August 26-28, 2020 Volume 30 - No.67 • 2 Sections - 14 Pages
DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Early poll: 54% of Asian American voters favor Biden, 29% Trump LEADING up to the conventions for both the Democratic and Republican parties, early data found that Asian Americans are leaning left with 54% saying they are inclined to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden. In preliminary data from the 2020 Asian American Voter survey — conducted by APIAVote, AAPIData, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC — about half of registered voters surveyed from July 4 to August 16 threw their support for the Democratic nominee, while 29% of respondents said they favor another four years under President Donald Trump. (The results come from about 850 respondents from the top six Asian American groups, including Filipino American.) Meanwhile, 16% are still undecided, which may present an opportunity for both parties to court these voters. Going into this election cycle, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing segment of
RNC kicks off as Fil-Am Republicans support another four years of Trump by AJPRESS DESPITE the trend of Filipino Americans largely voting Democratic in recent decades, President Donald Trump continues to have a band of supporters among the segment in the community who
AS the campaign season ramps up ahead of the November election, one of President Donald Trump’s most trusted and longestserving senior advisors Kellyanne Conway announced on Sunday, Aug. 23 that she is stepping down as White House counselor. Conway’s sudden announcement came minutes after her husband, the Filipino American attorney and vocal Trump opposer George Conway, said he was withdrawing from The Lincoln Project, a group of dissenting Republicans devoted to defeating Trump. The dual resignations signal a climax to a strenuous summer for the Conway family. As reported in the Asian Journal, the Conways made headlines in July when their 15year-old daughter Claudia came out as an anti-Trump leftist and her TikTok videos of her political views went viral.
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25 more Filipinos abroad contract COVID-19 as tally hits over 10,000 by AJPRESS
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Top Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway leaves WH post, Fil-Am daughter Claudia Conway announces ‘emancipation’ from parents
mon notion that the community leans left. “There’s great enthusiasm for the re-election of President Donald Trump – much has to do with his clear record and contrast against Joe Biden,” Rudy Pamintuan, a Las Vegas resident who was part of
identify as conservatives. Heading into November 3, Fil-Am Republicans across the country, who brand themselves as among the “silent majority,” are continuing to ride the red wave in support of another four years under a Trump administration and are defying the com-
WALKWAY TO HISTORY A colorful mural showing significant moments in the country’s history is one of the main attractions at the newly reopened Lagusnilad Underpass. Following nine months of rehabilitation, the Manila government unveiled on Monday the new Lagusnilad Underpass, where passersby would be greeted with a mural showcasing the country’s history — from the 333-year Spanish rule, Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo,” to a tribute to medical front-liners battling the new coronavirus disease. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez
TWENTY-FIVE more cases of COVID-19 have been reported among overseas Filipinos, bringing the official number of infections to 10,028. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, August 25 released the latest statistics, which included 15 recoveries, which raises the total tally of recovered patients to 6,029. The death toll, meanwhile, remained at 742 as there were no new fatalities reported by the agency. Filipinos currently undergoing treatment are tallied at 3,257. “Today, the DFA reports no new fatalities among Filipinos abroad due to COVID-19,” said the DFA. “Meanwhile, there are 25 new confirmed cases recorded in the Americas, Asia & the Pacific, & Middle East, & 15 new recoveries. Furthermore, DOH-verified cases are now at 1,928,” it added. Overall by region, Europe — which comprises 18
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BI orders tighter screening of foreigners claiming marriage to Filipinos by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
IMMIGRATION officers at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other entry ports have been advised to tighten the screening of foreigners who claim they are married to Filipinos before allowing them to enter the country. The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) order was issued following reports that some foreign nationals managed to enter the country using fake marriage certificates, according to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.
“I have ordered frontliners at the ports to be doubly strict in screening foreigners alleging that they are married to Filipinos or have Filipino children. It is not enough that they have entry visas, marriage and birth certificates in their possession,” Morente said. The government recently revised its restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals, exempting those who are spouses of Filipinos or have minor Filipino children or children with special needs, regardless of age, in the Philippines. Morente said the BI will run after foreign
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NO MAGIC BULLET. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Matina Enclaves in Davao City on August 24, 2020. Duterte said there is no “magic bullet” to solve the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic as he sought for more patience until a vaccine is made available. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.
Last chance to be counted in the 2020 Census! Duterte: No ‘magic bullet’ to solve PH’s COVID-19 problems by AJPRESS
THE census deadline is looming, and the Filipino community is in danger of not getting their fair share of resources over the next decade. There is only one month left to make an impact. Nationally, four out of 10 U.S. households have not filled out the census. In other words, the response rate is less than 65%. Everyone in the community needs to be counted by Sept. 30. If people are undercounted, states could lose thousands of dollars in public funding per person every year for emergency services, education, health facilities, road improvements, and other benefits. The community
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by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, August 25, said there is no “magic bullet” to solve the country’s problems related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. “This is an update again, a weekly (report on) what we are trying to do. We will also continue to respond to the rising challenges in our pandemic, recalibrating our strategies if we must based on science and data,” he said in a taped public address. “Ganito ‘yan mga kababayan ko (To my countrymen) there is no magic wand or if you want a
stronger statement a — the magic bullet, a silver bullet, that will solve our problems,” he added. Duterte admitted that the government is “not perfect,” but assured that they are trying their best. “May sinubukan tayo (We tried something) since we are not perfect,” he said. “So nandito kami ngayon para mag-usap uli kung ano ang hindi maganda, ones that — the ones that we see fit to change and unahin kung sinong dapat iwan (We are here today to discuss what are not good, the ones that we see fit to change and prioritize whoever is left behind),” he
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Early poll: 54% of Asian American... PAGE A1 eligible voters out of the major racial and ethnic groups in the United States with 11.1 million, or 5% of the nation’s eligible voters, able to vote, according to a Pew Research Center analysis released in May. Early data from the voter survey, however, found that a majority of Asian Americans have not had contact from either major party — 56% reported “not at all” in terms of being contacted by the Democratic Party, while 59% said none from the Republican side. “One of the reasons why Asian Americans are less likely to get contacted during the presidential election years is that they’re less likely to live in battleground states,” Karthick Ramakrishnan, UC Riverside professor and founder of AAPI Data, said in a virtual non-partisan event on mobilizing AAPI voters ahead of the Republican National Convention on Monday, August 24. During the 2016 presidential election cycle, results from the group’s survey found that 70%
of respondents said they were not contacted by either party. “Even though there has been progress, even in those battleground states — either because of a perceived difficulty or actual lack of staffing in these campaigns —they’re less likely to reach out to the Asian American population,” Ramakrishnan added. AAPI political agenda Despite the Asian American and Pacific Islander population not being a monolith, the issue around inclusion seemingly has consensus among the various groups. One of the ways the community has been civically engaged is through debates about affirmative action, for example. “As we see in these kind of broad topics, we can start to identify an Asian American agenda. A majority support fairly robust immigrant rights for both a U.S.born population and an undocumented population. There’s also a consensus around the need for access to in-language materials for those who are not in-English
From the Front Page
dominant. And then of course, we’ve seen a fair amount of support for increased representation in entertainment and in corporate leadership where there has been a ceiling on Asian American promotion,” Janelle Wong, a professor at the University of Maryland, said on Monday. Wong added that it’s been a “stereotype” that the issues that Asian Americans are largely about are confined to education or immigration because of the majority still being foreign-born. However, the polling group said that the community has shown large support for gun control, environmental protection, universal health care and Black Lives Matter. Anecdotally, speakers at Monday’s event believe that the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes in light of the COVID-19 pandemic may be an impetus for increased political engagement this time UNDERPASS RENOVATION. The Manila city government opens on Monday, August 24 the newly-renovated Lagusnilad underpass, which connects around. Intramuros to the Manila City Hall. Murals depicting significant events in Philippine history adorn the walls of the underpass to boost awareness The full results of the 2020 on Filipino art, history, and culture. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan Asian American Voter survey are slated to be released in September. (AJPress)
RNC kicks off as Fil-Ams... PAGE A1 the Trump transition team and served under George W. Bush’s advisory commission on AAPIs, told the Asian Journal. For Pamintuan, the economy, school choice and law and order are among the issues he’s particularly concerned about. His message to fellow Fil-Am voters: take a look at Trump’s record in the past three years compared to Joe Biden’s as senator and then vice president. “At a time of crisis, two different visions of America are evident. President Trump offers a vision of American strength, the American Dream and American exceptionalism. Joe Biden offers an apologetic America – putting American families last in favor of socialist policies…America needs four more years of President Donald Trump and the silent majority will enthusiastically re-elect him,” he added. The scaled-down Republican National Convention, which was supposed to be a large spectacle in Charlotte, North Carolina, is underway this week as President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were formally renominated by the party on Monday, August 24. The event comes during another recession and as over 178,000 Americans have been killed by the COVID-19 pandemic and 5.7 million more have been infected. A step further for the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, COVID-19 has revealed another pandemic of racism with the reports of antiAsian hate crimes nationwide. As a Pinay millennial in Las
Vegas, many would assume that Lisa Noeth would lean Democratic. However, growing up as a second-generation Filipino American, the Republican Party’s platform and values have attracted her. “The Republican Party’s values of faith, family, self-reliance, and economic opportunities for all Americans resonate within me as these values are also core values of the Filipino community,” Noeth, a small business owner, told the Asian Journal. Rudy Asercion, a local community leader in the Bay Area and an elected member of the San Francisco Republican Central Committee, argued that Trump “can be best fix the economy, return the lowest jobless rate to its pre-pandemic level and boost America’s consumer confidence once COVID-19 is over.” Under the Trump administration, he added, Fil-Ams have been appointed to key roles. “Although President Trump has only been in office for 3 ½ years, he has already made three major appointments of Filipino Americans. Most notable of which are Noel Francisco’s appointment as Solicitor General of the United States, Brian Bulatao as the Undersecretary of State for Management and Patrick Bumatay as a federal appellate judge on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals,” Asercion told the Asian Journal. On the ground efforts The Trump campaign earlier this summer announced “Asian Pacific Americans for Trump,” which includes a 26-member advisory board of AAPI elected officials, grassroots leaders and
business owners. Among them are six individuals of Filipino descent who are tasked with helping get out the vote within the AAPI electorate, as previously reported by the Asian Journal. Pinoy advisory members include Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who is one of the co-chairs; former Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo; Vellie Dietrich-Hall, an entrepreneur from Virginia; Brunswick, Ohio Mayor and attorney Ron Falconi; Herman Martir, a pastor from Fort Worth, Texas; and Shirlene Ostrov, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and chair of the Hawaii Republican Party. “We need to fight back against the mainstream media/Democrat message that all APAs are liberals and vote to the left. Our community is not monolithic, we have a wide variety of views and political opinions. Not everyone votes Democrat. Highlighting conservative Asian Pacific American leaders across the country who support Donald Trump will help to go against this stereotype,” Falconi previously told the Asian Journal. With less than 70 days to go until Election Day, Fil-Am Republicans said they are hosting virtual discussions, especially to highlight those in key battleground states. In a 2018 Asian American Voter Survey released by APIAVote and AAPI Data, 48% of Filipinos surveyed said they had a “favorable” view of the Republican Party, while 50% said they had a “favorable” view of Democratic Party. A similar survey for voters in 2020 is set to be released in the coming month. n
Duterte: No ‘magic bullet’ to solve... PAGE A1 added. COVID-19 vaccine Duterte reiterated that Russia and China said they will help the Philippines in addressing the pandemic through the vaccines they are separately developing. “Russia, China, I dunno if anybody, alam ko lang yung dalawa, nag-announce na meron sila at (It’s nearly complete. Russia and China have both announced that they have it and they’re) ready and they’re willing to help. Both countries lumabas ng statement na tulungan nila ako (released a statement that they will help me),” he said. The president also assured that the first ones to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine in the country will be the poorest of the poor. “Ang mauna sa bakuna, ulitin ko, ay yung mga tao na nasa sa listahan ng gobyerno na tumatanggap ng Pantawid. Ito yung mga mahirap. Ang sunod yun, yung mga tao na hindi nakalista at mahirap (The first to receive vaccine will be those in the Pantawid list. Next will be those not in the list but are also poor),” he said.
‘Don’t add fuel to the fire’ Duterte told Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo to avoid adding fuel to the fire, following her public address where she took a swipe at the way the government is handling the pandemic. “Please do not add fuel to the fire. You will just destroy the government,” he said. “Wag ninyong sirain ang gobyerno kasi masisira ang tao. Pag nasisira ang gobyerno, lulutang tayong lahat. Maski na sabihin ninyo mamatay ako bukas, it cannot solve the problem of the country (Do not destroy the government because it will also destroy the people. If the government is destroyed, we will all float away. Even if you say that I will die tomorrow, it cannot solve the problem of the country),” he added. In her address released Monday night, Robredo said in Filipino: “No one is at the helm, no direction, no clear horizon as to when and how this pandemic will be addressed.” She noted that Filipinos seemed to have been left by the government to fend for themselves.
“As if we should shoulder the blame of infections and death, for being too undisciplined, as we have been called. As if we have nothing to expect from our leaders – or there are no leaders at all. As if we have been left to fend for ourselves,” she said. Robredo also urged everyone to help each other in the fight against the pandemic. “At kung walang mamumuno, tayo mismo ang hahakbang, tayo mismo ang magtutulungan, tayo mismo ang bibitbit sa isa’t isa (If there is no one leading, we ourselves will make a step, we will help each other, we will carry each other),” she said. “Tayo mismo ang tititig sa mukha ng krisis na ito at buong-tapang na ihahayag: Maaari mo kaming mapaluhod, pero hindi kailanman mapipigilan ang paulit-ulit at taas-noo naming pagtindig. Pilipino kami. Mas malakas kami sa anumang pagsubok (We ourselves will look into the face of the crisis and bravely say: You may bring us down to our knees but you will not stop us from proudly standing up. We are Filipinos. We are stronger in whatever problems we face),” she added.
25 more Filipinos abroad contract COVID-19... PAGE A1 countries — has recorded 1,158 Filipino cases, including 407 undergoing treatment, 656 recoveries and 95 deaths. The Middle East and Africa, covering 27 countries, has reported 6,949 cases; of which, 2,332 are undergoing treatment, 461 deaths and 4,156 recoveries. The Asia Pacific region, which spans across 20 countries, has 1,126 cases, with 355 undergoing treatment, 763 recoveries, and eight deaths. The Americas — covering eight countries like the United States — have 795 reported cases, with 163 undergoing
treatment, 454 recoveries, and 178 deaths. “The DFA, together with its Foreign Service Posts, continues to partner with host governments to ensure the safety and well-being of Filipino nationals abroad amid the pandemic,” the DFA said. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), for its part, urged Filipinos abroad to follow the health protocols imposed in their host countries. “In view of the continuing spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on people’s health worldwide, and in respect to the measures being
undertaken by host governments in preventing its spread, all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are strongly advised to observe and comply with the health protocols being implemented at their respective job sites,” it said. POEA chief Bernard Olalia also reminded OFWs to follow the health measures while they are on their way to the countries that employed them. “These health protocols may include social and physical distancing, wearing of face masks, refraining from unnecessary travel and avoiding large gatherings of people, among others,” he said.
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PH tourism stakeholders get a lifeline, look forward to recovery by MoMAr
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AJPress
SAFE LANE. A cyclist traverses a bike lane with newly-installed protective barrier along East Avenue, Quezon City on Sunday, August 23. More local government units in Metro Manila are putting up bike lanes to protect the increasing number of cyclists who opted to bike to work amid the threat of the deadly coronavirus disease 2019. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
Scam alert: Things a COVID-19 contact tracer wouldn’t say by Julie
Appleby Kaiser Health News
STATE officials and federal agencies warn there’s a new phone scam circulating: Some callers posing as COVID-19 contact tracers try to pry credit card or bank account information from unsuspecting victims. The grifters apparently are taking advantage of a genuine public health intervention that’s crucial to stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus: contact tracing. In one such scheme, detailed in a warning from the Montana attorney general, scammers tell their victims, “I’m calling from your local health department to let you know that you have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19.” Then they move in for the kill, asking for payment information “before we continue.” Don’t fall for that, say public health advocates and officials. Legitimate contact tracers don’t ask for payment or seek other financial information. “That is absolutely not part of the process,” said Crystal Watson, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “No one should give bank information or credit card information.” Real contact tracers generally work for health departments. They contact COVID-positive patients to track symptoms; they help the people they call figure out how to isolate themselves from others until they clear the virus, and determine which friends, neighbors, colleagues or acquaintances they might have been near in the days just before or after they tested positive for the coronavirus. Those contacts, in turn, are sought out by the tracers, who are in a race against the clock, hoping to get those folks to quarantine as well. This tried-and-true public health tool (along with handwashing, wearing a mask in public and maintaining 6 feet of physical distance from people outside your household) is one of the few strategies available to slow the spread of the virus while scientists work on treatments and vaccines. Legitimate contact tracing is
being employed widely in some areas, such as the District of Columbia and Hawaii, and has been credited with helping countries such as New Zealand and Taiwan contain the virus. But with this success also comes bad actors. The Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, and Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Better Business Bureau and state law enforcement and health officials from across the nation, have issued consumer alerts about unscrupulous people not affiliated with health departments using phone calls, texts or emails to get personal information from those they scam. What differentiates a real call from a fake one? For one thing, legitimate tracing calls might be preceded by a text message, notifying patients of an upcoming call from the health department. Then, in that initial call, the legitimate tracer seeks to confirm an address and birthdate, especially if you are the COVID-positive patient, Watson said. “They ask about your identity to make sure you are the person they are trying to reach so they don’t disclose potentially private information to the wrong person,” Watson said. The tracers can also help people who must isolate or quarantine by connecting them with resources, such as food or medicine delivery. “Some can even provide you with a separate place to quarantine safely” if, for example, you live in a multigenerational house with no separate bathroom or bedroom in which to isolate, said Watson. At the end of the call, the tracer may ask if they can call or text you in the coming days to check on how any symptoms may be progressing. What should you watch for? Be concerned if you get an initial text asking you to click on a link, which might be spam and could download software onto your phone, the FTC warned in May. “unlike a legitimate text message from a health department, which only wants to let you know they’ll be calling, this message includes a link to click,” the
agency said. Another clear red alert: being asked for your Social Security number. Contact tracers in most regions do not ask your immigration or financial status, either. Also, watch out if any names of COVID patients are provided. “An authorized contact tracer will not disclose the identity of the person who tested positive and is the starting place for that tracing effort,” the Wisconsin attorney general’s office said in a release warning consumers about scams. Another piece of advice: Do a little research before you respond. “Anytime someone calls you for information, you should be concerned about who is calling,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “If they are legitimate, you can say ‘Give me your name and phone number’ and you can always call them back” after doing some checking. Did the caller ID indicate the call was from a health department? Some states are including that information. For example, Virginia’s calls are from the “VDH COVID Team.” Call the health department if you have any questions. “Scammers prefer to prey on individuals who may be more trusting, are alone, or may respond out of confusion or fear,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging Robert Torres said in an Aug. 12 press release. “It’s important that they stay alert about any contact from anyone identifying themselves as a contact tracer and do not provide personal information until they are sure the individual and information are legitimate.” And, finally, if you think you’ve been contacted — by phone, email or text — by a scammer, report it to agencies, such as your state attorney general’s office. “If you see something, say something,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a recent consumer alert his office issued. “We are working to track these impostors.” This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation. n
BI orders tighter screening of foreigners...
PAGE A1 nationals who managed to enter the Philippines through false documents. He also called for the public’s cooperation in reporting any foreigner suspected of involvement in sham marriages to the bureau so they could be arrested and deported. On August 17, two South Korean nationals were denied entry into Mactan-Cebu International Airport after presenting scanned
copies of their marriage certificates that turned out to be fraudulent. BI port operations chief Grifton Medina noted that of the two foreigners, one had not been to the Philippines while the other one was out of the country on the date of his supposed marriage to a Filipina. He also said that all immigration officers manning the ports have been instructed to exercise extra vigilance in screening the
foreign spouses and parents of Filipinos. “It is not enough that these passengers have [an] entry visa, marriage, and birth certificates in their possession. If they notice inconsistencies in a passenger’s answer to their questions, the latter should be referred for secondary inspection, either to the immigration supervisor or personnel from our Travel Control and Enforcement unit (TCEu),” Medina said. n
Top Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway leaves...
PAGE A1 “We disagree about plenty but we are united on what matters most: the kids,” Kellyanne Conway said in a statement on Sunday, explaining that her departure is due to helping her kids through distance learning. She said, “Our four children are teens and ‘tweens starting a new academic year, in middle and high school, remotely from home for at least a few months. As millions of parents nationwide know, kids ‘doing school from home’ requires a level of attention and vigilance that is as unusual as these times.” George Conway (who is halfFilipino on his mother’s side) tweeted minutes later: “So I’m withdrawing from [The] @LincolnProject to devote more time to family matters. And I’ll be taking a Twitter hiatus. Needless to say, I continue to support
the Lincoln Project and its mission. Passionately.” The announcements come after Claudia took to Twitter to air out her grievances regarding her mother’s announced appearance at the Republican National Convention (RNC) this week, prompting questions about the politically split family’s home life. “i’m [sic] devastated that my mother is actually speaking at the RNC. like DEVASTATED beyond compare,” the teenager tweeted, adding in a subsequent tweet that she is “officially pushing for emancipation. buckle up because this is probably going to be public one way or another, unfortunately.” And in a concerning followup, Claudia added that she wasn’t “getting emancipated because of my mom’s job.. It is because of years of childhood
trauma and abuse,” but she did not further elaborate on either the emancipation or the “childhood trauma and abuse.” As previously reported in the Asian Journal, Claudia came into public awareness last month when her TikTok videos denouncing Trump and acknowledging the political divide in her family. The self-identified leftist uses her platform and name recognition to encourage young people to educate themselves on American government. The teen’s vocal opposition to the Trump administration — and, by proxy, her mother’s role in aiding the administration — reportedly caused a riff in the Conway household when it was reported that the parents allegedly asked the teen to remove her videos on TikTok. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
TOuRISM is one of the world’s largest industries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and every other country has seen the varying degrees of decimation to its tourism sector. Whether it is Italy, where tourism accounts for 6% of the country’s GDP or Palau where it generates almost 90% of all exports, countries are struggling to rebuild their respective tourism industries. The ongoing global crisis has put 100 to 120 million jobs at risk and according to a united Nations policy brief, the tourism industry is facing a $1 trillion loss as international tourist numbers continue its sharp decline. The uN report also said that the tourism industry had grown faster than the world economy overall for 10 years straight, only to be stopped in its tracks by the coronavirus pandemic. In the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and various stakeholders in the country’s tourism industry are thankful that despite initial resistance from some congressmen, the Bicameral Conference Committee approved the allocation of 10 billion pesos for the tourism industry under the Bayanihan To Recover As One or the Bayanihan 2 Bill. “The recognition of the tourism sector by the Senate and House of Representatives, in the Bayanihan Act 2 measures, ensures the survival of our MSMEs since 99.9% of the 144,640 establishments in accommodation and food service activities are considered micro, small and medium, according to 2018 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA),” a DOT statement read. In terms of employment, 95.8% of the 921,292 workers in accommodation and food service activities, covered by the PSA data, are also MSMEs. According to 2019 data, tourism generated 7% of global trade and employed one in every ten people globally. The stimulus package will help ease the economic difficulties of the micro and small players of
the industry and will help them “to get back on our feet soon,” according to Jojo Clemente III, president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP). The funds for loans and credit facilities to tourism MSMEs from the Bayanihan Act 2 will be administered by Government Financial Institutions and independent government agencies such as the Small Business and Guaranty and Finance Corporation. The DOT will not be involved with the dispensation of the funds to either party. “The allocation will help the private sector rehabilitate their facilities and upgrade their businesses to conform with the current health and safety standards set by the authorities and more importantly, help their employees and the families that depend on them financially,” said Joebert Opulencia, owner of Orientours Co., Ltd, a tour operator based in New York. Opulencia has been working with industry players in the Philippines since 1986 and he is hopeful that with this lifeline, they will be able to continue promoting the country and bring back the much-needed tourists. “Only few realize the hard work put in by the private sector in promoting the country. From the travelling to far away cities, working even during unholy hours, and the training they give to their staff just to prove to the world that indeed ‘it’s more fun in the Philippines,’” he said. DOT will continue to work with the private sector and various local government units (LGus) in carving the path to revive tourism with proper health and safety protocols in place as they continue to be “optimistic that collectively the industry can weather this challenge, and come out stronger and better.” The DOT statement further said that they look forward as well to working with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the program they will implement for the displaced and unemployed tourism workers. With the government’s support through the Bayanihan 2, DOT added that they will con-
tinue to handhold its stakeholders towards recovery, and carry out the plans and programs under the Tourism Response and Recovery Plan (TRRP) in its full capacity. TCP, along with over 50 national and regional associations representing various tourism sectors, called on the country’s lawmakers last week to approve the rescue package that the Senate version of the Bayanihan 2 bill has provided. They are hoping that the P10 billion credit facility would allow them to quickly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The House of Representatives version initially reallocated the amount to infrastructure projects under the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to help the industry’s recovery. “The tourism industry is made up of 70% MSMEs and have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions for most of the first half of this year have pushed us to the brink of bankruptcy and will surely nudge us over the edge in the coming weeks with no intervention by the government,” an initial TCP statement said. TCP is composed of small tour operators, travel agencies, transport operators, resorts and hotels, restaurants, dive shops, suppliers and service providers employing the drivers, waiters, booking agents, tour guides, dive masters and other workers who turn the wheels of the entire industry. “We are the sector that gave employment to 5.7 million workers and contributed close to 13 percent of the country’s gross domestic product,” the statement further read. To date, an estimated 4.8 million formal and informal tourism industry workers have been affected by the various levels of community quarantines in the Philippines. Also according to PSA data, the tourism industry in the country benefitted some 5.7 million workers and contributed 12.7% of the country’s economic output, as expressed in the gross domestic product in 2019. n
SC rules Pemberton case closed as appeal withdrawn by eVelyn
MAcAirAn Philstar.com
MANILA— The Supreme Court (SC) will no longer review the homicide conviction of u.S. Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton in the killing of transgender Jennifer Laude, after the high court granted his plea to withdraw his appeal. In a one-page Notice, the SC’s Third Division ruled that the case filed by Pemberton “is considered closed and terminated” after he filed an urgent motion to withdraw the petition for review on certiorari that he filed in 2017. All the concerned parties would also be informed of this development. According to SC’s Third Division Clerk of Court Misael Domingo Battung III, “The Court grants petitioner’s urgent motion for leave to withdraw (petition for review on certiorari dated Oct. 5, 2017) dated June 2, 2020, stating that after thoughtful consideration of the circumstances of this case, he has decided to withdraw his petition, both as to criminal and civil aspects of the appeal, and accepts and recognizes that his conviction will become final and executory.” On Dec. 1, 2015, Olongapo City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 74 Judge Roline GinezJabalde issued a guilty verdict against Pemberton for killing
Laude, and was sentenced to face imprisonment from six to 12 years. He was also ordered to pay P50,000 as civil indemnity and P4.32 million to Laude’s family as damages for loss of earning capacity. He is currently detained at a special military facility in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Pemberton filed an appeal before the Court of Appeals (CA), but the appellate court affirmed the conviction handed down by the Olongapo RTC, that the 26year-old Laude died of asphyxia by drowning. CA said in its decision, written by Associate Justice Marlene Gonzales-Sison, “As proven by the prosecution, Pemberton did not leave Laude merely unconscious, but ensured his death by submerging his head inside the toilet bowl. Clearly, Pemberton intended the natural consequence of his wrongful act.” It added, “Pemberton unabashedly plunged Laude’s head in the toilet for the puerile reason that Laude pretended to be a woman. To our mind, placing Laude’s head inside a toilet shows that Pemberton never thought of Laude as a human being, but as a fecal matter due to his sexual orientation.” On Oct. 11, 2014, Pemberton met Laude at the Ambyanz Disco along Magsaysay Drive in Olongapo City. They later went to
US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton. Photo courtesy of Olongapo City Police
Celzone Lodge. Later that night, Laude was found dead with her head submerged in the motel room’s toilet. n
Last chance to be counted in the... PAGE A1
is also at risk of losing political representation, including Congressional seats. The Census Bureau is making a final push this week to close the remaining gap on census response rates of Asian Americans, including the Filipino community. Joining this effort, over 30 organizations and 20 influencers are committed to mobilizing their communities during the 2020 Census Asian Week of Action, which is taking place this week, Aug. 24 to 30. These organizations, including civic engagement groups, social service providers, and e-commerce brands, are urging people to respond to the census because so much is at stake for our communities. Due to COVID-19, it has be-
come more challenging to conduct local outreach, but these 2020 Census partner organizations and influencers are helping to fill the gap. They are using their circles of influence to get a more complete count. It’s a key reason why the u.S. Census Bureau has decided to call upon them for the 2020 Census Asian Week of Action. These organizations and influencers specialize in working with the hardest-to-count populations, such as people with Tagalog language needs, young people who move often, babies and young children, and the 50+ population. With the impact of COVID-19, Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham said in an Aug. 14 statement: “We are taking steps and adapting our operations to make sure everyone is counted,
while keeping everyone safe.” As part of their operational adjustments, the Census Bureau is sending out census takers to help households complete their questionnaires. Census takers have been trained to follow public health guidelines and wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while making these in-person visits. Dillingham stressed the urgency: “If you haven’t responded, the time to respond is now! Responding to the 2020 Census online, on paper, by phone, or in person with a census taker, helps secure vital resources for your community.” The future of the Asian American community starts right now. Don’t wait any longer. To respond online, visit 2020census. gov. To respond in Tagalog by phone, call 844-478-2020. n
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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-28, 2020
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Martial law in Sulu ‘may not Aquino gov’t ignored China’s be necessary’ with passage of reclamation activities – Parlade anti-terror law — lawmaker
MANILA — Placing the Sulu province under martial law following the twin bombings that killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens is not needed because a “strong” anti-terrorism legislation is already in place, a lawmaker said. In a statement Tuesday, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said a declaration of martial law in Sulu or entire Mindanao “may not be necessary.” “We have passed a strong Anti-Terrorism Law for our security forces to better address terrorism in Mindanao and the rest of the country,” Lacson said. Republic Act 11479 was signed into law last July despite opposition from human rights workers and lawyers. But Lacson, one of the proponents of the measure, lamented that the agencies tasked to craft the law’s implementing rules and regulations have yet to issue the guidelines. “[This] could have given our law enforcement agencies and
the Armed Forces of the Philippines the impetus to fully implement the law with efficacy and confidence, even proactively as we have included even “inchoate offenses” punishable for even at the stage of planning and preparation,” he said. Groups and individuals have questioned the law before the Supreme Court, saying it could be used to suppress dissent and target opponents and critics of the administration. The blasts in Sulu Monday killed at least 14 people and wounded 72 others, which include security personnel and civilians. The first blast happened at around midday when an improvised explosive device attached to a motorcycle blew up. This was followed by a second blast in the same street. Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Philippine Army commander, was quoted as saying in a Philippine News Agency report that he was mulling to recommend that Sulu
be placed under martial law. President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23, 2017 when terrorists from the Islamic State affiliate Maute group laid siege to Marawi City. The extension of martial law was approved three times until it lapsed in December 31 last year. UN condemns attacks The United Nations also denounced the twin bombings and offered its condolences to the government and the victims of the bombings. “The UN in the Philippines, led by Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez, has strongly condemned the attack,” it said in a statement. “The UN stressed that attacks against civilians are always unacceptable and called on perpetrators to be held accountable,” it added. The European Union and the United States also condemned the attack. (Gaea Katreena Cabico/Philstar.com)
SC junks ABS-CBN petitions vs ‘cease’ order for being moot by Kristine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
MANILA— The Supreme Court dismissed ABS-CBN Corp.’s petition against the National Telecommunications Commission’s May 5 order that forced the network shut, a first since the Marcos dictatorship. SC spokesperson Brian Hosaka said justices voted unanimously to junk the media giant’s Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition it filed in May 7 on ground of mootness. “Because of this supervening event, there is no actual substantial relief which ABS-CBN Corporation would be entitled to regardless of the Court’s disposition of the merits of the petition,” he added. Hosaka said Associate Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla took no part in the voting since she was on
leave. Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe was the member-in-charge of the case. ABS-CBN can still file a motion for reconsideration, but they would be appealing to a court that was unanimous in dismissing their plea. ABS-CBN filed the petition on May 7 Two days after ABS-CBN went off air, the media giant filed a petition for certiorari before the SC and asked for the issuance of a temporary restraining order. The network was operating on a theory that if a halt order was issued against the implementation of the CDO, it could resume broadcasting. The media network was slapped with another CDO after running to the Supreme Court. On June 30, the NTC ordered Sky Cable Corp.’s Direct broadcast, an ABS-CBN affiliate, and
the network’s digital terrestrial television in Metro Manila, which covers the TVPlus service to go off air, to halt operations. The network also lost its bid for a fresh 25-year franchise after 70 lawmakers from a panel of the House of Representatives threw out the bills for its franchise renewal on July 10. ABS-CBN has since started letting go of their employees and closing down some of its departments, including its radio stations, regional stations and Sports+ Action division amid a raging COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession. The network announced last month that it would boost investment on other business such as international licensing and distribution, digital and cable segments as well as content syndication on various streaming platforms. n
THE Philippines could have prevented Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea had the Aquino administration acted on intelligence reports about their reclamation activities in the area, a military official said on Monday, August 24. Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., during the confirmation of his ad interim appointment before the Commission on Appointments, said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported all reclamation activities in 2013 and 2014. Sen. Ana Theresia Hontiveros asked Parlade of the capabilities of the AFP, particularly the Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force, to safeguard Philippine interests and maintain a credible maritime defensive posture. “I will start with why these Chinese are here. We are talk-
ing about the arbitral tribunal in 2016, but what we are not talking about is what happened in 2016,” he said, noting that all reclamation done by China was documented, “but nobody took action on that.” Bernadette Tamayo “The Office of the President did not take action. Even the National Security Council did not take action until such time that they were able to completely establish the military bases in the West Philippine Sea, and until there were this ruling from the arbitral tribunal,” he added. “So, what we need is political will, because if from the start we did something to stop China in 2013, perhaps we could have nipped from the bud this attempt by the Chinese to reclaim,” Parlade stressed. He raised the need for interagency cooperation in protecting Philippine maritime inter-
A
ests. “What we are saying is that the security and protection of these areas should not be left to the Armed Forces. It should include the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, including PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) [and] the Bureau of Immigration,” he said. “We are missing so much. For instance in the West Philippine Sea alone, and I’m not talking alone about the contested area, I’m talking about Cagayan up to Zambales. The UP Maritime Institute did a research and they’re saying we are losing $79 billion in terms of fish potential, they’re not even talking about hydrocarbons here or fossil fuels. We are losing $79 billion worth of fish in that area alone,” Parlade continued. (ManilaTimes.net)
A August 26-28, 2020 • soCal AsIAN JOuRNAL
OpiniOn & Features
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Mental health in a pandemic EVEN before COVID-19 killed nearly 3,000 Filipinos, destroyed livelihoods and sent the economy into recession, mental health experts had already sounded the alarm about rising cases of depression and calls registered in suicide hotlines. After five months of quarantine, it’s not surprising that calls for help have increased from those who are suffering from severe stress. Mobility restrictions and involuntary confinement in one’s home are aggravated by the loss of income and the inability to provide for one’s family. Roland Cortez, director of the National Center for Mental Health, had said before he and his driver were murdered in July that calls on the NCMH suicide prevention hotline had jumped amid the lockdown. The Catholic Church has also reported receiving more cases of people needing mental, emotional and spiritual help in this unprecedented public health crisis. The problem has drawn the attention even of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Having recognized the problem, the IATF can mobilize government resources to give more attention to this aspect of public health. Republic Act 11036, passed in 2018, aims to boost the delivery of “integrated” psychiatric,
neurologic and psychosocial health services. As part of national policy, every Filipino has a right to mental health. A major problem in achieving the objectives of the law is the lack of qualified personnel to deal with mental health problems. The country lacks psychiatrists, psychologists and even trained personnel who can man suicide prevention hotlines. The effort is augmented by volunteers in non-government organizations, which have their own hotlines, but the services are still not enough. The Catholic Church and other religious groups also provide spiritual counseling for troubled individuals. As the COVID crisis drags on and the health and financial problems of people deepen, the need for mental health services will grow. The national and local governments can work with the private sector, NGOs and religious groups to enhance responses to mental health issues. In this pandemic, depression and other mental health problems also threaten lives and cannot be ignored. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
The 2020 Republican National Convention reveals how the party of Abraham Lincoln and true conservative values have been hijacked by Donald Trump
The Fil-Am Perspective
This year, the Republican Party decided not to write its convention platform that would have informed the American people the direction to which Trump, the nominee seeking reelection, and the party propose to steer the country to, and the policies and programs to help us get there given the enormity and gravity of the challenges we now face as a nation. The GOP is reusing its platform from 2016, which was written by the party even before Donald Trump was sworn into office. What has Trump and the GOP accomplished in the last four years? Killed many regulations put forth by the Obama Administration to protect the environment, and those that protect the ordinary hardworking Americans from abusive business practices. Tried to kill Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) even during the pandemic without any viable alternative. Threatened the Social Security, Medicare and other safety nets that ordinary Americans have paid for from their paychecks. Trump and his cohorts in the Republican Party gave huge tax breaks to billionaires and millionaires and just scraps to the middle class, causing even a greater disparity in income inequality and caused our national debt and deficit to balloon instead of being wiped out as promised by the demagogue Trump. They provided more money to the military while sacrificing the basic services like health, education meant to invest in our human resources. They Killed the Dream Act, separated families, demonized persons of color, empowered the racists.
Trump antagonized our allies while cozying up and singing praises to dictators while coordinating with our geopolitical adversaries like Russia to interfere in our democratic process, undermined the free press, the judiciary, and the U.S. intelligence agencies, local government officials, scientists and health officials, the Democratic Party who dared to call him out for his lies and transgressions against the rule of law. The delegates of the Republican Party would therefore not go through the usual thoughtful and intentional process of deliberating over policies and principles to determine what the party stands for in 2020, as Democrats recently did, so the American people can make an informed decision on election day. Instead, the RNC has become a showcase of the party’s undying love, reverence and allegiance, not to America and the Constitution, but for and to Trump — venerating, adoring, hailing Trump and echoing all the politically motivated falsehoods and conspiracy theories he has been peddling without bases in fact. Nevermind the continued threat of the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 177,000 Americans under Trump’s watch; the economic hardship the American people and nation now face; the ballooning of our national debt from $19.57 trillion when Obama left office in 2017 to $24.95 trillion as of May 1, 2020; the threats to the sovereignty and democracy of the nation by foreign and hostile powers like Russia and China. Nevermind the rise in the
division and hate crime in the past four years; the need for a health care system that truly covers all Americans; the broken immigration system; gun violence; economic inequality; race and ethnic inequality; climate change and energy issues. Instead, the party of Trump wrote this resolution on the Republican Party platform for 2020: RESOLUTION REGARDING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM WHEREAS, The Republican National Committee (RNC) has significantly scaled back the size and scope of the 2020 Republican National Convention in Charlotte due to strict restrictions on gatherings and meetings, and out of concern for the safety of convention attendees and our hosts; WHEREAS, The RNC has unanimously voted to forego the Convention Committee on Platform, in appreciation of the fact that it did not want a small contingent of delegates formulating a new platform without the breadth of perspectives within the ever-growing Republican movement; WHEREAS, All platforms are snapshots of the historical contexts in which they are born, and parties abide by their policy priorities, rather than their political rhetoric; WHEREAS, The RNC, had the Platform Committee been able to convene in 2020, would have undoubtedly unanimously agreed to reassert the Party’s strong support for President Donald Trump and his Administration; WHEREAS, The media has outrageously misrepresented
THE Republican Party was once known as the party of Abraham Lincoln; the party of true statesmen fighting for true conservative values and in the service of the American people; the Grand Old Party. But it has been hijacked by this reality star named Donald Trump. He has taken over the party, while its members have been complicit in abandoning the very principles the GOP had been fighting for centuries just to ride in the fanaticism. The members of the GOP warned the American people about the danger of electing Donald Trump to be the nominee of the Republican Party. In 2016, Sen. Ted Cruz said, “he lies all the time.” Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley pointed out that “Donald Trump is everything I taught my children not to do in kindergarten.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Donald Trump needs to carefully select a running mate to bolster his inexperience, adding that Trump doesn’t know much about “the issues.” Florida Senator Marco Rubio warned, “Guys, we have a con artist as the front-runner of the Republican Party.” Sen. Rand Paul asked about Trump: “Aren’t people eventually going to say, ‘Does the emperor have any clothes? Or does the emperor have a brain, frankly?’ We have seen them say these then, immortalized in videos we can watch now on social media. Lindsey Graham declared, ‘I think he’s a kook. I think he is lazy. I think he is unfit for of-
fice.’” These people, once sounding like fierce hyenas, have morphed into meek lambs when Trump was elected president. Riding on the popularity of the reality star among the base, these members of the Republican Party, in cahoots with Fox News, have been singing praises in support of Trump’s rhetoric and actions they were criticizing before. They have been justifying and even glorifying Trump’s moral corruption. For fear of falling out of Trump’s grace, and thereby putting their own political interests at risk, these Republicans have failed to do their Constitutional duty to provide checks and balances and hold the president accountable. They have become complicit in Trump’s failure to live up to the oath he took as president “to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States of America.” The Republican leadership has, without shame, condoned and normalized Trump’s behavior, rhetoric, and policies that: sowed division among the American people; enflamed a culture of hate - “them” versus “us’; discriminated against people of color; bent the truth that did not fit his narrative in his alternate universe; spread lies, falsehoods, misinformation, and conspiracy theories that have compromised the safety, well-being, decency, dignity and unity of the American people and the nation. The 2020 Republican National Convention showcases this failure and betrayal of the GOP to put the interests of the American people above the Republican Party’s political expediency.
Commentary
Part I: California’s ethnic studies requirement provides an antidote against racist stereotyping
GEl SantoS-rEloS
EnriquE
dE la Cruz
“WHAT we do echoes through the generations...” —Former President Barack Obama in his 2020 Democratic National Convention Address On August 17, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill, AB 1460, that requires all California State University students to take an ethnic studies class, in order to graduate. The class must be focused on one of four ethnic groups: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans or Latinas/Latinos. This is a huge deal. It affects almost half a million undergraduates within the CSU system of campuses. For many, like myself, adding a single ethnic studies class to the graduation requirement for a baccalaureate degree, may
not sound like much. I spent my professional career in California’s system of higher education at both the UC and the CSU teaching different courses and doing research on Asian Americans, particularly Filipino Americans. But as I look back at the challenges of getting students to enroll in ethnic studies classes, AB 1460 is major and muchneeded assistance for faculty who believe in the value of knowledge about California’s and by implication America’s diverse communities of color. The curriculum in American colleges and universities is still largely Eurocentric and White. The inclusion of a graduation requirement to take at least one course about ethnic minority communities acknowledges the existence of these communities and affirms their place in the socio-economic fabric of America. For many communities of
color in California, this affirmation enshrined in law provides a measure of protection against a type of knowledge censorship that continues to rear its head. In 2010, Arizona passed a law banning ethnic studies in its schools. The ban was found unconstitutional in 2017 but the state of Arizona appealed and in January 2020, a U.S. Circuit Judge upheld the ban. A legal prohibition against the teaching of certain subjects is a rather draconian measure normally associated with dictatorships, but we have it here in our midst, at a neighboring state. If only for this, let us celebrate the passage of an ethnic studies graduation requirement in California. The passage of AB 1460 into law was not an overnight success story. The long march to get it approved began 52 years ago at a college campus in San Francisco, San Francisco State College (now SF State Universi-
ty). In November 1968, students from communities of color, under the coalition called the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF), went on strike to press their demands for an educational curriculum that was more relevant to them and their communities. Among their key demands were ethnic studies courses, and faculty from communities of color to teach these courses. Shortly after the strike began faculty joined the students. They were met with violence by police in riot gear. The campus was shut down from November 1968 till March 1969, the longest student strike in American history. A succession of three campus presidents was needed to reach a negotiated settlement. Among the key features of the settlement was the establishment of a college, the College of Ethnic Studies and four departments under it: the departments of Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian
American Studies, and Latina/ Latino Studies. The College of Ethnic Studies was the first of its kind nationally. Most likely, it still is the only college whose academic programs are focused on the study of and teaching about the four largest minority groups of color in California. The courage of SF State students of color lit a spark that encouraged students of color at two major UC campuses to press similar demands. At UC Berkeley, this resulted in the establishment of a Department of Ethnic Studies. At UCLA, four ethnic centers were established: the African American Studies Center, the Native American Studies Center, the Asian American Studies Center, and the Chicano Studies Center. I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge a key role Filipino students played in the TWLF strike. A year before the strike, Filipino students at SF State led
the implications of the RNC not adopting a new platform in 2020 and continues to engage in misleading advocacy for the failed policies of the Obama-Biden Administration, rather than providing the public with unbiased reporting of facts; and WHEREAS, The RNC enthusiastically supports President Trump and continues to reject the policy positions of the Obama-Biden Administration, as well as those espoused by the Democratic National Committee today; therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda; RESOLVED, That the 2020 Republican National Convention will adjourn without adopting a new platform until the 2024 Republican National Convention; RESOLVED, That the 2020 Republican National Convention calls on the media to engage in accurate and unbiased reporting, especially as it relates to the strong support of the RNC for President Trump and his Administration; and RESOLVED, That any motion to amend the 2016 Platform or to adopt a new platform, including any motion to suspend the procedures that will allow doing so, will be ruled out of order. *** 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.
by Patrick Salaver, Ronald Quidachay, Robert Ilumin, and Alex Soria (J. Tamayo Lott, 2018) formed Philippine American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE). Their vision was to recruit, tutor, and prepare Filipino youth for college. According to Tim Salaver, Patrick’s younger brother, Filipinos at SF State were a minuscule minority (about 1%) and PACE wanted to see more Filipino youth in college, rather than being drafted to fight the war in Vietnam. Salaver, Quidachay, and Ilumin provided critical leadership for TWLF. They served in TWLF’s Central Committee (ibid, J.Tamayo Lott) which provided leadership during the strike, and strategically negotiated with the university administration for the establishment of the College of Ethnic studies and for minority faculty for its various ethnic studies departments and courses. In addi-
u PAGE A7
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OpiniOn & Features
Part I: California’s ethnic studies requirement...
PAGE A6 tion to academic programs, the TWLF strike paved the way for students of color to gain access to a college education. During the fall semester of 1969, SF State admitted all students of color who applied for admission. The immediate gains of the TWLF student strike at SF State set a very high bar for academic programs about California’s communities of color. A college with academic programs and departments focused on ethnic minorities. The American college curriculum was finally giving space for communities of color to be represented. This was a radical change. Hitherto, the American college curriculum was Eurocentric and White. In history, philosophy, art and literature, and even in the social sciences, classes were centered around white folks, mostly men. Blacks, Native Americans, Latina/Latino Americans and Asian Americans were not considered legitimate subjects of study. Their histories, their culture, and most importantly, their contributions to American society, were relegated to dim corners of the academy. Woe to the scholar who was interested in them; they had no currency in gaining jobs or promotion in the academy. The 1968 Third World Student Strike at SF State changed all that. The change that it secured, which reverberated through UC Berkeley and UCLA, created a need for scholars interested in communities of color. And for the very first time, students from these communities could take courses about their communities, do research about their histories and culture, and receive academic credit for it. This is empowering. As one of my incredulous students put it: “You mean, I can interview my immigrant parents, write about their struggles on coming to America, and get academic credit for that?” What PACE and TWLF students secured through the longest student strike in modern American history was pathbreaking. It has echoed through generations. But even in the academy, a culture of white privilege still dominates. Challenges and pushbacks remain. What I have found frustrating is that in Filipino and Asian American communities, immigrant parents themselves have
often discouraged their children from taking ethnic studies classes. In my introductory classes in Asian American Studies, or in the Filipino American experience classes, it was routine at the beginning of the semester to devote a few minutes to address the question, “What can I do with a college degree in Asian American or Ethnic studies?” This is done, not for the benefit of students who are already enrolled in class, but for their parents, who are skeptical of the value of ethnic studies classes in tracking their children toward a degree in medicine, law, engineering, or science. They also question its ultimate value upon graduation when their children enter the job market. I thus devoted a few minutes to illustrate how a major, a minor, or even a few courses can enhance one’s resume when applying for many jobs, let alone when applying to professional degree programs like law, medicine, social work, and urban planning. Ethnic studies courses raise consciousness among students of color about their history and culture. But their broader purpose is to raise knowledge and awareness among students in general about communities of color, and their contributions to American society. Greater knowledge and awareness about ethnic minorities are among the most effective weapons for tearing down racist stereotypes. It is this knowledge-awareness raising purpose that has been particularly difficult to achieve even in ethnically diverse California, a minority-majority state, where minority communities when taken together, now constitute the majority of the population. AB 1460 is a legislative effort to address this challenge. In a second essay, I will discuss some of the challenges in breaking down racist stereotyping, even as ethnic studies programs and classes have become commonplace among California colleges and universities, and why an ethnic studies graduation requirement, especially at California State Universities, is a welcome assist in this effort. Part I: California’s ethnic studies requirement provides an antidote against racist stereotyping “What we do echoes through the generations...” —Former President Barack Obama in his 2020 Democratic National Convention Address
On August 17, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill, AB 1460, that requires all California State University students to take an ethnic studies class, in order to graduate. The class must be focused on one of four ethnic groups: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans or Latinas/Latinos. This is a huge deal. It affects almost half a million undergraduates within the CSU system of campuses. For many, like myself, adding a single ethnic studies class to the graduation requirement for a baccalaureate degree, may not sound like much. I spent my professional career in California’s system of higher education at both the UC and the CSU teaching different courses and doing research on Asian Americans, particularly Filipino Americans. But as I look back at the challenges of getting students to enroll in ethnic studies classes, AB 1460 is major and much-needed assistance for faculty who believe in the value of knowledge about California’s and by implication America’s diverse communities of color. The curriculum in American colleges and universities is still largely Eurocentric and White. The inclusion of a graduation requirement to take at least one course about ethnic minority communities acknowledges the existence of these communities and affirms their place in the socioeconomic fabric of America. For many communities of color in California, this affirmation enshrined in law provides a measure of protection against a type of knowledge censorship that continues to rear its head. In 2010, Arizona passed a law banning ethnic studies in its schools. The ban was found unconstitutional in 2017 but the state of Arizona appealed and in January 2020, a U.S. Circuit Judge upheld the ban. A legal prohibition against the teaching of certain subjects is a rather draconian measure normally associated with dictatorships, but we have it here in our midst, at a neighboring state. If only for this, let us celebrate the passage of an ethnic studies graduation requirement in California. The passage of AB 1460 into law was not an overnight success story. The long march to get it approved began 52 years ago at a college campus in San
Francisco, San Francisco State College (now SF State University). In November 1968, students from communities of color, under the coalition called the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF), went on strike to press their demands for an educational curriculum that was more relevant to them and their communities. Among their key demands were ethnic studies courses, and faculty from communities of color to teach these courses. Shortly after the strike began faculty joined the students. They were met with violence by police in riot gear. The campus was shut down from November 1968 till March 1969, the longest student strike in American history. A succession of three campus presidents was needed to reach a negotiated settlement. Among the key features of the settlement was the establishment of a college, the College of Ethnic Studies and four departments under it: the departments of Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, and Latina/ Latino Studies. The College of Ethnic Studies was the first of its kind nationally. Most likely, it still is the only college whose academic programs are focused on the study of and teaching about the four largest minority groups of color in California. The courage of SF State students of color lit a spark that encouraged students of color at two major UC campuses to press similar demands. At UC Berkeley, this resulted in the establishment of a Department of Ethnic Studies. At UCLA, four ethnic centers were established: the African American Studies Center, the Native American Studies Center, the Asian American Studies Center, and the Chicano Studies Center. I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge a key role Filipino students played in the TWLF strike. A year before the strike, Filipino students at SF State led by Patrick Salaver, Ronald Quidachay, Robert Ilumin, and Alex Soria (J. Tamayo Lott, 2018) formed Philippine American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE). Their vision was to recruit, tutor, and prepare Filipino youth for college. According to Tim Salaver, Patrick’s younger brother, Filipinos at SF State were a minuscule minority (about 1%) and PACE wanted to see more Filipino youth in college, rather than being drafted to fight the war in Vietnam. Salaver, Quidachay, and Ilumin provided critical leader-
SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-28, 2020 ship for TWLF. They served in TWLF’s Central Committee (ibid, J.Tamayo Lott) which provided leadership during the strike, and strategically negotiated with the university administration for the establishment of the College of Ethnic studies and for minority faculty for its various ethnic studies departments and courses. In addition to academic programs, the TWLF strike paved the way for students of color to gain access to a college education. During the fall semester of 1969, SF State admitted all students of color who applied for admission. The immediate gains of the TWLF student strike at SF State set a very high bar for academic programs about California’s communities of color. A college with academic programs and departments focused on ethnic minorities. The American college curriculum was finally giving space for communities of color to be represented. This was a radical change. Hitherto, the American college curriculum was Eurocentric and White. In history, philosophy, art and literature, and even in the social sciences, classes were centered around white folks, mostly men. Blacks, Native Americans, Latina/Latino Americans and Asian Americans were not considered legitimate subjects of study. Their histories, their culture, and most importantly, their contributions to American society, were relegated to dim corners of the academy. Woe to the scholar who was interested in them; they had no currency in gaining jobs or promotion in the academy. The 1968 Third World Student Strike at SF State changed all that. The change that it secured, which reverberated through UC Berkeley and UCLA, created a need for scholars interested in communities of color. And for the very first time, students from these communities could take courses about their communities, do research about their histories and culture, and receive academic credit for it. This is empowering. As one of my incredulous students put it: “You mean, I can interview my immigrant parents, write about their struggles on coming to America, and get academic credit for that?” What PACE and TWLF students secured through the longest student strike in modern American history was pathbreaking. It has echoed through generations. But even in the
A
academy, a culture of white privilege still dominates. Challenges and pushbacks remain. What I have found frustrating is that in Filipino and Asian American communities, immigrant parents themselves have often discouraged their children from taking ethnic studies classes. In my introductory classes in Asian American Studies, or in the Filipino American experience classes, it was routine at the beginning of the semester to devote a few minutes to address the question, “What can I do with a college degree in Asian American or Ethnic studies?” This is done, not for the benefit of students who are already enrolled in class, but for their parents, who are skeptical of the value of ethnic studies classes in tracking their children toward a degree in medicine, law, engineering, or science. They also question its ultimate value upon graduation when their children enter the job market. I thus devoted a few minutes to illustrate how a major, a minor, or even a few courses can enhance one’s resume when applying for many jobs, let alone when applying to professional degree programs like law, medicine, social work, and urban planning. Ethnic studies courses raise consciousness among students of color about their history and culture. But their broader purpose is to raise knowledge and awareness among students in general about communities of color, and their contributions to American society. Greater knowledge and awareness about ethnic minorities are among the most effective weapons for tearing down racist stereotypes. It is this knowledge-awareness raising purpose that has been particularly difficult to achieve even in ethnically diverse California, a minority-majority state, where minority communities when taken together, now constitute the majority of the population. AB 1460 is a legislative effort to address this challenge. In a second essay, I will discuss some of the challenges in breaking down racist stereotyping, even as ethnic studies programs and classes have become commonplace among California colleges and universities, and why an ethnic studies graduation requirement, especially at California State Universities, is a welcome assist in this effort. ••• Enrique de la Cruz is Professor Emeritus of Asian American Studies at Cal State University, Northridge.
A August 26-28, 2020 • soCal AsIAN JOuRNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797
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Fil-Am filmmaker Isabel Sandoval on ‘Lingua Franca,’ cinematic authenticity and the art of subtlety Sandoval’s award-winning film Lingua Franca arrives on Netflix, signaling the permanence of diverse storytelling
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by
Klarize Medenilla / AJPress
S is the experience of so many Filipinos living in the United States, a woman named Olivia living in Brooklyn makes a call to her mother back in the Philippines to discuss money.
It’s a relationship separated by time zones as well as atmosphere: the mother is at a party celebrating a family friend’s birthday while the daughter is just waking up in a quiet cloudy New York morning. In Tagalog, the mother asks when Olivia — who works as an in-home caregiver for an elderly Russian woman named Olga — will be sending her monthly remittance and expresses worry over the vaguely referenced “dread� happening in the United States. The daughter brushes the comment off and tells her mother she will send the money soon and promises to call her later. “Lingua Franca,� the third film from Filipina American filmmaker Isabel Sandoval, is an austere portrait of the kinds of love stories that are so authentic and specific that couldn’t have come from any other filmmaker. Sandoval’s first two films, “Apparition� and “Senorita� (in which Sandoval is credited as Vincent Sandoval), were lauded by the prestigious Filipino cinema world. But her latest release is her entrance into the class of international auteurs — filmmakers who’ve established their personal brands of
Movie poster for “Lingua Franca,� the third film from Filipina American trans filmmaker Isabel Sandoval.
cinematic artistry. Sandoval paints with a careful hand a subtle narrative about an undocumented trans Filipina,
Olivia (played by Sandoval), living in New York City who struggles to make enough money to send back to her mother as well as
to pay for an American man to marry her for a green card. In the middle of this quandary, we get a voyeuristic view into the whirling sensuality of a private woman who eventually allows Alex (Eamon Farren), the secondgeneration Russian American delinquent grandson of Olga (Lynn Cohen, who passed away earlier this year) into her world. Alex becomes a potential link to a green card, and what unfurls in this connection is a subtle but passionate romance. In a cinematic landscape where films regularly force-feed viewers with contextual and Isabel Sandoval expository information, films like “Lingua Franca� are refreshingly subdued and exude a quiet confidence. Sandoval is secure enough with herself as a filmmaker to allow things to go unsaid because, at the end of the day, humans are emotional beings that can understand strife without needing to be told. “This is not filmmaking with a megaphone,� Sandoval told the Asian Journal in a recent phone interview. The subtlety and the intimacy of the film’s tone and atmosSandoval stars as Olivia, a Filipina trans woman, in “Lingua Franca,� which premiered on Netflix on Continued on Page 2 August 26.
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Fil-Am filmmaker...
From Page 1 phere are a part of what makes Sandoval stand apart from other emerging filmmakers who rely on pomp and flash to hold audiences’ attention. But the beauty of “Lingua Franca” is that it’s quiet without being boring and paces itself leisurely without feeling unnecessarily drawn out. By Iza IglesIas “There’s almost a kind of averManilaTimes.net sion to complexity and in a way, it seems unfashionable and antiOVER the past five months, climactic, but that’s my choice as everyone has experienced an a director. I make quiet, patient, unprecedented shift in their subtle movies that invite people way of life due to COVID-19. to think,” Sandoval said. Many were suddenly forced to “Lingua Franca” is more than adjust to a “new normal” where just about a trans Filipina woman’s working besides living at home viscerally contemporary struggle is ideal. in the United States. It’s the film This in mind, it is clear that all that signals the emergence of are spending more time at home trans and Filipina auteur filmmakand are looking for ways to keep ing and evolves the conversation themselves occupied to manage of inclusivity in entertainment to anxiety and stress. go beyond superficial diversity. In a Facebook live event, The film originally premiered Kapuso stars were featured in at the 2019 Venice International their home lives and what has Film Festival Venice Days prohelped them to be productive, Kyline Alcatara unleashed her skills in baking. gram where it made history as the entertained and resourceful dur- Gabbi Garcia uses most of her time on her YouTube vlogs. Photo from Instagram/@gabbi Photo from Instagram/@itskylinealcantara first film directed by and starring ing quarantine. an openly trans woman of color “It’s a bit of an adjustment of to be screened at the competicourse not only for me, but for tion. everybody. Nawalan ng taping, It then made its way among ang daming nagbago in showbiz. the independent film festival I’m just really trying to get by circuit, but on July 9 of this year, and hopefully, soon matapos na the film was acquired by ARRAY, itong lahat,” Gabbi Garcia said. which released “Lingua Franca” In the meantime Garcia is on Wednesday, Aug. 26 on Netffocused on her YouTube vlogs. lix and in select theaters. “Since lahat tayo work from ARRAY is a media company home and everything’s on digthat was founded in 2012 by reital, mas nagfo-focus ako ngayon nowned filmmaker Ava DuVernay on my YouTube, vlogs and other who had the vision of establishonline content. ing a production and distribution Kyline Alcantara, on the space for filmmakers of color, other hand, revealed she like LGBT+ filmmakers and women many others learned how to in film. bake over the quarantine. And, earlier this month, “Nag-iingat po kami ng famSandoval took home the jury ily ko. In our little way, tumutuaward for Best Narrative Feature long kami by staying at home, at Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film by raising funds sa aming benefit Festival, becoming the second concerts and sa mga frontliners Filipina American filmmaker in a din,” she began. Sanya Lopez has been learning and cooking new dishes while brother Jak Roberto helps with out with row to win the festival’s top troMeanwhile, celebrity siblings other household chores. Photo from Instagram/@jakroberto phy after Diane Paragas won for Sanya Lopez and Jak Roberto “Yellow Rose” the previous year. Roberto. have no choice but to spend Hindi natin alam kasi hindi natin “The release of Isabel SanOther home bodies who are more time together at home. nakikita. So sundin natin yung grateful for the wonders of tech- doval’s third film is beautifully Lopez is the one who usually safety measures.” timed to enter the national connology in common appliances cooks for the both of them, while “That’s why I cope being versation at an unprecedented are Bea Binene who is bingeing Roberto is tasked to do the home by trying something new moment of cultural reckoning on Koreanovelas via online TV; laundry. as much as possible. Although and new parents Pancho Magno for many, especially as it relates “Wala kaming choice sa alam naman ng mga nanonood isa’t-isa. Nakakasawa na nga rin na nagluluto kaming magkapatid and Max Collins, who were able to the rights and dignity of trans to devote their time as first-time people,” ARRAY President Tilane [makita siya]. Pero naging normal pero ako, nanonood ako ng Jones said in a statement. “Ms. parents to their newborn baby na namin kasi nakakasanayan na YouTube to find recipes to try,” Sandoval’s introspective lens and are grateful to the brand’s kasi lahat kami nandito na yung Lopez shared. air conditioner for keeping their provides a depth and intimacy trabaho,” Lopez said. “Nakakaproud naman to her storytelling that is rarely little one, Anakin Skye, comRoberto seconded, “Kaisiya kasi bukod sa wala akong embraced on screen.” fortable through the super hot langan maingat kasi kahit hindi ginagawa, kakain na lang ako “Lingua Franca” does indeed months. ka lumalabas, may virus pa rin. kasi siya ang taga luto,” laughed T h e A s ian Jour nal MDW K M A G A Z I NE - Augus t 26, 2 0 2 0
Filipino celebs adjust to the new normal at home
tell a beautifully woven story about a trans woman of color caught in the middle of a very contemporary crisis. Sandoval speaks proudly about her identity as a trans woman, as an immigrant and as a Filipina, but now is the time for her to home in on her identity as an auteur filmmaker. “Ava has really encouraged me to really think about, ostensibly, my being an auteur and my own authorial voice and to assert my own identity as an artist,” Sandoval explained. The term lingua franca that originated from Mediterranean languages to describe a language or dialect between two people who don’t share a native tongue. Between the characters of “Lingua Franca,” communication and the mounting drama isn’t relegated to an interchange of words, but a deepening understanding that largely takes place in the spaces between words. Tonally, the film is reminiscent of independent filmmakers such as Taiwanese master of cinema Wong Kar-Wai, whose romantic masterpiece “In the Mood For Love” played a key role in the overall tone of “Lingua Franca,” Sandoval said. Though the latter lacks the swirling warmth and enduring tenderness of the former, the strength of Sandoval’s film lies in cold uncertainty and Olivia’s private moments of eroticism. The pitfalls of steamrolling diversity As a trans Filipina American filmmaker, Sandoval is acutely aware of the historic moment that is her rising cinematic influence. More than ever, audiences are not only welcoming of inclusivity in entertainment but are actively pushing for it. But many creators of color like Sandoval, this intense demand for diversity is a Catch-22. The industry is allowing for more filmmakers from all walks of life to create and achieve great things, but the incessant calls for diverse representation that often muffles technical appraisal of films may be doing these filmmakers a disservice. Earlier this year, the excellent South Korean black comedy “Parasite” took home four Academy Awards and broke several records. It was the first non-English language film to win Best Picture and the first South Korean film to receive massive attention at the Oscars. Aside from the historic value of Parasite’s success, it
is a technically excellent piece of cinema, much like Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” that points the light at contemporary issues of classism and discrimination. But with attention so acutely focused on the fact that these are stories of color made by people of color and their identities, what becomes secondary is a meaningful observation, critique celebration of the craft. Examination and appreciation of a film’s technical and narrative strengths are drowned by press, film writers and social media influencers pontificating about the importance of seeing diverse faces on screen. Diversity and cinematic excellence are not mutually exclusive ideas but they are often treated as such, by people who advocate for further representation of minorities and people who think it’s folly. “Lingua Franca” is a film that centers a trans Filipina in a green card crisis, but it’s not a “trans issue film” nor is it a “Filipino film” or even a film that overlays the overall current immigration crisis into its thesis. These are important elements to the story but you can’t drive an auteur film on topical social issues alone. And just like her films, Sandoval hopes that “Lingua Franca” could propel her to a position in the industry where she’s not just a Filipina trans woman who makes films, but as a filmmaker who also happens to be Filipina and trans. “We have to establish what is distinct and unique about our voice and our worth because it’s so easy to get pigeonholed or to be put in a box especially for someone like me,” she explained. “There will always be several expectations about you and the community you belong to and it’s easy for Hollywood to just be like, ‘You’re an immigrant so you should be telling immigrant stories or you’re trans so you should be making films about the trans experience,’ and kind of impose on me the kinds of stories that I should be telling and only capable of telling.” Sandoval also shared that the next project she’s working on has nothing to do with being trans at all but it’s a feature film set in the 16th century during colonialism. “I’m now at a point where I’m putting my auteur pants on and seeing what diverse array of projects I can come up with and hopefully I can really expand my voice to surprising places, both creatively and emotionally, and I think that’s how you can have a sustainable and fulfilling career in the industry,” she remarked.
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Ivana: You can look but you cannot touch By Ricky Lo Philstar.com
Boy Abunda is moving on with his own digital channel.
SORRY to disappoint prospective “bidders” but Ivana Alawi is not up for grabs. “I am not for sale,” stressed the half-Moroccan/half-Filipino stunner who created quite a storm on YouTube (she has over eight million subscribers ABS-CBN photo to date) while venturing into showbiz. “Some people think they can dazzle me with their money and it used to annoy me. I’ve gotten used to it; I just shrug it off. Yes, they can look but they cannot touch.” Brave words, those, calculated to warn the wolves to whose separate contents he keep distance. Ivana’s fighting deliberately won’t divulge (in words must be emanating from the teaser). her Waray blood (her mom is In “BATalk,” Boy resurWaray) — remember the song rects his “Fast Talk,” the made even more internationwidely followed last segment ally popular by the seductively in his now-defunct late night throaty version of Eartha Kitt... program “Tonight With Boy you know: Waray-Waray, hindi Abunda” on ABS-CBN albeit tatakas/Waray-Waray, handang adding “Ng Bayan” in the title matodas/Waray/Waray, maniand a flavorful twist. gas! If these were all side dish“I guess that wrong impreses, the one which proves to sion is created by the write-ups be the digital show’s scrumpthat focus on my figure, sa tious main course is called pagiging pa-sexy ko. But there The Interviewer. However, his is so much more to me than viewers might end up disapthat.” pointed as this is no regular In 2015 when she was 18, treat to look forward to. Ivana joined the GMA talent As a whole, it’s still all search StarStruck Season 6 but talk — make it no-nonsense got eliminated. Her younger — that Boy guarantees. As sister Mona Louise joined showhe puts it, “Talk is my life, my biz ahead of her. Instead, Ivana story, my strength and my broke into social media and weakness, my business.” Redrew a big following. She’s into member, only he can deliver it varied pursuits: Singing, acting, with savvy, spunk and swagmodeling and IG influencer, ger (his scene-stealing getup safe and secure in the stable notwithstanding). of stars managed by Perry Lansigan. “Yes,” she confirmed, “nauna sa akin si Mona sa showbiz, she started at a young age. Lagi kaming nag-pa-practice umarte together since before. There is no competition between us; we do our best to help each other in every possible way. Her success is my success and the other way around.” Actually, showbiz has never been her priority. “Honestly, I did not expect to boom or become known. Dahil sa ilang beses na akong na-re-reject since I was younger
Boy Abunda takes on unfamiliar digital territory By Ronnie
caRRasco ManilaTimes.net
iii
THANKS to his domestic partner of over three decades Bong Quintana, Asia’s King of Talk Boy Abunda has been ably feeling his way around the digital world, a territory most unfamiliar to him. Bong — who continues to work as Pagcor Vice President for Entertainment — serves as the over-all guy who does meticulous test-runs first before Boy goes on air in every episode of his “The Boy Abunda Talk Channel” (or simply called BATalk), including the latter’s best angles. If I’m right with timelines, one of its many segments called “Spoken Mula sa Puso” took off on July 15, a few days after his home network ABSCBN was ordered shut down. This also came after Boy posted on Facebook a quotation card along with his photo
that read: “Again, I’m an orphan.” The sad reality, however, hardly unruffled Boy who — in the earliest episode of SMSP — comfortably talked about pain which should be felt by the person who goes through it “until it loses its power.” Similarly in its succeeding editions, Boy has since delved into many other life’s facets that when seen from a positive viewpoint can incredibly change one’s dreary life for the better. Yes, his real-life experiences had a lot to do with such rhetorics. But wait — as they say — there’s more. The redundant-sounding “Talk About Talk” (TAT) takes on a new dimension as Boy gathers young, impressionable millennials who blabber about just anything relevant and timely. Also to arouse audience curiosity are segments “One and The Blackout Interview,”
Erich, Enchong reveal new project together By Ryan
aRcadio Inquirer.net
ERICH Gonzales and Enchong Dee announced that they are working together on a new production, which will be shown through the platform “Enrich Originals”. “Can’t wait to share this with all of you [heart emoji],” Gonzales said on her Instagram page last Friday, Aug. 21, alongside a photo of them. “Soon on ENRICH ORIGINALS,” she added while tagging an Instagram account dedicated to their upcoming project. They later showed stills of them playing new roles, as seen on the Enrich Originals account. Dee will be portraying a character named Gian Carlo Santilla while Gonzales is set to play Gianna Reyes. While neither of them has shared further details of the project, they revealed that they have already started shooting its pilot episode. The two posted a photo of a whiteboard which stated they were working on the eighth sequence of the first episode. They also tagged various people in the said post on their project’s page, possibly hinting at their involvement. Fellow ac-
Jona Gaffud
Erich Gonzales with Enchong Dee
tors Janella Salvador and Arjo Atayde, along with screenwriter Noreen Capili, were among the individuals included in the post. Aside from the Instagram page, the two actors have also launched a YouTube channel with the same name.
Photo from Instagram/@eirchgg
Gonzales and Dee first starred together in the 2009 TV drama series “Katorse” alongside Xian Lim and Ejay Falcon. The pair then went on to costar in other TV series such as “Tanging Yaman”, “The Blood Sisters” and “Magkaribal”.
Miss Universe Philippines set By Ricky Lo Philstar.com
UNLIKE most of the local and international beauty pageants that have either been cancelled or postponed to next year due to the pandemic, the first Miss Universe-Philippines will be held this year with 50 candidates competing, but a date has not yet been set. “We will have safety protocols in place,” Jonas Gaffud, member of the team behind the pageant (with former Miss Universe runner-
up Shamcey Supsup), told The STAR. “Venues will be secured to ensure only essential people are present. We will not allow visitors. There will be a health officer also to ensure compliance. All pageant segments will be retained.” The judges will also be subject to swab tests and be isolated pending results. Reigning Miss Universe-Philippines Gazini Ganados will be invited to crown her successor but her participation is subject to approval of the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BBPCI), the previous franchise
holder that staged its last pageant for Miss Universe bet last year. Added Gaffud, “The changes we already foresee are – pageants can be more forward thinking and not only for photo ops, we have a clear guide on how to help more people and make it relevant. We aim for more substance for better impact.” Asked if the Miss Universe pageant would also be held, Gaffud said, “We have to wait for the announcement of the Miss Universe Organization.”
The YouTube sensation says, ‘I used to be annoyed because they thought they could buy me with their money!’ Photo from Instagram/@ivanaalawi
so I felt this was not for me. Pero ‘yung nanay ko said subukan ko one more time. To stop her from nagging, I agreed. I met Sir Perry (of PPL Entertainment, Inc.) and I remembered being so happy because he was one of the first people to believe in me. Sinabi ko sa kanya that I wanted to be myself and I am comfortable in my skin and I wanted to do more daring roles. But limited to no nudity.” Mariam Sayed Sameer Marbella Al-Alawi was born on Christmas Day in 1996 to Samier Al-Alawi (a Moroccan) and Fatima Marbella (a Filipina from Samar). “Before showbiz, my dad told me how important my studies are. I took up Culinary & Pastry Arts and then Fashion Marketing in Enderun. I kept myself busy by studying as much as I could. I was going to take my third course and start my clothing line but then I had my first project in ABS-CBN,” said Ivana who had supporting roles in Araw Gabi and FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (2018), and became part of the main cast of Sino ang Maysala?: Mea Culpa (2019). Ivana described her childhood as “very kept” because her dad is very strict, limiting her routine to home-schoolhome. “He worked hard to give us a good life. Bawal kami magshorts and sleeveless, bawal makipag-usap sa lalake.”
That was then. Things are different now, especially since she penetrated showbiz with razor-edge preciseness, voted Best TV Personality by the Star Awards for Television by the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC). Did she really, according to rumors, inherit a fortune from her dad, including, ehem, a mansion? “Sakto lang po,” clarified Ivana. “Everything he left for us is shared with me, my siblings and our mother.” Was she raised in mixed cultures? “Yes, when I came here to follow my mom, nagulat ako. Lahat naka-shorts, lahat nakasleeveless. I saw that mixed ang magbabarkada, girls and boys. Hindi din ako marunong magTagalog noon, only English, so nahirapan ako maka-intindi,” adding, “I do not mind wearing swimsuits and showing skin. But I have my limits to no nudity.” How does she deal with indecent proposals, ward off aggressive men? “Dati, I would get so annoyed dahil akala nila mabibili nila ako sa pera nila. As I just said, my mindset is always this: You can look but you cannot touch. Usually the indecent proposals hindi siya direct na sinasabi sa akin, parang dinadaan nila sa kakilala ko. Pero meron din mga direct na sinasabi nila sa akin mismo. Pinapahiya ko talaga sila and I tell them directly kahit gaano pa kadami ‘yang pera mo hindi mo ako mabibili. I have my own money and I earn my own money the right way.” Her type of guy? “I like personality more over appearance. Mas importante sa akin ang ugali ng lalake kesa sa itsura niya.” Would she follow in the footsteps of those who started in sexy roles and metamorphosed into serious (read: heavy-drama) acting? “Yes. Hindi naman ako habang buhay magpapa-sexy.” Instead of revealing what the real Ivana Alawi is, she reminded STAR readers, “The real me, the real Ivana, can be seen in my YouTube vlogs.” Dig her up!!!
community T h e A s ian Jour nal MDW K M A G A Z I NE - Augus t 26, 2 0 2 0
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA WHEN we buy stuff, we think we own it. The truth is the stuff owns us. If we bought the stuff on credit, then we have contracted a set time in our future to pay for the stuff by working our tail off. We now are responsible for its care, upkeep or maintenance, its use, storage and final disposition. Pretty soon, we are out of living space and checking out those companies that rent out storage spaces. With the passage of time, stuff lose their usefulness or simply become obsolete. Often, we simply lose interest in it because the stuff has gone out of fashion and there is a new thing on the market that we just have to have. Parting with stuff IS sweet sorrow, particularly when some sentiment is attached to it. It It is getting rid of stuff that is hard when the time comes. And the time will indeed come when we leave behind all our wordly goods. If we don’t dispose of our stuff while we are still alive, other people will or the government will through probate. While we are still alive, we can choose to give our stuff away as a gift or to donate it. If the stuff is of any significant value like an heirloom quality antique diamond brooch, it can be an item bequeathed to a loved one in a final will and testament. Through e-commerce, it is now easier to recoup all or some of the value of the stuff you bought by reselling it on Ebay or amazon.com But doing so is still work. Savvy resellers can even make money from their stuff. But these are the exception. Most resellers have to eat a loss. Appraisals are only benchmarks of value and not a guarantee of purchase price which is reached only when a seller finds a buyer actually willing to pay the price he sets. Understanding and managing money is a survival skill. We all have a learning curve on survival skills. When it comes to
EMPLOYMENT
Money and your ego “I owe, I owe. So off to work I go.” -Car bumper sticker money, some muster the concept and its practice faster than most. On the average though, the learning curve about money is steep. More so for the young ones of today, the incline on how to become fiscally responsible has become even more of a slippery slope, with so much distraction in available stuff for sale. It does not help that media ant the internet have shed off all pretenses and have become one efficient selling machine, hawking an endless array of goods and services knowing which hot buttons to push to get us to part with our hard-earned cash. Young people have to have the latest technological gizmo that comes on the market. They have to have name brand designer purses, dresses, perfume. The list is endless. Amazon is having a ball, at your expense, of course. Whimsical wants camouflage as basic needs. The result: in early adulthood, many already face financial insolvency, unable to save and unable to understand why money has them in a stranglehold, unable to spread their wings and fly, their wings clipped by acquiring too much stuff and in the process, too much debt. The educational emphasis to build healthy self esteem in the young has taken an unpleasant turn sometimes sadly resulting in producing a generation of self-absorbed individuals with huge egos, who honestly believe that they can buy their way into gaining the respect of their peers or the people around them because they can buy stuff. But one day, the young have to learn about money in the most expensive way — often, through bad experience. There are no shortcuts in arriving at a decision to live a simple life. Sometimes, one has to go through a personal hell experiencing an inner fatigue and
helplessness over the never-ending chase for the almighty dollar and quality of life in order to come to a conclusion that there has to be a better way than what is commonly believed. Money is a major consideration in deciding to simplify one’s life. Let’s face it. Our attitude and relationship towards money have a lot to do with it. If you are always strapped for money because you are too deeply buried in debt, then money has you in a stranglehold. You have to work longer, harder hours in order to pay off the debt. Think of it this way. If you buy a new car which you have to pay on installment for the next five or six years, you have just signed yourself on to work for the next five years to pay it off. If you love your work and can see yourself doing it for the same company for the next five years, then driving a new car and being able to pay for it are bonuses of the work that you love to do. But if you hate your job, it becomes a big problem. As Shakespeare would say.“Aye there’s the rub…” Overwhelming financial problems will prevent you from living simply. Many who have taken the simple life path will tell you that being debt-free can be very liberating. It will allow you to breathe freely and lead you to appreciate everything with a twinkle in your eyes, about life under these big blue skies. Saved money can give you options to take an extended leave, extended sabbaticals, switch gears to study for a change in career or simply to do the things you have always wanted to do but could not because you have been slaving your life away over things you have bought stashed in the garage, in the closet or in the basement in boxes still unopened or things you have been maintaining to impress and create a cool image.
EMPLOYMENT
FOR RENT
How widows of US citizens can still get their green card
WIDOWS of U.S. citizens have many options of obtaining their greencard should their U.S. citizen spouse die. Under INA Section 201(b)(2)(A)(i), Widows are allowed to remain classified as immediate relatives and to continue to be eligible to immigrate if they file an I-360 selfpetition within two years of the death of the U.S. citizen or to automatically convert an alreadyfiled I-130 to an I-360. They must also show a good faith marriage, and demonstrate that they have not remarried to immigrate as an immediate relative Since 1938, US immigration regulations have provided for the automatic revocation of the approved visa petition upon the death of the Petitioner. However, immigration regulations since 2006 provided that automatic revocation provisions does not apply to a spousal petitions of US Citizens if the deceased US Citizen petitioner and the alien widower had been married at least two years at the time petitioner died. When the FY2010 DHS Appropriations Act was enacted on October 28, 2009, the 2 year requirement was eliminated. Under section 568(c) of that act, it is no longer necessary for the husband and wife to have been married for 2 years when the citizen spouse died in order
for the alien spouse to qualify as an immediate relative. The widow may remain an immediate relative as long as the widow was not legally separated from the citizen spouse at the time of death and the widow spouse files a petition within 2 years after the death of the citizen spouse or until the widow spouse remarries whichever comes earlier. INA Section 201(b)(2)(A)(i). Each child of the alien will also be considered an immediate relative under this section. Widows with pending petitions Section 568(c) amendment is applicable to all pending petition on or after the date of the enactment. Pending includes denied I-130 that have pending motions to reopen or pending BIA appeal, and BIA denials pending federal court litigation. The amendment also applies to any form I-485 that was pending on October 28, 2009. Widows with approved petitions Any approved I-130 before the citizen petitioner death will be deemed an approved I-360. The widower may adjust along with any child. Widows without pending petitions Widows may file I-360 self petition. For citizen spouses that died prior to October 28, 2009, the deadline to file the I-360 is October 28, 2011. For citizen spouses that died on or after October 28, 2009, the deadline to file the self petition is within 2 years of the citizen’s death. Affidavit of Support is not required for widows of a citizen and accompanying children. USCIS does not require a
To be able to save money, you will have to live below your means and pare down to the barest minimum your expenses to cover the basic necessities. Your treacherous, fat ego—the one that keeps wanting to impress others with bogus symbols of power and success—must be cut down to size. If you have neither the motivation nor the discipline to do this, it won’t happen. You will always be in dire need, trying to make ends meet. Ergo, put that BIG, FAT EGO on a diet, pronto.
If you begin to understand your attitude about money and how you can make it work for you instead of you working for it, then you are on the right track. When it finally hits you that money can either free you or make a slave out of you depending on how you view it and how you use it, you can then begin to exercise the control you never knew you had over it. The reward is tremendous. You begin to experience a rare sense of freedom that only a simple life gives. Charles Dickens, who lived
Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes
SERVICES
Form I-864 Affidavit of Support for either the widow or the accompanying children in order to establish they will not become a public charge under INA Section 212(a)(4). A Form I-864W exemption should be filed. A widow and and accompanying children will not accumulate unlawful presence if they were the beneficiary of a spousal I-130 that was pending October 28,2009 and that was later approved as a self-petition. If you are a widow who has a US Citizen spouse who passed away within the last 2 years, you should seek the representation of an experienced immigration attorney to assist you with this process.
*** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com. Visit our website at Kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
from 1812 to 1870 during the Victorian era, summed it up when he wrote, “ Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, RESULT HAPPINESS. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, RESULT MISERY. Some things never change. It was true then as it is now. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
The wake-up call that helped Yassi turn a triple whammy around
entertainment
T h e As ian Jou r n al MDWK MAGAZ IN E - A u gu st 2 6 , 2 0 2 0
By Rito
P. asilo Inquirer.net
YASSI Pressman was a bundle of positive energy when she participated in the recent launch of Nivea Blooming Pink Range’s #ComeIntoFullBloom campaign. The 25-year-old actress glowed even as she shared with those in attendance how she dealt with the recent death of her 90-year-old father, the shutdown of ABSCBN and feelings of uncertainty when the lockdown was declared in March. “The world has changed so much since the start of the pandemic,” Yassi mused when asked about how she had managed to stay positive amid a string of stressors. “I just decided to eliminate everything that was causing negative thoughts, because when the pandemic was just starting, we were all so unsure about what was happening. “But the time off helped make me realize that it was best to take away all the negativity. Sure, listen to the news, process that information, and help others if you can. Then, focus on your life and family. Napansin ko that if a person doesn’t take good care of himself, there’s no way he’ll be able to take care of the people around him.” Asked for her advice to those having difficulty during the quarantine, she said, “Hold on to the people who are still there for you. Kasi, the pandemic could strip away everything you own. At the end of the day, you realize those things don’t really matter. Sana, when this is over, we can all go back to how things were—to dine out with our loved ones or spend time with friends. “For now, I’m trying to fix our house and start life without dad. It’s just me and my sister Issa now. When the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) was lifted, I had my father’s room renovated because it’s hard to keep seeing it without him. “In a way, my dad is still there. I know he’s always going to be there when I’m having a hard time, whether in my dreams or when butterflies come to me. I’ve never really felt he had left us completely, so just changing the room helps me cope [with the loss] a little better.” Of course, Yassi knew someone would eventually ask her about Coco Martin and their long-running action series, “Ang Probinsyano.” “If you were surprised about the way Coco reacted to the shutdown of the
Gary Valenciano
Yassi Pressman
network, please understand that many of the guys who lost their jobs were the same people we’ve worked with on the set daily—the makeup artists, the people who clean our set, the ones who build it, the guys who buy us coffee. We feel their pain. ‘What will happen to them and their families?’ That’s where the pain or anger was coming from. “I distinctly remember the day the network was shut down—we went out of the room during taping, gathered by the pool, and we cried together. We sobbed in silence.” On a lighter note, a quarantine-related “accomplishment” that Yassi said she was proud of was how the period of isolation helped her develop her culinary skills. “I was able to cook for the people at home,” she beamed. “My whole life, it was something I thought I’d never learn. Now I can feed them paella (laughs)!” If you think it sounded like Yassi had kept to herself during the lockdown, you’ve got another think coming. In fact, she and Issa spent a considerable chunk of time embarking on a “mission” to raise money for the needy and feed front-liners. “The pandemic was a wake-up call for everyone,” she explained. “No one could have predicted that this global health crisis was going to happen. So, let’s look at it as an opportunity to either help people or make a fresh start. “My sister and I started making small sandwiches for front-liners almost every day. We would go to checkpoints [and distribute them]. Hindi kami tumatawid, basta pumupunta lang kami kung hang-
Photo from Instagram/@yassipressman
gang saan puwede. I realized that being isolated doesn’t mean we have to go through this [emotionally] apart.” And to celebrate her 25th birthday last May 11, she decided to spend it with sick children in hospitals. “I decided to give away toys,” Yassi related. “Just by seeing them happy made my day special. Masayang masaya ako on my birthday!”
Photo from Facebook/Gary Valenciano
Gary raises over P1.2 million for COVID-19 aid through digital concert By Ryan
aRcadio Inquirer.net
GARY Valenciano raised over P1.2 million for families in need amid the ongoing COVID19 pandemic through his benefit concert last Saturday, Aug. 22. Following the show, the singer stated that they received a total of P1,247,177 from donors as of Aug. 23. The amount will be used to support ABS-
CBN’s “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” program, as per his Facebook post on the same day. The said initiative aims to give food to families whose sources of income have been affected by the quarantine measures brought by the pandemic. “On behalf of all those who will be helped by these donations… [T]hank you, mga Kapamilya,” Valenciano expressed.
Aside from Valenciano, the online concert also featured performances from his fellow artists such as Yeng Constantino, Martin Nievera, Jed Madela, and his children Kiana and Gab. Prior to his concert, Sharon Cuneta also held a benefit show for the same campaign last May. Those interested in supporting the “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” program can course their donations through this page.
T h e A s ian Jour nal M D W K M A G A Z I NE - Augus t 26 , 2 0 2 0
ISLAND PACIFIC FPFC