061722 - New York & New Jersey Edition

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JUNE 17-23, 2022 Volume 15 - No.32 • 16 Pages

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DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Pinoy family mocked, attacked in California A FILIPINO family was a victim of another hate crime when they were mocked and physically attacked at a fastfood restaurant in North Hollywood, California. An ABS-CBN report said the incident happened on May 13 that began at the fastfood drive-thru around 10 p.m. when a jeep bumped the family car of Patricia Roque. “As we were about to get to the drivethru, someone bumped the back of our car and we immediately went ahead and called 911 and our dad to help us,” Roque said. “What started out as a minor traffic

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

Biden signs off on first steps toward national AAPI museum by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

UNITED States President Joe Biden on Monday, June 13 signed a bill that will kickstart the creation of a national museum dedicated to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)

history and culture. HR 3525, also called the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act, will establish a select group of AAPI leaders who will issue recommendations for a “plan of action for the museum.”

In other words, this commission will be responsible for what is included in the museum as well as possible locations, likely within the Washington D.C. area. At the signing in the East Room of the White House, Biden spoke on the generations of

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Duterte to Sara on drug war: ‘Take over’ by KRISTINA

MARALIT ManilaTimes.net

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The “biggest challenge” that the incoming administration will face is “reducing poverty through the attainment of inclusive growth,” according to House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez. Philstar photo by Boy Santos

PHILIPPINE FLAG-RAISING IN JERSEY CITY. The City of Jersey City, Office of the Municipal Council and Office of the Cultural Affairs recognized the Philippine Consulate General of New York, Philippine American Friendship Community (PAFCOM, Inc.) and members of the Filipino community on the 124th Anniversary of Philippine Independence during a Flag Raising Ceremony on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Among those who attended were Consul General Elmer G. Cato, Councilman Richard Boggiano, Ward C, Vice Consul Tanya Ramiro Dr. Contacia S. Uy, Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey, Ward B, Council President Joyce E. Watterman, Pamela Andes Aide to Councilman Boggiano, Rosalinda Rupel, Jeana F. Abuan, Tax and Abatement, Lea S. Frain, and Roxanne Cajigas, among others. Photo by City Hall Communications Department/Jersey City

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, stressing the importance of shielding the youth from the harmful effects of illegal drugs, wants his daughter and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio to continue his advocacy. “Take over,” the outgoing leader said at an event in Valenzuela City last Sunday, June 12. “Ikaw na... Kunin mo ‘yang trabaho (You do it. Get the job),” he said. Duterte pointed out that the Department of Education (DepEd), which Duterte-Carpio will soon lead, will play a vital role in ensuring school-aged children will not be influenced to be drug users. “’Yang Department of Education, maraming bata diyan (there are a lot ot children involved).

Romualdez: Bright Gov’t urged to open up the PH future awaits Pinoys to more foreign investments California officials call for more funding for Asian-language teachers under Marcos, Sara

MANILA — Filipinos can look forward to a “better life” under the leadership of president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice-president elect Sara Duterte, House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez said on Wednesday, June 15. The “biggest challenge” that the incoming administration will face is “reducing poverty through the attainment of inclusive growth,” according to Romualdez.

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by RAMON

ROYANDOYAN Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippines should open further to foreigners if it wants to corner more job-generating investments, Asia-based Hinrich Foundation said on Tuesday, June 14. There’s a “window of opportunity that might be the right moment to open the

country,” Riccardo Crescenzi, professor of economic geography at the London School of Economics, said in an online forum organized by Hinrich. Crescenzi did not explain when this opportunity would come, nor what’s with this window that would allow the economy to open up more to foreign investors. For years,

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by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

DESPITE the growing Asian community in California and nationwide, the Golden State does not have enough accredited Asianlanguage teachers and instructors, statewide officials say. For the 2020-2021 school year, almost 1,200 accreditations for

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bilingual instructors were confirmed by the California Dept. of Education (CDOE), but only 93 of those accreditations were for Asianlanguage instructors. California lawmakers and community leaders are calling for a one-time $5 million funding package to address what they described as a shortage in accredited Asian-

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Gov’t urged to open up... Bongbong Marcos can enter US due to diplomatic immunity – envoy PAGE 1 the Philippines has lagged behind its regional peers in attracting FDI, no thanks to its decrepit infrastructure. After reaching a recordhigh $10.1 billion net inflows in 2017, data showed FDI to the Philippines started declining from that peak, with the pandemic worsening the downtrend. As virus curbs ease around the globe, FDI net inflows hit an all-time high of $10.5 billion last year. Meanwhile, the outgoing Duterte administration managed to make a last-minute push to enact laws that relax restrictions on foreign investments. Crescenzi and Oliver Harman, cities economist for the International Growth Centre at the University of Oxford, wrote a research commissioned by the Hinrich Foundation that looked into different ways FDIs and global value chains could be leveraged by countries. For Harman, the Philippines has experienced “outward and inward” FDI, wherein a country would invest overseas and bring home lessons it picked up from that investment

by

Mall-goers enjoy the nightlife as they dine at restaurants in Quezon City on Friday, June 10. Philstar.com photo by Miguel de Guzman

experience. The research noted that the Philippines, alongside Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, depend on its regional peers for “inward” investments. At the same time, this same cluster of countries also directed their investments to countries in East and Southeast Asia — a type of “outward” FDI that, the researchers said, could bring in new knowledge that facilitates economic development. “There are pressure to sort of engage in economic resiliency policies by looking inward. In the long run, it’s important for economies to remain open,” Harman said. Harman believes

opening the Philippines further to the rest of the world could prove easier in the coming years, citing the local call center industry which has thrived in regions outside the capital. He said cities like Baguio and Bacolod managed to win investments from BPO firms when they understood the needs of the industry and identified the regional assets with whom the two cities should couple. “Attracting FDI requires a consideration for actions at lower geographical scales. It also reminds policymakers that, while regional assets can take a long time to change, local institutions can match existing links to global networks in the short term,” the researchers said. g

Christia Marie raMos Inquirer.net

PRESIDENT-ELECT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would be “welcome” to the United States given his diplomatic immunity as a head of state, a top Washington diplomat pointed out on Thursday, June 9. “The fact is, when you’re a head of state, you have immunity in all circumstances and are welcome to the United States in your official role,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters in a roundtable discussion in Pasay City when asked on the matter. Before this, she capped off a day of meetings with Philippine officials, including Marcos Jr. and outgoing Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. “When someone is the head of state, they have [diplomatic] immunity and would be welcome to the United States,” Sherman added. In 2012, a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit handed down a contempt judgment against Marcos Jr., his mother Imelda, and the estate of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. for violating an injunction that barred them from dissipating assets of the estate. The contempt order came after the Marcoses entered into a settlement with the Ramos administration in 1992 and agreed to share their wealth with the government. It was considered a violation of the 1991 decision of the U.S. District Court of Hawaii prohibiting the Marcos family from touching their US assets because these were the source of potential payment of damages to the human rights victims of martial law. Thousands of martial law victims won a class action lawsuit for human rights violations against the estate of Marcos Sr. in Hawaii in 1986, where they were awarded close to $2 billion. The contempt award also meant that the Marcoses would not be allowed to set foot on any US territory. This issue was earlier raised during the first press conference of Marcos Jr.’s then campaign spokesperson Victor Rodriguez. A reporter had asked how the then presumptive President, as the country’s top diplomat, could travel to the United States

‘COMMITTED’ US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman meets President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, June 9. The stop in Manila was part of her 10-day Asian tour. Photo from Twitter by Wendy Sherman

given the contempt order, but Rodriguez ignored this and subsequent questions about the issue. Sherman stressed the “robust” relations between Manila and Washington, which spans 75 years. She met with Marcos Jr. earlier in the day and had a “positive” and “productive” meeting where they discussed a wide range of topics, including ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and human rights. So far, Sherman is the highest U.S. official that Marcos Jr. has met since his proclamation as the country’s next president. “The friendship between the United States and the Philippines runs deep. And so, too, does our shared commitment to upholding and strengthening the rulesbased international order,” Sherman told reporters. “The Philippines has been a leader and a champion for upholding freedom of navigation in the South China Sea in the face of increasing encroachments,” she said. “The United States remains committed to standing with the government of the Philippines to uphold the rules and laws underpinning the international maritime order, and we have spoken up against infringements of the Philippines’ sovereign rights,” she added. Sherman said she was pleased to meet Marcos as part of her 10-day Asian swing that includes South Korea, Vietnam and Laos. VFA extension “We discussed strengthening our longstanding alliance, expanding people-to-people ties, deepening our economic relationship, advancing

human rights, and preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Sherman said in a Twitter post. In a statement, Rodriguez, the incoming executive secretary, said Marcos and Sherman also “discussed the importance of partnering together in order to strengthen the economy (of) the two countries” in such areas as “public-private partnerships, clean energy and the digital economy.” Invitation Last May, Marcos said he was looking at extending the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States as he raised the issue during his meeting with US Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava at his campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong City.Marcos also invited US President Biden to his inauguration on June 30, which he said “could further fortify the relationship of the two countries.” The Department of State earlier said Sherman’s visit to Asia reflected Washington’s “continued commitment to the Indo-Pacific.” “The deputy secretary and the President-elect highlighted the importance of the US-Philippine alliance to security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and the world and the importance of fostering respect for human rights and rule of law in the Philippines,” US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. Also present at the meeting between Marcos and Sherman were Rodriguez, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez and Foreign Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro. —With reports from Nestor Corrales and Tina G. Santos. g

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Romualdez: Bright...

PAGE 1 “Everyone should benefit from the gains of economic growth,” he said. He added that this is what he aims for “in Tacloban and even in the whole of Eastern Visayas in the next three years under my next term as your representative in the 19th Congress.” Romualdez emphasized that achieving such a goal may be a “tall order,” given that inflation is rising, the budget deficit is widening and the global economic outlook is bleak. “But the election of dynamic and compassionate leaders at the highest levels of government gives us all hope of a brighter future,” he said. The lawmaker made the statements during his inaugural address after taking his oath of office Wednesday, June 15 in Tacloban City with Duterte as witness. Romualdez took his oath before Barangay 109-A chairman Rodolfo Padillo at the Remedios T. Romualdez Medical Foundation Gymnasium along Calanipawan Road. Other officials who took their oaths before Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Bautista Corpin Jr. were Tingog representativeselect Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez. Sara thanks Martin Duterte thanked

Romualdez for taking her in to Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), which she described as among the oldest and most respected political parties in the country. Speaking as a guestwitness at Romualdez’s oath-taking in Tacloban City, Duterte also had words of appreciation for for his role as one of her two campaign managers during the May 9 elections. “I’d like to personally publicly thank Cong. Martin Romualdez for taking me in, in Lakas-CMD and accepting the challenge to be my campaign manager, one of my two campaign managers during the last elections. It was not without ... challenges, but you did very well… 32.2 million votes,” Duterte said. Romualdez “did it all” for her, covering even for her meals during the grueling campaign period, according to the vice president-elect. “So I am truly thankful for all that happened because (it was) a learning experience for me, and I (appreciate) all that you have taught me, all of you, my fellow countrymen, and I commit to be beside you in the service of our country,” Duterte said in English and Filipino. Her other campaign manager is Davao Occidental Gov. Claude Bautista. – Janvic Mateo, Paolo Romero, Evelyn Macairan, Pia Lee-Brago (By Shiela Crisostomo/Philstar. com)

Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte with daughter Vice President-elect Sara DuterteCarpio Malacañang photo

Duterte to Sara on...

PAGE 1 Do not ever allow contamination diyan sa kanila (among them),” he urged. The President likewise encouraged his daughter to not hesitate in ruling with an iron fist and just “do it” if it would mean having a drug-free school system. g

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From the Front Page

Biden signs off on first steps toward national AAPI... PAGE 1 AAPIs who “have literally shaped the history and the contours of this country.” “It’s about time for a national museum to capture the courage, the character, the imagination and – maybe from my perspective, looking at it from a little bit from a distance – the dreams and the heart and the soul of the generations of our fellow Americans that came before you,” Biden added. The commission will also study the costs of such a museum and whether or not it should be an off-shoot to the Smithsonian Institute. Biden was also joined by Vice President

Kamala Harris, who as a South Asian American is the first Asian American vice president. “Growing up, my mother made sure that my sister Maya and I learned of the important, glorious history of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in America,” Harris said. “Because that, of course, is part of the history of America. She continued, “To teach this history is to help all of us as Americans understand where we come from, and to teach this history is to help us understand who we are,” Harris added. In addition to celebrating the American

United States President Joe Biden on Monday, June 13 signed Rep. Grace Meng’s bill to establish a commission to study the creation of a Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture into law. Photo courtesy of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

triumphs for which Asian Americans are responsible, the museum is expected to provide a sobering look into the history of anti-Asian discrimination in the U.S. “This is also a story about some of our country’s darkest moments,” Harris said on Monday, June 13, before the signing. “The Chinese Exclusion Act, the internment of Japanese Americans, the murder of Vincent Chin, discrimination against South Asian Americans after 9/11, and today’s epidemic of [anti-Asian] hate.” As previously reported in the Asian Journal, AAPI advocacy groups all agree that education and more exposure to the nuances of Asian cultures is a necessary step to curbing anti-Asian hate. Biden and Harris have been vocal about their commitment to addressing the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes since their election. Among his first acts as president, Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, a broad piece of legislation that promised to strengthen law enforcement to better address hate crimes. The legislation comes as Washington is also in the process of planning two other cultural museums: the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum. In 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened, which kickstarted talks to establish other museums dedicated to other minority identities. g

California officials call for more... PAGE 1 language teachers. Advocates for the Asian American community say that this shortage of dualimmersion language instructors puts immigrant children — who could learn English simultaneously with their native language — at a disadvantage. “We must address the shortage of accredited Asian-language teachers,” said Connie Chung Joe, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles said in a press conference on Monday, June 6. “Access to dualimmersion language programs [isn’t] keeping up with demand. It’s unacceptable when Vietnamese and Mandarin were the second and third most spoken languages in K-12 public schools. Yet only 4 teachers were accredited to teach Vietnamese and 58 to teach Mandarin.” Other than Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese are the most commonly spoken non-English languages across the state. And with the growing Asian population in California and nationwide, the pool of immigrant students enrolling in California public schools is also increasing, which signals a demand for a multilingual teaching force. California State Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), who chairs the state’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, is introducing the program to the Legislature. During the

press conference, Pan acknowledged the API Equity Budget, the comprehensive $166.5 million spending package passed last year that funds stronger tracking and prevention of anti-Asian hate crimes. However, anti-Asian bias and harassment should go beyond that. Recalling his own experience as an elementary school student who could only speak Mandarin, Pan said that, like so many ESL students, he would have developed more confidence and progress with a bilingual teacher. He added that the linguistic barrier that puts immigrant children at a great disadvantage also negatively affects their mental health. “We need to be sure that every child, no matter what language they speak at home, and how they got here, has the opportunity to get an outstanding education — and that not only benefits that child; it benefits the whole state,” Pan said. In addition to helping immigrant children thrive in the classroom, the program could also help native English speakers learn a second language and, more importantly, help them understand other cultures — which, given the rise in anti-Asian attacks in recent years, could be critical, advocates say. Victoria Dominguez, policy director at Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, said that there is a psychological component to introducing multilingual studies at a young age, saying that “when we are

exposed to other communities, other cultures, and other languages, literally, our brain rewires in a different way that allows us to be more empathetic. The spending package, if passed, would be invested into the California State Universities’ Asian Bilingual Education Program Consortium, a group representing 10 campuses in the CSU system, to increase the number of bilingual teachers in six East and Southeast Asian languages: Cantonese, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. (Tagalog and other Filipino dialects, as well as Central and South Asian languages were not mentioned during the briefing.) Fernando Rodríguez-Valls, a professor of secondary education who works at the consortium at Cal State Fullerton, noted that classes being offered to bilingual teachers to better support their diverse classrooms do not come with financial aid as of yet. The fee for the two classes required are around $2,500 on average, classes that are designed specifically to prepare teachers on how to help students understand class materials in another language. “It’s not just learning the languages; it’s learning mathematics in Khmer. It’s learning science in Korean, learning history in Vietnamese. And in order to accomplish that, we need teachers who are qualified,” Rodríguez-Valls said. g

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 17-23, 2022

OPINION

FEATURES

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No gas, no transport

THOSE who have been stuck in traffic regularly since COVID restrictions were eased will not believe it. But take it from the Metropolitan Development Authority: there have been fewer vehicles recorded at least on EDSA in recent weeks. And a likely reason, according to the MMDA, is the continuing surge in fuel prices. To save on fuel costs, motorists are reducing vehicle use, whether private cars or public utility vehicles. PUV drivers and operators have lamented that even the higher minimum fare is not enough to offset the everincreasing prices of fuel. Free rides offered by the government, while naturally welcomed by commuters, have also cut into PUV earnings. Operators have grounded their jeepneys or reduced their trips, while some PUV drivers have said they will just return to their home provinces to try their luck at farming, because in Metro Manila, their earnings are no longer enough to feed the family. The grounding of jeepneys and reduction of bus deployment are happening at the same time that private car owners are being forced to leave their vehicles at home and take mass transportation to save on fuel costs. The result can be seen in those long, slow-moving lines

of people waiting for rides at bus stops, transport hubs and light railway stations. The lack of mass transport facilities will inevitably impact efforts to revive businesses. Commuters account for the majority of the workforce, and mass transport services were already inadequate even before the pandemic. The inadequacy of mass transport facilities is the biggest reason why people who can afford it prefer to use private vehicles. Even the full resumption of face-toface classes, meant to promote economic recovery, may have to be reviewed as the fuel price surge leads to a reduction in mass transport services. PUV operators have said even cash assistance doled out by the government is not enough, and doesn’t cover all mass transport drivers. What they want is for the government to deal with the high fuel prices. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS THIS year’s celebration of Independence Day felt like there was a dark cloud hovering above the 7,100 beautiful islands of our beloved Philippines. Where there should be pride and joy and a jubilant spirit in celebrating the

The irony of Independence Day: When Filipinos embrace and hail their oppressors as their heroes day when we won our freedom from foreign intrusion and occupation of our Motherland, gloom and helplessness were the overriding emotions for many Filipinos, exacerbated by the meanness and hatred of other kababayans who live in a parallel universe.

”Alab ng puso, sa dibdib mo’y buhay” goes a line in the Philippine’s national anthem “Lupang Hinirang,” but I do not feel that burning, pulsating enthusiasm that I felt from our kababayans just before the May 9, 2022 election — the fire of hope for a better brighter Philippines

seemed to have lost its flame to become a dying ember. “Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil” is another popular line in “Lupang Hinirang,” which means the Filipino people will never allow ourselves and our nation to be oppressed again by its conquerors.

Our victorious bloodless revolution to fight for freedom from the Marcos dictatorship in 1986 had earned the admiration and respect of people from all over the world. Imperfect as our journey back to a true democracy — government of the people, by the people, for the

people — might have been, we have gone a long way, only to transgress to where we were during Martial Law, sinking to a new low when Rodrigo Duterte was elected President, and even to a seemingly bottomless pit when Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., PAGE 8

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Manilla? Philippine capital Pangilinan has no problem supporting is most mispronounced city Marcos gov’t ‘if programs are good’ in the country, study says by Neil

by Kristofer

PurNell

Philstar.com

MANILA — A study by Wordtips found that the Philippine capital of Manila is the most mispronounced city in the Philippines, often pronounced as if it were spelt “Manilla.” Thankfully, it did make the Top 10 list, which saw the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro hit the number one spot with a listen count of seven million on the language website Forvo, the largest pronounciation dictionary in the world. Rio was followed by the Japanese capital of Tokyo with a 4.1 million listen count, while Chicago, USA and the Irish capital of Dublin tied

with a 1.3 million listen count. Wordtips says cities have some of the hardest names to master, most likely because the correct pronunciation is sometimes translated or simplified — for example, London (the fifth most mispronounced city) is Londres in French. Another reason is that some city names are just difficult to decipher. The Scottish capital of Edinburgh (the sixth most mispronounced city) has the same last four letters as Pittsburgh in the United States, but the two are pronounced very differently. Celebrities are also not immune to their names being mispronounced, most prominent among them Irish actress Saoirse Ronan with

a listening count of 95,000. Also with high numbers are “Joker” actor Joaquin Phoenix and “Obi-Wan Kenobi” actor Ewan McGregor. Even singers such as Ed Sheeran, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and Billie Eilish find their names mispronounced a lot, as do athletes like NBA stars Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyrie Irving; and footballers Sergio Aguero, Kylian Mbappe, and Wojciech Szczesny. Surprisingly, among brands, it is the search engine Google that is most mispronounced with a listening count of 1.3 million in a list that was dominated by German car brands like Porsche, BMW, MercedesBenz and Audi. g

ArwiN MercAdo Inquirer.net

MANILA — Outgoing Senator Francis Pangilinan said Tuesday, June 14, he is ready to support the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. “if the programs are good.” However, if the programs are insufficient, Pangilinan urged the public to call for better programs from the government. “If the programs are good, of course we should be able to support. But if the programs, to our minds, are insufficient, then let us push for better programs and say we should be able to do or approach it differently,” Pangilinan said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel when asked if he would support the incoming administration. “That has always been our position ever since — under the administration of President [Gloria] Arroyo, under the administration of Noynoy [Aquino], and [Rodrigo] Duterte. If we think it should be supported, we would,” he added. According to Pangilinan, who lost to Marcos’ running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-

Carpio in the vice presidential race, he has been supporting good programs regardless of who was the president. “That has always been our position ever since — under the administration of President Arroyo, under the administration of Noynoy, and Duterte. If we think it should be supported, we would,” Pangilinan said. “We’ve endorsed, passed, voted in favor of several — many — of these measures that were being pushed by the administration because we felt it was good for the country,” he added, stressing that there has been disinformation that the opposition has not done anything except criticize the administration. Asked if he is willing to work with the administration if he is specifically asked, Pangilinan said: “We are willing to help in whatever way if it is good for the country.” Eyes wide open When asked if he was surprised by the numbers and the turnout of the elections, Pangilinan said their camp “pretty much had a sense of what was happening on the ground,” while admitting that they did not have enough time. PAGE 7

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Long Beach social justice art exhibit highlights youth stories by donnabelle

Gatdula-aRevalo AJPress

LONG BEACH, Calif. — To amplify the power of youth’s voices, Intertrend Communications Inc., an award-winning multicultural communications agency, recently launched the first-of-its-kind art exhibition, showcasing entries from a writing contest, dubbed “Letters To… An Extraordinary Correspondence,” conducted by its branding unit Make Noise Today (MNT). Launched in December last year, the “Letters to…” contest has allowed over 900 high school students from around the country to sound off otherwise difficult to utter feelings and thoughts into words. Julia Huang, founder and CEO of

Intertrend, told the Asian Journal during the unveiling of the art installation at the Billie Jean King Main Library in Long Beach, California, that this unique experience is generally aimed at combating racism by empowering the youth. “MNT was an initiative generated by our employees during the height of Asian American violence and discrimination but we opted to focus more on telling stories, encouraging Asian Americans to tell their stories, and amplifying our voices. [For] this particular exhibition called ‘Letter To…’ we focused on high school students. So we asked high school students around the country to submit letters addressed to anyone, letters to yourself, letters to your future self, letters from the past, or teachers or

The “Letters to…” exhibit runs until August 31 at the Billie Jean King Main Library in Long Beach, CA. Photo courtesy of Make Some Noise

people who believe you or discriminated against you or any kind of letters talking about identity and racial equality and it was really expanded to more than Asian Americans,” Huang said. MNT is a platform that creates empathy and equity through Asian storytelling. It accomplishes this through collections of content and stories on the lives of Asian Americans-Recipe for Change. For over 20 years, Long Beachbased Intertrend has been successfully helping its clients nurture and establish brand leadership positions in this emerging market through an integrated mix of advertising, public relations, promotions, events, and interactive strategies via various culturally relevant marketing programs. With the recent school shooting in Texas, the Intertrend chief believes that mental health is extremely important and the “Letters to…” exhibit provided a venue for teens to put their feelings into words and present them to the world. According to Huang, Intertrend allocated some $10,000 cash prizes for the 10 winners. The first prize got $5,000 and the rest was equally divided amongst the nine runners-up. Around 60 letters, including the Top 10 winners, are being highlighted in the exhibit, which will run from June 9 to August 31 and will be free for the public. For his part, Intertrend executive director and MNT project manager Michael Vitug said this social justice initiative, which basically provides the youth with not only an alternative but a relevant platform to voice out their experiences, might be carried out in other parts of the country. “We are looking at this one as a PAGE 10

Pinoy family mocked, attacked in... PAGE 1 collision escalated into something more dangerous, and something we never would have expected,” she said. She said her family was verbally attacked and threatened by the other driver after telling them they were “so Asian.” “He said ‘I’ll kill you,’” she said. Nerissa, Patricia’s mother, narrated that her husband Gabriel arrived in the area, but the driver of the other car rushed to him and punched him as he

fell to the ground. “The attacker then tried to open our car to get my daughter. My husband stopped him and the man punched him. My husband fell on the ground, and as I was helping him to get up, the suspect strangled me,” Nerissa said in Filipino. Bystanders tried to intervene and police arrived in the area. She was able to avoid the attacker who tried to hit her. “But he hit my chest. So the pain until

now is with me. I remember the pain until now. The attack left my husband with a broken rib,” she said. “I was traumatized. It hurts. It’s different when your very family is the one being attacked. That’s what we see on TV. I thought it would not happen, but it happened to my family. It’s traumatizing. Up to now, it’s painful,” Nerissa said. Police would not identify the attacker yet pending investigation, the family said. (By Pia Lee-Brago/Philstar.com)\

Pangilinan has no problem supporting Marcos... PAGE 6 “The decision to run, medyo kulang ang oras. In fact, nung nag-desisyon kaming tumakbo, alam namin na hindi madali dahil nga ang plano naman talaga natin noon ay re-election lang but the challenge — we faced that challenge,” Pangilinan said.

(The decision to run, we did not have enough time. In fact, when we decided to run, we knew that it wouldn’t be easy because my plan then was to seek re-election but we faced that challenge.) “We were asked to help and therefore we set aside our own plans and decided,

hindi madali ito, mahirap ito, kulang ang oras, pero sige ilaban natin. I entered into the arena with my eyes wide open,” he added. (We were asked to help and therefore we set aside our own plans and decided, this wouldn’t be easy, we don’t have enough time, but let’s

fight. I entered the arena with my eyes wide open.) Pangilinan placed second in the vice presidential elections, behind DuterteCarpio. Duterte-Carpio received over 32 million votes compared to Pangilinan’s 9.3 million votes. g

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 17-23, 2022

7

BEACH VISITORS. Visitors want to know what it’s like to be on a “white sand” beach as they visit a portion of Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard on Tuesday, June 14. The controversial dolomite beach was officially reopened to the public on Sunday evening, June 12 following rehabilitation to improve the water quality in the area. PNA photo by Rico H. Borja

COVID-19 cases up by 53% in NCR by Red

Mendoza ManilaTimes.net

CORONAVIRUS disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases had been increasing by as much as 53 percent in the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila) over the past week, but independent tracker OCTA Research said there is no need to reimpose stronger restrictions like lockdowns. According to OCTA Research senior fellow Dr. Guido David, the seven-day average cases also jumped from 86 cases per day to 131. The reproduction number in the region has increased, too, to 1.5, while the positivity rate rose to 2.7 percent. David said if the current case trends continued, the NCR may experience around 200 to 300 cases in the coming days and 400500 cases by the end of the month, and below a thousand cases across the country. Despite the increasing numbers, hospital and intensive care unit utilization rates in the NCR remained stable at 23 and 18 percent, respectively. Dr. Jose Rene de Grano of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines echoed David’s sentiments in a separate interview, saying while they are experiencing slight increases, non-COVID cases still dominate their facilities. “Bumabalik na kasi ang mga pasyente sa mga ospital at nagkokonsulta na (The patients are now returning to the hospitals, and they are now consulting),” de Grano said, noting that most of COVID-19 cases in their hospitals are mostly unvaccinated or partly vaccinated. David said there is a possibility that the Department of Health may escalate NCR to Alert Level 2 if cases and hospitalizations

continue to rise and the risk level in the region worsens from low risk to moderate risk based on their own metrics. “At the minimum, the government needs to decrease the capacities in public transport and indoor establishments so that it would allow more space and prevent crowding in establishments,” he added. David urged private companies to delay their return to work and implement flexible working arrangements, which would also help workers deal with increased oil prices and fares. In a separate forum organized by the Integrated Studies and Development Institute, OCTA founder Ranjit Rye said while it is yet premature to remove the current state of a public health emergency, he believes that this possible surge will not lead to a crippling lockdown that could affect the economy. “We have seen that this [COVID-19] variant, if it becomes dominant, will provide us more leeway to make decisions veering away from lockdowns. I don’t think we would have that kind of lockdowns like we had last year,” Rye added. He urged the incoming administration of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to strengthen the public health system, improve the collection of taxes, and keep corruption at bay to allow the country to “restart” the economy that has been battered by the pandemic. “You really have to start confronting the real problem, which is weak institutions, and that would require not just geniuses in the government, [but] it requires confronting the problem head-on and that would require a whole-ofnation approach, whether it is on COVID or on finance,” Rye said. g

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JUNE 17-23, 2022 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

The irony of Independence...

PAGE 5 the son of the dictator we deposed 36 years ago, was elected to the Presidency. Our national hero Jose Rizal once said, “Kailanman hindi ako natatakot sa mag mananakop, mas natatakot ako sa kamangmangan ng aking mga kababayan (I have never been scared of the conquerors, as I am afraid of the ignorance of my fellow Filipinos)”. Indeed, we Filipinos have become our worst enemy toward our collective quest toward realizing and owning the clean and honest government we all have been yearning and praying for. We may have been freed from foreign oppressors, but many of us have not realized that the chains of oppression from within us, from among us, has been the most difficult to break free from. We have allowed our minds to be manipulated and conquered by the conquistadores of our generation, and they were not tyrants from foreign soil. They are Filipinos. They used the toxic arsenal of lies, disinformation, fake news, revision of history, spread by social media platforms more deadly than COVID-19. And many of us took them all in, without question, without critical thinking. The conquistadores used our

frustrations to fan the flames of hate and division, and many of us allowed our minds to be conquered by the very people who have been abusing them, violating the Constitution to rule as if they are above the law. What is there to celebrate on Independence Day after we drank their poison wine, that made many of us believe they were the heroes, and those who fought for our freedom are the enemies of the people. And we hailed and exalted the very people that oppressed us, the very people that abused us. We betrayed ourselves. When will we ever be truly free? Do we even deserve to be free? *** 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

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Balancing act with China to continue THE incoming administration of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos seems set in maintaining the present balancing act in its relations with China — treating it as a partner but not ruling out diplomatic protests when warranted. Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) echoed the statements made earlier by incoming National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos, who said the Philippines will continue a critical and constructive engagement with China. On Friday, June 10, Marcos referred to China as this country’s “strongest partner” in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and overcoming the economic crisis it triggered. “The relationship between the Philippines and China is a very important relationship that we should continue to evolve as the years go by and as the changes that we have seen around the world are affecting our own status within the region,” Marcos said during the ceremonies for the Award for Promoting PhilippinesChina Understanding. On the same day, however, Carlos said, “We will continue

to file diplomatic protests, never mind that we are filing 10,000 of them.” Meñez told The Manila Times on Sunday, June 12 that “filing DPs [diplomatic protests] when warranted is the current policy — so it appears that will not change when the new administration takes over.” Pressed on whether it is always necessary that any planned filing of protests should come first from the National Security Agency (NSA), vetted or approved by the NSA chief, Meñez said, “It depends on the cause cited.” “If it has something to do with activities in the WPS [West Philippine Sea], it has to be verified by other agencies, then discussed in NTFWPS (National Task Force on the WPS) before action is taken by DFA,” he said. “If other causes can be quickly verified by DFA alone, then we can act with more speed,” Meñez added. According to a recent commentary published by the Independent News Service (INS), the last elections created an opportunity for China to strengthen its position in Southeast Asia. “The Xi Jinping regime in Beijing will continue to take advantage of the region’s economic needs to

force regional states to see China as their only viable economic and security partner,” the INS said. “If the Philippines new president is not wary of Beijing’s efforts to subvert Philippine interests in favor of its own economic and security preferences, Philippine economic self-determination will become subordinate to China’s,” it warned. At least for now, the Philippines seems to be standing its ground. The DFA recently protested the return of over 100 Chinese vessels “illegally operating” in the waters in and around the Julian Felipe Reef on April 4, barely a year after the same swarming incident was protested by the Philippine government. Julian Felipe Reef is a low-tide elevation within the territorial sea of relevant high-tide features in the Kalayaan Island Group, including Chigua Reef, over which the Philippines “has sovereignty,” the DFA said. “The lingering unauthorized presence of Chinese fishing and maritime vessels is not only illegal, but is also a source of instability in the region,” the DFA said in a statement on June 9. It explained that the “persistent swarming” of Chinese vessels PAGE 10

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 17-23, 2022

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Another strip of land along Las Vegas Blvd sells for millions By RealtoR FelY QuItevIS-bateMan

BIG land deals seem to be in vogue this season in Nevada. According to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a strip of land on the southern part of the Strip has been acquired by a mystery buyer recently. The plot of land is a 2.2-acre property along Las Vegas Boulevard and Russell Road, and was reportedly bought at a price of $12.8 million.

Soon-to-be neighbors of Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman at Turnberry Place, Tower 1 are Dr. Phil Paleracio and Mr. Bing Longakit. Escrow is scheduled to close soon assuming that everything is in place. Photo above shows (from left) Realtor Quitevis-Bateman, Dr. Paleracio and Mr. Longakit.

Lily Funds founder Tom McManus is the seller, per the news reports. The land is between the Diamond Inn motel and the Little Church of the West wedding chapel, and is said to have been bought by a limited liability company called Object Dash, which is managed by Object Dash Trust according to state records. Over the past year, there have been several big land purchases in communities in Nevada that has created excitement and continued

This Google Maps photo shows the property bought by a mystery owner in Las Vegas along South Las Vegas Blvd., between the Diamond Inn Hotel and the Little Church of the West.

the great momentum for both buyers and sellers in the state. With the return conventions and tourists to cities like Las Vegas, dubbed as the gambling and entertainment capital of the world, many are eyeing continued development in the state and looking at audience-generating projects for communities. Aside from the recent big land purchase, there have been other big transactions which are expected to bring a wealth of projects to different communities in Nevada. Formula One’s parent company, for one, completed a $240 million purchase of nearly 40 acres just east of the Strip. Formula One is gearing up for its high-speed race in 2023 which will have drivers navigate a course that provides many of the iconic landmarks in Las Vegas as backdrop and brings Formula One racing as close as ever to fans and observers. The 14-turn, 3.8 mile-race course will see drivers navigating the course at speeds of up to 212 miles per hour. The Siegel Group, on the other hand, purchased about 10 acres near the north part of the Strip for $75 million in April, just across from Resorts World Las Vegas. While the PAGE 10

A breakfast meeting with Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman’s Pahrump investors, notably Alka Products CEO Andrew Hoang, who is close to getting approval from Nye County to build a glove factory in Pahrump. Photo above shows (from left) Jenny Truong, Kelly Tiam, Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman, Harold Tiam and Andrew Hoang.

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman’s new investors, Clark and Angelica Games of Palm Springs, CA who are both nurses, are looking at business opportunities in Pahrump. Photo above shows (from left) Clark Games, Angelica Games, Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman and Russ Bateman.

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JUNE 17-23, 2022 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

Long Beach social justice... Another strip of land along... PAGE 7 travelling exhibition so after this one, hopefully we can have this in other Southern Californian parts of the country. We are also thinking of other forms of platforms. Our objective is still to provide the platform for the youth so it could be in the form of art. It could be another writing contest, but we are looking to do something that could be similar but something to do with art,” Vitug said. Vitug said they are planning to launch a similar initiative early 2023. “We are looking at next year, opening up another contest. “We started this contest in December 2021, so we probably do the same, maybe roll out another similar project in January (2023) and then have the exhibition in summer,” the Intertrend official said. Tanya Raukko, Intertrend chief strategy officer (CSO), echoed Vitug’s optimism that this initiative will continue to expand every year. “I think, we might make this an annual project. Maybe, it’s more art next time. We need to see what the format is. We might create a book by aggregating these letters,” Raukko said, attributing the success of the initiative through a aggressive digital marketing campaign, educational and multi-personal networks among Asian Americans and by setting up a scholarship website. Cathy de Leon, director of Long Beach Public Libraries, on the other hand, is elated to play an active part in this social and racial equality campaign. “My role is to be able to make sure that everybody feels welcome and to let people know the Long Beach Public Libraries are a place where we are going to highlight these stories and these voices and really make space that everyone to feel included and welcome,” de Leon said. When asked how she feels about hosting this kind of event in her jurisdiction, De Leon, a Filipino American, said, “It’s really amazing, it’s such an important conversation to have — as Asian Americans, as Filipinos, and with everything that is going on around the country. It’s really kinda sad when we see our lolas and our lolos being attacked in different places. So to be able to have this space in the library, this gallery’s space to

be able to highlight and give full space to young people that want to tell their stories, we are all for it. The more we could talk about these things, the more, we could encourage young people to be proud of who they are, the better of we gonna be moving forward.” “My message (to fellow Filipinos) is just exactly what the title of the exhibit is, Make Noise Today. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Tell your story, talk about these things that are hard, don’t be ashamed, be proud of who you are. Be proud to be a Filipino,” de Leon added. During the opening of the one-of-a-kind exhibition, some contest winners and a student activist were asked to share their thoughts on how this experience created an impact on their lives. Millie Liao, student and youth activist, said “These letters, essays, poems and other forms of writing contain the invaluable stories of the next generation. They capture the voices of the future leaders of this nation, and they shed light on the experiences we have gone through using those experiences to call for change.” “Through the ‘Letters To…’ campaign, Make Noise Today has uplifted Gen-Z voices, making sure we are heard and allowing us to contribute to the greater nationwide conversation,” Liao said. “Thanks to MNT, more and more youth are realizing the power of their voices, and using that power to change the world we live in. So when MNT launched the Letters To competition, you can imagine how overjoyed and elated I was. I wanted to get involved, and I started working as an intern helping to give feedback from a youth perspective.” The top 10 winners of the contest, which was judged by Morell Jones (History Educator from Geffen Academy at UCLA), Ian Kumamoto (Writer from New York),Eleanor Wikstrom (Poet Laureate, Editor of The Harvard Crimson), are: First Place - Aida G., (Cary, N.C.) – “Mama”; Gold - Scarlett C., (Maplewood, N.J.) – “Nothing To See; Gold - Kenna P., (Shreveport, La.) – “Were You With Them?”; Silver - Amerie G., (San Fernando, Calif.) – “The Hands That Built Us”; Silver - Natasha Q., (Lake Forest, Calif.) – “Your Hair, Your

Crown”; Silver - Arabella V., (Fullerton, Calif.) – “Other” Honorable Mention - Arshia A., (Warren, N.Y.) – “What’s in a Name?”; Honorable Mention - My H., (Aurora, Colo.) – “Con”; Honorable Mention - Xin L., (Queens, N.Y.) – “Xin Lu”; and Honorable Mention - Sage S., (Washington, D.C.) – “How Do You Love Yourself in a World That Hates You, Black Girl?” Natasha Q, a 17-year old student from Lake Forest, talked about her winning piece, “Your Hair, Your Crown,” and narrated how this experience brought significant change in her life. “I remember sitting in my room like two o’clock in the morning brainstorming ideas about what I could talk about. I just [got] memories of what people used to say about my hair and how they felt about and how it would make me feel and growing up, I had very low self-esteem. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood where people are not really looking like me. I am a lot taller than everyone else, darker than everyone else, my hair a lot different. So struggling to look for that connection really did me a disservice as a kid. When I grew up and went to high school, my friends looked like me and they had curly hair just like me and they just inspired to write from the heart and they always made me feel that I did not have to earn my blackness or earn my whiteness, they just accepted me as who I am and they made me love the person that I am today,” she said, in an interview with the Asian Journal. In joining the contest, Natasha said, “It made a huge difference in my life. It kinda help my confidence grow. I was terrified getting up there talking in front of everyone but the organization has helped so much in making me feel comfortable for who I am, my skills and my talents. This kinda helps me accept who I am and love that part of me.” Amerie G., from San Fernando, California, said she wrote about her family’s heritage in her winning story entry. “Since it’s Hispanic Heritage Month and me being Hispanic, I wanted to recognize my parents, they’re everything that I am right now but I also wanted to grow and become my own person and grow in to theirs as Hispanic people,” she said. g

PAGE 9 firm has not made any comments as to what it plans to put up on the piece of real estate dubbed as “the last great piece of land available on the north Strip,” many industry observers are speculating that long-term options for the group may include a casino-hotel, a condominium tower, retail outlets and multifamily apartments. The Oak View Group, meanwhile, acquired 25 acres of land in an area just minutes away from Harry Reid International Airport, and plans to build a major arena, entertainment hub and casino which will cater to people who can afford it. The 20,000-seat arena, reports say, will have the ability to host major music acts and can become a home to a professional sports team. And since the National Basketball Association (NBA) has indicated that Las Vegas is among the cities it is considering expansion to, the arena being built within this entertainment/ sports complex will be NBA-ready, just in case. Aside from these huge land deals, news reports have touted other big transactions in Las Vegas including Hard Rock International’s plans to buy The Mirage’s operations for more than $1 billion along with a goal to build a

Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including loans for small businesses. For more information, call (702) 538-4948 or send email to fely@precious-properties.com or fely.precious@gmail. com.

guitar-shaped hotel tower on the Strip, and casino landlord Vici Properties buyout of MGM Resorts International’s real estate spinoff for $17.2 million. In Pahrump, which is only 62 miles west of Las Vegas, a project that has gained momentum will see 400 acres of open farmland in the northern part of the town become a gaming and entertainment hub that will include a 40,000-square-foot resort casino centered around a 7/8-mile track, with stables for 280 racing horses, and amenities like restaurants, shopping facilities, campgrounds, a water park, batting cages, a movie theater and parking for recreational vehicles. That project will also bring the first pari-mutuel harness racing track to the state. Another big project that is on the horizon for the town is the planned development for what is dubbed as “Mountain Falls South,” which will see Adaven Management and its associated parties build more than 5,000 residential units in a planned community on approximately 1,177 acres of land southwest of the intersection of Manse Road and Hafen Ranch Road. Requirements set forth in the development agreement for this project have been carried out over the years, with the most recent item being the construction of a roundabout on Highway 160 at Manse Road which the company is working on with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). The roundabout is expected to cost about $1.5 million. Millions of dollars are being pumped into projects in the state, and in big cities like Las Vegas and towns like Pahrump. Real estate opportunities abound for those who want to take advantage of land and/or properties available in the market. Some of my buyers both in Las Vegas and Pahrump are enjoying the benefits of having invested in the market – whether it is in terms of the continued rise in real estate prices and valuation of their properties, or by investing in properties which continue to make money for them (Airbnb or other types of rental properties). I bring a few decades worth of experience in real estate that will help you, my kababayans, in your search for real estate – whether it is for a new home, a second/ vacation home, an investment property, or a piece of land where you want to construct your dream home. My company, Precious Properties, is a fullservice company that has served its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-559-2476 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. (Advertising Supplement)

Balancing act with China to...

PAGE 8 violates international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the final and binding 2016 ruling of an arbitral court. “It is also a violation of China’s commitments under the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, in particular, the exercise of self-restraint pursuant to Paragraph 5 thereof,” the DFA said. “The Philippines regrets this Chinese violation of international law days before the successful April 8, 2022 telesummit between President Rodrigo Duterte and

Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to solve issues of mutual concern through peaceful dialogue, and exercise restraint in any and all endeavors relating to the South China Sea,” the DFA said. The Philippines has called on China “to comply with its obligations under international law, cease and desist from displaying illegal and irresponsible behavior, avoid further escalating tensions at sea and immediately withdraw all of its vessels from Philippine maritime zones,” it added. (By Bernadette E. Tamayo/ManilaTimes.net)

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 17-23, 2022

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

11

Fraud and entering the US under an assumed name – just some of the immigration issues that Atty. Gurfinkel answers on part 3 of a series of Q&A on Citizen Pinoy

CITIZEN Pinoy’s “Your Tanong, My Sagot” in Chicago is now on its third installment, and leading U.S. Immigration Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel answers more immigration questions from Kapamilya in the “Windy City” and its neighboring areas. Josephine’s niece was petitioned by a nursing home, but the business closed and the lawyer helping her was disbarred. She wants to know what they can do since the USCIS denied the petition and accused her niece of fraud. Ludi petitioned his son in 2016, and the son is now residing in the U.S. Ludi asks if his son can apply for his green card without having to return to the Philippines.

Albert entered the U.S. under an assumed name and wants to know how he can legalize his status. Peter asks how difficult it is to sponsor his girlfriend in Manila so she can get a tourist visa. Atty. Gurfinkel answers these questions and more in Part 3 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot,” with Kapamilya from Chicago. Watch this brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, June 19 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

YOUR TANONG, MY SAGOT IN CHICAGO, PART 3. Leading U.S. Immigration Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel (center) answers immigration questions from Kapamilya in Chicago, in Part 3 of “Your Tanong, My Sagot.” Some of the questions Atty. Gurfinkel answers are – From Albert (2nd from left): I entered the U.S. under an assumed name. How can I get myself legalized?; From Ludi (2nd from right): I petitioned my son in 2016. He is now residing in the U.S. Can he apply for a green card without having to return to the Philippines? Watch this third installment of “Your Tanong, My Sagot” in Chicago on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, June 19 at 7:00 PM PT (10:00 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)

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JUNE 17-23, 2022 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS CORONAVIRUSES are single-strained RNA viruses with large genomes, of which there were two. In late 2019, in Wuhan, China, a third “novel” (new) coronavirus emerged, identified as SARS-CoV2, which started this COVID-19 pandemic. It started with the Alpha strain, and subsequently mutated to Delta, Omicron-BA.1 (with subvariant Stealth OmicronBA.2). As new mutations evolved, they replaced the older variants and became the dominant strains. With the Omicron Stealth subvariant (BA.2), it is our 6th wave in this pandemic. Starting early this year, on March 29, 2022, BA.5 was discovered in South Africa. The following day BA.4 showed up. Which country they actually originated from is yet unknown. So, here we go again, starting from scratch! So far, we know these two subvariants are more highly transmissible, result in milder symptoms, and respond somewhat to the booster vaccines. This was what we knew earlier about Omicron. Then later, we found out Omicron was a vicious killer too, even worse in some areas than Delta. So, we have to watch these BA.4 and BA.5 closely, with masks on, social distancing, and avoiding crowds again. Do vaccines work against these new viruses? It is believed that those who are fully vaccinated (with 2 booster shots) are protected to some degree (still being studied), with less severe symptoms when infected, compared to those who are not fully vaccinated. The unvaccinated are at the gravest risk. A new universal Omicron vaccine is under development. Do we need booster #3? Since these are two new viruses, like when the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron first emerged, we did not know anything about them. So, we have to observe how these new BA.4 and BA.5 behave clinically. In the meantime, as I said, here we go again…personal hygiene, masking, distancing, and avoiding crowds. And very importantly, those unprotected should get vaccinated. Even those who

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Here we go again! GMA Network’s ‘The World Between Us’ becomes the first Filipino language title on Amazon Freevee

had COVID-19 infection before still need to be vaccinated fully, because NO ONE is immune from the new and future strains of this virus. How accurate are the COVID home test kits? The Ontario Science Table reported the sensitivity of the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) for the Omicron was less than it was for the Delta, 37 percent versus 81 percent sensitivity for Delta. So, out of 100 infected persons tested using RAT kits, only 37 of them will test positive and 63 of them will get a false negative. However, the value of the Rapid Antigen Test is when the result says “positive,” it is practically 100 percent accurate, besides providing a rapid (within minutes) result at home. If negative, and the person is having symptoms, isolation and a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test are needed because PCR is a lot more accurate than the Rapid Antigen Test, but the latter provides rapid results, while the PCR may take 2-3 days before the report is available. The PCR test is not perfect either; it has a 20-percent false-negative yield and a repeat PCR test might be required by the physician, especially if the patient is symptomatic. (Note: Do not clean the nose of mucus before the test. The viruses are in the mucus. Wiping the mucus off, like throwing away evidence, will lead to a false-negative result.) Why is the timing important? If the patient tests positive with the rapid home test, or negative but confirmed positive by PCR, monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment must start within 7 days of the onset of the symptoms in order to be maximally effective. Hence, it is best to have the test results the earliest possible. If the patient developed symptoms on a Monday and became more severe on Wednesday and got tested that day, and the result was positive, there would be only 3 days left to start monoclonal antibody therapy. If the patient had hesitated to get the test sooner, that window of opportunity for mAb therapy would have been lost. What is monoclonal antibody therapy? Monoclonal Antibodies

(mAb) are not chemical compounds. They are proteins (not chemical compounds as drugs are) created in the lab, massproduced, and act exactly like natural protective antibodies to protect the body, in this case effectively against COVID-19 viruses. Otherwise called the “designer antibodies, tailormade,” they are given by intravenous infusion with the person sitting up, an outpatient procedure, and the antibodies infused immediately go to work to “immunize” the patient, unlike the vaccines which will confer protection after a couple or more weeks, depending on the integrity of the person’s immune system. Eli Lilly’s Bebtelomivab is a Monoclonal Antibody that has been designed to protect against the Omicron variant too. Is one symptom enough? Yes, one single symptom (any one of the following: cough, fever, extreme tiredness, malaise or diarrhea) following a history of exposure to an “unmasked” crowd or someone infected is enough to warrant an immediate Rapid Antigen Test. If negative, even twice, it should be confirmed with a PCR test, if that single symptom persists (like cough or fever) or more symptoms develop. During this pandemic, a high index of suspicion (medical vigilance, which I have called protective paranoia in my previous columns) is necessary to prevent infection and death, especially among the “vulnerable.” As I said before, we need wisdom, discipline, humility, patience and compassion towards others to defeat this killer virus soonest, and not arrogance, indifference, carelessness or bravado, which are dangerous attitudes and behavior. Let’s be smarter than the virus! Pulse Oximeter People with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), who hold their breaths for prolonged periods of time while asleep and develop dangerous hypoxemia (low blood oxygen saturation being circulated to all vital organs) need an oximeter to determine how serious their condition is. All our vital organs need normal (optimal) blood oxygen

ASIA’S Multimedia Star Alden Richards’ hit Kapuso program “The World Between Us” will now be available for streaming on Amazon Freevee starting June 22, 2022 in the United States. Amazon Freevee, formerly IMDb TV, is a streaming video service with thousands of premium movies and TV shows, including Originals and FAST channels, available anytime, for free. For its premiere offering, GMA International will launch “The World Between Us,” a romance drama series that proves that no matter how deep our divide is, true love can bridge it all. The series follows the story of Luisito “Louie” Asuncion (Alden Richards) and Emilia “Lia” Libradilla (Jasmine Curtis Smith). Louie and Lia grew up together at the home of the Libdradillas – they will both feel that they are destined for each other but there are people keen on keeping them apart. Joining Louie and Lia in proving the power of true love is Kapuso versatile actor Tom Rodriguez in an off-beat role, portraying the character of Lia’s older brother, Bryan. The series also stars award-winning actors, including Dina Bonnevie, Sid Lucero, and 2016 Cannes Best Actress Jaclyn Jose

under the direction of critically acclaimed director, Dominic Zapata. “We appreciate this growing partnership, and are thrilled to have one of our hit programs on their AVOD service Amazon Freevee. It is a testament that GMA Pinoy TV in providing world-class entertainment that Filipinos all over the world truly deserve,” says GMA International’s First VP and Head of Operations, Joseph T. Francia. Freevee is available as an app on Fire TV, Fire Tablets, and as a free Channel within Prime Video, across hundreds of devices. Freevee is also available as an app on third party devices including Roku, Samsung smart TVs (2017-2021 models), Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Comcast’s Xfinity Flex, Xfinity X1, Chromecast with Google TV, NVIDIA SHIELD and other Android TV devices, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, as well as LG Smart TVs (2018-2021 models). The app is also available on iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices. For more details about Amazon Freevee, visit www.amazon.com/freevee. For more information on how to watch Kapuso programs overseas, visit www.gmapinoytv. com/subscribe or follow GMA Pinoy TV on social media. g

PH-born Stella Abrera named artistic director of American Ballet Theatre school NEW YORK – Stella Abrera, former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, has been named Acting Artistic Director of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, effective August 22. Kevin McKenzie, artistic director of American Ballet Theatre, announced Abrera’s appointment. Abrera has served as artistic director of Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in levels to remain healthy. Other conditions like COPD among smokers and those with gastric reflux disease, those with pulmonary illnesses, heart ailment or other medical issues who are advised to monitor their oxygen saturation level (SpO2) could also benefit from an oximeter. One such device I have personally tested myself with great satisfaction is the EMAY Sleep02 PRO Wrist Pulse Oximeter (with a rechargeable battery) I ordered on amazon.com. It has a 1-½ inch LCD display screen and is worn around the wrist like a watch, with a connected SpO2 “sensor” probe where a finger is

Tivoli, New York since June 2020, following a 24-year performing career with ABT. As acting artistic director of the ABT JKO School for the 2022-23 academic year, Abrera will oversee all artistic aspects of the school’s Children’s Division, Pre-Professional Division, and National Training Curriculum. “It is an honor to succeed Cynthia Harvey, PAGE 15

inserted to continuously measure in real-time the oxygen saturation and pulse rate, and the data are saved in its built-in 20-hour recorder for analysis by the physician. A most valuable health tool with prompt customer support. *** 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 main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more

productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday. com, and philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

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Milan-based Filipino designer invited to Asia Pacific Fashion Week 2022 in Los Angeles, Las Vegas MILAN-BASED Filipino young designer Lionell Christian Lanuzo comes across as a humble man with a strong desire to accomplish his job with excellence and passion. Christian, as he is known among his friends, is one of the designers to be showcased at Asia Pacific Fashion Week 2022, a global platform for emerging designers to be held in Los Angeles and Las Vegas in August 2022. He is the chief designer of his own fashion house, LCL, a brand that specializes in luxe wear with a neo-ethnic flair. Christian was born in the Pampanga province in the Philippines, and migrated to Italy when he was thirteen years old. He graduated from Milan’s Instituto Tecnico Industriale Ettore Molinare with a diploma in Industrial Chemistry. It was no easy task to study in Italy, let alone chemistry! But having finished his academic goal with flying colors, it was now time to focus on his love of art and fashion. It’s no coincidence that the Italian city Christian chose to reside in is Milan, one of the world’s fashion capitals. Christian is only 34 years old today, yet his ambition to make art dates back to his childhood years. He began his fashion

PINTADOS. An interpretation of pre-colonial aesthetics inspired by “pintados,” the term Spanish colonizers used to describe the heavily-tattooed natives of pre-colonial Philippines, as worn by model Erica Paula Castillo. Photo couresy of LCL

PEARL OF THE ORIENT. This modern rendition of the Philippine terno is festooned with over 7,000 pieces of pearls, representing the 7000-plus islands that comprise the Philippines, worn by model Celine Z. Photo by Theresa Sujata Senti

Mimiyuuuh

NEO-ETHNIC FASHION. Lionell Christian Lanuzo celebrates Filipino culture in his designs by using neoethnic Philippine textiles made of natural or indigenous materials. Shot on location in Bern, Switzerland featuring model Magali Alcantara. Photo by Roger Schnorf

career by creating designs for beauty pageants in Italy. But, since then, he’s wanted to test his ability to think beyond the box and accomplish things that would stretch his creativity. He started by creating gowns made from unconventional materials such as paper, plastic spoons or shells. His aesthetics are decidedly wild but detailed, and he has an eye for intricacy and construction that make his work stand out. Since graduating, he’s been making waves in the fashion world and making the Philippines proud. The Bayanihan (communal unity) spirit of Filipinos shines within Christian as he wowed the European audience at the “Lange Nacht der Konsulate” (Long Night of the Consulates) in Stuttgart, Germany with creations made of capiz (natural seashells), sigay (another type of shell), paper foils, and barong (type of dress) with beads and pearls. Christian has also participated in other fashion events in Europe, such as the “Multi-Ethnic Fashion 2018” event in Rome, with other stylists from all over the world. As a patriotic Filipino, Christian wants to show that Filipino designers are talented and worthy of their own space in the global fashion industry, particularly in Italy. Christian has now evolved as a designer, despite being new in the fashion

UNCONVENTIONAL FASHION. Lionell Christian Lanuzo (left) started by creating gowns made from unconventional materials such as paper, shells or feathers. Photo courtesy of LCL

MAJESTIC GOLD. An ultra-modern interpretation of the Philippine Terno, with its iconic butterfly sleeves rendered not in fabric, but in gold wire worn by model Suki Ai. Photo by Theresa Sujata Senti

business. His ball gowns, evening gowns, and “modern Barong Tagalog” now show his evolution towards creating fashionforward garments made of traditional textiles, as opposed to his customary nonconventional materials. Like the works of Christian, the range of designs within the Filipino community is unlike any other. But what makes them extra special is their subtle nod they make to their culture. Indeed, Christian and many patriotic Filipino designers like him are drawing well-deserved attention to Filipino glam. Asia Pacific Fashion Week (APFW) will be their newest global platform to showcase the diversity of their designs. Asia Pacific Fashion Week: A global platform To showcase Christian’s most recent work, One Global Management Company Inc. – in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, Philippine Department of Trade and Industry-Los Angeles office, Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) and The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – proudly presents Asia Pacific Fashion Week (APFW) in two iconic American cities. The first show is on August 6 (Saturday), at 4 p.m., at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, a historic landmark on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the heart of Los Angeles. The second show is on August 13 (Saturday), at 4 p.m., at the Decades Event Center, located in Vegas Pointe Plaza, Unit 168, 9175 S Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. The Los Angeles leg of APFW enjoys the support of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. Trending Beverages Inc., Napa Valley Distribution Inc., Montemaria Cellars, House of Pacquiao Wine, Individual Health Care, Lombard by the Bay, MTS Law Firm, Premier Asia Pacific Real Estate & Development, and Tina Modeling. The Las Vegas edition is co-produced by InterEdx, a dba of Dynasty Exchange Ltd. LLC., headed by Dr. Lee Dedicatoria, in cooperation with Asia on Earth, Dynasty Ventures, Club Paradisia, World Edoption, Royal Blue Staffing, Lend with Love and Decades Event Center. (Advertising Supplement)

Philstar.com photo

This is me, Mimiyuuuh: Social media star gets serious about being queer By Brooke

VillanueVa Philstar.com

OUR girl, Mimiyuuuh, is here. Wearing a neon tank top and baggy pants, she drops her signature designer Dior Book Tote with her name brandished across. She greets her glam squad with hellos — some with random screams and tunes, even. She is tall, glowing, and dare I say, louder. She talks and moves with the fierce, playful air of someone who is used to getting attention, laughs and love. “Hi, I’m the late Mimi! Sorry talaga. Gagalingan ko na lang,” she tells the PhilSTAR L!fe team, apologizing for arriving a little bit later than the call time. (Totally understandable, by the way. She lives in the South.) With millions of subscribers, Filipino YouTuber Mimiyuuuh is one of the most wellknown vloggers, whose online presence and vocal personality are felt everywhere. It’s been over three years since she stepped into the limelight. A one-minute dance video of the OPM song Kahit Ayaw Mo Na started it all back in February 2019. Her big break, however, came a month later through a short clip where she started striking Dalagang Pilipina poses. Netizens and celebrities alike joined in the fun and came up with their own versions of it. The viral video, which has reached over five million views as of this writing, has become her superbrand that continues to thrive to this day. How does a career like

that happen? Even she is still in awe. But my wild guess could be right, and it’s a very simple one. Mimiyuuuh, whose real name is Jeremy Sancebuche, has been letting her unapologetically authentic self shine — 100% of the time. Awakening and acceptance “Five years old palang ako, alam ko na na bakla ako,” she says, recalling how she spent most of her childhood days in Batangas watching Sailor Moon — a Japanese series that revolves around a teenage girl who transforms into a legendary warrior that fights for love and justice. “Feeling ko, at that time, si Sailor Moon din ako. ‘Yun ang awakening ko talaga.” She lived her elementary school years in a state of denial, as a member of a typical conservative Filipino family who used to judge gays in the streets and parlors. “Syempre ako, nag-o-obey ako sa parents ko. Kapag tinatanong nila ako: ‘Uy, bakla ka ba?’ Sasabihin ko, ‘Uy, hindi ah. Crush ko nga si Naomi.’” That “girl crush” she was talking about? It was just a made-up name to put an end to the conversation and let them think she was straight. In high school, she grew tired of the pretense. Mimiyuuuh got obsessed with gay icon and LGBTQIA+ rights activist Lady Gaga, who sparked her love for fashion and taught her to embrace who she really is. “Kahit naman anong pagpapa-straight ang gawin ko, parang hindi talaga siya ‘tsaka mahirap siyang gawin PAGE 15

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N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY J U N E 1 7, 2 0 22

people events arts culture entertainment

FILIPINO OUTPOSTS OPEN IN QUEENS AND JERSEY CITY

Max’s new spot rises in Woodside; The Backyard hopes to become a hotspot in Jersey City F

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA / AJPress

ILIPINOS in the tristate have a couple more reasons to drive up to two areas known as hubs for authentic Filipino dining: Westside Avenue in Jersey City and the Woodside/Roosevelt area in Queens.

Jersey City Council President Joyce Watterman (second from left) and Ward B Council Member Mira Prinz-Arey (fourth from left) led the ribbon-cutting at the grand opening of The Backyard with owners Alex and Ethel Quintos.

A luncheon spread at the grand opening of The Backyard in Jersey City showing their specialties such as bulalo, laing, kare-kare, octopus sisig and an assortment of grilled seafood.

The Backyard offers a boat-load of seafood including fried bangus, grilled tilapia and pompano, shrimp and mussels. AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya

Max’s Restaurant, ‘The house that fried chicken built’, had its grand opening on Monday, June 13, a day after the anniversary of the 124th Philippine Independence and the historic designation of the street on 70th and Roosevelt Avenue as Little Manila. This is Max’s 20th restaurant in the United States and America, according to Pat Berberabe whose family owns the franchising rights in New York and New Jersey. Globally they have more than 600 stores, not bad for a chain that started in 1945. “When you look back at the history of Max’s, it’s a very humble beginning. It actually started at my grandfather’s house and he just opened the doors to the GIs, who were hanging around in 1945 in Manila after the war,” shared Bill Rodgers, grandson of Maximo Gimenez. “It was a very simple gesture of hospitality - just opening his doors, having a few drinks, and having some food by his niece, Auntie Ruby and that kind of started everything with Max’s and I think that’s a value we try to keep throughout all our stores.” Berberabe herself retraced her love story for Max’s, the reason why she pushed to get the franchise for her family. She cited crucial years that marked

Deputy Consul General Arman Talbo led the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the grand opening of Max’s in Queens. Photo shows DCG Talbo with (from left) Andrew Ferrer, Celeste Ferrer, Pat Berberabe, and Bill & Diane Rodgers.

After the ceremonial ribbon-cutting was a short program which included “Chopping of the Chicken” with (from left) Bryan Rodgers, Celeste and Andrew Ferrer, Pat Berberabe and Bill Rodgers.

her fascination with Max’s beginning in 1957 when she went to Manila to study and found the place, which became her instant favorite. In the US, she got her first taste of Max’s in 2006 during a trip to Glendale,

California. Her love for Max’s got reignited and immediately asked a friend to introduce her to the owners. She was told the restaurant was not yet ready to expand to the east coast as they were still fine-tuning

their California operations. The following year, she received a call from corporate and said there were several applicants for the franchise. She signed the contract on an auspicious date - September 7, 2007. It took three years for the Jersey City outpost to open. “We wanted to open in New York as early as 2014. We looked for a place but couldn’t find a great location,” Berberabe said. They opened a second New Jersey spot instead, in Bloomfield, where the family also runs an Asian supermarket. “In 2018, I asked my nephew and his wife, Andrew and Celeste Ferrer to become the owners of the Jersey City restaurant. I saw how hard they work, they have a good partnership. Corporate wanted a New York branch and I told them I can guide them,” Berberabe added. They immediately started looking for a place in Queens and the search continued even during the pandemic. They eventually found the spot in September 2021. They signed in February this year and by May, they have soft-opened. Berberabe said she learned a lot of lessons opening the first one and she created a formula that would make the process shorter. PAGE 15

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Shaina can reunite with ex John Lloyd – onscreen By Maridol

ranoa-BisMark Philstar.com

TEN years after her controversial breakup with boyfriend of two years John Lloyd Cruz, Shaina Magdayao is open to reuniting with the actor – onscreen. In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com for its Lifestyle & Entertainment show Slam Book, Shaina said that although she is willing to work again with John Lloyd if the material is good, doing so is not a priority. “I don’t see it happening now,” she said. But Shaina feels good seeing John Lloyd and other “old friends” again because she wants to get rid of negativity. The actress

added that she makes sure she is at peace with people from her past because she wants to be worry-free. It can be recalled that Shaina agreed to do a cameo role in Cruz’s comeback film, director Lav Diaz’s “Servando Magdamag.” The actress explained that it’s her way of thanking Diaz, her director friend. Cruz and Magdayao started their relationship in 2010. The relationship survived a series of intrigues, until Magdayao confirmed the breakup herself. Magdayao is rumored to be dating Piolo Pascual, while Cruz is in a relationship with pet lover and artist Isabel Santos. He has a son, Elias Modesto, with Ellen Adarna, who married Derek Ramsay in 2021. g

Stella Abrera was the company’s first Filipina principal ballerina. In 1996 Abrera joined ABT at the age of 17 as an apprentice.

PH-born Stella...

PAGE 12 whose illustrious career as a ballerina, educator, and leader I have long admired,” said Abrera. “I look forward to bringing to this post my passion for nurturing new generations of dancers and my understanding of ABT’s rich history and new imperatives. Through a robust and well-rounded curriculum, worldclass instruction, and an environment in which students can explore their own artistic voices, I will aim to advance the school’s tradition of excellence.” Abrera was the company’s first Filipina principal ballerina. In 1996 Abrera joined ABT at the age of 17 as an apprentice. She was promoted into the Corps de

American Ballet Theatre’s Stella Abrera. Photos from ABT

Ballet three months later. She was promoted to Soloist in 2001. (Inquirer.net)

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 17-23, 2022

Max’s new spot rises in Woodside...

PAGE 14 The Backyard Also finding the right formula are Alex and Ethel Quintos, a husbandand-wife team who ventured into the restaurant industry when they opened Fi’Co along Mallory Avenue in Jersey City during the pandemic. On June 7, they opened their second project less than a mile away, a place they call The Backyard along Westside Avenue. Ethel shared that they were inspired by outdoor dining, which became a trend as the restaurants made a comeback while still battling the pandemic. Instead of normal tables, they used picnic tables to evoke the feeling of having a grand meal outside. The couple has envisioned the place to become an events place as well. They can host private parties and even

shows and concerts in the dining areas upstairs. While Fi’Co is now known for their beef pares and boodle fight-style kamayan, Alex said The Backyard will offer authentic Filipino dishes done family-style including bulalo and grilled meat and seafood. “We’ve seen many celebrations happen here since we opened our doors. From birthdays to engagements to wedding showers to parties,” Alex shared. “We’re happy to be a part of every family’s celebration.” And they’re not done just yet. Striking while the iron is hot, the couple is opening their third spot, a place they are calling Isla. They are taking over the spot that was formerly Rowena’s, a fixture on Westside for decades. “Isla is going to offer buffet, wala pa

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yan dito,” Ethel said, adding that they are hoping to open before Father’s Day. Jersey City Council President Joyce Watterman and Ward B Council Member Mira Prinz-Arey joined the ribbon-cutting to formally open The Backyard. Waterman is thankful that more minorities are opening businesses in the city and commended the Quintos couple for stepping up. “Small business is the backbone of the country but not only that, it’s a minority business, which makes it even better because we need to embrace diversity,” Watterman said. “I’m excited that the business is on the west side of town. I commend them, I think this is the second business which you know, that’s kudos because as a minority person, it can be challenging just to get businesses started.” g

This is me, Mimiyuuuh: Social media star gets...

PAGE 13 kasi nga labag siya sa puso ko. So, tinanggap ko na lang rin talaga na nabuhay akong bakla,” she says. She stresses that this realization didn’t come in the blink of an eye. It was, rather, a long process. Interestingly, there wasn’t an exact moment she came out as gay to her parents. It was something they knew and accepted as she continued to spread her wings in the fashion scene. In case you didn’t know, Mimiyuuuh earned a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising and even interned for renowned fashion designer Mark Bumgarner. While she’s become an Internet sensation, she still can’t give up fashion completely. When she has the time, she comes up with various sketches for her clothing brand FANGS that aims to empower women through clothes. Has she ever had “the talk” with her dad? Mimiyuuuh muses that the topic only comes up in their chit-chats every once in a while as her father is the quiet type. “Tinatanong ko siya, ‘Tatay, bakit kaya wala akong jowa?’ Syempre, gets na niya na lalaki ‘yun. Tapos sabi niya ‘Ayaw mo nun? Wala kang iniisip?’ So parang mas naging accepting na siya, and at the same time, open na siya sa mga conversations about sexuality,” she shares. “Minsan, nagpapa-check pa ako sa tatay ko ng susuotin ko. Ganung level. Tapos mga fitted ‘yun, sleeveless, crop top. ‘Okay ba ‘to?’ ‘Hindi, palit ka ng pants, anak,’” she

continues, adding that it’s impressive to see how much her father has “evolved” over time. For Mimiyuuuh, it helps that her older brother is also part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. “Mas naging open na talaga si tatay about different sexualities. Alam na rin niya yung mga lesbian, mga bisexual. Diba dati, hindi uso yun? Because mga anak niya, part din ng community, so feeling niya, nagkaroon din siya ng responsibility to know more about the community.” In 2021, Mimiyuuuh got real about dealing with homophobic relatives in a Q&A vlog. Guess what? They have changed for the better, too. “Pino-prove ko talaga sa kanila na kahit ganito yung gender ko, kaya ko talagang makuha yung mga pangarap ko sa buhay. And I think nag-set na rin ako ng example sa kanila na kapag yung anak nila, medyo malambot, natutuwa na sila. Ganun sila.” At one point, previously homophobic folks who were playing with their little boy told the YouTube star: “Sana nga, maging katulad mo ito eh.” Mimiyuuuh, while immensely thankful, still can’t help but feel sad that she had to prove herself to be completely loved and accepted. “’Yun nga, kailangan, mag-extra effort ka. Kapag beks ka, hindi sapat na maging mabait ka. Kailangan, matalino ka din, dapat magaling ka rin.” Dreaming big It has been quite a journey for the content creator. From her humble beginnings moving from one apartment

to another because of unpaid rent and making the most of her minimum wage earnings to help her family get through life’s challenges, she is now a proud owner of a spacious house with a swimming pool and a garden, as well as a van that can fit her entire family. “Syempre, sobrang layo po talaga ng life namin sa dati, especially nung nakatira pa po kami sa Baclaran. I’ve come a long way and I’m super thankful po sa mga nangyayari sa akin and the people who continue to support me.” Today, her monthly income is big enough so she can save money and give her family the happy, comfortable life that they deserve. “’Yun talaga ang goal ko, lalong-lalo na nung naghirap kami. Sabi ko, ‘Darating ang panahon na ako naman ang makakapag-provide sa family namin.’ Tapos, ‘yun yung binigay ni Lord.” There are times in our interview where she would pause mid-sentence and get emotional about it all. “Ang family ko kasi, hindi sila expressive sa nararamdaman nila pero ‘yun, nakikita ko yung nanay ko, nagzu-Zumba sa sala. Parang chill na lang sila, nagagawa nila kung anong gusto nilang gawin. Feeling ko, ‘yun yung parang goal achieved.” It’s a given that she often comes home tired, but she still feels extremely fulfilled at the end of the day. “Parang kapag napapagod ako, parang pagkauwi ko ng bahay na nandoon yung family ko, okay sila, sabi

ko, ‘Ahh, okay lang pala mapagod para lang mabigay sa family ko yung mga gusto nila.’” Don’t get her wrong — Mimiyuuuh knows how to balance work and play. “Nung nabili ko na yung bahay ko at may kotse na kami, ako naman. So nagwaldas ako nun, nagSingapore ako. Pero mindful pa rin ako about sa mga ginagastos ko,” she says with a laugh. We proceed to have an “adulting talk” about money, and how it could easily run out in just a snap of the fingers. “Ang pera, nauubos ‘yan. Kaya dapat maging matalino talaga sa paghawak ng pera,” she highlights, sharing that it’s probably a trait she got from her mama. What’s next for this social media star, with all that she has done, accomplished and realized? She hopes to travel the world, grow her clothing line, get a place and a car for herself — I sense she could go on and on about her dreams. But Mimiyuuuh, like almost every 25-yearold, confesses she’s still clueless about her next step. “Go with the flow lang ako as long as nag-e-enjoy ako sa ginagawa ko, push lang nang push. Kapag may opportunity pa, go lang nang go,” she declares. Of not stopping anytime soon, at least, Mimiyuuuh is sure. She takes a long pause, lets out a hilarious thinking noise and laughs for the nth time. At this point, I suspect, whatever her next move may be, she’ll be okay. g

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