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AUGUST 17-23, 2023 Volume 34 - No. 33 • 12 Pages
T HE F ILIPINO A MERICAN C OMMUNITY N EWSPAPER
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Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
Most Filipinos want expanded PH-US DATELINE USA US museum to return military cooperation in WPS - survey Filipinos’ remains from FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
‘racial brain collection’
THE Philippine government is coordinating with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington D.C. for the repatriation of Filipino remains from its “racial brains collection.” An investigative report made by The Washington Post stated that the Smithsonian “still holds the brains of people from at least 10 foreign countries, including the Philippines, Germany, the Czech Republic and South Africa.” The Post said the Smithsonian’s brain collection had included four brains from Filipinos who were part of the Philippine Exposition during the 1904 St. Louis World Fair. “Smithsonian officials told The Post that, in addition to the four brains from the fair, the museum had collected the brains of 23 other Filipinos,” The Post wrote. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has confirmed the meeting between the Philippine Embassy in Washington and the Smithsonian about the return of the Filipino remains. “The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. was involved at the start of the discussions,”
by RED MENDOZA AND CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net
MOST Filipinos favor strengthening and expanding the Philippines' military cooperation with the United States to address the territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea, according to a survey commissioned by OCTA Research.
In its Tugon ng Masa survey from July 22-26, 2023, only 11 percent said that they are not in favor while 32 percent remain undecided. Broken down into major regions, more than half of the respondents in Balanced Luzon and Mindanao were in favor of expanding U.S. military cooperation. Only 46 percent of respondents in the National Capital
Pres. Marcos: COVID-19 pandemic exposed dangers of fake news by JEAN MANGALUZ Inquirer.net
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COVID makes a comeback, but new vaccines are around the corner COVID-19 cases are rising once again, possibly fueled by the emergence of the EG.5 variant. Hospitalization rates jumped by 12.5% nationwide in July, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This uptick comes even as the public health emergency has ended, taking with it free testing and therapeutics. And COVID fatigue has set in. People no longer wear masks in public, and a study has determined that the majority of Americans will forego new boosters, which will be available this fall. At an Aug. 11 panel discussion organized by Ethnic Media Services, three eminent COVID experts examined the rise in cases, the new variant, and the new monovalent vaccine which will be available this fall. Panelists included: • Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, Associate Dean for Regional Campuses, University of California, San Francisco and Medical Educator, specializing in treating infectious diseases PAGE 3
Region and the Visayas agree to the proposal. Meanwhile, 58 percent of Filipinos who were surveyed also agree that the PH should explore increased military cooperation with the U.S. overall. Only 12 percent are not in favor and 28 percent are undecided. PAGE 2
YOUNG CHAMPS. The Philippine team that won the recent 2023 Junior League Softball World Series 12-14 division in Kirkland, Washington receives commendation via Senate Resolution No. 723 at the Senate session hall on Wednesday, Aug. 16. The Senate said the country is immensely proud of the girls for not only representing Asia-Pacific and the Philippines but also Bago City, Negros Occidental as well. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
MANILA — The dangers of fake news were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the government’s Media Information Literacy campaign on Monday, August 14. Marcos said that fake news has infiltrated many facets of life and poses dangers. “It goes into every part of our lives. It becomes dangerous, it became dangerous during the pandemic because people were giving some very outrageous advice, and this was hurting other people,” said Marcos in his speech in Pasay City. While Marcos did not specify a specific scenario, his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had said gasoline could be used as a disinfectant. The Department of Health had to clarify that Duterte could have just made a joke. “You would look, these people will say, ‘This is a thing that you can do.’ What they are saying can be PAGE 2
DFA: Help underway for Hawaii wildfire-stricken Filipinos by CHARIE ABARCA Inquirer.net
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, August 15 said operations to assist distressed Filipinos in Hawaii following the catastrophic wildfires are ongoing. In a text message to INQUIRER.net, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, Hawaii, will help Filipinos there. “Our consulate is proceeding to Wailuku in Maui today to assist distressed kababayans and to get verified information on casualties,
missing persons, etc. They are in constant touch with the local authorities, as it is the latter who are responsible for these operations,” he said. “The Filipino nation commiserates with the people of the State of Hawaii over this terrible tragedy,” he said. Asked if the DFA already has the number of Filipinos affected by the wildfires, de Vega answered, “No exact data yet,” adding that there’s “no confirmed data on Filipino citizens affected by the disaster.” Citing data from the government of Hawaii, de Vega said the wildfires have already claimed the lives of at least 96 people and
Sen. Cortez Masto welcomes ‘BBM foreign trips, economy’s reopening major job creators’ 250 new US citizens during halftime of Las Vegas Lights Pro Soccer Match by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s foreign trips and the reopening of the economy are the main drivers of the increasing employment rate in the country, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) said on Friday, August 11. ECOP President Sergio OrtizLuis Jr. made the statement after the Philippine Statistics Authority reported the country’s employment rate increased by 95.5 percent in June this year. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos During the Laging Handa Malacañang file photo
public briefing, Ortiz-Luis cited a marked increase in Board of Investments and Philippine Economic Zone Authority registrations. Also the president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., he said the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been entertaining delegations that are looking for potential business partners in the country. “Unang-una talaga tuluytuloy ‘yung pag-alis natin doon sa pandemic era at tuluy-tuloy ang pag-hire (First of all, we PAGE 2
LAS Vegas – On Saturday, August 12, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and federal immigration representatives welcomed 250 new U.S. citizens during a special naturalization ceremony at halftime of the Las Vegas Lights soccer game at Cashman Field. Cortez Masto is leading legislation to help immigrants and refugees overcome common obstacles to naturalization—including
language barriers and challenges navigating the search for employment. “I’m the proud granddaughter of immigrants, and I know that many people from across the world come to Nevada in search of the American Dream,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “As new citizens, I encourage you to exercise both the rights and the responsibilities of U.S. citizenship, PAGE 2