APRIL 18-21, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 30 • 2 Sections – 20 Pages
USA
DATELINE Newsom details plan to lift statewide COVID-19 restrictions FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
California to work in conjunction with other states to reopen the West Coast
CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom this week unveiled a framework for reopening the state’s economy and society. Though he provided no exact timeline (the statewide stay at home extends through May 3), Newsom said that he would base his decision to reopen on local governments and did not comment on President Donald Trump’s claim that the president has full authority to reopen the country. “There is no light switch here, it’s more like a dimmer,” the governor said on Tuesday, April 14. “I know you want the timeline, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves and dream of regretting. Let’s not make the mistake of pulling the plug too early, as much as we want to.” The state’s roadmap to reopening involves six steps: provide adequate testing and maintain physical distancing orders; prevent infection to high-risk individuals; adequately support and stock hospitals and health care systems; provide therapeutics to meet demand; ensure
US COVID-19 deaths hit record daily high as LA County expands same-day testing Trump unveils new federal guidelines for states to re-open economy and society by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
THE United States broke the record for highest number of novel coronavirus-related deaths with a whopping 4,591 deaths in a single day on Friday, April 17, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.
CA to send up to $1,000 to undocumented households by AJPRESS
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Los Angeles Asian, Pacific Islander leaders adjust to pandemic in 2020 Census drive COVID-19 crisis shows exactly why census participation is important WITH the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic this year, grass-roots efforts to encourage full 2020 Census inclusion have had to make drastic adjustments to their strategies. On Wednesday, April 14, Congressman Jimmy Gomez, who represents California’s 34th District, joined a host of community Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian representatives, all working from the safe shelter of their homes, in a press teleconference briefing to discuss the challenges the pandemic has presented to getting their communities counted in the 2020 Census. The conversation, hosted by the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, extended to what new strategies they’ve implemented to u PAGE A4
But despite the alarming increases in positive cases and deaths, the Trump administration has pressured states to consider lifting safer-at-home measures and reopening their economies. The local, state and national emergencies that imposed strict social and economic barriers to preu PAGE A2
The new record — which reflects deaths recorded on Thursday, April 16 — beats the prior record of 2,569 deaths in one day on the previous day, Wednesday, April 15. That brings the total COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. to 34,180 with a total number of cases reaching 679,374 as of press time.
COVID-19 FACILITY. Workers rush to finish the new quarantine facility at Philippine Sports Complex (Ultra) Pasig City on Friday, April 17, to help ease the burden of hospitals that are now operating in full capacity due to rising cases of the coronavirus in the country. Inquirer.net photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta
AS millions of Americans started receiving their stimulus payments from the federal government this week, one group was largely left out of the relief plan: undocumented immigrants. In light of this, California has announced a $125 million Disaster Relief Fund for the state’s undocumented workers, becoming the first in the nation to provide this type of assistance since the coronavirus pandemic began. “We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people that are in fear of deportation that are still addressing essential needs of tens of millions of Californians,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in his daily briefing on Wednesday, April 15. The state is contributing $75 million, while private philanthropic partners are taking care of the additional $50 million. Around 150,000 undocumented adult Californians will receive a one-time cash benefit of $500 per adult with a cap of $1,000 per household to deal with the specific needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals can apply for support beginning next month. u PAGE A2
PH stands with WHO after US’ withdrawal of aid by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
THE Philippine government expressed its support for the World Health Organization (WHO) after United States President Donald Trump decided to withhold funding for the international body because of its supposed bias in favor of China. “It’s not for the Philippine president to tell other presidents what to do. But we support the WHO,” said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday, April 18.
He added, “It is important to give funding to the WHO. As far as the Philippines is concerned, we stand committed to the WHO and we will give our contribution when the need arises.” The international health body, Roque said, has helped countries plan a coordinated response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has affected millions of people and forced the lockdowns of major cities all over the world. He also said he is hoping that other countries would continue cooperating with the u PAGE A2 Former First Lady Imelda Marcos
Inquirer.net photo by Lyn Rillom
Palace considers selling More Fil-Am restaurants feed health care workers, immigrant families in SoCal Imelda gems for virus funds by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
Hospital staff at Long Beach Memorial take a break and enjoy meals from Silog. Photo courtesy of Silog
More Filipino American restaurants in Southern California are joining the effort to feed local front-liners as well as families affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Filipino fusion restaurant Silog in Torrance — which temporarily closed its physical location in late March following safer at home orders — launched a $5,000 GoFundMe campaign this month to bring meals to staff at area hospitals. “Our restaurant might be closed
to the public but our kitchen remains open so we can still help the community, especially during these difficult times,” owner Lemuel Guiyab wrote in a post on the restaurant’s Instagram account, adding that he and his family will be cooking, handling and delivering themselves. A meal is around $7 per person and the restaurant seeks to bring 20-40 meals per delivery. “The more money we raise, the more days we are able to provide meals to different hospitals. 100% of [the] donation[s] will go towards the food cost. None u PAGE A4
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
MALACAÑANG is considering auctioning off the jewelry confiscated from former first lady Imelda Marcos to raise funds for the government’s ongoing response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday, April 16. According to him, selling part of the Marcoses’ collection of gems has been raised even before the pandemic swept around the world, with President Rodrigo Duterte authorizing the jew-
elry collection’s public auction last year. This statement came after Duterte said he was open to selling government assets like the Philippine International Convention Center, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and other properties on Roxas Boulevard to help the government address the COVID-19 crisis, which has infected over 5,000 individuals and put Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine. Roque noted that Duterte’s action showed that he values his people’s health over everything. “The people’s health is imporu PAGE A2
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From the Front Page
US COVID-19 deaths hit record...
PAGE A1 t vent the spread of the virus have upended the lives of everyday Americans and businesses everywhere, as reported in the Asian Journal. In turn, this has negatively affected non-essential businesses as well as non-essential workers who aren’t able to work from
home. Though the rollout of the economic stimulus checks this week has provided Americans with financial aid to cover income lost during safer-at-home measures, the pandemic has effectively dented the American economy. President Donald Trump earlier this week claimed that he
had full authority to “reopen the country” at his discretion, even going as far as creating a White House committee for the effort that includes 200 CEOs and business leaders. On Wednesday, Trump walked back his statements after several governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, rebuffed the claim by announcing their own guidelines and roadmaps to reopen their states’ economies and societies. Trump then unveiled on Thursday night a set of federal guidelines for governors to use to decide when they feel it’s safe to phase out safer-at-home restrictions to mitigate further economic damage while minimizing the proliferation of the COVID-19 virus. But medical and health care professionals have advised against prematurely lifting the emergency orders before understanding the scope of the pandemic in the U.S. According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), only 1% of the U.S. population has been tested with about 120,000 tests performed every day. Medical professionals say that millions of people will have to be tested every day to get a full picture of the pathogen’s impact in the U.S. To that point, before beginning the first phase of the new federal guidelines, states or regions should have a “robust testing program in place for at-risk health care workers, including emerging antibody testing.” “We are not opening all at once, but one careful step at a time,” Trump said on Thursday as an addendum to his previous call to governors to “call your own shots.” Trump also acknowledged the massive protests across the country, mostly from supporters of the Trump base, and expressed sympathy for their concerns, saying “it’s been a tough process for people. You know, I told you this: There’s death and there’s problems in staying at home, too. It’s not just, ‘Isn’t it wonderful to stay at home?’ They’re suffering.” LA County’s numbers soar as county expands free same-day testing On Friday, April 17, 567 new
SMOOTH TRAFFIC. With the implementation of enhanced community quarantine, most major roads such as the EDSA in Balintawak, Quezon City show no traffic build up on Friday, April 17. The Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) and personnel from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) conduct stricter quarantine implementation in checkpoints to avoid unauthorized travel in and out of the metropolis. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
CA to send up to $1,000 to undocumented... PAGE A1 t Under the federal stimulus package, $1,200 was given to individuals, and $2,400 per couple and $500 for each dependent under the age of 16. Following the announcement, Filipino immigrant rights advocate Jose Antonio Vargas tweeted at Newsom, saying: “As an undocumented immigrant who was raised in California and call
the Bay Area my home, thank you. Thank you for remembering that undocumented Californians are an inextricable part of our state.” The state is home to approximately 2 million undocumented immigrants — over 460,000 of whom are originally from Asia, according to AAPI Data. Undocumented workers comprise 10% of the state’s labor force.
“I’m not here to suggest that $125 million is enough, but I’m here to suggest it’s a good start and I’m very proud it’s starting here to the state of California,” Newsom added. Aside from the monetary relief, the state previously announced that it would provide COVID-19 testing and treatment for its residents, regardless of immigration status. n
PH stands with WHO after US’ withdrawal...
PAGE A1 t announcing that he is cutting WHO as they fight COVID-19. off U.S. payments to the organiOn Tuesday, Trump accused zation as a result. the WHO of failing to adequately “The WHO failed in its basic sound the alarm on COVID-19, duty and must be held account-
able,” he said. The U.S. funds about 8% of the WHO’s $4.8-billion annual budget, receiving $400 million from the country each year. n
Palace considers selling Imelda gems for...
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tant to him, so if he needs to sell those infrastructure, he will use the proceeds to take care of the people’s health,” he said. The Marcoses’ collections of gems, amounting to approximately P700 million, were said to be part of the family’s illgotten wealth. They have three collections: Malacañan, Roumeliotes and Hawaii, named after the places where they were seized. The “Hawaii Collection” is u PAGE A4 currently secured at the Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas. It consists of 300 pieces of jewelry that includes a Cartier diamond tiara and a 25-carat “extremely rare” pink diamond. Senator Imee Marcos, meanwhile, proposed to temporarily suspend loan payments to foreign lenders so the government can aid more affected families and companies under the quarantine. However, Malacañang dismissed this, saying that the move will have bigger repercussions. “We have cross-default provi-
sions in our debts, in which if we default on one debt, we will default on all our debts. It will be bloodier for us if our lenders decide to make us pay back all the debts at the same time,”Roque said. He also assured that the government still has enough funds for now, so suspending loan payments was unnecessary. “And if (the money) is not enough, the government will first sell its assets before we default on our obligations,” Roque added. n
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More East Coast Pinoy front-liners succumb to COVID-19 by MoMar
G. Visaya
AJPress
Bebot Filipino Soul Food chef and owner AC Boral packs hot meals for immigrant Filipino families in need in Long Beach, California. Photo courtesy of the Filipino Migrant Center
More Fil-Am restaurants feed health... PAGE A1 t
Out of Historic Filipinotown, of the funds will be used for any the Park’s Finest spearheaded restaurant’s operation. None of a project to nourish health care the funds will go to the owners,” personnel and emergency responders in mid-March after the the post added. As of this writing, Silog’s meals city ordered restaurants to be have reached Torrance Memo- closed for dine-in. The cost to rial and the VA Hospital in Long feed one front-liner is $13. To date, the campaign has Beach, among other South Bay raised over $28,000 out of its facilities. Bebot Filipino Soul Food in $50,000 goal. Other local establishments, Long Beach announced on social media that it has donated 112 hot such as Créme Caramel and meals to immigrant Filipino fami- Kindness & Mischief Coffee, are lies over the month through com- doing their own deliveries of pasmunity organizations, Filipino tries and coffee to hospitals, as Migrant Center and Anakbayan. previously reported by the Asian The restaurant is now seeking Journal. Titas of Manila Filipino donations as more requests to Kitchen and Neri’s Curbside Cravings have also delivered serve families are trickling in. Before the restaurant took a 25 care meal packs for Pilipino short closing break in March, Workers Center in HiFi. Efforts to bring hot meals to owner AC Boral told the Asian Journal that it was making free medical professionals have been deliveries to hospitals and clinics mounted by other Fil-Am comin Los Angeles and Orange coun- munities around the U.S. In San Francisco, Kultivate ties.
Lemuel Guiyab, whose Torrance restaurant Silog temporarily closed, prepares meals for local hospital staff. Photo courtesy of Silog
Labs launched #FilipinosFeedTheFrontlines, a $100,000 fundraising project to help stabilize 10 Fil-Am restaurants and deliver 10,000 meals to those on the health care workers and scientists across the Bay Area and low-income seniors and families in the South of Market (SoMA) neighborhood. Local cafes and restaurants in New York and New Jersey — two of the hardest-hit areas in the country — are paying it forward also by delivering packaged meals and coffee beverages for doctors and nurses to enjoy after shifts or on breaks. n
LATEST data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCC) show that at least 9,000 front line health workers in the United States have contracted COVID-19 and 27 of them have died. This preliminary data from the CDC reveals that nearly three quarters of these infections are women and the median age is 42. This week, more Filipino American doctors, nurses and health care workers died due to the virus. Audie de Leon, Bellevue Hospital (New York City) Ernesto “Audie” de Leon was a registered nurse originally from Baguio City and last worked at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. He passed away from COVID-19 on Monday, April 13. Ali Dennis Guillermo, Long Island Community Hospital (East Patchogue, New York) Ali Guillermo came to the United States in 2004 to seek a better life for his family. He has been working at Long Island Community Hospital since then. The 44-yearold nurse leaves behind his wife Romielyn and children, Denice, Ali and Aljon. Guillermo, an intensive care unit nurse who also helped in the emergency room, fell sick with COVID-19 in mid-March. On April 8, he died in the ICU of the same hospital where he cared for many patients and helped save many lives. Dr. Alejandro Albano, Clove
Dr. Ariel Ferreras
Dr. Alejandro Albano bw
Louis & Lolita Torres
Lakes Healthcare and Rehabilitation (Staten Island, New York) Dr. Alejandro “Alex” Albano passed away on April 4 at Staten Island University Hospital. He is survived by his wife Ophelia, five children and grandchildren. Dr. Ariel Ferreras (Woodbridge, New Jersey) Dr. Ariel Ferreras, 62, was a physician from New Jersey. He was honored on Easter Sunday by around 50 of his friends, colleagues and relatives who drove by his family’s Woodbridge residence with large photos and placards, along with flowers and
Ali Dennis Guillermo
Audie de Leon
prayer cards which were placed underneath a tree on their front lawn. His grieving widow Madonna and their sons Nico and Ryan stood by their front door and witnessed this moving tribute and outpouring of love and sympathy. Louis Torres and his mother Lolita Torres (Briarwood, Queens) Louis Torres, 47, was the director of food services at a nursing home in Woodside, Queens and his 73-year-old mother Lolita, worked as a ward clerk at a
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US COVID-19 deaths hit record... PAGE A2 t
positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, bringing the total number in Los Angeles County up to 11,391, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Public Health, announced during a press briefing on Friday. This bumps the mortality rate in LA County to 4.3%. Among those who tested positively and had their races identified — 18% were of Asian descent. The City of LA still has the most number of positive cases (5,093 to date), but other cities in the county now have positive cases in the triple digits: Glendale (310), san-
ta Clarita (188), Torrance (181), Inglewood (145), Carson (143), Palmdale (131), south Gate (123), Burbank (121), Downey (118), santa Monica (107), West Hollywood (107) and Lancaster (102). The LA County COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center announced on Friday, April 17 that the county would now provide free same-day testing for all county residents who show symptoms of the virus. (symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.) Previously, only high-risk individuals — senior citizens and people with certain underlying
health issues — who showed symptoms were allowed immediate testing, but the county has expanded that to include a wider scope of recipients. Immigration status, insurance status, age and having any preexisting health issue will not affect one’s eligibility for a COVID19 test. (To schedule a test, visit the county’s COVID-19 testing resource.) Priority testing will continue to be reserved for first responders, health care and medical personnel, grocery store employees and “critical government personnel.” n
More East Coast Pinoy front-liners succumb... PAGE A3 t
Queens hospital. Both mother and son shared a home in Briarwood and began feeling sick on April 1. They were both diagnosed with pneumonia and tested positive for COVID-19. Lolita died on April 6 and in less than 24 hours, Louis died due to the coronavirus as well.
Susan Sisgundo, Bellevue Hospital (New York City) susan sisgundo has been working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan since 2014. she passed away after an eight-day battle with COVID 19 on April 8, a month before her 51st birthday. she had planned to celebrate with
her family in Bicol. Lemuel Sison (Fresh Meadows, New York) Lemuel sison was a medical laboratory scientist who lived in Fresh Meadows, New York. He was the 1st Vice President of the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists, Inc. (PAMET UsA) New York Chapter. n
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FIRE AFTERMATH. A residential area near Delpan Bridge in Manila lies in ruins on Thursday, April 16. Fire razed the area on Wednesday, April 15, leaving about 40 families homeless. The affected families are temporarily housed at the Jose Abad Santos High School in Manila. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
‘It’s not over until it’s over’: 5 things to know about hitting the COVID-19 peak by Phil
Galewitz Kaiser Health News
As New York, California and other states begin to see their numbers of new COVID-19 cases level off or even slip, it might appear as if we’re nearing the end of the pandemic. President Donald Trump and some governors have pointed to the slowdown as an indication that the day has come for reopening the country. “Our experts say the curve has flattened and the peak in new cases is behind us,” Trump said Thursday in announcing the administration’s guidance to states about how to begin easing social distancing measures and stay-at home orders. But with the national toll of coronavirus deaths climbing each day and an ongoing scarcity of testing, health experts warn that the country is nowhere near “that day.” Indeed, a study released this week by Harvard scientists suggests that without an effective treatment or vaccine, social distancing measures may have to stay in place into 2022. Kaiser Health News spoke to several disease detectives about what reaching the peak level of cases means and under what conditions people can go back to work and school without fear of getting infected. Here’s what they said. It’s hard to see the peak Health experts say not to expect a single peak day — when new cases reach their highest level — to determine when the tide has turned. As with any disease, the numbers need to decline for at least a week to discern any real
trend. some health experts say two weeks because that would give a better view of how widely the disease is still spreading. It typically takes people that long to show signs of infection after being exposed to the virus. But getting a true reading of the number of cases of COVID19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is tricky because of the lack of testing in many places, particularly among people under age 65 and those without symptoms. Another factor is that states and counties will hit peaks at different times based on how quickly they instituted stay-at-home orders or other social distancing rules. “We are a story of multiple epidemics, and the experience in the Northeast is quite different than on the West Coast,” said Esther Chernak, director of the Center for Public Health Readiness and Communication at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Also making it hard to determine the peak is the success in some areas of “flattening the curve” of new cases. The widespread efforts at social distancing were designed to help avoid a dramatic spike in the number of people contracting the virus. But that can result instead in a flat rate that may remain high for weeks. “The flatter the curve, the harder to identify the peak,” said William Miller, a professor of epidemiology at Ohio state University. The peak does not mean the pandemic is nearly over Lowering the number of new cases is important, but it doesn’t
mean the virus is disappearing. It suggests instead that social distancing has slowed the spread of the disease and elongated the course of the pandemic, said Pia MacDonald, an infectious disease expert at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute in North Carolina. The “flatten the curve” strategy was designed to help lessen the surge of patients so the health care system would have more time to build capacity, discover better treatments and eventually come up with a vaccine. Getting past peak is important, Chernak said, but only if it leads to a relatively low number of new cases. “This absolutely does not mean the pandemic is nearing an end,” MacDonald said. “Once you get past the peak, it’s not over until it’s over. It’s just the starting time for the rest of the response.” What comes next depends on readiness Although Trump said the nation has passed the peak of new cases, health experts cautioned that from a scientific perspective that won’t be clear until until there is a consistent decline in the number of new cases — which is not true now nationally or in many large states. “We are at the plateau of the curve in many states,” said Dr. Ricardo Izurieta, an infectious disease specialist at the University of south Florida. “We have to make sure we see a decline in cases before we can see a light at the end of the tunnel.” Even after the peak, many people are susceptible.
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Los Angeles Asian, Pacific Islander leaders adjust... PAGE A1 t
meet those challenges and how the pandemic has highlighted the importance of census participation. “The census benefits all of us,” A3PCON’s Manjusha Kulkarni said in opening the meeting. “We are heavily reliant on doing outreach face-to-face. It’s clear that the pandemic has had a negative effect.” she then introduced Gomez, whose work in Congress includes a seat on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Part of that committee’s purview includes overseeing census operations. “An accurate census impacts nearly every aspect of our lives,” Gomez said, and cited needs the pandemic has highlighted such as for emergency response, hospitals and sufficient hospital beds. “We’re feeling the remnants of the last census,” he said. “Do we have enough resources for the people that are here? If we’d had a more accurate count …” With a response rate in the high-40% range, the nation as a whole is about 10% behind where it was at this point in the process in 2010. California is slightly ahead of the national rate, but the response rate in its primarily Hispanic communities is 10% lower. Worse, Gomez said, in his own congressional district, which is more than 65% Asian, census participation so far is only at 32%. “We need to up our game,” he emphasized. “We want to continue to push the self-response rate.” Usually in the once-every-10years census, responses are collected through July. Already this year that time has been extended to Aug. 14, and now the plan is to continue that work through October, which risks making the data, intended to provide a snapshot of the country as of April 1 this year, less accurate. “We must make sure that an extension does not compromise
the quality of the data,” Kulkarni said as she introduced Kawen T. Young from the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Alliance. Young, noting that the current population is “standing on the broad shoulders” of its predecessors, emphasized the importance of census participation “to shape the future for the next 10 years.” “In terms of COVID-19, we are pretty together, but of course we have to work extra hard.” His organization’s efforts include inlanguage PsAs (public service announcements), social messaging, and “even TikTok with the younger generations.” Tracy Zhao, from API Equality – Los Angeles, noted how the census, as currently designed, gives short shrift to LGBTQ people. Except for the opportunity to identify a co-habitant as a samesex spouse, “we are excluded.” For example, there is no way for a person to indicate being transgender, non-binary, intersex or LGBTQ unmarried. “We know that this is an incomplete picture,” she said. “LGBTQ people exist within all populations,” but nonetheless, “despite these shortcomings, we are still encouraging people to fill out the census the best we can.” Her organization has turned to producing videos and phone banking including video calls to encourage participation. Linda Huynh from API Forward Movement said that in her work as a Chinatown nutritionist, as part of the food deliveries she oversees are in-language flyers describing the importance of census participation and information on census hotlines. API Forward Movement, she said, can no longer hold events in conjunction with the Alhambra Unified school District or faith-based organizations, but has intensified its work through online papers such as Alhambra source, including producing animations emphasizing how the COVID-19 pandemic highlights
the urgency of being counted in the census. she noted that posts including photos of “people that look like us” or are “in-language” get far more user views, sometimes many times more, than those that don’t. Amy Hom from Khmer Girls in Action said that in their work emphasizing the importance of the census and how the political landscape impacts lives, Instagram is preferred for reaching the youngest members of the community, Facebook for elders and Twitter for news and media. Jose Roberto Hernandez, of the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, described how his organization began the year doing census outreach in person, canvassing block-by-block and reaching 51,000 people by early March. KIWA also coordinated with the south Korean, Mexican, El salvadoran, Honduran and Guatemalan consulates, who provided space for them to set up tables and “very successfully” do other forms of outreach. But because of the pandemic, KIWA has had to shift its focus to phone banking and sending text messages, which its volunteers are doing by the thousands — 15,000 and 60,000 respectively, he said. Gomez had also mentioned census help hotlines in multiple languages, starting with English: (844) 330-2020; Korean: (844) 392-3030; Vietnamese: (844) 461-2020; Mandarin: (844) 3912020; and Cantonese: (844) 3982020, along with the census’ website, 2020census.gov, for self-responding. Aquilina soriano Versoza, of the Pilipino Workers Center, gave her comments entirely in Tagalog. In the words of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities’ Tavae samuelu: “Being counted is our tautua, our kuleana, our duty to those who came before us and those who will follow.” (Mark Hedin/Ehtnic Media Services)
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Fil-Am Jalen Green signs with NBA G League Newsom details plan to lift statewide... Green is also decorated with gold medals from FIBA youth Philstar.com World Cups in the Under-19, NO. 1 high school recruit Jalen Under-17 and Under-16 tournaGreen has opted to skip college ments. He was also awarded MVP in and sign directly with the NBA the 2018 FIBA Under-17 BasketG League. Green, who has Filipino heri- ball World Cup in Argentina. “We’re thrilled to welcome a tage on his mother side and traces his roots to Ilocos Sur, player and a person of Jalen’s announced his decision via In- caliber to the NBA G League,” stagram live on Thursday, April G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim said in a news re16. The top prospect played guard lease. “He represents the next genfor Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and received offers from top eration of NBA players, and we schools in the US NCAA and the couldn’t be more excited to have him develop his professional NBL in Australia. He was also named to the 2020 skills in our league,” he added. Green has previously played McDonald’s All-American and a member of the USA Basketball in the Philippines in the NBTC League hosted by SM. n Men’s Junior National Team. by Luisa
MoraLes
Jalen Green was ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s recruitment class of 2020. Photo from Instagram/@jalen
‘It’s not over until it’s over’: 5 things to...
PAGE A4 t “The only way to stop the spread of the disease is to reduce human contact,” Chernak said. “The good news is having people stay home is working, but it’s been brutal on people and on society and on the economy.” Before allowing people to gather in groups, more testing needs to be done, people who are infected need to be quarantined, and their contacts must be tracked down and isolated for two weeks, she said, but added: “We don’t seem to have a national strategy to achieve this.” “Before any public health interventions are relaxed, we better be ready to test every single person for COVID,” MacDonald said. In addition, she said, city and county health departments lack staffing to contact people who have been near those who are infected to get them to isolate. The tools “needed to lift up the social distancing we do not have ready to go,” MacDonald said. You’re going to need masks a long time Whether people can go back out to resume daily activities will depend on their individual risk of infection. While some states say they will work together to determine how and when to ease social distancing standards to restart the economy, Chernak said a more national plan will be needed, especially given Americans’ desire to travel within the country. “Without aggressive testing and contact tracing, people will still be at risk when going out,”
she said. Social gatherings will be limited to a few people, and wearing masks in public will likely remain necessary. She said major changes will be necessary in nursing home operations to reduce the spread of disease because the elderly are at the highest risk of complications from COVID-19. Miller said it’s likely another surge of COVID-19 cases could occur after social distancing measures are loosened. “How big that will be depends on how long you wait from a public health perspective [to relax preventative measures]. The longer you wait is better, but the economy is worse off.” The experts pointed to the 1918 pandemic of flu, which infected a quarter of the world’s population and killed 50 million people. Months after the first surge, there were several spikes in cases, with the second surge being the deadliest. “If we pull off the public health measures too early, the virus is still circulating and can infect more people,” said Dr. Howard Markel, professor of the history of medicine at the University of Michigan. “We want that circulation to be among as few people as possible. So when new cases do erupt, the public health departments can test and isolate people.” The Harvard researchers, in their article this week in the journal Science, said their model suggested that a resurgence of the virus “could occur as late as 2025 even after a prolonged period of
apparent elimination.” Will school bells ring in the fall? Experts say there is no onesize-fits-all approach to when office buildings can reopen, schools can restart and large public gatherings can resume. The decision on whether to send youngsters back to school is key. While children have been hospitalized or killed by the virus much less frequently than adults, they are not immune. They may be carriers who can infect their parents. There are also questions of whether older teachers will be at increased risk being around dozens of students each day, MacDonald said. Another factor: The virus is likely to re-erupt next winter, similar to what happens with the flu, said Jerne Shapiro, a lecturer in the University of Florida Department of Epidemiology. Without a vaccine, people’s risk doesn’t change, she said. “Someone who is susceptible now is susceptible in the future,” Shapiro said. Experts doubt large festivals, concerts and baseball games will happen in the months ahead. California Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed that view Tuesday, telling reporters that large-scale events are “not in the cards.” “It’s safe to say it will be a long time until we see mass gatherings,” MacDonald said. n This story is part of a partnership between NPR and Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
PAGE A3 t businesses, schools, and child care institutions are able to function with physical distancing measures; and ensure there is enough data to support the decision to reopen the state. In his remarks, Newsom acknowledged the anxiety Californians feel about the continued shelter in place measures that have upended their lives. But he pointed out the potential damage of reopening the state prematurely despite the efforts that have already flattened the COVID-19 curve. “I don’t want to make a political decision that puts people’s lives at risk and puts the economy at even more risk by extending the period of time before we can ultimately transition and get people moving again,” Newsom said. Even after the state eventually re-opens, Californians will have to adjust to a new normal. He also warned Californians that they should prepare for a future where, after businesses reopen and society slowly returns to normal, they will continue to wear facemasks. Restaurant employees would also continue to wear face masks and gloves and serve half as many customers to maintain safe distances. Schools would also have to develop new protocols regarding the sanitization of schools and playgrounds and guidelines for physical education, recess and other activities where students may come in contact with each other. “We are not out of the woods yet [and] we are not spiking the ball,” Newsom said. “But we also extend a recognition in that light that this can’t be a permanent state, and I want you to know it’s not; it will not be a permanent state.” Regarding the reconvening of concerts, festivals, shopping malls and other instances of large gatherings of hundreds of people or more, Newsom said that there’s no timeline, saying that it is currently “not in the cards based upon our current guidelines and current expectations.” On March 19, Newsom made California the first state to announce a statewide stay-at-home order, and that has allowed California to successfully minimize the pandemic’s effect on the Golden State. Although about 22,348 people have been infected and 687 people have died (according to statistics from California Health and Human Services), the state’s early
response helped prevent a more drastic situation like that of New York state which has the most cases of COVID-19 than any country outside the United States. Right before he released his guidelines, Newsom joined fellow Democrats Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Monday, April 13 to announce a regional partnership to collaborate on the reopening of the West Coast. In a similar move, seven states in the northeast, including New York and New Jersey, have created their own re-
gional plan to reopen their states. This pact was unveiled after Trump’s declaration that he has the de facto power to reopen the country’s economy, saying on Monday, April 13 that his “authority is total” to reopen states’ economies. But on Tuesday, April 14 he walked back his statements, saying that he would authorize “each individual governor of each individual state to implement a reopening and a very powerful reopening plan of their state.”(Klarize Mdenilla/AJPress)
A6 APRIL 18-21, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
Commitment to transparency
FEATURES
WITH the coronavirus disease 2019 still ravaging the globe, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and three of ASEAN’s dialogue partners held an unprecedented special summit by video conference last Tuesday, committing to a united front against COVID-19. Among other things, the Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19 committed to ensure sufficient funding for the region to contain the pandemic. The group is also considering a proposal to establish the ASEAN Response Fund for public health emergencies. A joint statement issued at the end of the special summit also committed ASEAN and its partners China, Japan and South Korea to the strengthening of an early warning system for emerging infectious diseases in the region as well as regular, timely and transparent exchange of real-time information on COVID-19, to include measures being taken by each country in dealing with the pandemic. Whether the commitment will take root remains to be seen. After SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome spread from China’s Guangdong province in 2003, sickening over 8,000 people around the world and killing over 700, all countries should have taken to heart the importance of transparency and early reporting when faced with emerging infectious diseases.
Transparency improved in the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2012. MERS has infected nearly 2,500 people and killed about 860 so far in 27 countries. With SARS and MERS still not fully contained, the world could have been spared an enormous amount of suffering if a timely alert and full information had been released when the novel coronavirus that causes what is now called COVID-19 emerged last year in Wuhan City, in China’s Hubei province. Epidemiologists believe the COVID-19 virus jumped to humans from bats. COVID-19 had infected nearly 2.02 million people in nearly the entire planet, with 127,630 deaths. Millions have lost jobs and livelihoods and become impoverished. The International Monetary Fund has said that thanks to the pandemic, the global economy faces its worst year since the Great Depression. Let’s hope the ASEAN Plus Three commitment to transparency and the release of realtime accurate information on infectious diseases will not be mere rhetoric. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Trump uses taxpayer-funded daily coronavirus briefing to rewrite history, attack political opponents and campaign for re-election
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS ENOUGH! President Donald Trump has been abusing the daily coronavirus briefings, which are paid for using taxpayers’ money in lieu of his campaign rallies he laments he cannot hold because of social distancing safety measures. The briefing is supposed to be the American people’s way of knowing all the facts, information, and guidance they need as the whole nation and the world fight this war against the pandemic, which as of press time has infected more than 2.2 million people globally with a death toll that has surpassed 151,000. Here in the United States, coronavirus cases have topped 692,000 as of press time, killing more than 36,000. Many states have been reporting a record number of deaths, and the spread of the pandemic continues to threaten many more people as Trump pushes to open America for business as usual by May 1. Through the daily briefing, Trump has been undermining the facts and advice delivered by health officials and experts. Instead, he’s been spreading misinformation and confusion through his “double talk” — claiming to heed health experts who say “we are not there yet” to relax social distancing measures that have so far been the most effective ways to help mitigate the spread of the pandemic, thereby so far reducing
the number of people projected by scientific models that could be infected and killed by COVID-19 if the “stay at home” and “shelter in place” had not been implemented in most states. Trump has been denigrating governors instead of supporting them in keeping their constituents safe, downplaying the urgency of their needs, and demanding for them to show “appreciation” of him before he moves to respond to their states’ medical emergency. During April 13’s briefing, Trump had claimed total authority over all states for his planned May 1 re-opening of America, contrary to the advice of health experts and officials, and the governors’ concerns over the safety of their constituents. Because of backlash over his authoritarian stance, he again used “double talk” to say during the April 14 briefing that he is giving the governors the power to decide when they want to reopen their state, an authority the Constitution already accorded the governors. On April 15, “President Trump threatened to try to force Congress to adjourn so he could fill his administration’s vacancies without Senate approval, the second time this week he has claimed unprecedented executive authority amid the coronavirus pandemic.” As the Washington Post reported, “The president cited a neverexercised constitutional power to
shut down Congress if the House and Senate are in disagreement over adjourning, pushing both the executive and legislative branches into uncharted territory.” Unfortunately, the economy of the United States and the whole world have been derailed, especially when we break this down to the lives of ordinary people. Many people have lost their jobs or got furloughed, schools needed to stop, non-essential businesses had to close, people could not travel and felt stuck and bored in their homes — all of these because of the social distancing measures to save lives! Because of the pandemic’s toll on the life of the American people, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted to battle the harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the $2 trillion stimulus package only provides a $1,200 direct payment to many Americans, $2,400 for couples and $500 for each dependent child. Through this taxpayer-funded measure, Trump’s name will be printed on the checks that will be sent out to people without direct deposit arrangements with their banks. Truly a disgusting cheap electioneering stunt! Trump, the demagogue, used the frustration of the people to encourage them to protest and defy their governor’s social distancing orders, attack his political opponents tweeting, among others: “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and
save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” “LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” “Today people started losing their jobs because of Crazy Nancy Pelosi, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, and the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, who should immediately come back to Washington and approve legislation to help families in America. End your ENDLESS VACATION!” Through the daily briefing, Trump has also been maliciously attempting to “rewrite” history to cover up his failure of leadership in implementing measures early enough to save that lives of our medical front liners and the American people. We would have not been in this desperate situation had Trump heeded and acted early on after multiple classified warnings from the U.S. intelligence community throughout January and February about the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus from China to other countries, the Chinese government’s initial efforts to play down the severity of the looming crisis, and the increasing likelihood it would reach America’s shores. We would have not been in this desperate situation had Trump not eliminated the White House National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense, established by previous President Barack Obama, to prepare the United States for future pandemics like
COVID-19. This is consistent with Trump’s obsession to erase Obama’s legacy in America. We would have not been in this desperate situation had Trump not cut huge funding for health institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has undermined COVID19 containment efforts. We wouldn’t have been in this desperate situation had Trump not covered up and undermined the threat of coronavirus despite warnings of a pandemic from the scientists and health officials because he deemed this will hurt the economic numbers he has been bragging about and therefore, could cost him his re-election. NOW that the coronavirus has escalated as a pandemic and has killed many Americans, Trump is still denying scientific facts because he is obsessing over good economic numbers — Wall Street index, low unemployment rate and high GDP — not because he cares for you. He is putting our health and safety at risk for his political survival. IF TRUMP wants to open the U.S. economy with sincere consideration of the health and safety of the American people over his ratings and his insatiable need for praise and flattery, he should stop using the daily coronavirus briefings for his reelection bid. He should stop watching cable news obsessively to see if he is getting good ratings and ap-
proval. He should stop obsessing attacking his political opponents and critics. He should stop lying and be honest with the American people. Trump should just do his job to protect the American people. He should use the Defense Protection Act not to feed his greed for power, but for the well being and safety of the people: Manufacture and provide protective gear to all our front liners in the hospitals and first responders. Manufacture and/or support manufacture of effective testing kits, and help conduct wide scale testing to all states. Right now, we are only testing those who are already exhibiting severe symptoms. We need to test more as many are asymptomatic yet they can infect the more vulnerable. We need this information to implement contact tracing to isolate people who have been exposed to the virus. We need to look at all the facts in the ground before we relax social distancing and reopen America for business. WE NEED A TRUE LEADER. Trump is NOT that leader. *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
Your political agenda is not greater than anyone’s life
Commentary
GAB MEJIA IT has now been more than a few weeks since the declaration of lockdowns across the world. Long days and nights we have been kept in communal isolation, all grieving over a return to a life we once had. A world where we can go outside without fear of death lurking behind the faces of our loved ones. Indeed, this has been, perhaps, the most difficult time of our lives. No one had foreseen such drastic changes in the ways we live and function in a society, all happening within the passing of a few months in a year. Corporations and office employees now working from home. Semesters in different universities ending too soon. Government offices functioning with skeletal work forces. Meetings and conferences happening
in virtual screens. Millions of people losing their jobs. Thousands of lives lost and thousands of lives more to lose. The impact of this insidious and invisible force of a virus has left our individual and communal world paralyzed — left to work and cope with the scraps that our prelockdown society have left us. Citizens are now left to forage in stimulus programs and subpar social amelioration packages, surviving each day of this crisis with relief packages enough to feed only a family for a few days. Hospitals and health care workers struggling each day as coronavirus cases rise in number. And, recently, news of political tensions between state leaders and international organizations continue to heighten with the recent decision of United States President Donald Trump to temporarily halt US funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) because of disinformation allegations about
the pandemic between WHO and China. The US decision to cut funding for WHO during such a crucial time in the pandemic has invited global condemnation, especially from the European Union. A distressing turn of events on how our world’s decision makers are handling a global crisis affecting the lives of millions of people. Global leaders are pointing fingers at each other without recognizing the impact of their rash decisions in international relations such as how an unprecedented allegation could lead to greater disinformation about the virus in the view of the public as WHO’s credibility has been ultimately jeopardized. Who is there to believe now at this time? Who will be there to reassure that this pandemic will be over? There are even reports by specialists on how the coronavirus cases in China are inaccurate and questionable in comparison with current events and statistical data in Italy, Spain
and the US. But if there is anything for sure in this uncertain time, it is that the political agenda of a governing body is greater than that of the lives of the people. Japan’s response to declare a state of emergency within their nation only took place after the postponement of the Olympics despite the early rising numbers, and infallible testing taking place in Tokyo and other cities in Japan. It’s as if having a low number of cases within Japan would push the decision of continuing the Olympics, only to be inevitably postponed once international intervention took place after different sports committees in Australia and Canada agreed not to send athletes whether the Olympics would push through or not. Even politicians and government leaders in the Philippines are blatantly imprinting their faces and names on relief goods that are paid for by the taxes of the people, to explicitly campaign for upcoming national
STRICTER CHECKPOINT. Security forces manning the checkpoint implement stricter measures in Las Piñas City on Thursday, April 16. The measure is to ensure that only authorized persons can go outside their residence to prevent the spread of COVID-19. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
election in 2022 in hopes of winning despite their cities and districts being in chaos now. We have come to a point in our society that the we believe so much that the future owes us something, where in fact it never did and it never will. It is in this time where we realize that the existence and survival of the most basic human life is needed the most in this
global crisis. That today matters more than tomorrow. That even in this time of isolation, we need to stand together in global solidarity. We are in a constant revolution on our way to a normalcy we have yet to redefine. A normal we have now the opportunity to redesign. Together, we ask our leaders one question: what is the world we want to see today? (ManilaTimes.net)
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.
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Dateline PhiliPPines
PH task force dismisses proposed ‘total lockdown’ by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
THE Philippine Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases did not discuss the proposed “total lockdown” during its latest meeting, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Friday, April 17. “What would a total lockdown look like and will it be limited to Luzon only if ever? We are not talking about that,” Nograles said in a virtual press briefing. This came after Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the possibility of imposing a “total lockdown” is not being ruled out if the government fails to “flatten the curve” of novel coronavirus cases in the country. A total lockdown differs from an enhanced community quarantine in that it prevents people from going out of their homes and mandates the closure of all public establishments. Nograles also clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte only wants “stricter” enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon after the president threatened to impose a martial law-like lockdown on Thursday night. Duterte, in his televised address, asked the public to maintain their discipline and follow the quarantine guidelines. “I’m just asking for your discipline. If you don’t believe me,
Help! A man standing on an empty highway in Antipolo City holds a placard asking for help. The government had started doling out financial assistance to families hardest hit by the extended community quarantine, but poor households continue to struggle as the number of virus cases climb. ManilaTimes.net photo by John Orven Verdote
the military and the police will take over. I am ordering the police and military now to be ready. They will enforce social distancing and the curfew,” he said in Filipino. “It will be like martial law. You choose,” he added. Nograles, for his part, said: “Ang sinabi ni Pangulo naman kagabi, very clear. Martial lawtype. Parang ang sinasabi lang ni Pangulo, kung talagang magmamatigas ang mga pasaway (The president’s statement last night is very clear — martial law-type. He was only saying that if some people insist on being stubborn), then we will really employ and ask the military to come in and help, with the police.” As reported by the Philippine
News Agency, there are some 107,088 individuals who have violated the quarantine protocols. “The president is only trying to emphasize to the people that he also has the ability to ask the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the (Philippine National Police) to help impose orders, if need be. He has that power. So warning lang sa violators. (It’s a warning to violators),” Nograles said. As of writing, there are 5,878 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, with 387 fatalities and 487 recoveries. The Department of Health also said that there are currently 766 health care workers infected with the disease, of which 339 are doctors while 242 are nurses.
US provides P66-M more COVID-19 aid by BeRnadette
taMayo ManilaTimes.net
THE United States government has provided an additional $1.3 million or over P66 million to the Philippines to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This brought to $4 million or P203 million the total assistance given by the U.S. to the Philippines to address the health crisis. Washington, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (Usaid), is coordinating with the Philippine Department of Health and other stakeholders to intensify Manila’s efforts to control the pandemic.
“This support to the Philippine Department of Health for its COVID-19 response demonstrates our longstanding commitment to our Philippine friends, partners and allies in times of need,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said on Thursday. Through the additional assistance, the Usaid will augment its support for the country’s laboratory systems, intensify case-finding and event-based surveillance, fortify systems to prevent and control infections, expand risk communication, and support Filipino and international technical experts to enhance response and preparedness.
This aid would enable the Philippines to expand its testing capacity so that more people infected with COVID-19 would be able to access life-saving treatment, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said. The Usaid’s assistance would also provide more Filipinos and health care providers access to the latest and most accurate information about COVID-19, it added. In the past 20 years, the U.S. has invested about $582 million (P29.6 billion) in the Philippine health sector, and has provided nearly $4.5 billion (P228.8 billion) in total development assistance to advance the country’s development goals. n
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 18-21, 2020
A
A april 18-21, 2020 • la WEEKEND aSiaN JOUrNal
Dateline PhiliPPines
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88 overseas Filipinos get COVID-19; total now at 837 by Christia
Marie Inquirer.net
raMos
MANILA — Eighty-eight more Filipinos abroad have contracted the coronavirus disease (COVID19), the highest daily increase recorded so far, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Data released by the DFA on Friday, April 17 showed that the total number of COVID-19 cases among overseas Filipinos is now at 837.
Of the total cases, eight new recoveries have been reported bringing the number of Filipino patients abroad who recovered from the disease to 248. Meanwhile, 483 are still undergoing treatment. The DFA has so far recorded 106 deaths, including three new fatalities from the Americas and the Middle East. “The DFA, together with its Foreign Service Posts (FSPs), continues to rally the support
and cooperation of our people in adhering to the preventive measures and restrictions imposed by different local health authorities and agencies, and remains dedicated in providing assistance to the COVID-19 positive Filipino nationals as needed,” the department said. It also advised overseas Filipinos who wish to be repatriated should immediately coordinate with the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate. n
Duterte vows to identify ‘critics’ of gov’t COVID-19 response by Catherine The National Kidney and Transplant Institute sets up a tent which was converted into a receiving area for medical workers to screen possible COVID-19 patients in Quezon City. Philstar.com photo by Miguel De Guzman
DOH: 766 health workers tested positive for COVID-19 by Gaea
Katreena Philstar.com
CabiCo
MANILA — More than 700 healthcare workers in the Philippines have contracted the new coronavirus while leading the country’s fight against the spread of the contagion. The Department of Health on Friday said 766 healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID-19. Of the number, 339 are physicians, while 242 are
nurses. The department did not indicate the professions of the remaining 185 individuals who were included in the count. At least 22 doctors have died from the highly-contagious disease, DOH added. Healthcare workers represent 13% of the country’s confirmed cases, which stood at 5,878 as of Friday. Medical workers in the country are dealing with the surge in
the numbers of COVID-19 patients, while also facing a lack of protective gear and the fear they could be virus carriers too. The DOH earlier amended its protocol, allowing healthcare workers who exhibit flu-like symptoms to get tested. Out of the over 2.1 million infected individuals across the globe, more than 145,000 have died from the coronavirus pandemic. n
Wednesday. “Foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino crew shall be allowed to dock in ports in Manila and to be used as a quarantine facility for said Filipino crew members, subject to the guidelines to be issued by the member agencies of the Sub-Task Group for the Repatriation of Overseas Filipino Workers pursuant to their respective mandates,” he said. He added that the foreign crew aboard these cruise ships would also be allowed to disembark for the sole purpose of taking outbound flights to their
final destination abroad after completing the 14-day mandatory quarantine. Around 70,000 to 100,000 overseas Filipino workers are expected to return home because of the pandemic, according to Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the government’s coronavirus response. The Department of Health earlier announced that two passenger vessels that could accommodate 1,100 people would be converted into quarantine facilities for returning Filipino migrant workers and seafarers. n
Valente ManilaTimes.net
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has fired back at the critics of his administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, saying they have done nothing for the nation except to talk and criticize. In a televised public address aired over state-run PTV-4, Duterte said he would identify those critics, who were politicking amid the Covid-19 crisis. “For the sake of the country, I will identify ‘yung mga Pilipino na walang ginawa kung hindi mag-batikos, mag-hanap ng mali para lang may masabi at marinig sila ng mga tao (For the sake of
the country, I will identify Filipinos who have done nothing criticize and find fault because they want to be heard by the public),” Duterte said. The President then advised the public not to listen to his administration’s critics. He also alluded that “some women” from the opposition were politicking amid the health crisis. “I am telling you everything… Iyan ang iwasan ninyo. Iyan ang naglalaro ng politika. And for so many years, ilang taon na sila diyan, puro posturing (Avoid the critics. Avoid them because they are politicking. And for so many years that they were in power, all they do is posturing),” he added.
Duterte earlier accused the opposition of launching “black propaganda” against his administration amid the health crisis. Earlier Thursday, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. told members of the opposition and the communist movement to stop politicking and instead support the government in its fight against the pandemic. “Matapos ang krisis na ito, bakbakan ulit kung gusto ninyo. Pero sa ngayon po, hayaan muna natin na makarating ang tulong ng gobyerno sa lahat ng mga nangangailangan ng tulong (After this crisis, you can criticize us if you want. But for now, let the government help the needy people),” he added. n
Foreign cruise ships can dock in Manila NEDA chief Pernia resigns; DOF’s tax by Catherine
Valente ManilaTimes.net
THE government has allowed foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino seafarers to dock in Manila amid the implementation of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, a Palace official said on Thursday, April 16. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles bared that the decision allowing foreign cruise ships to dock was made during the meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases on
Senators: Probe delayed ID program SENATE President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, April 15 sought an inquiry on the apparent delay in the implementation of the P25-billion national identification (ID) system. The senators filed Senate Resolution 352 seeking an investigation on the status of the implementation of the national ID system amid problems being encountered in the distribution of cash aid. Under Republic Act (RA) 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act,” over 18 million low-income families will receive P5,000 to P8,000 to help them cope with the enhanced community quarantine to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Sotto and Lacson batted for the probe “with the end view of
ensuring its prompt and its fullscale implementation to achieve its intended purpose.” “Marami pala sa public na hindi alam na matagal na naming naipasa ang national ID system (Many Filipinos are not aware that we already passed the national ID system law a long time ago),” Sotto said in a text message. He said an investigation would be conducted once Congress resumes session on May 4. Among those who will be invited as resource persons are officials from the National Economic Development Authority and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The Senate chief also said “other executive offices involved and service providers from the private sector who have already proposed quick and reliable pro-
cesses” would also be invited. RA 11055 or the “Philippine Identification System Act” was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on Aug. 6, 2018. Its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) were approved on Oct. 5, 2018. “Even prior to its approval, a budget of P2 billion was allocated for the national ID system under the 2018 budget of the Philippine Statistics Authority as the lead implementing agency of the program,” Sotto and Lacson said. The entire budget for the program amounts to P25 billion. “Almost two years from its enactment into law and the approval of its IRR, there seems to be no significant headway on its implementation,” Lacson said. (ManilaTimes.net)
9 BJMP inmates test positive for COVID-19 by Kristine Joy
Philstar.com
PataG
MANILA — Nine inmates of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology tested positive for COVID-19, its spokesperson said Friday, April 17. Major Xavier Solda, bureau spokesperson, confirmed this to Philstar.com in a text message. The inmates were placed in isolation from last week, at the newly established isolation facility at Payatas in Quezon City. In a press conference streamed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Solda said that there are also nine BJMP personnel who tested positive for the coronavirus disease. “All of our personnel assigned in Quezon City Jail were tested. There are around 40 of them and we had them swabbed,” Solda said pertaining to the test procedure for COVID-19. He added that 21 other inmates were also tested. “Those who show symptoms, definitely they have to be tested to determine the extent of possible infection,” Solda added in Filipino. The Bureau spokesperson also said that they will conduct “random sampling” of inmates in QC jails to double check the situation of the inmates. DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya for his part also called on local government units to include city or municipal jails in their localities in mass testing. Release of PDLs Calls for release of the elderly, ailing and vulnerable prisoners from several rights groups and Sen. Leila de Lima continue to mount as COVID-19 infections
reform ‘poster boy’ named replacement by ian
niColas CiGaral Philstar.com
MANILA — Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia has resigned and Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua, who crafted the Duterte government’s tax reform program is replacing him, officials said in separate announcements on Friday. The sudden change in leadership at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), one the government’s top economic agencies, is coming at a crucial time for the economy, heavily battered by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and the local and national lockdowns imposed to fix it. In his statement, Pernia, 76, said he is leaving his job nearly four years after due to personal reasons “and partly to differences in development philosophy with a few of my fellow Cabinet members.” He did not go into specifics. “I leave NEDA knowing that we have initiated and implemented meaningful changes that will help the country overcome these challenging times and on to a higher growth trajectory,” he added. Malacanang said President Duterte accepted Pernia’s resignation and has put Chua, a former World Bank economist, in his place as acting secretary. Pernia was a crucial part of the government’s COVID-19 response. Prior to his resignation, he was leading a sub-group in the interagency task force on emerging infectious diseases, tasked to formulate forward-looking plans, including adjustments that would be made after the Luzon lockdown expires on April 30. As IATF member, Pernia had been vocal on supporting a partial opening of the economy, or modifying an all-encompassing lockdown of the Philippines’
most populous island, to isolate localities where infections are high, while powering up the rest of Luzon. At one point, he was even quoted as saying that a reopening of malls is being studied, one that has been a sensitive topic for IATF. IATF, through Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, had always been hesitant to mention anything conclusive post-April 30, only to say that the decision will be studied and be based on science. On Friday morning, Nograles said key officials would meet later on the day to study IATF’s options after April 30. It was unclear if Pernia still joined the meeting. Different views In some instances during his tenure, Pernia had showed a differing view from other officials who typically echoed the Palace. Before the pandemic got everyone preoccupied, Pernia was clear on the possible “adverse effects” if broadcast network ABSCBN Corp. would not get its franchise renewed by Congress. In 2018, when President Duterte was still pushing for federalism, the former NEDA chief said a shift in government will “wreak havoc” in the economy. In terms of policy, Pernia led the government’s push for the passage of the rice liberalization law in 2018, lifting quantity limits on rice shipments to help ease a high inflation environment. He also crafted Ambisyon Natin, which laid out the long-term development policy in the Philippines, over which government programs are based, until 2040. ‘Poster boy’ Meanwhile, Chua will move from the finance department’s Pasay offices to NEDA in Pasig with his main project as finance undersecretary unfinished. Early 2016, before the Duterte administration even took office, he was personally tapped by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to join the government and
NEDA Chief Ernesto Pernia
craft the biggest overhaul in the country’s tax system since the National Internal Revenue Code was enacted in 1997. Nearly four years after, only two of the five tax reform bills— one, that reduced personal income taxes and another that slapped higher tobacco levies— had been passed into laws, with the rest stuck in the legislature as the entire government gets distracted with addressing the impact of COVID-19. There is still no word as to who will replace Chua at the DOF, but now at NEDA, Chua will still have his hands full. Foremost on his new job is to oversee the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program, the government’s centerpiece economic policy which has been sidelined by efforts to put the spread of COVID-19 under control. “In a way quite sudden and unexpected. It’s unfortunate that he resigned,” said George Barcelon, president emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a phone interview. “But I think NEDA is in good hands with Karl. The tax reform, I guess, will still continue but in terms of the infrastructure projects, I think there will be some tweaks that will happen, more of in line with the current critical situation in COVID-19. The groundwork has been laid down by Secretary Pernia,” he added. n
Pandemic displaces 1.5-M workers This photo taken on March 27, 2020 shows prison inmates at the crowded courtyard of the Quezon City jail in Manila. UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet has urged countries to protect people held in overcrowded prisons and other enclosed facilities by releasing vulnerable detainees, sating COVID-19 “risks rampaging through such institutions.” Philstar.com photo
rise. A group of prisoners on April 8 knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court and asked for their possible release during state of public health emergency, stressing that the Philippines may record a staggering amount of fatalities of the novel coronavirus that may infect the inmates. “Petitioners are praying for a fair chance at surviving the devastating impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in spaces that are not blighted with the overcrowding and lack of access to hygiene measures and medical care,” their plea read. The group of petitioners is composed of political prisoners and detainees who are elderly sick or pregnant, and are committed to crowded facilities where social distancing is “practically impossible.” Solda said that while they
support decongestion of jails through legal measures, studies need to be done first to ensure that propositions are within laws. The International Committee of the Red Cross noted that as of March 19, 2020, BJMP’s 467 jails are at 534% congestion rate. DILG Secretary Eduardo Año earlier said that jails under BJMP will be “100 percent safe” from the contagion. “All detention cells remain COVID- free. This is the safest place now, we will not allow anyone to enter prison and detention cells. All visits are now restricted,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English at a press conference in March. The Supreme Court is holding an en banc session on Friday where they may discuss the inmates’ plea for temporary release. n
THE coronavirus pandemic had displaced some 1.5 million workers in the formal sector, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE). Majority of the affected workers were in the manufacturing, hotel, restaurant and tourism-related sectors. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said on Tuesday that as of April 13, a total of 1,428,841 workers have been displaced as reported by 52,993 establishments. “More than 1 million of those were due to temporary closures while the balance were affected by various flexible work arrangements,” Bello said. The Labor department provided no breakdown on the locations of the displaced workers. The latest number is 280,192 higher than the figures recorded on April 11 — 1,048,649. Based on the April 11 data, the highest displacement was recorded in Metro Manila with about 246,810 workers; followed by Central Luzon with 179,875; Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) with 99,178; Davao Region with 90,414; Cagayan Valley with
75,189; Central Visayas with 51,150; Cordillera Administrative Region with 46,614; Northern Minadanao with 46,351; and the Bicol Region with 41,322. Western Visayas recorded 36,526 displaced workers while Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) recorded 30,721 workers. The areas with the least affected workers were Caraga Region with 26,981; Eastern Visayas with 24,940; Zamboanga Peninsula with 24,664; Ilocos Region with 17,378; and Soccsksargen with 11,536. Soccsksargen comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato and Sarangani, and the cities of General Santos and Cotabato. The figures were based on reports submitted to the Labor department’s field and regional offices by business establishments. Bello reiterated his call to enterprises and companies to submit to his department the names of their workers and employees, regardless of employment status, so that they can be provided assistance under the Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).
“We are thankful to those who responded positively to our request that the P5,000 one-time assistance under CAMP has already benefited about 220,000 workers with close to P1.1 billion in assistance funds,” the Labor chief said. He said the number is on top of the close to quarter of a million workers in the informal sector who also need assistance under the DoLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program-Barangay Ko, Bahay ko or the Tupad #BKBK program. Bello denied the allegations of some groups that the Labor department was underreporting or downplaying the actual number of workers affected by the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon. “We have been forthright and transparent. It is our desire to reach the most number of workers with the assistance we can provide. There is no reason for us in government, much less in the Labor department, to play with numbers — underreport or otherwise downplay them,” he stressed. (William Depasupil/ ManilaTimes.net)
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USCIS announces ‘flexibility’ for Zsa Zsa lands role in American non-immigrants during COVID-19 TV show ‘Almost Paradise’ Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ ON April 13, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will exercise more f lexibility for non-i m m ig r a nt s w ho mu st depart the U.S. by a certain date, but are now facing “immigration-related challenges as a direct result of the COVIDpandemic.” DHS is aware that certain nonimmigrants must depar t the U.S. before their authorized period of admission expires. This would include visitors or tempor a r y wor ker s who were a llowe d to r em a i n in the U.S. until a date certain. Howe ver, t he s e noni m m i g r a nt s m ay u nex pec ted ly be forced to rema i n in the U.S. beyond their authorized period of stay due to COV ID-19, especially where there are travel bans, d i f f i c u l t y i n o bt a i n i n g a n international f light, and quarantines, lockdowns, or “shelter in place” requirements in the U.S or abroad. (For example, there is a quarantine for travel in and outside of Manila). Where a non-immigrant was allowed to remain in the U.S. to a date certain (the date on their I-94), USCIS recommends the following: 1. Apply for an extension or change of status. USCIS con-
tinues to accept and process applications and petitions during the COVID-19 pandemic. M a n y fo r m s a r e a v a i l a b l e online for filing. 2. If the extension or change of status request is filed timely ( b efor e you r p er io d of aut hor ized stay ex pires), t hen t he person does not accr ue “unlawful presence.” In some cases involving work authorization with the same employer, it ’s p o s s i bl e to r e c ei ve a n automatic extension for up to 240 days after the I-94 expired when an extension of status is timely filed. 3. If the extension or change of status request is NOT timely filed, USCIS stated it would exercise f lexibility or discretion. In ot her words, USCIS may be more lenient with late
pandemic, many rules, regulations, procedures, and filings with USCIS and immigration courts are constantly changing. I realize these changes can be confusing and complex. My office continues to remain open (remotely) and continues to accept phone consultations and processing our existing clients’ cases. We w i l l continue to keep you updated as developments arise. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/ GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES
“USCIS may be more lenient with late filings based on delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.” filings based on delays caused by t he COV ID-19 pandemic. In those cases, USCIS has the discret ion to excuse delays or late filings based on “ext raordi nar y ci rcumstances” which are beyond the control of the alien, “such as those that may be caused by COVID-19.” However, the length of delay in filing must be reasonable under the circumstances. For example, if a person, five years from now, files an extension on a visitor visa, that may be unreasonable. Because of t he COV ID-19
(Advertising Supplement)
by Ryan
aRcadio Inquirer.net
ZSA ZSA Padilla has made her debut on A mer ica n T V in t he cr ime ser ies “A lmost Paradise,” where she portrayed a character named Governor Rosales. The actress-singer appeared in the show’s latest episode, which was filmed in Cebu City, she said on her Instagram page last Tuesday, April 14. Padilla accompa n ied her post w it h photos of her on the production’s set. Padilla also thanked makeup artist Varda Atienza for her look and pictures, and RSB Scripted Formats ABS-CBN for having her audition for the role. Meanwhile, Padilla’s daugh- Zsa Zsa Padilla has made her debut on American TV in the crime series “Almost Paradise,” where PAGE B3 she portrayed a character named Governor Rosales. Photo from Instagram/@zsazsapdilla
Lovi receives sweet message from boyfriend through ‘Money Heist’ actor by KRissy
aguilaR Inquirer.net
ACTRESS Lovi Poe received a sweet message from her boyfriend Monty Blencowe delivered by none other than Enrique Arce of the Spanish series “Money Heist.” Lovi shared over her Instagram stories on Friday, April 17 clips of Enrique, who plays the character Arturito in the series, sending a message from her boyfriend whom he has a longdistance relationship with. “How are you Lovi? This is Enrique Arce. Arturito. Money Heist. La Casa De Papel. Yeah Lovi shared over her Instagram stories on that character that you love so Friday, April 17 clips of Enrique, who plays much. You know why I know the character Arturito in the series, sending PAGE B2
a message from her boyfriend whom he has a long-distance relationship with.
Lovi Poe with boyfriend Monty Blencowe Photos from Instagram/@lovipoe
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Island Pacific supermarket launches Korina gives 5 tips for graceful aging ‘stay home, stay safe’ campaign by Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
AMID the coronavirus pandemic, Island Pacific has made the health and safety of its customers, employees, and community its top priority. Island Pacific Supermarket has launched its “Stay Home, Stay Safe” campaign by becoming the first Filipino supermarket chain to provide online shopping with same-day grocery delivery in the United States. By shopping at Island Pacific Online, everything that you can find in an Island Pacific Supermarket will be available at your fingertips. You will be able to shop a wide array of groceries, fruits, vegetables, and prepared foods Island Pacific is known for. The full-service meat and seafood department will also be available online where you can request your meat and seafood prepared just the way you want it! Even free fish frying is available in Island Pacific Online Grocery. With this amazing service, you can order ahead and skip the long lines in the supermarket. When you shop at Island Pacific online, you will have your own personal shopper who is an expert in picking the best meat, seafood, and produce for your household. All throughout the shopping process, your shopper will be connected with you from the time you place the order, while your order is being picked, and when your order is being delivered. The supermarket has created a contactless delivery option to promote social distancing and to curtail the spread of the virus. Groceries can be left at your door saving you from making a trip to the supermarket. In the spirit of the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Campaign, shoppers no longer need to inside a location — Island Pacific will directly be available in your home. Some members of our community get deterred from shopping online due to the high costs of service fees, which can run up to 5% of total receipt, and the high cost of delivery fees. Island Pacific founder, Nino Jeff Lim, has always empha-
KAPAMILYA TV host Korina Sanchez gave an advice for people who are afraid to become 50 years old. In her Instagram account, the “Rated K” host said she received positive feedback from people who were shocked that she is already past 50 years old. “Who’s afraid of 50? Received so much positive feedback from the Deanna birthday greeting the other day where people were ‘shocked’ I’m ‘50.’ Mga friends, I’m past 50 and there now is GOOGLE. Hindi na pwede maglie about age. Okay, so, for those terrified about getting to the big 5-0... a few picker-uppers,” the 55-year-old broadcaster wrote. She listed down five tips for the people who are approaching the half-century mark: “1. It’s easier to get compliments about looking young when you’re 50. Because 50 isn’t young. Try to just look 45 and you’ll rake in those compliments. Pa-cute lang slight, ok na,” she said. For Korina, picking up outfits is not anymore difficult when you are 50 years old. “2. You don’t try so hard anymore when you’re 50. Meaning now you can just choose whether you want a plunging neckline OR a short skirt OR high heels OR a body hugging dress. Not all of the above at the same time. Because you know by now that one or two of the above is enough. Wag yung
sized the importance of serving the community before any profit objectives. In this spirit, during the duration of the company’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” campaign Island Pacific will be waiving all service fees when customers enter promo code “BAYANIHAN” before checking out. The word “bayanihan” refers to the Filipino spirit of emphasizing the importance of communal unity to achieve a common goal. Island Pacific is also constantly exploring ways to lower the delivery cost charged by 3rd party provide r s. T h e su pe r m a r k e t has recently engaged Postmates since they have the largest network and have the most
competitive delivery rates to support our deliveries. Please tag @islandpacificmarket so that Island Pacific can share all your experiences and how communities are staying home and staying safe! We are all in this together, in the spirit of #bayanihan, let us show the indomitable resiliency of our people especially in times of crisis. Island Pacific is a supermarket chain dedicated to promoting Filipino Food and Seafood to the rest of the world. It is headquartered in Walnut, California and currently has 16 supermarket branches serving communities in California and Las Vegas. (Advertising Supplement)
PAGE B4
Korina Sanchez
parang may taning ang buhay,” she said. Being 50 years old is also sexier, according to Korina, as she can get away from explaining herself to everyone. “3. You can get away more with not having to explain yourself to everyone or anyone. Nadadaan na ang tao sa tingin,” she said. “4. 50 is sexier. You have what everyone else younger doesn’t have. Mystery. Kasi pag 50, mas marami ka nang tinatago,” she
Photo from Instagram/@korina
added. Lastly, Korina said that when one is 50, it is better to eat properly for better metabolism. “5. Let’s face it. If you think you’re old at 50, then you ARE. The number simply dictates the number of times you should chew your food before swallowing for better metabolism, the number of reps with the crunches and dumbells, and the number of times in a day you should tell yourself, I’M FABULOUS. And you will be. Promise,” she said.
Carol joins frontlines in US COVID fight by iza igleSiaS ManilaTimes.net
CAROL Banawa, known for her sweet golden voice and OPM classic hits such as “Iingatan Ka,” “Awit Kay Inay” “Bakit ‘Di Totohanin” “Muntik Na Kitang Minahal” and “Panunumpa,” is now working as a front-liner nurse in the United States and battling the coronavirus pandemic. On her Instagram account over the weekend, Banawa posted her photo in full personal protective gear. She wrote in the caption, “New gear. Just got word that I will be floating out of my home unit starting next week to train and help out other units in the next few weeks. Preparing for the incoming surge of #covid patients. Grateful to receive this added protection just in time. Here we go…” In another post, Banawa shared a photo of her own stethoscope beside a book titled Davis’s Drug Guide of Nurses Fifteenth Edition. “Started working in the OR (operating room) straight out of nursing school. Now that I am floating back up on the floors, I guess these babies are back in business,” she said. In an interview at the sidelines of her performance for Metro. Style’s “Metro Safe & Sound: The Unplugged Music Video Series” on YouTube on Easter, Banawa talked about her life as Operating Room an OR nurse.
Carol Banawa
“I am an OR nurse and right now at work, because of the order of the lockdown, we’re only supposed to do emergency cases and it’s eerily quiet at work and people are very cautious. You can sense the fear and uncertainty sa mga tao,” she said. “The shortage is real. I was given an N95 mask at work and was told to keep it in a paper bag, and I’m supposed to use it until it’s soiled or visibly broken. So you know it’s very… it’s weird.
Photo from Instagram/@iamcarolbanawa
It feels like you’re in a movie or something. But it’s happening and the virus is real,” Banawa said. Banawa left show business in 2003 and migrated to the U.S. with her husband Ryan Crisostomo and their two children. In 2018, she earned a nursing degree graduating summa cum laude at the Northern Virginia Community College in Washington D.C. She became a registered nurse that same year.
Darren named UNDP Youth Advocate by
ratziel San Juan Philstar.com
SINGER-actor Darren Espanto was announced as the new Youth Advocate of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines, designated as an “agent of change” and the local face of the UN’s global development network. “UNDP Philippines welcomes young celebrity singer Darren Espanto as its new Youth Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals! We are excited to have you onboard, Darren!” the organization posted on social media on Wednesday, April 15. “UNDP recognizes young people’s potential as agents of change! We partner with young people, youth organizations and actors from civil society and private promote youth-focused and youth-led development,” the organization added. The 18-year-old said it is an honor to join the UNDP’s initiative amid the global health crisis brought by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). “In this time of uncertainty
Darren Espanto Photo from Instagram/@darrenespanto
and difficulty, it is our obligation to look after each one and to make sure that we are doing our part to be of help... It is truly an honor to be a part of this and I hope to be of service through this endeavor,” Darren wrote. Among UNDP Philippines’ objectives, according to their website, is helping the country achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and national development priorities as outlined in the Philippine Development
Plan and the UN Philippines Partnership Framework for Sustainable Development. In line with this, Darren provided a brief video message addressing and asking for support from local youth. “Bilang Youth Advocate, sisikapin ko pong itaguyod ang Sustainable Development Goals ng UNDP upang ito ay maisakatuparan para sa pangangalaga ng ating mundo, para sa lahat at para sa kinabukasan ng kabataan,” he articulated. (As Youth Advocate, I will do my best to forward the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goals for its realization toward the welfare of our world, for everyone and for the youth’s future.) “Ang ating hangarin, walang maiiwan. Sana ay samahan at suportahan niyo po ako at ang UNDP sa pagkamit ng mga layunin na ito. Maraming salamat po.” (Our goal is that no one is left behind. Hopefully, you all join and support the UNDP and I in order to accomplish these goals. Thank you very much.)
Lovi receives sweet message from...
PAGE B1 that? Monty told me,” Enrique said in the clip. Lovi reportedly confirmed her relationship with Blencowe, a Los Angeles-based movie producer, in September 2019. Enrique said Blencowe missed Lovi and wanted to see her much more than he wanted to see the fifth season of the popular series. “He said he loved binge watch-
ing the show with you. He’s waiting for season 5 to see it with you also. And he misses you a lot. Poor guy misses you a lot. He really wants to see you soon. He wants to see you soon more than he wants to see La Casa De Papel 5. Take a note of that. All right, Lovi. Big kiss,” Enrique said. Lovi, meanwhile, gushed over the actor and at the same time thnked her boyfriend for the sweet surprise.
“Woke up to this! Omg @montyblencowe. A million miles away yet you never fail to make me feel kiligg. I miss you too. Thank you my love!” Lovi said. “It’s gonna be hard to hate you now after this, Arturo! @ enriquearceactor” she added, in jest. Season four of “Money Heist” was released last April 3. The fifth season part is expected to be released in April 2021.
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Celebrity couple Khalil Ramos and Gabbi Garcia have successfully delivered P308,000 worth of personal protective equipment donations to the Ospital ng Parañaque 1 and Pasay City General Hospital as of Thursday, April 16. Photos from Instagram/@khalilramos
Khalil, Gabbi deliver P300K in PPE donations to two hospitals by
Ratziel San Juan Philstar.com
CELEBRITY couple Khalil Ramos and Gabbi Garcia have successfully delivered P308,000 worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) donations to the Ospital ng Parañaque 1 and Pasay City General Hospital. This came exactly two weeks after they launched a fundraising campaign with their friends called “#PayItForward,” which aims to supply frontline healthcare workers at the concerned
• 400 hazmat suits (P650 per piece, or P260,000) • 2,400 face masks (P20 per piece, or P48,000) • 800 meals (for two weeks) • 100 face shields from Vision Express • 1,200 sachets from Lola Remedios “Sa lahat nang nagtiwala sa amin sa [Pay It Forward] upang matulungan ang ating #FrontlinMIKE is originally from Myers, MARAMING SALAMAT PO... lahat ito ay naging posible dahil anmar (formerly Burma) and sa tulong ninyo,” Gabbi posted was working with the United Nations in New York. He evenThursday. tually went back to his country of origin to renew his visa. However, the U.S. Embassy charged him with fraud, claiming he represented his old passport was “lost” when he actually allowed his brother to use it, and the consulate stated it would not recommend a fraud She, however, admitted that waiver. she gave jokes to be tweeted, Mike and his family were but later felt bad when the user started to tweet about politics. Ethel clarified that she used to have a Twitter account with the name @iamrealgabisonethyl but deleted it because Twitter is not PAGE B1 good for her. ter, Karylle, proudly shared her “Hindi maganda ang Twitter mother’s participation in the world para sa ‘kin. Parang nashow on her Instagram Stories. kakabad vibes siya. So tinanggal Karylle reposted her mother’s ko ‘yon,” she said. photos, saying, “[Look] at my In 2016, Ethel said the fake mom!!! [She] is mak ing her user followed her siblings and American TV debut in her 50s. friends on Twitter. Ethel checked [She] is [so] astig (cool).” the account and noticed that the Karylle also congratulated Ethel Booba Philstar.com photo PAGE B4 hospitals with meals and muchneeded PPEs. The initial two-week target of P300,000 was intended to purchase P130,000-worth of hazmat suits and P20,000 in meals per hospital. But after the initiative exceeded its goal with a total of P354,198 raised as of last week, supplemented by donations from Vision Express and Lola Remedios, the Pay It Forward team was able to procure and deliver the following for both hospitals:
‘The Revelation’: Ethel bares truth behind ‘charot’ Twitter account by Jan
Milo SeveRo Philstar.com
COMEDIAN Ethel Booba finally explained the “true story” behind the controversial Twitter account that she disowned recently. In her YouTube channel, in her latest video blog (vlog) titled “The Revelation,” Ethel claimed she had no direct contact to the owner of her namesake Twitter account with 1.3 million followers. “‘Di ko nga alam ‘yong pagmumukha niya,” Ethel said in the vlog.
AFTER 15 YEARS OF SEPARATION AND CHARGES OF FRAUD, A MAN’S NAME IS CLEARED AND A FAMILY IS REUNITED! Mike (left) was charged with fraud and alien/human smuggling while trying to return to the U.S., where his wife, Aye (center), and their daughter were living. It appeared he had lost his first passport containing a U.S. visitor visa. He got a new passport and applied for a new B visa, which was granted. The consul later claimed the first passport was used by Mike’s brother to obtain a visa to Japan. Therefore, he was being charged with fraud for lying about having lost his first passport. The embassy was also considering charging him with human smuggling in connection with his brother. He claimed he was innocent, and after his two previous attorneys gave up: one who filed for his Asylum, and the other one filed for his waiver, Mike researched about leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) and his many successes with seemingly impossible cases. It was then that Mike decided to consult with and retain Atty. Gurfinkel’s services. See how a daughter’s dream of having her father in the U.S. comes true on an all-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)
A daughter reunites with her father after 15 years of living apart on a brand-new Citizen Pinoy this Sunday devastated. He could not be with his wife and daughter, and throughout the years, he missed seeing his daughter grow up. They tried to see each other every two years in Myanmar or Singapore or some other country, but every trip lasted only for two weeks, and when they parted ways at the airport it was unbearable for all of them. After all efforts through two previous attorneys: one who filed for his Asylum, and an-
other who filed for his waiver, and after much research, Mike found leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel. Mike saw that Atty. Gurfinkel had successfully handled similar cases, and so retained him. Catch another success story of how Atty. Gurfinkel cleared Mike’s name, and a family was able to finally reunite after 15 years on a brand-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)
Zsa Zsa lands role in American... the show’s main cast, Christian Kane and Filipino actors Sam R ichel le and A r t hur Acuña, whom she called her ninong (godfather). “Almost Paradise” was create d by F i l i pi no -A mer ic a n director Dean Devlin. It centers on a former Drug Enforcement Ad m i n ist rat ion (DE A )
agent who moved to Cebu after retiring. The show, co-produced by A BS- C BN a nd E lec t r ic E nter tainment, airs on t he T V network WGN America. Along with Padilla, Eric “Eruption” Tai also appears on the series, marking his debut on American TV.
B4 APRIL 18-21, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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‘The Revelation’: Ethel bares truth... PAGE B3 user was posting what she posted on her Facebook account. “Tinignan ko. Tapos ‘pag tingin ko, ay kinokopya lang niya ‘yong mga pinopost ko sa Facebook. Nilalagay niya sa Twitter. Kuhang-kuha niya ako talaga. The way na pagsasalita ko,” she said. “Natuwa naman ako kasi maganda naman. Binasa ko lahat ‘yon, OK naman. Hindi naman nakakaharm sa ibang tao. Puro
mga quotes. Nakakatawa lang,” she added. Ethel first approved what the user was posting because it felt good. “Maganda nga ‘yong flow ng mga tweets na nakakatawa lang. So hinayaan ko lang. Ay may admin ako, nakalibre ako, ‘yong iba nga nagbabayad ng admin,” she said. The Twitter account was even approached by Viva for her “Charotism” book launch last
2016. “Kailangan kong angkinin kasi ginagaya lang niya ako. Nagfifeed ako ng iti-tweet niya kaya nakakatawa,” she said. But recently, Ethel noticed that the account has been posting political posts against the current administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, so she told the user to stop posting about politics. “Nung pumasok ‘yong 2019, parang iba na ‘yong flow. Puro politika nang politika lang siya,” she said. “Nagmessage pa ako niyan eh. ‘Sabihan mo nga ‘yan na ‘wag mangingialam ng tungkol sa pulitika at wala naman akong kahilig-hilig diyan. E ‘di dapat kumandidato na ako. Dami kong followers baka nanalo pa’,” she added. Ethel said that she decided to report the fake user when the user tweeted about tax. “Kaya ko pinareport ito dahil below the belt ‘yong mga tweet. ‘Yong tinweet niya na ‘Nagbabayad naman tayo ng tax, bakit kailangan mag-ambag?’ May nagsend sa akin ng gan’un. Sabi ko, ‘Ha, ano na naman ang pinag-iingay niya?’” she said. “Kaya nga nabwisit talaga, nanggigil ako eh. Kasi bakit mag-iingay ng ganun lalo na sa sitwasyon natin ngayon. May pandemic tayo na nangyayari sa buong mundo,” she added. The comedian also clarified that she is actually a supporter of the Duterte administration. “Sa mga nagtatanong kung Dilawan o ano, ako, makakapagtransparent ako. Sinuportahan ko ‘yang pangulo natin. Tsaka dati kahit noon pa sa Davao, magsama kami doon sa campaign. Binoto ko nga ‘yong tao eh,” she said. “Dapat ngayon hindi Duterte or Dilawan. Dapat magkaisa tayo. Kasi hindi natin alam kung (katapusan) na ng mundo. Dapat magtulong-tulong tayo,” she added. She also has a message to the fake user: “Ano ba naman ‘yan? Bakit hinaluan mo ng pulitiko ‘yong Twitter? Dati OK lang eh. Katuwaan lang eh. Malay ko ba na lolobo at lolobo ng gan’un ‘yong mga followers niyan.” “Ginagamit mo ako kasi ano? Dahil ako ‘to. Mas mapapansin ang mga tweets eh. May sarili ka palang hinaing. Ba’t kailangan mo ako gamitin?”
MOONLIGHTING by MYLAH DE
LEON
IN some ways, getting older is an odd blessing because we have already faced some of our biggest fears and discovered that we’re actually bigger than our fears. Looking back, we see t hem k nocked over and silent on the battle of life. But have we really? As we head for tomorrow, we’r e con f i ned to ou r ow n homes by this virus that lept out of China insidiously and spread out across continents. A clear and present danger, isolat ing mi l lions of people with no immunity to this new invader. T h i s t a kes a tol l on ou r hea r t s. How c a n I keep by brood safe from harm? They’re soa red i nto fa r away nests. How can I stay healthy when so many of my friends and loved ones who have either fallen ill or died? What measures can I grant to safeguard my financial future is such a climate of economic disaster? And for me, all these questions bring a shimmer of anxiet y dow n my oc togena r ia n spine. But I know that eventually, our lives will change…as they say, love and lives always do. So you know what I do? I pray all the time and then I laugh. I laugh a lot about my wrink les and my smile. Life is funny. Laughter fills my life with joy and joy equals st rengt h
On the throes of fear
— strength enough to face the biggest fear in t he face and say: “A lr ight, I k now you’re going to win the battle someday, but today is not your day a nd tomor row doesn’t look good either.” I said that from my tough i mp er fec t hea r t . I remember long ago, when my husband was still around, that I asked a friend, who we have not seen for a while if he could have dinner before my husband died. Rex Flores, who had a huge heart and a beautiful heart, did not miss a beat. In true wit, he deadpanned, “No let’s do lunch after the funeral.” I screamed, he screamed and even my husband screamed. We all “died laughing” as one might say. Yes, that’s the way I wanna go. T h is is t he spr i ng of our discontent with one another, with moments that function as a close family (three grownups a nd t wo ch i ld ren) t h is time was the winter of our discontent with one another, we didn’t hang out together. We rarely talked or ate with one another, be we are surviving after all these realizing what was happening. Fi nd i ng com for t i n t hese dark times, for the first time, we realized we were a family who gave one another space to be ourselves. We have never done that before. It is as if we all knew that this was the end of a chapter in our lives and the beginning of a new one. The umbilical cord that has bound us together as a unit all the years is about to be severed. It is not frightening for the 21year-old to contemplate as it
Dingdong with John Arcilla
was for his mother. They have been dealing hostility, as we countered with our last rush of superiority. From this day on, our lives will tur n in different direct ion s. I n ma ny ways l i ke a river, it would wind and twist with a promise of a new experience at each turn of the bend. T h er e wou l d b e s m o ot h waters for long stretches, then sudden l y a patc h of r ough rapids that would test us, and take away our control, it would demand everything we’ve had to hang on, and back on the course again. We have days, months, who knows to t hink and obser ve one another: away from schedu les, f r iend s, soc i a l bondi ng a nd conver sat ion s t hat sounded more like bulletins of a better place than the solitude of home. We all had a lot of thinking and growing up to do, a lot of things to prove ourselves. These are times that we will talk about and remember, the pictures we pour over in family albums. We never say it to one another but this will be the last to remember, for the old boy – last spr ing of his mother and g r a nd mot her. F r om t h at day on, all moved to become contemporaries. It was the silence that awakened me...that some ominous choice when you get at t he bathroom door and yell, “What is going on in there?” And a small very voice says, “Nothing grandmama!” *** E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@ aol.com.
Photos courtesy of Viva Films
Why finding Dingdong’s nemesis a tough call for ‘Hard Day’ filmmaker by
MARINEL CRUZ Inquirer.net
THE challenge of doing an action movie featuring Dingdong Dantes is finding a villain that could dominate him physically and outdo him in terms of acting, according to Law Fajardo, his director in “A Hard Day.” Fajardo said that while he couldn’t think of anyone else, other than Dingdong, to play the lead role in the local adaptation of the Korean action flick, he admitted that it had been tough looking for someone who could convincingly play the “bully” to the 5-foot-9inch actor on the big screen. “Dingdong’s physique and demeanor matches his character. They’re also both in their late 30s,” Fajardo told Inquirer Entertainment. “The tricky part was casting
Dingdong with John Arcilla
his archenemy. We wanted someone who could easily overshadow him, bully him. ’Yong may saltik. It’s a good thing that Viva was able to convince my first choice, John Arcilla, to play the all-important role.”
Photos courtesy of Viva Films
Fajardo said that prior to shooting “A Hard Day” in May 2019, he had asked his lead star to “trim down a bit because he would be doing a lot of fight scenes here. He also had several practice sesPAGE B5
Kim marks her birthday with new inspirational song AS the world continues to face the threat of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, singer-actress Kim Chiu offers a new single under Star Pop aptly titled “’Wag Kang Bumitaw” for those have been feeling weary and disheartened. “We made this song months ago and during that time I was very reluctant to launch the song, so it was pushed back,” she recalled. Kim detailed how a text message she received on Good Friday from a friend who was on the verge of giving up caused her to remember the song. “I told myself, ‘I think I have a song that’s about not giving up.’ So I listened to it then I called my producer Rox Santos and told him that this is the perfect time to release the song,” she shared. “Wag Kang Bumitaw” is a far cry from Kim’s usual releases which tackle love and friendships, as it reminds listeners to carry on and have faith in God’s plan despite experiencing endless hurdles along the way. The inspirational track is written by Jun Lirios, with music by Leah Negapatan. It was produced by Star Pop head Rox Santos and arranged by Michael “Cursebox” Negapatan. It will be released
Kim Chiu
on Monday (April 20), a day after Kim’s birthday on Sunday (April 19). “I hope this song can inspire people to not give up no matter how hard this time can be. These
Photo from Instagram/@chinitaprincess
are tough times but when you have God with you, you know that it will soon come to pass. Just have faith and ‘‘Wag Kang Bumitaw’,” she said. (Philstar. com)
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Alodia Gosiengfiao, Wil Dasovich say TikTok challenge was taken out of context: ‘We don’t support toxic masculinity’ Cha Lino Inquirer.net
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AFTER a TikTok video made by celebrity cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao and model-vlogger Wil Dasovich drew the ire of some netizens on Twitter, the couple addressed the “controversy” and apologized to those they have upset in the process. Gosiengfiao recently joined the TikTok trend called the “My Heart Went Oops” challenge, derived from Tiagz’s song under the same title. The cosplayer also took her TikTok challenge to her other social media platforms including Twitter, where it garnered millions of views “for all the wrong reasons.” “My Heart Went Oops” challenge Gosiengfiao’s take on the “My Heart Went Oops” challenge began with her dressed in an unzipped pinkish-white suede jacket with a gray undershirt, together with a pair of round eyeglasses, as seen on her Twitter account last Wednesday, April 15. The celebrity gamer struck several cute poses before the song’s kick, after which she suddenly appeared all zipped up beside Dasovich, who was not wearing any shirt. Dasovich made a disapproving gesture and escorted Gosiengfiao away from the camera. Netizens responded to Gosiengfiao, claiming that the couple was perpetuating “toxic masculinity” by “romanticizing men” who dictate how a woman should dress. Their response to the video The couple addressed the TikTok video via Dasovich’s vlog on his YouTube channel yesterday, April 16, clarifying their purpose for creating the video and ad-
Alodia Gosiengfiao and Wil Dasovich
dressing some of the netizens’ comments. Dasovich said they have been creating a lot of TikTok videos lately while the country is under quarantine. The video in question, the Filipino-American vlogger added, was made just for “fun” and that their purpose was nothing more than to “make people laugh.” Dasovich and Gosiengfiao also said that the video was “taken out of context” and then explained how the TikTok challenge usually goes. Other users who have done the same challenge, who are mostly women, usually begin the video by showing their bare face, dressed in a laid-back outfit. They then transform after the bass drops at the song’s lyrics “my heart went — oops,” where they show themselves usually with full face makeup, wearing much more revealing outfits. “The joke here is that instead of her being revealed, it’s her with her clothes on, it’s not revealing,” Dasovich said. “It’s the twist cause you’re expecting her to have no clothes but instead she has clothes.” On ‘romanticizing men’
Photo from YouTube Wil Dasovich Vlogs
In response to some of the netizens’ comments that they were “romanticizing men” who dictate what women should wear, Dasovich clarified: “The meme is of the girl undressing, she’s baiting the guy. The joke is not about me controlling what she wears, the joke is that you’re not gonna see this today.” Dasovich also bared their relationship dynamics, saying that “if anything in this relationship, she’s the boss.” He added that his girlfriend has the full faculty for what she could and could not do. The vlogger also stated that he has much respect for his girlfriend and all men and women he encounters. Gosiengfiao stressed that they do not support toxic masculinity in any way and it was never intended to be in the context of the video. The couple also addressed the “toxicity” of the “cancel culture” online. Dasovich highlighted the importance of being respectful when talking to someone in the virtual space. Dasovich and Gosiengfiaothen apologized “for upsetting the people it [the video] upset” and emphasized that it was not their intention to do so.
Angel Locsin, fiancé Neil Arce donate blood to Red Cross Cha Lino Inquirer.net
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WHILE the supply of blood at blood banks continue to drop amid the ongoing health crisis, actress Angel Locsin and her fiance Neil Arce went to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to donate theirs. Locsin noted in her Instagram post yesterday, April 16, that the humanitarian organization is in need of more blood donors. Locsin said that because many donors had to postpone their scheduled blood donation, it is more important now more than ever to donate. “The need for blood never rests and the supply is rapidly dropping,” Locsin said. In her post, Locsin included a series of photos from her visit at PRC with Arce. The soon-tobe-wed couple donned their face
Angel Locsin
masks while carrying the fresh bag of their blood donation. She told people who also want to donate to contact PRC at (+632) 8790-2300 or through the hotline 143. Locsin recently ended the fundraiser for her hospital tent initiative, UniTENTweStandPH,
Photo from Instagram/@therealangellocsin
after receiving over P10.9 million in cash donations. The actress ended the fundraiser after she and her team have collected enough to fund the entire campaign. Despite no longer accepting cash donations, Locsin assured that her team will continue to set up tents for all their beneficiaries.
Gerald helps PH Coast Guard in building quarantine facility by
niña Guno Inquirer.net
GERALD Anderson is lending a hand to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to put up an emergency quarantine facility in a hospital that handles COVID-19 patients. The actor posted on Instagram on Monday, April 13, pictures of the facility being built at the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan city, a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) referral hospital. The facility is meant to temporarily house COVID-19 patients and persons under investigation as hospitals face overcrowding during the pandemic. In an update, Anderson showed on Instagram Stories the foundation of the facility coming into
Gerald Anderson with some members of the Philippine Coast Guard Photo from Instagram/@andersongeraldjr
place. He shared last Saturday, April 11, that the PCG brought the materials to the hospital prior to construction. Anderson thanked fellow actors Arci Muñoz, Sue
Ramirez, Rayver Cruz and Jake Cuenca and director Ruel Bayani for helping in the project. The actor became an auxiliary officer of the PCG in 2016 and is also an army reservist.
Why finding Dingdong’s nemesis a... PAGE B4 sions with our fight director. My instruction to them was to rehearse with the crew, especially with the sound team, so that they would already know what to do on the actual day of the shoot,” Fajardo pointed out. Compared to the Korean version, Fajardo said he made most of the fight scenes longer and, therefore, more difficult. “I extended them. I also made sure they were well-polished technically, but not too much in terms of form. I wanted these scenes to come out more organic,” he said. “If you put a lot of complicated moves, the fight scenes wouldn’t look realistic. I just wanted to see something that would likely happen in real-life
fistfights.” Fajardo only had good words for his lead star. “Dingdong is a good collaborator because he loves what he is doing. He is also very interested in this particular genre,” the director observed. “Prior to the shoot, we spoke about how I had wanted to direct the film, and I saw that he respected my vision. I also saw how dedicated he was, especially when we were shooting the car scenes. We didn’t have a stunt driver and a body double for him. It was really Dingdong who did all the scenes.” Fajardo, in turn, respected Dingdong’s artistic inputs. “For example, he would ask for retakes for scenes that he still wasn’t satisfied with. He is very honest, that’s what
I admire about him. His professionalism challenges even me, his director, to do better,” he said. “A Hard Day” (2014) is the third installment of Viva Film’s series of Korean movie adaptations, with the Sarah Geronimo-starrer “Miss Granny” being the first, followed by “Miracle in Cell #7,” featuring Aga Muhlach. A Chinese remake of the film, titled “Peace Breaker,” was released in 2017. “A Hard Day” is a finalist in the 1st Summer Metro Manila Film Festival, which was supposed to run this month, but was postponed due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Also part of the cast are Janno Gibbs, Gary Lim and Al Tantay.
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 18-21, 2020
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Celebrity standouts amid COVID-19 pandemic by MJ
Marfori ManilaTimes.net
INSTEAD of wasting time away on social media, many celebrities have been using their influence and hard earned money to help others the best way they can as this coronavirus crisis sadly surges on. The weekend before Easter, one of the standouts were Megastar Sharon Cuneta and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan’s daughter Frankie. The news about 21 rallyists from Purok San Roque, Barangay Bagong Pag-asa in Quezon City— residents who took to the streets to protest the lack of relief packs in their community—caught the 19-year-old showbiz and political offspring’s attention. Frankie picked up the following tweet from Renato Reyes, “The 21 San Roque residents who were arrested for protesting lack of food face multiple charges and must pay up to P15,000 EACH for bail according to their lawyer. Wala na nga silang makain, pagbabayarin pa ng P15,000 each. Walang awa sa mahihirap. #TulongHindiKulong,” and was quick to act. She tweeted back, “I’ll sponsor one. please give the details.” As her swift reply earned praises from netizens, she followed up with, “And my parents would like to cover the other twenty.” Reyes gratefully tweeted back, “Thanks Kakie. Will DM the details as soon as lawyers provide them. Salamat!” Meanwhile, Frankie’s Ate KC Concepcion has also been busy with her share of help as well. Posting her donation of 500 kilos of rice, which she coursed through friends actively bringing relief packs to different communities, the actress shared, “Nakakaiyak. Nakakataba din ng puso ang mga ngiti nila. Nahimasmasan sila, kaya nahimasmasan narin ako. Thank you @bigbadbawang and @mikaelamartinez for successfully distributing the 500 KILOS of rice I pledged for 100 families in BF.” KC’s post continued, “We can all make a difference whether we DIY, donate, or make actions toward helping, big or small. Sabi nga ni Mayor @vicosotto, ‘Let’s just work… Walang Pilipinong dapat magutom, lalong lalo na
KC Concepcion donated 500 kilos of rice to marginalized families in Parañaque and sent ready-to-eat meals to hospital front-liners. Photo from Instagram/@itskcconcepcion
Angel Locsin has surpassed her P3-million goal to provide more hospitals with tents to ease decongestion for COVID-19 patients. Photo from Instagram/@therealangellocsin
Sharon Cuneta with daughter Frankie Pangilinan Photo from Instagram/@reallysharoncuneta
sa mga panahong ito. Consistent sana ang food distribution natin sa mga napili nating lugar, hindi lang 1 time, dahil syempre mauubos at mauubos din yan. Tulungan tayo, Pilipinas.” Before her relief efforts, KC received criticism from netizens who thought she was just busy on TikTok. Turns out they were wrong because the Megadaughter has been doing more her fair share amid the crisis, sending meals to frontline hospital workers apart from the 500 kilos of rice that went to marginalized families. “Filipinos have been coming together to help those on the frontline as consistently as we could. It’s so wonderful to see. Today, and yesterday, we sent out 400 ready-to-eat chicken & pork adobo in jars for our nurses, doctors, security guards and medical staff on duty. Veterans Memorial Medical Center yesterday, Perpetual Help Medical Center, Las Piñas today. Thank you @thepantry_ph for the food and @ravbmagpantaymd for personally receiving the delivery. We salute you and are lifting you up with our thoughts and prayers!”
Another standout is the unstoppable Angel Locsin who continues her efforts in helping medical frontliners who face the threat of COVID-19 everyday as they care for the sick. Since the beginning of Enhanced Community Quarantine, the “real-life Darna” as she is often called these days, has already setup and turned over tents where medical staff can rest and sleep in between shifts near hospitals like Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center and the Metropolitan Medical Center among others. The tents each cost P48,000 and measure 12 x 24 meters, complete with folding beds, lighting and air-conditioning. Angel dubbed her campaign #UniTentWeStand and has gathered many supporters as she had lately carried on to mount tents to help decongest hospital from COVID-19 patients for isolation and quarantine. Before Easter, the actress surpassed her P3million goal to provide hospitals with beds and spaces they badly need.
B APRIL 18-21, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Tax & Stock Tips VictoR Sy,
cPA, mBA (RetiRed)
THIS article is lovingly dedicated to our fellow taxpayers who like to wait and wait and wait until the very last minute, then get excited on the very last day to file an extension. If you just happen to be one, save this article for future reference. Remember that extensions are for time to file, not to pay. Pay any tax due when you apply for extension. 1. Individual income tax return form 1040: File Automatic Extension Form 4868 by April 15, 2020. This is good for six months to October 15. (The 2nd extension via form 2688 in August is gone). 2. S corporate income tax return form 1120S: File Automatic Extension Form 7004 by March 16, 2020. This is good for six months through September 15. 3. Regular C corporate in-
Tapat Sa Batas Atty. RheA SAmSon ANG family unification ay napakahalaga sa U.S. Immigration Law. Ang family-based immigrant category ay nagpapahintulot sa mga U.S. citizen (USC) at mga green card holder/lawful permanent resident (LPR) na mag-petition ng kanilang kapamilya para makarating sa U.S. na may immigrant visa. Kung ang mga kapamilya ay nasa U.S. na, maaaring silang makakuha ng green card sa pamamagitan ng family-based petition. Ang USC ay maaaring mag-petition ng mga sumusunod: (1) asawa; (2) binata o dalagang anak na wala pang 21 taong gulang; (3) binata o dalagang anak na higit na sa 21 taong gulang; (4) anak na may asawa; (5) kapatid, kung ang USC ay may 21 taong gulang na; (6) magulang, kung ang USC ay may 21 taong gulang na. Ang LPR ay maaaring magpetition ng mga sumusunod: (1) asawa; (2) binata o dalagang anak na wala pang 21 taong gulang; (3) binata o dalagang anak na higit na sa 21 taong gulang. Ang mga beneficiary ay
EMPLOYMENT
Community Journal
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Guide to federal Should I create a will and living trust extension filings in preparation for the pandemic?
come tax return form 1120: File Automatic Extension Form 7004 by April 15, 2020. This is good for six months through October 15. 4. Partnership return form 1065: File Automatic Extension Form 7004 by March 16, 2020. This is good for five months through September 15. 5. Employee retirement plan return form 5500: File Extension Form 5558 by July 31, 2020. This is good until October 15, 2020. There is no second extension. 6. Exempt organization return form 990: File Extension Form 8868 by May 15, 2020 good through November 16. 7. Fiduciary income tax return form 1041 for estates and trusts: File Automatic Extension Form 7004 by April 15, 2020. 9. W2s: Due January 31, 2020 to employees and the Social Security Administration (SSA). 10. 1099s: Due January 31,
2020 to the IRS for reporting amounts in Box7 (February 28 if there’s no amount in Box 7). 11. Estate tax form 706: File extension 4768 nine months after date of death for six months. 10. Gift tax form 709: File extension Form 8892 by April 15 for an automatic extension of six months through October 15. Form 2688 for 2nd extension in August no longer applies. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation. *** He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits.” Readers may email tax questions to vicsy@live.com.
Family unification through family-based petitions binibigyan ng kategorya para sa pagkuha ng immigrant visa ayon sa immigration preference system sapagkat may limitadong numero o quota ang mga immigrant visa bawat taon. Walang quota ang mga “immediate relative” ng USC. Ang mga “immediate relative” ay magulang, asawa, at mga binata at dalagang anak na wala pang 21 taong gulang ng USC. Ang ibang beneficiary ay kailangang maghintay ng visa number para sa kanilang green card ayon sa sumusunod na mga preference: First preference (F1): Binata o dalagang anak ng USC na higit na sa 21 taon gulang; Second preference-A (F2A): Asawa ng LPR, mga binata at dalagang anak na wala pang 21 taong gulang ng LPR; Second preference-B (F2B): Mga binata at dalagang anak na higit na sa 21 taong gulang ng LPR; Third preference (F3): Anak na may asawa ng USC; Fourth preference (F4): Mga kapatid ng USC. Ang USC o LPR ay kailangang mag-file ng I-130 Immigrant Petition para sa beneficiary. Kapag ito ay naaprubahan na, ang mga hindi immediate relative ay kailangang maghintay ng visa number para ipagpatuloy ang proseso
ng kanilang green card. Ayon sa April 2020 Visa Bulletin, ang maaari nang iproseso para sa mga family-based petition sa may country of chargeability na PHILIPPINES ay ang sumusunod: F1: Nobyembre 1, 2010; F2A: Current; F2B: Oktubre 1 2010; F3: Enero 15 2001; F4: Enero 1, 2001. *** Family unification is an important principle under U.S. Immigration Laws. The family-based immigrant category allows U.S. citizens (USC) and green card holders/lawful permanent residents (LPR) to petition family members to the U.S. The USC may petition the following: (1) spouse; (2) unmarried children under 21 years old; (3) unmarried son or daughter over 21 years old; (4) married son or daughter; (5) brother or sister, if USC is at least 21 years old; (6) parent, if USC is at least 21 years old. The LPR may petition the following: (1) spouse; (2) unmarried children below 21 years old; (3) unmarried son or daughter over 21 years old. The beneficiaries are classified into categories based on a preference system except for immedi-
THE Covid-19 pandemic is a scary reality which affects everyone globally and has shut down the global economy. Individuals over 60 years old and individual that are immune compromised are more at risk of having serious complications with this virus. Individuals are dying all over the world in exponential numbers. Although we cannot completely control how our bodies and immune system would respond to this virus, we can prepare our finances and estate in case the worst happens to make sure our loved ones are properly provided for. Legally, there are several ways you can do this. 1. Create a Living Trust If you pass away with at least $166,250 in gross assets and you do not have a living trust (even if you have a will), your beneficiaries would have to open up a probate case before title to the assets can pass to them. When I say gross asset, I mean regardless of
Debt Relief
Atty. LAwRence yAng
UNEMPLOYMENT claims nationwide have significantly spiked due to the lockdown which has resulted in the shutdown of the U.S. economy. Millions of people have lost their jobs because small businesses are not operating. The restaurant and travel industries, which are the two major employers provided by small business, have been knocked down by the virus. Certainly, the federal government has brought in a lot of liquidity into the market by providing, among others, the $2 trillion stimulus. Your $1,200 check should be in your checking account by now if you are receiving social security. Everybody else will receive their checks in the mail with the name of the current president on it. He wants you to think of him when you receive your check. Unemployment checks will not be coming to you as fast as you want. The system is overloaded. But you will receive some form of compensation to replace your salary via the stimulus structure. I don’t know how fast your replacement salary will get to you and I u PAGE B9 don’t know how long that will be
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Barrister’s Corner
Atty. Kenneth URSUA ReyeS how much debt you owe on them. For example if you own a house valued at $350,000 at the time of your death, it does not matter that your mortgage balance is $300,000, a probate case has to be opened in order to pass title to that property. The same is true with other types of assets such as owning a business, a professional practice, bonds, equities, etc. This is a very low threshold to exceed specially in California where real estate prices, even after the economic crisis, remains in the upper end of the curve among the 50 states. Commencing a probate case is
expensive and a very slow process. Someone qualified will have to file a Petition with the probate court to have someone appointed as executor or administrator. The Petitioner’s attorney gets paid a statutory rate for attorney’s fees commencing with 4% of the gross estate. The probate referee will have to be paid for appraising the assets of the estate. If it is necessary to post bond, the premium on the bond would have to be paid as well. There is also the cost of administering the estate such as selling some of the assets to satisfy the estate’s obligations and to divide the estate according to the will or the intestate line of succession if there is no will. The entire process could take up years specially if certain beneficiaries and creditors file certain claims. The probate court file would be public record. On the other hand if you have a living trust, your estate can avoid
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Should you use your retirement account for mortgage and expenses? good for, a couple of months at least, maybe six. In the meantime, the president is pushing for the reopening of the economy in phases. He came out with guidelines for the reopening of the economy today, April 16. In another two weeks, by May 1st, individual states will decide on their own how, if and when they will reopen. There’s no vaccine yet. So everything is still uncertain at this point in time. Hopefully, those who lost their jobs during the lockdown will start getting their jobs back in due time. But right now, bills have to be paid. The rent or mortgage has come due. Those with retirement accounts are tempted to use these accounts as temporary funding; more so because the CARES Act has allowed individuals to withdraw their retirement accounts without penalty due to the pandemic. There are two ways to use a retirement account: You can liquidate or borrow from it. But the real question is should you use your retirement account to tide you over? Well, the answer is NO, you should not. Why not? Because
FOR RENT
it’s a RETIREMENT account, not a credit line. When you retire, you are going to need your RETIREMENT account because your income will decrease substantially. Further, it’s not easy to replenish your retirement account once you liquidate or borrow against it. That’s just a fact. So what do you do to tide you over during this pandemic? Instead of using your retirement account, use your credit cards and other unsecured credit lines! Why? Because after this pandemic is over, you can wipe out the credit cards with a Chapter 7, and at that time your retirement account will still be whole. Let’s give an example of how this works: You lost your job. You have $100,000 in your 401K. You are waiting to get rehired but you have to wait until the end of the year before you get rehired. In the meantime, your monthly expenses are $5,000 a month. Between now and the end of the year, you will need $40,000 to survive. Don’t use your retirement account. Use your credit cards or unsecured credit lines to tide you over. By
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Community Journal
The hate virus: Protecting Asian Americans from discrimination due to COVID-19
AS of this writing, the new coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected over two million people globally, and more than 145,000 have died. The outbreak has understandably created worldwide anxiety since the first cases were reported in Wuhan, China in late 2019. But aside from the panic created, the pandemic has also exposed a deep-seated xenophobia, the symptom of which is expressed as hostility toward persons of Asian descent. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) has reported that in recent weeks, reports of various harassing conduct towards Asian Americans are increasing. Asian Americans, not just persons of Chinese ancestry, have reported being barred from business establishments and transportation, verbally harassed at grocery stores or pharmacies, bullied online, property vandalized (including business premises and cars), and physically assaulted. APALA reported that racism is playing out against the backdrop of America’s inadequate healthcare system. This is endangering the frontline workers and hindering disease prevention. Currently, there are over 2 million Asian American and Pacific Islander workers in the crucial healthcare, transportation and service industries. The occurrence of racial
Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. discrimination in the workplace should be guarded against. These concerns are echoed by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, an association of technology companies and start-ups in Northern California. The Group noted that the economy in Silicon Valley “relies on talent from abroad like no other place in America . . . 59 of every 100 STEM workers in Silicon Valley were born abroad. One out of every six of our STEM workers hails from mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan.” Discrimination occurs when a person receives less favorable treatment because of a specific characteristic they have. Not all types of discrimination are illegal. Illegal discrimination occurs when one is being targeted for a specific characteristic that the law says should be protected. These protected characteristics include race or skin color; ancestry, national origin; religion or creed; age; disability (both mental and physical), medical condition and genetic in-
formation; sex and gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions); sexual orientation; gender identity and gender expression; marital status; and military and veteran status. Unlawful discrimination claims fall into two general categories: 1. Disparate treatment discrimination occurs when persons are specifically targeted because of their protected characteristic. For example, workers are “laid off as a precautionary measure” due to them being Chinese. In this instance, the employer is motivated by a discriminatory reason, i.e., racial or national origin discrimination. 2. Disparate impact discrimination occurs when the employer adopts a seemingly neutral policy that applies to all employees, but the policy has a more negative impact on those with a certain protected characteristic. For example, instituting a minimum height requirement for a job position may screen out a high number of Asian-American applicants. California law provides several remedies for victims of employment discrimination, including: back wages; front pay (for future lost earnings); reinstatement; damages for emotional distress; punitive damages (where the
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Delaying mortgage payments? What you need to know FIVE of the country’s largest banks announced recently that they have agreed to temporarily suspend mortgage payments for homeowners affected by the virus. California has indeed suffered an unexpected economic devastation from the virus with more than 1 million Californians applying for unemployment benefits since March 13. So far, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Citi, JP Morgan Chase have said that they will defer mortgage payments for 3 months. Bank of America said that they will only do it for one month although this could change. With millions of people out of work nationwide, the requests for mortgage forbearance has risen by at least 1900%. The recently passed CARES act allows people with federally backed loans to delay payments and be relieved from accumulating interests for
Minding Your Finances Atty. rAymonD BulAon up to 12 months. Of course, this is quite a relief for a lot of people who can’t even pay for basic living expenses let alone afford their mortgage payments. Since most people live paycheck to paycheck, one month of no income can easily cause financial problems to snowball. The average family has less than $5,000 in savings, and that can run out pretty quickly. The purpose of this article is to briefly explain what a “forbearance” is so that potential problems down the road can be avoided. One thing to remember is that
your bank still expects you to pay the missed payments at some point, ant it may even require that you pay everything back in a lump sum. So ,it is important for you to find out from your lender exactly how and when the missed payments will be due so there are no surprises in the end. Again, this is NOT mortgage payment forgiveness. A forbearance is simply an agreement that allows you to pause or reduce payments for a limited period of time without your lender starting the foreclosure process. By accepting a forbearance, you agree to resume making payments after the forbearance period, pay all the accumulated back payments, including interest, to bring your account up to date. How the skipped payments will be paid back is very important for you to know NOW, not later.
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 18-21, 2020
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Can I get a green card if I had a previous marriage petition denied based on fraud? DEAR Attorney Tan, I recently married a US Citizen, who is my second husband. He has filed an immigrant visa petition and green card application for me. My husband recently received from USCIS a Notice of Intent to Deny the petition that he filed on my behalf. The Notice indicated that the immigrant visa petition could not be approved since the USCIS had determined that I previously entered into a fraudulent marriage to get a green card several years ago. My ex-husband previously filed an immigrant petition on my behalf several years ago, which was denied since USCIS determined that I only married him to get a green card. My second husband and I truly love each other. What are my options? —In Love but Out of Status Dear In Love but Out of Status, Under INA Section 204(c), a person who “attempted or conspired to enter into a marriage” in order to receive permanent resident status in the US is prohibited from obtaining USCIS approval of an immigrant visa petition. Simply stated, Section 204(c) prohibits approval of any immigrant visa petition if there has been a finding of “marriage fraud” in a prior marriage-based petition. Based on the above law, your case seems at first glance like an “open-and-shut” case in favor of denial. However, you still have hope of getting a green card—a person can apply for and get his immigrant petition approved
The Prophetic Voice reverenD roDel G. BAlAGtAS THIS Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. Let’s keep imploring God’s Mercy to end this coronavirus pandemic so that businesses, governments, schools, and churches can open. We’re all eagerly waiting to go back to our normal lives. These past five weeks of staying at home and social distancing have been painful and challenging. We learned many lessons, such as the importance of family, health, and collaboration with the
Legal Advice Atty. DArriCk tAn despite the prior finding of “marriage fraud” under certain circumstances. You may ask, how is this possible? Isn’t Section 204(c) straightforward? Not quite. The answer lies in the fact that USCIS must independently examine the prior finding of “marriage fraud” in considering the subsequently filed immigrant visa petition. Before invoking the Sec. 204(c) bar to approval of a subsequent visa petition, USCIS must make an independent determination of fraud based upon the record, including but not limited to any evidence gathered during adjudication of the prior visa petition, but may not parrot or rely on the conclusions made by other adjudicators. USCIS must have “substantial and probative” evidence of “marriage fraud.” Matter of Tawfik, 20 I. & N. Dec. 166, 168. The determination is to be made by the USCIS district director while adjudicating the subsequent visa petition. Matter of Samsen, 15 I. & N. Dec. 28, 1974 WL 29995 (B.I.A. 1974). The district director should not give conclusive effect to the determinations made in the prior proceedings, but should reach his own independent conclusion based on
the evidence actually before him. Matter of F-, 9 I. & N. Dec. 684 (BIA 1962). Therefore, in cases such as yours in which the USCIS has indicated it intends to deny the subsequent immigrant visa petition due to the prior finding of “marriage fraud,” new evidence can be submitted that demonstrates that the prior finding of “marriage fraud” was incorrect— i.e., evidence that shows that the prior marriage petition was based on a bona fide marriage, or that explains that the prior denial was based on an incomplete or inaccurate assessment of the facts. In cases in which the subsequent immigrant visa petition has already been denied, this new evidence should be submitted as part of a motion to reconsider. I recommend that you seek an experienced attorney to assist you in properly presenting the law and facts to the USCIS adjudicator to address the Section 204(c) bar. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA). LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: 323-639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
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local government. For our spiritual and emotional well-being, I suggest that we practice the following virtues: 1. PATIENCE. We must be patient in suffering. It’s the only way that we can persevere and endure in our affliction. Christ patiently carried that cross. We, too, can patiently bear these weeks of isolation. 2. ACCEPTANCE. We have to accept this reality. There is no denial anymore that this virus has created havoc in our lives. As we often say, it is for what it is, so we must wrestle with it. Accept it as a test of our time in this generation. Accept it with the hope that it’s not the end of the world yet. Accept it and deal with it.
3. SOLIDARITY. We know that we are not alone in this suffering. We’re dealing with it together not only in this country but all over the world. And so we need the support of one another. As Simon of Cyrene helped carry the cross of Jesus, we, too, need help to carry each other’s cross. 4. CHARITY. The best way to get out of our misery is to be charitable, to help those in need. We also need to be generous with one another at home. As Jesus was dying on the cross, he showed the best example of charity: forgiving the repentant thief. 5. UNDERSTANDING. Understanding brings compassion, empathy, and kindness. On the
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B8 APRIL 18-21, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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People and Events
Lewis Land Developers, LLC Lewis Land Developers announces new land purchase in Upland acquires 412 acres in Fairfield LEWIS Land Developers, LLC, an affiliate of the Lewis Group of Companies, Northern California Division (“Lewis”), is pleased to announce the closing of Cooper’s Landing and Hawthorne Mill, two future residential projects off Clay Bank Road in north Fairfield. The properties, which were both purchased in cash, make up the latest acquisitions to join Lewis’s diverse real estate portfolio as well as some of their first amid a nationwide slow-down. Only an hour’s drive to San Francisco, Cooper’s Landing and Hawthorne Mill encompass approximately 412 acres combined. Although the projects retain previously approved tentative tract maps, Lewis plans to modify each property to improve community design, circulation and product differentiation as well as increase the amount of
open space and pedestrian connectivity. Cooper’s Landing consists of approximately 32 acres, with plans for approximately 280 single-family residential lots in three product lines. The larger of the two, Hawthorne Mill features approximately 379 acres and is slated to house approximately 300 single-family residential lots in four product lines as well as a large wetland preserve. The projects will be incorporated into Lewis’s The Villages at Fairfield master-planned community, located adjacent to the properties in north Fairfield and regarded as one of the most successful master-planned communities currently selling in the greater Bay Area. Moreover, the community is located within close proximity to hiking trails and wineries and offers quick access to Capitol Corridor and
BART stations. With a long-standing reputation as one of the nation’s leading real estate developers, Lewis continues to assert its financial strength and command in the industry, demonstrating its ability to buy and drive real estate forward in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic. The developer’s confidence serves as an investment in the continued growth of the community and greater Bay Area as well as the future of the sector. Maintaining a legacy of quality, integrity and stability that’s held strong since 1955, Lewis will continue to forge ahead as the company pursues new ventures and enriches the landscapes of communities to come. Lewis is actively seeking new land acquisition opportunities throughout California and Nevada. ■
PACE receives $250,000 philanthropic investment from JPMorgan Chase to provide support to small businesses affected by COVID-19
Photo courtesy of pacela.org
PACIFIC Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE) has received a $250,000 philanthropic investment from JPMorgan Chase to support Los Angeles County small businesses affected by COVID19. The philanthropic investment is part of JPMorgan Chase’s $50 million global philanthropic commitment to address immediate and long-term challenges resulting from the COVID-19 global pandemic. JPMorgan Chase’s philanthrop-
ic investment will support PACE’s newly launched Assistance in Disaster (PACE AID) program, which is providing technical assistance and working capital loans to vulnerable and minority-owned small businesses. Working capital loans have flexible terms and interest rates and may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills. PACE is also providing one-on-one counseling, mentoring and technical assistance with a focus on navigat-
ing the SBA, City of LA and PACE loan application processes; maintaining/modifying operations; and preparing business continuity plans. PACE’s ethnically diverse staff is able to assist clients in a variety of languages including Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, Korean and Spanish. “Small businesses are the backbone of our communities and JPMorgan Chase is committed to supporting vulnerable small
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UPLAND, CA — Lewis Land Developers, LLC, an affiliate of the Lewis Group of Companies, Southern California Division (“Lewis”), has announced its acquisition of 15.69 acres of land located on Foothill Boulevard in the city of Upland. The property, which was sold by the Hafif family to Lewis for approximately $12,000,000 in cash, marks the developer’s latest addition to its diverse real estate portfolio and one of the first amid a nationwide industry slow-down. With plans to develop the parcel into a gated neighborhood, the land is slated for ap-
proximately 250 homes within the planned community of The Enclave. Amenities will include a central recreation hub, open space and trails as well as convenient access to the 10 and 210 freeways, San Antonio Regional Hospital and the greater Inland Empire. With a long-standing reputation as one of the nation’s leading real estate developers, Lewis continues to assert its financial strength and command in the industry, demonstrating its ability to buy and drive real estate forward in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic. The developer’s confidence serves as an invest-
ment in the continued growth of the community and greater San Bernardino County area as well as the future of the sector. Maintaining a legacy of quality, integrity and stability that’s held strong since 1955, Lewis will continue to forge ahead as the company pursues new ventures and enriches the landscapes of communities to come. Lewis is actively seeking new land acquisition opportunities throughout California and Nevada. Please contact Bob Martin at bob.martin@lewismc.com or (909) 913-3505 and learn more about Lewis at LewisGroupOfCompanies.com. ■
Should I create a will and living trust... PAGE B6 t
9the entire court system and court supervision. In certain situations, the process may also save you estate taxes which may be substantial if your assets exceed a certain threshold. Basically, you and/or your spouse can be named as the initial trustee of the trust while you are alive. The trustee is the person who manages the trust. This means you retain control of all your assets the same way as if you never had a trust. For revocable trusts, you can later on, at any time during your lifetime, revoke the entire trust if you change your mind. The assets held in your living trust will be managed by the trustee and distributed according to your directions without court supervision and involvement when you pass away. This can save your heirs time and money. Since the trust would not be under the direct management of the probate court, your assets and their value and your beneficiaries’ identities would not become a public record. Your heirs and beneficiaries would still have to be notified about the living trust and advised, among other things, of their right to obtain a copy of the trust. Having a trust is also beneficial in case you become incapacitated. The person you name as successor trustee can step up and manage the assets in your trust on your behalf. 2. Power of Attorney A power of attorney designates
“ The trustee is the person who manages the trust.” another individual the power to manage your financial affairs on your behalf. You can limit this power and define what the scope of the power you are giving your attorney in fact. A power of attorney is also revocable if you decide to cancel the power you have given this individual. By giving another person the power of attorney, you do not lose the power to manage your financial affairs. You can continue to make financial decisions on your own affairs. 3. Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare allows your to designate specific individual to have the power to make healthcare decisions on your behalf incase you no longer have the capacity to make decisions for yourself due to health conditions. You can define the scope of your agent’s authority. This is also revocable if you change your mind in the future. Your agent will have the authority to access and review your medical records and sign any authorization on your behalf. This is helpful incase you are unable to make healthcare decisions for yourself. 4. Last Will and Testament A Last Will and Testament allows your to designate how your assets will be distributed after you pass away. This allows you to customize how your estate will
be divided and distributed. In the absence of a Will, you would pass away intestate and the probate court would simply follow the California intestate succession laws which are in the probate code. *** 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@ kenryeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
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PeoPle & events
PACE receives $250,000 philanthropic... PAGE B8 t
businesses, and minority-owned small businesses, through this unprecedented time,” said Ted Archer, Head of Small Business Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. “We’re working diligently with our trusted community partners to provide local relief for vulnerable small businesses today, and will continue to deploy investments to help the most vulnerable communities and people recover from the COVID-19 crisis in the future.” As a certified CDFI and one of the largest Asian nonprofit com-
munity development corporations in the nation, PACE has a long history of providing economic development services to Los Angeles’ most vulnerable communities. Since its founding in 1976, PACE has served more than 1.2 million ethnic minority Angelinos and has packaged/placed/ funded more than $500MM in micro- and small business loans. “PACE has been bombarded with requests from small businesses affected by COVID-19. In the past 3 weeks alone, we have received over 600 requests totaling $29MM. Businesses are suf-
fering and are in immediate need of working capital and revised operational strategies to keep them afloat ,” said Kerry Doi, president and CEO of PACE. “We are grateful to JPMorgan Chase for leading the way with this grant and we look forward to additional funders joining the cause to assist LA County small businesses affected by COVID-19.” For more information about PACE’s COVID-19 relief services for small businesses, please contact PACE Business at (213) 3539400 or email at bdcinfo@pacela. org. n
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ate relatives of USCs – parents, spouses, and unmarried children below 21 years old. The family members in the preference categories must wait for a visa number to become available according to the following preferences: First preference (F1): Unmarried sons and daughters over 21 years old of USC; Second preference-A (F2A): Spouses of LPR and unmarried children below 21 years old of LPR; Second preferenceB (F2B): Unmarried sons and daughters over 21 years old of LPR; Third preference (F3): Married sons and daughters of USC; Fourth preference (F4): Brothers
and Sisters of USC. The USC or LPR has to file an I-130 Immigrant Petition for the beneficiary. Once it is approved, those in the preference categories need to wait for a visa number to continue the immigrant visa process. According to the April 2020 Visa Bulletin, the following family-based petitions with the country of chargeability, PHILIPPINES may be processed: F1: November 1, 2010; F2A: Current; F2B: October 1, 2010; F3: January 15, 2001; F4: January 1, 2001. *** ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is the principal of SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C. She has been a member of the State Bar of California for
over 15 years and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for over 20 years. Atty. Samson received her Legal Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She was a Professor for over 10 years, teaching Obligations and Contracts, Labor Laws and Social Legislation and Taxation Law. Atty Samson is the author of The Law on Obligations and Contracts (2016), Working with Labor Laws-Revised Edition (2014) and Working with Labor Laws (2005). SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C., 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Phone: (213) 274-4561; Email: info@samsonlawfirmpc.com. (Advertising Supplement)
Should you use your retirement...
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the end of the year, you will have $40,000 of credit card debt, which you used to pay your monthly expenses between now and the end of the year. You will owe $40,000 in credit cards. Hopefully, by that time you get your job back. If you qualify for Chapter 7, you can wipe out the $40,000 of credit cards, and you can exempt your $100,000 from the retirement account. Of course, not everyone will qualify for Chapter 7. Qualification for Chapter 7 depends on many factors. If you can’t qualify for Chapter 7, you can do Chapter 13 to allow you a reasonable repayment plan which may be a partial payment of the $40,000 of credit cards over 60 months without interest. On the other hand, if you use your retirement account, at the
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end of the year your retirement 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. account will be down to $60,000, (Advertising Supplement) and with the wild swings of the stock market nowadays, maybe it will be down to zero. Caution: Not everyone will qualify for Chapter 7. So think about this option seriously. You don’t want to end up losing your retirement account just to survive the next six to eight months because of this nasty virus. Disclaimer: the foregoing situation is not meant as legal advice. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation, and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite
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cross, Jesus understood the feeling of the grief of his mother and his beloved disciple. On the cross, he cried out, “Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother. 6. ABANDONMENT. When all seems to fail, we need to abandon ourselves to God. We’ve got to let go of control. We have to surrender to God, to his will. That’s what Jesus did. When he said, “It is finished.” It means that he surrendered to his Father’s will.
If you notice, when you put the beginning of these words, you’ll come up with the word PASCUA, meaning Easter! Let’s practice these virtues amid our anxiety, fears, and pain so that we can come to an experience of Easter! Have a prayerful Divine Mercy Sunday! *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
Delaying mortgage payments?... PAGE B7 t
Your lender may put you on a repayment plan (which means that you make your regular mortgage payments plus an extra amount each month until you are caught) OR ask that you pay everything back all at once. If it’s the former, that will be easier for most people although can still be difficult if your monthly income remains the same. If the latter, that could prove to be impossible for a lot of homeowners and can lead to the loss of the home in foreclosure. If you are unable to bring your account current under either option, the bank may need to modify your loan. This happened back in 2008 during the last recession when the Obama Administration came out with the MHA (Making Home Affordable) Program. After that program expired years later, banks continued to modify loans using their own investor guidelines. A loan modification alters the terms of your original mortgage either by reducing the interest, extending the payment terms or even deferring or canceling part of the principal. It remains to be seen whether the government
will eventually pass similar laws to help struggling homeowners at this time. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mortgage payments at this time due to the virus, I can help evaluate the situation advise on available options. Most people who are in this situation, I’m sure, are also struggling with other debts such as credit cards, car loans, personal loans, payday loans, etc. and don’t know which debts to pay first. Again, I will thoroughly review your case and am offering a free consultation. NOTE: Due to the current lockdown order caused by COVID-19, I am offering free consultations BY PHONE to anyone who needs help in dealing with their debt problems. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)
The hate virus: Protecting Asian... PAGE B7 t
employer’s conduct was oppressive or malicious); and attorney’s fees and costs. In some cases, an injunction order may be obtained to stop the discriminatory practice. With the world currently in crisis, it may be hard for some to maintain focus on what’s important. But this much is true: Laws regarding harassment and discrimination continue to be in force. The culture of bad conduct in the streets or in grocery stores could very easily carry over into the workplace. Employers are in a unique a position to protect (and should protect) workers from harassment and discrimination. The world is already being ravaged by a virus; xenophobia and racism should not have to weaken us further. “Racism is man’s grav-
est threat to man - the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.” (Abraham Heschel). Unlike the coronavirus, there is an antidote to hate, and that antidote is within our control. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 2910088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.] (Advertising Supplement)
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 18-21, 2020
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Abelardo E. Diaz Local community pillar dies at 83 Community leader Abelardo E. Diaz, popularly known by his nickname Ads, passed away on April 11 at his Northridge home which was converted as his hospice. He was 83, short of two weeks before turning 84. This was announced by his eldest child, Dr. Mariver Diaz-Tapawan, a dermatologist. An engineer by profession, Mr. Diaz was a former executive vice president of Landloil Corporation headed by his cousin, the former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. Mr. Diaz also became the right hand man of the Landoil’s top honcho in the company’s Engineering Division in Libya and Saudi Arabia. After his stint with Landoil and Basic Petroleum, an affiliate of Landoil, he immigrated to the U.S. in early 1980s and became active with several Fil-Am community organizations including FACLA and UP Alumni Association. In the Philippines, Mr. Diaz was active in politics in Dagupan, Pangasinan. He was a barangay Councilor of San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City and also active in the Lions Club in Quezon City where he became an officer. He was a professor of Engineering at the University of Pangasinan while he was also having a career in geodetic and civil engineering in Pangasinan and Manila. A religious person, he opened a Cursillo House in Bulacan province, Philippines where he delivered Cursillo lectures. Also an entrepreneur at heart, he opened a business and had properties in the Philippines such as the Montevista Subdivision and Divine Providence Farm. In Southern California, he was the CEO of A&A Construction and Surveying company and
was able to help a number of his employees with their immigration status through his business. For a while, he was a publisher of a local Fil-Am newspaper. Mr. Diaz, who had a towering height at over 6 feet, graduated with a Civil Engineering degree from Far Eastern University then took Geodetic Engineering at the University of the Philippines. He founded the Greater Dagupan Association of California, became its president and eventually president of Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA in 2006-2007. He was one of PB-USA’s Ten Outstanding Entrepreneurs of Pangasinan in Southern California in 2010. Mr. Diaz was born on April 27, 1936 in Dagupan City. He was married to his first wife, Purificacion Maramba and had 5 Children with her but later divorced. He then remarried to second wife, Vener Lineses and had a son, John Abel Jr. He is survived by his wife Vener L. Diaz and six children: Dr. Mariver Diaz-Tapawan, Engr. Gilber Diaz, John Felix-Diaz, Grace Marie D. Bautista, John Leonardo Diaz and John Abel Diaz, Jr., 13 grandchildren and three great grandkids. Many observers reveal that Mr. Diaz was a very kind father and a loving and generous person until he passed away due to heart conditions. Funeral services will take place on April 21 starting with a Holy Rosary at 9 a.m. then a viewing at 9:30 a.m. and a Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Mel Catholic Church in Woodland Hills, California from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Interment will follow at San Fernando Mission Catholic Cemetery. Contact persons are daughter Mariver at (818) 2682482 and wife Vener at (818) 891-0974. (Dan E. Nino/ denino1951@gmail.com)
B10 APRIL 18-21, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797