072421 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

JULY 24-27, 2021 Volume 31 - No. 58 • 2 Sections – 18 Pages

LA County reports rise in COVID-19 cases anew by AJPRESS

LOS Angeles County is observing a “rapid rise” in COVID-19 transmission with cases doubling over the last 10 days, according to the county Department of Public Health. As of Thursday, July 22, the county recorded 2,767 new cases of COVID-19, resulting to an 80% increase. This latest update is the highest number of cases since February. The positivity rate in the county is 5.2%, an increase from the rate of 1.2% on June 15 when physically distancing restrictions and capacity limits were lifted across all sectors in the county

and state. There are 645 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized and 22% of these people are in the ICU. Last week, there were 406 people hospitalized with COVID-19 illness. Health officials associate the rise in cases partly due to the Delta variant. The risk of increased spread of this variant within the county remains high as about 4 million residents are not yet vaccinated. “The Delta variant, because it is so much more infectious than any virus strain we have seen before, requires us to add additional layers of prou PAGE A2

Tokyo Olympics: Get to know the 19 President Duterte to athletes representing the Philippines

DATELINE

USA review addendum

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

US Senate confirms Gina Ortiz Jones for Air Force Undersecretary

FILIPINA American Iraq War veteran Gina Ortiz Jones has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the undersecretary of the Air Force, becoming the first woman of color to serve in the role. The Senate on Thursday, July 22, confirmed the 40-year-old Iraq War veteran, who was nominated by President Joe Biden back in April. Jones, who is openly gay, grew up in San Antonio, Texas with a single mother, Victorina Ortiz, who is originally from Pangasinan, Philippines, as previously reported by the Asian Journal. She served in the Air Force for three years as an intelligence officer and was deployed to Iraq during the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era. In addition to her Air Force service, Jones was a special adviser at the Defense Intelligence Agency and was a director for investment at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, before leaving in June 2017. She was the Democratic Party’s nominee in

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

A SIDE agreement or “addendum” in implementing the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States has been submitted to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. “There is no change in the VFA. The document will not be changed but there will be some addendum, side agreement to implement the VFA,” he said Wednesday, July 21, during a virtual forum ahead of Duterte’s State of the Nation Address. Without elaborating on what was included in the addendum, Lorenzana said that he would sign the agreement with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Ausu PAGE A2

SINCE it first participated in the Olympics in 1924, the Philippines has managed to take home a total of 10 medals, of which three were silver and seven were bronze. No Filipino has ever won a gold medal, but the country is certainly not giving up on that elusive golden dream. The Tokyo Summer Olympics, which were pushed back a year due to the pandemic, is set to take place from July 23 to August 8. As the anticipated games begin, the country has pinned its hopes on its 19-strong contingent in bringing home the much-coveted gold. This year, the Philippines is sending the largest athlete delegation since the 2000 Sydney games. The 2021 team also gives a historu PAGE A4

REPRESENTATIVES. Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe proudly carried the Philippine flag and lead the country’s delegation during the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, July 23. Marcial and Watanabe were decked in the Philippines’ official tracksuit while the sports officials including chef de mission Mariano “Nonong” Araneta wore barongs designed by Rajo Laurel. Photos courtesy of Philippine Sports Commission

PH gov’t revises ‘green lane’ protocols for fully-vaccinated travelers by RITCHEL

Travelers from US still required to undergo 10-day quarantine

MENDIOLA

AJPress

Force (IATF) approved the revised rules for “green lanes” that will apply to fully-vaccinated international arriving passengers to the Philippines beginning July 26. “International arriving passengers to the Philippines, regardless of point of entry, need only to undergo a sev-

en-day facility-based quarantine and RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) testing on the fifth day, with the day of arrival of being the first day,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday, July 23. Individuals must fulfill the follow-

ing conditions: • Their port of origin must be a “green” country, or jurisdiction with low COVID-19 risk; • They stayed exclusively in a “green” country in the last 14 days prior to their arrival in the Philip-

u PAGE 2

Meet the Filipina American Olympians representing Team USA by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

THE drugmaker Pfizer recently announced that vaccinated people are likely to need a booster shot to be effectively protected against new variants of COVID-19 and that the company would apply for Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization for the shot. Top government health officials immediately and emphatically announced that the booster isn’t needed right now — and held firm to that position even after Pfizer’s top scientist made his case and shared preliminary data with them last week. This has led to confusion. Should the nearly 60% of adult Americans who have been fully vaccinated seek out a booster or not? Is the protection that has allowed them to see loved ones and go out to dinner fading? Ultimately, the question of whether a booster is needed is unlikely to determine the FDA’s decision. If recent history is predictive, booster shots will be here before long. That’s because of the outdated, 60-year-old basic standard the FDA uses to authorize medicines

u PAGE A3

MENDIOLA AJPress

to VFA with the US

THE Philippine government’s COVID-19 task force has revised the u PAGE A2 protocols for fully-vaccinated travelers to qualify for “green lanes” upon arrival in the country. The country’s Inter-Agency Task

Necessary or not, COVID booster shots are probably on the horizon

by RITCHEL

Paige McPherson

Photo from Instagram/@aka_mcfierce

THE summer games are officially underway. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics — pushed back one year due to the pandemic — began on Friday, July 23 and are set to end Aug. 8. Though the onset of new viral variants and the ongoing surges continue to distract athletes and fans alike, national and ethnic pride continue to excite fans across the world. As reported in the Asian Journal, the Philippines sent its largest delegation of athletes since the 2020 games in Sydney with more than half of them being Filipinas. Not to be outdone, the U.S. is sending a handful of historic Filipina Americans to represent the stars and stripes in a variety of events. Since the days of legendary Filipina American Olympic gold medal diver Vicki Draves — who was the first Asian American to ever win gold medals and the first American woman to win two gold medals in diving — Asian American athletes have been looking to make their own marks on the Olympic stage. Here are a few of the Filipina American athletes competing in this year’s Olympic games. Paige McPherson (taekwondo) This time around, Team USA only has two

taekwondo athletes (both of whom are women), including 30-year-old Paige McPherson, who previously competed in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic games. Nicknamed “McFierce,” the decorated competitor became the first American female taekwondo competitor to qualify for the Olympics three times. A native of Texas and graduate of Miami-Dade College, McPherson was adopted along with four other siblings by Susan and Dave McPherson. She is of Filipino and African American descent and according to an Instagram post on June 18, McPherson met her birth mother, who is Filipino, and her half-siblings for the first time. “I called my birth mom, who lives in Sacramento, and told her I was in San Francisco, and we all met at Union Square,” McPherson told the Miami Herald in June. “It was surreal to meet people that look like me, all four of us have the gap between our front teeth. I know I’m Filipino and know I’m Black but to be able to meet my Mom, who is Asian, it gave me comfort in my identity. Growing up in South Dakota, I had no opportunity to get to know my culture of being Filipino or even being African u PAGE A3

A2 July 24-27, 2021 • lA WEEKEND ASIAN JOuRNAl

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From the Front Page

LA County reports rise in COVID-19... PAGE A1 tection to slow transmission as we work to increase vaccination rates,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. As of July 18, more than 10,845,531 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to people across the county. Of these, 6,013,569 were first doses and 4,831,962 were second doses. Eighty-eight percent of seniors 65 and over, 70% of residents 16 and over, and 69% of residents 12 and over have received one dose of vaccine including 39% of county eens between the ages of 12 and 17. Of

the nearly 10.3 million county residents, including those who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, 52% are fully vaccinated and 59% have received at least one dose. “While vaccinated people can be reassured about the protection the vaccine gives you from severe COVID-19 disease, we cannot yet reassure you that, given the proliferation of the Delta variant, the vaccine protects you from infecting another person. This is what masking up right now is really about: adding an extra layer of protection to prevent the heart-

US Senate confirms Gina Ortiz... PAGE A1

the tightly-contested battle for Texas’ 23rd congressional district in a bid to be the first Filipina American elected to Congress, but lost both 2018 and 2020 races to her Republican opponents. Jones cited her uncle, who joined the Navy as a steward, during her confirmation hearing, according to Air Force Magazine. “My own service started with a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship that took me from San Antonio, Texas, to Boston University. I was honored to wear our nation’s cloth. However, similar to my uncle’s limited career opportunities because of his ethnicity, my experience in the Air Force was hindered by the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy,” she said in her opening statement. “Yet I, too, remained undeterred because of my desire to serve our country. That experience cemented my resolve to ensure anyone ready and able to serve can do so to their full potential, and accordingly, our country’s fullest potential,” she added. Five other Defense Department nominees were confirmed on Thursday: Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering; Ely S. Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs; Shawn G. Skelly, assistant secretary of defense for readiness; Meredith Berger, assistant secretary of the Navy; and Caroline D. Krass, general counsel of the Department of Defense.

ache that comes from transmitting the virus to others,” Ferrer added. Effective last July 17, everyone 2 years of age and older is required wear a mask in all indoor public places, regardless of their vaccination status. While the county does not require masking at private gatherings where unvaccinated or immunocompromised people are present, universal masking in these scenarios, particularly indoors, is recommended. Statewide, the California Department of Public Health recorded 5,577 new cases with

a seven-day positivity rate is 4.9%. As of July 22, providers have reported administering a total of 43,214,612 vaccine doses statewide. Those who still need to get vaccinated in LA County can make an appointment by visiting www.VaccinateLACounty. com or by calling 1-833-5400473 for help connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit for those who are homebound. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. n

President Duterte to review addendum...

PAGE A1 tin III, who would be visiting Manila on July 29 to July 30 to reaffirm defense ties and bilateral relations between the two nations. “The VFA will not be changed. There will be a side agreement to implement the provisions of the VFA. Once it is signed by the President, that will be an official document that is attached to the VFA,” he said. “That document crafted by the VFA commission is now in Malacañang and is being studied by the Office of the President,” he added. Lorenzana also expressed confidence that Duterte will approve the new provisions. “Yun VFA, sabi ko kanina, hindi naman namin binabago eh. Meron lang tayong dagdag na dokumento to implement the provisions. Ako naman ay nagtitiwala (We did not really change the VFA, we merely added some documents on how to implement the provisions. But I believe), I am confident... this will be signed under President Duterte,” he said. However, the defense chief maintained that the fate of the VFA is still up to Duterte. Gina Ortiz Jones File photo “But the termination letter is In addition to Jones, several Fil-Ams have joined the Biden-Harris still pending until December so administration, including Gloria Steele, acting administrator of the we’ll see what happens, if the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Jason Tengco, President extends it or proceeds the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s White House liaison, and with abrogating the VFA,” said Camille Calimlim Touton, deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Lorenzana. Reclamation. (AJPress) The VFA, which came into

force in 1999, covers the conduct of U.S. soldiers in the Philippines. Among the provisions of the deal include relaxed visa and passport policies for U.S. troops, and the rights of the U.S. government to retain its jurisdiction over its military personnel when they commit crimes in the Philippines. In February 2020, the Philippines sent the U.S. a notice terminating the VFA reportedly after the U.S. canceled Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s visa. Last month, the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that Duterte extended the abrogation of the VFA for another six months “while he studies and both sides further address his concerns regarding particular aspects of the agreement.” Duterte, for his part, said he is looking to speak with the U.S. government about the VFA. “Itong Visiting Forces Agreement, ang extension niyan is on deck, on the table (The extension of the Visiting Forces Agreement is on the deck, it’s on the table),” he said Monday, July 19. He added, “Ngayon, gusto ko lang... makipag-ugnayan (Now, I just want to... coordinate with) or I just want to talk to some people in Washington, be it from the Office of the President or the State Department or the Defense Department.” n

stayed in the airport the whole time and were not cleared for entry by immigration authorities,” the spokesman added. Vaccination status Roque also announced that the IATF approved the documents for purposes of verification or confirmation of vaccination status. For overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their spouse, parent/s, or children traveling with them, they must present a Certification from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in the country of origin. For Filipinos and foreigners

fully vaccinated in the Philippines, they must show either their local government unit (LGU) hospital-issued vaccination cards in original or hard copy form, or an LGU-issued vaccine certificate. Meanwhile, for Filipinos vaccinated and foreigners fully vaccinated abroad, they must present the vaccination certificate issued by health authorities of their place of vaccination, provided that such certificate can be independently verified/confirmed by Philippine authorities as valid or authentic. n

PH gov’t revises ‘green lane’ protocols for fully-vaccinated... PAGE A1 pines; • They are fully vaccinated, whether in the Philippines or abroad; and • Their vaccination status can be independently verified or confirmed by Philippine authorities as valid and authentic upon arrival in the country. Individuals qualified for the “green lanes” will be under strict symptom monitoring of the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ) while in the facility for seven days. “Even if the RT-PCR test yields a negative result, the in-

dividual shall still complete the seven-day facility-based quarantine. If the RT-PCR test is, however, positive, prescribed isolation protocols must be followed,” said Roque. The BoQ will issue a Quarantine Certificate, which indicates the individual’s vaccination status, upon completion of quarantine. “The individual is thereafter enjoined to do self-monitoring for the next seven days,” Roque added. International travelers from non-green countries On the other hand, interna-

tional travelers entering the Philippines will not be eligible for “green lanes” if their point of origin is not a green country or jurisdiction. Individuals who stayed outside a green country or jurisdiction — such as the United States — at any time in the last 14 days prior to their arrival in the Philippines are also not qualified for “green lanes.” Likewise, individuals who are not fully vaccinated, or even if fully vaccinated but whose vaccination status cannot be independently verified by Philippine authorities as

authentic upon their arrival in the country cannot qualify for “green lanes.” According to Roque, international arriving passengers who are not qualified for “green lanes” are required to undergo a 10-day facility-based quarantine and a four-day home quarantine, including an RT-PCR test on the seventh day. “All passengers, whether Filipinos or foreigners, merely transiting through a non-green country or jurisdiction shall not be deemed as having come from or having been to the said country or jurisdiction if they

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 24-27, 2021

Meet the Filipina American Olympians representing...

PAGE A1 American. To actually meet my mom, she talks and walks like a Filipino, and I was like, ‘Wow.’” McPherson will square off against Farida Azizova of Azerbaijan on Sunday, July 25 in the first round of the women’s 67kg competition. Bella Sims (swimming) Swimmer Arabella “Bella” Sims of Henderson, Nevada will participate in her first Olympic games as part of the 4x200m freestyle relay. The 16-year-old began swimming when she was 9 years old and has been swimming as part of the Sandpipers of Nevada Swim Team. At the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, Sims finished fifth in the 200 freestyle, which qualified her for the national relay team. With her selection, she became one of four high school athletes to make the national team. In a heartfelt Instagram post announcing her selection for the USA swim team, Bella wrote: “i am honored to represent team USA this summer! thank you to all my coaches, family, and friends for your endless support! i couldn’t have done it without you guys! dreams do come true! [sic]” Emma Malabuyo (gymnastics — alternate) Among the Olympic games,

Bella Sims

women’s gymnastics is easily one of the most, if not the most, watched sport of the entire 16day games. The selection for Team USA’s women’s gymnastics team is highly competitive, so much so that to merely be considered is already a major career step. Eighteen-year-old incoming gymnast for UCLA Emma Malabuyo was about ready to quit the sport entirely when her coach, Kim Burdette, encouraged her to “reprogram” her entire mindset and approach to the sport, according to the Daily Bruin. After months of training, Malabuyo — who hails from Milpitas, California — made it to the U.S. Championships in June where she scored the third-best on beam, giving her a chance at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, where she was selected as an alternate for the official women’s gymnastics team. “I was just overwhelmed and I was speechless because all of this hard work has paid off,” Malabuyo said. “It’s been a long process and a fight just to get to this moment.” Lee Kiefer (fencing) Right-handed fencer Lee Kiefer — three-time Olympian, five-time NCAA champion, 10-time Pan American champion, nine-time

Photo from Instagram/@arabellagsims

Necessary or not, COVID booster... PAGE A1 for sale: Is a new drug “safe and effective”? The FDA, using that standard, will very likely have to authorize Pfizer’s booster for emergency use, as it did the company’s prior COVID shot. The booster is likely to be safe — hundreds of millions have taken the earlier shots — and Pfizer reported that it dramatically increases a vaccinated person’s antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. From that perspective, it may also be considered very effective. But does that kind of efficacy matter? Is a higher level of antibodies needed to protect vaccinated Americans? Though antibody levels may wane some over time, the current vaccines deliver perfectly good immunity so far. What if a booster is safe and effective in one sense but simply not needed — at least for now? Reliance on the simple “safe and effective” standard — which certainly sounds reasonable — is a relic of a time when there were far fewer and simpler medicines available to treat diseases and before pharmaceutical manufacturing became one of the world’s biggest businesses. The FDA’s 1938 landmark legislation focused primarily on safety after more than 100 Americans died from a raspberry-flavored liquid form of an early antibiotic because one of its ingredients was used as antifreeze. The 1962 Kefauver-Harris Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act set out more specific requirements for drug approval: Companies must scientifically prove a drug’s effectiveness through “adequate and well-controlled studies.” In today’s pharmaceutical universe, a simple “safe and effective” determination is not always an adequate bar, and it can be manipulated to sell drugs of questionable value. There’s also big money involved: Pfizer is already projecting $26 billion in COVID revenue this year. The United States’ continued use of this standard to let drugs into the market has led to the approval of expensive, not necessarily very effective drugs. In 2014, for example, the FDA approved a toenail fungus drug that can cost up to $1,500 a month and that studies showed cured fewer than 10% of patients after a year of treatment. That’s more effective than doing nothing but less effective and more costly than a number of other treatments for this bothersome malady. It has also led to a plethora of high-priced drugs to treat diseases like cancers, multiple sclerosis and Type 2 diabetes that are all more effective than a placebo but have often not been tested very much against one another to determine which are most effective. In today’s complex world, clarification is needed to determine just what kind of effectiveness the FDA should demand. And

should that be the job of the FDA alone? For example, should drugmakers prove a drug is significantly more effective than products already on the market? Or demonstrate cost-effectiveness — the health value of a product relative to its price — a metric used by Britain’s health system? And in which cases is effectiveness against a surrogate marker — like an antibody level — a good enough stand-in for whether a drug will have a significant impact on a patient’s health? In most industrialized countries, broad access to the national market is a two-step process, said Aaron Kesselheim, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who studies drug development, marketing and law and recently served on an FDA advisory committee. The first part certifies that a drug is sufficiently safe and effective. That is immediately followed by an independent health technology assessment to see where it fits in the treatment armamentarium, including, in some countries, whether it is useful enough to be sold at all at the stated price. But there’s no such automatic process in the U.S. When Pfizer applies for authorization, the FDA may well clear a booster for the U.S. market. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, likely with advice from National Institutes of Health experts, will then have to decide whether to recommend it and for whom. This judgment call usually determines whether insurers will cover it. Pfizer is likely to profit handsomely from a government authorization, and the company will gain some revenue even if only the worried well, who can pay out-of-pocket, decide to get the shot. To make any recommendation on a booster, government experts say they need more data. They could, for example, as Dr. Anthony Fauci has suggested, eventually green-light the additional vaccine shot only for a small group of patients at high risk for a deadly infection, such as the very old or transplant recipients who take immunosuppressant drugs, as some other countries have done. But until the United States refines the FDA’s “safe and effective” standard or adds a second layer of vetting, when new products hit the market and manufacturers promote them, Americans will be left to decipher whose version of effective and necessary matters to them. (By Elisabeth Rosenthal / Kaiser Health News) 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.

Emma Malabuyo

Lee Kiefer (right)

individual Pan American champion and 2018 world champion — doesn’t have much else to prove. The 27-year-old from Cleveland, Ohio is competing in both the individual and team fencing events in Tokyo. Kiefer is married to fellow Olympic fencer Gerek Meinhardt. Kiefer, whose mother is Filipina, became the first American woman to hold the No. 1 spot in the International Fencing Federation rankings in 2017 (a position she still holds). In the leadup to the Tokyo Games, Kiefer completed two and a half years of medical school at the University of Kentucky. Coryn Rivera (cycling) Kiefer isn’t the only

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Photo from Instagram/@emma_malabuyo

Photo from Instagram/@leetothekiefer

20-something who has accomplished more in her life than most people do in their entire lifetimes. Newport Beach, California native Coryn Rivera, 28, enters her first Olympic games as a road cyclist for the U.S. cycling team. To date, she has earned 72 national championship titles across four disciplines: road, track, cyclocross and mountain bike. She was also the first American ever to win the Tour of Flanders, a highly competitive annual road cycling race held in Belgium every year, when she won in 2017. Rivera will compete in the cycling road race event on Saturday, July 24. n Coryn Rivera

Photo from Instagram/@corynrivera

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A4 July 24-27, 2021 • lA WEEKEND ASIAN JOuRNAl

Yuka Saso

Bianca Pagdanganan

Carlos Yulo

Saso became the first Filipina to win the 76th U.S. Women’s Open golf championship in San Francisco last month. With her victory, she not only qualified for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), but also for the Tokyo Olympics. The 2018 Asian Games double gold medalist is currently ranked No. 9 in women’s world golf this year. 5. Kristina Knott (Women’s 200m) Knott set the Philippines’ national record for the 200 meters sprint by recording 23.01 seconds in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Last year, she also eclipsed the 33-year-old record of 11.28 set by Filipina sports legend Lydia de Vega-Mercado by clearing 11.27 seconds during the Drake Blue Oval Showcase meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa. 6. Cris Nievarez (Rowing) Nievarez became the first Filipino rower to qualify for the Olympics since Benjie Tolentino in the 2000 Sydney Games. He was able to secure a spot in the Philippine delegation by virtue of continental qualification regattas. During the 2019 Southeast Asian games, Nievarez clocked 7:34.27 seconds in the 2000-meter, taking home the gold medal. 7. Irish Magno (Boxing) Magno earned a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics after winning against Sumaiya Qosimova of Tajikistan in the 2020 Asia and Oceania Olympic qualifying tournament in Jordan. She was the first Filipina to qualify for the Olympics, the second boxer, and the fourth overall to be part of the country’s delegation.

8. Margielyn Didal (Skateboarding) Didal bagged this year’s Asia Skater of the Year award. She rose to prominence after winning a gold medal for the Philippines in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. She also took home two gold medals during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. 9. Eumir Marcial (Boxing) Marcial punched his ticket to the Games by winning the gold in the Tokyo 2020 Asia and Oceania Olympic qualifiers. Later, he went pro and won his professional debut fight. He will be the male flag bearer for the Philippine team in the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony. 10. Kiyomi Watanabe (Judo) Watanabe earned the Philippines’ first silver medal in the 2018 Asian Games. She also bagged four gold medals during the 2019 SEA Games. She is set to take the stage alongside Marcial in the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony as the female flag bearer of the country. 11. Jayson Valdez (Shooting) Valdez set the Philippine record of 618.6 points for 10-meter air rifle in the 2018 Asian Games. He was the only shooter to book a ticket to the Games, and the first one to compete since Paul Brian Rosario in the 2012 London Games. He qualified by virtue of a quota allocation from the International Shooting Sport Federation. 12. Kurt Barbosa (Taekwondo) Barbosa was named both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) in 2018. To earn his

Tokyo Olympics: Get to know the 19... PAGE A1

ic nod to representation, with 10 of its 19 hopefuls being Filipinas. Here are the athletes who will be representing the Philippines in the Tokyo Olympics: 1. Carlos Yulo (Gymnastics) Yulo ruled the men’s floor exercise in the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics in Stuttgart, Germany, becoming the first Filipino and Southeast Asian male to win the gold in the category. The historic feat also qualified him directly for the Tokyo Olympics. In the 2019 SEA Games, he took home the most medals for the Philippines — two golds and five silvers. 2. Hidilyn Diaz (Weightlifting) Diaz ended a twenty-year medal drought for the country when she snagged the silver medal in the 53kg weightlifting division during the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was also the first Filipina athlete to step onto an Olympic podium. To qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, she lifted 90kg in two attempts during the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 3. EJ Obiena (Pole Vault) Obiena set the new Philippine record twice last month with a 5.85 meter jump for the gold medal in the Jump and Fly Meet in Mossingen, Germany, and a 5.87 meter jump for the silver in the Irena Szewinska Memorial-Bydgoszcz in Poland. He was the first Filipino athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics after surpassing the Olympic benchmark of 5.80, clearing 5.81m in Piazza Chiari, Italy in September 2019. 4. Yuka Saso (Women’s golf)

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Kristina Knott

Luke Gebbie

Hidilyn Diaz

spot in the Olympics, he rallied from a double-digit deficit in the third round to stun Jordan’s Zaid Al-Halawani, sealing the win at 50-49 in the men’s -58kg semifinals. 13. Carlo Paalam (Boxing) Paalam secured a spot in the Games through the International Olympic Committee Boxing Task Force rankings. He is the youngest boxer in the Tokyo-bound Philippine delegation.During the 2019 SEA Games, Paalam bagged his career’s first gold medal. 14. Nesthy Petecio (Boxing) Petecio ended the country’s seven-year gold medal drought after winning the gold in the Amateur Asian Boxing Association (AIBA) women’s boxing world championship in 2019. She also took home the gold in that year’s Southeast Asian Games. Ranking No. 2 in women’s 57kg AIBA world rankings, Petecio qualified for the summer games via world rankings.

Remedy Rule

Philstar.com file photos

15. Luke Gebbie (Swimming) Gebbie set the Philippine record of 49.94 seconds in the 100m freestyle during the 2019 FINA World Championships. He also surpassed the FINA B cut of 22.67 seconds after clocking 22.57 seconds in the 2021 Australian Olympic Trials in June. During the 2019 SEA Games, he won a bronze medal in the men’s 50m freestyle event. 16. Remedy Rule (Swimming) Rule set the national record for the Philippines in 200m butterfly after she clocked in at two minutes and 9.58 seconds at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Des Moines, Iowa. She will be the country’s representative in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly events of the Olympics. 17. Bianca Pagdanganan (Women’s Golf) Pagdanganan won the country’s first gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Prior to

that, she was a dual medalist in the Asian Games with her bronze medal in the women’s individual event and a gold in the team event. She is currently ranked No. 43 in the world. 18. Juvic Pagunsan (Men’s Golf) Pagunsan ruled the 2021 Mizuno Open, claiming his first Japan Golf Tour title. He joined the Philippine contingent as its oldest member at 43 years old. 19. Elreen Ando (Weightlifting) Ando qualified for the Tokyo Olympics via continental allocation in the women’s -64kg event. She is the highest-ranked athlete in the International Weightlifting Federation. During the 2019 SEA Games, she took home a silver medal. Meanwhile, in the 2021 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Uzbekistan, she managed to claim two silver medals and a bronze. n

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Palace: Duterte still won’t cooperate with ICC by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

WAITING. Barangay 176 residents wait for their turn to get the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine at the covered court of Pag-Asa Elementary School, Katarungan Road, Phase 7-B, Barangay 176, Bagong Silang, Caloocan City Thursday, July 15. A total of 600 individuals were vaccinated with the AstraZeneca jabs in the area. PNA photo by Ben Briones

Metro Manila reverts to GCQ ‘with heightened restrictions’ until July 31 by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

METRO Manila has reverted to a stricter general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions” after the country’s health department confirmed local transmission of the more infectious Delta variant of COVID-19. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday, July 23, announced that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to place the National Capital Region (NCR) under GCQ with heightened restrictions from July 23 to July 31. Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Davao de Oro, and Davao del Norte were likewise placed under a more restrictive GCQ until the end of July. On the other hand, Davao del Sur, which was previously under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), was placed under GCQ. Previously, Metro Manila was under normal GCQ while both Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur were under the modified GCQ. Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte were under MECQ. Delta variant On Thursday, July 22, the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that health authorities have detected the local

transmission of the Delta variant in the country. “Following the phylogenetic analysis conducted by the University of the Philippines Philippine Genome Center, and case investigation by the DOH Epidemiology Bureau and the regional and local epidemiology and surveillance units, clusters of Delta variant cases were seen to be linked to other local cases, therefore, exhibiting local transmission,” it said in a statement. The agency logged 12 new Delta cases, bringing the total number to 47. Of the additional cases, six were detected in Bataan, two in Laguna, one in Manila, two in Pasig City, and one in Taguig City. “All cases have been tagged as recovered but their outcomes are being validated by our regional and local health offices,” the DOH noted. “With the detection of additional cases, it is crucial that we implement enhanced response immediately in the areas where these cases were detected and its contiguous local government units as well as areas with case spikes with the premise that there may be ongoing local transmission already,” it added. Restrictions For areas under GCQ with heightened restrictions, children aged five years old and above will no longer be allowed

to leave their homes as only individuals aged 18 to 65 can go outside. A stricter GCQ also meant that only essential travel is allowed but public transportation remains operational. Indoor dine-in services will be limited to 20% venue or seating capacity while outdoor or al fresco dining will be allowed at 50% capacity. Outdoor tourist attractions may be opened at 30% with strict adherence to minimum public health standards. Regional gatherings, necrological services, wakes, inurnment, and funerals for those who died of causes other than COVID-19 will be allowed up to 10% of the venue capacity. Moreover, personal care services that don’t require mask removal such as salons, parlors, and beauty clinics can operate at 30% capacity along with non-contact sports, games, and scrimmages held outdoors. Meanwhile, entertainment venues, such as bars, concert halls, theaters, etc; recreational venues, such as internet cafes, billiards halls, arcades, etc; amusement parks, fairs, playgrounds, kiddie rides; indoor sports courts and venues and indoor tourist attractions; venues for meetings, conferences, exhibitions will not be allowed in GCQ areas with heightened restrictions. n

MALACAÑANG has maintained that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) should it open an investigation into his bloody war against illegal drugs. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the remark Thursday, July 22, after a Supreme Court (SC) ruling stated that the country remains bound by its obligations even after withdrawing from the Rome Statute. He also dismissed the SC’s remarks as “obiter dictum,” an opinion made by a judge that is not necessarily legally binding. “That’s obiter dictum. In law, there’s the main issue that has to be resolved. And the main issue was, is Senate concurrence required sa pagbitiw sa (in pulling out of) ICC? Because in becoming a member of the ICC, the Senate concurred. And the main decision was no,” Roque said at a press briefing. “An obiter [dictum] does not really have jurisprudential value. It is on the side, it is not on the merits, it is not the main ruling of the court. And we are not in any way concerned about the obiter. That’s the nature of obiters,” he added.

Roque stressed that the SC’s remarks will not change Duterte’s stance on cooperating with the ICC. “No change because that’s obiter and petition dismissed. So iyon ang importante (that’s what is important),” he said, referring to the opposition’s petition asking the High Court to declare the country’s withdrawal from ICC as invalid. “Ang gusto nila mabalewala iyong withdrawal, hindi po nabalewala (They want to reverse the withdrawal but that did not happen). So, it is dismissed. Panalo po ang gobyerno (The government wins),” he added. Further, Roque pointed out that the ICC can’t force the country to cooperate with its planned probe. “Unfortunately, the lack of enforcement mechanism cannot compel the Philippines to cooperate when the President has clearly said we will not do so,” he said. In a ruling dated March 16 but released Wednesday, July 21, the SC dismissed the petitions challenging the withdrawal, saying that the Philippines remains obligated to cooperate in criminal proceedings of the ICC despite the country’s exit. “Even if it has deposited the instrument of withdrawal, it shall

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Malacañang photo by Joey Dalumpines

not be discharged from any criminal proceedings. Whatever process was already initiated before the International Criminal Court obliges the state party to cooperate,” the high court said, according to Associate Justice Marvic Leonen. “Consequently, liability for the alleged summary killings and other atrocities committed in the course of the war on drugs is not nullified or negated here. The Philippines remained covered and bound by the Rome Statute until March 17, 2019,” the SC added. n

PH, UN launch human rights joint program by chRistia

MaRie Inquirer.net

RaMos

MANILA — The Philippine government and the United Nations (UN) on Thursday, July 22 signed a three-year joint program on human rights amid concerns on the country’s human rights situation, including drug war killings. Under the program, the Philippines the UN will engage in capacity-building and technical cooperation “for the promotion and protection of human rights.” The joint program on human rights was developed to implement a resolution adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in October 2020 offering “technical assistance and capacity-building” to the Philippines in a bid to address killings and human rights

violations in the country. Stopping short of an actual investigation, the resolution also urged member states of the UN to “encourage and support technical cooperation” between the Philippine government and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Last June 2020, the OHCHR released a damning report which flagged, among others, a “near impunity” in the government’s handling of drug war killings. ‘Critical milestone’ “This UN joint programme is a critical milestone. This is the first-ever UN joint programme on human rights in the Philippines, where we put together the capacities and resources of the UN in support of a wide range of national institutions,” UN Phil-

ippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez said in a statement. “This project is a commitment that we will keep taking action for human rights, in ways that have an impact, and where it is most needed. We can only do so by listening and partnering with a wide range of actors,” he added. The UNHRC resolution outlined six specific areas for capacity-building and technical cooperation. Among them are the “strengthening domestic investigation and accountability mechanisms” as well as the “data gathering on alleged police violations.” Civic space and engagement with civil society and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR),

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A6 JULY 24-27, 2021 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

OPINION

Battling Delta AS the more virulent Delta variant spread from India to other parts of the planet including neighboring Indonesia and Thailand, a Philippine health official said it was “inevitable” that the highly infectious mutation of the COVID virus would reach the country. With authorities unable to prevent even COVID-positive crewmembers of a tugboat from Indonesia from leaving the vessel and roaming Butuan, it was also inevitable that the country is now facing the local transmission of the variant. Government officials are scrambling to prevent a crisis similar to what Indonesia is now facing. Delta has eluded vaccines even in the United States and parts of Europe, prompting countries with high vaccination rates to consider booster shots. In the Philippines, the situation in Butuan illustrates the problem in containing Delta, which is believed to be causing a case spike in Metro Manila. The tugboat with barge from Indonesia docked in Butuan on July 14. City officials said three of the crewmembers

disembarked to buy food at the public market. The ships left the city on July 16 and headed for Albay. Butuan officials were only belatedly informed that 12 of the 20 all-Filipino crew had tested positive for COVID-19. Five samples were taken from the infected crew and sent to the Philippine Genome Center for sequencing. Butuan officials were told that it could take from 20 to 30 days before the sequencing can determine if Delta fueled the infections. In the meantime, all that the people in the city’s public market can do is wait for the emergence of symptoms, get tested, and hope that they will be spared from the worst. With the country’s contact tracing a disaster and the long wait for COVID test results and genome sequencing, people who must leave their homes to earn a living or carry out other essential activities can only hope to avoid exposure to an infected person. Delta is reported to be multiple times more transmissible than the other COVID variants, including the Alpha and Beta that are believed to have fueled the

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Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS NEVER MIND if some of these “influencers” in the Republican Party and Conservative media are attempting to rewrite history like FOX News’ Sean Hannity, for example, who said on January 20, Wednesday, on his own show: “Just like we’ve been saying, please take COVID seriously. Enough people have died. We don’t need any more deaths. Research like crazy. Talk to your doctor. It absolutely makes sense for many Americans to get vaccinated.” What is important is they are now aligning their message with the Democrats who have been pushing for people to believe in science, and follow the advice of health experts and officials and get vaccinated to attain herd immunity and save more lives. In fact, this should have never been a political issue as this is a health emergency that should have just relied on the facts and science to dictate health policies and decisions. Unfortunately, in the age of Donald Trump, science deniers have been rewarded by no less than the former president, motivated by political interests to hold on to their conservative base, many of whom unfortunately would rather trust conspiracy theories without checking on the facts.

GREG B. MACABENTA IT’S bad enough that the U.S. and the rest of the world have had to suffer a pandemic. But, along with the election of Donald Trump to the presidency and as a result of his failure to win a second term, America is now suffering what the media and pundits call an Infodemic—an epidemic of disinformation and misinformation. Trump, who takes pride in popularizing the term, “fake news,” to denigrate mainstream media, has been the epitome of fake news, spreading a deadly virus of lies about the legitimacy of the last presidential elections—a virtual epidemic of falsehoods. And he appears to have succeeded in shaking the very foundation of American democracy. The Trump virus has also affected the faith of Americans in the most important defense against the coronavirus pandemic. Vaccinations. Despite the obvious success of the COVID-19 vaccines, specifically Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, less than 50% of Americans have been fully vaccinated. It’s not for lack of vaccines or difficulty in getting the requisite boosts. Since the assumption of

killer surge last summer. Infection can be kept at bay through continued strict observance of health protocols, notably wearing of face masks and shields, physical distancing and regular handwashing. Vaccination is also essen-

tial; the government must further ramp up efforts to acquire more doses and persuade people to get the jabs. We have seen what Delta can do in other countries. Everyone has a role to play in preventing its spread. (Philstar.com)

Believe it or not: Some Republican officials, FOX News hosts, other conservative leaders now join Democrats in urging people to get vaccinated

This was why it took so long for the United States to really fight head on against the invisible enemy, until President Joe Biden was sworn into office. It was only then that the scientific and medical community found an ally in government, and they now sing one tune: COVID-19 is real and not a hoax, and we must all act together as one country in implementing public safety measures, including and especially to have Americans vaccinated. While there are still many peddlers of lies and misinformation like Donald Trump, FOX News’ Tucker Carlson, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right conspiracy theorist and strong supporter of Trump, who was elected by the Republican base to serve as Georgia’s 14th congressional district, what is remarkable is how other members of the Republican Party, Conservative groups and media are now urging the American people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. This is especially urgent with the spike in coronavirus cases due to the Delta variant. Unfortunately, 97 percent of the cases, hospitalization and death are those who are unvaccinated — the very same people who have believed the lies spread by Trump and his cohorts in the Republican Party and conservative circles. The spike in cases are highest in the south, in states and counties mostly lead by Re-

publican officials. Meanwhile, those states and counties with high vaccination rates now record lower number of cases, hospitalization and death, a testament to the effectiveness of the vaccines in protecting the people from being infected, and in break through cases of those who were already vaccinated — helping people to be asymptomatic or with less life threatening symptoms. The Atlantic reported on more people who have changed tune to support vaccination: Steve Doocy, one of the anchors of the network’s popular morning show Fox & Friends [Trump’s favorite morning show], has now been advocating for vaccines, saying “If you have the chance, get the shot, It will save your life.” The Washington Post reported that he even “echoed comments made by Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and told viewers on Monday that “99 percent of the people who have died have not been vaccinated. And so, what they’re trying to do is … make sure that all the people who have not been vaccinated get vaccinated.” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, a confidant of Donald Trump, published a column praising the Democrat who defeated Trump saying: “Six months into his administration, President Joe Biden should be

How to fight the infodemic

Street Talk

Philstar.com photo

the presidency by Joe Biden, the government has successfully harnessed federal, state and private health resources to make the vaccines available to everyone, age 12 and older. In fact, Biden’s vaccination program was moving along at such a brisk pace that he predicted that America could achieve a 75% vaccination rate enough to achieve “herd immunity” by July 4. But the government has encountered a wall of resistance to vaccination, primarily among supporters of Donald Trump—almost the same segment of the population that believes that the presidency was stolen from him. Several Southern states, which have traditionally voted for Republicans, have been the most resistant to vaccinations. Varying reasons are given by the “anti-vax” but invariably they have been swayed by misinformation, due to ignorance and fear of the unknown, as well as lies and baseless rumors being inflicted by certain bad actors in the GOP and right-wing media. In a media-saturated environment, especially with the dominance of social media, the disinformation and misinformation have spread like wildfire. The once-reassuring downward trend of COVID-19 infections has now been displaced by an upward trajectory of infections and deaths.

Most of the victims have been infected by the Delta variant. And nearly all have not been vaccinated. The crisis has alarmed the White House enough to prompt Biden to attribute a large part of the blame to social media. Biden asserts that Facebook, as the dominant social media platform, is largely responsible for the spread of the disinformation that has stiffened the doubts about the efficacy of the vaccines—and, worse, spread rumors about the side effects of the vaccine. Facebook has pushed back at the Biden administration, ostensibly for using it as a scapegoat due to the government’s failure to achieve its vaccination targets. Facebook has cited the many instances where it has virtually censored false or misleading information. Some media commentators have also criticized Facebook and other social media platforms for “not doing enough” to contain the infodemic. Other sectors have also chimed in, proposing draconian measures. The Center for American Progress, which describes itself as a non-partisan policy institute, has characterized the disinformation and misinformation about coronavirus as “serious threats to public health...” Insisting that social media platforms “have facilitated... an

applauded for making a huge dent in the COVID pandemic.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been as fiery about COVID-19 precautions as he is about anything. He warned again today, “These shots need to get in everybody’s arm as rapidly as possible or we are going to be back in a situation in the fall, that we don’t yearn for, that we were in last year.” A group of Republican members of Congress who are medical doctors produced a pro-jab[pro-vaccine] PSA [public service announcement] this spring. MORE should come out from the Republican Party and Conservative circles to correct any misinformation and lies peddled by some of their colleagues that have been a big part of the reason why more than 610,000 Americans have been killed by COVID-19 and its variants. With the Delta variant, the unvaccinated have been dying, including children and adolescents because of the decisions of the older ones in the family who chose conspiracy theories over science during this gravest health emergency of the century. Should we just depend on “honor system” for unvaccinated people to still wear mask to protect themselves? Should we just mandate only those working in health care to be vaccinated? What should we do to remove that roadblock that has been getting in the way of compelling

Americans to be vaccinated, now stalled at about 60 percent. We need to go beyond 70 percent! Maybe President Joe Biden should mandate wearings masks on a national level. Maybe he should do what Macron and other Europeans are now doing. As the New York Times reported: “Major European economies including France and Italy are moving closer to making vaccines mandatory for everyone.” “Barreling through 1,200 proposed amendments, defying accusations of authoritarianism and chaos from the hard right and left, the lower house voted by 117 to 86 to back President Macron’s attempt to strong-arm the French to get vaccinated by making their lives miserable if they do not.” “In France, as ofAug. 1, anyone without a “health pass” showing they have been vaccinated or recently tested negative will not be admitted to restaurants, cafes or movie theaters, and they will not be able to travel long distances by train, Mr. Macron said.” “Many tests will cease being free in the fall “to encourage vaccination” before then. As for health workers, if they are not vaccinated bySept. 15, they face suspension of pay, even dismissal.” “Mr. Macron’s measures, announced July 12 as the only means to avoid yet another French lockdown, have spurred

both protests and an extraordinary surge in vaccinations, with 3.7 million booked in the first week after the president spoke, and a record of nearly 900,000 vaccinations in a single day on July 19. In this sense, his bold move has been a success.” What about us here in the United States? We should always remember that in fighting this war against COVID-19 and its variants, we ALL have to act together and get more people vaccinated or it will take even longer for us to go back to our normal lives. More importantly, let us not wait for any of our loved ones to die or find ourselves in the hospital bed with COVID-19, begging for the shots when it is already too late. AMERICA, let’s do this for the greater good. GET VACCINATED! ***

informational environment that, in combination with other factors, has complicated the public health response, enabled widespread confusion, and contributed to loss of life during the pandemic.” CAP adds: “As public health conditions vary more widely across the United States, this geographic variation will be an ideal vector for malicious actors to exploit. Without robust local media ecosystems, it will be especially difficult for social media platforms to moderate place-based disinformation and misinformation.” Thus, CAP suggests that ”Longterm regulatory action will be needed to address the structural factors that contribute to an online environment in which misinformation and disinformation thrive. In the near term, social media platforms must do more to reduce the harm they facilitate, starting with fast-moving coronavirus misinformation and disinformation.” CAP recommends “structurally altering how their websites function” by means of “Virality circuit breakers”, “Scan-and-suggest features,” and “Subject matter context additions.” These features will ostensibly “detect, label, suspend algorithmic amplification, and prioritize rapid review and fact-checking of trending coronavirus content that displays reliable misinformation markers, which can be drawn from the existing body of coronavirus mis/disinformation.” In other words: CENSORSHIP.

With due respect to the proponents, this is a cure that is worse than the disease. There is no doubt that disinformation is bad, but so is the curtailment of free speech. Has Facebook actually “eliminated,” or “disallowed” certain “questionable content”? Except for being a private enterprise, Facebook’s action could be construed as questionable. Besides, even if Facebook imposes complete screening of content, its efforts will never be “enough.” There are vicious actors feeding the deadly falsehoods. Just as it only takes a drop of tinting color to spoil the pure whiteness of paint, it only takes one vile rumor to poison people’s minds. Remember, too, that it only took one snake to cause mankind’s banishment from Eden. But that doesn’t mean, we should allow ourselves to be at the mercy of liars, whether snakes or foxes. The snakes and the lying foxes should be—can be—held accountable for the harm that they cause. The fact is that rumor-mongering poses a real threat to public safety. Just like driving a vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Or like falsely yelling “Fire!’ in a crowded theater. The Supreme Court has determined that this is not protected speech under the First Amendment. The alarmist can be held accountable.

Similarly, the people spreading falsehoods and baseless rumors in media, such as Fox News, should be held accountable. Of course, they could offer some kind of defense such as “We are not lying willfully—because we believe we are telling the truth and are trying to protect the public.” But if they are sued and made to justify their falsehoods, and if they are confronted with scientific data and made to acknowledge that they “could be wrong,” that could serve to advance the cause of truth. I believe that this would be better than censorship. In this regard, I suggest that the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) should seriously consider taking up this cause. Perhaps, the lawyers in the federation, like Loida Nicolas-Lewis and Rodel Rodis, could take up the cudgels and harness other legal champions in the community, like Ted Laguatan, Ernie Llorente and Mike Guingona, to take on the snakes and foxes of disinformation, expose them for their duplicity, and hold them to account for the deaths that their falsehoods have caused. ***

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

*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.

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.

*** gregmacabenta@hotmail.com

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 24-27, 2021

‘No oil exploration activities in Philippine waters’ - Palace by CatHerine

Valente ManilaTimes.net

HAZARD AREAS. Floodwater continues to rise along Lagarian Creek in Kamuning, Quezon City on Thursday, July 22 endangering the lives of people living in the area. Metro Manila and other parts of the country are experiencing heavy rainfall due to southwest monsoon. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

40% of Pinoys see better life ahead by Helen

Flores Philstar.com

MANILA — Almost four in 10 Filipinos expect their quality of life to improve in the next 12 months, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its latest poll. The survey, conducted from June 23 to 26, found 37% of adult Filipinos saying their quality of life will improve, termed by SWS as “optimists,” against seven% saying it will worsen or “pessimists,” resulting in a net personal oåfptimism score of +30, classified as “very high.” Forty-two% said it will stay

the same in the next 12 months, while the remaining 14% did not give an answer. The June 2021 net personal optimism score was six points above the high +24 in May but five points below the very high +35 in November 2020, the SWS said. The pollsters attributed the six-point rise in the national net personal optimism score in June to the increases of 12 points in balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila) and five points in Metro Manila, combined with steady scores in the Visayas and

Mindanao. Net personal optimism was higher in balance Luzon (very high +38) and Metro Manila (very high +34) than in Mindanao (high +24) and the Visayas (fair +15). It was very high among college graduates (+42) and junior high school graduates (+30), and high among non-elementary graduates (+26) and elementary graduates (+25). The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults, 18 years old and above, nationwide. n

House to probe executive spending for pandemic by Delon

PorCalla Philstar.com

MANILA — Invoking Congress’ power of the purse and oversight functions, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Thursday, July 22 said the House of Representatives would conduct an inquiry on how the executive department spent funds intended to fight the COVID pandemic. “We’re going to have a few hearings so the executive will be able to explain and show how and where they used the funds allotted for the pandemic,” Velasco said. Velasco acknowledged the mandate of the legislative chamber to conduct the probe. “We need to find out whether

the budget that we approved was spent well,” he said. He did not give details on when the inquiry will start. The Marinduque congressman said the lower legislative chamber is open and ready to provide additional funding for the government’s anti-COVID efforts, especially amid the threat of the Delta variant, which experts say is more transmissible. He agreed that an additional budget might be needed in the future for the inoculation of children. “Congress is always open to help the executive when it comes to legislation that need to be passed, especially when it comes to the needs of the public to fight the pandemic,” Velasco said. n

MALACAÑANG on Thursday, July 22 expressed confidence there are no oil exploration activities in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) despite the discovery of an ocean bottom seismometer with Chinese character markings off Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. made the statement after fisherfolk in Pangasinan reportedly found the seismometer. In his virtual press briefing, Roque said the Philippine government has yet to receive a report of oil exploration ships being deployed in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). A seismometer is the internal part of a seismograph, which is an instrument used to record the motion of the ground during an earthquake. An article posted on the science website Earthsky quoting a geologist from the University of Texas said the same tool used to study earthquakes are frequently used to search for oil and natural gas deep below Earth's surface. "As far as we know, binabantayan natin 'yung mga barkong naglalayag sa Scarborough Shoal. Wala namang nare-report na isang barko na ginagamit for exploration purposes (We are monitoring ships on Scarborough Shoal. There is no report yet of a ship being used for exploration purposes)," Roque told reporters. He said a boat was needed to be able to use the seismometer but there was no report yet that such a type of vessel was in the area. Should there be such, Roque said the government would immediately verify it and "do the corresponding action." "Wala naman ganoong report na nakukuha, so for now we are confident na wala namang exploration na nagaganap diyan sa Scarborough at kung mayroon man, we can verify it and we can file and do the corresponding action (We are not getting such report, so for now we are confident that there is no exploration happening in Scarborough. But if there is, we can verify it and we can file and do the corresponding action)," he added. The report prompted House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate to ask Congress to investigate the "possible illegal oil exploration of China" in the Philippine waters. "If oil is found in that area then it is ours and would be a great boost to our country's battered economy," Zarate said.

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PH, UN launch human rights...

PAGE A5 t national mechanism for reporting and follow-up; counter-terrorism legislation, and human rightsbased approaches to drug control are also among these areas. Australia was the first to provide financial support to the program, with an initial contribution of P12.9 million, according to the UN in the Philippines. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, in the same statement, said the program “manifests the sincere efforts” of the Philippine government to “infuse its law enforcement and investigative operations with a human rights dimension in a non-political setting.” Aside from the Department of Justice, the joint program will also be co-implemented by the Speaker Lord Allan Velasco Philkstar.com file photo Presidential Human Rights Com-

mittee Secretariat (PHRCS), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), the Department of Health (DOH), the Anti-Terrorism Council-Program Management Center (ATCPMC), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as well as the academe will also be core partners in the implementation of the program. Under the program, the OHCHR as well as other UN bodies will work with the Philippine government to apply human rights-based approaches in the six areas of cooperation “drawing on expertise and best practices.” n

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LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (LACMTA) REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL LACMTA will receive proposals for PS77608 - Joint Development On-Call Financial Advisor at the 9th Floor Receptionist Desk, Vendor/Contract Management Department, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012. This project is a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Set-Aside contract. To participate in this RFP, proposers must be SBE certified with LACMTA prior to proposal due date. For information on the Set-Aside Program, visit: https://business.metro.net/ VendorPortal/faces/home1/certifications. All proposals must be submitted to LACMTA in one of two ways, either (1) sealed envelopes by mail or hand delivered to the address below, or (2) electronically via email to bids@ metro.net. All proposals must be received on or before 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, August 4, 2021. Proposals received later than the above date and time will be rejected and returned to the proposer unopened. Additionally, it is recommended that proposer’s email(s) are sent with a Delivery and Read receipt for their records. Lastly, proposers should send a verification email to the named Contract Administrator of the RFP after the email submission(s) of proposal to bids@metro.net. The verification email should indicate that a proposal has been submitted by Vendor Name for RFP# on X number of emails. A Virtual Pre-Proposal conference will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 15, 2021. Refer to solicitation for details. For a copy of the Proposal/ Bid specification visit our Solicitation Page on our Vendor Portal at https://business.metro.net or for further information email Ni Paul at pauln@metro.net. 7/10, 7/14, 7/17, 7/21, 7/24, 7/28, 7/31, 8/4/21 CNS-3489681# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

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Dateline PhiliPPines

‘No oil exploration activities in...

PAGE A7 t He also urged the Philippine Coast Guard to deploy more patrol boats in the Scarborough Shoal and other areas not only to determine the veracity of the said reports but also to protect Filipino fisherfolk who have been subjected to harassment by China's coast guard and its maritime militia. "Aside from harvesting our giant clams and depleting our fisheries resources, this may be the primary reason why China's

coast guard and maritime militia bar Filipino fishermen from fishing in Scarborough Shoal. They may be mainly looking for oil in our EEZ," he said. "Malacañang should not dismiss this issue outright and once again protect China's imperial interests," Zarate added. Follow PH laws Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the nation's oil and gas exploration agreement with China can move forward as long as it is within

the bounds set by the 1987 Philippine Constitution. "[A]s far as our government is concerned... we are bound by the provisions of our Constitution. Meaning to say that we can talk to you but our rules will be limited by the provisions of the Philippine Constitution," Fuentebella said at Thursday's pre-SONA briefing. Although discussions are ongoing, Fuentebella cited the need to flesh out the details governing the exploration deal. He noted that existing laws mandate a 60-40 profit-sharing scheme in favor of the Philippine entity. "There's a need to further explore what kind of treaty or what kind of agreement we can come up with," the Energy official said. "However, if we follow the Philippine Constitution, we can apply the 60-40 arrangement that we also apply to the other nations or to other private contractors," he said. "Those are the limitations, those are the challenges but if we can move forward, yes, but we have to follow our Constitution," he added. Before the lifting of the exploration ban, Beijing and Manila signed in 2018 an accord to finetune details on the exploration, development and exploitation of resources in the area. In October 2020, Manila lifted the moratorium on conducting oil and gas exploration activities in the West Philippine Sea. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi had said such a move would spur investments and create jobs and other opportunities, which could help the economy recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was during the term of former president Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino 3rd that the ban was imposed as early as 2014 when escalating disputes with China over the reputedly resource-rich sea prompted his administration to take the East Asian country to international arbitration. Eventually, in July 2016, The Hague-based United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration backed the Philippines after ruling that the Spratly Islands, Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Recto (Reed) Bank were all within the Philippines' EEZ under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. n

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VP Robredo admits: No means to mount presidential campaign in 2022 elections by

Reina Leanne ToLenTino ManilaTimes.net

VICE President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo on Tuesday, July 20 admitted that she has no resources to launch a "decent" presidential campaign. Robredo, who has yet to announce whether or not she will run for president in the 2022 elections, told ANC's "After the Fact" that the current situation "is so different" from that in 2016. "I was relatively unknown. What I want to say is, my awareness ratings were down. So, there was a lot of elbow room for me to improve my numbers. What I want to say is, I started at 1%.... I'm not too sure about the figures now, but I think by the time I filed in October of 2015, I was at 2%. But even during that time, we have been seriously looking at the numbers and back then, the situation was different," she said in part in Filipino and English. Robredo pointed out that she was an administration candidate in 2016. "So, the infrastructure was there. And because I was not running for president, parang hindi ko prinoblema iyong resources because the party was there. And you know the state of our party now, wala naman akong resources to launch a decent presidential campaign. So, para sa akin, before I make that decision, gusto ko handa ako," she said. "Iyong kampanya mismo, it will be difficult. It (the campaign) will be difficult given the current political landscape." Viability Robredo said that she has to consider many factors in making a decision. "Number one is viability. Viability. My numbers are low, so tinitingnan natin iyong maraming bagay (we are looking at many variables)." A Pulse Asia survey conducted from June 7 to 16, 2021 showed that 6% would have voted for Robredo if the presidential election were held during the survey period. This survey also showed, among others, that 28% would have voted for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio if the presidential election were held during the survey period. Earlier this month Duterte-Carpio said

Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo

that she was open to running for president in 2022. "Tinitingnan ko din iyong mga nangyayari, tinitingnan ko iyong surveys, tinitingnan ko iyong galaw (I am looking at what's happening, at surveys and movements), and it's not just me. In fact, I've been talking to small groups of not just supporters but groups.... We've been working with for the past five years and kasali sila sa (they are part of the) decision-making process," she said. "It's not simply a matter of gusto ko bang mag-presidente o hindi pero ano ba iyong makakabuti para sa bayan? Makakabuti ba na ako iyong tumakbo? O makakabuti ba na iba iyong tumakbo, susuporta na lang ako (It's not simply a matter of me wanting to be president or not, but what would be good for the country? Would it help if I am the one to run for president? Or would it be better if someone else does and I'll just throw my support behind?)" Robredo added. The vice president added that if she wins and President Rodrigo Duterte becomes the vice president, she will not treat him the way he treated her. "I don't think it is to the best interest of the people na iyong presidente saka vice president nag-aaway (the president and vice president are fighting)," she explained. "'Pag nagsabi siyang he will be committed to the work that will be given to him, I think it's for the best na iyong vice president is given a Cabinet post (If he says he will be committed to the work that will be given to him, I think it's for the best that the vice president is given a Cabinet post)."

ManilaTimes.net photo

In 2016, Duterte appointed Robredo as chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council. She resigned from the post after he directed her to stop attending Cabinet meetings. In 2019, he appointed her as co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs and removed her from the post after 19 days. Blame is on Robredo Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. on Wednesday, July 21 blamed Robredo for what she experienced during the administration of Duterte. Roque said it was Robredo who decided to lead the opposition even as she was offered Cabinet positions by the President. "Parang napakaikli naman po ng memorya ng ating vice president. Nakalimutan ba ho niya na binigyan siya ng Cabinet post ng ating presidente pero mas pinili niyang maging lider ng oposisyon kaysa magtayo ng mga pabahay para sa ating mga kababayan (It seems that her memory is impaired. Did she forget that she was given a Cabinet post by our president, but she chose to be leader of the opposition than create houses for our countrymen)?" the Palace official said. Members of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan have been urging President Duterte to run for vice president in 2022 for continuity of the administration's achievements on the war on drugs, terrorism and infrastructure development, among others. Duterte earlier this month said he would run for vice president in 2022 to get away from lawsuits after his tenure. n

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Great news for F-1 students: No need to file nonimmigrant visa extension to ‘bridge the gap’ Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ ON July 20, 2021, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new policy that individuals applying for change of status (COS) from Visitor (B), or other non-immigrant status, to F-1 student, no longer need to also apply for an extension of status while their initial F-1 COS application is pending. According to the USCIS announcement, under the previous USCIS policy, applicants needed to maintain their existing non-immigrant status up to 30 days before the program start date listed on their Form I20, Certificate for Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status. If there was more than a 30day “gap” between the expiration of their existing non-immigrant status, and the start of the school semester, the COS to F-1 (student) could be denied. The problem was USCIS was taking too long to process and approve COS requests to F-1 student. Even though a person in visitor status may have timely filed the COS before the expiration date on their I-94, and the start date of the school semester was within 30 days of expira-

tion, USCIS was taking so long, that the semester had already begun and therefore the school moved the start date to the next semester, which was beyond 30 days from the expiration of their visitor visa status. In that case, USCIS denied the change of status application, as the new start date was now beyond 30 days from the expiration of their existing non-immigrant status. USCIS had suggested that in order to maintain continuous status while the request for COS to student status is pending, the person had to also file an extension of their existing nonimmigrant status. As the USCIS stated as part of their previous policy, “In order to remain eligible for a change to F-1 status, the individual must file an application to extend his or her current non-immigrant status in order to bridge the gap in time between the current nonimmigrant status expiration date and the 30-day period before the F-1 program start date.” That old policy created confusion and resulted in many denials, because although people had timely filed for changes of status to student, they did not realize they were also supposed to file for an extension of their existing nonimmigrant status. The new policy does away with the need to file an extension of the prospective student’s existing nonimmigrant status. From now on, to prevent a “gap” in status, “USCIS will

grant the change of status to F1 effective the day we approve an applicant’s Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. If we approve an application more than 30 days before the student’s program start date, the student must ensure they do not violate their F-1 status during that time. An example of a violation would be engaging in employment, including on-campus employment, more than 30 days before the program start date as listed on their Form I20.” The USCIS believes this new policy will reduce workload and costs for both the applicants and USCIS. USCIS is revising the Form I-539 instructions to reflect these changes. This new policy will likely also reduce the number of denials of COS, based on a person inadvertently overlooking to also file an extension of their existing non-immigrant status. But it is also important that while a change of status is pending, you do not violate the terms of your existing status, such as by working. If you filed for a change of status to student, but were denied because of your inadvertent failure to “bridge the gap” between the expiration of your existing nonimmigrant status and the approval of the F-1 change of status, you may want to consult with an attorney who can evaluate your situation and determine if perhaps a belated

FRAUD WAIVER AND THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN U.S. IMMIGRATION THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Jun (right) was a crewman who jumped ship in 2002. He overstayed in the U.S. for several months, before returning to the Philippines in 2003. In 2007, his mother petitioned him as a single child. Finally, after many years of waiting, Jun was interviewed at the U.S. Embassy, but he was denied due to fraud. Jun’s sister (3rd from left) and his mother (2nd from left) consulted with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (2nd from right), who was able to file a fraud waiver, which was approved. Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, July 25 at 5:30 PM PT (8:30 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)

motion to reopen or reconsider is possible, provided you have not been working or otherwise violated the terms of your existing status. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of

California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any

reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/ GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration TV and Instagram.com/gurfinkellaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

B2 JULY 24-27, 2021 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

EntErtainmEnt

Why Anne is urging lawmakers to raise age of sexual consent By DAnA

cruz Inquirer.net

ANNE Curtis backed United Nations agency UNICEF in its call to raise the age of sexual consent in the Philippines from 12 to 16. Under The Anti-Rape Law of 1997, rape is committed when the offended party is “under twelve (12) years of age.” This makes the Philippines one of the countries with the lowest ages of consent in the world, allowing adults to have intercourse with children as young as 12. The 1930 Revised Penal Code also cites the same age for statutory rape. “This makes me sick in the tummy. You aren’t even legally allowed to get married, vote, get a license yet. But this is allowed?” the actress asked through a series of Twitter posts yesterday, July 22. Curtis stressed the need to raise the age of consent in the country as “urgent,” calling members of Congress to pass a law addressing the matter. “I stand with UNICEF as they call on the Philippine Congress to immediately pass a law that increases the age of statutory rape to at least 16,” she said. Curtis also stressed the need for male victims of child abuse to be likewise protected, as current law’s definition of rape only involves “having carnal knowledge of a woman.”

Anne Curtis

Photo from Instagram/@annecurtissmith

“It doesn’t matter if the child is a boy or a girl. The trauma these children suffer from is exactly the same,” she reminded the public. “They should have equal protection rights.” “With the opening of congress happening soon I believe this to be a grave matter, [especially] during this time where children are potentially more at risk. HEAR US and PROTECT THE CHILDREN,” she added.

The actress, who serves as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, also provided online materials to inform fans about the age of consent. The House of Representatives approved the bill to raise the age of sexual consent to 16 in December last year. The Senate is yet to pass a counterpart measure, but a bill has been approved by Senate panels in October 2020. n

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DACA update: USCIS posts guidance on processing applications By Atty.

MichAel J. Gurfinkel Immigration Columnist

AS I reported in a previous article, on July 16, 2021, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, was illegal. He issued a preliminary injunction, blocking the approval of any new applications. Fortunately, he did not call for a complete and immediate end to DACA, but instead allowed those who obtained DACA on or before July 16, 2021 to renew their DACA requests. He instructed USCIS to post on its website guidance or instructions regarding the handling of DACA applications in light of his ruling, and USCIS has done so. The new policy on processing DACA applications, in light of this injunction, is: • New and renewal DACA applications (and work authorizations) may be filed. • New/initial DACA requests cannot be granted. • Renewals of DACA obtained before 7/16/21 may be processed and granted according to existing policy. As stated by USCIS: “Consistent with this order, DHS will continue to accept the filing of both initial and renewal DACA requests, as well as accompanying requests for employment authorization. However, pursuant to the July 16, 2021 order from the Southern District of Texas, DHS is prohibited from granting initial DACA requests and accompanying requests for employment authorization. Also consistent with that order, DHS will continue to grant or deny renewal DACA requests, according to existing policy.” In other words, current DACA recipients would not be immediately affected or have their grant of

DACA taken away. They may also renew their current DACA application. But if a person is filing for DACA for the first time, they can file the application and pay the filing fee, but USCIS will just sit on it, while this case is on appeal. We will continue to monitor developments concerning DACA and keep you posted. But the real solution is for Congress to act and pass the DREAM Act, rather than relying on the president to provide temporary fixes through executive action. The Constitution states that Congress, not the president, is to make laws concerning immigration. So, urge your senator or member of congress to act now! *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration TV and Instagram.com/gurfinkellaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Klea wants to be constantly challenged By Jerry

DonAto Philstar.com

KLEA Pineda feels grateful and inspired these days. Why? She is following up her first lead role in Magkaagaw with another lead role in Stories from the Heart: Never Say Goodbye. The upcoming Kapuso drama series banks on the talent of Klea, Lauren Young and Jak Roberto. Although she keeps mum on the details about her character, Klea can only assure fans two things: This one is challenging and will contribute to her growth as an actress. “It is out-of-the-box,” answered the GMA Artist Center talent when asked about her thoughts on a meaty role and an exciting TV project, during a media call for her contract renewal. “It’s some-

thing I have never done before. Yun yung nakakachallenge for me.” When she begins to wrap her head around the story, Klea’s interest should be piqued by her character, said she. That’s a good start to keep the young star motivated until the end. “Masaya ako na after nung show na ‘yon, na nagawa ko (ito) nang maayos, nakaka-satisfy (ito) sa pakiramdam and nakakatuwa kasi (na) nagawa ko (After doing the show, you have these feelings of happiness and satisfaction because you’ve done well in it),” shared she. “You’ll never grow when you keep do- Toni Gonzaga & Dante Basco ing and accepting the same roles. The out-of-thebox roles, that have been given to me, are the ones I like the most.” As an actor, Klea wants to be constantly challenged and is willing to give it a try. PAGE B6

Photo from Instagram/@celestinegonzaga, @dantebasco

Toni Gonzaga, Dante Basco to star in new romantic comedy set in New York By ritchel

MenDiolA AJPress

FILIPINA actress Toni Gonzaga and Filipino American American actor Dante Basco have been cast as the lead stars of an upcoming romantic comedy film set to shoot next summer in New York City. “Asian Persuasion” will tell the story of an underachiever who comes up with an outlandish plan to avoid alimony obligations to his fashion designer ex-wife, according to Screen Daily. Basco and Gonzaga will play the roles of Mickey and Avery, respectively, a divorced Asian American couple who lives in New York. Based on the film’s official Instagram account, Mickey is “an Asian-American who owns a rundown coffee shop in Queens. He was once an aspiring fine-dining chef whose culinary dreams and ambitions were derailed by selfdoubt and depression following

his parents’ sudden death during his senior year in college.” He is also “a great dad to his daughter but is generally a slacker in all other aspects of his life.” Meanwhile, Avery is “a beautiful and stylish Asian-American who owns a fashion design business in the Lower East Side. She is the opposite of Mickey and is very organized and career-driven. She is responsible and a loving mother.” Tony Award-winning producer Jhett Tolentino will direct the film based on a script penned by Mike Ang, while Fil-Am record producer Illmind will score the film and write original songs to be performed by Asian American artists. In a joint statement shared by Screen Daily, Tolentino and Ang said: “As we continue to suffer the proliferation of unconscionable hate crimes against our Asian communities, it is our social and moral responsibility to speak up, stand our ground, and elevate

the Asian narrative.” “We are presented with a pivotal and historical moment – a unique and lasting opportunity to create art that informs, inspires, and unifies rather than divides,” they added. A Tony award-winning theatrical producer, Tolentino made his film debut as the director, writer and producer of documentary short “Life Is What You Make It” before producing Isabel Sandoval’s “Lingua Franca,” which was nominated earlier this year for the John Cassavetes Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Gonzaga is a singer, actress and television host who has appeared on popular Philippine shows from “Bubble Gang” to “Eat Bulaga” and several primetime dramas and feature films. Basco is best known for playing the red-mohawked Rufio in Steven Spielberg’s “Hook,” and Zuko in the animated series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” n

For Shaina, having a love life isn’t a measure of one’s success By MArinel

cruz

Inquirer.net

IF only finding a partner is as easy as creating bags,” quipped actress Shaina Magdayao, whose last public romantic relationship was with actor John Lloyd Cruz, before breaking up with him in 2012. “If only it’s that easy to design your ‘perfect partner’ and achieve that ‘perfect fit,’ with all the functionality and sustainability you require. Unfortunately, it’s not,” said the actress, while reacting to a question about her love life from show biz scribes during the virtual launch of her new business, The Organized Chicas. Since 2012, Shaina has been rumored to have dated other guys in the business, like fellow ABS-CBN contract artist Piolo Pascual, but she denied all of them. Besides, having a love life isn’t how one should measure personal success, the actress stressed. “As long as I”m doing everything with a purpose, as long as what I do isn’t just serving myself but also the people around me, then that’s already being successful,” Shaina pointed out. Blessed

Shaina Magdayao

“I help people in my own little way. People write to me on social media to ask for advice. They know I have health issues, too. I still have hypothyroidism. I try to convince them that it’s never too late to start taking care of one’s self. I share with them my struggles with my weight, skin and body. I tell them that things

Photo from Instagram/@shaina_magdayao

didn’t happen for me overnight. It took years to finally achieve what I have now. It’s really all about caring for myself,” the actress shared with reporters. Shaina likewise stressed that she already felt so blessed that she couldn’t ask for anything more, and that bagging her third PAGE B5

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Technical analysis for stock trading Tax Tips ViCtor Sy, MBA, CPA (retired) • TECHNICAL analysis is the study of historical market data including price and volume. • It helps long-term investors time their entry (buy) or exit (sell). If timing is off, gains will be lower no matter how strong business fundamentals are. • Technical analysts depend on tools to find trends and patterns in the stock market. • Such tools include moving averages, oscillators, support and resistance levels, and technical indicators. • Observe stock’s level of support & resistance in buying

(Part 3 of 4)

and selling. • Use psychology to study past performance to predict market behavior that has been illogical and unpredictable during the COvID pandemic. • Technicians also look for relationships between price/ volume indices and market indicators. • Examples include the moving average, relative strength index and MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence). • A good momentum indicator is the MACD index to forecast crossover signals. For example, short 20 day moving average crossing over long term 200 day average indicates a buy signal; short crossing under long indicates sell signal. • Advantages of Technical Analysis: Charts provide a clear picture of market action. They

provide objective data without human emotions. • Disadvantages of Technical Analysis: You can get mixed signals when two different indicators offer contradictory information. One indicator can show a “Buy” signal while the other shows a “Sell” signal. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV – Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation. *** He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits” that’s available at Amazon. Readers may email tax questions to vicsy@live.com.

Can I enforce a form I-864 Affidavit of Support in divorce proceedings? Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrSUA reyeS THE Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 requires that US Citizens sponsoring an alien for legal permanent residency execute an immigration form I864 Affidavit of Support. This is an agreement between the US Government and the Sponsor to promise to support the immigrant beneficiary seeking admission to the US at a level not less than 125% of the national poverty level. The purpose of the I-864 Affidavit is to prevent the noncitizen from becoming a public charge. The sponsor’s obligation continues until either 1) the intended immigrant becomes 2) the intended immigrant is no longer permanent resident by departing the US or relinquishing his or her residency 3) the immigrant is subject to removal or deportation but applies for and obtains anew adjustment of status based on a new affidavit of support 4) the intended immigrant or sponsor dies 5) the intended immigrant worked for 40 qualifying quarters under the Social Security Act. The I-864 affidavit is legally binding and enforceable contract between the Sponsor and the US Government. The en-

Commentary

Atty. PAyAM tAVAKoLi WHETHER a loved one dies as a result of an auto accident, pedestrian accident, motorcycle accident or an elderly loved one dies as result nursing home neglect/abuse, it is non-economic damages that resonate with a jury. These damages for the loss to the plaintiff of the decedent’s love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, affection, protection, society and moral support are the most economically substantial components of a wrongful-death case. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the value assigned these categories will be the largest portion of the verdict. Jurors find it very difficult with how to approach deter-

forceability even goes beyond this. The sponsored immigrant spouse can also enforce this contract against the sponsor and file an action to enforce the sponsor’s support obligation separately from any support rights the sponsored immigrant spouse may have under Family Code Section 4320. Erler v. Erler, 824 F.3d 1173 (9th Cir. 2016). This obligation becomes an important issue where the marriage between the Sponsor and the immigrant beneficiary breaks down and a Divorce Petition is filed. The I-864 obligation does not terminate with divorce or dissolution of marriage. Pursuant to Erler, neither a divorce judgment nor a premarital agreement may terminate an obligation of support under the I-864 affidavit. The obligation is not dischargeable even if the immigrant spouse is later supported by a third party or attempts to be self-sufficient. Further if a Joint Sponsor also signed an I-864 affidavit, the Joint Sponsor is jointly and severally liable for the support of the immigrant spouse. The immigrant spouse has an independent standing to enforce the obligation under the I864 affidavit against the sponsor either in state court or federal court. In re Marriage of Kumar, 13 Cal. App. 5th 1072 (2017). This means the sponsor’s support obligation under the I-864 affidavit may be enforced within the family law case/ divorce action. In addition, the Court in Kumar held that immigrant spouse has no duty to seek employment

to mitigate his or her damages. The bottom line is that in any divorce proceeding, one has to consider whether one spouse has signed an I-864 affidavit in the past for purposes of conferring a green card to the other spouse and whether that obligation continues on. It may be a separate claim for support available to the immigrant spouse within the family law case. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)

Wrongful death mining these types of damages in juror deliberations. As the lawyer and advocate for our client, we need to give the jurors the evidence they will need to understand what the plaintiffs had in their relationship with the decedent, and thus understand the level of the loss. To achieve maximum noneconomic damages, we must tell extraordinary stories. Trial lawyers must spend the time and effort to creatively gather and present evidence of the plaintiff’s loss in such a way that the jury can fully appreciate the magnitude of the relationship. to assist the jurors to also advocate for your clients during deliberations. To be able to identify the special and unique being about the client’s decedent, your attorney must first spend time with their clients. The purpose of these meetings is to learn the full story of their lives and the stories that inform the relation-

ship with their lost loved one. These stories will then need to be articulated and presented to the jurors with a framework to understand the reasons the award the attorney suggests is appropriate and Allow the lawyers at the Law Offices of Tavakoli & Associates advocate for you in the event of a wrongful-death case. Let us learn the stories and present it to jurors the way it needs to be. *** 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. *** If you have further questions, an experienced Injury Lawyer at the Law Offices of Tavakoli & Associates will be able to help you navigate the issues and provide you with the aggressive representation you need and deserve. (Advertising Supplement)

For Shaina, having a love life... PAGE B2 best supporting actress trophy (from Gawad Pasado) for Mac Alejandre’s dramatic film “Tagpuan” is already a bonus. “I was just honored to be able to portray a character created by [award-winning writer]Ricky Lee. That’s what made me say ‘yes’ to being part of the project, and also that I’ll finally be able to work with him and learn from him and Direk Mac,” she pointed out. “I have nothing more to ask. I’m just taking everything in. I want to stay grateful for every good thing that’s happening in my life, even the not-sogood ones,” Shaina said. “I always ask for guidance. If it’s His will for me to stay in the business and play more roles, I’ll do it. The businesses that I invest in, particularly The Organized Chicas, are all about sharing myself with everyone, inspiring them to care for themselves and nurture their bodies. I can say that I would know best because I’ve been in the business for a long time. Kawawa talaga ang katawan ko. For years, I felt really overworked.” Shaina is currently a cast member of the longrunning action series “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.” She said working at the time of the pandemic

brought inspiration to create The Organized Chicas, along with long-time friend and makeup artist Nikki Medina. Light-bulb moment “When we started taping for ‘Probinsyano,’ the production team was very strict. We were told we couldn’t have our Plus One, so we really had to fix our own things. I had the bags that I use for tapings especially made because I’m so OC (obsessive-compulsive) and I want everything organized. I would often ask Nikki’s help to fix my stuff,” she recalled. That’s when the two women had their light-bulb moment, Shaina said. “I told Nikki, let’s turn this into a business!’ That’s when it all started. It’s also our own little way of giving opportunities to individuals who made our bags because a lot of people lost jobs during the pandemic.” Five months after that incident, Shaina and Nikki are already expanding. “We are not just a bag line anymore, but we’re into apparel, too. The clothes I’m wearing for this presscon are by The Organized Chicas. We’re now like a lifestyle brand, offering everything in canvas and linen. I don’t know, who knows, we might carry cotton in the future.” n

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When ‘voluntary’ work off-the-clock should be paid Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. Q: I WORK in healthcare where there is a strict policy of no unapproved overtime, and no going on breaks unless we have a reliever. We are forced to skip our breaks if there is no reliever (which happens a lot because we are often understaffed). As for overtime, we don’t even ask for approval anymore since we risk being written up for “too much overtime.” We just clock out and go back to work to finish our work. I recently complained to our supervisor but was told that if I “voluntarily” skip breaks or voluntarily work off the clock, this is not the hospital’s problem. This seems unfair. Do we have remedies? A: Yes. Assuming you’re not on an Alternative Work Schedule (AWS), you should be paid for the extra hours you worked even if they are “off the clock.” If these extra hours go beyond 8 hours per day, then you are entitled to the overtime rate of 1½ times your regular rate for any work in excess of 8 hours per day or two times your regular rate for any work beyond 12 hours per day. Also, you should be paid a one-hour premium for any missed lunch break, and another one hour-premium for any missed rest break. The fact that your employer considers your missed breaks and off-the-clock work “voluntary” is disturbing and likely violates the law. In California,

there are clear laws for volunteers and what constitutes “voluntary work.” First of all, where there is an employment relationship between a worker and a company, that worker cannot be treated as an unpaid volunteer when performing their regular work for the employer during the employee’s work period. In order to qualify as “volunteers” the persons must perform services for a civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons, without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation. Moreover, they must offer their services freely and without direct or indirect pressure or coercion. Finally, to qualify for volunteer services, the services must not be the same type of services the employee is employed to perform for the employer, and such volunteer work must take place outside the employee’s normal working hours. Even if there is evidence that some employees voluntarily worked uncompensated overtime, such a “choice” is not permitted under California law. A nonexempt employee may not lawfully volunteer to work off-the-clock without compensation. The law requires payment for “all hours worked,” and overtime pay for “all hours worked” in excess of a 40-hour workweek. California’s Court of Appeal has clarified the issue about employees who “voluntarily” skip breaks or work off-theclock: A “voluntary” act is an act of being “unconstrained by interference; not impelled by outside influence.” Where the employer has instituted policies that limit its employees’

freedom to take breaks, such as chronic understaffing, making patient safety the “number one priority,” having “zero tolerance” for staff who take a break without first being relieved, and requiring that the patient is the “primary commitment” – these policies act as constraints, making missed breaks mandatory, not voluntary. Where the employer “fails to provide an employee a meal or rest or recovery period in accordance with a state law... the employer shall pay the employee one additional hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate of compensation for each workday that the meal or rest or recovery period is not provided.” This means the employee who was not provided a meal or rest period must be paid an additional hour (and up to two hours) at the employees’ “regular rate of compensation” which must include not only hourly wages but all nondiscretionary payments for work performed by the employee. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.] (Advertising Supplement)

Converting Chapter 7 to Chapter 13 THE question of course is why would anyone need to convert his Chapter 7 case to Chapter 13 when the former is a total wipeout of debt, while the latter would require partial or full payment of debt? It’s because after you file your Chapter 7 case, the estimated value of your house was wrong, the value was higher than what you thought, or a lot of your debt is actually nondischargeable perhaps unpaid income taxes are less than three years old, or you forgot that you had another house somewhere with significant equity. Let’s focus on the first situation. You thought that your house only had equity of $600,000, i.e. fair market value less outstanding mortgage and other secured liens. It turns out that your house equity is actually $650,000. At the 341-a meeting, the Chapter 7 trustee says he’s going to list your house for sale because he thinks your house’s current fair market value is $675,000. Well there you go, you have a big problem. Nowadays with house values going up every day, this can really sneak up on you. You only owe $30,000 of credit card debt but the Chapter 7 trustee wants to sell your house, give you $600,000 then use the rest to pay himself his retirement account, and pay the $30,000 off in full. Yep, that can really happen. You dug a deep hole for yourself and you need to quickly get out of that hole. So what is the solution to this crisis? There’s Section 706 of the bankruptcy code that allows you to convert your Chapter 7 case to Chapter 13. What does this do? If you can actually succeed in converting your Chapter 7 case to Chapter 13, then your house will be beyond the reach of the Chapter 7 trustee, he will be taken off your case, and a Chapter 13 trustee will take over your case. Note that the Chapter 13 trustee, unlike the Chapter 7 trustee, has no power to sell your home. What she can do with the non-exempt equity of your house is use that to get more money out of you in your Chapter 13 plan. For instance, she can ask that you fully pay your $30,000 of credit cards over 60 months in the plan because your nonexempt equity in your home is between $50,000 and $70,000. But she cannot sell your home. So this is like a pinprick compared to a sledgehammer hitting you in Chapter 7. Section 706 of the bankruptcy code allows conversion But it’s not that simple converting from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13. Just know there is that legal possibility. Section 706 (d) of the bankruptcy code still says that, “Notwithstand-

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrenCe yAng ing any other provision of this section, a case may not be converted to a case under another chapter of this title unless the debtor may be a debtor under such chapter.” What this means in plain English is that since you want to convert to Chapter 13, you have to prove that you are eligible for Chapter 13. What does this mean? It means you must prove that you have the ability to make plan payments in Chapter 13. To have the ability to make plan payments, you must have disposable income. Therefore, you have to examine all your possible income that could be relied on to make your plan payments. Another requirement is that you must have no bad faith or abuse of process in your case. In re Marrama, a U.S. Supreme court case decided in 2007 comes into play. In Marrama, he wanted to convert his Chapter 7 case to Chapter 13. The bankruptcy court denied his motion to convert. Marrama then appealed to the Supreme court arguing that under 706(a), he had an absolute right to convert. The problem is that Marrama was a sneaky guy. He misrepresented the value of his house in Maine, and he did not disclose that he had already transferred his house a year before. So the court said that although debtors have the right to convert from 7 to 13, that right is not absolute and is subject to the court’s discretion to allow or not. The court said that Mr. Marrama was deliberately in bad faith because of what he did therefore the court denies his motion to convert to chapter 13. The Marrama case Another requirement for conversion and reconversion (Chapter 13, then Chapter 7, then back to Chapter 13) is that the totality of circumstances must show good faith (this basically affirms Marrama), and must show that his proposed Chapter 13 plan is feasible. What does feasible mean? It means that you have enough disposable income the make the plan payments required in your proposed Chapter 13 case. In this example, the debtor has to pay $30,000 over five years. Therefore, he must be able to show clear and convincing evidence that he has enough disposable income to pay at least $500 a month for his Chapter 13 to be feasible. The Povah case Not all courts believe they

have the discretion to act on a reconversion. This means the case was filed first as Chapter 13, then, converted to Chapter 7, and now the debtor wants to reconvert to Chapter 13. There is a split of bankruptcy courts on this issue. In re Povah, a 2011 bankruptcy court case in Massachusetts, the court in its analysis said that “Based upon the decisions cited above, this Court adopts the reasoning of courts such as Bange and Anderson and concludes that it has discretion to permit reconversion of the Debtor’s case to a case under Chapter 13 in appropriate circumstances. The debtor’s circumstances, however, must be closely scrutinized, see Anderson 341 B.R. at 769, and the debtor also must establish both good faith and the feasibility of any plan of reorganization.” So if you factually are in good faith and have the other requisites to prove that you can have a feasible Chapter 13 plan, you have a legal pathway to save your house from the Chapter 7 trustee. Here’s the most important thing you have to do, kneel down, be humble, and sincerely ask God for his help to get your case back on Chapter 13. In chapter 6 of the Bible, the prophet Daniel was sentenced by King Darius to die in a den of lions. If you are in Chapter 7 and the trustee has now listed your house for sale, you are now in the den of lions. These lions are the Chapter 7 trustee, his realtors, and his lawyers. Every action to take will cost you big bucks. Let’s not even get into how much those big bucks can get. You won’t even be able to imagine the figures involved. To sell your house to get $30,000 to pay your credit cards, it will take $100,000, that’s how absurd it can get. Of course, that will all come out of your house sale proceeds, it’s coming out of your skin. So Daniel is now in the lions’ den getting ready to be eaten. But lo and behold, our God sends an angel into the lion’s den and closes their mouths! “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” asks King Darius. “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, your majesty.” “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he PAGE B6

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Inigo releases international Julie Anne reacts to New York Times Square billboard album, says he finally found his new ‘sound’ By Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

KAPUSO actress Julie Anne San Jose is the latest Filipino celebrity to be featured in a billboard in Times Square, New York. In Universal Records’ official Facebook account, Julie Anne’s record label proudly posted the photo of the singer-actress featured in one of Times Square’s digital billboards. “Julie Anne San Jose makes it to New York’s Times Square billboard for Spotify!” the record label wrote. The “Heartful Café” star also took to her Instagram account to thank Spotify for making her dreams come true. “Oh I can’t believe itttttt. TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK!? Big thank you SPOTIFY! This is a dream come true!” Julie Anne wrote. “@gmanetwork, @universalrecordsph fam, friends and my loving supporters, we made it. Praise God,” she added. Celebrities such as Gabbi Garcia, Lovi Poe, David Licauco, Kaye Abad, Rayver Cruz and Ai Ai delas Alas, among others, congratulated Julie Anne on her newest career milestone. In her guesting for Philstar.com’s Lifestyle and Entertainment show “Slam Book,” Julie Anne shared what inspired her new single, “Free.” n Julie Anne San Jose

By ritz

l. ignaCio Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — After years of preparations and selfdiscovery, Filipino pop singer Inigo Pascual shared that he finally found his new “sound” through his international album “Options,” released last June 25. At the global media conference last June 22, Inigo shared that his second full-length album was totally different from his previous release as his preference and his personal taste in music developed. “As an artist, masasabi kong mas nagmature ako and then also my music definitely matured with this new sound. Ibang-iba siya sa tunog ng first album. I’m glad that I was able to work on these kasi mas natuklasan ko ‘yung tunog na gusto ko pala para sa sarili ko,” Inigo told Philstar.com and other media at the virtual conference. ‘Options’ The 23-year-old singer, who now describes himself as an “island pop artist,” also narrated that through this album, he became more “vulnerable and open” not just about how the song sounded, but because each lyric of the song was more personal. “With my first album, pakiramdam ko nag-eexplore ako kung ano ‘yung tunog na gagawin ko for myself. With this album, I felt like this is the Inigo that is more open and mature,” he said. “Options: The Album” will revolve around the concept of self-discovery as Inigo explores “infinite options” in his musical career. “I just feel that it kinda relates to a young man, which is just me, would have to go through life and would have certain options to deal with and each song kinda represents that certain time and that emotion that I felt,” Inigo explained. It is a 12-track mix of his previously released singles “Options,” “Danger,” “Should Be Me,” and his collaborations with Tarsier Records’ label head

Photo from Instagram/@myjaps

Alex earns 1 billion YouTube views on her 4th year as vlogger By Dana

Cruz Inquirer.net

Inigo Pascual

Chris Lopez, “Lost,” “Catching Feelings,” “Always,” and the stripped version of “OMW.” One of the highlight tracks of the album is Inigo’s carrier single “Neverland,” produced by Bernard Harvey. Pascual released a music video for this song last June 28. Lopez, also known as Moophs, a music producer, said the all-English album also means “decisions.” “If you have options, you have to decide. Like when you are producing music, it comes with a thousand decisions that you have to make,” he explained at the press con. Journey toward self-discovery After two years of working with this album, Inigo said that he grew up with it with a lot of learnings and realizations. “One thing that I learned throughout in this journey in

Photo from Instagram/@inigopascual

making this album was that it is possible to work and make music without making it feel like work,” he said. The singer-actor shared that through this project, he learned to be more patient, enjoy life at the moment, and to never stop because of the pandemic. The singer-actor also realized that he is an “island boy.” He wanted to combine his love for island music and pop music, while also keeping that OPM (Original Pinoy Music) sound that stuck with his roots. When asked about their plans about having a digital concert, Inigo said that they will be an- Alex Gonzaga nouncing a lot of dates soon. Photo from Instagram/@cathygonzaga In 2016, Inigo released his self-titled debut album wherein he has established his status as one of Star Magic’s brightest up-and-comers by dominating PAGE B2 local music charts with his hit ‘Rollercoaster’ showbiz joursingle, “Dahil Sa’yo.” n ney From being paired up with Jeric Gonzales in Magkaagaw, Klea finds a “loveteam mate” in Jak, whom she has worked in Magpakailanman and Tadhana. Their onscreen chemistry is somehow proven and it works. “We already had a lock-in taping and shot scenes,” shared Klea on the Never Say Goodbye production. “We’re going to have another lock-in taping in August. We’ll start (taping) the remaining scenes. The number of cycles depends on every artist and the production’s schedule.” Acting in a bubble is a familiar territory to her since she has done an episode for Heartful Café and the last part of Magkaagaw. “I read the script repeatedly and study the habits of my character,” said Klea on her work rituals. “I take down notes, which matters to me because it’s a way I get myself familiarized with the role.” This helps her to have some “mental mapping” of her character’s good and bad sides and to understand why “she has made that decision in a particular scene. I find time to study my character’s (personal) history. These make up my preparations before we go into a lock-in taping.” What also excites Klea about her Never Say Goodbye’s character is the latter’s maturity. The role allows her to veer away from the teeny-bopper “‘I love you. You love me’ and girlfriendboyfriend” mold, as Klea put it. “(There are serious relationship issues in the story) that a lot of audiences can relate to,” said she. “It tackles how to make decisions, (the thought process behind it) and (concerns about) health.” Her role also speaks about how the StarStruck’s Ultimate Female Survivor has grown all these years. “A lot has changed,” said Klea, “(like) my priorities as an individual.” She

ALEX Gonzaga has hit several milestones with her YouTube platform as she garnered over one billion views and 11 million subscribers on her fourth anniversary as a vlogger. “Netizens! We are now 11 [million subscribers] and we have [one] billion views over all! Thank you thank you!” the actress-vlogger gushed on her Instagram page on Wednesday, July 21. Gonzaga also showed a photo of herself on a beach and a screenshot of her YouTube page, indicating that she has earned 1,000,324,417 views from all of her vlogs. “Best way to celebrate our [fourth] year together! To God be the Glory!” she added.

Some of the actress’ celebrity friends congratulated Gonzaga for her vlogging achievements, including Luis Manzano, Jessy Mendiola and Bianca Gonzalez. “Congrats Ate!” Manzano told the actress. Meanwhile, both Mendiola and Gonzalez addressed Gonzaga by her real name, Catherine, as they extended their congratulations. Gonzaga was also greeted by her brother-in-law, director Paul Soriano, who has been featured in some of her vlogs. “Nice one sis. Congrats,” Soriano said, while sending her a winking emoji. Gonzaga launched her YouTube channel on July 19, 2017. She has since released weekly videos and featured fellow content creators, including Zeinab Harake, Ivana Alawi and Erwan Heussaff, among others. n

Klea wants to be constantly...

Klea Pineda

Photo from Instagram/@kleapineda

now has a better grasp of her profession and purpose. “Yung growth na nangyayari sa akin kada show na binibigay sa akin, yun yung happiness ko,” said she. “Yung satisfaction na nabibigay sa akin kapag nagagawa ko nang maayos yung isang project na binigay sa akin.” As for her showbiz journey thus far, Klea had this to say: “For me, it (has been a) rollercoaster (ride). (There have been) ups and downs since 2015 (the time I joined StarStruck) and (there are still) up to now. Hindi naman mawawala yung nagdo-doubt ako sa sarili ko. There were even times when I would question if this career path was for me… He (the Lord) always gives me a reason to hold on to and prove to myself that I belong to this (work).” Beauty pageant dreams Acting, however, is not the only dream on Klea’s wish-list. There’s also joining a beauty pageant. Soon, she will tick the box for it. “I can’t say that I’m a hundred

percent ready now,” said she. “Meron pa ring takot, meron pa ring doubt sa sarili (ko). What I want to happen is, once I have decided to join, (I know that) I’m a hundred percent ready and packaged for (it).” Since her beauty pageant idols are 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach and 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray, Klea aspires to become a Miss Universe Philippines candidate. According to her, she has met and talked to Queens Pia and Catriona before. What she has learned from them is the importance of a beauty pageant candidate’s readiness, which means that she is physically, emotionally and mentally prepared. Meantime, Klea will take on acting projects like Never Say Goodbye that come her way. “I want to focus on them and ayokong mawala yung mga opportunity na binibigay sa akin ng GMA,” she concluded. “I’m sure, if I decide to join a pageant in the future, GMA will support me.” n

Converting Chapter 7 to Chapter...

PAGE B5 saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” Look at the incorruptible body of the blessed Carlo Acutis who died at 15 in 2007. You can look at his body in Rome, Italy, now 14 years after his death. He looks like he’s just asleep in his jogging suit and rubber shoes! That is a perfect example of an ongoing sign on earth that the God of Daniel, our God, my God, is almighty and all powerful that He even suspends the natural laws of biology and physics without any effort. He resurrected His one and only beloved son from death on the cross. He has

power over death. If you need debt relief, set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THE FOREGOING IS CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE. EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)

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