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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Volume 19 - No. 31 • 16 Pages
T H E F I L I P I N O A M E R I CA N C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
AUGUST 7-13, 2020
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Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
Offi cial: ‘Discrepancies’ in state’s lab system may DATELINE USA Filipino-Mexican teen have resulted in undercount of COVID-19 cases among 9 service members FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
killed in training accident off California coast
SINCE childhood, Bryan Juan-Carlos Baltierra had set his sights on a military career and enlisted a month after graduating from high school. On Wednesday, July 29, the 18-year-old private first class marked his one-year anniversary of being sworn into the United States Marine Corps. A day later, he was one of nine service members killed when an amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) sank off the coast of San Clemente Island during a routine training exercise, considered one of the deadliest sea incidents u PAGE A4
by RAE
ANN VARONA AJPress
AS California saw a drop in COVID-19 numbers earlier this week, a top health official suggested that discrepancies in the state’s electronic data system may have resulted in undercounts of cases. California Health and Humans Services Secre-
tary Dr. Mark Ghaly said on Tuesday, August 4 that “some discrepancies” have been discovered in the state system over the past few days. “There is a specific component that feeds information from labs to both the state system and the local public health system that may actually be the place where data is getting stuck,” said Ghaly. On Tuesday, a message on the state’s COVID19 dashboard said that due to “issues” with the
DFA: 2 Filipinos dead, 8 injured in Beirut blast by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
Fil-Am professors voice concerns over new Cal State University ethnic or social justice studies requirement UNDERGRADUATE students of the California State University system — the largest public university system in the United States — will be required to take an ethnic studies or social justice class in order to graduate. The new “Ethnic Studies and Social Justice” requirement comes as the university’s Board of Trustees voted on Wednesday, July 22, to approve an amendment to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations that modified its General Education (GE) requirements to include a course for students to “understand ethnic studies and social justice.” “This action, by the CSU and for the CSU, lifts ethnic studies to a place of prominence in our curriculum, connects it with the voices
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BIKE TO WORK. Workers in bicycles pedal to their workplaces along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Caloocan City on Wednesday, August 5. Local government units have put up bicycle lanes along roads as bicycles have become an alternative means of transportation in compliance with quarantine protocols. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
How the COVID-19 response worsened the state of public education Education experts and leaders discuss the drawbacks of the U.S. response to COVID-19 and how best to provide for underserved students
education is in emergency levels of paltry funding, resources and AJPress aid for disadvantaged and lowerPUBLIC education advocates income students. for years have been promoting The Los Angeles Unified the reality that the future of the School District (LAUSD) and San United States hinges on today’s Diego Unified District (SDUD) kids receiving quality and afford- — the two largest school districts able education. in California — both announced But when the COVID-19 pan- last month that it would start out demic is here to stay with no the 2020-2021 school year online signs of subsiding in the foresee- to safeguard students, teachers able future, the state of public and school staff from the escalatby KLARIZE
MEDENILLA
ing COVID-19 situation in California, as previously reported in the Asian Journal. In the 17th installment of its “Tracking the Pandemic” press briefing series, Ethnic Media Services on Friday, July 31 held a briefing on the ways in which the U.S.’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have both highlighted and amplified disparities within K-12 public education. u PAGE A3
USCIS to increase fee to apply for naturalization by $500 by AJPRESS THE cost to become a naturalized United States citizen will increase by over $500, effective October 2, according to a rule change recently published in the Federal Register. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will raise the application fee to become a naturalized citizen from $640 to $1,170, the final rule on Friday, July 31 said. The changes, which also update the fees for immigration ap-
state’s electronic laboratory system, “these data represent an underreporting of actual positive cases in one single day.” Ghaly said the glitches may be a result of high volumes of coronavirus case data “testing the capacity” of the state’s CalREDIE (California Reportable Disease Information Exchange) system. The announcement came after California Goveru PAGE A2
plications like H-1B visas, come after a review from the agency that said the current fees “do not recover the cost of providing adjudication and naturalization services.” “USCIS is required to examine incoming and outgoing expenditures and make adjustments based on that analysis,” said Joseph Edlow, USCIS deputy director for policy. “These overdue adjustments in fees are necessary to efficiently and fairly administer our nation’s lawful immigration system, secure the homeland
and protect Americans.” The current fees leave the agency, which is funded by fees, underfunded by nearly $1 billion annually, it argued. There will also be a $50 charge for seeking asylum. Other countries that impose a fee for this are Iran, Fiji and Australia. “A $50 fee is in line with the fees charged by these other nations,” the USCIS said. Community organizations like Asian Americans Advancing Justice are urging immigrants eliu PAGE A4
TWO Filipinos were among the people killed in a massive explosion in Lebanon’s capital Beirut, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday, August 5. “Our hearts go out to the Lebanese people. And I hope material and medical help as well. DFA will try to extend as much help as it can out of its own resources not just to OFWs but also to Lebanese communities,” said Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez also reported that eight Filipinos were injured and 12 were missing, of which 11 are seafarers and one is a household worker. The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon, meanwhile, said 10 of the 11 sailors have already been found “safe and accounted for.” It added that the 10 suffered minor injuries, and are now with the management of the shipping company, Abu Merhi Cruises at Ain el Mraiseh, Beirut. “The Philippine Embassy Beirut will continue to ascertain the conditions of the seafarers and the other Filipinos who were reported hospitalized,” the Embassy assured. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Hans Leo Cadac, for his part, said the government will repatriate the remains of the two Filipinos who were killed.
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Palace: PH economy will not be able to withstand ‘prolonged’ MECQ by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
THE Philippine economy will not be able to withstand a prolonged modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Mega Manila, Malacañang said on Tuesday, August 4. “Tatapatin ko po kayo, hindi na po kaya ng ekonomiya ang mas matagalan pang lockdown (I will be blunt, the economy cannot withstand a longer lockdown),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told reporters. The statement came following suggestions to extend the MECQ President Rodrigo Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malago Clubhouse until the end of the month. in Malacañang on Tuesday, August 2. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez Roque stressed that placing Mega Manila under MECQ was a “compromise” to the demand of healthcare workers for a timeout. President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday, August 2, shifted Metro Manila back to MECQ after approving the Cabinet’s recommendation to return to a more stringent lockdown in response to the medical community’s plea. Medical frontliners addressed u PAGE A2
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august 7-13, 2020 • NORCaL asIaN JOuRNaL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160
From the Front Page
Official: ‘Discrepancies’ in state’s...
PAGE A1 t nor Newsom, announced a drop in the state’s seven-day average of new coronavirus cases to 7,764 per day from the previous week’s average of 9,859 per day — a decline of about 21.2%. The last time the state saw such low numbers was on July 5. Ghaly said that “the sevenday positivity rate is absolutely affected by this.” Hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) data — both of which have somewhat slowed down across the state — however, were not affected by the system issues. Ghaly said he felt “confident” that hospitalization numbers in California were beginning to stabilize as Newsom had said on Monday, August 3. Newsom reported a 10% drop in COVID-19 related hos-
pitalizations and a 5% drop in ICU admissions over 14 days, before reminding people that a second wave was still possible. While the system glitches represented issues with state numbers, Ghaly acknowledged that California counties have also reported lower numbers. “Many counties depend upon the state’s information to keep their own data up to date,” Ghaly said. “Many public health officials and public health offices that depend on the state’s data over the past few days have seen a drop in case numbers.” “We’ve been in communication with them about what these discrepancies are,” he added. “They’re concerned, as we are. There is no doubt that their ability to address in a specific way contact tracing and case inves-
tigation has been impacted over the past few days.” Speaking more on the potential impact the undercounting may have on contact tracing efforts, he said, “It is absolutely hampered without the data.” While it is still unclear for how long and to what extent the glitches have been affecting data, Ghaly said that state officials were “working around the clock” to fix the issue. “We are not sure when we will have a definite fix to the problem,” Ghaly said. In the meantime, he added, “We are working on parallel processes — manual processes — to get the same information through the CalREDIE system to local public health departments.” As of Tuesday, the state has recorded 519,427 cases and 9,501 fatalities. n
DFA: 2 Filipinos dead, 8 injured in... PAGE A1 t
According to him, OWWA has already been in contact with the family of one of the victims. They have yet to identify the other victim. The powerful blast that rocked the Port of Beirut on Tuesday af-
ternoon, August 4 left at least 135 people dead and 5,000 wounded, Lebanon’s health minister said on Wednesday, August 5, according to the New York Times. Based on reports, a highly explosive ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at a port trig-
gered the explosion. Lebanese authorities are still investigating the incident. Malacañang said the DFA will intensify its repatriation efforts for Filipinos in Lebanon. “I think the government will continue with its repatriation of nationals who wish to be evacuated from the area. Lebanon, as we know, is war-torn,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told CNN Philippines. “We’ve issued [a] series of advisories against working in Lebanon. I believe the DFA will intensify our efforts to bring home our kababayans in that war-torn area,” he added. The DFA said the Philippine Embassy is now in touch with the Filipino community in Lebanon to assess the situation as well as provide assistance to any affected Filipinos. Meñez noted that around 33,000 Filipinos are residing in Lebanon, 75 percent of whom are in the Greater Beirut area. Filipinos in need of assistance are urged to contact the Embassy through +961 385-9430, +961 813-34836, +961 714-74416, +961 706-81060 and +961 70858086, or email them at beirutpe@gmail.com. n
PRE-MECQ RUSH. Residents shop for vegetables beside the Powerline Market in Barangay 176, Bagong Silang-Kanan, Caloocan City on Monday, August 3. People rushed to grocery stores and public markets to buy food and essential items ahead of the return of Metro Manila and neighboring provinces to the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from August 4 to 18 to stem the steep rise in COVID-19 infections PNA photo by Ben Briones
Palace: PH economy will not be able to... PAGE A1 t the president in an open letter, stressing that the country’s healthcare system is overwhelmed. “Dear President Duterte, healthcare workers are united in sounding off a distress signal to the nation that our healthcare system has been overwhelmed,” the letter read. “We are waging a losing battle against COVID-19, and we need to draw up a consolidated, definitive plan of action,” it added. The letter was signed by 80 medical associations representing 80,000 doctors and a million nurses. It was then read by Philippine Medical Association (PMA) president Dr. Jose Santiago during an online press conference headed by the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) on Saturday, August 1. “We propose that the ECQ be used as a timeout to refine our pandemic control strategies addressing the following urgent conditions or problems: hospital workforce efficiency; failure of contact tracing and quarantine; transportation
safety; workplace safety; public compliance with self-protection; social amelioration,” Santiago read. The quarantine classification took effect on Tuesday, August 4 and will be in place until August 18. Under this quarantine status, strict home quarantine will be observed in all households. There will be no public transport, domestic flights, and mass gatherings. There will also be limited transporting services for essential goods and services. DILG condemns ‘shoot to kill’ post of QC exec The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) frowned upon the proposal of a local city official to use the “shoot to kill” approach in dealing with violators of quarantine protocols. According to DILG spokesperson, Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, Task Force Disiplina head Councilor Rannie Ludovica’s suggestion was “improper and illegal.” “We advise him to desist from issuing similar statements in the future,” he said.
“While we strongly believe that discipline is one of the preventive measures to stop the transmission of the (novel coronavirus), this must be enforced within the bounds of the law and the DILG will not tolerate any possible abuse of authority on the part of law enforcement agencies or enforcement units of local government units,” he added. Ludovica, in his viral post, wrote: “Mula bukas, shoot to kill na ang lalabag sa (Starting tomorrow, shoot to kill for all violators of) MECQ.” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, for her part, condemned his statement. “Ang pahayag ng pinuno ng Task Force Disiplina na si Konsehal Rannie Ludovica ay aming kinokondena, ito ay mali, inappropriate and irresponsible (We condemn the remark of Task Force Disiplina head Councilor Rannie Ludovica, this is wrong, inappropriate and irresponsible),” she said Tuesday. However, she maintained that Ludovica’s statement “was nothing more but to express his frustrations.” n
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Fines needed to force mask compliance, says SMC Supervisor Canepa Emergency ordinance passes at Board of Supervisors meeting August 4 by Joseph
peralta AJPress
FINANCIAL ASSITANCE. Residents of Bacoor, Cavite queue up to get the second tranche of the subsidy for low-income households under the government’s social amelioration program (SAP) on Tuesday, August 4. The SAP is given to those whose livelihoods have been severely affected by the enhanced community quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic. PNA photo by Avito C. Dala
How the COVID-19 response worsened the state... PAGE A1
Since March, most schools across the United States have utilized the distance learning model in which classes are held 100% online. Class times would be held over various forms of video chat like Zoom, which meant that teachers had to find creative ways to best replicate the classroom experience remotely. But what this model doesn’t take into account are the existing imbalances in education that put already vulnerable students at a major disadvantage: lack of technology accessibility, the reliance on school counseling and child care and the fact that for many students school is a necessary respite from an uncared-for homelife. “The pandemic has exposed the great inequities in our society,” Pedro Noguera, the dean of USC’s Rossier School of Education said on Friday’s briefing. “Millions of kids in the United States and in many other countries cannot participate in any learning at all because they don’t have access to the internet in their homes or because they don’t have computers to use for [distance] learning.” According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2020 there are at least 11 million youth who don’t have access to computers or the internet. (This doesn’t include multi-children households where one device is shared among children.) In July, the Trump administration began pressuring school districts to reopen in the fall, citing the benefits that children receive from a classroom education over the distance learning model. But neither Education Secretary Betsy DeVos nor President Donald Trump offered specific guidelines for local communities on how to responsibly reopen and ensure students and staff are safe, leaving teachers and schools “left on their own to figure out how to make this work,” Noguera said. What’s more is that teacher unions across the U.S., including the United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), have announced that they will strike if teachers are forced to work while the COVID-19 virus is still causing high positivity and death rates. Countries like Israel have seen major increases in positive cases after reopening schools where other countries like New Zealand and Canada have successfully mitigated the disease to allow safe reopenings of schools. “The real question for the United States is when will leadership emerge that can provide the guidance that schools need on how to manage instruction appropriately and safely reopen schools in a manner that does not place lives at risk?” Noguera offered. Among the popular alternatives to distance learning include hybrid learning that serves as a midway solution between distance learning and in-class learning. Under the hybrid model, students and teachers would hold class outside and one half of the class would meet every other day while the other half would meet on the days in between. But this model has downsides including the concern over adult staff contracting the virus and the doubled workload teachers would have after teaching each class. Despite DeVos’s earlier argument that the risk of transmission is low among school-aged children, a new study from the CDC shows that transmission among school-aged children may be stronger than previously thought. The CDC released a report on Friday that confirmed that more than 250 people — mostly children — tested positive for the COVID-19 virus after attending a sleep-away camp in Georgia where masks weren’t mandated. The summer camp, held in June, had an attendance of 597 Georgians and of the 344 test results that were made public, 260 were positive, roughly 76%,
providing evidence that children may pose an “important role” in disease transmission. Available knowledge of COVID-19 shows that children are the least likely to succumb to the most severe effects of the virus, but that doesn’t slow the transmission. A child could pass the virus onto an adult who may be more susceptible to the virus’s more harmful impact. Mirroring the concerns of many public education experts, Noguera acknowledged that most school districts were not prepared for the pandemic and failed to provide adequate guidance to teachers on “how to use the technology and how to deliver meaningful instruction to kids.” Deepening digital divide The potholed distribution of the internet and technology, known as the digital divide, had been a cause for concern for many families and equal education advocates for years. Last week, the leaders of the country’s most influential tech firms testified before Congress and one of the points raised was how these companies, which have accumulated huge profits during the pandemic, would provide technological resources for communities negatively affected by the digital divide. On Thursday, July 30, Amazon announced that the company doubled its net revenue from $2.6 billion in 2019 to $5.2 billion, the latter figure accounting for the months of April, May and June alone. Apple also announced gross revenues of nearly $58 billion with $11 million in revenue for the company. “[Founder and chief of Amazon] Jeff Bezos is raking in incredible profits for his business,” Noguera said, also referencing Facebook, Google and Apple as companies that could provide for communities struggling with computer and internet access. “They have a moral responsibility to bridge the digital divide, but they don’t act. They should be held accountable by Congress to invest in access to the internet. It is a basic right at this point in our history,” Noguera added. With many schools starting the new academic year in the next few weeks, help from the private sector may be too late, leaving school districts like LAUSD to quickly provide screens and internet hotspots to their students. However, for students in rural areas like the Central Valley, which is home to a majority Latino and student of color community, the problem becomes a racial issue. In other words, families of color are going to be more heavily impacted by the decisions made on when and how schools will safely reopen, noted Shaun Harper, executive director of USC’s Race and Equity Center. These major tech companies were among the vast majority of American corporations that pledged to spend billions of dollars to address structural racism following the high-profile killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by law enforcement. “Many of those tech companies made those announcements about the money that they were putting up without fully knowing how they were going to spend those dollars,” Harper noted. “That is a lever that could easily be pulled.” Community enrichment, which includes providing more resources and funding to schools in lower-income areas, is among the priorities that the Black Lives Matter movement has been pushing for; but, since the beginning of the summer when the uproar began again over systemic racism, these communication and tech companies have yet to deliver. Although the private sector has not provided a viable solution for the millions of families struggling to maintain a safe and effective learning environment for their kids, some lawmakers and education leaders have put forth their own proposals. Executive Director Dan
Domenech of the School Superintendents Association shared that his organization has asked Congress for $200 billion to bridge the digital divide to ensure that students have computers and access to the internet. Senate Republicans have also proposed a $70 billion aid package to school districts while Democrats proposed a similar package at $175 billion. “The solution here is to get the federal government to put up the money,” Domenech said, adding that school districts shouldn’t wait for the private sector to lend a hand.
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REDWOOD CITY – An emergency ordinance proposed by San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa to impose fines for individuals and businesses that violate the state’s COVID-19 health orders, including not wearing face masks in high risk settings, was unanimously passed by the county Board at its meeting on Tuesday, August 4 by a vote of 5-0. This was learned by the Asian Journal via text messages from Supervisor Canepa. The emergency ordinance, cosponsored by Board President Warren Slocum and supported by Sheriff Carlos Bolanos, will treat violations of the health order as a simple administrative infraction rather than as a criminal citation and will apply countywide, according to a release sent out by Supervisor Canepa’s office. Previously, violations of the state’s shelter in place health orders were punishable as a misdemeanor, with fines up to $1,000 and a possible jail sentence of up to 90 days. “If you don’t wear your face mask, then you should be fined. This ordinance decriminalizes violations of the health order essentially but at the same time gives us an added tool to enforce compliance of the state’s face covering and social distancing mandates,” Canepa, who is Supervisor for District 5 which includes the cities of Daly City, Colma, Brisbane, portions of South San Francisco and San Bruno and the unincor-
porated Broadmoor Village, said. “If we want to return to normal and save lives then we must wear faces masks, it’s that simple. But since many continue to thumb their noses at or do not understand these mandates, we must step up our outreach and enforcement efforts and let people know if you violate the law there will be consequences.” The news release also stated that “the use of administrative Enforcement Officers – potentially a range of people designated by county officers with public health or code enforcement responsibilities – will help minimize the enforcement burden on sworn law enforcement officers, who can focus primarily on their criminal law enforcement responsibilities. This may be particularly valuable in the current political climate, where many individuals have expressed concern about the expansion of law enforcement duties beyond the criminal sphere.” Sheriff Bolanos said, “In my role to ensure public safety, I fully support Supervisor Canepa’s efforts to save lives during this pandemic and stop the spread of COVID-19.” As proposed, the procedure and fine structure for the ordinance is as follows: • Infraction – applies to individuals and non-commercial entities • Enforcement – Officer must observe violation • Fines – $100 for 1st violation; $200 for 2nd violation; $500 for additional violations within a year of the first violation. • Appeal process – Written dis-
pute decided by neutral dispute officer; no right to appeal further. For commercial entities, an Officer can observe the violation or receive a credible report. There is a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $3,000 in fines per violation, depending on gravity of health risk, prior warnings, intent to profit from violation and if there were good faith efforts to comply. The appeals process includes a written or oral hearing before a neutral dispute officer, and subsequent right to appeal to Superior Court. The release said that “many other counties in the region (including Contra Costa, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, and Yolo) have adopted similar infraction or administrative citation structures to allow them to issue fines to enforce face covering mandates and other public health orders.” San Mateo County was added on the state’s county monitoring list on Wednesday, July 29, the last Bay Area county to be added on the watchlist. The county’s failure to get its numbers to acceptable levels under California’s guidelines saw the county dial back its reopening process. Starting Sunday, August 2, the county told many indoor businesses that it had to close or move its operations outside. This included churches/places of worship, barber shops, gyms, hair and nail salons and indoor shopping malls. Also told to close were businesses offering tattoos, piercings and electrolysis whose services may not be operated outdoors. n
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august 7-13, 2020 • NORCaL asIaN JOuRNaL
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Over sixty California legislators issue letter calling for systemic reforms at EDD With more than 1.13 million unemployment claims remaining unpaid, lawmakers call for change at agency rife with problems SACRAMENTO — Sixty-one California lawmakers sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, August 5 advocating for immediate and structural reforms at the state’s Employment Development Department (EDD). Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, EDD has displayed a shocking inability to disperse unemployment benefits as millions of Californians struggle without income. “Millions of our constituents have had no income for months,” the lawmakers noted in the letter. “As Californians wait for answers from EDD, they have depleted their life savings, have gone into extreme debt, and are in deep panic as they figure out how to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Every hour, we field countless calls from constituents reaching out to us as a last resort, after weeks of dead ends and misinformation from EDD.” This letter comes as the EDD revealed for the first time last week that 1.13 million claims have yet to be paid. The agency plans to resolve 239,000 of those claims by the end of September but has no plan to address the remaining 899,000 claims, which require more information from the applicants. This effectively deprioritizes approximately two percent of California’s population, leaving these people without a plan to resolve claims, without benefits, and for many, entirely without income.
Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced the formation of a “strike team” to create a blueprint to solve EDD’s technological challenges. Lawmakers asked that in addition to formulating a plan to transform EDD’s technology systems and customer service, the strike team assess solutions to EDD’s bureaucratic inefficiencies more broadly. They called on the Governor to give the strike team authority to overrule the small circle of longstanding EDD leadership who have stood in the way of change and transparency. Additionally, the lawmakers asked the Governor to work with the Legislature to pass a budget trailer bill that requires EDD to publicly report key metrics on a weekly basis. Based on past precedent, they also called on the Governor to order the agency to begin awarding benefits immediately and allow for retroactive certification, given how many claimants are stuck in EDD review processes due to agency incompetence and technological failures. Legislators advocated for a number of reforms to address the notoriously problematic EDD call centers. Constituents report having to call hundreds of times before they are connected to a call center agent. When they are connected to an agent, typically the agent is unable to help resolve their claim as EDD only has 100 trained claim specialists
working on the phones. In particularly worrisome instances, constituents are given wrong information, are told to contact their legislator for assistance, or are even hung up on by the agent. EDD has had an especially close and troublesome relationship with contractor Deloitte, which has bungled projects and failed to create adequate webbased systems to meet the needs of the public. The letter calls for vendor reform and accountability. As EDD applicants are routinely held up in nightmarish bureaucratic processes like identification verification review and weeks pending certification, lawmakers proposed several short-term and long-term fixes that could help alleviate the myriad of issues standing in the way of constituents receiving benefits. The true economic impact of the pandemic has yet to be fully realized. As COVID-19 continues to spread, businesses close permanently, and personal savings and federal assistance run out, public benefits will become more and more vital to survival in California. EDD’s failure to disperse benefits in a timely manner will have catastrophic and immediate impacts on individuals and families and could drag down California’s economy for years to come. (From Assemblymember David Chiu’s Office)
Filipino-Mexican teen among 9 service members... PAGE A1 for the Marines in recent years. “He has always dreamed of joining the military since he was a little boy,” his mother Evelyn Baltierra said in an email to the Asian Journal. “He was able to achieve his dream and become a proud Marine for our country.” The Filipino-Mexican teen from Corona, California graduated from Centennial High School last year and joined the Marines at the age of 17. He was a rifleman with Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/4 of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) at the time of his death. Baltierra earned several awards, including the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Armed Forces Service Medal, according to the I Marine Expeditionary Force. His family last saw him on July 12 when they drove him back to Camp Pendleton — where Baltierra was stationed as part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit — after spending the weekend together, his mother said. He regularly kept in touch through the family group chat or by documenting on Snapchat, she added. Around 5:45 p.m. on July 30, 15 Marines and one sailor were inside the AAV when it “rapidly sank” with all of them on board, according to a report by the Marine Corps Times. Eight Marines were rescued, though one died and two were transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital under critical condition, a release from the Marine Corps said. One of the hospitalized members was upgraded to stable condition, the 15th MEU said in a Twitter post. The body of Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, a 20-year-old from New Braunfels, Texas, was recovered. After a 40-hour search that ended on Sunday, the other
MOBILE ‘PARAÑACASH’. A beneficiary of the Parañaque City government’s financial assistance program (right) shows her cash withdrawn through Union Bank’s Mobile Parañacash ATM during its launch in Barangay San Agustin on Wednesday, August 5. Some 55,000 beneficiaries received the second tranche of the city government’s financial assistance through the mobile ATM project. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
How the COVID-19 response worsened the state...
PAGE A1 In California, the State Legislature has two measures currently on the docket that require communications companies to provide high-speed internet for all residents. Eddie Valero of the Tulare County Board of Supervisors said that many residents in the Central Valley (and in other rural areas of the state) rely on antiquated DSL networks that are incompatible with video chat software like Zoom (the most used choice for distance learning). “These bills are game-changers for education,” Valero remarked, noting that these two bills would upgrade infrastructure to provide fiber broadband to under-served areas. “We have reached a pivotal moment in real-time where we need to re-envision what school looks like for the future. We can no longer look back or stay stagnant.” But the proven mental and emotional downsides of the distance learning model among younger children — lower energy, increased agitation, lack
of socialization — won’t be fixed with increased access to technology. The dilemma between reopening schools so kids can return to some semblance of a normal academic environment and ensuring the risk of viral transmission stays low is possibly the most difficult decision amid this crisis. In addition to getting an education, many of these vulnerable students rely on schools for food, guidance counseling and muchneeded socialization among other kids. With stay-at-home orders and campuses remaining closed for the time being, the options become slim for these kids to receive other necessities from school. “We do need to find ways for people who are most severely affected by this pandemic and those who already had special needs before the pandemic to receive the services they need,” said Mary Helen ImmordinoYang, professor of education, psychology and neuroscience at the Brain and Creativity Institute and Rossier School of Education at USC.
Immordino-Yang noted that for people, especially young children, to be able to excel in school, all other areas of their lives must be attended to effectively; in other words, if a child’s emotional wellbeing is low, less energy will be spent on schoolwork. Parents of children who are struggling mentally during this pandemic do play a key role here, Immordino-Yang added. To keep kids motivated, parents should foster a learning environment where kids could “connect their disciplinary learning to” personal projects, helping out the community and other ways to empower them to make a change. In other words, parents and guardians should encourage kids to utilize critical thinking in ways that aren’t directly related to their schoolwork because “it teaches young people that learning is powerful and what you know how to do empowers you to make a change in the world, rather than sort of waiting to do things that feel irrelevant and don’t feel like they’re connected to the situation we’re all in now,” she added. n
USCIS to increase fee to apply for naturalization... PAGE A1
Bryan Juan-Carlos Baltierra, a Private First Class (PFC) United States Marine, was among nine service members who died during a training exercise on Thursday, July 30. Photo courtesy of the Baltierra family
eight, including Baltierra, were presumed dead, the unit said in another release. “Our family received the pronouncement of his death during an in-home visit by military personnel on Saturday, August 1st at 12 p.m.,” Baltierra’s eldest sister Natalie wrote in a Facebook post. The identities of the other missing service members are: Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, Calif., a rifleman; Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wis., a rifleman; U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, Calif., a hospital corpsman; Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, Ore., a rifleman; Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, Texas, a rifleman; Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 19, of Portland, Ore., a rifleman; Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, Calif., a rifleman. Baltierra — who would have celebrated his 19th birthday on September 18 — is survived by his parents Carlos and Evelyn,
gible for citizenship to naturalize before the new measures take effect in October. They also argue that the fee increase will prevent many from applying to become citizens. “This rule change will deeply hurt the low-income immigrants and vulnerable communities of color we serve at a time when
those very communities are hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Christine Chen, project director for Advancing JusticeLA, said in a statement. Together with the New Americans Campaign, the organization provides low-cost, or free, legal guidance to eligible Americans through the naturalization application process. Informa-
tion can be obtained through the hotline at (888) 349-9695 for English or (885) 300-2552 in Tagalog. This final rule is effective Oct. 2, 2020. Any application, petition, or request postmarked on or after this date must include payment of the new, correct fees established by this final rule, the USCIS said. (AJPress)
Another large concern has been over the Board of Trustees’ supposed failure to consult with ethnic studies advocates like the CSU Council of Ethnic Studies, which also opposed the amendment. For many opponents, the process of creating the requirement was a low blow to ethnic studies educators and academics who had worked hard to develop courses and curriculum. “I think the execution of how they proceed was not ideal,” Melanie Liwag-Sabado, a Fil-Am public health professor at Cal State LA’s Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services, told the Asian Journal. As a faculty member who also does curriculum for the college, she said she too would have felt offended if the system decided to require a public health course but did not consult with anyone from the public health department. “They could have gotten all of that information if they spoke to the ethnic studies colleges or departments of these universities to get a feel as to what they suggest,” added Liwag-Sabado, saying that it was unfortunate that the new requirement did not include any preliminary context as to what its goals or criteria would be. Many have pointed out that because many of ethnic studies faculty are people of color, the exclusion of their voices and input was as the CFA put it, “a real example of how systemic racism works in the CSU.” Buenavista said it was worth noting that the Board of Trustees members who voted against the new requirement were trustees of color and the one student trustee. “So one should question an Ethnic Studies and Social Justice requirement that is largely favored by white decision makers but largely opposed by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) constituents,” said Buenavista. An alternative to the new requirement favored by the new requirements opponents has been AB 1460, which was sponsored by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), and set out a more narrow requirement by having students take a three-unit
ethnic studies course focused on four historically defined racialized groups: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latino Americans. Those against AB 1460 say that the Board of Trustees’ requirement allows for more voices of other marginalized and oppressed groups — like the Jewish, Muslim, or the LGBTQ communities — to be heard. As a response to the criticism, Buenavista said that women and gender nonconforming and queer people of color have made their home in ethnic studies due to racism in other fields. She added, “For the CSU Chancellor’s Office and Board of Trustees to imply that Ethnic Studies is exclusionary because we might not focus on white ethnic minorities or people minoritized in ways other than race is just another way of promoting color, evasiveness, and denying the reality that racism is alive and well in our society.” “I think in this moment of Black Lives Matter, Filipinos, Asian Americans, and other people of color have to put our money where our mouths are and support AB 1460. The future of a more racially just an inclusive California is dependent on the passage of AB 1460,” said Buenavista. The bill passed in both the Assembly and Senate, and was expected to arrive on California Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk this week. There was no update as to whether Newsom signed it as of press time. If the new requirements do not get superseded by AB 1460, Liwag-Sabado said she hopes they get clearer on how the requirement would be implemented. As a professor of public health, she sees how important such courses can be for students whose majors are not as interdisciplinary as others. “At a public health perspective, we try to educate our students to think about it from a life course perspective as well,” said Liwag-Sabado. “It brings value, but I think that whoever’s teaching the course needs to show, explain, and drive the importance of how this impacts the person.” (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)
Fil-Am professors voice concerns over new Cal State...
and sisters, Natalie, Emily and Sara. PAGE A1 “My dear Bryan, my one and and perspective of other historionly son, was a wonderful man cally oppressed groups, and adwho radiated positivity and ex- vances the field by applying the pressed his wonderful smile to lens of social justice,” CSU Chanall he met. He cared very much cellor Timothy P. White said in for his family and friends,” Evelyn a press release announcing the added in the email to the Asian change. “It will empower our Journal. “Whether it was paint- students to meet this moment in balling, going to concerts, or our nation’s history, given them dining at his favorite restaurants, the knowledge, broad perspeche enjoyed doing all these activi- tive and skills needed to solve soties with loved ones. Bryan truly ciety’s most pressing problems. enjoyed the company of others. And it will further strengthen the There were always lots of smiles value of a CSU degree.” and laughs with whomever he The course requirement will was with.” go into effect during the 2023-24 The Baltierras over the week- school year. end held a drive-by memorial The CSU system, in its history, service outside of their home, has taken pride in the fact that inviting people to light a candle it became the first university in and share memories of the fallen the U.S. to establish a College of Marine. Ethnic Studies when San FranA GoFundMe campaign has cisco State University created it been started to help the fam- in 1969. The new requirement ily cover funeral expenses. It has marks the first major change to reached 50% of its goal with over the university system’s GE re$10,000 contributed, as of this quirements in 40 years. writing. n The change, however, has been met with criticism, with some professors and activists saying the amendment’s progressiveness missed the mark on addressing the importance of ethnic studies by failing to tightly define what the courses should entail. One critique has focused on the fact that students would be able to fulfill the three-unit, lower division requirement without even taking an ethnic studies course. “For many of us, the CSU Ethnic Studies and Social Justice requirement is disingenuous to its name,” Tracy Lachica Buenavista, a Fil-Am professor at California State University Northridge’s (CSUN) Department of Asian American Studies who has been involved in advocating for an ethnic studies requirement, told the Asian Journal. CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White said on Wednesday that this was because ethnic studies “has matured” and become “more than what it used to be.” However, the California Faculty Association (CFA), one of the requirements opponents, said that it was “disappointed” in the Board of Trustees’ decision to move forward with a “diluted Ethnic Studies and Social Justice course requirement.”
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Cayetano: House to prioritize COVID-19 response over death penalty bill by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
HOUSE Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday, August 5, assured that addressing the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country is the priority of the House of Representatives. According to him, while discussions on the reimposition of the death penalty is allowed, the COVID-19 pandemic would take precedence in the chamber. Cayetano listed the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act and the “overhaul” of the Local Government Code as the House’ top priorities. “There will be a time to debate that and when I became Speaker ESSENTIAL WORK. One of the employees of a convenience store along Emilio Aguinaldo Highway in Imus, Cavite on Wednesday, August 5 I promised that we will have full tends to a customer. Cavite is one of the provinces placed under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) anew from August 4 debates on everything but right until August 18 as the country experiences a spike in coronavirus cases. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr. now, Bayanihan is on our plate, and number two we will prioritize also the overhaul of the Local Government Code,” he said. “We will also prioritize mga Duterte, for his part, said med- stimulus and how to help not only by Ritchel Mendiola icine and budget are needed first small, medium, micro-enterprises AJPress before a roadmap can be formu- but how to have jobs, jobs, jobs. FORMER President Gloria lated. ‘Yan ang (That’s the) immediate Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday, “Sabihin niyo wala kaming August 4, came to the defense roadmap. The roadmap ng reof President Rodrigo Duterte folcovery natin – I do not know din lowing the public backlash he ‘yung headline niyang newspareceived over the government’s per. Sabi ko nga hindi ako nagsupposed inefficiency in hanbabasa ng newspaper eh. The dling the novel coronavirus panroadmap… If it’s about me, I MANILA — New Zealand redemic. do not read. ‘Duterte, where is ported on Wednesday, August 5 In her Facebook post, Arroyo your roadmap?’ (You said we two new cases of coronavirus discalled Duterte’s critics “Monday have no roadmap to recovery. I ease (COVID-19), both travelers morning quarterbacks,” a term do not know but the headline of from the Philippines. used for people who criticize the newspaper — I said I don’t The country’s Ministry of something and offer alternative soread newspapers if it’s about Health said the two patients are lutions after the event has passed. Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal- me. ‘Duterte where is your road- in isolation facilities and arrived “It is easy for them to be a Arroyo Inquirer.net photo map?’),” he said in his address in New Zealand from the PhilipMonday morning quarterback aired on Friday, July 31. pines via Hong Kong. because they are not the ones in to Sec. [Francisco] Duque and to “Hindi nga kami maka-roadThe first case is a man in his each and every front-liner in the map because we were talking 20s who arrived in New Zealand charge,” she wrote. Arroyo, who served as House trenches and checkpoints, many about budget. Itong gabing ito, on July 23. Speaker from July 2018 to June of whom have given their lives in I could not have uttered a single “He has been in managed iso2019, is known to be a supporter this fight,” Arroyo said. sentence about roadmap to re- lation at the Rydges in Rotorua “I have been in the arena, so I covery kasi ang una talaga dyan, and tested negative for COVIDof the president. In June, she said she has the think I have earned the right to ang medicine (We cannot craft 19 around day three of his stay. highest respect for government say that an ounce of their effort is the roadmap because we are talk- He has been transferred to the worth more than the ton of criti- ing about the budget. This night. Auckland quarantine facility after officials and all the front-liners. “I was head of our govern- cism they receive day in and day I could not have uttered a single testing positive around day 12 of ment in the SARS, avian flu, out,” she added. sentence about roadmap to re- his stay in managed isolation,” The Duterte administration covery because the medicine is the health ministry said. and swine flu [epidemics]. From that perspective, I must say that has been getting flak for its CO- needed first),” Duterte added. The second case is a woman in I have nothing but the highest VID-19 response, especially after As of this writing, there are her 40s who arrived in the counrespect for all of those in our Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation 115,980 confirmed COVID-19 try on August 1. She tested posigovernment now battling in the Address wherein critics claimed cases in the Philippines, with tive for the coronavirus around arena, from President [Rodrigo] he presented no concrete mas- 2,123 fatalities and 66,270 recov- the third day of her stay in an isoDuterte to Sec. [Carlito] Galvez, terplan to defeat the virus. eries. n lation facility.
Arroyo defends Duterte from critics
priority and then dadating ang (the upcoming) budget hearing. I will leave it up to the committee [on Justice] to schedule it but hindi ko gustong matamaan (I don’t want to hit) right now yung (the) priorities,” he added. CHR: No reason to revive death penalty The House Committee on Justice on Wednesday conducted a hearing on bills pushing for the death penalty. During the hearing, the Commission on Human Rights said there are no compelling reasons to revive the death penalty. “The Constitution says for compelling reasons, and it is our position that there is no compelling reason to reintroduce the death penalty,” said CHR Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit. “In the most serious of crimes in international law, if you will have a listing of that, drugs are not found on the list. So we believe there is no compelling reason to impose the death penalty,” she added. Gomez-Dumpit also stressed that reviving the death penalty will
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano PNA photo
violate international law as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Second Optional Protocol to ICCPR prohibits the reintroduction of the capital punishment. “If we go ahead and reimpose the death penalty, we will be found to be in serious breach of international law,” she said. “It is a state obligation to be able to comply with the human rights treaties that we have acceded to or we have ratified,” she added. n
New Zealand’s two new COVID-19 cases are travelers from Philippines — health ministry The two new cases brought the caseload of New Zealand—a nation of five million people—to 1,219. The number of active cases or patients who are currently ill in quarantine facilities stood at 24, with no one receiving hospital-level care. The Pacific island nation’s response to COVID-19 has been recognized as a success due to its early border closures and lockdown, and extensive testing and contact tracing operation. The Philippines, meanwhile, is struggling to contain the health crisis with its swamped and exhausted medical workers warning the country is losing the war against the coronavirus. With a total of 112,593 cases, the Philippines is now close to overtaking Indonesia as the nation with the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia. Although New Zealand identified the travelers as having come from the Philippines, its health
ministry did not say that they were Filipinos. Non-essential travel briefly allowed in July The Philippines briefly allowed Filipinos to go on non-essential travel out of the country in July subject to several conditions. This was suspended again on July 23. Travelers on tourist visas are required to have confirmed round-trip tickets while all Filipinos leaving the country must have travel and health insurance to cover potential rebookings of flights as well as any hospitalization costs. They must also execute a declaration that they understand the risks of travel during a pandemic. Filipinos are allowed to travel on the condition that they would be “allowed entry by the destination country in accordance with their travel, health, and quarantine restrictions.” (Gaea Katreena Cabico/Philstar.com)
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AUGUST 7-13, 2020 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPiniOn
Medical workers’ ‘timeout’ sounds like blackmail, triggers Duterte rant THIS time, President Rodrigo Duterte had a good reason to deliver a rant in lieu of a measured speech or public statement. On Sunday, August 2, the country’s healthcare workers (HCWs), who man the frontlines in the national struggle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, provided the provocation in a way that left the president with no choice but to employ his familiar and instinctive shock-and-awe rhetoric. It all started when some medical groups, claiming to represent all medical frontliners in the coronavirus fight, publicly pleaded over the weekend for a “timeout” in the ongoing battle, suggesting a two-week return of Metro Manila to an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) regime. They were doubtless impelled to do so by growing talk that the country’s health system has been overwhelmed and that some hospitals could no longer service new patients and hospitalizations, triggered by the recent spike in COVID cases. At first glance, the request seemed reasonable enough. The nation has long known of the heavy burden that health workers have had to carry amid the pandemic, including exposing themselves to health hazards. As things have played out during the crisis, sadly, a good number of our brave health workers, unfortunately, contracted the disease; some with fatal results. As the issue was presented to the nation and the public, however, the timeout request did not look benign. It looked more like a demand or an ultimatum. Or, even worse, a kind of blackmail. Under the circumstances, a misunderstanding
seemed unavoidable. At first, with no consultation with the far larger constituency in National Capital Region (NCR), the government agreed to place it under the modified ECQ (MECQ) scheme from August 4 to 18. MECQ is much stricter than the general community quarantine (GCQ), and it will be applied to the NCR and the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite and Rizal starting today. At the late-night Sunday briefing, Duterte started out expressing sympathy for the health workers, acknowledging that they were “bone-weary” after several months of battling the infectious the respiratory illness. As he went on talking, however, his tone began to change, and the message became harsh. He told the healthcare workers that they could have “written a letter” or asked for an audience, instead of issuing a public statement. “There is no need for you…1,000 of you, telling us what to do publicly. You could have just written us a letter. Lahat naman ng sinasabi ninyo sinusunod namin (We always follow whatever you say),” he said at the televised meeting in Malacañang, which was convened to discuss the HCWs’ appeal. He then said the health workers’ action was trying to “demean” the government. “You treat it as if you are about ready to stop work. Huwag naman ganon kasi kawawa ang mga kababayan. Sino ang aasahan namin (do not be like that because our countrymen will be pitiful. Who are going to depend on)? I am sure that is not
Editorial
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS COVID-19 in the United States has killed over 158,000 and has infected more than 4.8 million, claiming the lives of at least 1,000 Americans each day in a widespread outbreak throughout the nation, from the densely populated cities to the rural areas. These are real people who died because of the coronavirus pandemic, with real families who have been bereaved and with lives disrupted and dreams shattered. Worldwide, the number of coronavirus pandemic confirmed cases has exceeded 18.2 million, with a death toll of more than 692,000 — making the United States the hotspot of infection, accounting for 28% of all deaths around the world. How could this happen to the most powerful and wealthiest nation in the world, which used to be the leader that the global community looked up to for scientific facts, treatment and the prevention of diseases? How could other developed countries successfully flattened the curve to the point of bringing down the death toll to almost zero while the United States continues with an uptick in infection and death statistics? Where did we go wrong? Crucial to the success of other developed countries in defeating this invisible enemy are two important factors: Strong factbased decisive and proactive leadership of public officials and the cooperation and compliance of the people. Case study: Italy defeats COVID-19 Let us take Italy as an example. It was the epicenter of the pandemic in the first quarter of the year after it overtook China. What did Italy do? In January, the Italian government confirmed the country’s first cases of the disease in two Chinese tourists visiting. And after two deaths were reported in the Lombardy region, it was put on total lockdown in February, which was shortly expanded to cover the entire country when more cases and deaths were reported in other regions. Italy was the first nation to implement a national quarantine in the war against the coronavirus pandemic. The Italian national government heeded the call of
in your heart…I would like to tell you na ang iyong gobyerno ay hindi nag-iiwan ng mga trabahante (that your government does not leave workers behind). We are doing everything possible to alleviate the situation, to assist our healthcare workers,” he continued. With his voice rising, he added, “Pero huwag kayo magsigaw-sigaw rebolusyon (But do not shout revolution)… Go ahead, try it. Sirain natin, patayin natin lahat ng mga may (Let uskill everyone who has) COVID. Is that what you want?” “ I dare you to do it,” the President said. “But bear in mind na kayo mismo ipa-take over ko…tingnan ko kung ano ang lagay ninyo (that I will personally have you take over…we will see how you will do). We are not incompetents here
because we are not doctors… You should do the soul-searching. Kayo ang makatulong sana at wala kayong ginagawa, puro magreklamo (You’re the ones who are supposed to help, but you are not doing anything except complain),” he went on. “Do not try to demean government. You are not actually criticizing. You demean my government, your own government,” he said. Duterte once again disclosed that a lack of funds has been holding back the government’s coronavirus response, even after the country’s debt has hit a record P9.05 trillion because of borrowings to address the pandemic. As with all rants, the message was tattered by repetition and laced with warnings. (ManilaTimes. net)
‘We’re doing very well’: Trump continues to sugarcoat widespread infection, economy reopening as COVID-19 death toll tops 158K in US local government officials, trade unions, and other institutions asked for a generalized shutdown of the Italian production system. In March, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced a further enlargement of the lockdown by shutting down all non-necessary businesses and industries. All commercial and retail businesses except those providing essential services, like grocery stores, food stores, and pharmacies, were closed down. The goal was to limit mobility and halt the spread of the virus. Checkpoints were implemented and sanctions were imposed against violators. The Italians cooperated and complied with the orders. Google published a series of mobility reports in April using aggregated data to show the trend of how busy some categories of places were. Comparing to a baseline data obtained for January and February, the data for Italy in April showed a 94% drop for retail and recreation places, an 85% drop for grocery shops and pharmacies, a 90% drop for parks and beaches, an 87% drop for public transit hubs, a 63% drop for workplaces, and a 24% rise for residential places.” The lockdown went past the initial April 3 deadline and just started to open responsibly in phases beginning in May. Italy’s lockdown showed the importance of acting decisively. The first regions that imposed it recovered faster and the exponential increase of cases stopped. The New York Times Rome bureau chief Jason Horowitz referred to “the expanded lockdown as “sacrificing the Italian economy in the short term to save it from the ravages of the virus in the long term”. Fast forward to end of July — from overburdened hospitals and doctors put in the position to prioritize saving people with better chances of surviving than the older ones as in all disasters man-made or natural given limited resources and urgency in time, Italy’s hospitals are now basically empty of COVID-19 patients, with daily deaths nearly zero. The number of new daily cases has plummeted to “one of the lowest in Europe and the world,” said Giovanni Rezza, director of the infective illness department at the National Institute of Health told the New York Times. “We
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We had hoped that Trump would realize the magnitude of the problem we are in and for once, do the right thing for the safety and well being of the American people.
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have been very prudent,” she added but they remain vigilant. According to the Times, “[Italy’s] government has been guided by scientific and technical committees. Local doctors, hospitals and health officials collect more than 20 indicators on the virus daily and send them to regional authorities, who then forward them to the National Institute of Health.” Truly a community effort among the government, the people, and different institutions. Where did the US go wrong? But what do we do when United States President Donald Trump denies and defies what science says, goes against all the advice of scientists and health officials, and urges people by his misleading rhetoric and example to do the same? How can we have a concerted effort toward defeating the virus and emerge victorious like Italy? As the United States breaks records in the number of confirmed cases, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Brix, and other health officials continue to advise people to stay at home and warn against the opening of businesses, schools, retail, houses of worship and other places where people gather without social distancing. They also continue to push for more wide-scale testing and contact tracing and mandating the use of masks. With the new information we are learning about COVID-19, they argue that the spikes we are seeing are coming from asymptomatic people who did not even know they are carrying and transmitting the virus around. Dr. Birx also warned that the pandemic has entered “a new phase,” different from what it was in March and April, and has become more widespread, contradicting the president’s position as he pushes for schools and more states to open. In response, Trump called her “pathetic, and said in a press briefing on Monday, August 3, just when our death toll topped
155,000: “I think we’re doing very well. I told Dr. Birx I think we’re doing very well. She was at my office a little while ago. She’s a person I have a lot of respect for. I think Nancy Pelosi has treated her very badly — very, very badly. Very nasty.” And as more states are reversing on their re-openings because of the uptick in covid cases, and despite some public health experts calling for areas of the country to enter a hard lockdown to destroy coronavirus, Trump again tried to bend the truth arguing against proven facts. He said: “Lockdowns do not prevent infection in the future. They just don’t. It comes back — many times, it comes back.” This is misinformation coming from the president himself! Lockdowns work! “Stay-athome” orders work. Testings work. Contact tracing works. Quarantine works. Social distancing work. Hygiene works. Lockdown helps isolate those who are infected to prevent them from spreading the virus. Testing and contact tracing help us identify who these people are, who had contact with them when they were infected by the virus, who should be isolated. Quarantine helps identify and isolate potential virus carriers. Lockdowns prevent further spread of the virus until it is stamped out. Italy won the war against the virus, as did New Zealand, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Africa and even, China. Other nations are flattening the curve. These nations took early, quick, and decisive action that included nationwide lockdowns, testing, contact tracing, social distancing, mandating people to wear masks. Another important factor is for the people to work together toward one goal, one objective: Defeat the virus! The leader of a country plays a very important role in unifying its people but it has to start with that objective, overriding any personal, political and financial interest.
The Trump problem The United States already gave up its head start in the war against COVID-19 when Trump willfully and intentionally chose to ignore the warnings from our own intelligence agencies, the World Health Organization, and the prescience and foreknowledge we should have learned from other countries’ experience. Instead, Trump chose to cover-up the threat of the pandemic, and worse, even told the American people that it was a “hoax” fabricated by the Democrats who just want to kick him out of office. And so the United States lost a lot of valuable and unredeemable time that could have otherwise been used to equip the American people with knowledge about this invisible enemy and how the government was strategizing to win this war. We could have used this lead time to manufacture more PPEs (personal protective equipment) to protect not only our frontlines but every American as a protection against the virus. We could have used these critical months beginning in January to produce more test kits for more wide-scale testing all over the country, equip our hospitals with more ICU beds and medical equipment in anticipation of the worst-case scenario in this war against the virus. But NO. Trump chose to berate and denigrate the scientists, health officials, state leaders, Democrats and even manufacturers who were willing to help. Trump called them “alarmists” engaging in fear-mongering and instead tactically lied to the American people that the United States got the virus under control, that this was just like the common flu that would go away by springtime, and that it would just miraculously disappear like magic. When the World Health Organization declared the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on March 11, Trump reluctantly acknowledged the pandemic and created a Coronavirus Task Force, conducting daily briefing with the country’s top epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, and Dr. Deborah Brix, along with other health officials. During this time, state governors started im-
plementing shelter-in-place and “stay-at-home” safety measures like California and New York, among others. We would think there was an epiphany and Trump would defer to scientists and health officials on matters relating to a field he is ignorant about, but NO! He would continue undermining the safety measures like social distancing, wearing of masks, and would even encourage Republican state officials and Americans to protest against social distancing and demand to re-open the states. \Worse, he even pushed the use of the anti-malaria drug Hydroxychloroquine, and lied to the American people that this drug is a game changer cure that has already been approved by the Federal Drug Administration for COVID-19, only to be fact-checked by Dr. Fauci and the agency itself. Trump would flaunt anecdotal evidence but numerous testings following scientific protocol have disputed his claims, and warned against fatal side effects for out of hospital setting use of this drug that does not work to treat the infection. We had hoped that Trump would realize the magnitude of the problem we are in and for once, do the right thing for the safety and well being of the American people. Unfortunately, from the beginning of this war against the virus, Trump governed with a tunnel vision that made him focus more on his ratings and the economic numbers, and became obsessed with fighting and defeating his political enemies more than the COVID-19. His end goal was to win his re-election bid at ALL costs. “Walang maloloko ang manloloko kung walang nagpapaloko. Hoy! Gising! mga kababayan kong Pilipino sa America.” Let us do our share in defeating this virus. Make an informed conscientious decision. It will save our lives and the lives of others. *** 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 views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 7-13, 2020
Friday, August 7, 2020
OMETHING
ILIPINO
LIfESTyLE • cONSUMER GUIdE • cOMMUNITy • MARkETPLAcE
Federal court bans USCIS’s new public charge rule injunction prohibiting USCiS from enforcing, applying, implementing, or treating as effective, president Trump’s new public charge rules as long as there is a national health emergency caused by the CoViD-19 outAtty. MichAel break. Gurfinkel, eSQ There is also great news, because USCiS announced it will on July 29, 2020, a federal abide by this injunction, and that court judge issued a nationwide as long as the court’s decision is
Immigration Corner
The sparkling rise of Sanzo: How a Fil-Am millennial is disrupting the beverage industry
in effect, “USCiS will apply the 1999 public charge guidance that was in place before the public charge rule was implemented on February 24, 2020 to the adjudication of any application for adjustment of status on or after by MoMar G. Visaya / AJPress July 29, 2020.” They will also apply the old/existing public charge A Filipino American has rules in connection with any non- been silently but efficiently disimmigrant application for exten- rupting the heavily evolving and PAGE B3 saturated market of carbonated beverages, and in this specific case: sparkling water. Meet Sandro Roco, the 31year-old founder of nYC-based company called Sanzo. The global pandemic has thrown a huge curveball to everyone, derailing business plans all over and forcing some small businesses to close shop. “The biggest thing i’d say is that the pandemic, unfortunately, caused much of our wholesale business to shut down. However, we were able to quickly shift resources to our online store,
ANOTHER BRAND-NEW EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY “SOCIAL DISTANCING” HAS LEADING U.S. IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL ANSWERING MORE QUESTIONS FROM KAPAMILYA THIS SUNDAY. Atty. Gurfinkel answers questions sent from Kapamilya in Seattle, WA, Las Vegas, NV, and Las Pinas, Philippines. Can a person marry their cousin and petition her for a green card? Are nurses from the Philippines included in Trump’s immigration ban? These questions and more will be answered on a brand-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY: Your Tanong, My Sagot – Social Distancing Style this Sunday, August 9 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
which had already been up and running. This has allowed us to grow the total business tremendously,” Roco told the Asian Journal. For the past few months, he has been working hard to adjust to the situation and to pivot accordingly. Earlier this year, he already had about 185 retail partners in new York, about 30 in los Angeles and 10 in Chicago. last week, he announced that they have begun to roll out to the first of 50 Whole Foods stores in the new York tri-state area, covering Western Connecticut to South new Jersey. Quite fitting for a product that was launched exactly a year ago. “now, more of the focus is on
Sanzo’s original flavors: calamansi, mango and lychee. Photos courtesy of Instagram/@drinksanzo
Sanzo founder Sandro Roco
what the retail landscape looks like in a ‘new normal’ world. We don’t know all the answers yet, but we do know that it will involve a mixture of online and offline selling,” he said. Before the pandemic, we had a chance to sit down with Roco at one of the trendy cafes in new York’s Koreatown, which serves his drinks. We talked about how the sparkling water market is big and growing and how he is celebrating fruits and flavors through his products. This stretch of restaurants and bars on 32nd Street is also where the idea of his own sparkling water came about. it happened with a visit to an H Mart, an Asian grocery a few doors down from the cafe. “if you walk into that H Mart, the first thing you’d see is a huge beverage shelf. Half of it has this iconic modern ‘American better PAGE B3
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August 7-13, 2020 • NORCAL AsIAN JOuRNAL
celebrity world
Richard Gutierrez added to cast of FPJ’s ‘Ang Probinsiyano’
By Ferdie Villar TV and movie action star Richard Gutierrez has been identified as the “Richard G” referred to in teasers for the resumption of the popular ABS-CBN series FPJ’s “Ang Probinsiyano” which now airs in the Kapamilya Channel. This was revealed by my good friend Ricky Lo in a recent Funfare column in The Philippine Star. Richard is no stranger to action series and will certainly be at home with “Ang Probinsiyano.” The recently-wed actor (he and wife Sarah Lahbati had a civil wedding last March attended by family only) plays the character of Lito in the series, who is the childhood friend and former flame of Alyanna (played by Yanni Pressman). Alyanna is married to the titular character of Cardo (played by Coco Martin). The three cross paths in the town where Alyanna grew up to
escape their troubles, and this is where Alyanna learns that Lito has been helping her relatives. According to Richard, his character reveals a darker side but initially looks like a good guy. “As of now, mabait ang dating ng character ko,” Richard was quoted as saying. “But it’s a trap for Cardo. Eventually, Lito will create trouble in Alyanna and Cardo’s marriage.” “What I am looking forward to is my encounter with Coco,” added Richard, who has trained in martial arts before. “Dapat abangan ang paghaharap nina Lito at Cardo.” According to Richard, the crew and cast are locked in during the shoot, where they undergo swab testing and observe other protocols like wearing a face mask and face shiled and social distancing. When asked what other things he brings in his bag, Richard
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replied, “Multi-vitamins, lots of vitamin C, zinc. I also had a flu vaccine and I brought along dumb bells, gym equipment and a stationary bike. I exercise in my room to strengthen my immune system.” While on the set, Richard does Skype with his wife Sarah and their sons Zion and Kai. Richard revealed that the quarantine has done wonders for their family. “You know what’s good about this quarantine? It makes our family closer, at naging closer din sina Zion at Kai. We guide them in online education, with Sarah as teacher at ako backup lang.” *** Some actors are staying put while the COVID-19 pandemic is going on. Case in point: Julia Montes. The actress is doing fine while
Vic “Bossing” Sotto, executive producer of Eat Bulaga, a daily noontime entertainment show telecast on GMA Pinoy TV, is now presenting the “Bawal Judgmental” game in the show. Guest judges are tasked to identify correct choices among a group of people revealing just a piece San Jose Realtor Marvin Charisma and his wife Meriam, a community of information about their lives. The jackpot money of P50,000 diminishes leader, celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary last Saturday, August 1. with every wrong answer.
on quarantine. “Right now, I’m focusing first on things I didn’t get to do because I was too busy with work. I get to do all my errands now, as well as resume projects I never got to finish. I also work out now. I get to do my skincare routine regularly,” Montes told the Inquirer in an interview as she also said that the lockdown reignited her passion for cooking which she has been able to share with loved ones. “I’m an on-the-go type of girl, but I’m also a homebody. Quarantine life doesn’t affect me much. I’m happy when I’m just in the house. I find satisfaction in cleaning and rearranging fixtures. Other than my fear for the safety of my family, friends and loyal fans during this pandemic, I’m perfectly fine where I am,” the actress further stated. And while she is on hiatus from showbiz work, the “Mara Clara” and “Walang Hanggan” actress knows that staying relevant is important during these difficult times. “Viewers are now extremely intelligent. They want authenticity. They expect more from artists. Their showbiz idols don’t just have to be successful, they also have to show concern for society and our environment,” Montes explained. Richard Gutierrez is the latest addition to the cast of FPJ’s “Ang Probinsiyano.” File Photo from Philstar.com “Being relevant is caring for other people and about what’s happening now. It is also about speaking the truth, as well as about being good always and helping others,” she added. Aside from praying for “forgiveness for shortcomings and mistakes we’ve committed toward each other,” the 25-yearold actress said, “I pray for this pandemic to finally be over and that we all survive it. I hope for every Filipino family to recover from this test. Let’s not lose faith despite the trials.” “Let’s hope God embraces all the people who are hurting, grieving and struggling; those whoa are ill and those who lose their jobs as a consequence of the pandemic. These are some of the things I fervently pray for each night.” Although she won’t reveal the details exactly, Montes has been actively involved with several outreach programs helping those Julia Montes says staying relevant means authenticity, showing concern for people, speaking displaced by the pandemic. your truth and helping others. File Photo from Inquirer.net
Is it cultural appropriation or appreciation? How a wine bar in D.C. called ‘Barkada’ sparked a social media debate By MoMar
FOuR white men recently opened a wine bar along u Street in Washington, D.C. named “Barkada Wine Bar,” a nod to the Filipino word for a closelyknit group of friends. The name was the only Filipino part of it; they did not announce plans to serve Filipino food or drinks nor is it an establishment owned by anyone of Filipino heritage. Features from the Washington City Paper and Eater DC last week led to a barrage of criticism from some Filipino Americans who said that the usage of the term was cultural appropriation. “This is problematic on so many levels. Completely ignorant and of course, a PRIVILEGED thought-process. What makes you think it’s okay to take a word from another culture when you pay no respect or homage to the culture itself?” Jessica Millete wrote in a Facebook post. “No Filipino items on your menu, no Filipino flavors incorporated, no Filipino winemakers included, not even in your decor? No support going towards a non-profit benefiting Filipino Americans or
G. Visaya & Christina M. oriel AJPress
back in [the] Philippines?” The said post, which also called the owners out for their white privilege, has been shared more than 13,000 times and generated over 800 comments as of this writing. Millete also urged the owners to change the bar’s name. “Absolutely WILD that in our current social climate, you still think this is okay. Just because you think the Asian stereotype is that we stay silent and go along our way, doesn’t mean that’s the case now,” she said. On their website, the owners wrote: “Barkada – noun, Tagalog – a group of friends: A totally cool word that describes us: a group of friends serving crazy delicious wine, hanging out just off u Street in DC.” In addition to the term, Krisha — a D.C. native who asked to withhold her last name for privacy reasons — pointed out another layer of how the restaurant is contributing to the gentrification of the u Street neighborhood. “And this is all on top of contributing to the ongoing problem of gentrification in Washington,
D.C. The owners have to expand outside of simply executing their business and be more mindful of the impact they create on the city they’re opening in,” she told the Asian Journal. While some expressed their dismay, there were others who didn’t find a problem with using “barkada.” A Change.org petition with a goal of 5,000 signatures called on the owners not to change the name and that fellow Filipinos should “give them a chance” instead of “bashing or bully[ing] them.” One Facebook user, Maricar Tangonan, said that language is “dynamic and organic.” “It’s often borrowed and has crossed cultural boundaries — no one owns the word ‘barkada,’” she wrote. “Not because there are no Filipino ‘pulutan’ or drinks means there is no Filipino element.” Another Fil-Am, Mark Libatique, lamented that the debate within the community has become a “dumb, petty thing” and that it is “a non-issue [this is] on PAGE B6
The exterior of Barkada Wine Bar in the U Street neighborhood of Washington, D.C., which recently became the subject of an online debate after some Fil-Ams said the usage of the term, without any other aspects of Filipino culture or cuisine, was cultural appropriation. Photo courtesy of Barkada Wine Bar
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The sparkling rise of Sanzo: How a Fil-Am... ‘Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot –
PAGE B1 for you’ products. A little down the middle is the Asian section,” he shared. He wondered why there were little to none when he looked for Asian flavors. Sure, there were iconic and legacy brands, imported sodas and juices from across the region but most were too sweet for his taste. “When you look at the ingredient panels of some of these products, you can see that it’s all sugars, concentrates, preservatives,” Roco said. “I think in general, we are now more discerning about these things.” Since sparkling water is all the rage, he thought about using real fruit with no added sugar. He thought about the comforting calamansi drink he had been drinking since childhood. In the instances, he had the citrus as a beverage, it was hot and almost medicinal. He wanted to celebrate calamansi more. “The very first thought that came to mind when I was playing with the idea was calamansi. It’s the best possible version of a citrus fruit. It has the beautiful tart elements of a lime, but unlike a lime that just stays tart, it rounds up a little bit of sweetness in it,” he said. “I love the taste of calamansi so I looked for the right taste or version of a calamansi juice or calamansi ade for me. That’s how it came to be.” And as such, Sanzo’s original flavor was born. He had to look at specialty farms in Florida or California for his supply of calamansi but ended up importing purée straight from the Philippines. Next up was mango. He initially started with Philippine mangoes, then transitioned to Indian Alphonso mangoes. He said he personally felt the difference and that the Alphonso mango just had a deeper flavor to it when mixed with sparkling water. Lychee became the third flavor, completing a trifecta of robust and unadulterated flavors, minus any sugar substitutes or sweeteners. “I thought it was the best way to celebrate and highlight each of the fruits’ elegance. When you douse something with sugar, that overpowers the flavor,” he said. Business venture Roco launched Sanzo in July 2019. A piece of trivia, the brand is a portmanteau of his given names: Alessandro and Lorenzo.
Social Distancing Style’ answers more questions on Part 2 on August 9
UNDER the “new normal” amid the pandemic, Citizen Pinoy continues its public service by providing information and updates on immigration. On the second episode of “Your Tanong, My Sagot: Social Distancing Style,” Atty. Gurfinkel answers questions from KC of Seattle, WA; Edith of Las Ve-
gas, NV; and Kate of Las Pinas in the Philippines. Find out what to do if no updates from NVC have been received, even if the petition has been approved and the priority date is December 2011. Or if a brother who was petitioned as single by his sibling, but got married and has a child, can
bring his family along? These questions and more will be answered on a new online episode of Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot – Social Distancing Style this Sunday, August 9, at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/ Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
Federal court bans USCIS’s new public charge rule
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To celebrate his first anniversary earlier this month, Sandro Roco posted this photo on Sanzo’s Instagram and thanked the people and companies who have supported him. He ended his message with “From the basement of my parents’ house and the bottom of my heart, thank you. - Sandro.”
Sandro Roco enjoying some dimsum paired with his sparkling water brand, Sanzo.” His company is growing despite the curveball brought about by the global pandemic. “You have to be consistently leveling up and learning because in six months, there’s going to be something new to tackle,” he told the Asian Journal.
Before this, he went into early beta testing. His initial products were in bottles but his goal was to get into cans, but it was a bigger dollar investment so he wanted to do get it right. He had the same original flavors: calamansi, lychee and mango. Then, he upgraded the sourcing of the purees, manufacturing quality and made some
tweaks in the packaging and on the labels. A year in and despite the current situation, he saw the growth and it was better than expected. “I self-funded the whole operation up to last December so I only just recently started taking outside investor money. That’s of note because a lot of PAGE B6
sion or change of status. As everyone is aware, the new public charge rules were very strict and restrictive, and people could have their adjustment of status denied if they ever received certain public benefits, were too old or sickly, or if an immigration officer believed it was likely that they could, at any time in the future, be dependent on public benefits. While this injunction is in effect, USCIS will apply the 1999 public charge rules: • For any petition or application adjudicated (processed) after July 29, 2020, USCIS will not consider any information provided by the applicant or the petitioner relating to the new public charge rule, including information provided on the Form I-944, or any information on the receipt of public benefits. • For any petition or application postmarked on or after July 29, 2020, applicants should not include the Form I-944 or provide information about the receipt of public benefits on their adjustment of status applications. • USCIS will not reject any adjustment of status application on the basis of the inclusion or exclusion of form I-944. While this is great news, I would still advise people to consult with an immigration attorney concerning their eligibility for the immigration benefit they are applying for, and concerning public charge issues. Remember, USCIS states it will abide by the injunction as long as it is in effect. However, the Trump administration could appeal the injunction and have it overturned or lifted, or the COVID-19 emergency ends. That means you should still
evaluate your case in reference to eligibility under these new, proposed rules, and be careful about applying for or accepting the types of public benefits included in this new rule, just in case this injunction is lifted. The rules on eligibility for immigration benefits are changing all the time, and it can be very confusing and complex for people. That’s why I advise that rather than taking chances and handling your case on your own, you should seek the advice and assistance of an attorney. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.
Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, Twitter @GurfinkelLaw and YouTube: US Immigration TV 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)
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Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS MASKS and distancing do not work While there were limited data early this year about the effectiveness of personal hygiene, frequent handwashing, and wearing a mask and social distancing when in public to avoid getting infected with the COVID-19 infection, today, 7 months later, after the pandemic started in Wuhan, China, evidence-based data have confirmed their effectiveness. Behavioral modification, compliance, and vigilance can prevent getting this deadly infection, which has so far infected (as of August 3, 2020 GMT) almost 18.6 million (191,000 new oneday increase) and killed almost 700,000 in 213 countries around the world: USA, nearly 5 million cases (46,247 new one-day increase), with almost 160,000 deaths; Philippines, about 107,000 cases (3,226 new oneday increase), with about 2,200 deaths. Warning on COVID-19 test results Positive means the person is infected. However, there is about 3 percent false positive in some of the test kits on the market, meaning the result says positive but the person is actually not infected. On the other side of the coin, Johns Hopkins Medicine reported PCR-based tests have a false negative rate of about 20 percent, meaning 1 in 5 tests is false negative; the patient is actually infected but the test result says negative. Medical guidance is prudent in interpreting any medical test results. Who should be tested In an ideal situation, everyone should be tested. But this is impractical and expensive, and may be a waste of resources. Testing the entire population will tell us who were infected in the past, who are infected, and who are not. Those who obviously need to be tested are those individuals who do public service or who are in contact with a lot of people, like healthcare personnel, cashiers, food servers, stores and restaurant staff, airport personnel, travelers, teachers, public transportation drivers, etc., and those who may have been exposed to an infected patient, or suspected to have been so. Those who are
COVID-19 misconceptions
on self-quarantine at home, and religious in wearing a mask and social distancing in public, and strict in their personal hygiene, are less likely to need the test. A common-sense approach is to wait for 14 days after being in public and in compliance with the COVID-19 guideline. Someone infected in such a situation would show within two weeks or so. Negative result confers no immunity It is not uncommon to hear people being very eager to get COVID-19 test to “be sure” they test negative. For one thing, if after two weeks of self-quarantine at home, strictly following the guidelines, and no symptoms appear, chances are the test would be negative. But even if the test done were negative, if the person is thereafter exposed to an infected person and was so careless as to get infected, the next test would be positive! A negative test result on any day does not protect the person at all. The test is not a vaccine and does not confer immunity or lessen the chance of getting infected. It is merely a test. This is the reason why getting a test without a medical justification is useless and a waste of money. A negative result today, could be positive in a few hours or days, if you let your guard down and disregard the COVID-19 guidelines, and get infected. Post-COVID-19 immunity Those who got infected and have recovered from COVID-19 have some degree of immunity. Whether it is enough to ward off future COVID-19, and for how long, are still in question. Time will tell as more patients recover around the globe. Reinfection among those who have recovered have been reported. So, those who have recovered should still follow the health guidelines. 5G causes COVID-19 5G radio waves (internet) do not cause COVID-19 as alleged in many social media postings. The opposite view that claims 5G waves provide protection against COVID-19 is equally false. And 5G cannot provide Viagra-power, either. There are so many fake news and misinformation on social media. Do not believe everything you read on social media. Get data from renowned medical centers. Do your own due diligence. Get the facts. Lemon juice prevents COVID-19 False. Lemon juice, garlic,
FOR RENT
onion, pepper, broccoli, fruits, herbals, etc. cannot prevent COVID-19. Fruits and vegetables are good for our health, but they are not prophylactic or therapeutic for COVID -19. Drinking silver cannot prevent or cure COVID19; it is a poison! Irresponsible people spreading baseless claims on social media are doing a great disservice to the world. Gullible readers could have a false sense of security and get infected because of their posts. There is no food or medication which has been found effective in preventing COVID-19. Only by following the COVID-19 guidelines strictly can we ward off this killer viral infection. By the way, cow urine, or any urine, or bodily secretions, cannot prevent or cure COVID-19 or cancer. Mosquito bites transmit the virus While mosquito bites can cause a number of illnesses, mosquitos are not carriers of the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes COVID-19. We, humans, are the carriers and transmitters of this virus and infect other people. This is why it is vital for everyone of us to strictly follow the COVID19 guidelines, otherwise several millions of people might actually die from this pandemic while it also devastates our economy and family life – if we allow it to linger much longer by our careless behavior and non-compliance, which technically borders on manslaughter. Vaccines a decade away There are more than 150 COVID-19 vaccines being investigated around the world. Normally, it takes about 10-15 years for vaccines to be ready for sale, but the mumps vaccine was the fastest one developed, in four years, in the 1960s. There are some on their Third Phase of trials, with 30,000 subjects, to make sure they are safe and effective. The Trump administration’s Operation Wrap Speed initiative pledged $10 billion to ramp up the vaccine development and deliver 300 million doses by January 2021. The WHO is also coordinating worldwide efforts to develop corona vaccines and aiming to deliver two billion doses by the end of 2021. Cautiously optimistic, it seems a COVID-19 vaccine could be available by the end of this year, or early next year. In the meantime, let’s do the next best thing: religiously follow the COVID-19 guidelines. Behavior that kills is criminal PAGE B6
SERVICES
AFFORDABLE UNITS IN SAN FRANCISCO’S MISSION DISTRICT 8 one-bedroom, 45 two-bedroom, and 42 threebedroom affordable rental units available at 2060 Folsom Street. Rents range from $1317-1770 per month. Households must earn no more than the maximum income levels below: 50% of Median Income 1 person
$44,850
5 persons
$69,200
2 persons
$51,250
6 persons
$74,300
3 persons
$57,650
7 persons
$79,450
4 persons
$64,050
55% of Median Income 1 person
$49,300
5 persons
$76,100
2 persons
$56,400
6 persons
$81,750
3 persons
$63,400
7 persons
$87,350
4 persons
$70,450
60% of Median Income 1 person
$53,800
5 persons
$83,000
2 persons
$61,500
6 persons
$89,150
3 persons
$69,200
7 persons
$95,300
4 persons
$76,850
Application information found on the SF Housing Portal DAHLIA at housing.sfgov.org Applications due by 5pm on Tuesday, September 1st, 2020. Please contact the Chinatown Community Development Center for building information at (415) 810-4036 or 2060folsom@chinatowncdc.org. Units available through the SF Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. Please see the project posting at housing.sfgov.org for applicable lottery preferences. SF#2929
Postscript
FeDeriCo D. PaSCual Jr YOU must have heard some unusual expressions from the old folks and may have wondered about their meanings and origins. The list below lifted from our Pinoy ’55 chat group on Viber as prepared by brod Ernie Salas sheds some light on them. 1. “Tapos na ang boksing!” Meaning: It is finished. It is doomed and it’s done. Origin: During the Japanese Occupation, “tapos na ang boksing” was a favorite expression of teenagers. Boxing was a sport promoted by Americans in the 1920s. So, for pro-Japanese elements, the expression meant that America was finished and that Gen. Douglas MacArthur would never return to the Philippines. But those who continued to believe in America’s promise used the phrase to denote that Japan would ultimately be defeated. 2. “Mabilis pa sa alas kwatro.” Meaning: To leave in a mad rush. Origin: At Plaza Lawton (now Liwasang Bonifacio) at the southern foot of Puente Colgante (now Quezon Bridge) once stood the imposing Insular Ice and Cold Storage Plant with its 10-floor chimney. Designed by Edgar Bourne, it was built in 1902 and operated by San Miguel Brewery. It had a siren that sounded off loudly three times in a day to indicate the start of work at 7 a.m., lunch break at 12 noon, and dismissal of workers at 4 p.m. At the day’s last siren signal, Insular workers would head for the exit gates, where they fell in line to log out. There was so much anticipation for the dismissal time that workers rushed to be at the head of the line – faster than the 4 p.m. siren. 3. “Agua de Pataranta.” Meaning: Euphemism for hard liquor. Origin: Medicinal waters sold by boticas and pharmacists in the ’20s and ’30s carried Spanish brand names. For example, Botica Boie on the Escolta listed in its stock water-based remedies like Agua Fenicada (phenol water) Agua de Botot (a mouth rinse), Agua Boricada (boric acid solution for the eyes)
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Tracing roots of odd Pinoy expressions and Agua de Carabaña (mineral water). A drinking man’s bottle was disguised as medicine too – Agua de Pataranta – liquor strong enough to addle his brains and put him in a confused stupor, or “taranta.” When Botica Boie folded up, the famous soda fountain moved to the Round Table restaurant at Manila Doctor’s and, much later, to the Floating Restaurant at Makati Medical. 4. “Noong bata pa si Sabel.” Meaning: A descriptor for something that has been in existence or in practice a long time ago. Origin: This expression pays tribute to Queen Isabella II of Spain, who reigned from 1833 to 1868. “Noong bata pa si Sabel” literally means “when Isabel was but a child,” hence when the world was younger. Queen Isabel’s reign was rocked by internal palace intrigues, influence-peddling, and conspiracies, which ended with her exile and abdication. Isabel’s profile appeared on local 1860’s coins. The late National Artist Alejandro R. Roces contends that Isabel’s enemies referred to her as “la perra” (the bitch), hence the coins that bore her profile became known as “perra” or “pera,” a term used today for all forms of money. Her bronze statue has been moved from Liwasang Bonifacio (erstwhile Lawton), her space taken over by the Great Plebian, to the front of Puerta Isabel II in Intramuros near the Bureau of Immigration. 5. “Hanggang Pier.” Meaning: To be left behind with an unkept promise. Origin: The assignment of American military personnel in Clark Field, Subic Bay and Sangley Point since the 1900s spawned a “good time” industry in the adjoining R&R (rest and recreation) liberty towns that included food, drinks, dancing, and damsels! Through the ’30s-’60s, relationships developed between GIs on furlough and local girls, many of them from the bars and cabarets. Some affairs were for real, but many others ended at the departure area when the ships had to sail out – hence “hanggang pier”. The expression has come to refer to a per-
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son’s not keeping his promise, as experienced by a Pinay left behind by a ‘Kano, often with a FilAm child, at the pier. 6. “Natutulog sa pansitan.” Meaning: Failure to grab an opportunity because of laziness or negligence. Origin: Pansit-pansitan (Shiny bush, Peperomia pellucida Linn) is a common herb that grows abundantly in cool, damp places, carpeting nooks and yards with its soft, fleshy leaves. Workers in the field often took a respite from the harsh sun by napping on a patch of pansitpansitan — hence, “natutulog sa pansitan.” It may have happened that a few took their naps too long, and thus sleeping on the job resulting in unfinished work and lost opportunities. 7. “Lutong Makaw.” Meaning: A decision or deal that has been rigged; a pre-arranged victory or success. Origin: In the “peacetime” of the ’30s, “makaw” (derived from Macau, now a special administrative region of China that used to be a Portuguese colony) was an unofficial generic term used by Manilans for a Chinese immigrant, especially a cook. Their culinary creations were called “lutong makaw” or cooked Macau-style. Macau Chinese chefs were noted for their pre-arranging their ingredients in advance, even before a dish was ordered. A trademark dish was “pansit makaw,” always a bestseller along with pancit canton. Macau’s gaming history dates back to more than three centuries, earning the title “Monte Carlo of the Orient” and now “Vegas of China.” In 1930, “Hou Heng Company” won the monopoly concession for operating casino games. Game-fixing was one of the hazards of the business, including “cooking” (i.e. tampering with) the outcome of the game even before it is played -- hence “lutong makaw.” (There are more items in this compilation, but we’ve run out of space. To read the rest, please go to: https://tinyurl.com/yahkcvnf) *** Nota Bene: All Postscripts are archived a t m a n i l a m a i l . c o m . Fo l l o w a u t h o r on Twitter as @FDPascual. Feedback can be emailed to fdp333@yahoo.com
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27th Annual Pistahan Parade and Festival goes virtual SAN FRANCISCO — The Filipino American Arts Exposition (FAAE) invites the community to virtually join San Francisco’s 27th Annual Pistahan Parade and Festival. Traditionally held at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco each August with over 80,000 attendees in person, Pistahan has represented the largest celebration of Filipinos in the U.S. This year, Pistahan has been reimagined as a virtual festival, an online cultural experience, and a global celebration of Filipino culture and cuisine. Moving the parade and festival into virtual formats is in accordance with local public health guidelines and ensures the public’s health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Pistahan Virtual Parade and Festival will take place online at www.pistahan.net, streaming live on Facebook and YouTube, starting on Saturday, Aug. 8 and running through Sunday, Aug. 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time. Pistahan Together @ Home aims to raise funds to support the ever-growing demand for senior and youth services provided by FAAE, West Bay Pilipino MutiService Center, and United Playaz for the Filipino community.
This year’s Hermana Mayor is Marjan Philhour, a small business owner, working mom and San Francisco Board of Supervisor hopeful who currently serves as senior advisor to San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “Over 26 years, the Pistahan Festival in San Francisco has blossomed into a thriving platform that showcases the diversity of the Filipino community in the United States,” said Al Perez, president of FAAE, the event producer of the celebration. “While we are saddened we will not be able to come together in person for our annual celebration for the first time in 27 years, we will embrace this challenge as an opportunity to create new experiences for discovery, connection and positivity. This year’s festival theme is ‘One Community: United in Hope and Healing.’ We look to Pistahan Together @ Home as an opportunity to broaden awareness of Filipino heritage and traditions and extend the celebration of Filipino community, culture and cuisine to new communities across the globe.” “We’ve launched Pistahan Together @ Home as a creative response to bring Pistahan virtually to you at home with an on-
line parade, performances, cooking demos, tech talks and many more activities,” said MaryJane Cordova Ly, festival manager of Pistahan. “Our team is coming up with really amazing and inspired ways to showcase Filipino art, cuisine, music, dance and traditions, and provide space for visibility and representation. With our first-ever virtual festival, we are committed to bringing to you a community-driven event that creates meaningful engagement and participation by Filipinos in the diaspora, creates a platform for all to discover Filipino culture and heritage, and brings wholesome entertainment and joy.” Pistahan 2020 will feature an online parade, performances, cooking and art demos, tech talks, arts and crafts, a film festival and many more in Art, Culinary, Dance, Entertainment, Health, Heritage, Innovation and Sports. Support local Filipino businesses with its pop-up food court and sari-sari marketplace. Full programming details will be shared in the days leading up to the festival on Pistahan’s website (www.pistahan.net), Facebook (facebook.com/pistahansf), and Instagram (Instagram.com/ pistahansf).
SBA to host military spouse entrepreneur summit WASHINGTON — The U.S. Small Business Administration will host a virtual “Military Spouse Entrepreneur Summit” in collaboration with Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes on Wednesday, August 19 from 1-3:30 p.m., EDT. This free event will connect military spouses with resources and information available to help them start or grow a small business. The event will open with remarks from the Second Lady and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. Panel speakers will include representatives from the Veteran Entrepreneurial Training & Resource Network, Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Dog Tag, The Rosie Network, the Department of Defense Military
Spouse Employment Program, and the Military Family Advisory Network. “The SBA is committed to helping entrepreneurial military spouses succeed at every stage of small business development,” said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. “We are thrilled to collaborate with the Second Lady to support military spouse entrepreneurs and help them overcome the unique business challenges they face.” Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about SBA and partner resources for the military small business community. Panel discussions will cover entrepreneurship tips, disaster preparedness, access to capital, and government contracting. For more information about the Military Spouse Entrepreneur Summit and to register, vis-
it https://events.hiringourheroes. org/d/37ql80. To join the conversation on social media, use hashtag #SBAMilSpouseSummit. The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. (From Small Business Administration)
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Scammers and ‘customer service’ The sparkling rise of Sanzo: How a Fil-Am... – another imposter scam PAGE B3
by Jabari
Cook/intern, Division of Consumer & business eDuCation, ftC
IF you want to contact a company’s customer service department, you can do a quick search online and often find what looks like its phone number or email. But is the information at the top of your search results actually correct? Based on reports the FTC has gotten, sometimes the answer to that question is: no. Some scammers are creating fake customer service information for popular companies and paying for it to show up in your search results. When you contact them, they’ll offer to “resolve” the problem you may have — if you wire money to them or send gift cards. They might also ask for your personal information, or to get remote access to your com-
puter. Business imposter scams have the same end goal — getting your money or information. Here are some ways to stay safe: • Check the product packaging. If you still have it, the packaging, manual, or other print material for your product is a good source of real customer service information. • Visit the company’s official website for contact information. Type the company’s website address directly into your browser. That will get you to the company’s website to look for customer service contact information —maybe a phone number, email address, or a way to submit a message directly through their website. If you use a search en-
gine to find the company, though, double check the URL to be sure you’ve found the company’s official site, not a scammer’s site. • Never wire money, send gift cards, or give your account password in exchange for customer service help. No legitimate company will ask you to send gift cards or wire money, or give your password in exchange for customer service help. Hang up on anyone who does. Have you spotted fake customer “service”? Report it to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. If you gave personal information to a business imposter, head to IdentityTheft.gov for a free, personal recovery plan and advice on how to protect your wallet. (From Federal Trade Commission)
COVID-19 misconceptions
PAGE B4 negligence Each of us has the obligation to protect ourselves, our family, and others, especially the high-risk elderly, from this killer SARS-CoV2 virus. Careless, irresponsible behavior that causes spread and deaths is technically criminal. Not wearing a mask in public in some countries, like India, is punishable for up to six months in prison. Qatar exacts a heavy fine on top of a 3-year jail term for the same offense. Non-compliance could spread the infection, kill people, and
devastate society as a whole. Any action or behavior that contributes to injury and death is a crime, not much different from poisoning, stabbing, or shooting somebody. Some European and Asian countries, unlike the U.S., have mandated the use of masks and social distancing. The U.S. has the highest number of cases (26 percent of global cases) and deaths (22 percent of global deaths). People who do what they want to do (even against health guidelines), demanding their civil rights, some protesting
in public without masks and not doing social distancing, are contributing to the spikes in infection and deaths. How about the rights of the majority, especially the vulnerable and helpless seniors? Every life matters. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United NetworkUSA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua. com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.
brands come to market and they raise a lot of money before they launch so they can afford bigger blowouts and within a couple of months, they can be in 500 or 1,000 stores,” he explained. Roco has always hoped to rally the Asian American community behind the product, from restaurateurs to owners and operators and coffee shops like Grace Street and Kabisera. He said he wanted to take more of a bootstrap, methodical approach but even then, he has been surprised as to how quickly people have gotten it. “What got me even more excited is that we’ve been able to crossover into the “mainstream”, I hate using that word but for these purposes, fine. While we’re doing well at Momofuku, Grace Street or Kabisera, we’re also selling at By Chloe, this very trendy vegan fast-casual chain, or Charlie Street, an Australian hip coffee chain,” he said. “I was always hopeful that the product would be good enough to sell in these places.” Now, he has reached a point where the company is growing despite the challenges brought about by the current world situation. He hopes to continue to grow with it, learning and unlearning lessons along the way. “Launching a product is hard but now that we’re beginning to grow, I realized that it is also hard to scale. You have to be constantly leveling up and learning because, in six months, there’s going to be something new to Sanzo founder Sandro Roco with his dad, Angel Roco outside Whole Foods in Hudson Yards. tackle,” he said.
Photos courtesy of Instagram/@drinksanzo
Is it cultural appropriation or appreciation? How a wine bar... PAGE B2 a grander scale of Fil-Am welfare.” “Instead of being an opportunity to advance Filipino voices, this has become Filipino-vs-FilAm, community organizer vs non-advocate,” he said. Bing Cardenas-Branigin, a community leader in D.C., told the Asian Journal that this conversation could have been a teaching moment about Filipino culture and cuisine. “As a community, we could have used this as an opportunity to tell them about our food, sisig for example and our drinks made with calamansi. Their usage of Barkada could have been our leverage in order to promote our cuisine and culture more,” Cardenas-Branigin said. Changing the name In response to this backlash, Barkada issued an apology on its website and social media accounts. The partners, Sebastian Zutant, Nick Guglietta, Nate Fisher, and Anthony Aligo, responded to the hundreds of comments on the bar’s social media pages asking to change their name. Part of the statement read: “When we ventured outside of our own language to capture that sentiment, we missed the mark. We apologize to all we offended, and to our community we hope to serve. It was never our intention to appropriate or capitalize on the Filipino culture and we recognize we fell short in engaging more of the Filipino community.” They are also “actively looking to change our identity and our brand and engage in further dialogue” and promised to donate “proceeds from our opening to support the Filipino community as well.” “Barkada is a beautiful world with a deep meaning of friendship. We want to honor that, and you, as we move forward,” the statement read. “Part of the reason we did this is not because it’s our identity but we resonated with the meaning and thought behind the word,” Guglietta told Eater. “But it was a mistake.” He added that they spent five months coming up with the name. Also according to Eater, in the course of considering Barkada, they received positive feedback from a few friends with Filipino heritage, but the owners recognize they should have done more to evaluate the decision. Moving forward The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) Capital Region released a statement “concerned by the lack of sensitivity and awareness” of using the Barkada name. “Barkada is derived from the Spanish word barcada, meaning ‘boatload.’ Yes, the original barkadas were boatloads of Filipino prisoners shipped away from their homes by boat, but from these trying circumstances, our ancestors formed bonds that would help them survive colonization, imprisonment, and enslavement. To water barkada down to ‘A totally cool word’—as Barkada Wine Bar’s website originally described it—strips it of its reso-
nance as a symbol of Filipino resilience,” the group wrote. The statement — representing Fil-Am organizations, business owners and community members in the DC Metropolitan Area — also provided recommendations to the establishment’s owners and to news outlets on how they can inclusively cover the city’s food scene. “We urge the business owners to commit to a habit of unlearning, undoing, and unmaking in an industry that is not isolated from racism. As established restaurateurs in the area, they have influence and connections in the industry that many BIPOC do not; they have a voice that is not afforded to marginalized communities. We ask that they commit to supporting minority-owned businesses as well as be transparent in how they choose to serve the community moving forward,” it added. For food media, the organization urged the hiring of more writers and editors of color and to give equal news coverage to BIPOC business owners who are historically underrepresented. “It is particularly disheartening to see Barkada’s opening receive the amount of coverage that it did when Filipino business owners have been wary of giving their establishments Filipino names lest they alienate customers,” NaFFAA Capital Region said. The Filipino Food Movement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of Filipino culinary arts, said they’ve begun a dialogue with Barkada’s owners about what a constructive way forward could look like for the community and bar. (The owners also shared with the movement’s representatives that they reportedly had a Filipino roommate a few years ago who taught them the word barkada.) “In many ways, this is a cautionary tale when it comes to opening food businesses, especially in the U.S. where the audience is so woke, there is no room for making mistakes. You can’t make missteps like this, especially in this day and age,” Keesa Ocampo, vice president of the Filipino Food Movement, told the Asian Journal. “You have to do your research and for your brand, marketing and development, you have to put in a lot of thought into not only how do I want this brand to look? But also, how can I be inclusive?” The group also said it’s an opportunity to be “bridge builders” and to uplift Fil-Am chefs for possible pop-up events and Filipino wine and spirit brands that can be showcased at the bar. “This is no longer the time to be divisive. When people try to find resonance and relevance in our food and culture, we think it’s a great thing,” Ocampo added. “Now, yes, there may be missteps, but I don’t think that we should be dissuading them from trying again and trying harder… If their heart is in the right place and if they commit to really doing this the right way, then we want them to do well because they’re now carrying a piece of our culture and a word that belongs to us.”
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