside, adding that among their priorities are good governance and the development of agriculture. The LOAMCP boasts of around 200 municipalities, cities and provinces across the country as members. Arnado called on fellow local officials to support the Leni-Kiko tandem, which he called a new breed of leadership. He described Pangilinan as “a selfless and dedicated public servant who truly stands for the people.” g
ballot was “inadvertently and unintentionally” given to a voter. The embassy stressed that it was an isolated incident. Election Commissioner George Garcia downplayed claims that some overseas voters received pre-shaded ballots at the start of the overseas voting. “Don’t believe claims of preshading (of ballots). It’s very easy to find out if that’s true,” Garcia said in a media briefing at the Comelec headquarters on Monday. Garcia also dismissed claims that exit polls conducted in Hong Kong showed that a certain candidate was leading. He said the Comelec could not ban exit polls since these have been upheld by the Supreme Court. “But if the exit polls will undermine the integrity of the entire process, then that will be subject to investigation” of the Comelec task force against fake news, said Garcia, who heads the task force. g
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY IFB NO. EP221-22 Uninterruptible Power Supply & Electrical Upgrade The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking Bids for an Uninterruptible Power Supply & Electrical Upgrade. Bid documents may be downloaded at SCRRA’s website at http:// www.metrolinktrains.com/ contracts. Select Vendor Portal. Bids are due on May 2, 2022. The contract to be awarded will be funded in part by grants under the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transportation Administration and is subject to an DBE Participation Goal of 3.64%. For further information contact: Dorothea Cantero, Contract Administrator, at canterod@ scrra.net. 4/13/22 CNS-3572574# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)
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OPINION
FEATURES
Bracing for disasters
JUST when people thought it was safe to travel again for the Holy Week break after two years of COVID lockdowns, the first tropical cyclone of the year hammered parts of the Visayas and Mindanao. As of lateTuesday afternoon, April 12, at least 22 people were reported killed in landslides and floods spawned by Tropical Depression Agaton in Baybay, Leyte, with three more fatalities reported in Monkayo, Davao de Oro and in Cateel, Davao Oriental. Thousands of ship passengers were stranded in different ports. Another cyclone was spotted on Tuesday afternoon approaching Mindanao, prompting Signal No. 2 to be hoisted over Surigao del Sur. Tropical Storm Basyang is expected to make landfall in Caraga region today. The two cyclones hitting in the peak of summer provide a timely reminder about the need to prepare for this year’s typhoon season. People living in areas at high risk for landslides and torrential flooding must be prepared for rapid evacuation. This is not as simple as it sounds especially in small-scale mining areas. Sufficient facilities particularly for evacuation and relief efforts must be in place to prevent COVID infection and outbreaks of other diseases. But local governments, which are on the front lines of disaster response, are currently distracted by the election
campaign. As Agaton prepared to exit and Basyang approached on Tuesday, over 13,000 people affected by heavy rainfall, landslides and torrential flooding were housed in 71 evacuation centers in the Visayas and Mindanao, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The evacuation centers are mostly in school compounds. With face-to-face classes expected to resume in the next school year, and with several school facilities still being used for COVID vaccination, there will be fewer areas available to house evacuees during typhoons this year. For evacuation centers without modular tents, there must be dividers between families. Water and sanitation facilities must be adequate. Masking, distancing and hand hygiene must be strictly enforced for all ages. Authorities must ensure that disaster preparedness and response will not be neglected even as the country is preoccupied with the elections and upcoming change of leadership. COVID has made disaster response riskier and more complicated. Authorities must be up to the task. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Reflecting on the living word of God this Holy Week to guide us as citizens ahead of the May 9 Philippine elections The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS SEMANA Santa or Holy Week is an important time of the year for Filipinos. We have traditions we practice to meditate on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to save us from sins and teach us how to truly live according to His Word here on earth. As religious and unapologetically devoted we are to our Christian faith, there seems to be a disconnect between our Sunday and Holy Week persona from who we are in our everyday life. There seems to be incongruence in the way we pontificate the Word of God on social media and in church vs the way we live our everyday life, how we treat people, and how we see God present and involved in our everyday affairs. Many Filipinos suffer from dual/multiple personalities
because we preach the Ten Commandments, the Gospel of the Lord to our children, quote bible verses in praise to our Lord whenever we post our selfie shots on Facebook or Instagram, or just simply share a poster of a breathtaking view highlighting an inspiring bible verse, yet when faced with crossroads in our lives, especially when we choose the candidates to vote for in the election, we put God in our escaparate (display window), and hit hard that we should not talk about God in politics. I respectfully disagree with this practice. Personally, I opine that if we truly profess that we love and honor God and put Him first place in our life, then we should seek and involve Him in everything that we do, especially when we make decisions that affect not only ourselves, but the greater community of people — believers and nonbelievers because we are all the sons and daughters of God. This is one point of debate especially during this election cycle when many of us preach forgiveness and peace, moving on and living a new life, walking with God in His Way, His Truth and His Life, yet our choices
do not reflect what we preach. Our actions negate what we pontificate, and go in the opposite direction from what we pray for. And so as we look forward to Easter Sunday, let us meditate on God’s Word and Life and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us in every way, especially in abiding in Him when we cast our sacred vote on May 9. May our choices reflect Jesus’ Light in every way. Here are some of what the Bible says about activism rooted in the Word of God: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." - John 14:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” - 1 John 1:6 “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." - Ephesians 5:11 “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall make no idols. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet.” Exodus 20:2-17 ; Deuteronomy 5:6-21 “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear." - 1 Timothy 5:20 “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” - Luke 17:3 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” - 1 John 4:1 “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9 “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." Isaiah 1:17 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of
disobedience." - Ephesians 5:6 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace. The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice. A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating…” - Proverbs 18:2-13 “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend. The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.” Proverbs 22:8-12 “Now we ask you, brothers
Bataan and the 1946 Rescission Act
Third Eye
RAMON FAROLAN IN the journey of life, we have two eyes that allow us to see the path ahead. We need a third eye to serve as a rear view mirror, providing us with a wide-angle perspective of the road being traveled and as English writer Dean Cavanagh put it, “In the land of the blind, the third-eyed man is king.” * * * Saturday was the 80th anniversary of the fall of Bataan. On April 9, 1942, Major General Edward King Jr., commander of PhilippineAmerican forces on the Bataan peninsula, surrendered to Japan’s 14th Army led by Lt. General Masaharu Homma. King’s forces consisted of 66,304 Filipinos and 11,706 Americans for a total of 78,010 troops. It
was the largest US-led military capitulation in American history. By coincidence, it was on another 9th day of April in 1865 that General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Confederate armies to Union General Ulysses Grant, marking the end of the US Civil War. Of the more than 78,000 troops that surrendered, some 10,000 would die during a long 100-kilometer Death March from Mariveles to San Fernando. Another 20,000 would perish due to disease, starvation, neglect and brutality while at the O’Donnell concentration camp in Capas, Tarlac. But perhaps what is less known to our people is that 350-400 Filipino officers and men of the 91st Philippine Army Division were murdered in cold blood by their captors after surrender. Known as the Pantingan River massacre, it remains the worst single atrocity to come out of the Bataan conflict. One often wonders why we commemorate the fall of Bataan. It was a defeat, plain and simple, with the larger force yielding to a numerically smaller enemy
army. We are probably the only nation on earth to highlight such a significant debacle. Uncle Sam prefers to forget the whole event, seeing it realistically as a humiliation for American military power, although a veteran’s organization in New Mexico holds an annual marathon to mark the day. Most Americans have no idea what Bataan was all about. Some connect it as the source of exotic rattan furniture from the east. Perhaps to soften the blow, we have designated the day as “Araw ng Kagitingan” or Day of Valor. And we proclaim to the world that we are commemorating not a defeat but a victory of the spirit – the spirit of courage, of heroism and bravery by honoring the memory of the men and women who gave their lives in defense of our nation and the United States. In November 2015, Rep. Gary Alejano and Rep. Francisco Acedillo, both young PMA graduates, filed House Bill no. 6242 designating Sept. 3, as the new Araw ng Kagitingan, to replace April 9. They called for
a change in our mindset, urging us to remember our finest moments rather than one of our darkest hours. They believed that our nation’s military victories “carved by blood in the pages of history should be given respect and recognition.” According to the lawmakers, Sept. 3, 1896 was the day of the Battle of Imus, “the first big battle of the Philippine Revolution that the Filipinos won and Sept. 3, 1945 was the day General Tomoyuki Yamashita, commander of Japanese forces in the Philippines, surrendered at Camp John Hay in Baguio City.” It is time to listen to the voices of a new generation. But as we continue to mark Araw ng Kagitingan in April, let me refresh our memories on the postwar experience of Filipino veterans who fought alongside US soldiers in Bataan. In July 1941, just before the start of the Pacific war, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed a directive calling on all military forces of the Philippine Commonwealth and ordering them into the service of the United States. As a Commonwealth of the United
States, Filipinos were legally American nationals entitled to all the benefits afforded those serving in the armed forces of the United States. Paradoxically, shortly after Japan surrendered, ending the war, the US Congress passed the “Rescission Act of 1946.” The Act provided that “service before July 1, 1946 in the organized military forces of the government of the commonwealth of the Philippines, while such forces were in the service of the armed forces of the United States... shall not be deemed to have been service in the military or naval forces of the United States... for the purpose of any law... conferring rights, privileges or benefits.” In short, there would be no privileges, no benefits for the Filipino veteran. As American historian Christopher Capozzola noted in his book “Bound by War:” “This was not America’s finest hour.” These lines from Rudyard Kipling come to mind: In times of war and not before God and soldier we adore But in times of peace and all things righted
and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:12– 15 *** 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
God is forgotten and soldier slighted. PS: In February 2009, 64 years after World War II ended, the US Congress passed the Recovery and Re-Investment Act of 2009. The legislation provided for a one-time, lump sum payment to Filipino veterans of World War II: $15,000 each for those who were US citizens, and $9,000 for non-US citizens. How many of our veterans passed away in those 64 years? Recently, Maj. General Antonio Taguba (US Army, ret.), chairman of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education project, called on the US Congress to act and repeal the Rescission Act of 1946, that would “repudiate the injustice these veterans have suffered for 75 years and to heal the indignation, pain and sorrow they endured over a lifetime.” (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. ••• Email: rjfarolan56@gmail.com
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Stand up for God, Catholics told C. BAROÑA
ManilaTimes.net
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
ManilaTimes.net photo
90% of governors support Marcos by KRISTINA
MARALIT,JOMAR ManilaTimes.net
CANLAS
AT least 90 percent, or 73 of the 81 governors in the country, are supporting the presidential candidacy of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., one of the governors said. Last Sunday, April 10, 16 governors trooped to Marcos' headquarters in Mandaluyong City to affirm their support for the former senator. Marcos has the overwhelming support of local chief executives, Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez said. "I don't see any unprecedented event that can hamper the victory of Bongbong," Suarez said, referring to an earlier statement by Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor and League of Municipalities of the Philippines President Luis "Chavit" Singson, that said 90 percent of the governors are for the UniTeam tandem of Marcos and Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio. "Yung appeal ni Chavit na gawin namin majority president, well that would be our job. It's easy to sell BBM, eh maayos na (The appeal of Chavit for us to elect a majority president, well, that would be our job. It's easy to sell BBM)," he said. Singson called on the governors to work doubly hard to make sure that Marcos will be the first "majority president" since the multi-party system was implemented in the country. Isabela Gov. Rodolfo "Rodito" Albano 3rd said there is no need for UniTeam to campaign in his province. "Maski hindi ko siya ikampanya sigurado siya sa amin. Mukhang mas mataas pa ang boto namin kay BBM keysa sa Ilocos (Even if I don't campaign for him, he can count on us. It even looks like he will get more votes from us than in Ilocos)," he said. Batangas' Hermilando Mandanas vowed to protect Marcos' votes in his province. “We have to show that BBM is the solution. It's really BBM na talagang nagpu-push para sa unity. At 'yan ang hinahanap nating lahat (who is really pushing for unity. And that is what all of us are looking for)," Mandanas said. Bohol's Arthur "Art" Yap also gave assurances
that the majority of Boholanos will vote for Marcos. Also voicing out their support for Marcos are Governors Dakila Carlo "Dax" Cua of Quirino; Susan Yap of Tarlac; Jose Riano of Romblon; Florencio Miraflores of Aklan; Philip Tan of Misamis Occidental; Eduardo Gadiano of Mindoro Occidental; Alexander Pimentel of Surigao del Sur; Bonifacio Lacwasan of Mountain Province; Suharto Mangudadatu of Sultan Kudarat and former governor Casimiro "Jun" Ynares 3rd of Rizal. Last week, 10 governors also expressed their full support for Marcos. Before that, Governors Imelda Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte; Francisco Emmanuel Ortega 3rd of La Union; Nancy Catamco of Cotabato; Esteban Evan Contreras of Capiz; Damian Mercado of Southern Leyte; Ferdinand Tubban of Kalinga; Maria Jocelyn "Joy" Valera-Bernos of Abra; Jerry Dalipog of Ifugao; and Camiguin gubernatorial candidate Rep. Xavier Jesus Romualdo endorsed the Marcos-Duterte team. Marcos, who leads in almost all the surveys, has to contend with disqualification cases filed against him before the Commission on Elections (Comelec). On Monday, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia told The Manila Times the poll body will release its decision on the Marcos disqualification cases soon. Garcia said the Comelec can issue a decision either this week at the earliest or the third week of April. Several petitioners urged the Comelec to finally resolve the cases they filed against Marcos. Garcia also said the Comelec will expedite petitions seeking exemption from the election ban. The Comelec has already exempted fuel subsidy for public utility vehicle drivers from the ban. Garcia also said that due to the high turnout of voters over the weekend during the absentee balloting for Filipinos in Hong Kong, more precincts will be opened there. The five precincts in Hong Kong will be increased to eight or even 10, he said.
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on his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. "When for money, wealth, position, power and popularity, the cry of Hosanna is very loud. For the people, we idolize and look up to shout Hosanna loudly. But why when for God, when for our faith, when for truth and justice, why do we seem to be just whispering or silencing our cries. Have the cries of worldly hosannas drowned out our hosanna for God?" Advincula said. "Do we still have the courage to shout out loud our praises for God?" he added. 'Homeless' Jesus Advincula also blessed the image of the "homeless Jesus" which was installed near the facade of the Manila Cathedral. Crafted by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz, the piece of work shows Jesus wrapped in a blanket, with crucifixion wounds on his bare feet signaling who he is. In his homily, Advincula reminded the faithful that the image of the homeless Jesus "speaks to us, cries out to us, to hear the voice of Jesus and see him in our brothers and sisters who have no place in our society and no place in our hearts." The archdiocese hopes that the statue will "inspire reflections and conversations on how we care for the poor and homeless in the community." Other replicas of the statue are in Buenos
Aires, Capernaum, New York, Madrid, Melbourne, Rome and Singapore. MANILA Archbishop Jose F. This year's Holy Week is the Cardinal Advincula called on first time after two years that it is Catholics to have the courage to celebrated in churches with the stand up and shout loud praises congregation in attendance. to God and not to worldly desires "Let us thank the Lord that and material things as the now, while still being conscious country pauses to observe Holy of each other's safety, we can Week. celebrate the most important "Today we begin Holy Week, week of the year in the way that the most important week for we did before the pandemic," every Christian. Amid the Manila Cathedral rector Fr. meaningless noises around us, Reginald Malicdem said. this week, let us shout out loud "Let us make the most out 'Hosanna to the son of David' so of this week. Let us intensify we can defeat those who shout: our prayers, especially for 'Crucify him.' Let us cry out to our elections this year and for the whole world through our lips peace in Ukraine. And let our and lives that Jesus Christ is Lord celebrations this week truly bear and that he alone is the savior of good fruit in our lives," he added. the world," Advincula said in his On April 14, Holy Thursday, Palm Sunday homily, his first as Advincula will preside at the the Archbishop of Manila. Chrism Mass at the Manila Palm Sunday is the sixth Cathedral at 7 a.m. and last Sunday of Lent and Chrism Mass is the annual marks the beginning of Holy blessing of Chrism oil and the Week, the Catholic Church's Oil of the Sick that is used in commemoration of the Paschal the sacraments of the Church. Mystery — the suffering, death At 5 in the afternoon, the and resurrection of Jesus Christ. cardinal will again preside over Palm Sunday marks Christ's Mass commemorating the Last triumphant entry to Jerusalem. Supper of Jesus Christ with his The cardinal bewailed that disciples. nowadays, Jesus and faith in On April 15, Good Friday, him seem not to be given much there will be a Station of the importance while "when for Cross at 9 a.m. The Mass for the business, economy, industry Commemoration of the Lord's the cry of Hosanna is louder." Passion will start at 3 pm. The Hosanna was the shout of praise Easter Vigil Mass will be at 8 made in recognition of Jesus p.m. on April 16. On April 17, Easter Sunday, the Masses will be at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Reflection on the elections Meanwhile, the representative of Pope Francis in the Philippines said Holy Week is also an appropriate opportunity for Filipinos to pray and ask for guidance in the upcoming May election. Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles John Brown advised the people to reflect during the commemoration of the Holy Week the very important decision of choosing the country's next set of leaders. "It's also the period in which we are getting close to elections in the Philippines. It's the time in which we can pray for START OF HOLY WEEK. Rev. Fr. Cirilo Palaca blesses devotees with holy water after the 6 a.m. God's guidance in making a Palm Sunday Mass on April 10 at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Shrine, City of San Jose Del good decision as voters and Monte, Bulacan. Palm Sunday is the start of the Catholic faithful’s Holy Week observance. responsible citizens in this PNA photo by Ben Briones country," Brown said. by FRANCO JOSE
8 APRIL 13-15, 2022 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
Dateline PhiliPPines
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SUMMER EXODUS. Passengers going home to spend the Holy Week in the provinces fill the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange on Monday, April 11. Bus terminals nationwide are on “heightened alert” as part of the government’s preparation for the exodus of devotees and vacationers during the Holy Week and summer vacation. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
Duterte’s approval, trust rating remain high - poll PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte's approval and trust rating remained high just weeks before he leaves office, the first quarter survey of Publicus Asia showed. Majority of the respondents — 67.2 percent — said that they approve of the President's performance in the past 12 months. Duterte's trustworthiness rating was at 61.8 percent. Both his approval and trust rating posted an increase of 2.3 and 6.7 percent, respectively, compared to the first quarter survey in 2021. His disapproval rating for
Q1 2022 was 15.2 percent and his low trust rating was 16.6 percent. On the other hand, the approval rating for Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo was at 32.3 percent, after a 3.2 percent increase from last year, while her trust rating increased by 8.5 percent, from 18.7 to 27.2 percent. The approval rating for Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto 3rd was at 38 percent, 23.7 percent for Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, and 23.8 percent for House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. Their trust ratings
were at 25.3, 14.6, and 14.4 percent respectively. The government agencies with the highest approval and trust ratings were the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Philippine Air Force. Publicus surveyed 1,500 respondents from March 30 to April 6, 2022. Participating respondents were randomly drawn from a market research panel of Purespectrum with over 200,000 Filipinos. Results of the survey have a ±3 percent margin of error. (ManilaTimes.net)
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the executive director of Texas Census 2030, a merger of two organizations to form what she characterized as a permanent Texas complete count committee, a private version of Padilla’s statefunded initiative in California. She explained that, in lieu of state dollars and support for the census, the private and philanthropic sectors in Texas need to step up their commitments to yield a more complete count. Without more robust participation in the census, “we realized we were potentially hurting the economic prosperity and growth of our state.” Participants and presenters during the forum included longserving U.S. Census Bureau officials as well as leaders from
community-based organizations. Stacey Carless, executive director of the NC Counts Coalition, explained how her member organizations transitioned from census advocacy to promoting vaccine equity as COVID-19 began to take hold in North Carolina. “It was natural fit,” Carless said, “because of the same challenges we saw in census 2020, where there was mistrust and distrust of government.” Maintaining the continuity of a coalition’s relationships is critical to effective civic engagement advocacy, she contended. “We don’t want to wait every 10 years to talk about census and redistricting and voting. We want to talk about all three of them 365
Not too soon to engage in Census... been easily exceeded had there been a more accurate count of the state’s Haitian and African immigrant populations, observed Jeri Green, senior advisor with the National Urban League’s 2020 Census Black Roundtable. Instead, the seat New York would have added went to Minnesota. Texas, due its burgeoning population, gained two additional seats in the House of Representatives. Yet, unlike New York which committed money and resources to encourage census participation, Texas “did not plan for the 2020 census,” said Angela Broyles, nor did it provide any state revenue. Broyles worked to promote the 2020 census and is now
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Holy Week traditions leading up to Easter Sunday T
by AJPress
HOSE of the Christian faith will mark the end of the 40-day Lenten season with Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While the day is widely symbolized by the Easter bunny, dyed eggs, and chocolate, there is more to the holiday and the traditions associated with it. For Filipinos, Holy Week (Mahal na Araw) — known as the days leading up to Easter — is a significant observance, given that the Philippines still holds a Catholic majority of 80% of the country’s population. For Filipinos around the world of this faith, they carry these religious practices with them as they remember Christ’s passion and resurrection. Holy Week kicks off with Palm Sunday and lasts until Easter Sunday. For 2022, the week runs from April 10 to April 17. Here are some observances and traditions during this solemn observance: Fasting and abstinence Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent) and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. On the Fridays during Lent, many refrain from eating meat. During Holy Week, Catholic faithfuls may observe fasting by reducing the number of meals eaten each day. “If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily his Resurrection,” according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Veiled images If you visit a church during Holy Week, beginning on Palm Sunday, some churches will cover religious artwork and statues with purple cloth as a somber ritual. “Crucifixes are unveiled after the
Good Friday ceremonies and all other images just before the Easter vigil Mass on Holy Saturday,” according to the Catholic News Agency. Visiting seven churches Visita Iglesia is a Lenten practice to visit seven churches either on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday and recite the Stations of the Cross, which are the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. The tradition is said to have started in the 16th century. Good Friday In the Philippines, Good Friday, considered a public holiday, is marked with ritual crucifixions and public reenactments of Jesus’ suffering. Most Catholics will observe this day by refraining from eating meat and focusing on fasting and prayer. Salubong on Easter Sunday While modern-day Easter celebrations are associated with gatherings, egg hunts and other family-friendly activities, in the religious sense, it is the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and the end of the 40-day Lenten sacrifice. Easter Sunday begins
with salubong before dawn, when the Virgin Mary meets Jesus who comes back to life. Parishes will have a ritual procession with a statue of Mary in mourning, which is carried by women along a route, while men carry the statue of the Risen Christ. Both processions follow separate routes until the images meet. After the procession, churches will continue with Easter mass.
ABS-CBN and GMA’s main buildings
‘The force field is broken’: Kapuso, Kapamilya stars celebrate historic ABS-CBNGMA-7 partnership By Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
AJPress illustration by
Photos from abscbn.com, gmanetwork.com
KAPAMILYA and Kapuso personalities showed their excitement over ABS-CBN and GMA-7’s deal that would start showing Star Cinema films in the Kapuso network. Former Kapamilya weatherman and now Kapuso Kim Atienza took to his Instagram account to congratulate the partnership. “The force field is broken. GMA X ABS-CBN! The beginning of many beautiful things to come! The Lord works in mysterious ways!” he wrote. Reporting the news on “TV Patrol,” Karen Davila and Bernadette Sembrano, both
former Kapuso broadcasters, called the deal a “new era.” “Wow, talaga namang it’s a new era, ‘di ba? Congratulations sa ating dalawa,” Karen said after the report. “Sa Star Cinema and GMA,” Bernadette added. In a statement sent to media, ABS-CBN Films managing director Olivia Lamasan said they welcome the collaboration as they thanked GMA-7 for believing in their films. “We are delighted to have Star Cinema movies be enjoyed by Kapuso viewers through this partnership with GMA. We thank the network for believing in our films and Continued on Page 10
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community
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 13, 2022
Baron ‘relapsing’ into alcohol addiction, wife says By
Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net
BARON Geisler has been having a hard time managing his drinking habits again, his wife
Jamie Evangelista stated. Evangelista reached out to talent manager-comedian Ogie Diaz and gave her statement regarding a now-deleted video of herself and Geisler, as per
Diaz’s YouTube channel today, April 11. In the said video, Evangelista appears to be confronting Geisler, then she threw at him a container with liquid on it, which spilled all over Geisler who was lying in bed. “Grabe pag-relapse niya lately. Last December medyo traumatic for the kids so I told him, ”Pag iinom ka, ‘wag dito sa bahay,’” Evangelista, a psychologist, said. (His relapse has been serious lately. Last December was a bit traumatic for the kids so I told him, “If you’re going to drink, do not drink here in our house.”) Evangelista recounted how she went to a hotel to pick up Geisler for their flight to Manila, only to know that he was still drinking when she came. Evangelista then apologized for how she reacted, explaining that she was not able to control her emotions at the time because she had enough of his actions. “I’ve been very patient and forgiving for how many years so napuno na siguro ako. Tumawag ako ng taga-rehab para makadetox siya doon for a few days and ma-resched ang dubbing sa Manila but he got so paranoid,” she stated. “Nag-video siya I guess to seek sympathy.” (I’ve been very patient and forgiving for how many years so maybe I had enough. I called someone from the [rehabilitation center] so he can detoxify there for a few days and reschedule his dubbing in Manila. But he got so paranoid and he took a video [of what happened], I guess to seek Continued on Page 12
San Fernando Valley Golf Club Tournament. From L-R Jolan Pascua, Ron Ramores, Aldrin Reyes and Manny Viloria of Sriracha Group at the Montebello Country Club GC on March 26, 2022.
AAPBA Las Vegas Basketball Tournament. From L-R Basketball San Fernando Valley Golf Club Tournament - Sponsored by SM legend coach Rino Salazar, LA organizer Charlie Bonilla and from Development Corporation. (From L-R) Ralph Garcia, Chairman Charlie Bonilla anf Jeff Cuizon on March 22, 2022. Arizona coach Koy Banal of Mapua Cardinals on April 2, 2022.
Incarnation Church in Glendale celebrates salubong on Easter Sunday
FILIPINOS take Holy Week very seriously. Many perform various acts to atone for their sins. They attend retreats, and go on periods of fasting. They give up something at Lenten season. They have less parties to attend, give alms to the poor, and compassionate to those who are difficult to forgive, attend masses and praying more often. All these are part of the “sacrifices” people give at Lenten time recalling the “Suffering Christ”; on how he accepted Dying on the Cross so that all may live. The culmination of Holy Week will be on Easter Sunday. On April 17th at 1:30 p.m., Photo from Instagram/@baron.geisler “SALUBONG” will be celebrated for the first time in the faith community of Incarnation Church (1001 N. Brand Blvd. Glendale, CA 91202). The celebrant is Rev. Rodel Balagtas, Pastor of Incarnation Church. “Salubong “ is the traditional Easter ritual that heralds Jesus Christ’s Resurrection. “Salubong “is a Tagalog word that refers to the act of meeting, receiving or welcoming someone arriving. It is the part of Filipino Christian tradition that goes back to the Spanish Colonial Period and is still alive and practiced today by some churches that have Filipino presence. The Salubong is a symbolic re-creation of the meeting between the Risen Christ and His Mother, The Blessed Virgin Mary. The sorrow of Our Blessed Mother is turned into joy when she saw Her Son alive. Traditionally in the Philippines, Easter begins before dawn. The meeting of two images: The Risen Christ and the Blessed Mother covered with a mourning veil are processed, followed by the faithful. Children dressed in white who portray the role of angels remove the veil of sorrow. The song, “ Regina Caeli” (Queen of Heaven) is sung when procession starts. “Salubong” will be celebrated in Tagalog Mass at Incarnation Church. The Eucharistic celebration will be held in the afternoon to
accommodate the reality of the parish. This year’s Easter prayer is focused on the end of Ukraine-Russian Conflict, Peaceful Elections in the Philippines, and most of all, for everyone to remain grounded in their faith. A dance of Thanksgiving and Welcome entitled “Sayaw Ng Pagbati” will be performed by the members of Vessel of Mary Liturgical Dance Group and Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade members. Contacts: May Mallari (323) 401-0886 Ben Aranda (818) 437-1406 (Contributed by Jo Solomonson)
‘The force field is broken’: Kapuso... From Page 9 we welcome this collaboration as a great beginning that will inspire us to continue creating stories that will resonate with more Filipinos,” she said. In a report by Philippine Entertainment Portal, Ai Ai delas Alas said she’s happy with the partnership because her Kapuso fans can now watch her Star Cinema films.
“Masaya ako sa partnership ng GMA-7 at ng ABS-CBN dahil mapapanood na sa Kapuso channel ang mga pelikula ng Star Cinema. Masaya rin ako dahil may chance na ang mga Kapuso na mapanood ang mga pelikula ko noon,” she said. “Sana maging simula na ito para mawala na ang network war kasi noong araw naman, lahat ng mga artista, nakakatawid sa lahat ng mga
$3B entertainment hub planned for south area of Las Vegas Strip By RealtoR
community
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 13, 2022
Fely Quitevis-Bateman
IN major news announced recently, Las Vegas will add another jewel to the glittering skyline in the Las Vegas Strip’s southern part as a major player in building arenas in the United States unveiled plans to build a major arena, entertainment hub and casino. The Oak View Group, according to reports, have acquired 25 acres in an area just minutes away from Harry Reid International Airport and will begin construction by next year. As with other aspects of Sin City, this new development will cater an experience for those who can afford it. Customers, reports claim, will be able to purchase a package for hotel and a live event, with their hotel suite key granting them access to a private club in the arena. The hotel is likely to be able to accommodate about 2,000 guests, while the 20,000-seat arena can host concerts for major music acts and even be a home to a professional sports team. According to a Bloomberg article, Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke said that they are “going to go after every big event that exists” and described the experience they want their clients to have as “It’s exclusive, it’s high-end and it will be built in a way where it’s the perfect experience for those willing to spend the money to have the greatest experience in live entertainment.” It was revealed as well that the arena will be built to the highest specifications of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as the league has indicated that it
Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman with former Nevada State Senator Sue Lowden, one of the owners of the 27 acres between Sahara Hotel and Turnberry Place where former NBA player Jackie Robinson will build his proposed All Net Resort & Arena along the Las
Kris Aquino and her sons Josh and Bimby, with Darla Sauler (left, seated) Photo from Instagram/@darla
Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman inside the $1B Allegiant Arena in Las Vegas.
Russ Bateman at the Las Vegas Ballpark Arena in Summerlin.
would consider adding a team in Las Vegas should the NBA decide to expand. The arena would be an option for the NBA, although the Oak View Group is well aware that nothing is set in stone yet. Adding an NBA team would add to the allure of Las Vegas, which already is home to professional teams in sports like women’s basketball, football, hockey, soccer and baseball. And adding another great arena in the ever-expanding landscape of Las Vegas would be beneficial as the city has become used to hosting big events in the last few decades. Las Vegas was host to the most recent Grammy Awards, which features the world’s greatest musical acts, and Sin City will host the Super Bowl in 2024. Live entertainment will be a major calling card for the planned entertainment hub as one of its founders is music mogul Irving Azoff. The planned arena is expected to attract many of today’s artists as the Oak View Group has ample experience in building venues. In fact the Oak View Group operates places in Seattle, New York and Austin, and plans to build at least a dozen more venues. Actually, it used to be thought that when artists’ or performers’ careers were on a downward trajectory or if they are in the last legs of their musical journey, then they would start performing or getting residencies in Las Vegas. That is not the case today, as artists like BTS, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Celine Dion and Lionel Richie have performed in concerts or established residencies in the various major hotels in Las Vegas. The demand fueled by the influx of tourists and money in Las Vegas will only make the city’s arenas more attractive to musical acts looking to
touch base with their fans and bring an experience for them like no other. The planned arena, according to the same Bloomberg article, will be at a reported cost of $1 billion, which is double what it took to make T-Mobile Arena, which is now the home of the Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey team. With the renovations going on in the downtown area, and with this arena and other plans on the horizon for Las Vegas, it is a great time to consider investing in real estate property in Las Vegas and its surrounding neighborhoods. Indicators are pointing upwards, in terms of growth and prices. The developments in Las Vegas will have great impact on outside neighborhoods, including Pahrump, which is about 62 miles west of the gambling and entertainment capital of the world, as more people will be looking for affordable alternatives. The state offers great opportunities for the savvy and forward-thinking – great returns on your investments in real estate and a host of tax benefits for Nevada residents (competitive business state tax, a county sales tax of 6.75% (not on food items), and no taxes associated with estate/inheritance, franchise, gift, inventory/interstate commerce, corporate income and personal income). I can definitely help you look for the best opportunities for real estate in Las Vegas, Pahrump and other areas. Now is the time to take advantage of deals before prices get higher. My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has successfully helped its clientele find the best deals since 1992. You can reach me at 775-5138447, 805-559-2476 and 702-538-4948 for more information. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada
Kris reunites with former ‘Kris TV’ sidekick Darla after almost three years By
anne Pasajol Inquirer.net
KRIS Aquino was visited by her former “Kris TV” sidekick and head writer Darla Sauler after almost three years of not seeing each other in person. Sauler gave a glimpse of his reunion with Aquino and her two sons Josh and Bimby, via Sauler’s Instagram page on Wednesday, April 6. “Ang saya na finally nakabisita na sa ’yo. Love you guys so much! And tuloy-tuloy lang ako sa dasal for your health Krisy,” he said. (It brings me so much joy to have finally visited you. [I] love you guys so much and I continuously pray for your health, Kris.) Sauler told fans that his visit marks the first time he saw the Queen of All Media personally after a few years, though he pointed out that they talk with each other almost everyday. “[Gano’n] talaga pag yung ka-trabaho mo, nagtitiwala sa ’yo at tinatrato kang kaibigan… eventually magiging pamilya talaga kayo. Kaya nakaka-emo to see Kuya and lalo na si Bimb na literal kong nasubaybayan ang paglaki,” he stated. (That’s how it really goes when the people you work with trust you and treat you as a friend. They eventually turn into family. That’s why I’m getting emotional seeing Josh and Bimby, who I literally watched growing up.) Sauler also expressed his gratitude for the good relationship he has not only with Aquino but also with other hosts he had worked with in the past. “Thank you Lord kasi lahat halos ng hosts na nakatrabaho ko before, hanggang ngayon bahagi pa rin ng buhay ko [kasi] may tiwala, pagmamahal at respeto lagi sa puso,” he added. (Thank you Lord because almost all hosts that I have worked with before are still a part of my life until now, because there’s trust, love and respect in our hearts.) Aquino was earlier visited by her friend and fellow actress Angel Locsin who accompanied her in undergoing medical tests and treatments. Aquino has recently been diagnosed with erosive gastritis and gastric ulcer on top of her autoimmune disease. She is set to fly abroad with her sons to seek treatment, but the date of their departure has not yet been disclosed.
community
Reimbursement for community contribution towards a spouse’s education and student loan during marriage What to do if you’ve been
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 13, 2022
sued for a credit card debt
situation to be in especially if you are caught unprepared. Last week, someone consulted with me after finding out that his life savings of more than $12,000 was taken by a judgment creditor that he had Atty. RAymond totally forgotten about. He BulAon owed them more than $20,000 but because he had not heard YOU’VE just been sued for from them for a long time, he a credit card debt after you’ve didn’t know that they could just one day seize the money had trouble paying what you in his bank account. Don’t let owe. After several months this happen to you. of getting harassing phone As a bankruptcy attorney, calls that you were ignoring I see a lot of cases where because you didn’t have the people do NOTHING when money, now they’ve finally faced with a lawsuit. I think sent you court papers. What it’s because (1) they are so do you do? Should you file scared and don’t know what bankruptcy or are there other to do so they are hoping that options? Some people don’t realize somehow, it will just go away if they don’t communicate that they could be sued for with the creditor, (2) they unpaid credit card debt. have no money to pay so why Generally, debt collectors don’t just sue you right away if bother, or (3) they listen to wrong advice given by family they see that you are making and friends who tell them the effort to pay them. But if that it’s ‘not a big deal” for you ignore all the collection calls and letters, at some point them to worry about it. Some people who are in denial don’t they will take legal action even open their mail anymore against you. and don’t even read creditor In California, generally, letters that come to them. they have 4 years to file the There are many reasons why lawsuit from the time you this happens. stopped paying. If they do In California, if you don’t get a judgment against you respond to the summons eventually, the judgment within 30 days of receipt, the is good for 10 years and creditor gets what’s called renewable for another 10 a “default judgment”. What years after that. So yes, a this means is that because creditor can have up to 20 you did not respond to the years to collect the debt. The lawsuit, they win- and you worst part is that the debt lose automatically. Once they amount will continue to grow because legally, judgments are obtain a judgment, the next step for the creditor is find entitled to 10% interest every ways on how to enforce it single year. So, what may against you. The 2 common have started as a small debt can grow into an astronomical ways to enforce a judgment is by garnishing your paycheck amount by the time you and taking money that you decide to deal with it. I see have in your bank accounts. this happen all the time. If you own a home or other A lot of people come to real property, a judgment me and say that they weren’t creditor can also record even aware that there was the judgment in the county a judgment against them where you live. This creates until one day their employer a “judgment lien” against received a wage garnishment your property. If you ever order or their bank notified decide to sell your house or them that their account has refinance your mortgage, the been frozen. This is a terrible
Minding Your Finances
judgment amount, attorney fees and court costs, plus all added interest will have to be paid in full. So, the best time to deal with the debt is before, not after they have filed a judgment lien. In some cases, it may be possible to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the creditor for a reduced amount. Or if you cannot pay the amount in full, perhaps an installment agreement at 0% interest may work to your benefit. In cases where none of the above is possible, you may have no choice but to file bankruptcy to get rid of the debt. Filing bankruptcy is often the quickest and least expensive way to get rid of credit card debt. It also allows you to wipe out old debts on your credit report so that in 2-3 years, you can have good credit again. The bottom line is this. NEVER ignore a lawsuit even if you are unemployed and are thinking that the creditor cannot get anything from you, anyway, and that you have nothing in the bank for them to take. Why? Because everything always changes. At a time when you least expect it, let’s say a year from now when you’ve totally forgotten about the lawsuit and are now working and/or have money in the bank, this is when the creditor finally gets you. And you would hate yourself for not doing anything about it sooner. For a free office consultation, please call TollFree 1-866-477-7772. ***
NOTE: Due to pandemic safety concerns, 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 J. Bulaon has successfully helped over 6,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)
Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRsuA Reyes ONE of the biggest problem of millenials and Gen Z are educational cost and student loan debt. This eats up a large part of a households budget even among married couples. However, what happens to all the money paid towards one spouse’s education and student loans if the marriage fails and leads to divorce. Well, California Family Code Section 2641(b)(1) provides that upon divorce or legal separation, the community “shall be reimbursed” for its “contributions” to a spouse’s education or training that “substantially enhances” the spouse’s earning capacity. Under Family Code Section 2641(a), reimbursable community “contributions” means payments made with community or quasi-community property for a spouse’s education or training or for the repayment of a loan incurred therefor, no matter where the parties resided when the payments were made. Family Code § 2641 reimbursement is not limited to education or training received during marriage. Rather, by its terms, application of the statute is governed solely by whether community funds were used to pay for the education or training. Thus, educational costs and loans paid with community funds
are within the ambit of § 2641 reimbursement even if the education occurred before marriage. Marriage of Weiner, supra, 105 CA4th at 239-240, 129 CR2d at 291; In Marriage of Mullonkal & Kodiyamplakkil (2020) 51 CA5th 604, 607-608, 265 CR3d 285, 288, the court held that the community is entitled to reimbursement where spouse paid off student loans for education she attained before marriage with funds from her salary earned during marriage. In Mullonkal & Kodiyamplakkil, the trial court erroneously held § 2641 did not apply because, among other things, the student spouse (Wife) repaid her premarital education with her own earnings during the marriage, and the nonstudent spouse (Husband) failed to contribute to Wife’s education/ loan repayments and family expenses. “[B]ut nothing in [§ 2641] contemplates denying reimbursement to the community where the student spouse pays for her own education or where the nonstudent spouse did not somehow earn an entitlement to an equal share of the community. Indeed, the statute refers to community contributions to education, and makes no reference to the source of the community contribution.” Marriage of Mullonkal & Kodiyamplakkil, supra, 51 CA5th at 615616, 265 CR3d at 294. At a minimum, reimbursable community expenditures include amounts paid for the student spouse’s tuition, fees, books, supplies and transportation.
Fam.C. § 2641, Law Rev. Comm’n Comment, 23 Cal. L.Rev. Comm’n Reports 1 (1993) Beyond this, however, community expenditures are a reimbursable “contribution” only if directly related to the educational experience. Ordinary living expenses that would have been incurred regardless of whether one spouse was attending school such as rent, food and clothing, health care and entertainment, are not reimbursable under § 2641. Marriage of Watt (1989) 214 CA3d 340, 354, 262 CR 783, 791-792. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our
Baron ‘relapsing’ into... From Page 10 sympathy.) “I’m still hoping and praying na ma-overcome niya talaga ang addiction niya sa alcohol in God’s perfect time,” she added. (I’m still hoping and praying that he really overcomes his addiction to alcohol in God’s perfect time.) When asked by Diaz if Geisler drinks everyday, Evangelista clarified that the actor only drinks for three days every two weeks.
“So three days siya iinom then ‘pag huminto na, he gets depressed. Nasa kwarto lang siya for three to four days,” she said. (So he will drink for three days then when he stops, he gets depressed. He will stay in the room for three to four days.) “I told him to learn to be independent kasi magfo-forty na siya,” Evangelista added. “Intindihin na lang natin kasi may chemical imbalance na talaga siya pero he also has to help himself.”
community 13 Always remember if you received stimulus refund The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 13, 2022
From My Point Of View
bought an electric or plug-in car in 2021, car buyers of this model can get a credit rebate IT has come to my attention of $7,500. This is so-called A Genette Mujar creation Genette Mujar, CEO of Gnetz Designs Alternative Motor Vehicle Photo courtesy of Vanity Wall that several qualified taxpayers Photo by Canna Zhou – by either lapse of memory Credit (Tax Code 8910). Just or for some unexplainable inform your tax preparer so it reasons – don’t realize that they can be inputted under Credit already received their Economic Menu. Just provide the year, Impact Payment or the Recovery make and model of the vehicle. Rebate Credit otherwise known This is a large sum of money. It as stimulus refund amounting is an incentive coming on the to $1,400 under the American heels of rising gas not only this Rescue Plan Act (ARP) of the year but in previous years. Biden Administration in 2021 This refund either came in the form of IRS check, debit card or was directly deposited to taxpayer’s bank account. Even after interviewing them, they insisted that they never received this Luxe Fashions by Gnetz THE diversity of designs amount. Thereafter, they Designs in the Filipino community is complained that after a couple * It is interesting to note Finally, Genette Mujar, the unparalleled, and what makes of months, their refunds have that more often than not, our proud owner and CEO of Gnetz them even more unique is each not yet been received. After Social Security pension benefit Designs, a clothing business artist’s subtle homage to their a thorough searching on their is not taxable. However, if she established in Vancouver, culture. Get to know three bank statement, only then did married filing jointly have high is another Filipina is making a must-see Filipino designers they realize that they actually income and high tax rate, name for herself in Canada’s who are doing their country received it. Of course, the delay a portion of this benefit is fashion scene. proud. of their refund is inevitable. The taxable. Genette’s luxe designs Their works are to be Internal Revenue Service had to * If you are providing care have been featured in various showcased at Asia Pacific adjust their refunds minus the to a handicapped child or an Canadian magazines, and she Fashion Week (APFW) – a $1,400 for single filers or $2,800 elderly parent and received the has collaborated with noted global platform for emerging for married filing jointly. I advise Form W-2 under that person Canadian photographers and fashion designers – on them to check their bank as an employer and you as an make-up artists. August 6, 2022 at the historic deposits for proofs or accuracy. employee, this income is nonHowever, before she could Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in * Unknown to many, if you taxable. pursue her goal of becoming Los Angeles, and on August a fashion designer, Genette 13, 2022 in Decades Event had to work as a caregiver in Center in Las Vegas. Canada. Neo-Ethnic Fashion by Genette finally summoned LCL For Lionell Christian Lanuzo the confidence to pursue her big goal at the age of 50. and his self-named fashion Genette’s hard workd paid off brand LCL, guests will be when she received the “Best impressed by his statementAchievement Award” from making shapes and patterns, Vancouver’s Visual College of which encourage the wearer to express her uniqueness and Art and Design, the fashion school she attended. ethnicity. Genette’s remarkable His favored sillouette, the success story is another “Philippine Terno” and its illustration of how, no matter trademark butterfly sleeves, our age, the big effort can lead is combined with modern to even bigger success. European aesthetics to create Asia Pacific Fashion Week: a decidedly “neo ethnic” look. a global platform Christian’s creations have The range of designs within been featured in several the Filipino community is unlike fashion magazines in Europe. Various Philippine embassies in any other. But what makes Europe, recognizing his unique them extra special is the subtle Filipino-inspired designs, have nod they make to their culture. Indeed, these designers invited him to showcase his are drawing well-deserved neo-ethnic clothes during attention to Filipino glam – and important Filipino community Asia Pacific Fashion Week will celebrations. be their newest global platform Based in Milan, one of to showcase the diversity of the world’s fashion capitals, Filipino-inspired fashions. Christian proudly raises the This inaugural edition of Philippine flag wherever his APFW is presented by the creations take him. Philippine Consulate General in Indigenous Weaves by Los Angeles, DTI Los Angeles MYET For Mayeth Codoy and her office, Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions Norway-based label MYET, (CITEM) and The Hollywood fashion entails showcasing Roosevelt Hotel. the distinct beauty of the The Los Angeles leg of Philippine textiles – pinya APFW enjoys the support of (pineapple) and abaca (Manila Asian Journal Publications hemp) – in such beautiful, Inc., Trending Beverages Inc., modern masterpieces that are Napa Valley Distribution Inc., appropriate for both special Montemaria Cellars, House events and everyday wear. of Pacquiao Wine, Individual Mayeth, a 2020 graduate Health Care, Lombard by the of Esmod Oslo (an affiliate of Bay, MTS Law Firm, Premier Esmod International School Asia Pacific Real Estate & in Paris), was one of six Development, and Tina international designers whose Modeling. creations were featured last The Las Vegas edition is year in a fashion show of the co-produced by InterEdx, a dba French nonprofit association of Dynasty Exchange Ltd. LLC., Fashion for Foundation at the headed by Dr. Lee Dedicatoria, historic Salon des Miroirs on in cooperation with Asia on Paris’ Grand Boulevard. Mayeth sources the fabrics Earth, Dynasty Ventures, Club Paradisia, World Edoption, used in her collection from artisan communities in Aklan, a Royal Blue Staffing and Lend province in Central Philippines. with Love.
Dan E. nino
3 Filipino international designers you need to know in 2022 Their works are to be showcased at Asia Pacific Fashion Week 2022 in Los Angeles and Las Vegas
Lionell Christian Lanuzo has a self-named fashion brand, LCL Photo by LCL
One of Lionell Christian Lanuzo’s creations. Photo courtesy of Sujata Photography
Mayeth Codoy has a Norway-based label, MYET Photo by Emmelot Grace
One of Mayeth Codoy’s creations. Photo courtesy of Esmod Oslo
* I advise my clients to monitor and keep their receipts or records of deductible items especially if they are in high income bracket but filing on an itemized deductions like out of pocket or co-pay doctor’s visits, prescription medications, church tithings, charitable donations, car registration renewals. Everything counts nowadays. Don’t rely on your memory. * Those with high medical
The Internal Revenue Service had to adjust their refunds minus the $1,400 for single filers or $2,800 for married filing jointly. expenses can deduct only certain expenses that exceed 7.5% of their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). * When you install a solar panel on your roof to save on electricity, it is tax deductible. Make sure that the credit rebate that you received doesn’t go to sellers of this energy solar panels. There are unscrupulous salesmen out there who take advantage of gullible buyers. * There are times that
financial institutions don’t specify all the details on statement sent to shareholders. I advise taxpayers to provide complete information like the date they acquired their shares of stocks, the original cost, and the date and price they sold them. This will determine the capital gains which are taxable. Otherwise, you’ll pay more taxes on your capital gains. And don’t forget. If you have gambling winnings, better report them. Casinos provide the IRS your information.
*** 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. Should you have some questions, please don’t hesitate to write or call me at 562-508-8099 or email me at denino1951@gmail.com. *** The author wear several hats. He was a retired tax collector with a government revenue agency, a lifelong journalist, community leader, tax practitioner (income, sales tax and non-profit organizations), business consultant and motivational speaker based in Cerritos, California.