042322 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

APRIL 23-26 2022 Volume 32 - No. 32 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages

Los Angeles County reissues mask USA Fil-Am teen killed mandate at airports, public transit in car crash in DATELINE

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Riverside County

A Filipino American family is mourning the loss of their 17-year-old daughter who died in a car crash on Easter Sunday in Riverside County. Sharmaine Legaspi was killed in a car crash around 10:50 p.m. on Sunday, April 17 when she reportedly lost control of the sedan she was driving and hit a light pole on Murrieta Hot Springs Road, according to the Murrieta Police Department. Legaspi was pronounced dead at the scene. A 19-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover, per reports. “My daughter is in heaven now. Thank you for the loving family and friends who shared their time to be with her in this life. I love you and you will always stay in my heart forever,” Legaspi’s mother Marieanne wrote in a Facebook post.

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

DESPITE masking requirements being eased throughout California, Los Angeles County reinstated part of its COVID-19 mask mandate that requires wearing face masks in all public transit and transportation hubs within the county.

The reissued rule — which took effect on Friday, April 22 — applies to those traveling in buses, trains, taxies, and ride-share services as well as indoor transportation hubs like airports, bus terminals, and train stations. However, the order does not apply to people on board airplanes, which aren’t beholden to the county’s mandates.

Two Fil-Ams poised to be elected to Cerritos City Council by DAN

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California health officials call for older adults to stay vaccinated, rejoin communities PUBLIC health experts are pushing for California’s senior adults to stay up to date on their vaccine boosters against COVID-19, in order to join their communities again. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on older adults, many of whom may have depended on congregate centers for socialization and care, and spent much of the pandemic in isolation to avoid sickness or death. Now, centers like Choice in Aging in Pleasant Hill, about 30 miles east of San Francisco, are encouraging seniors who get vaccinated to return to spend time with their peers. In a briefing facilitated by Ethnic Media Services, clients from the center joined state health experts to share the connections they experienced after getting vaccinated. There are about 272 community adult day health care centers in California, according to Susan DeMarois, director of the California Department of Aging. When they shut down,

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The county’s decision follows a ruling from a federal court judge in Florida who overturned the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) federal mask mandate on public transportation on Wednesday, April 20. Despite the ruling, LA County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said that the county  PAGE A2

TREE PLANTING. House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda (left) and Asean Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim (right) lead other government officials, dignitaries, and students in the planting of apitong and yakal saplings during the Earth Day celebration with the theme: “Pagyabong 2022: An Enrichment Tree Planting Activity” at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center Arboretum, Diliman, Quezon City on Friday, April 22. The event was a collaboration among the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Climate Change Commission, the Asean Centre for Biodiversity and the United Nations Development Programme in the Philippines. PNA photo by Ben Briones

E. NINO

CERRITOS, Calif. – Two Filipino Americans emerged as the top vote-getters out of seven hopefuls in the race for this city’s council. Fil-Am incumbent councilmember Frank Aurelio Yokoyama, a local businessman and attorney, and Lynda Johnson, a former field deputy of L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn and current field deputy of L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, are poised to serve on the Cerritos City Council. The two Fil-Am candidates led the pack during the first counting, as of this writing. This trend was sustained during the second tabulation on Monday, April 18 at the Cerritos City Council chamber. The final and official result, according to the Cerritos City Clerk’s office will be known on April 25. Yokoyama, whose mother Chit Aurelio is a native of Subic Bay, Zambales with a Japanese American father, Tom Yokoyama, is leading with 3,677 votes as of April 19, followed closely by Johnson with 3,414 in what is considered as a low turnout. Cerritos population

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New survey: Marcos, Duterte keep lead weeks before polls by EDU

PUNAY Philstar.com

MANILA — The Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio tandem maintained a strong lead in the latest MBCDZRH pre-election survey with about two weeks left before the May 9 elections. Marcos registered a majority of votes with a preferential rating of 52.9% in the poll conducted from April 18 to 19. It showed a 3.1-percentage point increase in the rating of Marcos, from 49.8% in the March figures of the same survey conducted in partnership with The

Star. Marcos’ rating is 28.6 percentage points higher than the 24.3% garnered by his closest rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, whose rating increased by 2.9 percentage points from her 21.4% in March. The rankings are similar to the latest Pulse Asia voters' preference survey. Ranking far third is Manila Mayor Isko Moreno with 8.2%, followed by Sen. Manny Pacquiao with 5.8% and Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson with 3.6%. Moreno dropped by 1.6%, Pacquiao Senator Manny Pacquiao by 2.2%, and Lacson by 1.1% from their  PAGE A3

WTTC Economic Impact Report reveals significant recovery of PH tourism amid COVID-19 pandemic by MOMAR

G. VISAYA

AJPress

WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson (left) on Wednesday, April 20 shared about the Council’s promising projections for tourism recovery in the Philippines enclosed in its latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) done in partnership with Oxford Economics. Simpson also recognized DOT Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat (center) for her leadership and efforts to continue to steer the country’s tourism industry to recovery, which included the push for border reopening and lifting of restrictions to allow a seamless process for visitors. AJPress Photo by Momar G. Visaya

THE World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is bullish on the prospect of the Philippines’ tourism industry recovery, projecting a bright future and a rosy outlook in terms of economic growth and employment generation in the next 10 years. Citing the latest Economic Impact Report, WTTC President and Chief Executive Officer

Julia Simpson revealed that the embattled travel and tourism industry in the country reached US$ 41 billion in 2021, climbing 129.5.% year on year. In the opening press conference of the 21st WTTC Global Summit held at the Marriott Hotel, Simpson lauded the leadership of Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat for her continuous efforts to revitalize the tourism industry of the Philippines, which has been  PAGE A3

Inquirer.net photo

Pacquiao keen on attending Comelec debate, if Bongbong Marcos shows up by DAPHNE

GALVEZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — Presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao on Friday, April 22 said he would attend the final leg of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) presidential debate, if fellow candidate and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will show up too. The Comelec has announced that it has rescheduled the debate, which was supposedly set on April 24, to April 30. “Kung mag-attend talaga si Ferdinand Marcos Jr., magattend ako,” he said.

(If Marcos participates, I will, too.) Pacquiao initially said he would have to check first if he could attend the debate on its rescheduled date since his schedule is already packed in the homestretch of the campaign season. He, however, is willing to cancel his prior commitments if Marcos Jr. will confirms his participation in the debate. “Hindi pa ako sigurado kung makadalo o hindi pero gusto kong dumalo. Maadjust natin yung mga schedule natin. Kumbaga nagcommit na tayo ng mga schedule, pangit naman  PAGE A3

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Two Fil-Ams poised to be elected to Cerritos... PAGE A1 is nearly 50,000 as of the 2020 Census. The turnover and swearing in ceremonies will take place on April 27, 6 p.m. at the City Council Chamber. A reception will follow at the Cerritos City Performing Arts nearby. Coming in third is Taiwanese American, Jennifer Hong, a businesswoman and former city planning commissioner. Hong, who ran in her second attempt, made a strong showing with 3,019 votes. She was fiercely supported by current Cerritos Mayor Grace Ho who did not seek re-election. Japanese American Ernie Nishii, a lawyer and a former president of the ABC School Board, came in fourth with 2,787 votes. Sam Desai, who is an Indian American community activist and a businessman, occupied the fifth slot with 847 votes. Rocky Pavon, a financial educator trailed at sixth place wIth 454 votes. He is followed by Patricia Murray, a small business owner with 304 votes. She waged a low key campaign. Johnson would be the first woman of Filipino heritage elected to the Cerritos City Council. Yokoyama was first elected to the city council in 2017 and became Mayor Pro Tem in 2019. The other Filipino American who blazed the trail as an elected official of this city southeast of Los Angeles was Mark Pulido, who became mayor of Cerritos during his tenure. In an interview, Johnson revealed her thoughts about her political journey:

Dan Niño (DN): Lynda, how do you describe this municipal Cerritos election? Lynda Johnson (LJ): This was a very competitive race. We had an incumbent, a current ABC Unified School Boardmember and a former Planning Commissioner — all had name recognition. I was a former ABC Unified School Boardmember and left office in 2017. I believe my work in the community as the Field Deputy to Supervisor Janice Hahn and also as the current Field Deputy to LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva helped me gain the trust of the residents. I have been doing constituent casework since 2016 and I have the experience to assist residents through the layers of bureaucracy in county government. DN: Did the non-endorsement of L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn and the relentless attacks of publisher Brian Hews of Los Cerritos Community News affect your candidacy with your supporters expecting you to be the top vote getter? LJ: No. Cerritos elections have never had an incumbent lose or not receive the highest votes. I am very pleased with the number votes I have received. Each and every one of those votes came from residents who placed their trust in me. I had the endorsement of the highest law enforcement official in LA County, Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and public safety is the number priority for Cerritos residents. As to the Los Cerritos Community News, Cerritos residents are smart enough to know when they read as fake news. DN: How do you feel now

that you are an elected to the Cerritos City Council? LJ: I am just so honored to be able to serve the city that I grew up in and have lived in for the last 50 years. I am even more proud to become the first Filipina to become a Cerritos Councilmember. I am ready to work hard for our residents. I will listen and I will be a voice to their concerns. DN: What are your immediate agenda and crucial concerns for implementation as you pledged during the campaign? LJ: First, I plan to work and build consensus with my council colleagues. You need to work as a team to get anything done. I plan to work closely with them to trim our trees, fix our sidewalks and streets. Also, we are entering a budget cycle and I will make sure that we make prudent decisions on how taxpayer funds are used. DN: During the initial election counting, what was the content of your message to those who attended the Election Night? LJ: I had a slogan, ‘Lynda listens.’ A candidate/ councilmember needs to listen to the concerns of the people. How will we know what the issues are unless we listen. We had a strong and honest campaign. We had volunteers from both Cerritos and neighboring cities. I even had councilmembers from other cities precinct walk for me! I could not have done it without the hard work of our volunteers. They were the heart of the operation. As of press time, top vote-getter and re-elected councilmember Yokoyama could not be reached for comment. 

ETHNIC DANCE. Dancers render a cultural performance during the opening of the 21st WTTC annual Global Summit held at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City on Thursday, April 21. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) president Julia Simpson and WTTC Chairman Arnold Donald led the opening ceremony. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Los Angeles County reissues mask... PAGE A1 continues to follow the CDC’s opinion that masks are essential in protecting residents and travelers. “They are experts. They made a determination that, at this point, having that requirement in place is necessary for the public’s health, and that resonates with us,” Ferrer said in a press briefing. Ferrer acknowledged that the reinstated rule will likely confuse residents and create a sense of “whiplash” from the oft-changing rules, but she noted that the CDC’s recommendations for masking on public transit have never

changed. She also noted that the federal ruling was decided upon by “a federal judge with little experience in public health.” It’s unclear how the mask mandate will be enforced since the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a federal agency, announced this week that it will no longer enforce mask-wearing in airports, following the federal court’s ruling. This week, a host of major U.S. airlines lifted their mask mandates for domestic flights, including American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines,

JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. Ferrer added that the BA.2 subvariant of the coronavirus now represents 84% of all local cases and is responsible for the slowly rising case numbers over the last few weeks. Hospitalizations and deaths remain low, but Ferrer noted that the virus “is still equated with significant illness for some people. It can cause,e ven for people who experience mild illness when the first get infected, it can still cause for a good percentage of people with long COVID.” 

Fil-Am teen killed in car crash in Riverside... PAGE A1

Frank Aurelio Yokoyama will be re-elected to Cerritos City Council.

Lynda Johnson is slated to become the first Filipina elected to Cerritos City Council.

A high school senior, Legaspi participated in beauty pageants, mostly recently in the Miss Philippines USA Pageant in 2021 as a Miss Young Philippines contestant. “I want to give back the kindness others have shown to me and to use whatever privileges I possess help others who don’t have the things I do. Finding ways for Filipinos and Americans to improve the lives of the people (physically and mentally) is what I choose to advocate for,” Legaspi wrote as a candidate for the pageant. “Gone too soon. You are well-loved by so many, you will be missed,” the Miss Philippines USA Pageant said in its Facebook page in her memory. Legaspi will be laid to rest on Wednesday, April 27 in Murrieta. (AJPress)

Sharmaine Legaspi

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DATELINE USA

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Pacquiao keen on attending Comelec debate... PAGE A1 na macancel natin,” he said in a press briefing in Bohol. (I am not sure if I can attend but I want to. We just need to adjust our schedule because we have committed to other activities already. It looks bad if we cancel our prior commitments.) He pointed out that it would be “good optics” if all presidential candidates would finally be present, since

Marcos Jr. has refused to attend debates or presidential interviews organized by Comelec and major media networks. “Magandang optic kasi yun na makita ng taumbayan na kumpleto kaming mga kandidato na nagparticipate sa isang imbitasyon ng debate,” the senator said. (It is good optics that the public would see all the

candidates in the debate.) Pacquiao clarified that he has nothing personal against Marcos Jr., saying it is the latter’s prerogative whether or not to take part in debates “Ang akin lang, sayang naman yung pagkakataon na magiging kumpleto kami sa debate,” he said. (For me, it is a wasted opportunity that we would be complete for the first time.) 

WTTC Economic Impact Report reveals significant...

PAGE A1

Inforgraphics by Philstar.com

New survey: Marcos, Duterte keep lead... PAGE A1

respective previous ratings in March. Vice presidential race In the vice presidential survey, Duterte maintained a majority vote with a preferential rating of 54.2%.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III ranked second with 16.9%, followed by Sen. Francis Pangilinan with 15.1%. Dr. Willie Ong and House Deputy Speaker and Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza placed fourth and fifth,

respectively, with 6.6% and 1.1%. All the other presidential and vice presidential candidates had ratings of less than 1% in the latest survey, which had a sample size of 7,560 and a margin of error of +/- 1.13%. 

California health officials call for older adults... PAGE A1

hundreds of thousands of older adults across the state were isolated. Things are shifting, DeMarois said. “We know today, many Californians have been vaccinated and boosted, including those 50 and older who have received their second shot.” She added that this year, anyone eligible for MediCal needs to be ready to renew their insurance and information. “We don’t want anyone’s benefits or eligibility to be disrupted in any way.” Dr. Sara K. Levin, a Martinez internist affiliated with Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, said in the face of “a serious emergency and disaster that threatened lives” the county is working to focus on the most marginalized and vulnerable communities. She said seniors in congregate settings and multigenerational families were at high risk of infection. Now, they are encouraged to use neighborhood vaccination resources to stay boosted and end isolation. Debbie Toth, president and Chief Executive Officer of Choice in Aging, said when the lockdown began, “We were asking older adults what we told them all along never to do, which is to isolate. “We always tell older adults, do not isolate, it will impact your health,” Toth said. “And now we are dealing with trying to reconcile with what happened.” The center delivered meals to people’s porches, delivered Easter items, and stayed in contact with people. Now, it has fully reopened to vaccinate clients, which Toth said is vital to older people’s health. “We need to be able to have a community to come together, to share our language, a culture, a friendship,” she said. “Vaccines and boosters are the only things that have made this possible for our aging population.” Client Bonnie Ronk said, “I was devastated when I knew we couldn’t come here.” She explained how she has relied on the center for many services, adding, “I would tell people that if you have a disability … you can come here and get a lot of support and rehabilitation and everything.”

Parvindokh Salamat also described her experience during the pandemic, saying, “I was so isolated. I was sad and upset.” Then she got her vaccinations, and now “I see all my friends, they are coming here, and I was happy, because I was not alone.” Toth said a group of women including Salamat are in the center’s Farsi program, one of the main dialects spoken in Afghanistan. The program is segregated by gender, allowing women to “take off their scarves and dance,” she explained, adding some carry trauma from life under Taliban rule. Now that they can again attend the center in person, they have knitted and crocheted items to send to an orphanage in Afghanistan. Toth said the activity helped these women cope with overriding feelings that they are “a burden” to their families and communities. “They felt they were doing something to give back and that their life had meaning,” she said. Choice in Aging client Tsilya Tankove said through a translator that she was thankful to come back, calling it “a place full of life. I feel I need people, and people need me.” “It’s been good to come back here and talk and learn new things,” Gilbert King added. “I’m thankful to be here. I like to play with my chihuahua dog and let her run.” Rebecca Rodriguez said she missed talking to people in person, especially after she lost her mother during the pandemic. “My husband didn’t want me to be by myself,” she said. So when her family became fully vaccinated, Rodriguez was glad to return to the center to play bingo and board games, and color. “It means the world to me. I have all kinds of friends here.” Kim McCoy Wade, Senior Advisor on Aging, Disability and Alzheimer’s for the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, implored listeners to consider the benefits of safely returning to their communities. “Many older adults have lost mobility through the pandemic and getting moving again is so important through the pandemic,” she said. “Keep vaxxed, keep boosted,

Debbie Toth, left, Sara Levin and Susan DeMarois discuss the importance of vaccination to end isolation of older adults at Choice in Aging in Pleasant Hill. Adults 50 and older are encouraged to get a second booster of the COVID-19 vaccine. Photo by Natalie Hanson/Ethnic Media Services

keep current. Make a plan to keep current, not just to save lives, but so we can reconnect.” Levin agreed that “not living in fear and isolation is what all of us, as human beings, need to keep thriving.” (Natalie Hanson/ Ethnic Media Services)

steadily recovering despite the ongoing global health concern. “Our expert analysis shows that the travel and tourism economy has turned a corner, and is firmly on the road to recovery. This growth was primarily built on domestic travels and very much pioneered and led by Secretary Bernadette,” Simpson said. According to said Economic Impact Report (EIR) for the Philippines, the sector supported 7.8 million jobs, representing a substantial 20.5% rise in 2020, compared with a global increase of 6.7%. “In the nearly two years where international travel was put on hold, the Philippines has been busy preparing for the day when our country would be open to the world. We have put in place guidelines that will ensure the safety of our guests, our tourism workforce, and our community,” Puyat shared. The Philippines has been

open to visa-free countries since February 10 and all countries since April 1. Up until April 17, she said the country received about 270,000 foreign arrivals adding that the country has the least number of restrictions. “Ultimately, through this summit, we hope to raise awareness of the full economic and social impact of travel and tourism. We also want to assure everyone, especially our foreign guests, that your safety and well-being is our priority,” the Tourism Secretary emphasized. Considered one of the most influential Travel & Tourism events worldwide, the WTTC Global Summit is an annual gathering of the entire spectrum of the industry, including airlines and airports, hotels and hospitality groups, tour operators and retail travel agents, online distributors, cruise lines, investment companies, insurance groups, and the technology industry.

“Looking ahead, we forecast an average annual growth rate of 6.7% over the next 10 years, exceeding the expected country’s overall economy average growth rate of just 5.6%,” Simpson said.“We also forecast employment will grow annually by an average of 3% over the next 10 years, generating 2.9 million new jobs, accounting for 21.5% of all jobs in the Philippines.” Before the pandemic, the Philippines Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP was 22.5% of the total economy (worth US$92.6 billion). However, due to damaging travel restrictions, it then plunged by 80.7% to a mere US$ 17.8 billion, dropping to just a 4.8% share towards the country’s GDP. But in 2021 this rose to US$ 41 billion, representing a 10.4% share of the nation’s total economy, which signals the recovery of the sector is well underway. 

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Huge crowd in Batangas rally assures UniTeam victory in this vote-rich province BATANGAS – THE UniTeam Alliance of presidential candidate former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Wednesday night, April 20 drew another mammoth crowd, this time at the jampacked grand rally at the Lima Commercial Estate in this vote-rich province. The rousing reception given by UniTeam supporters interrupted both the speeches of Marcos and Duterte who shouted “Panalo ka na!” and “Hindi kami bayad!” “Burger kayo diyan! Sigurado ako na hindi kayo bayad kasi marami sa inyo kanina pang umaga at sigurado ako na hindi kayo bayad dahil marami sa inyo ang 'di pa kumakain, kanina pa na nandito, mainit, mataas pa ang araw, at mag ba-biyahe pa ng malayo pauwi ng walang pamasahe kaya alam na alam ko po na nandito kayo dahil mahal ninyo ang Uniteam,” Duterte told the large throng of people at the Lima Commercial Estate Malvar-Lipa City. “At kapag sinabi ng Batangas na panalo ka na, hahawakan ko 'yan at sure na ako na panalo ako,” Duterte added in the rally attended by the province's local officials led by Batangas Gov. Hermilando "Dodo" Mandanas. Marcos vowed to lower the high electricity costs in the country to generate more jobs. He is convinced that the fastest way to propel the province to progress and development is to ensure affordable power rates. The leading presidential

candidate from Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) also underscored the need to revive the tourism industry following the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. The rally, which drew thousands of UniTeam supporters, followed the “festival rally” in Cebu last Monday, April 18 that was organized officials led by Gov. Gwen Garcia where an estimated crowd of more than 300,000 were in attendance. As the presidential elections draws closer, supporters of the UniTeam have been flocking in tens of thousands to the rallies of the leading tandem around the country. During the rally here, Duterte spelled out the priorities and focus of the UniTeam, which are jobs, education and peaceful lives for Filipinos. “Una po, dahil may bakuna, may mask at may gamot na ang COVID-19, dapat po hindi na nila-lockdown ang mga trabaho at mga negosyo. kailangan tutukan nating lahat ang pera sa bulsa at pagkain sa lamesa ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” the vice presidential candidate said. “Pangalawa po ay ang kalidad ng edukasyon ng ating mga anak. Dapat po global ang standard ng edukasyon natin dito sa Pilipinas dahil 'yan po ang sandigan ng magandang kinabukasan ng ating mga anak,” Duterte, LakasChristian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and Hugpong ng Pagbabago chairperson, added. “Pangatlo, ay kung ano ang gusto ng lahat ng tao sa buong mundo,

mapayapang pamumuhay na tayo ay nakakapag-trabaho na hindi tayo takot na mayroong gumawa ng masama sa atin o sa ating mga anak na pumapasok sa paaralan,” Duterte also said. Expounding on the qualities and capability of Marcos to lead the country, the Davao City mayor gave a meaning to the call of unity by the UniTeam. “Sipag ng mga Pilipino patungo sa tuloy tuloy na kaunlaran. ‘Yan po ang pagkakaisa na kampanya namin sa buong bansa. Pangalawang mensahe na ikinakampanya namin sa inyo ay kapayapaan, kino-commit po naming na itutuloy ang mga reporma na nasimulan ng adiministrasyon ni Pangulong Duterte,” she said. “Una na po ang ‘Build, Build, Build’ program niya. Kuryente, tubig, tulay, daan, skyway, subway. Napakahalaga po niyan sa peace and development sa mga lugar kung saan sila ginagawa,” she added. The presidential daughter said she and Marcos would also continue the Duterte administration’s anticriminality program. “Yan po ang dalawang mensahe na ikinakampanya namin sa inyong lahat, para sa atin. Pagkakaisa at kapayapaan ng ating bansa,” Duterte said. In ending her speech, the vice presidential candidate again called for support from Filipinos. “Ako po si Sara Duterte, humihingi po ako ng tulong at suporta ninyo (sa) pagka-bise presidente ng ating bansa,” Duterte said. (Lakas-CMD UniTeam Release)

STEEL PILLAR. Construction is in full swing for the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway connector along Antipolo Street in Sampaloc, Manila on Friday, April 22. The eight-kilometer, all elevated four-lane toll expressway will extend the NLEX southward from the end of Segment 10 in C3 Road, Caloocan City to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Sta. Mesa in Manila and connect the Skyway Stage 3. PNA photo by Rico H. Borja

Leni Robredo to mark birthday with ‘grand rally’ in Pasay City by CHRISTIA

MARIE Inquirer.net

RAMOS

MANILA — Presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo will mark her 57th birthday with a “grand rally” in Pasay City on April 23, a campaign official said on Thursday, April 21. The rally will be held along Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City, said former House Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada, the campaign manager of the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem’s Senate slate. The event is initiated and organized by supporters and volunteers as a “birthday gift” to the vice president, Tañada said in a statement. “Kahit birthday niya pinili niyang makasama ang taumbayan. Para sa kanya, ang pamilya nya ay ang mga kababayang Pilipino,” he said. (Even if it’s her birthday, she chose to spend it with Filipinos. For her, her family is her fellow Filipinos.) Organizers, according to Tañada, expressed hope to outdo all the previous political rallies of Robredo in terms of the number of attendees, targeting mostly those still undecided and her new supporters. “Makikita naman natin ito sa darating na Sabado [We will see Presidential aspirtant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (elft) and running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio face supporters in this on Saturday],” Tañada said as Tagum City, Davao del Norte. Photo from the Facebook page of Marcos he sees “hundreds of thousands”

Vice President Leni Robredo Inquirer.net file photo

of people trooping to Macapagal Boulevard for Robredo’s “birthday party.” The event, he noted, will be dubbed “Ang Araw ni Leni, Araw Nating Lahat [Leni’s day is a day for all of us].” Organizers are encouraging supporters to bring friends or family members who are either undecided or are voting for another candidate to attend the event’s “Art Jam,” “Street Party,” and “People’s Rally,” Tañada said. “All colors now are welcome,” he added following the revamp of Robredo-Pangilinan campaign logo into a multi-colored flower in a bid to signify unity. Tañada encouraged those attending Saturday’s event to wear the colors of their aspirations: white for good health, blue for jobs generation, yellow for better education, red for food security, pink for a better life, and other colors. 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (LACMTA) REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL LACMTA will receive Proposals for PS75883 - Drug Testing Laboratory Servicesat the 9th Floor Receptionist Desk, Vendor/Contract Management Department, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012. All Proposals must be submitted to LACMTA, and be filed at the reception desk, 9th floor, V/CM Department, on or before 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, May 13, 2022. Proposals received after the above date and time may be rejected and returned unopened. Each proposal must be sealed and marked Proposal No. PS75883. For a copy of the Proposal/ Bid specification visit our Solicitation Page on our Vendor Portal at https:// business.metro.net or for further information email Marc Margoni at margonim@ metro.net. 4/23/22 CNS-3578029# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

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WHEN the threat posed by COVID-19 is significantly diminished, the world will still have to contend with another threat that has been around long before the pandemic: climate change. In recent years, the Philippines has suffered from extreme weather disturbances that have claimed the lives of thousands and destroyed billions worth of crops, public infrastructure and private property. Bay areas long believed to be secluded from the fury of tropical cyclones, including Manila Bay, have been hit by destructive storm surges that spawned torrential flash floods. Global warming is threatening not only coastal communities but also food security as traditional areas for fishing, agriculture and agro-forestry are adversely affected by rising temperatures. Food supply chains are disrupted as natural habitats are destroyed. This April 22, into the third year of the worst global health crisis in a century, environment advocates are renewing calls for international cooperation in confronting climate change. For Earth Day 2022, the focus is on investing in

the planet, on developing a green economy and boosting private sector innovation and investment in sustainable business practices. Governments are encouraged to provide incentives for green business practices and to encourage citizens and institutions to promote a resilient future. The message is that green business practices are not only ethical but also lucrative for the long term. Studies have shown a direct correlation between sustainable practices, share prices and overall business performance. For private enterprise, national economies and the planet, sustainability is the path to prosperity. This must be internalized especially in the Philippines, which scientists say is among the countries most vulnerable to the destructive impact of climate change. The message today, Earth Day, is that a healthy planet is not an option – it is a necessity. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Birthday greetings for VP Leni Robredo: Thank you for being our ‘Tanglaw sa Dilim’

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS SATURDAY, April 23 is the birthday of Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo, our vice president and the presidential candidate who I hope we will deserve as the 17th president of the Philippines through the power of our collective voice sealed with our sacred vote on the May 9 election. Deserve Leni? Let me expound on this. Perhaps many of us have developed “learned helplessness” in our psyche because it seems the Filipinos have never learned from history. We keep clamoring and praying for the need for good governance to end the chronic systemic corruption in the Philippines, and yet many of us, wittingly or unwittingly, perpetuate acts of corruption by condoning, dismissing, and even normalizing it as a “natural human attribute.” We become part of the corrupt practices when we accept or offer bribes or “suhol” to get what we want even through unlawful means. Worse, we even elect corrupt candidates to public office. Many of us would even say, “wala nang pag-asa ang Pilipinas”. Could it be that we have been mentally and culturally conditioned for so long to look for the leader we yearn for in the wrong places, using the wrong indicators? We have been looking for our leader from the buena familia, the family dynasty. No wonder our provinces, cities and towns have been ruled by families who make us think they are entitled to the

positions of power like monarch so. And we believe them. We vote for them and their children and grandchildren again and again. We have been looking for a leader who speaks English fluently like a native speaker and delude ourselves into thinking that this equates to being intelligent and well educated. We have been looking for leaders who look rich, dress up like royalty, live in mansions, ride in flashy luxury cars, and oh yes — rich enough to give away money that is not theirs. We have been looking for the flashy arrogant type of leader who sounds like a “messiah” — the self-proclaimed savior of the country and that nobody else can solve our problems and serve the Filipino people better than him/ her, and we allow him/her to break the rule of law, supposedly to help him/her deliver what he/ she promised to save the country. We have been looking for a leader who “fights” by spewing toxic name-calling, deluding ourselves that being “palaban” this way is a sign of being authentic and courageous, deluding ourselves that this is a sign of strength. We have been looking for leaders who tell us what we want to hear instead of what we NEED to hear, a leader who serves us an image, a “persona” through social media, YouTube, and other propaganda platforms that validates what we are looking for in an “ideal” candidate as I described above. We then surrender our analytical minds to this false leader and swallow, digest and

burp all the lies spewed to us without question, poisoning our minds and our spirit. This kind of psyche has caused our self-inflicted harm that took us to where we are now, far from the “good place” where we want to be. We have lost faith in us, in our people, in our country. Until Leni Robredo came along, seemingly out of nowhere, because she came not from places where we traditionally look for our leader. Leni Gerona Robredo came from the world where you and I come from: from a middleclass family rubbing elbows not with the rich and famous, but with people just like us, and the hardworking Filipinos — the magsasaka, mangingisda, tindera sa palengke, modista, karpintero, guro, nurse, caregiver, kasambahay, OFWs, etc. Leni speaks like us, laughs at the jokes we laugh at, lives a simple life, enjoys the ordinary pleasures and values what most of us consider most important in our life. Conversely, like us, Leni also has to surmount the daily challenges we all have to face — the high cost of living, the money to pay for our tuition, escalating hospital bills, how to recover from a financial loss like losing a job, the storm destroying hopes for a bountiful harvest, the inequality in our society. Leni also shared our dreams and prayers for a better brighter tomorrow, the only difference is that she did not stop at just dreaming and praying about her aspirations. She worked hard and diligently to make them all come

Protecting the choice of the Filipino Commentary

ALBERT

Philstar.com photo

DEL ROSARIO

WITH the rise of social media, disinformation through fake news has become a plague to society. Disinformation through fake news destroys facts on which we rely to make informed decisions. By destroying the foundations of our decisions, we hurt ourselves and gravely undermine our efforts to build a better country to enable us to pursue truth, justice, democracy, and the rule of law. It is, therefore, imperative that we make a strong collective effort to put a stop to disinformation through fake news, which are corroding

the pillars of our nation. Once institutionalized and spread on a large scale, disinformation through fake news will bring a catastrophe to our country, as our national decisions will be based on lies. Fellow Filipinos will be prejudiced by misguided decisions brought on by disinformation. Already, disinformation has brought our nation on the brink of a catastrophe. After their disgraceful exit in 1986, the Marcos family, through their candidate, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., is dangerously poised to assume the presidency by spreading the lie that the Marcos dictatorship was a “golden era” in Philippine history. This shamelessly contradicts wellsettled court rulings, based on judicially considered evidence, which effectively proved that the Marcoses embezzled

considerable wealth from the Filipino people. Would it not be to our eternal shame as a people, once admired by the world for our bravery in peacefully ousting a dictator in 1986, were we to elect his unrepentant son, who continues to enjoy a lavish lifestyle riddled with vices funded by our money? Even before the younger Marcos’ vice presidential run in 2016, the Marcoses, through their ill-gotten wealth, have consistently spent considerable sums of money on influencers, fake news peddlers, troll farms, and online platforms to paint a rosy picture of their candidate and to retrofit the tarnished image of the Marcos family. By means of disinformation through fake news spread by them, the Marcoses have managed to hijack the minds of vulnerable Filipinos and exploit the weak educational system of

true, guided by her childhood dream to be a lawyer and a judge like her honorable father, and a teacher like her dedicated mother. Like many of us, she worked her way to help pay for her law school by teaching economics, while being a humble quiet wife to then-Mayor Jesse Robredo and a mother to their three daughters. I would like to believe that Leni marrying Jesse was part of God’s divine plan for their lives. It was through Jesse’s example that Leni saw that clean honest governance is still possible. Conversely, it was Leni’s family that molded her to be simple, humble, hardworking and faithful to God, making her what Jesse himself would her-his “conscience”, so he would remain faithful to his calling to be a good public servant to his constituents in Naga, and later on as DILG secretary. It was through her experience as the Mayor’s wife that she became immersed in the needs of the poor people in Naga and the Bicol region, and she followed her moral compass to use her hard-earned law degree to help those who are marginalized in Philippine society, those in the “laylayan.” As a lawyer, she inspired other young lawyers to reach out to the poor and give them free legal assistance. She chose to represent the poor as a lawyer for the Public Attorney’s Office which paid her a meager salary. She led NGOs in empowering women and the youth to fight for their rights and achieve their goals. I also think it was also part of

God’s Divine Plan that Jesse’s death, though unfortunate, would propel Leni to soar higher and serve the Filipino people as representative, and later on as vice president. Leni served us with the same commitment, dedication and tenacity as she has been doing all her life, looking for and finding ways to help uplift people from poverty, ignorance and despair. She has been doing these with the sincerest heartfelt intention of a true public servant. She never abused her power, kept her integrity intact, and remained truly humble. Now that she is running for president, people like me and you are learning more about her, not from fake news and fabricated narratives. We are knowing more about the true Leni Robredo from the very people she has served dutifully and faithfully all her life. They were the ones who have been volunteering for her when she ran for Congress and later for VP, helping her achieve her goal to serve more kababayans as president. Indeed, Leni has been our true “tanglaw sa dilim.” Through the campaign allies, we see more and more people switching to Leni and her chosen and trusted VP, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan. The more we know about them, the more we believe that good honest governance is still possible and is still attainable. May pag-asa pa ang Pilipinas if we choose, support and vote for the right leaders who deserve the public trust. More importantly, Leni and Kiko, through their example, also

help us find our own light, our own sense of purpose that brings out the best in us. As Leni said, we are ALL the answers to our prayers. The light of hope that she re-ignited in us causes us to radiate and reflect the same goodness for others to see, causing them to want to be better persons, better citizens, better sons and daughters of God. We ALL then become “tanglaw sa dilim” who will create a better brighter tomorrow for our children and grandchildren. Tara! Ipanalo na natin ito! Let us vote for Leni Robredo for president and Kiko Pangilinan for vice president, and all the senators they have endorsed. Kulay rosas ang bukas with Leni and Kiko. Angat buhay LAHAT. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Leni Robredo. It will be answered prayers for us to call you Madame President and Kiko Pangilinan our Vice President very soon. So help us, God! ***

our country, which is unable to instill a strong historical awareness among many of our countrymen. Even President Duterte, whose daughter is Bongbong Marcos’ running mate, cannot understand why some Filipinos would vote for the younger Marcos. In a televised address in November 2021, Mr. Duterte alluded to Marcos Jr. as a “weak leader,” a cocaine user, and a spoiled rich kid with no achievement to show and only basks in the shadow of his dictator-father. Why the support for him, President Duterte asked. “What contribution has he made para sa Pilipinas?… Ano ang ginawa n’yan? Nagdo-droga ’yan ng cocaine” (What contribution has he made for the Philippines? What has he done? He uses cocaine). Much of the answer to Mr. Duterte’s question lies in the efficacy of the Marcoses’ use of disinformation through fake news, to the prejudice of the

Filipino people. The upcoming May 9 elections will be a critical juncture in Philippine history that will determine whether or not the Marcoses would be restored to power. Filipinos are faced with a momentous choice: to elect leaders with the discipline and integrity to genuinely help our country, or to elect one who represents the sins of the past, a convicted tax evader who claims as his inheritance the family’s stupendous wealth stolen from the Filipino people. We believe it is our sacred duty to vote wisely because our country’s future is at stake. The future of our children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors is at stake. In addition, for this May 2022 elections, we must do what we can to combat disinformation through fake news which maliciously distorts the Filipino people’s choice of leaders. In the long run, we should set up effective institutions that will

combat, penalize, and eradicate disinformation through fake news. The decision-making process of the Filipino people is a sacred and critical part of democracy. Disinformation through fake news undermines that democratic decisionmaking process, thereby preventing Filipinos from making better choices for their own welfare. It is, therefore, imperative that we protect how Filipinos decide because our collective decisions will determine the future of our country. ***

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989. She was a news anchor, TV host and radio commentator and public service host for ABS- CBN and DZMM. She is now working on her advocacies independently, serving the Filipino audience using different media platforms. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos. Also on Twitter, Instagram: Gel Santos Relos

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Amb. Albert Del Rosario is chair of Stratbase ADR Institute, and was former foreign secretary and ambassador to the U.S. This commentary served as the opening remarks in the online forum, “Curbing the Pandemic of Disinformation: What Really Happened During Martial Law.”

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DATELINE USA

Metro Manila subway partial opening moved to 2025 by RICHMOND

MERCURIO Philstar.com

MANILA — The partial opening of the Metro Manila Subway project has been moved to 2025 due to challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade announced last week. Tugade said the partial operability of the country’s first subway system is targeted by

2025, with full operation eyed by 2027. “If there’s no pandemic, what we have completed is already substantial to have partial operability,” Tugade said. “The landscape formatting has been made so that by 2027, the full operations of the first Metro Manila subway will commence,” he added. Lowering of the project’s first tunnel boring machine and a test run at its Valenzuela depot will

start by next month. Funded by the Japanese government, the P488-billion subway will run from Valenzuela City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay. It will reduce travel time between Quezon City and NAIA from one hour and 10 minutes to 35 minutes only. Once operational, the subway can accommodate up to 370,000 passengers per day in its first

After blaming Robredo for withdrawal calls, Moreno now decries ‘bullying’ by VP supporters MANILA — After first pointing the finger at Vice President Leni Robredo and her spokesperson, Aksyon Demokratiko standardbearer Isko Moreno Domagoso turned on their supporters and claimed that he had long been at the receiving end of "incessant bashing and calls for withdrawal" as he claimed he was up against "elitist politics that have lorded over the land for so long." This comes as the latest in a long saga after Moreno and other male presidential candidates lagging behind in the surveys held a joint press conference to urge Robredo, the only female candidate standing in second place, to withdraw. The 47-year-old presidential aspirant asked for understanding "if he had been overly emotional" in the past few days. “I don't know what caused my emotions to flare up...the bullying of the yellow-pinks is too much. Too out of place. They act like they are higher than us,” Moreno said in Filipino before supporters at the Bagumbayan Covered Court in Teresa, Rizal. “Let's end the long fight of red and yellow. If you have experienced bullying, if you have experienced hurtful words from those in power, come with me, we will fight them,” Moreno said as he again pushed the false claim that politics in the Philippines since 1986 has been a conflict between two families colors. The past six presidents actually came from four different political parties. Moreno claimed to be acting out of sympathy for regular people, saying he had

"suffered oppression from the self-proclaimed cream of society." He went on to highlight his upbringing and experiences in poverty, saying he understood the people because he too "came from nothing." “Please be patient with me. If you watch me in the interviews, you should feel my emotions. Because I know how it feels to be belittled," he said in Filipino. The Manila city mayor said, "it is this unending oppression from a handful of vested politicians that egged him to seek the presidency in order to give the ordinary people like him the equal opportunity to better their lives." “If you want peace of mind, and a calm life with no fighting, I am available. Let us make all Filipinos equal. No poor, no middle class, no rich. Everyone has equal opportunity, everyone is equal,” Moreno said. The town hall meeting in Teresa capped a short but very fruitful sortie in Rizal province where the Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate paid courtesy calls to Angono Mayor Jeri Mae Calderon, Tanay Mayor Rex Manuel Tanjuatco and Teresa Mayor Raul Palino. Robredo's camp has denied that calls for the Manila City mayor to withdraw from the presidential race came from the Vice President herself. In response to this denial, Moreno told lawyer Barry Guttierez, Robredo's spokesperson, to stop speaking for Robredo. Moreno panned for homophobic comments In an interview aired over

ABS-CBN News Channel, Rey Valmores, chairperson of Bahaghari said that Moreno should focus on addressing discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community instead of adding to it. "It's dehumanizing to stereotype the LGBT community as solely sex-hungry and looking for bookings. That's just not true," she said. "These kinds of jokes are not merely jokes for people like him who have a huge influence. These statements fuel the cycle of violence that the LGBT community faces to reduce us." To recall, Moreno at a concert rally in Butuan City on April 19 jokingly told the crowd that he would "gift" the LGBT community his son Joaquin, an actor, free of charge. "Libre ang booking pero tikim lang, ‘wag kakainin! (Booking is free but it's just a taste, no eating)," he quipped. "This is not a laughing matter and this is not something that should be joked about by someone who is running for president," Valmores said. On Thursday, April 21, Kaye Legaspi, Aksyon Demokratiko's vice president for youth also expressed disappointment with the party's standard-bearer over the recent joint press conference, which she called "very unbecoming of a public servant and a gentleman." "Mayor Isko is in self-destruct mode. He divides all of us. If he can't lead the party being our standard-bearer, what more the entire country?" she said. "Mayor Isko has truly damaged the values of the party." (Philstar.com)

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 23-26, 2022 A7

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Trends continue upward for Boulder-Las Vegas-Henderson areas by RealtoR

Fely Quitevis-Bateman

THE market continues to move up for many areas in Nevada, including the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Boulder and Henderson. In the most recent monthly report by First American Title Insurance Company, the aforementioned areas are still in a strong seller’s market segment, with market action indexes for each of the cities improving by a few points over last month’s numbers. In Las Vegas, the overall median list price is at $600,000, with the median price for new listings pegged at $535,000. The per square foot price is at $270. Inventory remains at around 1,529. The median rent, meanwhile, is set at $2,200. Analysis for the Las Vegas area says that “home sales continue to outstrip supply and the Market Action Index has been moving

higher for several weeks” and it has issued a “watch for upward pricing pressure in the near future if the trend continues.” The City of North Las Vegas, for its part, has an overall median list price of $451,500, with the median price of new listings priced at $445,495. Price per square foot is at $237, while median rent is at $2,141. There are currently 264 homes counted in the inventory. Analysis for North Las Vegas is similar to that of Las Vegas – “home sales continue to outstrip supply and the Market Action Index has been moving higher for several weeks” and “watch for upward pricing pressure in the near future if the trend continues.” Boulder City, meanwhile, has an overall median list price of $774,499, with the median price of new listings set at $712,000. The city has a per square foot Realtor Quitevis-Bateman and Russ Bateman attended the recent NAR Brokers’ Summit so they can be well-informed on real estate trends nationwide and globally.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (right) with National Association of Realtors president Leslie Rouda Smith at the Brokers’ Summit in Phoenix, AZ held on April 5-6, 2022.

price at $339, and an inventory of 34. Median rent in Boulder City is pegged at $2,240. The analysis for Boulder City says “the market continues to get hotter” with having fewer homes listed and more demand contributing to a relatively long run of increasing prices. The report says that “current supply and demand levels show no sign of prices changing from their current trend.” Finally, Henderson has an overall median list price of $650,000, with the median price of new listings set at $558,000. The per square foot price is at $299, and there are 441 homes in inventory. The median rent in Henderson is pegged at $2,330. The analysis for Henderson says that “home sales continue to outstrip supply” and that it is a seller’s market so “watch for upward pricing pressure in the near future if the trend continues.” This is great news for areas in Nevada and only confirms that real estate prices in the state continue to rise. This greatly benefits the many individuals who have invested their money in real estate and properties in Las Vegas and its surrounding Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including small businesses. areas as they have gotten a great return on investment on their For more information, call (702) 538-4948 or send email to fely@precious-properties.com.

initial ventures. With construction projects aplenty and developers looking at neighboring areas for development opportunities, per square foot prices and real estate/ property will continue to be on an uptrend. That bodes well for those who are looking to put their hard-earned money into land and/ or property, which almost always continues to appreciate as time goes by. In other news in Las Vegas, the Palms Casino Resort is slated to open this April. It is now under the ownership of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, and had a $690 million renovation in 2019. It has been closed since March of 2020. According to a release, the 31.5-acre property will have an updated casino floor with a new layout for slot machines and table games. The 14 movie theaters have been updated with new reclining seats, an American gastro-pub named Serrano Vista Cafe has been added, and a new rewards program, Club Serrano, is ready. Club Serrano is shared with players at the Yaamava’ resort and casino located three and a half hours away in Highland, California. A recent news report said

Realtor Quitevis-Bateman (left) with CA Realtor Lauren Honey Marcus, who also attended the Broker’s Summit. Both have talked about the possibility of doing business with each other.

that the Palms aims to bring something fresh and exciting to the Strip while also honoring the San Manuel tradition. The property’s management and team will be focused on both quality of service and offering fabulous amenities to its clients and visitors. Whether you are looking to settle down in the area, purchase a second home, or just invest your money in real estate, now is a good time to scout for opportunities as prices are more affordable. I can help you find that piece of real

estate that will match your needs and your budget. Together, we can comb for the best real estate/ properties available in Las Vegas and its neighboring cities/towns. My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has successfully helped its clientele find the best deals since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-5592476 and 702-538-4948 for more information. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days.

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LIFESTYLE CONSUMER GUIDE COMMUNITY MARKETPLACE

Lifetime ban for admitting drug use lifted this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy RONALD was petitioned as Joyce’s fiancé in 2006. While the K-1 petition was approved, his visa was denied after Ronald admitted to the doctors at St. Luke’s that he tried drugs many years ago. Because of that admission, he was banned for life. In 2008, Joyce and Ronald got married, hoping that this would get a positive result. However, the same policy was still in place and his visa was again refused. Fortunately, in 2011, leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel was able to convince the U.S. Embassy in Manila to reverse their policy of a lifetime ban if the only

“evidence” was the person admitting drug use to St. Luke’s doctors. In 2015, Joyce consulted again with Atty. Gurfinkel, and he was able to clear Ronald’s name and the visa was issued. Finally, Ronald and Joyce were able to spend their first Christmas in the U.S. as a married couple. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, April 24 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the app for free. (Advertising Supplement)

BANNED FOR LIFE NO MORE, THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Joyce (center) petitioned her fiancé, Ronald (left), in 2006. However, while the K-1 petition was approved in 2007, his visa was denied due to Ronald’s admitting to drug use to the doctors at St. Luke’s. He was then banned for life from entering the U.S. In 2011, leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) was able to convince the U.S. Embassy in Manila to change their policy, and they agreed they would not ban people for life if the only “evidence” is the person admitting drug use to the doctors at St. Luke’s. In 2016, MJG was able to clear Ronald’s name, and Ronald’s immigrant visa was issued. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, April 24 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)

Rachelle Ann to return as Fantine in ‘Les Misérables’ for UK, Ireland tour Baron opens up about his alcohol relapse By DAnA

Cruz

Inquirer.net

Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine Photo from Instagram/@lesmizofficial

RACHELLE Ann Go is once again taking on the role of Fantine in the acclaimed musical “Les Misérables” for its United Kingdom and Ireland tour starting this coming May. The singer’s return to the role was revealed via casting announcement on the musical’s official Facebook page on Thursday, April 21. “Rachelle Ann Go will once again dream the dream as Fantine in the acclaimed #LesMizTour from [May 16],” it stated while showing a photo of the singer. The words “UK

[and] Ireland tour” were also bannered at the announcement. Go expressed excitement over reprising the role by showing the casting announcement on her Instagram Stories, also yesterday. “See you soon [Les Misérables],” she said. Go first played Fantine in the West End production of “Les Misérables” back in 2015, in time for the beloved play’s 30th anniversary. She then reprised the role in 2020, also in West End. Most recently, she returned to the stage as the character during the “Les Misérables” Baron Geisler Photo from Instagram/@baron.geisler PAGE B2

By Dolly

Anne CArvAjAl

Inquirer.net

BARON Geisler cleaned up his act and started his journey to sobriety when he married Jamie Evangelista. The birth of their adorable daughter Talitha all the more made him want to stop his alcohol addiction. Baron’s change for the better is very much evident in their happy family photos and videos on his Instagram account. But the recovering alcoholic in him had a relapse, according to his wife. Their vid, which has since been deleted, where Jamie was

confronting Baron as she threw a bottle of liquid that spilled all over Baron in bed, went viral. As a friend, I checked on Baron. Since I’m a drinker myself, he knows that I get his drift and understand his struggle. That’s why he granted me an interview even if he has already pleaded for privacy from the media. Thanks for trusting me enough as a friend to share your thoughts amid your personal crisis, Baron. As one of my fave quotes goes, “Mistakes are proof that we are trying.” So, let’s go easy on Baron as he tries his best to get back on PAGE B2

EntErtainmEnt

B2 APRIL 23-26, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Maximizing recovery in personal injury cases DEAR Attorney Tan, I was driving home and was at a complete stop when another driver rear ended my car. I was not feeling well after the accident, as my back seemed very tight and stiff. I took some days off from work. After a week, I contacted the other driver’s insurance to report the claim. The insurance adjuster for the other driver said they would fix my car, and offered me $500.00 for my injuries. Is that enough? I do not know where to go from here. –K.K. Dear K.K., The first step is to make sure that any injuries that you have suffered in the accident are examined and treated. You can recover treatment costs since they are considered “economic damages” that you suffered due to the accident. You can also recover for time away from work as “economic damages,” even if you used paid time off or sick leave. The term “economic damages” means “objectively verifiable monetary losses including medical expenses, loss of earnings, burial costs, loss of use of property, costs of repair or replacement, costs of obtaining substitute domestic services, loss of employment and loss of business or employment opportunities.” Civil Code Section 1431.2(b) (1). A person’s claim for economic damages apart from medical expenses are often overlooked and not pursued by persons who settle their accident cases on their own, or with the assistance of inexperienced counsel. Loss of earnings is often a significant part of an injured person’s claim for economic damages. Damages are recoverable for both past

Legal Advice

Atty. DArrick tAn and future lost earnings. To recover for past lost earnings, a person must prove the amount of income or earnings that he/ she has lost to date. To recover damages for future earnings, a person must prove the amount of income or earnings that he/ she will be reasonably certain to lose in the future as a result of the injury. CACI No. 3903C. How are past lost earnings

during the time of loss is evidence of the value of one’s loss of earnings claim. Other supporting documents include pay stubs, time cards, and tax returns. The monetary value of sick leave and vacation time that are used due to the injury are also recoverable. For those self-employed, earnings history as reflected by tax returns and profit and loss statements can help prove the value of lost earnings. Similar supporting documentation must be presented for future lost earnings. Apart from economic damages, you can recover “general damages,” which are damages for the pain, suffering, and inconvenience due to the accident. If you were suffered injury in an auto accident or someone’s premises, please contact our office to discuss your case. To maximize monetary recovery, it is important to have the assistance of an experienced attorney in presenting your personal injury claim. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** 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 Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). He 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: 323639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

Loss of earnings is often a significant part of an injured person’s claim for economic damages. Damages are recoverable for both past and future lost earnings. proven? Medical records, which show the doctor authorizing a release from work or giving instructions to restrict work activities, can support the time taken off from work due to the injury. For those self-employed, medical providers typically do not provide a release from work; however, medical records should record work restrictions placed by the medical provider. After showing that the time off was justified, the next step is to value the lost earnings. A letter from a person’s employer that outlines the amount of time that one has lost as a result of his/her injury, the loss of benefits, and the rate of pay

4 ways filing for divorce can benefit your immigration case Barrister’s Corner Atty. kenneth UrsUA reyes COUPLES get divorced for various reasons. California is a no fault state. The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law case. Divorce is often a difficult and negative experience for most families. However, getting divorce may have some unintended benefits in the immigration law arena. Four situations in which filing for divorce can be beneficial to your immigration case are as follows: 1. Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens If you were petitioned for legal permanent residence by your U.S. Citizen parent as a married son or daughter 21 years old or over, you are classified in immigration law under family sponsored third preference (F3) which usually carries a long wait time. The wait time for Filipinos for example is currently 22 years. The priority date is normally the date the petition was initially filed by your U.S. Citizen parents. If you get divorced, you revert back to single status and your category automatically becomes reclassified to first preference (F1) where the waiting time is substantially shorter. For example, for Filipinos the wait time under F1 category is 10 years shorter than F3 category. This means if your parents filed your immigration petition 12 years ago, then you can adjust to a green card now instead of waiting another 10 years. 2. Married sons and daughters of legal permanent residents If your parents are legal permanent residents, getting divorced will convert you back single status making you eligible to be petitioned by your legal permanent resident parents under the family based second preference (F2b) category if you are 21 years old or older or under the family based second preference A (F2a) if you are under 21 years of age. For those who married after they were petitioned by their LPR parents (F2A and F2B), the petition is automatically revoked under operation of law the moment you get married and cannot be reclaimed by a divorce. In theory, it can be argued that filing a subsequent petition after

your divorce under the same category inherits the previous petition’s priority date under 9 FAM 42.43 N10 and 8 CFR 204.2(h), Part 205. However, success of such argument is not clear since the old petition was automatically revoked the moment you married. The best thing that can be done in this situation is to have your LPR parent repetition you as an F2A or F2b even if you are unable to reclaim the previous petition’s priority date. 3. Conditional legal permanent residents in failed marriages For those who obtained their legal permanent residence status through marriage based petition by their U.S. Citizen spouse of less than 2 years marriage, the legal permanent residence status conferred is usually a “conditional legal permanent residence” valid only for 2 years. The couple would need to sign and file a joint petition to remove this condition prior to the expiration of the 2 years or the conditional legal permanent resident spouse would fall out of status. The problem arises when the marriage is in trouble. Often it becomes difficult to obtain the cooperation of the U.S. Citizen spouse specially when the couple has separated. U.S. Citizen spouse often refuse to sign the I-751 for or appear at the I-751 interview if one is set by the USCIS. Filing for divorce would terminate the marriage and allow you to file a “waiver” of the joint petition to remove the conditional LPR status based on entering into the marriage in good faith. Terminating the marriage by filing a divorce is a requirement in order to file the “waiver.” It is important to time this correctly as soon as the marriage starts falling apart because by terminating the marriage early on, you might be able to file the waiver before the expiration of your 2 year conditional LPR thus allowing you to extend your LPR status in 1 year increments until a final decision is made in your case. 4. Married aliens in nonimmigrant visas and those without status For those who enter the U.S. as a non-immigrant and are separated from their spouse but still married, filing a divorce would open up opportunities in case they meet a new significant other who is a U.S. Citizen and who can petition them as an immediate relative. This is usually the fastest of process

in obtaining legal permanent residence. In countries such as the Philippines where there is no divorce, many people come to the U.S. to start a new life after they have been separated from their old spouse (often still married to them). Even if the alien over stays their status as a visitor, the alien can still adjust to that of a legal permanent residence if petitioned by a U.S. Citizen spouse. If the alien was never inspected, the alien can still adjust to legal permanent residence if they are grandfathered under INA 245(i) and there are no special restrictions on their status. To be grandfathered under INA 245(i), the alien must have been a beneficiary of a legal permanent residence petition filed no later than April 30, 2001. Finally, a common concern of divorcing immigrants is “What happens if my spouse refuses to sign the divorce papers?” The truth is you do not need your spouse’s signature to obtain a divorce in California. You only need to provide your spouse notice that you filed a divorce by personally serving your spouse the divorce petition and summons. In countries that are members of the Hague Convention, special procedures need to be followed to effect service. So yes it is possible to divorce your spouse even if your spouse is in a country that does not recognize divorce among its citizens such as the Philippines. For some immigrants, filing for divorce opens up opportunities in this land of milk and honey. *** 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 Reyes is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (AILA) and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Immigration and Family Law Sections. You may contact Atty. Reyes at (213) 388-1611 or via e-mail at kenneth@kenreyeslaw. com. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA. Visit us at Kenreyeslaw.com to learn about our firm.

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Are PPP and other federal pandemic loans dischargeable in bankruptcy? MANY self-employed individuals have relied on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other federal pandemic loans to rescue their businesses from going under. If you notice, many restaurants that we go to pre-pandemic have shuttered up permanently despite using up PPP and other loans. Sure the PPP loans helped a lot to keep employees employed, and for the business to continue paying rent for the premises, but lockdown after lockdown has decimated a lot of restaurants. What can the business owner do if revenues are cut by more than half? In fact, some businesses had zero revenue, from $100,000 a month of gross receipts down to almost nothing. Will Uncle Sam come to collect PPP loans? Soon enough, Uncle Sam will start collecting on the PPP loans. I have four clients who are already in this situation. Maybe they can ask for debt forgiveness first for the PPP loans since that’s a feature of these loans. There’s certainly a 50/50 chance that all or a portion may get forgiven; but what about the rest of it, or all of it that is not forgiven? Can bankruptcy wipe out or discharge the PPP loans? To answer this question, we refer to Section 523 of the bankruptcy code. It provides for exceptions to discharge. If PPP loans are excepted from discharge by Section 523, then it’s not dischargeable. Nothing in Section 523 as it is currently worded suggests that PPP loans are excepted from discharge. Therefore, PPP loans

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng are dischargeable in bankruptcy. $100K PPP loan obtained in 2020 The debtor owns a restaurant that obtained a $100,000 PPP loan in 2020. He used the $100,000 to buy a brand new Mercedes Benz S500, fully loaded. Can he discharge his PPP in bankruptcy? No, he cannot. Why not? Section 523 excepts from discharge loans that were “fraudulently” obtained by the debtor. Obviously, if the debtor had indicated in the PPP loan application that he was going to use the PPP loan to buy an expensive car, Uncle Sam would not have given him the loan. But his PPP loan application stated that he was going to use the $100,000 to continue running his restaurant, specifically the funds were going to be used to pay rent and to pay employees, that’s why Uncle Sam gave him the PPP loan. But let’s say, the debtor actually used the $100,000 PPP loan to pay his employees and to pay rent for the premises. With the $100,000, he was able to continue operating at a loss for two years. Now that it’s 2022, the pandemic is still around but there’s no more lockdown. His restaurant does take-outs and allows some indoor dining, but sales are still way low and he

doesn’t have any more money to continue operating. He decides finally to shut the door and stop operating. But here comes Uncle Sam knocking on his door, asking him to pay back the $100,000. What should he do? As I said, he can ask for loan forgiveness for all or part of the $100,000 since he actually used the money to pay employees and rent and to keep the business going for two years. Whatever is not forgiven, he can use bankruptcy to discharge because PPP loans are not excepted from discharge. Seven of my high school classmates passed away in 2021. They have all gone to meet their creator. I would like to mention their names here: Ricardo A, Victor Y, Jerry L, George C, Jimmy G, Edward N and Ricardo D. Three died of COVID, one slipped and fell in the bathroom, one of heart attack, two of cancer. I pray all of them are in heaven with our Lord enjoying eternity with their loved ones. *** Disclaimer: None of the foregoing is considered legal advice for anyone. There is absolutely no attorney-client relationship established by reading this article. *** 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 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)

For Nova, doing comedy is a blessing and mission By Jerry

Donato Philstar.com

WHEN one speaks of Pinoy comedy’s “who’s who” and its tradition, one can’t help but think of the name Nova Villa. Her performances on TV and in the movies have consistently brought laughter to the life of audiences. They have also reminded them about family values that matter to Filipinos. Yes, she can also cross over to drama with ease, but Nova has long found her heart and home with the genre. Even though she knows it like the back of her hand, the veteran actress continues to explore comedy. Her enthusiasm will be seen again on GMA 7’s False Positive, a light romance, family and fantasy drama that will premiere on May 2 on GMA Telebabad after First Lady. “I can say it’s a blessing,” said Nova, also known for her comedy team-ups with Philippines’ King of Comedy Dolphy and actorturned-senator Freddie Webb, of being among local showbiz’s comediennes with longest careers, in a recent press conference via Zoom. “I believe it’s a blessing, sapagkat marami na rin tayong bagong artista ngayon at magagaling, magagaling na yung mga bata, ganun din sa mga supporting, marami na ring mga bago na magagaling din sila (because there are new actors who are also good at comedy and in doing supporting roles). I’m 76 years old, I’m very grateful, first of all, to the Lord, for all the blessings.” Aside from being dedicated to her craft, Nova has stayed this long in the showbiz industry because of her clear purpose, that is to entertain audiences.

Nova Villa

GMA photos

“Yun naman po talaga ang hangad ko nung araw pa, yung mga audience natin, gustonggusto ko silang mapasaya (That has been my goal ever since, which is to bring laughter to audiences),” said she, who had a radio program on Radio Veritas in the past and whose listeners would call and tell her that they forgot their cares when they watched her. “They saw to it (that they were tuning in to the show), nung araw na yun, nung oras na yun. They didn’t want to miss it because itong ating mga lola, mga nanay, may mga nararamdaman na, totoo naman yun na ‘pag tumawa ka nang tumawa at naka-concentrate ka sa pinapanood mo, ang totoo dun di mo na-realize masakit yung rayuma mo. You’re laughing (with the characters) and concentrating on the story.” This is the reason why Nova is always in her element. “That is why I’m doing my best kung paano ko sila mapapasaya, kung paano ko magagawa ang aking comedy para makalimutan nila kahit sandali man lang yung mga sakit nila,” said she. “I realized my

ambition to be a good actress became a mission.” Nova owes her talent in bringing a smile on anyone’s face and making them forget their cares in the world, even for a short time, to Him. “I’m a prayerful person,” said she. “I depend on God always. If I have an (acting) offer, sa totoo nun nininerbiyos ako, ang totoo nun ay may pagka-konting takot pa din ako (honestly, I feel nervous and I am a bit afraid). Hindi ako panatag sa sarili ko, hindi ako yung mayabang na ‘Kaya ko yan, kaya ko yan.’ Ayaw kong mag-depende sa sarili ko masyado, but I pray and I ask God to help me portray well the role that has been given to me in this show.” She also does the same every time a drama work lands in her lap. “I’m a comedian, pala tawa ako, hindi ako talaga dramatic actress,” said Nova, who always says the rosary and prays for inspiration each shooting day. “And then, I go with the flow.” She relishes every moment of acting with fellow actors and every scene to put across the narrative themes such as PAGE B5

Rachelle Ann to return as Fantine...

PAGE B1 concert run in late August and early September 2021. Prior to the 2015 production of the play, Go

performed as Gigi Van Tranh in the West End run of “Miss Saigon.” She also starred in the West End production of “Hamilton,” as Alexander Hamilton’s wife, Eliza Schuyler. g

Baron opens up about his alcohol...

PAGE B1 track after his relapse. Tout comme moi, may he get to a point where he consumes alcohol without letting alcohol consume him. Here’s my exclusive chat with Baron: How are you and Jamie after the spat due to the relapse that led to binge-drinking? Jamie and I followed the advice of our sponsors to take a break and seek treatment as we renew our efforts to each work on our “12-step program.” Hopefully, we can soon be back together when emotions are less raw. I pray for Jamie every day and ask the Lord’s grace for me as I work on my program. I am staying with my sponsor and his family in Bulacan. This is intense work, way different than rehab. I am learning to live life on life’s terms. I’m doing service in our community. I work out every day. I have to cook dinner on Thursdays and clean the yard and garden and look after four dogs. I am still actively working to provide for my family. (Advertising Supplement) What’s your message to those who pass

judgment on you? People who are critical of a disease they do not understand are just ignorant. I hope that they learn more about alcoholism because millions of Filipinos are suffering with their families in silence and not getting help because of the shame others put on them. As for those who are critical of my absence during my daughter’s baptism, I will say this: If I was at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston for treatment of cancer, no one would say, “Why was Baron not there?” More Filipinos die from alcohol-related causes than cancer. I am getting the treatment I need to deal with my illness. Please give me the same courtesy you would a cancer patient. What’s your message to your daughter, Talitha? I love you, and I will always be with you and support you. I was not there during your baptism, but I was with you in spirit. Your daddy is doing all he can to make our family a place where you will always be happy and where Christ reigns. g

B4 APRIL 23-26, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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An intimate evening with David Foster and special guests in Thousand Oaks, CA “AN Intimate Evening with David Foster” returns to Thousand Oaks, California this Sunday, April 24 with special guests, including “American Idol” alum singer-songwriter Katherine McPhee Foster. The 16-time Grammy-awardwinning writer/producer performs songs he wrote or produced throughout his four decades of hits, adding fascinating stories about the songs, artists and moments of his life. Foster bring an amazingly talented group of singers on this tour: Pia Toscano (American Idol), Shelea Frazier (Stevie Wonder) and Fernando Varela (America’s Got Talent). Foster started touring the U.S. with his show “An Intimate Evening with David Foster” in 2018-19. The shows garnered rave reviews and were so successful. As a result of this success, Foster filmed a new PBS Special – An Intimate Evening with David Foster – which aired on PBS Great Performances November/ December 2019. As one of the most illustrious composers of our time, Foster’s skill set of creating hits, writing indelible melodies, and building dramatic moments, he seems constitutionally incapable of resting on his laurels, and his relentless drive has propelled him throughout his career. Few other individuals can claim to have their fingerprints on more major moments in all of popular music than David Foster. He has created hit songs and award-winning gold and platinum albums for a diverse array of artists including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Andrea Bocelli,

Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Brandy, ’N Sync, Boz Scaggs, and Gloria Estefan. He has escorted singers who have straddled both pop and classical styles like Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban into the mainstream. He has created culture-defining soundtracks for blockbuster films like The Bodyguard, Urban Cowboy, and St. Elmo’s Fire; and crafted timeless holiday classics, including perennial best-sellers like Josh Groban’s Noel, Michael Bublé’s Christmas, Celine Dion’s These Are Special Times, Rod Stewart’s Merry Christmas Baby, Andrea Bocelli’s My Christmas, and Mary J. Blige’s A Mary Christmas. For his remarkable work, Foster has won 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and racked up three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Song.” He has also earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and Michael Bublé. In 2008 and 2011, Foster stepped out as performer in his own right as the host of “Foster & Friends” — two star-studded concert events in Las Vegas that celebrate the music from Foster’s unparalleled catalog. The shows were filmed for Great Performance on PBS and Foster’s Hit Man and The Hit Man Returns became PBS’ highest-rated pledge drive

shows of the decade. Foster is also a household name as a performer throughout Asia where he fills arenas on his frequent tours. In 2015, Foster became a celebrity judge on the smash hit TV show Asia’s Got Talent. Billed as the biggest TV show in the world, it is broadcast throughout Asia into 20 countries. In 2019, he became the anchor judge on World’s Got Talent in China – the first international entertainer to hold a major TV position in China. Foster is the Global Grand Brand Ambassador for AirAsia. “In Asia, audiences believe that the person who writes and produces the songs is as important as the person who sings them,” Foster says. “So when you play a song that you’ve written and the entire 10,000-seat arena sings every word, that’s pretty thrilling.” An official feature documentary on his career and life debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) September 2019. David Foster: “Off The Record” is an up close and personal look at the extraordinary career of a producer, composer, and entertainer who has helped sell more than a half billion records working with some of the most successful artists of all time. Powerful and sometimes humorous, the film follows Foster’s relentless ambition, hunger, and rise to the top, as he becomes an iconic producer and songwriter. In his own words, Foster talks about his lifelong passion of the piano: “A lifelong passion began for me as a child sitting at the piano. Never could I have imagined that a kid’s passion of playing melodies at the piano, would

lead me to where I am today. From a very young age, I was always drawn to the piano. I can’t think of any other instrument that captures and touches so many different emotions. It is the entire range of the orchestra at your fingertips. It was so cool, fun and even therapeutic just sitting at the piano and creating these melodies – this is me in my truest form and the piano has always been my go-to place.” It’s not surprising that Foster became a consummate performer. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, he began studying piano at age four. As the story goes, his mother was dusting the family piano, hit one of the keys, and was shocked when David correctly called out, “That’s an E!”, thus discovering he had perfect pitch. The son of a maintenance yard superintendent and a homemaker, Foster has chronicled his life in the highly regarded, best-selling autobiography Hit Man. Foster has made charitable work his life’s other priority. Meeting with a young girl from his hometown who was awaiting a liver transplant had a profound impact and led him to create The David Foster Foundation in 1986. Its mission is to provide financial support to Canadian families with children in need of livesaving organ transplants, along with a new focus on organ donor awareness. He has also volunteered his time and talent to over 400 charities over the past two decades, including the annual Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night, The Andre Agassi Foundation, and Carousel of Hope. Tapping into his vast network of friends and superstar artists, Foster has enabled these events to raise millions of dollars for

worthy causes. “The gift of music has brought me many rewards,” he says. “What better way to honor those gifts than to pay it forward. It’s not just a responsibility, it’s a must.” Foster has also been rewarded with professional honors, including being inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2002, The Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2007, The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010, and the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in the U.S., also in 2010. In 2013, Foster received his star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located on Vine Street in front of the iconic Capitol Records building, adjacent to the stars of his musical heroes —John, Paul, George and Ringo — a thrill for the selfdescribed “biggest Beatles fan on the planet.” The location is doubly meaningful as Capitol was the label that signed Foster’s band Skylark in 1971. Their hit “Wildflower” became a Top 10 hit and launched Foster on his unending road to success. Reflecting upon receiving a star on the Walk of Fame, Foster says, “One hundred years from now, my greatgrandchildren will go, ‘Hey, there’s my great-grandpa,’ and having a star next to The Beatles…outside the building where I first got signed… that’s perfect.” Performance at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 24 at Fred Kavli Theatre at Bank of America Performing Arts Center (2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362). For tickets, please call the Box Office at 805-449-2787 or visit https:// bapacthousandoaks.com/show_ detail.php?id=835 (Advertising Supplement)

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Regine admits having singing difficulties By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA singer Regine Velasquez admitted that she’s now having difficulties in singing. During the recent press conference of her upcoming concert “Iconic” with Sharon Cuneta, Regine said she felt the changes in her voice. “When you’re a woman, there’s so much changes in your body when you gave birth, you’re going into menopause, ‘yung hormones, it affects your voice,” Regine said. “Nagbago na rin. Kasi no’ng bata ako kahit tulog ako kaya kong kumanta e pero it’s not like that anymore. Pero it’s okay because now that I feel na parang may konting difficulties in singing, mas naa-appreciate ko siya only because may konting

‘Asia’s Songbird’ Regine Velasquez ABS-CBN photo

effort na. Dati kasi wala e,” she added. Regine, however, said that she accepts the changes. “My voice also changed. It doesn’t sound the same. Pero I’m okay with that kasi ang weird naman kung 50 years old na ko

pero boses 18 pa din. Ang weird no’n,” she said. This year, Cuneta and Velasquez return to the concert stage with “Iconic” on June 17 and 18, 8 p.m. at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Resorts World Manila. The “Iconic” concert that was first staged in 2019 was a highly successful sold-out show that has earned the year’s prestigious Aliw Award for Best Collaboration in a Concert. As two formidable divas return to the stage, “Iconic” is set on a grander scale under the musical direction of industry greats, Louie Ocampo and Raul Mitra and directed by Paolo Valenciano. Produced by Full House Theater Company, the “Iconic” concert will be a night to remember with two Philippine iconic divas performing live on a single stage. g

Jake to Kylie amid breakup rumors: I will try to fix you By Jan

Milo Severo

Philstar.com

ACTOR Jake Cuenca shared cryptic posts on social media amid breakup rumors with girlfriend Kylie Verzosa. In his Instagram account, Jake posted on his IG story a series of quotes seemed directed toward Kylie. “I wish I could wipe away your tears,” he wrote. “Whatever someone you become, wherever you are in the world… I’m sending you Celebrity couple Jake Cuenca and Kylie love,” he posted on another story. Verzosa Photo from Instagram/@juancarloscuenca In the last story, Jake posted a

band aid photo with the caption “I will try to fix you...” Breakup rumors between Jake and Kylie started when the beauty queen posted a cryptic post on her Twitter account. “Broken,” she simply wrote. Kylie’s emotional breakdown on an episode of “It’s Showtime” added fuel to the fire. She cried when asked for her opinon on the contestant’s breakup with her loved one. The two first met the when they were cast in the movie “Ang Panday” in 2017, and grew closer in 2018 as they were working together in the drama series “Los Bartados.” g

For Nova, doing comedy...

PAGE B2 gender equality of False Positive. “As for my role here, it’s not that far (different) from the others I have played before,” said Nova, who has done mother and grandmother roles in a career that spans for more than five decades. “Ang maiiba lang ay, iba klaseng storya. There are times that my acting is different in it, which depends on the story. I really enjoyed (playing my role) because it was different, my character took care of Xian’s pregnant character. This was my first time to be part of this kind of story, isipin mo lalaki yung magbubuntis. My character is the grandmother of Glaiza’s and tasked to look after her husband. Nakakatawa, I’m so happy that they got me for this role. Dahil sa masaya ako, nagustuhan ko, I did all my best.” Nova’s character named Lola Mamerta-Lola Mema is the grandmother of Yannie (Glaiza), the wife of Edward (Xian). The latter, an alpha male, will experience a “gender switch” to understand pregnancy as a delicate and intricate process. “(It’s really) inborn, once I read the script, para na akong nag-sho-shooting, I’m seeing even my

reactions, like how I will deliver (the dialogue) and I feel (the scenes),” said Nova of her creative process, “even in drama, nararamdaman ko na kaagad kung itong dialogue na ito ay dapat bang bilisan ko, hindi kailan mabagal lang, kailangan maintindihan niya. Kailangan ma-i-project kong mabuti sa kasama ko, sa kapwa ko artista at kaeksena ko para maramdaman niya, pinag-aaralan ko na.” The day the select press members met up virtually with the TV and film actress was Nova’s birthday and gave her the chance to briefly reflect on her career. “First of all, thank you, Lord, for all the blessings, salamat po na Ikaw rin ang nagbigay ng role ko dito at nakasama ako dito sa False Positive. Lord, feeling ko kinse anyos pa lang ako (I feel like I’m only 15 years old),” said she, “marami pa tayong gagawin, Lord, kayang-kaya ko pa.” Also part of the acting ensemble are Tonton Gutierrez, Rochelle Pangilinan, Dominic Roco, Buboy Villar, Yvette Sanchez and Herlene Budol. g

Megastar Sharon Cuneta, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez live in an ‘iconic’ concert at Pechanga Resort Casino on July 22 and 23 PECHANGA Resort Casino presents a once in a lifetime concert of two prime Filipino singers — Megastar Sharon Cuneta and the Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez — who will provide hours of special musicale presentations on July 22 at 9 p.m., and July 23 at 6 p.m., live at the Pechanga Summit. Pechanga Resort Casino is well-known for hosting only the best and the brightest Filipino entertainers and performers aimed at providing the ultimate experience especially to its Filipino-American patrons. Dubbed as ‘Iconic,’ Cuneta and Velasquez’s back-to-back concerts will be directed by musical directors Louie Ocampo and Raul Mitra, respectively. Cuneta is most famous in Manila for playing dramatic roles where she bagged several awards as a leading actress while holding concerts and singing engagements locally and internationally. Velasquez is a veteran singer and concert queen herself who started her way to stardom after winning a major international singing contest, the 1989 Asia Pacific Singing Contest in Hong Kong, where she sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and the popular Broadway song from Dreamgirls “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” Don’t miss this opportunity toward a wholesome entertainment. Tickets may be purchased at Pechanga Box Office or by calling 888-8108871 or visit www.Pechanga. com Pechanga Summit features a 40,000-square foot area

for entertainers, concerts, live sporting events, trade shows, weddings, or any large groups to book. In total, Pechanga now offers 274,500 square feet of indoor/outdoor contemporary meeting and event space, which significantly enhanced the amenities, space and visibility of Pechanga’s event offerings. Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Voted the best casino in the west by USA Today and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether

for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering 5,400 of the hottest slots, 152 table games, world-class entertainment, 1,100 hotel rooms, dining, spa and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort & Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter. (Advertising Supplement)

Delivery drivers misclassified as ICS recover back pay & reimbursements Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. CARLOS Castellon worked as a driver for Penn-Ridge Transportation, Inc., a company that delivers the goods of major retailers (such as Best Buy) to the homes of consumers. The delivery drivers and their helpers delivered and installed appliances at the consumers’ homes. The workers were categorized as independent contractors (ICs). Castellon sued the company in a class action alleging that he and his fellow drivers were misclassified as ICs because the companies controlled the work schedules, delivery procedures and how they can clock in and out of work. The companies also had the ability to discipline and fire delivery workers and their assistants at any time. The workers’ lawsuit alleged that the companies failed to pay minimum wage, failed to pay overtime, failed to reimburse business expenses of employees, failed to provide rest and meal periods, failed to furnish accurate wage statements, and failed to pay all wages due at termination of employment. The status of a true independent contractor is determined by law and not by contracts. Even if workers signed a contract that says they are independent contractors, this does not make them ICs. California created the ABC standard for properly classifying a worker as an independent

contractor. If you are a worker being asked to sign an IC agreement, ask yourself the following questions: (A) Am I free from the control and direction of the company in how I do the work? (B) Am I doing work that is outside the usual course of the company’s business? (C) Do I have my own business or established trade or occupation that I normally do which is the same type of work performed for the company? If your answer to any one of the questions above is a No, then you are more likely an employee than an IC. Specifically under test B, a worker is presumed to be an employee but may be classified as an independent contractor only if “the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business.” The ABC test presumes a worker hired by a company is an employee and it is the company’s burden to prove that the worker is an independent contractor. If the company fails to show that the worker satisfies each of the three criteria, the worker must be classified as an employee, not an independent contractor. Being misclassified as an IC has serious consequences for a worker. ICs are not considered employees. Because they are not considered employees, ICs are not covered by the protections of California employment law, namely: • No right to minimum wage, thus no right to be paid for each and every hour worked • No right to overtime pay for working more than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week • No right to be reimbursed for business-related expenses

• No right to meal breaks and rest breaks during work • No right to the employer’s share of the social security, unemployment and disability taxes (and no right to collect these benefits if fired or laid off) • No state workers’ compensation protection if injured at work • Not entitled to additional benefits such as sick pay, retirement and profit-sharing plans • No protection from wrongful termination of employment • Limited protection from discrimination Workers who are found to have been misclassified as ICs are entitled to back wages, interest, liquidated damages, and penalties, among others. Rather than proceed to trial, the parties agreed to enter into a settlement of $3.25 million. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at nocost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw. com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. 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 past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.] (Advertising Supplement)

Starfleet Innotech inks new partnership with health data analytics firm Project Fort STARFLEET Innotech, Inc. (OTC Pink: SFIO) (“SFIO” or “The “Company”) this week formalized a partnership with Project Fort to bring the health data analytics firm’s unique approach to proactive, data-driven community care to the wellness townships under SFIO’s Moraya brand. Founded in 2020, Project Fort is a Philippinebased tech startup that uses data gathering tools to synthesize and analyze community health information, based on global best practices in public health. In doing so, the company unlocks insights that are impossible to glean on an individual level, so they can be turned into strategies for sustainable, meaningful changes on a community level. “Our approach to community health, which is founded on public health practice and the healthy settings frameworks of the World Health Organization, recognizes wellbeing as a manyfaceted equation that requires collaborations across the care continuum to champion,” said Erika Modina, Project Fort co-founder and CEO. “The traditional view of health stakeholders spanning patients, providers, and insurers fails to factor in the massively influential role that employers, school administrators, and local government units play in the daily health of our communities.” With an initial focus on the workplace health setting, Project Fort caters to a largely underserved market in the Philippines. According to an ILO study published in 2021, roughly 745,000 people die annually due to poor working conditions. The study found this especially true in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asian regions. Long working hours, psychological stress, health-harming behavior to deal with that stress, and resulting strokes and heart disease were all listed as contributing factors. In the Philippines, businesses lose at least $2 billion pesos due to poor employee health. This is in spite of companies already spending roughly $3 billion trying to take care of employees. “The takeaway here is that companies are spending their money on the wrong things because of a lack of proper insight into employee health,” Modina said. “Insights that can only be gleaned, given the right tools and expertise. We believe there’s a better, proactive way to care for our people.” Early in the pandemic, Project Fort played a critical role for businesses looking to build more resilient health systems for their workforces. For Ever Gotesco, a Metro Manila-based mall operator, Project Fort’s daily surveillance tools flagged a possible outbreak early in July 2020. Utilizing data it had been gathering on the mall’s workforce since May that year, Project Fort’s health officer was able to deploy a targeted testing protocol, cutting the need to test all 3,000 tenants and direct employees down to about 30 specific individuals. In addition to cutting costs down by about 89%, this meant a speedy response that neutralized the outbreak before it even began. “Our main challenge as a startup is establishing touch points across different healthy settings to ensure we can deliver a truly whole-of-society approach to community care,” Modina said. “We began by focusing on the workplace setting, where we leveraged our data analytics to help businesses both save money and improve overall employee health. Our ultimate goal is to bring this same approach of proactive, data-driven care to the spaces communities work, live, and play in. This partnership with Moraya enables us to

do exactly that.” As the flagship brand for SFIO’s real estate division, Moraya aims to establish itself as a global leader in wellness tourism. With an initial focus on the Philippines, Moraya actively explores new technologies in data and integrative medicine, marrying them with Filipinos’ worldclass hospitality, and integrating them into the beautiful natural locales of the Philippines. Over the past few months, the company has announced a number of real estate development projects, largely waterfront townships in the Philippines. By 2024, SFIO aims to complete $300 million worth of these real estate projects. To lead Moraya, SFIO CEO Jeths Lacson says the group has brought in decades of experience across wellness tourism, integrative medicine, master planning, business development, and sales. Among these industry leaders is AG Architects, an SFIO subsidiary, which has led award-winning green projects like Crowne Plaza in Changi Airport. The company also recently struck a partnership with Australia-based construction startup Luyten to bring their 3D concrete printing technologies to the Philippines. This latest partnership with Project Fort expands on the company’s investments in technology as a driving force for wellness. “Project Fort and Moraya will be co-developing a community health dashboard for townships, a major step forward towards our ultimate goal of building data-driven, tech-enabled public health systems for cities,” said Modina. “We will be developing and operating a new version of Project Fort, catering to the wellness tourism townships being developed in Batangas and Palawan.” Within Moraya’s townships, Project Fort’s health dashboard will allow wellness teams to monitor the overall health of their communities, while also enabling residents and visitors to access community health services like fitness, mindfulness, and nutrition classes. As with all SFIO’s strategic partnerships, collaborative innovation plays a big role in Project Fort and Moraya’s shared roadmap. In building communities of the future, Project Fort is now in talks with NeuroSky, a health wearable developer based in Silicon Valley and fellow SFIO ecosystem player. The two tech companies are currently exploring plans to build proprietary wearables under the Project Fort brand to augment its data gathering efforts. “Each of the platforms we build and partner with must first and foremost be integral to our businesses,” said Richard Prodigalidad, SFIO’s chief technology officer. “But we have longer term plans for these platforms as well – investing in subscription-based software services for other businesses, thereby turning our technology services into highly-lucrative revenue generators as well. As we plan to scale SFIO exponentially, we see technology products like Project Fort as precisely the vehicle to get us there.” Through SFIO’s global network, Project Fort expects to build pathways to new markets, such as New Zealand and the United States, where demand for these types of community care platforms is expected to bring in exponential growth. By utilizing its data analytics and public health expertise, Project Fort can help communities achieve greater savings and better health outcomes, all towards building healthier workplaces, townships, and cities for generations to come. (Advertising Supplement)

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