062922 - Southern California Midweek Edition

JUNE 29 - JULY 1, 2022 Volume 32 - No. 51 • 14 Pages

DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Fil-Am-led nonprofit seeks to reduce gun violence, turn firearms into art

WITH hundreds of deaths by guns in America every single day, California-based nonprofit the Robby Poblete Foundation (RPF) is seeing the need to continuously expand its reach to other states, especially where gun-related violence is prevalent. In 2017, RPF was created by Filipina American Pati Navalta in honor of her son 23-year-old Robby Poblete who was killed by gun violence in Vallejo, California on September 21, 2014. Robby was learning to weld at a biotech company at the time of his death. Navalta, in an interview with the Asian Journal, said for the past years since the inception of the RPF, they have been actively pursuing initiatives based on their three programs: Gun Buyback; The Art of Peace; and Vocational Skills. She said the COVID-19 pandemic had somewhat put their activities on the sideline but they are slowly trying to pick up the pace. The RPF founder and executive director said they have recently partnered with

‘Very solemn, simple’: All systems go for Marcos’ inauguration by DAPHNE

GALVEZ Inquirer.net

MANILA — The inauguration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on June 30, is now all set, with his camp saying the event will be “very

solemn and simple.” Franz Imperial, who is one of the heads of the preparation committee for the event, said on Tuesday, June 28 that except for some minor details that are still being finalized, the program is all set. “The program we have prepared is very solemn and simple. It would be very traditional dahil sabi

AFTER more than a year of clinical trials, children in the United States between the ages of 6 months and 4 years old are now permitted to receive the COVID vaccine, nearly closing the gap between the unvaccinated and vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off on vaccines for young children last week, one day after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced three new authorizations regarding coronavirus vaccines. Specifically, the FDA approved Pfizer shots for children between 6 months and 4 years old; Moderna shots for children between 6 months and 5 years old; and Moderna shots for children between 6 and 17 years old. (Previously, Pfizer was the only option for the latter age bracket.) According to Moderna, the company’s vaccine for 6-month-olds to 5-year-olds will have a quarter of the strength of the adult dose and should be administered in two doses one month apart. Pfizer’s vaccine for 6-month-olds to 4-year-

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by CHRISTIA

MARIE Inquirer.net

FIRST FAMLY. President Rodrigo Duterte poses for a photo opportunity with his family during the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected local government officials of Davao City and members of the House of Representatives at the Sangguniang Panglungsod Building in Davao City on Monday, June 27. Malacañang photo by Joey Dalumpines

RAMOS

MANILA — United States Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, will lead Washington’s delegation to the inauguration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on June 30, the White House announced. U.S. President Joe Biden designated Emhoff to lead the seven-member delegation to Marcos’ inauguration, the White House said in a statement dated June 26, 2022. U.S. Embassy in Manila Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava and Filipino-American Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia, chairman of the US House Committee on Education and Labor, will join the delegation.

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New proposal may grant most Californians with stipend amid rising gas prices Relief checks will start from $350, depending on marital status and dependents by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

ANYBODY who has had to commute by car over the last five months knows that the skyrocketing price of gas has been a major hindrance, especially in places like California where driving is essential. To help alleviate the financial burden of rising gas prices and inflation, Governor Gavin Newsom and state legislators have agreed to grant as much as $1,050 to millions of Californians. As part of a $300 billion budget deal that

was announced on Sunday, June 26, the three-tiered program is estimated to benefit 17.4 million taxpayers in the state with lowerand middle-income households benefitting the most. Individuals who make less than $75,000 a year and couples who jointly make less than $150,000 a year would get $350 per taxpayer. An extra $350 would be granted Vice President Leni Robredo for each dependent. Individuals who make less than $125,000 a year and couples who jointly make less than $250,000 a year would get $250 each, plus

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Tzeitel Paras-Caracci, Fil-Am mayor pro tem of Duarte, dies after cancer battle by AJPRESS

Duarte Mayor Pro Tem Tzeitel Paras-Caracci (1972-2022)

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2nd Gentleman Douglas Emhoff to lead US delegation at Marcos’ inauguration

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Doctors discuss coronavirus vaccine authorization for kids 5 years old and younger

nga ni BBM sa vlog niya, ‘hindi kami lilihis pa sa tradisyon,’” he said in a press release, referring to Marcos’ preferred acronym. (The program we have prepared is very solemn and simple. It would be very traditional because BBM himself said in his vlog that he will not stray from

DUARTE Mayor Pro Tem Tzeitel ParasCaracci has died after nearly a threeyear battle against lung cancer, the city announced on Monday, June 27. Paras-Caracci, 49, passed away from stage 4 lung cancer at home on Saturday, June 25, surrounded by family. She became the first Filipino American elected to the Duarte City Council in 2001. She served as the city’s mayor four times — in 2006, 2011, 2015 and 2019. In office for over two decades, she was considered the longest serving Filipino American elected official in the U.S.

“We have suffered a huge loss in our city and I am profoundly saddened as Tzeitel was an immensely capable member of our Council, as well as a great personal friend to me, as well as many others. Her smile and energy were infectious, and it was an honor to serve on Council with her,” said Mayor Margaret Finlay in a statement. “On behalf of the Council and City Staff, we express our condolences to her family and offer our full support in this time of need.” Paras-Caracci also served on the National League of Cities Board of Directors and the League of California Cities Board. She was most recently the president of Asian

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Philstar.com photo

Despite difficulties under Duterte, Robredo says no regrets by PIA LEE

BRAGO Philstar.com

MANILA — Despite the difficulties she went through due to her political differences with President Duterte, Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday, June 28 said she has no regrets. During the final episode of her weekly radio program “BISErbisyong Leni” on dzXL, Robredo said the hardships and not being allies of the President motivated her and her team “to look for ways and become better.” “All the difficulties given to us, those were actually the things that made us better. We learned to look for ways and accomplish our goals. And to my mind, those

made us perform better. Because when it’s hard, you find ways to do your work well,” Robredo said in Filipino. Robredo was the top target and biggest victim of disinformation even after the May 9 elections, reports said. Admitting her office suffered much since 2016, Robredo refused to say what her team went through. “For us, the difficulties were blessings,” she said. In December 2016, Duterte instructed Robredo to “desist” from attending Cabinet meetings, pushing her to resign as chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

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2 JUNE 29 - JULY 1, 2022 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

‘Very simple, solemn’: All... PAGE 1 tradition.) Marcos is set to take his oath of office at 12 noon on June 30 at the National Museum, instead of the traditional Quirino Grandstand, because the latter was not readily available due to the COVID-19 isolation facilities erected on its grounds. Imperial said the inauguration will start with actress Toni Gonzaga singing the national anthem. Details for the ecumenical invocation that will follow are still being finalized as of press time, he added. There will also be a 30-minute

military-civil parade. After the parade, the inauguration song will follow, Imperial said. “The inauguration song will be ‘Pilipinas Kong Mahal’ and it will be performed by Cris Villonco and the Young Voices of the Philippines choir,” he said. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo will administer the oath of office. Imperial also said that while they have yet to receive details of Marcos inaugural speech, the President-elect would not need a teleprompter. Since 1992, tradition dictated that the inaugural ceremony be

held at the Quirino Grandstand, where the outgoing president will conduct a final troop review and is presented to the public before departing the Grandstand aboard his private vehicle. After the outgoing president’s final troop inspection, the inauguration proper would then begin with the singing of the national anthem. The President-elect then takes his oath of office at exactly 12 noon then a 21-gun salute is immediately fired after which the new president would then deliver his inaugural address. g

Vice President’s spokesperson lawyer Barry Gutierrez said Robredo’s camp is considering taking legal action against those who spread disinformation on social media after her term of office ends on June 30. Gutierrez said the initiative would be launched to address the proliferation of fake news and lies on social media, explaining that this kind of trend is detrimental to democracy and public discourse. He added that groups of lawyers are studying the

filing of a lawsuit against those who continue to spread disinformation on social media platforms that host fake news. He explained that the action to be taken is not only for Robredo, but also for other victims of disinformation on social media. In February, University of the Philippines journalism professor Yvonne Chua said during a Senate hearing that most instances of disinformation on social media platforms were directed against Robredo. g

Despite difficulties under Duterte, Robredo says...

PAGE 1 In October 2019, Duterte announced that he would name Robredo as co-chair of the interagency committee on antiillegal drugs with Cabinet rank. Robredo, an opposition leader, accepted the post, saying it would allow her to stop “unnecessarily killing.” However, Duterte backtracked after the vice president met with representatives of the United Nations, the Catholic Church and institutions critical of the antidrug campaign.

The Robby Poblete Foundation's Art of Peace program uses materials from guns collected from the gun buyback program, along with confiscated firearms from throughout the state by law enforcement agencies, to transform weapons of destruction into instruments of hope through art. Photo courtesy of Pati Navalta

Fil-Am-led nonprofit seeks to reduce gun violence... PAGE 1

local government officials of Richmond, Virginia to hold the city’s first-ever gun buyback initiative. “Just recently, we have received a call from the mayor’s office in Richmond, Virginia which we were surprised because they said they want to hold their very first gun buyback in the city’s history and they really liked the fact that we work with law enforcement agencies and turn the guns into art,” Navalta said. Aside from Richmond, Virginia, RPF’s programs have been adopted and implemented in Vallejo, Oakland, Solano, Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties in California, as well as in Augusta, Georgia. Through these numerous gun buybacks, the foundation has succeeded in getting nearly 2,000 firearms out of circulation — many of which were assault weapons. “In this gun buyback program, we have been partnering with different law enforcement agencies. We have gun buyback so people who no longer want will have a safe place to surrender their weapon and in exchange, we give them gift cards. What’s different about what we do is that CHURCH INSPECTION. Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Moragas (2nd from left) looks at the walls of the La Loma Cemetery Chapel in after we get the gun, we have Caloocan City during the inspection of the newly restored facade on Monday, June 27. The Diocese of Kalookan partnered with Escuela Taller de them dismantled, and then we Filipinas Foundation Inc. to save the structure of the church, which was declared a National Cultural Treasure. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon put them in the hands of artists to

turn them into sculptures (under the Art of Peace program),” she said, explaining how their programs work. She said so far, about 30 pieces of art have been made from the firearms that they have accumulated through their gun buyback program and commissioned over 50 artists from different cities. “Each of those exhibits (for Art of Peace) had been so powerful. People crying, parents who have lost their children and have died from gun violence coming. People who are even against what we stand for, coming and protested but were being drawn in by art that was created by it. I think that’s the difference between just talking about gun violence which becomes very political as opposed to creating art, to talk about it because if you just talk about gun violence, it is very political. But if you enter the conversation through art, it becomes very human. People are moved by what they see. People are touched and when you open the heart, then it starts to open the mind a little bit more," she said. The goal of the Art of Peace project, Navalta said, is "not only to forever transform these weapons into pieces of art but also to touch people so we could have an open and safe

conversation about the impact of gun violence." Navalta, a former journalist, said they are eyeing to partner with other cities like Los Angeles and Chicago to implement the RPF programs. According to Navalta, the RPF is keeping at least one art piece from each city where the exhibit is being held. They also auction off some of the art pieces to make their programs sustainable. In San Francisco, the Warriors Community Foundation of the Golden State Warriors bought one of the art pieces as they have been very vocal in supporting anti-gun violence efforts. It was unveiled with the Warriors this past June. “At the end of the exhibit, what we do is to auction each of the pieces and whatever money we make from that gun buyback goes to the next gun buyback. So this is a program that is meant to keep going. Whatever we get in terms of art goes straight back to the next gun buyback which produces the material for the next Art of Peace so it keeps going,” she said. In the next couple of years, Navalta said they are considering holding a national exhibit to showcase all of the art pieces they have collected. For the vocational program, PAGE 4

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5 things to know now that the US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade ruling by Victoria

INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH. Former Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippine, Diliman Prof. Emeritus Nestor O. Vinluan (inset, top right) gives advice to college students and future artists during the opening of the National Research Council of the Philippines Kabataan Painting Exhibit at the UP Town Center in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 28. Twenty winning entries from 67college students in various regions will be displayed in the area. PNA photo by Ben Briones

New proposal may grant most Californians... PAGE 1 any dependents. The money will be distributed as soon as the governor and state leaders reach an agreement over the 2022-2023 state budget, which is expected to happen before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. “California’s budget addresses the state’s most pressing needs, and prioritizes getting dollars back into the pockets of millions

of Californians who are grappling with global inflation and rising prices of everything from gas to groceries,” Newsom, California Senate President Pro Temp Toni Atkins, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said in a joint statement. Currently, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in California is $6.44, much higher than the national average of $4.93 per gallon.

Newsom, who is running for reelection in November, previously proposed sending money to registered vehicle owners while lawmakers argued it should be directed to those who file taxes. Republicans in the state have argued for temporarily suspending the statewide gas tax, but the Democratic-led state legislature argues it would not be a significant enough benefit to drivers. g

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city’s site. Paras-Caracci leaves behind a legacy of passion and commitment for the city she loved and led the way for fellow Filipino Americans serving in local public office. Filipino American local elected officials from Southern California issued a joint statement honoring ParasCaracci as a “great trailblazer and community leader.” “She served as an inspiration to her city and the Filipino American community. Her enthusiastic desire to serve others was inspirational to all of us. We will miss her as our fellow kababayan, but her legacy will live on. Our deepest condolences to the Paras-Caracci family and the City of Duarte,” the group said, represented by current Fil-Am officials Artesia Mayor Melissa Ramoso, Lakewood Vice Mayor Ariel Pe, Bellflower Mayor Pro Tem Sonny Santa Ines,

Sierra Madre Councilmember Rachelle Arizmendi, Cerritos Councilmember Frank Aurelio Yokoyama, West Covina Councilmember Letty LopezViado, Carson Councilmember Arleen Bocatija Rojas, South Pasadena Councilmember Evelyn Zneimer and Cerritos Councilmember Lynda Johnson. Retired officials, such as Mark Pulido, Dr. Victor Manalo, Thomas Small and Marissa Castro-Salvati, also signed the statement. Paras-Caracci is survived by her parents, Lino and Russel Paras, her husband, K.C. Caracci, stepdaughter Dr. Blake Caracci, and their son, Jack Russell, her brothers Bertrand and John Paul George and their wives. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking those that wish to honor Paras-Caracci to donate to the City of Hope at cityofhope.org/ giving/give-honor-or-memory. A memorial service is slated to be announced at a later date. g

Tzeitel Paras-Caracci, Fil-Am mayor... Pacific American Municipal Officials (APAMO). She was also a Director for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, a Governing Board Member of Foothill Transit, and a board member of the Duarte Community Coordinating Council. Named after the eldest daughter from the Broadway musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” Paras-Caracci was born in Quezon City, Philippines on August 8, 1972. Her family migrated to Los Angeles in 1975 and settled in Duarte in 1985. She graduated from Duarte High School in 1989 and went on to graduate from Woodbury University in Burbank, before returning home to the city that she loved. In 2003, she and her husband K.C. purchased a home in Duarte, shortly after being married in Duarte’s Royal Oaks Park, according to the obituary on the

The tobacco industry is a top global plastic polluter Scott Coffin, Research Scientist, California State Water Resources Control Board

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ou may not know that cigarette butts are a major source of plastic pollution that may endanger marine life and harm humans. Each year, cigarette butts top the list of most littered items across California beaches and waterways. In 2017, an astounding 203,474 butts were collected on California beaches as a part of an international coastal clean-up. You probably see one of the most common sources of microplastics everyday – on the ground, in parking lots, gutters or at the beach – cigarette butts. Discarded cigarettes contain filters made of plastic, which can break down into microplastics that then contaminate our soil and water sources and harm our health. In fact, each cigarette filter contains at least 15,000 strands of microplastic fibers. So, what exactly are microplastics, and why should we care? Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic measuring less than five millimeters long, about the size of a sesame seed or smaller. Most microplastics take a long time to degrade in the environment, which means that when they enter our environment, they may eventually get mistaken for food by marine life or other animals, which over time may go

on to harm entire ecosystems. Due to their tiny size, microplastics are challenging to remove from our food and water sources. Microplastics have been found in sea water, tap water and urban water runoff. It may come as a surprise that Americans ingest an estimated hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles a year. Toxic microplastics pollute the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. According to recent studies, microplastics have been found in human lungs, placenta, and blood; they’ve been linked to fertility issues, intestinal damage, and even mutations in DNA. The tobacco industry remains one of the world’s top plastic polluters. Each year, the tobacco industry produces six trillion cigarettes, and most have plastic filters. It’s estimated that more than 4.5 trillion cigarette butts end up in the environment. There’s no denying that tobacco product waste produces massive plastic pollution causing irreparable damage to our environment, our food supply, and our bodies. Learn more about the environmental harms of tobacco products at www.undo.org.

Knight and rachana Pradhan and Julie roVner

THE Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization dramatically and rapidly alters the landscape of abortion access in the U.S. The court on June 24 ruled 6-3 to uphold a Mississippi law that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but also to overturn the nearly half-century precedent set in Roe v. Wade that guaranteed the constitutional right to an abortion. With the Dobbs decision, states have the ability to set their own restrictions, so where people live will determine their level of access to abortion. The majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, stated that “the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey [Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, 1992] are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” Almost immediately after the decision was released, protests and celebrations outside the court and across the country began — highlighting the patchwork of laws and restrictions that now will take effect. State officials from conservative states said they would move quickly to restrict abortion, while in other states, some officials pledged to keep the right to access. Here are five key points that will affect access to abortion. 1. Where is abortion still legal? The Supreme Court ruling means access to abortion will, very shortly, be highly uneven. Sixteen states plus the District of Columbia have laws that protect the right to abortion. In two other states, courts have ruled that the state constitution establishes that right. Those states are concentrated on the East and West coasts. On the other end of the spectrum, 13 states have “trigger” laws that would quickly ban nearly all abortions, and at least a half-dozen moved Friday to implement them, including Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and South Dakota. Four more have pre-Roe bans that would again be in effect. Three other states have laws on the books that

Kaiser Health News

will ban abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. Access to abortion is likely to evolve in other states, too. Kansas and Montana, which are among the states where courts have ruled that the state constitution guarantees the right to abortion, could see rollbacks in those protections through a ballot measure in Kansas and a legal challenge by the Montana attorney general. In at least eight states, the right to abortion isn’t explicitly protected or prohibited by state law. And in Michigan, a 1931 state law bans nearly all abortions, but its enforcement was temporarily suspended by a May court decision. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, has said she will not enforce the law, but questions remain about whether that would also be the case for local prosecutors. As was the case before the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe decision, people seeking abortion care will also be subject to a variety of restrictions even in states where the procedure is still legal. They include gestational limits outlining the maximum point in pregnancy that someone can obtain an abortion, requirements that patients receive counseling beforehand, waiting periods, and parental notification rules for minors. 2. What can the Biden administration do? President Joe Biden has said his administration is looking into executive actions to counteract the impact of the ruling. In remarks after the decision, Biden said that it was a “sad day” and that, without Roe, “the health and life of women in this nation is now at risk.” But in short, without a new law from Congress, he has limited options. Supporters of abortion rights and Democratic lawmakers in Congress have pushed the administration to make it easier for women to obtain medication abortion, which is available up to 10 weeks of pregnancy and involves taking two pills, assessing whether services could be provided on federal property even in states that ban the procedure, and bolstering digital

privacy to protect patients. Medication abortion has become an increasingly large share of total abortions provided in the U.S. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, the pills accounted for more than half of all abortions in 2020, the first year medication provided the majority. Under the Biden administration, the FDA has already lifted one major restriction. Now, patients can receive mifepristone, the first drug used in the series, by mail. Mary Ziegler, a professor at the University of California-Davis School of Law and an abortion legal historian, said that, even as conservative states move to curtail access to medication abortion, the Biden administration could argue that the FDA’s rules and guidelines on mifepristone preempt any state laws that criminalize that method. Attorney General Merrick Garland took this position in a statement he released shortly after the decision was announced: “The FDA has approved the use of the medication Mifepristone. States may not ban Mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy.” Biden reinforced that message in his remarks. In comments before the justices’ decision was announced, Zeigler said arguing this position is “the biggest thing they could do.” Still, the FDA approach is uncertain, both legally and because a future Republican administration could easily reverse any action that Biden officials take. “If it worked it wouldn’t be permanent, and it may not work,” she added. The Biden administration could also expand the number of pharmacies that can dispense the medication. 3. Will people in states where abortion is illegal be able to access medication abortion? For now, as a result of the Dobbs decision, states that ban abortions are likely to set limitations or bans on abortion pills as well. But some advocates note that people in those states still may be able to obtain abortion pills and perform a PAGE 5

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2nd Gentleman Douglas Emhoff to lead..

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Likewise in the delegation is Filipino-American Nani Coloretti, who serves as deputy director at the Office of Management and Budget.

Former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Admiral James “Sandy” Winnefeld, Jr., Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Security Director

for East Asia and Oceania Edgard Kagan as well as U.S. Director of the Asian Development Bank Chantale Wong will also attend Marcos’ inauguration, according to the White House. g

Doctors discuss coronavirus vaccine... PAGE 1 olds is about one-tenth of the adult version’s strength takes three shots; the second shot is administered 21 days after the first, and the third is given 60 days after the second, according to the company. As of press time, vaccinations for this age group have already begun across the country. As was the case with all prior vaccinations, every age-eligible child — regardless of immigration or insurance status — may receive their shots, is permitted to receive their free-of-cost shots. California, which has been a leader in vaccinations since they were publicly made available, has 400,000 doses to distribute to this age group currently, but the state recently purchased more to cater to the 2.2 million children in this age bracket. Parents and families who are still skeptical over the vaccine’s safety, particularly with younger children, may want to consider the alternative to not getting the vaccine, said Dr. Lucia Abascal of the California Dept. of Public Health. “The decision to not vaccinate is the decision to get the COVID virus,” Abscal said in a press conference on Thursday, June 23. She added that although “[t]

here’s no predicting how severe that will be,” if you take “a chance that it will be mild, just know that one in five children [hospitalized for COVID] end up in the intensive care unit.” According to the latest metrics, COVID is the fifthleading cause of death among children between the ages of 1 and 4 years old, and it is the fourth-leading cause for infants younger than 1 year old. Even though prior COVID infections provides some immunity for the future, Abascal said that immunity is less than that which is provided by vaccines. “There’s this idea that the omicron variant is milder, but within this age group, when the omicron variant started surging, there were record hospitalizations,” Abascal added. “That misconception that kids are safe, that nothing happens to kids, is wrong. We have more and more evidence that kids are at an acute risk [and] can suffer consequences, such as multiinflammatory syndrome or long COVID.” Pharmacies are prohibited from administering vaccines to anyone younger than 3 years old, per federal law, but parents and guardians can visit https://myturn. ca.gov/ to find a clinic accepting

infants and toddlers if they don’t have a primary care doctor. “This vaccine is going to be the most heavily studied vaccine in history,” noted Dr. Jennifer Miller of East Bay Pediatrics. “They’ve been properly tested and vetted. The production didn’t cut any corners.” Miller added that the vaccine adds extra protection as children are slowly gaining back their freedom to socialize and participate in school and community activities. Parents may be fearful of the vaccine side effects, but Miller warned that the physical side effects from the COVID vaccine are nothing compared to actually contracting COVID.” She said, “I try to remind [parents] t hat we’re all in this together. Getting our children vaccinated helps us all and improves the health of our community.” According to the latest data provided by the California Dept. of Public Health, about 36% of all 5 to 11-year-olds — who were given the OK to get the Covid vaccine in November 2021 — have been vaccinated so far. Across all age groups, nearly 79% of all eligible Californians have received at least one dose of the vaccine. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

FEEDING PROGRAM. Police officers help in the distribution of food to residents of Baseco Compound in Manila City during the Serbisyo Caravan of the National Capital Region Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in the area on Tuesday, June 28. Around 500 residents benefitted from the relief distribution and feeding program of the national government. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

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Fil-Am-led nonprofit seeks to reduce gun violence... PAGE 2 on the other hand, Navalta said the RPF has given away more than $40,000 in vocational scholarships to members of the reentry and formerly unhoused populations and has seen a 100% success rate in job placement. “There is this father and son who entered our vocational program, who are both homeless. We put them to an apprentice job and they now both have their own apartment and have goodpaying jobs” she recalled, noting that there are about 30 to 40 who have been placed in jobs under RPF’s vocational program. “My son, at the time he was killed, was learning to weld so what we thought we would do was to create career pathways for people who are most vulnerable, like people who are just getting out of prison or ex-offenders, people who are homeless, people who are recovering drug addict. We help them find careers in the building trade. We pay for their boots, and their books and their tools and union dues to learn the trade. And we follow them all the way to job placements,” she said. Recently, RPF also got a Reentry Through the Arts grant from the state-run California Arts Council (CAC) worth $45,000. The grant will be implemented starting September this year and to be completed within one year. CAC supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, programs and services. “With that grant, we can work for the reentry population on our Art of Peace project. These are ex-offenders who are coming out. We are going to pair them with artists so they can create pieces of art with the dismantled gun together and if they like the work then we’re gonna put them in our vocational program so they could learn how to work with metal and then place them in jobs,” Navalta said. With all these efforts being pushed forward, Navalta admitted there are still a lot of things that need to be done, particularly in terms of putting in place permanent long-term solutions to curb gun violence in the country. “Unfortunately, you can drive to a lot of cities throughout the country and you can see signs for a gun buyback but at the same time, you also see signs for gun shows. So, for every gun we take off the street, there are hundreds

Pati Navalta, a longtime journalist, began The Robby Poblete Foundation in 2017, which pushes for a gun buyback program and turns the metal into art. The foundation was created following the death of her son Robby, who was killed by gun violence in the Bay Area.

Pati Navalta (middle) with her children Robby and Julie.

put right back. Our work will never end. There’s no magic number that by the time, we take 10,000 guns off the street, the problem will be solved, it won’t be solved. There is a problem in America: guns. We are just a small nonprofit doing what little we can, but it would never be enough until there is true change in legislation,” she said. Navalta is also urging U.S. lawmakers to come up with concrete solutions that would take all these unwarranted firearms off the streets. “It is our hope that this time, there would be some kind of resolution here. And I think, we have to be realistic...For me, the biggest thing is banning assault weapons, changing the age limit of people who can buy guns and being more rigorous on background checks. I’m sure there will be some kind of compromises made but we can not continue going on without

Photos courtesy of Pati Navalta

something,” she said. Recently, President Joe Biden signed a gun control bill — the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — after it was passed in both the House and Senate. Navalta also called on the Filipino American community to take an active part in this endeavor calling for more gun reform. “Just to let the Filipino community know that there are Filipinos within the community who are trying to commit change in terms of gun violence...This is just a very personal story to me and...a lot of times in our community, we don’t want to talk about the tragedy that happened to us but if we could find a way to transform that tragedy into something that could help people, I think we should take that opportunity and that’s what I am doing with this,” she said. (Donnabelle Gatdula-Arevalo/ AJPress)

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5 things to know now that the US Supreme... PAGE 3

“self-managed” abortion at home, which carries some additional risk if the woman has a complication (though complications are very rare). And abortion pills will still be accessible in states where abortion is allowed. Before Roe was overturned, many states had already enacted restrictions on obtaining abortion pills, including prohibiting the pills from being sent through the mail and not allowing patients to be prescribed the medication via a telemedicine appointment. But people found workarounds — a practice that’s likely to continue. These actions — such as traveling to neighboring states to secure the medication or having it sent to a friend’s house or a post office box in another location — could carry the risk of criminal charges, again depending on the specifics of state laws. There is also concern among abortion rights activists that the states that outlaw abortion could go even further and criminalize traveling to another state to get an abortion, though this is an untested legal frontier and likely would be tied up in courts. In his remarks, Biden took a hard-line stance on this question, saying that nothing in the court’s decision prevents a woman who lives in a state that bans abortion from traveling to a state that allows it. Women “must remain free to travel safely to another state to seek the care they need,” he said, adding that his administration “will defend that bedrock right.” He also noted that doctors in the states that continue to allow abortions can provide abortions to women from other jurisdictions. 4. How will this affect doctors’ ability to provide care? In many states that ban abortions, obstetricians, gynecologists, emergency room doctors, and any type of physician that takes care of pregnant people will likely be targeted by law and could face criminal charges if they provide abortion services. This will have a severe effect on reproductive health care, Dr. Nikki Zite, an OB-GYN in Knoxville, Tennessee, recently told KHN. Tennessee’s trigger law says abortions are permissible only to prevent a death or “to prevent serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.” “But exactly how much risk LAAsianJournal-5.69x10.56-2022.pdf there needs to be is not clear,” Zite said. “Different physicians

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practicing at different institutions will have different interpretations of that law.” There are also gray areas the law doesn’t address. In some very early pregnancies, the fertilized egg lodges outside the uterus — most commonly in a fallopian tube — a potentially lifethreatening situation called an ectopic pregnancy. If that type of pregnancy proceeds, the woman can bleed to death. Patients who have a miscarriage also sometimes need to take abortion medication or have dilation and curettage surgery — known as a D&C — to remove tissue that lingers inside the uterus. “The challenge is that the treatment for an abortion and the treatment for a miscarriage are exactly the same,” Dr. Sarah Prager recently told KHN. Prager is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington in Seattle and an expert on early pregnancy loss. Doctors may hesitate to perform D&Cs to treat miscarriages for fear someone will accuse them of performing a covert abortion. “Physicians shouldn’t be fearful for being criminalized for taking care of patients,” said Zite. “I think there’s going to be a myriad of unintended consequences. I think that people will lose their lives. I also think there will be people in horrible situations, like those that strongly desire to be pregnant but have a complication of the pregnancy, that will not be able to make decisions on how that pregnancy ends, and that will be a different kind of devastation.” 5. Could this ruling affect more than just abortion? Absolutely, according to reproductive health experts. Depending on what is determined to be an “abortion,” states could end up criminalizing — on purpose or by accident — in vitro fertilization and certain forms of birth control, and limiting the training and availability of doctors and other health care providers. At stake is what is determined to be an abortion. Medically, abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy, by natural means — spontaneous abortion, or miscarriage — or by human intervention with medication or an invasive procedure. But when does a pregnancy begin? Doctors say pregnancy begins when a fertilized egg implants in a woman’s uterus. But many 4/20/2022 4:08:34 PM activists anti-abortion say it begins when a sperm and egg

unite to form a zygote, which can happen several days earlier. That earlier time frame would mean that anything that interferes with the implantation of that fertilized egg, such as an IUD (intrauterine device), a common form of birth control, could be defined as an abortion. Similarly, in vitro fertilization, which involves removing a woman’s eggs, fertilizing them, and then implanting them back into the woman, could also be construed to involve abortion unless every fertilized egg was implanted. An opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas that concurred with the decision to overturn Roe raised other questions. He suggested that the court could use the same arguments in the Dobbs case to overturn other key rulings, including those that established the rights to birth control and same-sex marriage. It was not clear that the other justices agreed, and Justice Alito, who wrote the main opinion, said he did not believe the abortion decision affected other issues. The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists applauded the decision, terming it “momentous.” But others worry that the ruling could have a negative impact on women’s access to care in places that have or enact strict abortion laws. Specifically, doctors and other health professionals may not want to train or practice in areas where they could be prosecuted for delivering medical care. And this is not just theoretical. In Texas, where abortion after six weeks’ gestation has been effectively banned since September, according to a report in The New England Journal of Medicine, the law “has taken a toll on clinicians’ mental health; some physicians report feeling like ‘worse doctors,’ and some are leaving the state. As a result, clinicians worry that pregnant Texans are being left without options for care and without doctors capable of providing it.” g KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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OPINION

FEATURES

Stressed out

JOB-related stress is common worldwide, and many countries have reported elevated stress levels among workers during the COVID pandemic. There is additional cause for worry in the Philippines, however, as an international survey showed that in Southeast Asia, Filipinos are the most stressed at work. The 2022 State of the Global Workplace Report prepared by analytics firm Gallup showed stress among workers worldwide hitting another record high last year compared to the start of the pandemic in 2021. While worry, sadness and anger among workers declined last year from their all-time high in 2020, the global levels remained higher than before the pandemic. Stress among Filipino workers is down by three points, but the 50 percent in the 2022 survey is higher than the global average, and the highest within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Thailand followed the Philippines with 41 percent of workers reporting stress. The figure was 38 percent in Cambodia, 37 percent in Myanmar, 35 in Vietnam, 34 in Singapore, 32 in Laos, 27 in Malaysia and 20 percent in Indonesia. The Gallup Work Poll was conducted from 2021 to early 2022. Reacting to the report, organized labor said low wages and contractual work were the top causes of stress among Filipino workers. The Federation of Free Workers said the stress builds up as the six-month deadline for automatic regularization approaches.

While pandemic restrictions have been relaxed in the Philippines, workers still face the risk of catching COVID and infecting other members of the household. Workers must also contend anew with pre-pandemic causes of stress, such as long hours stuck in traffic. The continuing fuel price surge, which is keeping many public utility vehicles off the streets, has also made commuting a nightmare. Worldwide, healthcare workers have been among the most stressed in the past two years. Decades before the pandemic, the World Health Organization was already urging governments, educators and other professionals as well as civic groups to implement measures to prevent mental, neurological and psychosocial disorders among HCWs. The Philippines has passed Republic Act 11036, the Mental Health Act, with the implementing rules and regulations released in January 2019. The 2022 Global Workplace Report highlights the importance of fully implementing the law. Reducing stress in the workplace enhances productivity and is critical in post-pandemic economic recovery. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Facts and fantasies on Marcos’ estate tax

With Due Respect ARTEMIO V. PANGANIBAN INCOMING Commissioner Lilia Guillermo of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) was put on the spot by TV journalists with hard questions on what she intended to do with the much-ballyhooed tax liability of the estate of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos that has allegedly ballooned to over P203 billion from the P23 billion originally assessed by the BIR. AT THE START, THE LADY ANSWERED PRUDENTLY that she needed to see the “correct data” first before giving a definitive commitment. When pressed further on what she would tell President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos II (BBM), given that the Supreme Court decision on the matter had become final and executory, she replied she would respectfully ask him, “P’wede ba maging role model kayo?” (Can you be

a role model?) This reply was bandied by the broadsheets on June 23 and went viral on social media. Since then, a lot of facts and fantasies have been written and aired about the matter. But what are the “correct data” that are known, or publicly knowable, by accessing the e-library of the Supreme Court and reading the relevant Court of Appeals (CA) decision? Here are some undisputed facts therefrom: On Sept. 29, 1989, former president Marcos died in Honolulu, Hawaii, US. On June 27, 1990, the BIR created a “Special Tax Audit Team … to conduct investigations … of the tax liabilities … of the late president, as well as that of his family, associates and ‘cronies.’” The investigation disclosed that the Marcoses failed to file a written notice of his death, an estate tax return (ETR), and income tax returns (ITRs) for 1982-1986 “all in violation of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC).” Thus, the BIR

TAKING the bull by the horn idiomatically speaking could best describe how to address the labyrinthine problems besetting Philippine agriculture. Cattle raising, by the way, is a subsector of the livestock industry in our country’s agriculture. Levity aside, incoming President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) has obviously already braced self when he assumes in concurrent capacity as the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) effective this June 30. It is on the same day that President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office to give way to his duly elected successor at Malacañang Palace. In his press conference last week, PBBM announced he would fill in the Agriculture portfolio initially from day one of his administration. PBBM, however, did not fix a timetable for how long he will stay on as President-cumAgriculture Secretary. Before his administration could even begin, however, rabid critics already questioned

within 30 days from their service as provided by the NIRC. On various dates in 1993, the BIR issued several notices of levy on the real estate properties of the Marcoses to satisfy the estate and income tax assessments. Copies of these notices were furnished Mrs. Marcos, BBM, and their “counsel of record … De Borja, Medialdea, Ata, Bello, Guevarra, and Serapio Law Office.” A public auction of some levied properties “took place on July 5, 1993. There being no bidder, the lots were declared forfeited in favor of the government.” Petitioner BBM filed suit in the CA on June 25, 1993, contesting the above BIR actions. Failing to obtain relief in the CA, BBM, as administrator of his father’s estate, and Mrs. Marcos elevated the suit to the Supreme Court. IN MARCOS II V. COURT OF APPEALS (June 5, 1997), the highest court dismissed the appeal holding thus: “Apart from failing to file the

required [ETR] within the time required … petitioner and the other heirs never questioned the assessments served upon them, allowing the same to lapse into finality, and prompting the BIR to collect the said taxes by levying upon the properties left by President Marcos … [A]ssessments [of the BIR] are presumed correct and made in good faith. The taxpayer has the duty of proving otherwise … The course of action taken by petitioner reflects his disregard or even repugnance of the established institutions for governance in the scheme of a well-ordered society.” This decision, rendered 25 years ago by the Court’s Second Division, was penned by Justice Justo P. Torres Jr. and concurred in unanimously by Justices Florenz D. Regalado (Division chair), Flerida Ruth P. Romero, Reynato S. Puno, and Vicente V. Mendoza. Significantly, the petitioner was named “Ferdinand R. Marcos II”—not Ferdinand R.

Marcos Jr.—in the title of the decision and, consistently, in its textual content. FROM THESE FACTS, THESE QUESTIONS MAY BE ASKED: How much has the BIR collected from the levy and auction sale of the Marcos properties? How much remains to be collected? How was the P23 billion computed? How did it balloon to P203 billion? Apart from those already levied and sold at public auction, what other properties does the Marcos estate have to satisfy the original assessment and balloon? What actions, if any, will the BIR undertake to collect these? Is it open to a compromise on the balloon and on the original assessment? Let’s await BIR’s answers. (Inquirer.net) *** 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.

*** Comments to chiefjusticepanganiban@ hotmail.com

President-cum-Agri chief executive

Commonsense

MARICHU VILLANUEVA

“caused the preparation and filing” of the ETR, the ITR “of the spouses Marcos for the years 1985 to 1986,” and the ITR of BBM for 1982-1985. On July 26, 1991, the BIR issued a deficiency estate tax assessment of over P23 billion; deficiency income tax assessments against the spouses Marcos of P149,000 and P184,000 for the years 1985 and 1986 respectively; and deficiency income tax assessment against BBM of P258.70, P9,386.40, P4,388.30, and P6,376.60 for 1982-1985. Copies of these assessments were sent to their “last known addresses” in San Juan City in 1991; thereafter in 1992, at the office of BBM at the House of Representatives; and finally, a copy to the then lawyer of the estate, the late Dean Antonio Coronel, “inviting Mrs. [Imelda] Marcos to a conference … but to no avail.” The deficiency tax assessments were not administratively protested

via social media PBBM’s motives in taking over the DA post. In particular, fears were foisted on how the P75billion coco levy fund would be handled by the incoming President-cum-Agriculture Secretary. They based their suspicions to the fact that the Agriculture Secretary sits as ex officio chairman of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), an agency attached to the DA. Had they read first Republic Act (RA) 115421, or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund (CFITF) Act signed into law by President Duterte in February 2019, they would find their suspicions were unfounded. For sure, PBBM would know by now from his eldest sister—Senator Imee Marcos, one of the coauthors of RA 115421. This law mandated an inter-agency body to oversee the coco levy trust funds generated from taxes collected from coconut farmers decades ago. Section 10 of this law created the Trust Fund Management Committee composed of the Department of Finance (DOF); the Department of Budget and Management (DBM); and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

It was tasked in setting the investment strategy of the CFITF. Section 11 of the same law designated the DOF as the trust fund manager. Both the DA and the PCA were not even included. This law mandated that the use of the trust fund will be based on a coconut industry development plan (CFIDP) prepared by the PCA in consultation with coconut farmers and their organizations, industry associations, civil society groups and government agencies. It was only last June 9 when President Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) 172 to implement the CFIDP. Thus, these previously sequestered coco levy funds would follow the RA 11542 timetable mandating the release of these trust funds in tranches from the Treasury Bureau: P10 billion in the first year; P10 billion in the second year; P15 billion in the third year; P15 billion in the fourth year; and P25 billion in the fifth year. The trust fund will be maintained for 50 years. Incidentally, the PCA was previously among the attached agencies that were carved out of the DA by the late president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III,

or PNoy for short. The PCA, along with National Food Authority (NFA); the National Irrigation Authority (NIA); the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) were all transferred to the new office created for PNoy’s political ally—Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan—in May 2014. Pangilinan, who was then at the end of his second term at the Senate, was appointed as Presidential Adviser on Food Security and Agriculture Modernization (PAFSAM). When President Duterte took over the helm of government in June 2016, all these agencies, except FTI, were restored one after the other back to the DA. Outgoing DA Secretary William Dar disclosed during our Kapihan sa Manila Bay virtual news forum last Wednesday that the NIA was transferred back to the DA just two months ago. President Duterte appointed Dar to his Cabinet in August 2019. Taking over the helm of the DA in the second half of the Duterte administration, Dar groused about a lot of “political accommodations” during the last three years he had to deal within the DA bureaucracy he inherited. Dar further grumbled the DA has become

the punching bag over the controversial Rice Tariffication Law (RTL). Offhand, Dar admitted some sums of the annual P10 billion of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) were diverted as “ayuda” pay out to farmers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The RTL mandated that the annual tariff revenues from rice imports in excess of P10 billion shall be distributed as cash assistance to small rice farmers tilling two hectares of land and below until 2024. Dar reminded lawmakers that RA 11598, or the RTL, was signed into law on Feb.14, 2019 replacing the rice import quantitative restrictions with tariffs in a six-year period. The same law provided for a congressional review of the RTL by the middle of its implementing period. The timing of this review, he noted, falls in the laps of the incoming 19th Congress. Meanwhile, Dar called out the attention of local government units (LGUs), which by operations of the Local Government Code among other things devolved as many as 17,000 DA personnel as agricultural extension officers

down to the LGUs. Moreover, Dar pointed out, it also authorized LGUs to procure their own rice buffer stock. Starting this year, he noted, the LGUs will have so much funds in their hands with the implementation of the 2018 “Mandanas ruling” of the Supreme Court (SC) on the internal revenue allotments (IRA). The IRAs of the LGUs will increase by as much as P959 billion this year and much more when fully implemented by 2024. “It’s common sense for LGUs lacking rice to do their own buffer stocking and invest some of their IRAs for 60-day buffer stock,” Dar pointed out. Having served for three terms as Ilocos Norte Governor and once as Senator, common sense is the least of worries for PBBM. The President-cumAgriculture Secretary chief executive could whip the LGUs to the directions he wants to lead the country within the next six years of his administration. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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Supreme Court junks pleas vs Marcos Jr. candidacy, clears path to inauguration by Kristine Joy

Philstar.com

RELIEF BOXES. Personnel from the National Capital Region Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict unload from a military truck boxes of relief supplies from the Department of Social Welfare and Development during the Serbisyo Caravan at Baseco Compound in the city of Manila on Tuesday, June 28. Around 500 residents in the area benefitted from the relief distribution. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Sara to invite ex-VPs to discuss security, museum by Janvic mateo Philstar.com

MANILA — Vice presidentelect Sara Duterte will invite former vice presidents to a fellowship lunch “in the coming days” to discuss security and the planned Vice President’s Museum. Duterte’s spokesman Reynold Munsayac said on Tuesday, June 28 there is no scheduled meeting between her and Vice President Leni Robredo before the end of the latter’s term on June 30. “There is a plan, however, to invite all former vice presidents for a fellowship lunch in the coming days to discuss their allotted security from the VPSPG (Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group) and the planned Vice President’s Museum,” he said. “This will depend on the interest of the former VPs and would need a common available schedule for all,” he added. Living former vice presidents include former presidents Joseph Estrada (1992 to 1998) and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (1998 to 2001), as well as

Teofisto Guingona Jr. (2001 to 2004), Noli de Castro (2004 to 2010) and Jejomar Binay (2010 to 2016). Robredo earlier invited Duterte to attend the general assembly of the Office of the Vice President on Monday, June 27. The incoming vice president, however, was in Davao City to attend the oath taking of her brother and successor as mayor, Sebastian Duterte. Duterte was in Cebu on Tuesday to attend the oath taking of Gov. Gwen Garcia and other members of her One Cebu party. Last week, the Armed Forces of the Philippines activated the VPSPG, which replaced the Vice Presidential Security Detachment. Duterte lauded the activation of the group, saying “it will resolve the matter of continuity in security for all vice presidents of the Philippines.” “This AFP initiative also highlights the importance of having an independent group that will provide all Philippine vice presidents with the necessary security and protection,” she added.

The incoming vice president also lauded the “foresight” in the activation of the VPSPG, noting that it may “be expected to solve the challenges if, in future elections, the vice president and the president face the misfortune of having strained relations.” AFP chief of staff Gen. Andres Centino on Friday, June 24 led the activation of the VPSPG and installed Lt. Col. Rene Giroy as its first group commander. “The AFP saw it fitting to provide the Office of the Vice President a dedicated unit that shall ensure the safety and security of the second-highest elected official in the country,” said Centino. “I am confident that the newly-designated VPSPG Commander and the rest of the officers and enlisted personnel entrusted to ensure the safety, security and welfare of the vice president and her family shall perform their responsibilities to the best of their abilities,” he added. The AFP later clarified that VPSPG is not a new unit, adding that its predecessor was never part of or under the Presidential Security Group. g

Patag

MANILA — The Supreme Court has junked petitions challenging the candidacy of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., clearing the path to his oath-taking as the 17th president of the Philippines. The SC en banc voted 13-0 to junk one plea challenging the Commission on Elections's ruling that junked their petition against Marcos' Certificate of Candidacy and another that dismissed their disqualification case. "The Court held that in the exercise of its power to decide the present controversy led them to no other conclusion but that respondent Marcos Jr. is qualified to run for and be elected to public office. Likewise, his COC, being valid and in accord with the pertinent law, was rightfully upheld by the Comelec," the Supreme Court Public Information Office said in a release. No other details on how the justices agreed that Marcos’ COC is valid following the law — as upheld by the Comelec — was given in the briefer. Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda penned the ruling, but a full copy of the decision has yet to be made public. Associate Justices Henri Jean Paul Inting and Antonio Kho Jr. took no part in the decision. Kho was elections commissioner before he was appointed to the SC while Inting's sister Socorro is a sitting Comelec commissioner. The SC resolved the petitions just two days before Marcos’ inauguration on June 30. In their Comment seeking the dismissal of the pleas, Marcos' counsel said: "It is respectfully prayed of the Honorable Court to protect the free choice of the Sovereign Filipino People that their President is respondent Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and to dismiss the instant Petition for Certiorari dated May 16, 2022 for lack of jurisdiction and/or complete of merit." Marcos’ lawyers also pointed

out that the Congress proceeded to canvass the Certificates of Canvass and proclaimed him as president on May 25, after securing a historic majority vote of 31,629,783. "In light of the above, the Supreme Court has lost jurisdiction over the instant case. Any issue as to the qualifications of respondent Marcos Jr. falls within the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal as provided in the Constitution," they argued. The petitions TheBuenafepetition,filedbycivic leaders represented by Theodore Te, sought the cancellation of Marcos’ COC, accusing him of "misrepresentations pertaining to his eligibility due to his prior convictions under the 1977 [National Internal Revenue Code]." Meanwhile, Martial Law victims led by Bonifacio Ilagan wanted Marcos disqualified as a candidate. The Ilagan petition also cited the conviction of Marcos on the non-filing of Income Tax Returns for four years. Among the grounds they cited is that Marcos was convicted of a crime of moral turpitude which should result in

his disqualification. They lost at the Comelec division and later at the commission en banc, prompting them to run to the Supreme Court for relief. The Ilagan petition argued that "Comelec (En Banc) acted without or in excess of its jurisdiction, or with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction when it issued its Resolution denying the Motion for Reconsideration and affirming the Comelec (Former First Division) Resolution." With the dismissal of their pleas, Marcos’ path to the Malacañang — to be formalized on Thursday — has been cleared of legal challenges. The petitioners can still file a motion for reconsideration, within 15 days of receipt of the ruling, but swaying a unanimous court is going to be a challenge. g

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking quotes for Dwarf Signals. Bid documents may be obtained at https:// metrolinktrains.com/doingbusiness (free registration). Electronic Bids are due at 2:00 P.M. (PT) on July 22, 2022. For further information, contact Arisa Hicks, Contract Specialist, at (213) 452-0250 or hicksa@scrra.net

Air System 3,800-gal Receiver Tanks and update of current Ground Air Systems at CMF facilities. Bid documents may be downloaded at SCRRA’s website at http://metrolinktrains.com/ contracts/ Select Vendor Portal. Electronic Bids are due at 2:00 P.M. (PT) on July 11, 2022. For further information contact: Carlos Delgado, Contract Administrator, at delgadoc@scrra.net

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY IFB NO. EP225R-23 UPDATE GROUND AIR SOUTHERN SYSTEMS AT EMF CALIFORNIA REGIONAL & CMF FACILITIES RAIL AUTHORITY The Southern California RFQ NO. MTL2204690 Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking Bids for the Dwarf Signals replacement of EMF Ground

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Leading opposition will be ‘very challenging’ — Hontiveros Locsin bares New York banks’ attempts MANILA — Leading the opposition “would be very challenging” amid the political climate in the country, re-elected Senator Risa Hontiveros said. “It would be very challenging not just for any leader, but for the whole opposition,” Hontiveros told CNN Philippines’ The Source in an interview on Tuesday, June 28. Hontiveros is the lone opposition senator elected to the upper chamber in the 2022 elections. On Monday, she took her oath of office before Vice President Leni Robredo, who turned over the opposition leadership to the senator. “All of us in the opposition will really have to take stock of things again [to] think about, ask, listen, [and] talk with each other, not just within the opposition, but within the larger citizenry [in regards to] what are the issues we are facing and how do we want to solve them,” she added. The lawmaker underscored that being in the opposition is not simply “opposing” any administration, but rather

EMPLOYMENT

presenting alternatives to address long-time issues. “I think being [in the] opposition isn’t just opposing anyone on administration. It’s [about] presenting alternatives to long-time issues [and] presenting alternatives to the system itself,” she explained. Further, Hontiveros said the opposition had an accumulation of hurdles, saying “some were cleared, attempted to be cleared, and a lot are still unfinished business.” “We have an accumulation of hurdles in the past decades and in the past few years. Some of them we attempted to clear, some we’ve been able to clear, but there’s still a lot of unfinished business, still a lot of loose ends not tied up,” said Hontiveros. Among these hurdles, she said, is the recognition and compensation of human rights victims, drawing accountability for corruption, territorial disputes, and emergence from economic recession caused by the pandemic. She also stressed the need to “rebuild and build unities” among people.

to corner Filipino dollar remittances

SOME New York banks in the United States had tried to corner Filipino dollar remittances on the "fake ground" that they can be a source of terrorist financing, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. claimed. He disclosed this on Tuesday during the International Day of Family Remittances which is a tribute to millions of hardworking and selfless migrant workers who have committed their lives to supporting loved ones back home. In a speech, Locsin said the hard-earned income of overseas Filipino workers "is a vital economic lifeline that allows their families to live decent and Senator Risa Hontiveros delivers a speech after dignified lives." taking her oath of office before Vice President "And a major source of foreign Leni Robredo on Monday, June 27, 2022. currency that answers the needs Photo from Sen. Hontiveros’ office of big business at home," the “Still, the task of any Department of Foreign Affairs government, any legislatures as (DFA) chief stressed. part of the government, and the "In the UN (United Nations), opposition as part of our society the first thing I did was to smash is truly rebuilding and building an attempt by New York banks unities among our people,” to corner Filipino remittances on Hontiveros ended. (Inquirer.net) the fake ground that they can be

a source of terrorist financing," Locsin said. He continued, "In fact, it is big banking that is a major source of terrorist financing; second only to drug, human and arms trafficking. The New York bankers were lying again and I told them so." "This is a repeat of the same scam they tried to foist on [the] President [Corazon] Aquino in Switzerland. But I was with her and kicked their scheme aside. If there is going to be any regulation or control, it has to be Filipino and totally transparent," Locsin said. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in February reported that OFWs remitted a record-breaking $34 billion in 2021, accounting for 8.9 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Personal remittances, which are cash or in-kind transfers between families, totaled $34.88 billion in 2021, up 5.1 percent from $33.19 billion in the previous year. Locsin noted that in 2021, the World Bank reported a total of $605 billion in remittances, an

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increase of 17 percent from the total remittances recorded in 2020. Of that staggering amount, the Philippines, Locsin said, contributed $34.9 billion, making our country the fourth largest destination for remittances in 2021. "That's the currency that buys vaccines and buoys up whatever economic activity was possible in the lockdowns," the DFA chief said. During the outbreak of Covid-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019), remittances became even more essential as they "shielded families, communities, and entire countries from the crippling economic consequences of the public health crisis and the economic shocks that followed," he added. "Let me thank Israel and Germany for taking the treatment of migrant workers to a new high. In fact, how they treat migrant workers became the template of a global compact on migration," Locsin said. (ManilaTimes.net)

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Dennis answers son’s open letter: ‘Been reaching out to you for 15 years’ By

anne PaSaJol Inquirer.net

Leon Barretto and Dennis Padilla Photo from Instagram/@

DENNIS Padilla has responded to his son Leon Barretto’s open letter with an apology, asserting that he has been reaching out to his children for 15 years. Padilla showed again the throwback photo of himself with his son, which was what the actor posted when he disclosed about Leon, Julia and Claudia forgetting to greet him on Father’s Day. Padilla gave his response via his Instagram page on Sunday, June 26, a few hours after Leon posted an open letter for him. “I am sorry Leon… Miss ko lang kayo (I just missed all of you)… God bless you more!” Padilla said. Padilla then addressed the “false narrative” his son mentioned in his letter, with Padilla stressing that he has made efforts to communicate with them. “Just want to know what false narrative I said in public? I [have] been reaching out to all of you for 15 years in private,” the actor

added. Padilla also showed a handwritten letter with excerpts from “Letters to my Son” by Kent Nerburn, as seen on his Instagram page today, June 27. The actor did not mention any names in his post. “I have regretfully made mistakes in my life. I may not have been there for you but I always had you in my heart,” it stated. “Sometimes in life, there are things that we will never understand why it happened. In the end, I regret all the moments I let slip by.” Leon earlier stated that he is stepping up to protect his sisters and addressed Padilla’s “public shaming” of them. Leon also revealed how Padilla traumatizes them by “shouting, cursing, and using hurtful words” Raymond Gutierrez and his boyfriend in an Instagram post on June 26, 2022. whenever they try to resolve their issues. Photo from Instagram/@mond Marjorie Barretto — Leon, Julia and Claudia’s mom — also earlier gave a statement to comedian-talent manager Ogie Diaz and said that she will speak up on Padilla’s relationship with their children “in time.”

Kean leaves Callalily after almost 20 years

AFTER almost two decades, singer Kean Cipriano revealed that he parted ways with his band Callalily. In a report by PUSH, Kean said he wished his former band all the best. “Yeah, Callalilly is done,” he said. “Callalily is done. I’m moving on, I’ve moved on, moving forward, and I wish them all the best,” he added. Kean admitted that the band has not been okay for a few years now. “I mean, we’re okay na parang... I think in a group, magkakasama kayo for 17 years, marami na rin nangyari and I don’t think medyo

matagal na rin kaming hindi okay so, alam mo ‘yon, parang ibang chapter naman for us,” he said. He also shut down band reunion rumors for the coming years. “Hindi na magbabalik ‘yung dating Callalily,” he said. The band, meanwhile, changed its name to LILY Music, as seen in its Facebook account. Callalily rose to fame in 2005 with their hits “Stars,” “Magbalik” and “Take My Hand,” to name a few. Kean launched his own record label O/C Records in 2018 and released his debut solo album “Childlike” in May 2021. (by Jan Milo Severo/Philstar.com)

Raymond introduces ‘afam’ boyfriend By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

TV host Raymond Gutierrez introduced his boyfriend in celebration of Pride Month. In his Instagram account yesterday, Raymond posted photos of him with his unnamed boyfriend. “Celebrate your love! Happy Pride, Philippines,” he captioned the post. In his interview with Wil Dasovich earlier this month, the twin of Richard Gutierrez admitted that he’s in a relationship. “In January, I did meet someone and we’re taking it a little bit more seriously. And Former Callalily vocalist Kean Cipriano Photo from Instagram/@ yeah, we are in a relationship,”

he said. “There’s nothing to hide. What is there to hide? If the pandemic taught us one thing, it’s to live your life now,” he added. Raymond came out as a member of the LGBTQ community in an interview in August 2021. “I’m here to formally say that I am a proud member of the LGBTQ community. And it feels great saying that publicly because I am,” he said. “I am out to a lot of my close friends and I’m lucky that I have that support system around me to give me the confidence to really accept who I am and to love myself because not a lot of people have that,” he added.

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‘Celebrating Life’ launches its debut with an extravagant premiere red carpet event in California

ON July 30th in the Legendary Bella Vista Polo Ranch, in Santa Barbara, Valentina Castellani and Gilles David launch their new venture “CELEBRATING LIFE” www. celebratinglife.la partnering on this initiative with Davos Business tycoon Lan Tschirky. CELEBRATING LIFE is a new revolutionary company that creates Global Events and Exclusive Experiences, highlighting companies and initiatives around the world. A kaleidoscopic way to unite Business-EntertainmentFashion-Finances-Music and Sport. Valentina Castellani, Chairman of Quinn Studios Entertainment in Hollywood, is an Award Winning Film Producer who recently signed an important partnership with the UAE Royal Family to develop the Film Industry in the Arab Peninsula. Miss Castellani brings to the table the highest level of experience and awards in Entertainment and the Film Industry. Miss Castellani is the recipient of many Awards including The US Congress Award recognition, The City of Los Angeles Award, The Human Rights Award, The prestigious WIFT English Award, and in November she will receive the Oliver Tolentino became a part of history last Friday night when Mishael Morgan won Outstanding Lead Actress at the 49th Annual WOMEN EMPOWERMENT Daytime Emmy Awards. Morgan, who co-stars in “The Young & The Restless,” became the first Black actress ever to win in that category AWARD next to Michelle while wearing the designer’s gown. Morgan slayed on the red carpet and during the televised show in a black and red floral print mikado Obama. column gown accented with side peplum and a detachable train. The dramatic look was from Tolentino’s L.A. Fashion Week collection. Quinn Studios Oliver Tolentino has boutiques in Beverly Hills and Manila. Photos Entertainment has produced Academy Award Candidate Films, Documentaries and TV series. Gilles David has shaped the image and looks of the 21st Century through his work for major brands such from the NBA, the NFL, the Surf and Attendees include chambers of commerce from Skateboard mainstream global GET ready for a packed schedule of branding, founded and was the Southern California, community members, and workshops, networking and giveaways at the original founder and Marketing business leaders from startups to Fortune 500 San Gabriel Valley Megamix Expo on Thursday, global director of Paris Duty companies. June 30. Free Group. From 4 to 5 p.m., attendees can attend one Held at the Hilton Los Angeles/San Gabriel The ‘PDF’ Group was the of the workshops, including: (225 West Valley Boulevard San Gabriel, first ever to sell luxury goods • Insurance 101 for Business Owners by CA 91776) from 4 to 8:30 p.m., the expo’s online, selling exclusive bands Gilda Moshir & Mike Anderson theme for 2022 is “bringing the community such as Pierre Cardin, Pierre • “Family Law Do’s and Don’ts” by back together.” It will showcase innovative Balmain, Sonia Rykiel Jean Law Offices of Christopher L. Hoglin, P.C. businesses in the San Gabriel Valley and Paul-Gaultier, Burberrys, Ted encourage attendees that this is the time to buy, and “Immigration 101 “How to remain lawfully Lapidus, Loris Azzaro, Torrente, shop, support and invest in your community. Continued on Page 12 Guy Laroche, Lancel and JeanLouis Scherrer. Involved early in his career with the NBA, NFL MLB & the NCAA as an exclusive

San Gabriel Valley Megamix Expo returns on June 30

apparel licensee, working with Jeff Hamilton, Starter & Russell Athletic Working for the Sultan of Brunei, being commissioned by Heineken for an energy drink collaboration with the Partouche Casinos Group & the famous night clubs, restaurant Papagayo St Tropez, designing a sneaker collaboration with SPARCO Italy and apparel for the motorsports industry, as well a collaboration with SPY Optic’s MX Googles; this is his story, a successful entrepreneur, designer, art director and innovator. Gilles has drawn upon decades of experience in the fashion, food, cosmetics & fragrance packaging designs, and a lifetime of globetrotting. In 2005 he founded of Los Angeles Fuel, a luxury life style fashion apparel company, from denim jeans, sweatshirts, tee shirts, hats, bags, and also energy drink, energy gums and a luxury jewelry as he collaborated with his longtime friend Herve Heumann; a Jewelry Designer which developed over the years in his career for companies such as: Cartier, Mauboussin, Messika, Jourdan, and Chris Aire. Herve has provided designs for celebrities, including actors, producers, singers, and designers: Will Smith, Bruce Willis, Kobe Bryant’s wife, Dr DRE, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, The Game, 50 Cents, Vivica Fox, Michael Jordan, Mohamed Ali, Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey. Gilles is currently Based in Beverly Hills. Mr. David recently inherited the exclusivity of the full brand of Pierre Cardin re-launching the iconic Cardin style for the USA market. He is currently

collaborating with some top VIPs, celebrities, designing some items/categories of Pierre Cardin collection as well. The company set for stardom launches the initiative in full glamour with an extraordinary event set in the Exclusive Bella Vista Polo Ranch. The full day experience is composed of Red Carpet, Press Conference with International Media, seated luncheon, Polo Game with the Monte-Carlo Polo Federation, led by Francesco Mitrano who is in the Board of Directors of the Company, together with Mr. Richard Caleel, former President of FIP ( Federation of International Polo). Following up is The Pierre Cardin Fashion show presenting the new collection designed by Gilles David, and finally Frank Stallone Birthday Party Celebration. Frank Stallone, brother of Sylvester, is a Grammy and Golden Globe nominated composer and musician and will gift us with some of his recent work at the event. The Guests list is very exclusive accounting Hollywood Celebrities, CEO and International Business Leaders, Film Studios executives, NBA Players... and the list goes on. CELEBRATING LIFE is already set for the next event at the Pierre Cardin Villa in Cannes, the iconic “Palais Bulle’”, of which the Company will hold from now the exclusivity. The company plans to expand by January in Davos at the prestigious LAN SPACE, bringing Films, Entertainment, Music and Fashion for the first time in the World’s Capital of Business.

Birthday celebration and regular meeting, hosed by Bro. Grand Knight Elnor Andal, assisted by Rev. Fr. Joy Lawrence Santos on June 25, 2022 at Knights of Columbus St. Genevieve council 14772. Photos by Bro.

Outgoing and incoming President held in the mansion house of past Governor Max Luis Dominguez. From the past President Bro. Charlie Bonilla. Turned over to President elect. Bro Macky Fortu on June 26, 2022 at La Brilliant Lions Club.

Why Tuesday goes emotional while loading groceries at a cashier By Alex

BrosAs Inquirer.net

SINGER Tuesday Vargas reminisced the old days when she barely had enough for her groceries, which sent her shedding some tears. Vargas recalled her bittersweet experience in her Instagram page last Saturday, June 25, while she showed a photo of herself inside her car with her purchases.

“Dati kapag namimili ako, bawat piraso ng bawang binibilang ko kung kasya ang pera ko. Nagdadala ako ng calculator (kasi pati telepono ko noon mumurahin lang walang calculator) para makita ko kung pasok pa sa budget. Ni wala akong membership sa kahit anong shopping club,” she recalled. (In the past, when I shopped, I counted the pieces of garlic to make sure

that I have enough money for them. I brought a calculator, because my cellphone was cheap and did not have a calculator, so I can see if the items are still within my budget. I did not even have a membership in any shopping club.) Vargas admitted that she only got to taste imported grocery items when her mom sent them or when there was Continued on Page 13

Is the real estate market cooling off?

The median list price of homes is at $469,900, with new listings having a median price of to $585,000, with the median THERE are indications in $459,999. Per square foot price price of new listings pegged at the past few weeks that the has held steady at $243. While $495,645, also trending a bit real estate market seems to be average days on market is at 52, downward. However, that is still experiencing a cooldown period which represented a decrease, good as per square foot price is after a long period of upward median days on market has still about $277, which shows a trends. been trending up and is at 21. tremendous historical increase According to First American The North Las Vegas area is still through the years. Title’s market reports for the deemed to be a seller’s market. It is still considered a seller’s communities of Las Vegas, The same scenario is true market in Las Vegas, as there North Las Vegas, Boulder City for Henderson, whose MAI, per is still not enough inventory in and Henderson, the market the FAT market report, fell down the market to satisfy demand, action index, or MAI, for these to 60 from a level of 69 last although inventory has been communities have fallen a bit month. Inventory has increased from last month’s levels, although steadily increasing over the in the area, with the median list past few months. The average we are still at a seller’s market price of homes and the median days on market is at 59, while level. price of new listings both going the median days on market is For Las Vegas, FAT’s market down to $663,000 and $561,915 holding steady at 21. report states that MAI is down respectively. Per square foot The North Las Vegas area’s 64 from the previous month’s price has increased to $301 for MAI has also fallen down to 79 level of 72. Median list price the area. Average days on market from a level of 89 last month. of homes fell down a little bit is at 56, while median days on market has held steady at 21. Finally, in the Boulder City area, the MAI has also fallen a bit to 49 from last month’s level of 56, but is still in seller’s market level. The median list price of homes in Boulder City is holding steady at $748,440, while median price of new listings actually increased to $715,000. Per square foot price is at $333. Average days on market and median days on market has decreased to 103 and 39, respectively. The current situation of the economy has contributed to the cooling off period, with many market analysts talking about inflation as well as the rising prices of gasoline due to world events (war on Ukraine and embargo on Russian oil, Once again at Benihana’s in Westgate, celebrating the close of escrow of a client, the pandemic and supply chain Virgilio P. Longakit Jr., for his unit at Tower 1, Turnberry Place. Photo above shows problems). (from left) Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman, Dr. Phil Paleracio, Virgilio Longakit Jr. A housing market crash, and Mary Jane Cutshall. similar to what happened in 2008, should not happen this time even if the economy is on a slowdown. The industry is better equipped to handle any downward trends in the real estate market. Due to the circumstances of the 2008 housing market meltdown, procedures have been put in place to protect consumers, including more transparency in the lending process for buyers as well as higher qualification requirements in order to get optimal rates. However, for the real estate market in Nevada, the cooling down period is not expected to Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman (left) feels so lucky to have as her client, well-loved last. dentist Dr. Phil Paleracio, who is investing in Pahrump and plans to build his second Real estate prices in the state medical office on Homestead Road. are still at lower levels when

By RealtoR Fely Quitevis-Bateman

community

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 29, 2022

compared to some areas in the country, which is why more and more people are looking at living in Nevada due to more reasonable home and land prices. Unemployment has also been trending downward in the state, which may mean more money or income for people to put into a home if they intend to purchase one. A look at all the projects being planned in Las Vegas and neighboring communities shows continued interest in the area. With tracts of land being sold in record prices and large companies committed to developing their own competing projects aimed at attracting tourists, travelers, businesses and fun seekers of every age and size, construction should be aplenty and jobs available in the coming years. Currently, inventory of homes has been increasing for Las Vegas and other neighborhoods. That bodes well for home buyers as they will have a number of choices to look at in their search for that dream house. Although still in a seller’s market, market conditions have dampened a bit – it has given buyers a little bit of wiggle room. While the real estate market may adjust itself and correct itself a bit after a long period of uptick, history suggests that real estate is still a sound investment. One only has to look at price comparisons from a year ago, a decade ago, or even a couple or more decades ago to see that land and home prices have risen on the average despite experiencing some periods of slump. I have been a realtor since 1988 and have seen how Las Vegas, Pahrump and other neighboring communities have grown through the years. Many of my clients who have invested in properties have seen their portfolio and wealth grow in time. Some have even taken advantage of market trends and have put their investments to good use via Airbnb, rentals and land banking. There are still opportunities for those who want to secure home or property in Pahrump, Las Vegas or other Nevada communities. I can help you, my kababayans, purchase your first home, or second home, or investment property and turn

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Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman’s (2nd from left) repeat investors in Pahrump, Clark Kenneth (extreme right) and Angelica (extreme left) Games from Palm Springs, CA have fallen in love with the fast developing town in Nye County, Nevada. With Realtor Quitevis-Bateman and the Games couple is Realtor John Abarabar of Rockwell Commercial Group.

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.

your dreams into reality. My company, Precious Properties, is a full-service company that has successfully helped its clientele find the best deals since 1988. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-5592476 and 702-538-4948 for more

information, or send me an email at fely@precious-properties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days. (Advertising Supplement)

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California court’s power to community make divorce orders when one Get out of debt to spouse does not live in California build real wealth

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 29, 2022

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon

DON’T let this happen to you! A client of mine said he

never saw it coming. Everything he ever wanted in life, he always purchased on credit. The “preapproved” credit cards just kept coming in the mail and he never said NO to any of them. Buy

community and separate properties between the spouses and awarding support now and pay later, why not? As payments. In order for the long as they allow you to pay in California Courts to have the installments, just charge it. Easy power to make orders, the peasy. California Courts must have Atty. Kenneth When the time came that personal jurisdiction over uRsuA Reyes he was able to save a little bit the respondent. Personal of money for a down payment jurisdiction means the on a house, he purchased the This is a common question respondent has minimum biggest house he could buy among people contemplating contacts with California even because the bank gave him an divorce in California when the if not physically here. Some “interest only” loan for 5 years. other spouse does not live of the factors looked at is Of course, he also had to buy a in the state. The California respondents presence in the nice car to go with the house- it Courts has the power to state, domicile, residence, looked great in his driveway. grant a divorce, annulment, citizenship, consent, He thought he was living the or legal separation if either appearance in the action, doing “American Dream”. party is domiciled in the state. business in the state, doing Everything seemed OK until Domicile is where a person an act that causes an effect one day my client lost his job lives and intends to remain. in the state, ownership in the of 15 years. He thought he However, there is an additional state, other relationship to the “owned” everything he had until requirement if you are seeking state. If the respondent does he found himself scrambling a divorce rather than annulment not have minimum contact with just to keep from losing it all. or legal separation. To obtain California, respondent may That’s when reality hit him like a a divorce in California, one of challenge any orders relating ton of bricks- He realized that in the parties must have been a to distribution of property and reality he owned NOTHING and resident of California for six support based on the court’s that the banks actually owned months immediately before the lack of jurisdiction. EVERYTHING. The moment he filing of the divorce petition. With regards to initial child could no longer pay, they took Responding spouses can use custody issues, these issues are everything away. this requirement as a defense if resolved under the Uniform Don’t get me wrong. There the Petitioning spouse does not Child Custody Jurisdiction and is nothing wrong with buying meet such requirement when Enforcement Act. California a house and the toys that go the petitioner filed for divorce. Courts have the power to with it if that’s what makes In addition, divorce petitions make initial custody orders if you happy. Just make sure may be filed in the county where it is the child’s home state at that by doing so, you are not at least one spouse resided for the time the action was filed. living beyond your means or 3 months immediately prior to California may also assume otherwise there’s a good chance filing the petition. power to make custody orders you’ll end up losing it all or in Now apart from getting a if California has been the child’s bankruptcy court. Everything divorce, legal separation, or home state within six months you want in life comes with annulled status, there may be before the action was filed, the a price. And when you are issues relating to distributing child is absent form California, borrowing money to purchase and the bank takes a security interest in what you are buying, you don’t own it until the loan is paid off. Have you become a prisoner of debt? You see, as long as you owe people money, they actually own you- until you pay your debt. A lot of people who come to me for help tell me that they just want to live a better life and build wealth so they can be financially free one day. But (CONTINUED from last see, it is impossible to save any week …) money when you have excessive We are tempted to look debt hanging over your head. at movie stars, fat cats and A government study shows other luminaries who dare defy that 95% of the population will conventions basking in the actually never achieve financial public limelight pursued by and thus cannot support independence. That’s almost TMZ cameras as people worthy planets that need a longer Continued on Page 13 of awe and respect. And if span of time to support the you let it, a tiny tinge of envy existence and development of gnaws at our souls when you thinking, feeling beings such see their images commanding as our home planet. megabucks. They appear as Our sun, according to titans walking among ants. scientists, is approaching Granted a select few of middle age and has enough them deserve the attention fire in its belly to support life we give them but most can for another 4 to 5 billion years be reduced to fodder for the before it goes into its death gristmill of entertainment. The throes and gets recycled back truth is, those who deserve our as dust and gas to repeat the awe and respect are the ones process of giving birth to a who orbit our daily life. new star, possibly with one Perhaps we need to look special planet supporting at another firmament to intelligent life all over again. gain a genuine and lifelong The universe is the ultimate perspective of celebrating recycling bin after all. This is what is ordinary, of celebrating probably what it means by the you and I and everyone of phrase “world without end.” us, mere mortals cut from the Consider that the Milky average cloth, who have to get Way is only one ordinary spiral up every single day to slay our galaxy out of billions of others dragons with our rusty sword in a universe that according to and trusty steed, that is, after evidence gathered by Edwin we’ve gulped down our java Hubble in the 1920’s is still and said our prayers. expanding with billions of Look to the stars in the true galaxies moving away from celestial firmament, to gain each other at a furious pace. a soul-searing appreciation To simplify the imagery, and even love and respect for perhaps we may be given our tiny place in the universe. license to view the universe Nature is a great teacher. in its near incomprehensible A layman’s appreciation of vastness, as a single mega astronomy and cosmology structure in infinite space. The teaches us that there is every entire cosmos could be one reason to celebrate the unit composed of galaxies as ordinary. its building blocks like cells Our own sun is an ordinary, and molecules of a human average, ho-hum star shining body but with gravity and steadily in the suburbs about plasma collectively emitted two thirds from the center of by the energy of countless the Milky Way. In the hierarchy stars, functioning as its cosmic of stars, our own sun is a lowly lifeblood holding everything commoner and it is located together. Whew! a third of the way from the The cosmos, according center where a black hole to evidence so far gathered exists, according to educated by probes and the Hubble guesses by scientists. Space Telescope (HST), is so This black hole is sucking inconceivably vast with more in, like the drain in your kitchen stars than there are grains of sink, all the brightest stars sand on earth, it strains the within its vicinity. The biggest, limits of human imagination. brightest stars in our galaxy are It is more than likely, there energy guzzlers and therefore, are other forms of intelligent have short lives, about half the life in places where there is life span of our solar system, water, complete with soul and

Barrister’s Corner

and a parent continues to live in California. California may also exercise jurisdiction when no other state is the child’s home state or when all court’s having jurisdiction over the child has declined to act and deferred to California as the more appropriate place to make custody orders. California may also exercise jurisdiction if no other state would have jurisdiction over the child. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite

Hail to the ordinary Part 2 of 2

“There are definitely some enemies in my life I definitely would wish celebrity on ...” — Gary Coleman, dead at 42, Suffered a reversal of fortune, Star of the sitcom, “Diff’rent Strokes” spirit, following the laws of nature and teeming in wild abundance in the cosmos. We may never have any evidence of what sounds like science fiction, but some sage once pointed out quite rightly that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Yet for all this awesome grandeur, consider the glorious ordinariness of the earth in the celestial heavens. It’s like Goldilocks gravitating to the porridge in the middle. Neither too hot nor too cold, earth is the only place in the solar system with a slim ecosphere that allows life to not only survive, but to thrive with astonishing tenacity, as long as the sun shines steadily while it faithfully orbits the center of the Milky Way every quarter of a million years. The earth’s size, its tilt, its distance from the sun, its companion moon, the presence of water in various states all conspire to make it and its inhabitants the crowning glory of creation as far as human life is concerned. Our blue marbled dot is a place so wonderfully made that of all the orbs of different sizes and makes, revolving around that ordinary star we call the sun, it is the only one uniquely qualified to sustain life, as we know it, in our tiny neck of the cosmic woods. Value the ordinary. Value your life. The sun, the earth and the stars at night remind us daily. ***

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints ex p resse d by t h e a u t h o r d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

***

Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya writes for Asian Journal Publications, Inc. Her opinions are her own. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc. com

San Gabriel Valley Megamix... From Page 10 in the United States” by Alexandre Law Firm • Successful Business Strategies In a PostPandemic, Digital World by Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty • 3 Tips for Hiring Excellent Employees while Protecting your Business by Valerie Gonzalez, San Gabriel Valley Law, P.C.by Valerie Gonzalez, San Gabriel Valley Law, P.C. • Issues Surrounding Crypto Currency and Choice of Entities for Small Business by Frank Saito, Lee, Sperling, Hisamune/Accountancy Corporation • Workforce Development & Is Your Business Contract Ready? By Darrel Sauceda, City of Los Angeles Economic & Workforce Development

Department Workshop attendees will be entered into the workshop VIP raffle prize. Each workshop has its own VIP raffle prize. One attendee per workshop. Attendee must be present to win. From 5 to 8:30 p.m., the expo will feature 129 exhibitor vendors and participation from 16 chambers of commerce. The Asian Journal is a media sponsor of the San Gabriel Valley Megamix Expo, which is co-hosted by Officezilla and the San Gabriel Chamber of Commerce. The event will be held on Thursday, June 30 from 4 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hilton Los Angeles/San Gabriel (225 West Valley Boulevard San Gabriel, CA 91776). Admission tickets can be purchased at sangabrielchamber.

Philippine American community 13 Friendship Day to be held on July 9 in Cerritos, CA Anji hopes to be a good role model The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 29, 2022

CERRITOS, CA – All roads will lead to this city as nonstop musical entertainment, Philippine cultural presentations, inspirational messages, product booths, food vendors, and workshops, await attendees during the Philippine American Friendship Day on July 9. Hosted by National Federation of Filipino American Federation Associations (NaFFAA) Greater Los Angeles in partnership with Los Angeles County’s 4th District Janice Hahn and LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva, this historic milestone promises to be the L.A. County’s Largest Philippine American Friendship Day that had its roots in the City of Carson in 2021. It will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Don Knabe Community Regional Park on 19700 S. Bloomfield Ave. in Cerritos. Among notable entertainers who will perform at the huge park overlooking the park’s picturesque lake include R&B singer Kiana Valenciano, Robin Nievera, Felson Palad, Sara Mislang, former Miss Saigon Emeben Baysic, Lyndon Apostol, Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO), Garth Garcia, Club Magkaisa of Cerritos High School, Filipino Cultural School Ensemble, Pamana Kali, Carson Street Dancers, Playback Jukebox, Pamana Kali, The Rising Stars, Visual Movement, iDancers, and Hollywood Dance Moms, to name a few. A short parade on the site will kick off the festivities to be participated in by community leaders representing various Fil-Am organizations, City of

Cerritos Council members and other Fil-Am elected public officials accompanied by mounted sheriff deputies with a fly by helicopter. Dignitaries who will deliver their inspirational messages include State Treasurer Fiona Ma, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, A. Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Philippine Deputy Consul General Ambrosio Brian F. Enciso, Artesia Mayor Melissa Ramoso, Cerritos Mayor Chung Vo, Cerritos Councilmembers Lynda Johnson and Frank Yokoyama, Bellflower Mayor Pro Tem Sonny Santa Ines, Lakewood Mayor Pro Tem Ariel Pe, Carson Councilmember Arleen Rojas, Jessica Caloza, the Deputy Chief of Staff to Attorney General Rob Bonta and other elected Fil-Am public officials. This year’s theme, according to organizers, “Together We Rise. The Time Is Now, will celebrate the extraordinary contributions and accomplishments of everyday Filipino Americans with our diverse community who have also contributed to the prosperity in our adopted country – despite its challenges as a nation in pursuit of perfect union.” This Philippine American Friendship Day festivity is in lieu of the July 4th which also used to be celebrated as Philippine Independence Day granted by the United States in 1946 until it was reverted back to June 12, the original proclamation of the country’s independence from Spain on June 12, 1898.

Why Tuesday... From Page 10 a relative who returned from abroad and brought pasalubong. But she is now able to buy healthy food because of her perseverance, and from the paycheck from her essential oils business. “Aba ang mahal pala ng mga organic, grass fed chururut. Pero mas mainam kasi kung makaka iwas ka sa sakit in the long run, kailangan mag invest tayo sa katawan natin,” she said. (Wow, organic and grass-fed products are expensive, but those are better. Better to avoid getting sick in the long run. We need to invest in our bodies.) “Pwedeng simple ito para sa iba. Pero kasi po kanina naiiyak ako habang nilo load sa cart ang mga bagay bagay at nagawa ko siyang bayaran galing sa pagod at sakripisyo ko nang di ako kinakabahan sa bawat beep ng kahera,” she said. (This could be simple for others. But a while ago, I got teary while loading the groceries in the cart, and I was able to pay for them from my own hard work and sacrifice, without me having to worry at every beep of the cash register.) Vargas feels there are many who could relate to her story, about how one’s ability to provide for one’s family can be a source of pride and joy for a mother like her. She expressed gratitude for the blessings she receives and wished the same for others.

Tuesday Vargas

Photo from Instagram/@tuesday_v

Get out of debt...

From Page 12 everybody! Yes, 95% of all the people in this country, at the age of 65, will end up depending on the government, charity or their families or they just need to keep working until the day they die!!! Can you believe that? Is this the kind of life you want to live? I was completely bothered when I read that. I know how stressful life can be when you are in debt. For the last 23 years, I have counseled thousands and thousands of people whose lives have been wrecked by debt problems. If you are currently in debt and have been honest with yourself, don’t be afraid of taking a reality check and seeing exactly where you are at the current moment. Face the cold hard facts now and figure out a way to get out of debt- the sooner, the better. Some people may find that they

have no other way out but to file bankruptcy and start over. Some may find that bankruptcy is not necessary and other options are available. Before you can build up personal wealth, you must eliminate all the debts that are hindering you from planning for the future. For a free consultation, call Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772. Let me evaluate your situation and recommend possible options. *** NOTE: Due to the pandemic, consultations via phone or video are available. Please call the office at 866-477-7772 to schedule your appointment with me. Questions? Email me at gethelp@rjb-lawoffices.com. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped over 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call RJB Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)

By Charmie Joy

Pagulong Philstar.com

ANJI Salvacion said that it was through Pinoy Big Brother, where she was hailed as the big winner for the show’s Kumunity Season 10, that she realized her life’s purpose. The “Singing Sweetheart ng Siargao” celebrity housemate sat down with The STAR in an exclusive interview and looked back on her journey in the reality game show. She recalled: “There was this last question that was asked before we got to the stage. They asked us, ‘Bakit ikaw ang karapat-dapat na maging Big Winner?’ That was the moment that I said to myself, ‘Oh my God, is this a sign where I’m finally going to know what’s my real purpose?’” Her answer was, “Now, I am ready to conquer and take up the responsibility and the higher calling that He has given me. This higher calling that God has given me is to share my ultimate goal in life (which) is just to spread love and kindness.” Right at that moment, she knew her purpose in life and she was so happy and thankful that “everything was put in places where God has really built me slowly, up until that I know na my purpose in life.” Knowing her purpose was Anji’s mindset from the very start. “It’s because I wanted to have this impact on others, especially the children because mindset ko na din, there are children who are watching me right now, especially the younger ones. Parang napaisip ako na I should be a better and a good role model for these children. Because these children will be the people that my children will look up to in the future,” she

Anji Salvacion

Photo from Instagram/@_anjisalvacion_

shared. What Anji considered her most memorable inside the house was when they had a challenge but ended up getting injured. “When we won in the third game, that was memorable for us. I remembered because we made a promise ni Ate Sam (Samantha Bernardo) and Mama Brenda (Mage), na sinimulan natin ‘to na magkasama, tatapusin natin ‘tong magkasama.” “Kahit may bali-bali kami, si Ate Sam may sprain, ako naman baldado din po sa likod, we still did our best. What’s more memorable about that was hindi na po kami na-pressure sa game, mas parang in-enjoy namin yung moment,” she recounted. “It was a funny experience and a memorable (one at the same time). Sobrang

nakakaiyak din kasi everybody has an advocacy na pinaglalaban. And talagang ipinaglalaban din namin yung pangarap namin and nakikita namin dun yung unity, love and passion to win,” she furthered. Anji is also dreaming of owning a house some day for her family and slowly, she is saving up to make this a reality. She said, “It really will cost a lot. So what I’m doing now is to really work hard for it because I’m planning to just surprise everyone.” With her blossoming career, Anji wants to learn more of her craft because she sees “life as an unending process of learning.” In her words, “I always tell myself to never stop learning. You’re still learning. These are just baby steps. I still have a lot of things to learn in life and I really wanted to learn more ‘coz I want to set good examples for others.” “The more I learn, the more I can share with others through my experiences. And that is my goal in life — to share my learnings and spread love and kindness,” she reiterated. The singer-actress is currently working on with new songs and given the chance, she would like to play a kontrabida role in a movie or a series. On having a loveteam, she said, “Kung sino naman po yung ibibigay sa akin ng management (I’m down for it). I trust the management. Sila din talaga ang magfloflourish (career) and they’re the ones who will decide kung sino ang ibibigay nila na love team.” Right now, Anji is just enjoying her days as a solo artist. “It’s just so fun when I am not limited to some projects because of it. It was so fun that I’m able to also achieve it first solo before I’m going to have, if ever, work to have any love teams,” she added.

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 29, 2022