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SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2020 Volume 13 - No. 47 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858

USA

DATELINE Fil-Ams in California urged to complete 2020 Census before deadline next week FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

AS the deadline to respond to the 2020 Census approaches on Wednesday, September 30, Filipino American community leaders are making a final push to ensure that Fil-Ams are all counted across California. Census partnership specialists and community-based organizations are staking out in front of supermarkets and other high foot traffic locations to remind members to fill out the nine-question survey, which should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

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Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Duterte addresses global issues before UN General Assembly by BILLY

DELA AJPress

CRUZ

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, September 23, addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the first time since assuming office in 2016.

“I am honored to address you today on behalf of the Filipino people on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. The invisible enemy that is COVID-19 has brought about an unfamiliar global landscape and unleashed a crisis without precedent. It is the biggest test the world and the United Nations faced since

World War II,” Duterte said. The president said that how the world will address COVID-19 will define our future. “For the Philippines, this means putting up all of the peoples of our united nations at the core of this response,” he said.

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Int’l medical journal ranks PH 66th out of 91 countries in fight vs COVID-19 by DARRYL JOHN

ESGUERRA

Inquirer.net

SELFIE BY THE BAY. People take selfies at Manila Bay’s “white sand beach” on Roxas Boulevard on Sunday, September 20. Crowds wait in long lines to step on the beach which has been temporarily opened to the public for them to see rehabilitation efforts on the bay. PNA photo by Avito Dalan

MANILA — The Lancet, an international medical journal, has ranked the Philippines 66th out of 91 countries in terms of suppressing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a study published on September 14, the Lancet COVID-19 Commission noted of President Rodrigo Duterte’s “medical populism” as among the reasons for the country’s dismal ranking.

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CHRISTMAS LANTERNS. A man paints the leaves design and puts dancing lights with different colors on one of the Christmas lanterns while on the sidewalk on Quirino Avenue in Las Pinas City on Wednesday, September 23. This is part of the preparation for the Christmas season amid the coronavirus pandemic. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Facebook shuts down fake accounts Duterte praises Manila New AAPI study: Majority of Fil-Am, to PH military, Dutertes Bay makeover project Tagalog-speaking voters to vote by mail linked R M by RITCHEL

by KLARIZE

MENDIOLA

AJPress

AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, September 21, praised Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu for his rehabilitation efforts in the Manila Bay. “Let us begin by congratulating Secretary Cimatu. You know I remember that meeting and I think everybody was there when I said,

PREFERENCE for in-person voting drops amid COVID-19 As the presidential election looms just over a month away, the likelihood that the coronavirus pandemic will be gone in time for voters to hit the polls becomes more of a stark impossibility.

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by

MEDENILLA

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Photo by Tiffany Tertipes on Unsplash

ITCHEL ENDIOLA AJPress

OVER 100 fake accounts related to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s potential run in the 2022 presidential election were taken down by social media giant Facebook due to policy violations.

According to Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s cybersecurity policy chief, the accounts were traced to individuals from the Fujian province in China. He noted that a total of 155 accounts, 11 Pages, nine groups and six Instagram accounts were engaged in “coordinated inauthentic be-

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SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

‘It feels like the end of the world’: SoCal Filipino evacuees respond to Bobcat Fire

Residents in the San Gabriel Valley lament a disastrous fire season in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

AS of Tuesday, Sept. 22, the Bobcat Fire that was first sparked two weeks ago in the San Gabriel mountains has now scorched through more than 109,000 acres, becoming among the largest fires in Los Angeles County. In recent days, the blaze has grown substantially, accelerated by strong winds, prompting evacuation orders in the surrounding areas by Monday evening. According to the LA County Fire Department, the mandatory evacuation orders affect residents located in the following areas: • South and West of Upper Big Tujunga, East of Angeles Forest Hwy, North

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte speaks before the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Firefighters are on the defensive as the Bobcat Fire makes its way toward Mt. Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains in northern Los Angeles County. The fire has spread 109,271 acres with 17% containment as of Tuesday, Sept. 21. Photo by Brian Lugo /Bobcat IC Crew 12

of Angeles Crest Hwy • Residences along Angeles Crest Highway, between Angeles Forest Highway and Highway 39. • The unincorporated areas of Juniper Hills, Devils Punch Bowl and Paradise Springs. Unincorporated areas of Crystal Lake, East Fork of the San Gabriel

River and Camp Williams. • Areas south of Highway 138, north of Big Rock Creek, east of 87th Street East and west of Largo Vista Road. • Areas south of 138th Street East, north of Big Pine Highway and Highway 2, east of Largo Vista Road

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Malacañang photo

Duterte addresses global issues before... PAGE 1 Duterte encouraged each nation to put up a united front against the pandemic, saying the world needs are coordinated international plans and efforts to pursue a common purpose. “COVID-19 knows no border. It knows no nationality. It knows no race. It knows no gender. It knows no age. It knows no creed,” Duterte

stressed. The president urged that when the world finds the vaccine, access to it must be available to al rich and poor nations alike. In need of stability Duterte encouraged all countries to ease geopolitical tensions that continue to rise, saying that it heightens fears and tends to tear peoples apart.

“Given the size and military might of the contenders, we can only imagine and be aghast at the terrible toll on human life and property that shall be inflicted if the ‘word war’ deteriorates into a real war of nuclear weapons and missiles,” the president explained as he called on stakeholders in the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula,

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Duterte praises Manila Bay makeover... PAGE 1 ‘Roy, can you clean this up?’ And his answer was...very curtly given, he said, ‘I can work on this,’” Duterte said. The president also noted that the public is enjoying the now-completed Manila Bay “white sand beach” project. “People now are really enjoying the reclaimed area with the white sand at least,” Duterte said. “He (Cimatu) impressed me, he accepted my dare. It was a very positive statement. It was not even a neutral thing or a thing that would border (on speculation). He did not say ‘I can do it if.’ He said ‘I can do it.’ And people are now enjoying the benefits of the determined action of a Cabinet member to do good,” he added. Duterte also thanked his other Cabinet members for helping him run the country. “Without you, I would have a very hard time running the country. But because you are there — I’m not saying I have succeeded, that is for the people to assess or give when I’m no longer the president — but what I’m trying to impress also upon the people is that we are doing our job,” he said. Duterte acknowledged the

critics of the Manila Bay’s white sand project, noting that they will always have something to say. “We really cannot do anything. You do it, they have something to say. You don’t do it, (Vice President Leni Robredo) has something to say, too,” he said in Filipino. A crowd of people flocked to Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard over the weeked to witness its brief opening to showcase the artificial “white sand beach” implemented under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) P389-million Manila Bay rehabilitation program. The Manila Bay opened to the public from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, and again on Sunday after the completion of its makeover project that involved pouring piles of crushed dolomite on the stretch of Manila Bay’s shore. Despite the facelift, the government has banned the public from swimming in the area. The Manila Bay will also be closed starting Monday to continue the DENR’s rehabilitation efforts such as beach nourishment, dredging, and desilting activities.

“Napakahalaga na mabago ang kultura at pag-uugali ng mga tao upang tuluyang maisakatuparan ang rehabilitasyon ng Manila Bay (It is very important to change the culture and behavior of the people to finally carry out the rehabilitation of Manila Bay),” Cimatu said. “Gusto kong baguhin ang paniniwala ng tao sa pamamagitan ng paggawa ng (white sand) beach dito sa Manila Bay. (I want to change the people’s beliefs by creating a white sand beach here in Manila Bay),” he added. Cimatu also maintained that the DENR will continue its work on Manila Bay despite the criticism that the artificial white sand beach project drew earlier this month. “Sadly there are those who are telling or accusing us of not contributing solutions. Finding fault just wanting to stop this beach nourishment activities here at Baywalk for reasons that are critical rather than environmental. We will not allow them to deter or distract us,” he said. “We have nothing to fear as long as we know that we are doing something good,” he added. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 25 - OCtObER 1, 2020

SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

Fil-Ams in California urged to complete... Int’l medical journal ranks PH 66th out... PAGE 1 The decennial enumeration — which can be done by phone (844-330-2020 for English), online (my2020census. gov), or mail — counts where individuals live as of April 1, 2020. That includes young children and infants, roommates, and family members or friends staying at the household, even if temporarily. In addition to English and Spanish, completing the census online or by phone can be done in 11 other languages, including Tagalog (844-478-2020). Heading into the final week of September, 68.6% of households in California have selfresponded to the census questionnaire. Meanwhile, 63.9% of households in Los Angeles County have completed theirs, according to the 2020 Census response map. By the end of August, 69.6% of Tagalog-speaking households in the county have filled out their surveys, above the total county’s average, as previously reported by the Asian Journal. Among the last-ditch efforts has been the week-long California Gold Coast Census Caravan, beginning in San Diego and ending in Sacramento at the end of the week. Along the way, organizers are stopping in cities and neighborhoods with sizable Fil-Am populations, such as Carson, Artesia, Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles and Delano, and are talking to individuals about what resources the census results bring to their communities. A common misconception that has prevented some individuals from answering is that the survey only applies to homeowners, but one of the questions asks whether the home is owned, rented, or occupied without payment or rent. “There’s a misunderstanding of people thinking that if they’re not the homeowner or the head of the household, then they don’t have to do the census. But no, it’s absolutely for anyone to fill out,” Ivy Daulo, partnership specialist for the Census Bureau in the LA region, told the Asian Journal. The results guide how over $675 billion in federal funding will be allocated to states annually. This year alone, the spread of COVID-19 and raging wildfires across California have underscored the need for communities to get these critical resources. “The data that’s gathered by the Census Bureau is not only helpful with future emergen-

Members of the Pilipino Workers Center in Historic Filipinotown and the Filipino Complete Count Committee of Los Angeles County make a final pitch for Fil-Ams to fill out the 2020 Census on Monday, September 21. Photo courtesy of the Pilipino Workers Center

The California Gold Coast Census Caravan, led by JoAnn Fields of San Diego (left), made a stop in Cerritos and Artesia. Also in the photo are Michelle Co, Cerritos Councilmember Frank Aurelio Yokoyama, former Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido, and Artesia Councilmember Melissa Ramoso Photo courtesy of JoAnn Fields

cies, but definitely with recovery efforts, such as what is going on with COVID-19 and the wildfires,” Daulo said. “When we know how to service the community, they are able to tailor their efforts to the people, the homes, and also the businesses in each of those affected areas.” States lose approximately $1,000 per person each year for the 10 next years for those who are missed in the count. “We should be getting our fair share of resources and that doesn’t happen when we are hidden and we are not counted…We need to make sure our voices are heard on issues that matter to us, and get the education that we need for our youth and the supportive services like after-school activities,” said Aquilina Soriano Versoza, executive director of the Pilipino Workers Center in Historic Filipinotown, which was a caravan stop on Monday, September 21. Following the deadline, the U.S. Census Bureau in December will deliver the apportionment counts to the president and Congress as required by law. Each state will receive the results by March 31, 2021 as they determine how many representatives states get in Congress and are used to redraw legislative districts based on population changes. Officials and organizations remind community members that the census does not ask for citizenship status, financial income or social security number. The information collected

will also not be shared with other government agencies. “Another big barrier is just people not knowing that it is completely confidential. All information that is provided to the Census Bureau is protected under Title 13. All of our census staffers out in the field, whether they’re knocking on doors or on-site in front of supermarkets, take an oath to protect that information,” said Daulo. According to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) in 2018, 4,037,564 Filipinos are estimated to be living in the country, compared to the 2010 Census, which counted 3.4 million Filipinos. The five states with the largest Filipino populations include: California (1,651,933), Hawaii (367,364), Texas (194,427), Washington (178,300), and Nevada (169,462), according to the 2018 data. Even if Fil-Ams have responded, Daulo said they can do their part in the last week by reaching out to friends and family to ask if they’ve completed their forms. Census enumerators are continuing to survey non-responsive households door-to-door each day of the week, and carry an official census bag and ID badge. “Time is running out and let your friends and family know that if census workers come to their door, make sure they cooperate and know that the takers are there to help them respond,” Daulo said. (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress) n

PAGE 1 According to the journal, medical populism is “simplifying the pandemic by downplaying its impacts or touting easy solutions or treatments, spectacularizing their responses to crisis, forging divisions between the ‘people’ and dangerous ‘others,’ and making medical knowledge claims to support the above.” Aside from Duterte, the study cited as among the example U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who the journal claimed, have exhibited medical populism. The U.S. and Brazil are among the top three nations with the highest COVID-19 cases worldwide. The Lancet COVID-19 Commission classified the Philippines as having “moderate transmission” with 37.5 new infections and 0.5 new deaths per million per day in August. The country also conducted 8.2 tests per case daily last

month and had an effective reproduction rate of 1.2. The Commission said 19 countries/territories have suppressed coronavirus transmission last month, 10 of which were in the Asia-Pacific region. Among these are Taiwan — the topnotcher of the list — Thailand, Vietnam, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Malaysia, New Zealand, Uganda, Togo, Pakistan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Uruguay, South Korea, Finland, Cuba, and Rwanda. The Department of Health (DOH), the lead agency in the country’s fight against COVID-19, is receptive with the study’s findings, adding that the agency will continue to work in spite of the comments and criticisms concerning its handling of the health crisis. “We always receive naman itong mga ganitong komento ‘no, there are rankings and there are this specific comments. But ang sa amin

magtatrabaho lang kami ng tuluy-tuloy [we will just work continuously],” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media forum Wednesday. “Kami po ay sama samang nagtatrabaho, we are doing a whole-of-nation, wholeof-society approach for this response that we have for COVID-19. Kung ano man po ang magiging komento, tayo po ay patuloy pa rin na magtatrabaho para labanan itong sakit na ito at alagaan ang buong populasyon,” she added. (We are working together, we are doing a whole-of-nation, whole-of-society approach for this response that we have for COVID-19. Whatever the comments, we will continue to work in fighting this disease and provide care to the whole population.) The infectious respiratory disease, which was first detected in the Chinese province of Hubei late last year, has so far infected over 31 million people worldwide. n

New AAPI study: Majority of Fil-Am... PAGE 1 Voting by mail is poised to be the more primary option for voters across the country to avoid interacting with others in the age of face masks and social distancing. But in California, where there are several underserved communities with low voter outreach, policy experts are encouraging greater community outreach to raise awareness of alternative voting options. “The big challenge is

that, because voting will be changing for everyone in California regardless of where they live we should be thinking about our reasons to adapt,” Karthick Ramakrishnan, public policy and political science professor at UC Riverside, said during a webinar hosted by the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs on Thursday, Sept. 17. Ramakrishnan shared findings from a study that was designed to gauge the atti-

tudes and voting behaviors of “low-propensity voters,” or registered voters that are the least likely to participate in elections. The study included 88 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) participants throughout California, and it concluded there is a “strong preference” to vote by mail this election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the study culled information from a small

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Facebook shuts down fake accounts linked... PAGE 1 havior (CIB)” with their posts centered on global news and matters in the Philippines, the rest of Southeast Asia, and the United States. The posts were written in Chinese, English, and Filipino. The Philippine-related content was about supporting Duterte and his daughter’s presidential campaign in 2022, while the U.S.-related content was supportive of and against presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden and Donald Trump. The content related to the Southeast Asian region was about China’s interests in the South China Sea and Hong Kong. “They focus most of their activities on Southeast Asia. They posted in Chinese, in

Filipino, and in English about global news and current events, including Beijing’s interest in the South China Sea, Hong Kong, contents supportive of President Duterte and Sara Duterte’s potential run in the 2022 presidential elections, criticism of Rappler, issues relevant to overseas Filipino Workers, praise and some criticism of China,” Gleicher said on Tuesday, September 22. “We are attributing this to individuals operating from the Fujian province of China. In addition, it’s worth noting, as often when we conduct one of these takedowns, we’ve shared information about this with our industry colleagues and with researchers,” he added. Gleicher also said that the

discovery of the network in China was due to Facebook’s independent investigation and proactive efforts in exposing such operations. Fake accounts related to local police and military Another network was also recently tracked down by Facebook, this time in the Philippines, with ties to the police and military units in the Philippines. The posts focused on “domestic audiences,” written in English and Filipino. A total 57 accounts, 31 pages, and 20 Instagram accounts were removed due to CIB. Facebook also noted that the network’s operations accelerated between 2019 and 2020. “They posted primarily in

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2020

OPINION

FEATURES

Abuse of power FORTY eight years is a long time to remember. In a country where lessons are not easily learned and mistakes of the past keep being repeated, however, people need continuing reminders about the consequences of greed and the abuse of power. Especially because those who benefited from the abuse are actively trying to rewrite history. Barred from seeking a third term as president, Ferdinand Marcos found another way of perpetuating himself in power. Claiming to quell a communist rebellion, the Marcos regime faked an ambush on his defense secretary and used it as a pretext to place the country under martial law. This was not the martial law imposed in Mindanao by the current administration to deal with the possible spillover of the Maute terrorist threat from Marawi City, but the real deal. Among the first moves of the Marcos dictatorship was to silence its critics, shutting down all independent media organizations and tossing key journalists into jail together with opposition leaders. Nothing was too small for the regime to exert its authoritarian rule: rock music was banned from the airwaves; long hair and the

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short shorts called hot pants were prohibited; hemlines were pulled down even in private schools. State forces arrived in private homes, literally in the dead of night, armed with Arrest, Search and Seizure Orders to take whoever or whatever they wanted from the premises. Many of those who were picked up on the strength of ASSOs were severely beaten, electrocuted, burned with cigarettes, deprived of sleep and subjected to the water cure. Women were raped and subjected to the same forms of physical and psychological torture. Many of those arrested were never seen or heard from again; to this day, the country still has a long list of the martial law desaparecidos. The abuse of power was extended to the economy as the conjugal dictatorship treated public coffers as their own. A word had to be coined for the world-class corruption of the regime: kleptocracy. Crony capitalism pushed the economy to the brink of ruin. The country’s failure to put the plunderers of the dictatorship behind bars has to be one of the biggest reasons for the continuing prevalence of corruption in Philippine soci-

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

ety, and for the historical revisionism under a Marcos-friendly administration, which allowed the dictator’s burial in the heroes’ cemetery. George Santayana famously warned about the

consequences of forgetting the past. It would be a national tragedy if the Philippines forgot the horrors and abuses of martial law. (Philstar. com)

RBG’s lasting impact on communities like ours Commentary

ENRIQUE

DE LA CRUZ

A PALPABLE sense of loss overcame me upon hearing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s (RBG) passing last Friday, September 18. Like many others, I turned to the internet to get confirmation, and was struck by

the outpouring of posts about her. This made my sense of loss even more palpable. It’s like what one feels, upon entering a church for a memorial service. Only this time, it is not confined in a church; it is community-wide, even nationwide. RBG was a beacon of hope to the many that she fought for or liberated from inequitable laws and policies. She was a guardian, vigilant against efforts by the government to “abridge” civil liberties.

Many say that RBG’s death is a devastating loss for feminists. She did champion women’s rights, but it would be more accurate to say that she was against all forms of discrimination based on gender, sexual preferences, or race. It is largely through RBG’s meticulous, conscientious, and persistent efforts, especially during her time with ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project (which she co-founded) that the Supreme Court came to seriously see the 14th Amend-

ment’s guarantee of equal protection as an assurance of even-handedness in the application of laws, and that gender-based distinctions in laws and policies should be subject to “intermediate scrutiny.” This rule requiring intermediate scrutiny for policies and laws turning on gender distinctions is just a cut below “strict scrutiny” which is reserved for laws that infringe upon our most basic fundamental rights involving a suspect class of people (race, national origin,

religion or alienage). This radically changed the Court’s attitude when reviewing policies and laws involving gender distinctions. It opened the space where women could stand, co-equal with men in professions hitherto dominated by men. RBG felt that the way to achieve real gender equity (as told in the biopic “On the Basis of Sex”) is to target specific discriminatory laws in order to demonstrate that gender discrimination,

sometimes benignly adopted to favor or protect women, was harmful to both men and women. In many cases, RBG’s plaintiffs were men. She challenged the military regulation that denied husbands of women in the military some benefits to which wives of male soldiers were entitled, on the assumption that a man was not likely to be the dependent spouse (Frontiero v. Richardson, 411 U.S. 677, 1973). She challenged a SoPAGE 10

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Filipinos told: Reject ‘martial law lies’ Outgoing US envoy Kim by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

PHILIPPINE Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, September 21, warned Filipinos about attempts to revise history as the country marked the 48th anniversary of the declaration of martial law under late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. “Maraming pinahirapan, naglaho, at pinatay noong Martial Law; lumobo ang utang ng bayan na binabayaran natin hanggang sa ngayon; lumalim at lumawak ang kahirapan. Dinurog ang mga institusyong haligi ng lipunan. Naging bahagi ng diwa ng pamamahala ang korupsyon at pang-aabuso (Many were tortured, many disappeared, and many were killed during martial law. The national debt ballooned and we are still paying for it to this day; poverty grew and worsened. It destroyed the institutions that supported our society.

It bred abuse and corruption in the government),” Robredo said. “These truths know no political color, but come starkly in the black and white of our lived experience as a nation Walang debate dito; nangyari ito (There’s no debate about this; it happened),” she added. Robredo, who was a student activist during the Marcos regime in the 1970s, stressed that those who are attempting historical revisionism are “stealing the truth” from the victims of martial law. “Those who attempt to tell us otherwise are not only merely telling a supposed version of the story: They are lying to our faces, stealing our truths from us, stealing our stories. Because without these truths and stories, we will be further divided, at mas madaling magtatagumpay ang mga pagtatangkang abusuhin muli tayo (It will be easier

for them to succeed in their attempt to abuse us again),” she said. According to Robredo, the atrocities committed during the martial law era should be retold to the next generations so it would never happen again. “Our task is to push back against these lies at every instant. To tell the stories of Martial Law and dictatorship over and over so that this generation, and the ones that come after, may be bound tighter through remembering. To hold firm to the truth of this painful chapter of our history, and through this, forge the determination to never again let our people fall into such despair,” Robredo stressed. “We must do this because, ultimately, our national aspirations can only be as strong as our national memory. Ngayong araw, manindigan muli tayong hindi tayo makakalimot (Today, let’s PAGE 10

bids farewell to Locsin

by chRistia

MaRie Inquirer.net

RaMos

OUTGOING U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim paid a farewell call on Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday, September 22. Almost four years since Kim started his tour of duty in Manila, the U.S. ambassador is set to leave the country to serve as Washington’s top diplomat in Indonesia. During their meeting on Monday, Locsin thanked Kim for the latter’s commitment to strengthening the long-standing alliance between the Philippines and the United States. The foreign affairs chief brought up the return of the Balangiga bells to the Diocese of Borongan,

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. received on Monday, September 21 U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim as the latter bid his farewell to the Secretary. Ambassador Kim has been appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Indonesia. Photo courtesy of DFA

Eastern Samar, which happened during Kim’s stint in Manila. Locsin also underscored the support given by the United States to the modernization program of the

Armed Forces of the Philippines. Manila’s top diplomat and the US envoy agreed to continue with planned future engagements that PAGE 7

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Duterte addresses global issues before... PAGE 2 the Middle East and Africa. Unexpected turn As Duterte continued to push for unity among nations in addressing the pandemic, he affirmed the Philippines’ commitment in the South China Sea in accordance with the UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award. “The Award is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon,” Duterte maintained. Duterte said he rejects any attempt to undermine it. He also thanked countries and states who have acknowledged the award and what if stands for. China has consistently invalidated the 2016 ruling and continued with its reclamation activities and militarization in the heavily contested area. Filipinos coming home The president shared that many migrant Filipino workers have been devastated by the pandemic. “Many have lost not only their livelihood, but also their health and lives as well. Yet they go on in the frontlines, healing, caring for others in different parts of the world,” Duterte said. The Philippine government has embarked on an unprecedented repatriation program with more than 345,000 overseas Filipino workers who need to come home. “We have brought back half and are bringing back the rest,” Duterte said. Climate change Filipinos and citizens of other developing countries suffer the most as climate change worsens the ravages brought upon by the pandemic. “The Philippines joined the

Paris Agreement to fight climate change. We call on all parties, especially those who have not made good their commitment to fight climate change, to honor the same,” Duterte said. He urged his international counterparts to strengthen communities and peoples for preparedness and resilience. Advocate of human rights Duterte promised that his government will continue to protect the human rights of its people, especially from the scourge of illegal drugs, criminality, and terrorism. “They attempt to discredit the functioning institutions and mechanisms of a democratic country and a popularly elected government which in its last two years still enjoys the same widespread approval and support,” he said. He called for an open dialogue and constructive engagement with the United Nations. “But these must be done in full respect of the principles of objectivity, noninterference, non-selectivity and genuine dialogue. These are the fundamental bases for productive international cooperation on human rights,” Duterte said. The president also said that the Philippines remain committed to rebuild stricken communities and address the root causes of terrorism and violent extremism in the country. Nuclear non-proliferation Duterte called on all member states to fully implement the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Chemical and the Biological Weapons Conventions. “I have asked the Philippine Senate to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Importantly, we were among those to sign it first,” the president said.

He then shared the country’s long history of the humanitarian tradition of opening its doors to refugees. “From the White Russians following the 1917 Revolution, the European Jews in the Second World War, the Vietnamese in the late 1960s, and the Iranians displaced by the 1979 revolution, among others,” Duterte shared. Duterte said the country continues to practice such tradition in accordance with its obligations under the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol. “But lest we forget: helping the most vulnerable – those displaced by conflict, persecution, and political instability – is a shared responsibility of all countries,” Duterte stressed. Recognizing the UN To defeat the pandemic and other challenges, Duterte said member states, win or lose, must work together with seamless unity and conviction. “We cannot bring back the dead but we can spare the living; and we can build back better, healthier, and more prosperous and just societies,” he said. Duterte acknowledged the United Nations as an essential organization to humanity. “We need to act on longstanding recommendations to improve the Security Council’s composition and working methods; to strengthen the role of the General Assembly; and to streamline the processes and the operations of the UN,” he said. The president said the UN is as effective as its members make it. “Let us empower [the] UN — reform it — to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” he said. n

Facebook shuts down fake accounts linked... PAGE 4 Filipino and English about local news and events, including domestic politics, the military’s activity against terrorism, the draft of the pending anti-terrorism bill, criticism of communism, youth activists and the opposition, criticism of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” Gleicher said. “We are attributing this network to the Philippine

military and the Philippine police. In particular, we found links between, behind this network connected to both of these organizations and individuals associated with those organizations,” he added. Gleicher said that the investigation of the local network was due to the concerns raised by civil society groups in the country and online news site Rappler. He also maintained that the accounts engaged in deceptive methods. “So for both of them, the

central use of fake accounts, as you know, is a necessary condition for us to determine something is CIB. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only deceptive [practice] they engaged in,” Gleicher said. He added, “So we regularly see these networks using pages that don’t fully disclose who’s behind them. The patterns of engagements that they may have with these accounts aren’t just the fact that they’re fake, but it’s how they use the accounts to boost their contents.” n

BUKO JUICE. A buko (young coconut) vendor chops open a coconut for a customer at JBC wet and dry market in Barangay Salitran 3, Dasmarinas City, Cavite on Tuesday, September 22. Young coconuts are sold for P25 each at the market. Photo by Gil Calinga

New AAPI study: Majority of Fil-Am... PAGE 4 sample size, the researchers disaggregated the data among the most prominent AAPI groups and found that among Filipino American voters, 4 out of 9 Filipinos and native Tagalog speakers usually vote in-person. According to the study, Filipinos who are ESL speakers (like other ESL speakers of different origins) prefer using the language assistance available at the polls. But for the upcoming election, only about 2 out of 9 Filipinos plan to vote in person, meaning that a majority of Filipino voters will likely vote by mail or utilize one of the many ballot dropoff locations throughout the state. At a time when President Donald Trump is routinely denigrating the vote-by-mail option and encouraging voters to cast their ballots at the polls, one of the biggest challenges lies in ensuring communities and low-propensity voters that mail-in ballots are still a viable option to participate in the election. (Trump himself has voted-by-mail throughout his presidency.) In terms of bridging that information gap between government agencies and various ethnic communities, the most trusted sources in-

clude traditional and ethnic media, social media, community organizations and family and friends. Understanding the trusted channels, Ramakrishnan noted the importance of these sources to provide accurate and safe information. Social media, particularly Facebook, has been found to allow the dissemination of misinformation regarding the elections, following the Russian tampering of the 2016 election through social media. Minority communities that primarily receive information through social media are particularly vulnerable to being misinformed. “It really shows the importance of having good information readily available from these trusted sources,” Arturo Vargas of the Latinobased NALEO Educational Fund said on Thursday. “The partnership between the county and these community organizations is so important because we have to make sure that voters and families of voters feel like they can trust the information they’re getting from the county because it’s being validated by these trusted organizations.” Mail-in voting still holds the highest interest among

voters, Ramakrishnan said, but the concerns over delivery and whether or not their votes will be counted in time remain. There’s also great interest in the availability of drop-off boxes, which are locations where voters may drop their mail-in ballot off before Election Day. But Ramakrishnan pointed to the community efforts on issues like the 2020 Census, wherein immigrant advocacy organizations have extensively provided census survey support and assistance to households across LA County. “I think there is a lot of trust that has been built up and this is where I think a lot of engagement on the census has shown that these kinds of partnerships between county government agencies and community partners to make sure everyone gets counted,” Ramakrishnan said. He added, “Even if someone does not fully trust government, the strong partnership of community partners — including organizations like CHIRLA [Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights – Los Angeles], many of these AAPI rights and immigrant rights organizations — has gone far to bridge local governments with these communities.” n

Outgoing US envoy Kim... PAGE 6 aim to “strengthen the already robust” ties between the two countries “through close cooperation in the areas of defense and security, economics and trade, and

people-to-people links,” according to the DFA. Last September 8, President Rodrigo Duterte conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu to Kim.

The Order of Sikatuna is an order of diplomatic merit conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines. n

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‘It feels like the end of the world’... PAGE 2 and west of 263rd Street East; and south of Highway 138, north of East Avenue W-14, east of 155th Street East and West of 165th Street East The Bobcat Fire first erupted on Sept. 6 near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area just northeast of Mount Wilson and within the massive Angeles National Forest. The cause remains under investigation. The fire has been 17% contained with at least 29 structures destroyed or damaged, according to the LA County Fire Department on Tuesday. Additionally, 1,513 personnel have so far been deployed to fight the growing blaze that local fire authorities expect will be fully contained until Oct. 30. Local officials are urging the public to follow orders from fire officials and to be ready to evacuate if their community is threatened. U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, who represents the state’s 27th congressional district, said in a statement that

“the number one priority remains protecting lives. We can avoid preventable deaths by following orders from the fire management team and local governments.” The Angeles National Forest was ordered to close while a smoke advisory was issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The pervasive smoke that has plagued the air quality throughout the county is expected to directly impact the expanse between Burbank and Glendora. Meanwhile, the El Dorado Fire in San Bernardino is expected to impact portions of the Inland Empire, moving west towards the Bobcat Fire. Although California wildfires are a regular occurrence that have coincided with the yearly rise in overall climate and temperature, the arrival of the Bobcat Fire was still an unwelcome visitor that is complicating an already turbulent period in public safety and health. Gabe Patrick, a Filipino

American single father of two daughters living in Monrovia, told the Asian Journal that he and his family had evacuated on Sunday ahead of the official orders to leave the area. “We couldn’t chance it, you know,” Patrick told the Asian Journal over the phone on Monday. “Thankfully, our home is south of the 210 [freeway] so it feels safe for now, but I wanted us to get out of the area because of the air quality and in case it did get worse.” Patrick’s 7-year-old daughter has asthma and has been struggling with the toxic pollution brought on by the fires. The family is currently staying with an aunt in Diamond Bar. Like so many families who shared their pandemic woes with the Asian Journal throughout quarantine, Patrick was already finding it difficult to adjust to living during a pandemic and assisting his schoolaged daughters in distance learning. “It feels like the end of the world,” Patrick lamented, referencing the 4.5

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426 magnitude earthquake that shook the entire Southland on Friday night. “I think for us, the earthquake really sent us packing because [Rosemead, the earthquake’s epicenter] was so close. I know that it was felt pretty much everywhere but between that, the fires so close to home and the [rising] pandemic numbers here [it felt like] enough was enough.” Like other parents, Patrick is doing his best to boost morale in an allaround “disastrous” time. “There’s only so much you can control, so I think the best thing we can do is just focus on what we can realistically do,” he added. For me, that’s making sure my kids are doing their homework, getting their basic necessities in and then have enough time to have fun, watch movies, pick up some cool hobbies.” “I think that’s what we need to really put some focus on right now: looking for some kind of enjoyment,” Patrick said. Filipina American caregiver Myka Reyes left her Azusa home on Saturday, Sept. 19 before the mandatory evacuation orders

were issued and has been staying with her sister in Long Beach. Reyes lives in Azusa with roommates, but last week, they all decided it would be wise to evacuate before the fires grew nearer. She described the last few weeks as “a slow doomsday-esque period” when she was bombarded with depressing COVID-19 updates and the worsening fires that continue to threaten neighborhoods and landmarks like Mount Wilson. “I’m not sure how long I’m going to stay here [with my sister], but it doesn’t seem like [the fire] will be going away any time soon,” Reyes, 23, told the Asian Journal over the phone. “I packed all my necessities, including my cat, and got the heck out of there.” “It’s a lot, isn’t it? I think if we all survive this we deserve a lot of rest,” said Reyes, who is studying psychology at Mount San Antonio College.” We’ve got these fires up and down our state, the pandemic, the election and all these really intense and stressful and frustrating things. I’m trying to keep my mind

occupied but it does feel apocalypse-like.” But even though life in Southern California feels like a “trifecta of dread” with the fires, the pandemic and social and civil unrest, according to Reyes, it’s important to maintain order as a way to keep sane. And, one of the most crucial parts of that is staying connected with family. “Our parents are not with us anymore so it’s a bit of a blessing to be with my sister for the time being. I guess that’s a silver lining,” Reyes said, adding that both sisters tested negative before Reyes relocated. Fire officials on Tuesday issued additional evacuation warnings to surrounding areas: - Pasadena - Unincorporated communities of Altadena and Wrightwood - South of Pearblossom Highway, north of Angeles Forest Highway, north and west of Mount Emma Road, east and south of Highway 122, and west of Cheseboro Road - South of Highway 2, north of Blue Ridge Truck PAGE 10

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SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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House passes bill creating Disaster Resilience Department by Edu

Punay Philstar.com

MANILA — A bill creating the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) was passed on third and final reading at the House of Representatives on Tuesday, September 22. Voting 241-7 with one abstention, lawmakers approved House Bill 5989, which substitutes at least 30 bills approved by the committees on government reorganization and disaster management in November last year. The House passed a similar measure during the previous Congress in October 2018. But the bill’s counterpart version failed to get Senate approval. House disaster management committee chair and Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, principal author of the measure, said the DDR is necessary to address government’s uncohesive response. Gomez cited the country’s lack of evacuation capacity and the low quality of temporary accommodations.

“We have to recognize that our current system carries with it structural silos that create natural limitations to the disaster risk reduction, response, relief, recovery and rehabilitation processes,” Gomez said. “Our status quo is functionally fragmented, with various functions under the theme of disaster resilience housed under different departments. On top of this, the overall responsibility and management for disaster resilience does not fall under one single Cabinet secretary,” she said. Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero, co-author of the bill, cited the importance of passing the measure, which was pushed by President Duterte during his State of the Nation Address. “While our government is now focused on its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, we also have to be prepared to respond to inevitable natural disasters such as floods, typhoons and earthquakes,” Romero said. The bill provides that a disaster resilience department will be created as a primary

agency to handle natural calamities and disasters. The department will be primarily responsible, accountable and liable in leading, managing and organizing national efforts that prevent and reduce disaster risks. It will prepare for and respond to disasters and recover, rehabilitate and build after the destruction. The proposed department will be headed by a secretary who will be assisted by four undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors who are experts in the field of disaster risk reduction and management, science and technology, environmental science and management, urban planning, civil engineering, public finance, information and communications technology, logistics management, mass communication and other fields relevant to disaster resilience. The department will also establish regional, provincial, city, municipal and barangay disaster resilience offices following the abolition of the local disaster risk reduction and management offices. n

RBG’s lasting impact... PAGE 5 cial Security provision that assumed wives were secondary breadwinners whose incomes were unimportant to the family and therefore deprived widowers of survivor benefits (Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld, 420 U.S. 636, 1975). Stephen Wiesenfeld’s wife, Paula, had died in childbirth, and he sought the benefits so he could stay home and raise their child, Jason. In her quest for equity and inclusion for women and minorities, RBG worked tirelessly for the strictest interpretation of the constitution’s equal protection clause (14th Amendment), challenging presumptions of difference that may ultimately be a hindrance to an individual’s rising to their potential. For me, her most enduring legacy, lies in the changed perspective and the stricter interpretation of the prohibitions enshrined in the 14th Amendment, commonly referred to as the “Equal Protection Clause,” which explicitly forbids government “to make or enforce any law which shall abridge

the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States…nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws (emphasis added)” For RBG, disparate treatment, however benign it may appear to be, could ultimately hinder an individual’s development to their full potential. This is clearly illustrated in the ruling which RBG wrote for The Court’s 7 to 1 majority decision in United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515, (1996), involving the Virginia Military Institute, a statefunded military college. The Supreme Court found the allmale admissions policy of a state-supported military college unconstitutional. To avoid a charge of disparate treatment, the state of Virginia had set up an alternative military college for women. In the majority opinion that she wrote, RBG notes that the state had failed to provide “the exceedingly persuasive justification” that the Constitution requires for treating men and women differently. “Women seeking and fit for a V.M.I.-quality

education cannot be offered anything less under the state’s obligation to afford them genuinely equal protection.” Any disparate treatment she argued, must not “create or perpetuate the legal, social, and economic inferiority of women.” While RBG admits that there are “inherent differences” between men and women, the laws based on gender under the guise of “protection” are not a legitimate cause “for denigration of the members of either sex or for artificial constraints on an individual’s opportunity.” RBG is the mother that watches over us —women, men, people of color, minority communities — vigilant against arbitrary distinctions or outdated social mores and wishing that we are able to rise to our full potential. Now she has now joined the ages. I need a hug. RBG, thank you. May her memory be a blessing. ••• Enrique de la Cruz is Professor Emeritus of Asian American Studies at Cal State University, Northridge.

ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. Farm owner Lennie Tinio (left) checks on one of the ornamental plants on Tuesday, September 22 at Barangay Sinasajan, Peñaranda in Nueva Ecija. Lennie says growing flowering plants is one of her hobbies before she ventured into the business. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

Locsin, Carpio agree on South China Sea

by Pia LEE-Brago Philstar.com

MANILA — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said he agrees with retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio that the Philippines’ only conflict in the South China Sea is with China, not with other claimants. “To make it even clearer:

when Viet fishermen ‘poach’ in our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) though close to features they claim we arrest them – and let them go in the spirit of amity because VIETNAM IS NOT TRYING TO TAKE WHAT’S OURS. So Carpio 1000 percent correct: our only conflict in SCS/WPS is with China,” Locsin tweeted. According to Locsin, there

is no need to file diplomatic protests against other claimants in the South China Sea that do not have an active conflict with the Philippines. Carpio will stand as legal counsel in the case filed by former Philippine officials against Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials of China before the International Criminal Court. n

Filipinos told: Reject ‘martial law... PAGE 6 stand firm that we won’t forget),” she added. Likewise, the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance, Women Resist Tyranny, and Movement Against Tyranny-Metro Baguio rejected the historical revisionism as they commemorated the martial law’s 48th anniversary by holding a protest in Baguio City.

“We commemorate martial law today and urge the people to rise up, continue to defy state tyranny and repression. We are challenged to live by the lessons of the Filipino people’s resistance against dictatorship,”the groups said in a joint statement. On September 21, 1972, Marcos signed Proclamation No. 1081 which placed the

country under martial law. In a report by human rights group Amnesty International, over 100,000 people were recorded to have been victims of martial law, of which 70,000 were arrested; 34,000 were tortured; and 3,240 were killed. Marcos was ousted from power on February 25, 1986 by the People Power Revolution. n

‘It feels like the end of the world’... PAGE 9 Trail, east of Highway 39, and west of the Los Angeles County border - South of Avenue U-8, north of East Avenue W-14, east of 121st East, and west of 155th Street East - South of Pearblossom Highway, south and east of Pearblossom Highway, north and west of Mt. Emma

Road, north and east of Angeles Forest Highway, and west of Cheseboro Road - South of Mount Emma Road, north of Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road, and west of Pacifico Mountain - Littlerock: east of Cheseboro Road, south of Pearblossom Highway, north of Weber Ranch Road, west of 87th St E.

Anybody who needs assistance with locating shelters is urged to call the Disaster Distress Hotline at 800-675-5799. The LA County Dept. of Animal Care and Control are also offering pet shelters for families affected by the Bobcat Fire at their Baldwin Park, Palmdale and Lancaster centers. n

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 25 - OCtObER 1, 2020

COMMUNITY Journal

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I am a U.S. citizen, and filed a K-1 (fiancé) petition for my girlfriend in the Philippines. Unfortunately, the case was denied. I was told by friends it would help if we get married, as that would demonstrate we are truly in love and committed to each other. Would you advise that we get married and I file a spousal petition, to increase our chances of success? Very truly yours, SL Dear SL: Before you make a decision on what is the best course of action, it is criti-

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K-1 petition denied; should we marry? cal to know WHY the case was denied. Depending on the reason for the denial, it could affect the approval of a petition even if you get married. The same problem or issue that existed in connection with a K-1 petition might still exist with a spousal petition. Getting married would not solve or cure that problem. For example: • Was your girlfriend previously married, and never terminated her first marriage? If that is the case, she is still married to her first husband and marrying her will not cure that issue, but would in fact result to a bigamous marriage. • Did your girlfriend commit fraud/misrepresentation to the U.S. Embassy

when previously applying for a tourist visa or some other immigration benefit? For example, some people might have applied for a tourist visa, but submitted fake documents or lied on the visa application and were charged with fraud. That same fraud is still on their record and will come up, whether in connection with a K-1 petition or spousal petition. In either case, a fraud waiver would be needed. • Did your girlfriend commit a felony or was arrested/convicted of any crime, which would still be an issue in a spousal petition? • At her K-1 interview, did she confess she was marrying you to get a

ATTY. GURFINKEL ANSWERS MORE IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS ON A BRAND-NEW EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY. On this episode, leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) replies to immigration questions sent from (left to right) Jhing of Maui, Hawaii, Rose and Jake from Tigard, Oregon, and Lourdes from Perris, CA: What is the best thing to do if a son was petitioned as single, but got married and now has a son. What should a person do if they have a child after their petition was approved and the case is now at the NVC for visa processing? Can the child be included? A person in the Philippines needs police clearance from China (where he worked with his wife as teachers for two years). How can this be expedited for their family without going to China? These questions and more immigration concerns will be answered on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot,” this Sunday, September 27 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)

green card, and does not truly love you? In that case, although the U.S. citizen petitioner may be madly in love, the U.S. government views this as a “fixed mar-

riage,” as the beneficiary would be basically using the U.S. citizen for immigration benefit. These are just some of the considerations that you

have to take into account in terms of what is the best course of future action. As you can see, getting married does not necessarily PAGE 12

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SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS COVID-19 around the world has now reached almost 32 million cases with nearly a million deaths. The Philippines has 292,000 cases, with 5,100 deaths and 1,700 new cases; the U.S. has almost 7.1 million cases, with 205,000 deaths, and 3,800 new cases; India has 5.6 million cases, with 90,000 deaths, and 21,000 new cases; the UK has 404,000 cases, with 42,000 deaths and 5,000 new cases. The cold and flu season is here. FDA advises flu vaccine now, especially for the elderly. Antibiotics are useless for viruses. About 30 percent of prescription for antibiotics are unnecessary and a waste of money. Abuse in the use of antibiotics leads to bacterial resistance, which costs the U.S. healthcare about $20 billion annually and contributes to $35 billion in lost productivity every year. If we, as a society, allow bacterial resistance to develop by frequent use of antibiotics for the wrong diseases, we will soon lose our effective weapons against infections and become helpless, dying from simple infections as we did in pre-1928 era. Remember, antibiotics are not effective against viruses, like cold and flu, bronchitis, sore throat (except Strep throat, which is bacterial). Abuses have consequences. This COVID-19 pandemic could certainly drive some people to drink. As always, while a drink or two with dinner is fine, more than a couple is considered unhealthy. Here are some facts about drinking. Cheers! Ganbei! Salud!

COVID-19 update Social drinking is an invention of modern society. And as long as it is done with grace and discipline, and in moderation, the etiquette is totally acceptable. However, as far as calories go, alcoholic beverages contain one of the highest, per ounce. This is one reason why the choice of cocktails is important for those watching their calorie intake or weight, and to protect their heart and liver. The National Institute of Health reports that “the pounds put on during the holidays account for half of all the weight gained annually…and the unsuspected culprit is alcohol.” While the observation is totally significant and relevant in the United States, it is today also apropos in other cultures around the globe, albeit, in general, less in Asia. The five most fattening cocktails • Eggnog: 257 calories and 14 grams of fat, without alcohol, and more than 300 calories when you add distilled spirits. • Martinis: Many Martinis have 2-5 ounces of liquor and sugary syrups and can have 800 calories per drink. The “Dry” Martini, though, which is basically pure gin (or vodka) and a drop or two of vermouth, plus a couple of olives, may be around 200 calories. Without the olives and vermouth, it could drop down to 100 calories. • Hot Toddies: Hot toddy plus 2 ounces of liquor is about 200 calories. Adding creamy liquors, like Kahlua or Baileys, Schnapps or Amaretto, it adds about 100 calories more, making it a total of 300 calories. • Margaritas: Whopping 400 calories per drink. • Mixers: An ounce and a half (45 cc) of 80-proof spirits is roughly 65 calories,

and together with 6 ounces of mixers (cola and other soda, plus syrups), the calories zooms at least a couple of hundred. Five lower calorie drinks • Champagne: The traditional drink for toasts is about 100 calories per drink, which is not too excessive for the waistline. • Wine Spritzer: With 3 ounces of club soda, the 3 ounces of wine to make the spritzer total about 60 calories, and zero fat. • Wine: A glass of wine is about 100 calories. Great choice, especially the red variety. • Beer: Regular has about 150 calories and light beer about 100 calories per can/ bottle. • Gin or Vodka and Soda, or as a Dry Martini: one and a half ounces of 80-proof, with soda mixer or straight (without any mixer), has less than 100 calories and zero fat. Choosing red wine is smart move as it is good for cardiovascular health. Red wine has been singled out because the skin of the grapes where they come from contains phytochemicals, such as resveratrol, that help protect the plant’s self-defense system, and proanthocyanidins (OPC) and cathechins, which are also powerful antioxidants. Studies at the University of California, Davis, and Cornell University have confirmed the beneficial effect of these potent antioxidants that aid in preventing cancer and heart coronary heart disease. Also, the alcohol in it has some sedative and euphoric effects when wine is taken in moderation, and these are healthy for the psyche, especially in these stressful times. PAGE 13

K-1 petition denied; should...

PAGE 12 cure the problem. That’s why it is important for people to consult with an attorney, who can properly evaluate their situation rather than relying on hearsay or advice of friends or relatives. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by,

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

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

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Atty. Gurfinkel answers more immigration questions from Kapamilya across the US this Sunday on ‘Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot’ ON a brand new episode of “Your Tanong, My Sagot,” Atty. Gurfinkel answers questions from Jhing of Maui, Hawaii, Rose and Jake from Tigard, Oregon, and Lourdes from Perris, CA: After my son’s petition was approved, he had a child with his girlfriend. Do we inform the U.S. Embassy, and can the child be in-

cluded under the petition? My son was informed that he needs to submit a police clearance from China (because he and his wife worked there for two years). Is there a way to move forward without going to China to obtain the document? I petitioned my son when he was single. Nine years later, he married and has a child. He just received no-

tice from the NVC for his petition as “unmarried.” What is the best way to move forward? These and more questions will be answered on “Citizen Pinoy: Your Tanong, My Sagot,” this Sunday, September 27 at 6:15 pm PST/EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

Grace Talusan, author of “The Body Papers”

(Advertising Supplement)

Photo by Alonso Nichols

2 Fil-Am authors honored at Massachusetts Book Awards

TWO Filipino American authors have been honored at the 20th annual Massachusetts Book Awards, the Massachusetts Center for the Book announced this month. Grace Talusan, author of “The Body Papers” who lives in Medford, was awarded with the Nonfiction Award. Her debut memoir, which was released in April 2019, explores a Filipino immigrant’s battle with cancer and childhood abuse, and voices the resilience and hope of a survivor. “No matter what happened to me in my life, I would be interested in reading and writing. But I think that with the things that happened to me, writing was a form for me to process those experiences, whether it’s being different with immigration or how I dealt with my niece having cancer or me having to go through the decision to have surgery. All of that I definitely processed through

“The Boy in the Labyrinth” by poet Oliver de la Paz

reading and writing,” Talusan previously told the Asian Journal. Holden resident Oliver de la Paz was one of the Poetry Honors for his July 2019 collection, “The Boy in the Labyrinth.” Paz’s unique collection includes prose, questionnaires, and standardized tests in an allegory that is searching for understanding about two sons on the autism

spectrum, the organization said. “We are honored to bring these books to the attention of Commonwealth residents,” said Sharon Shaloo, executive director of Massachusetts Center for the Book. “We look forward to celebrating and promoting these titles virtually from the Center website this Fall.” (AJPress)

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Maja leaves ABS-CBN By nikA

Roque ManilaTimes.net

ONE of ABS-CBN’s top stars Maja Salvador confirmed in an Instagram post that she will be appearing on screen again soon but for a different network. It will be remembered that the country’s erstwhile leading network lost its free TV franchise in July. The actress has withheld information on where she will continue her career, but rumors are rife the 31-yearold is headed to TV5. TV5 Chairperson Manny Pangilinan announced the network was open to hiring ABS-CBN’s talents and employees; while Star Magic’s Chairman Johnny “Mr. M” Manahan similarly stated they have given their talents the green light to work for TV5 and GMA 7 and continue to manage their careers. Salvador has been a Star Magic artist since 2003 and her career quickly flourished with challenging roles from her mother studio. On Instagram, she made sure to say that her success in showbiz is due to ABS-CBN’s support. “Ako po ay taos pusong nagpapasalamat sa mga taong walang sawang sumusuporta sa akin at sa (My heartfelt gratitude to all those who have supported me at) ABS-CBN. “Mga Kapamilya, sasamahan ko po muna ang aking tatay na si Mr. M kaya sana wag po kayo magulat kung makikita niyo akong lumabas sa ibang network at patuloy makapagbigay ligaya sa

ABundA Philstar.com

Maja Salvador

inyo kahit sa anong paraan at plataporma (My family, I will first accompany my father, Mr. M., which is why I hope you won’t be surprised when you see me appear in a different network where I will continue to entertain you in whatever way or platform),” she said. It has been announced that Manahan has been asked to direct and produce a Sunday noontime show on TV5 which will bring both ABSCBN and GMA talents together. The weekend variety show is titled “Live@5: Ultimate Sunday Party,” while a daily noontime show called “Laugh Out Loud” is said to be in the works as well. “Sana po ay tuloy tuloy niyo akong samahan at suportahan sa kahit anong landas na aking tatahakin. Maraming salamat po (I hope you will continue to stay and support me on my new journey. Thank you very much),” she ended. Salvador’s post received supportive comments from her fanbase and fellow ac-

Photo from Instagram_@iammajasalvador

tors Erich Gonzales, Julia Barretto, and boyfriend Rambo Nunez, among others. Under ABS-CBN, Salvador was dubbed the “Dance Princess” following her energetic performances on the Sunday show “ASAP” and singing career. As an actress, she proved her mettle with the hit teleseryes like the leading anti-heroines of “The Killer Bride” and “Wildflower.” The latter even had an international stint which led to Salvador’s historic Best Actress win at the first Asia Contents Awards in Busan, South Korea in 2019. The show was also nominated for Best Drama, where she played the dual role of Ivy Aguas and Lily Cruz, out to avenge the death of her parents. Salvador and the show were the only nominees from the Philippines. Under Star Cinema, Salvador’s most acclaimed role was in the biopic “Thelma” where she won a Gawad Urian Award for Best Actress.

By MJ

MARfoRi ManilaTimes.net

Ria Atayde is youngest third among the trio of hosts on TV5’s ‘Chika Besh.’ Photo from Instagram_@ria

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Ryan hopes to wed a Filipina, stay in PH for good By Boy

Ria assembles hundreds of celebrities to influence fans OUT of her own initiative, outspoken stellar actress and now “Chika Besh”morning show host Ria Atayde managed to gather more than three hundred celebrities to get involved to register and vote in the upcoming 2022 election. Of course, In The Know spoke exclusively to Ria to get the lowdown on what she named the We The Youth group. This was born just last July and now other industries are joining in on her vision to get PAGE 15

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 25 - OCtObER 1, 2020

EVEN before Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, hit the Philippines so hard that made many Filipinos go raving about all things Korean, specifically K-dramas, Kpop bands, K-beauty stores, food and more, full-blooded South Korean Ryan Bang had already set foot on the local shores to start carving a name in the local entertainment scene. Bang Hyun-sung in real life, Ryan first gained the public’s attention as one of the housemates in “Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Clash 2010” on ABS-CBN. He finished in the said reality competition as the Second Big Placer where James Reid was named the Grand Winner. His comedic skills landed Ryan some notable projects for the big and small screens, including hosting for his own show, “3ow Powhz!” on Studio 23. He also became part of the then popular ABS-CBN Sunday comedy show “Banana Sundae” and was assigned to do hosting chores in “It’s Showtime.” Expect a happy crowd

Ryan Bang Photo from Instagram_@ryanbang

when Ryan is around but apart from his ability to put everyone in stitches with his natural wit and humor, he can also sound completely different when he begins to share remarkable insights on life. The comedian is well-aware of his spirituality, too. As a Christian, Ryan keeps in mind and takes to heart that one will be judged in the after-life according to his deeds. “Meron hurado sa langit. The judge will

place on his right the people who did good while on the left are those who injured others and will squirm in the fires of hell according to the amount of suffering they caused when they were still alive,” told Ryan of what the scenario might be in the gates of heaven. He added that he feels good whenever he gives to other people. “Yes, it is heartening to receive gifts but the joy I feel when I give is different.” And that includes forgiving those who have wronged him or caused him pain. “I easily forgive, especially the people I love,” he stressed. Asked what makes him fall in love with a woman, Ryan said it is obvious that physical appearance factors in — long hair, fair skin and a nice set of pearly whites. But since he’s been single for seven years already, “basta babae gusto ko, kahit sino pumayag ‘yun na,” he quipped. Kidding aside, Ryan prefers to raise a family with a Filipina wife and stay in the country for good. But he affirmed that his parents have given their consent on whatPAGE 15

COVID-19 update... PAGE 12 Not all red wines are alike or equal, though, as far as the amount of resveratrol they contain. Research on seventy red wines from New York rated the Pinot Noirs to contain the highest amount of this phytochemical, with an average content of 13.6 micromoles per liter, about twice the amount found in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The specific wines and vintages with very high level were the ’97 Pinot Noir from BentonLane Winery in Oregon and the ’98 Noble Muscadine from Dennis Vineyards in North Carolina. Large commercial wineries manipulate their wines more and reduce the resveratrol and other antioxidants as a result; small wineries utilizing the old European technique produce wines with higher resveratrol. Most wines, red and white, contain sulfites and tannin, which cause headaches among some wine lov-

ers. To enjoy imbibing my favorite Pinot Noir, I have tried DropIt solution, which stops wine headaches by reducing sulfite and tannin in wine (1-2 drops for white and 2-3 drops for red, per 6 ounce-glass). It works. For more info, email wineRx@ DropItwine.com. While drinking alcoholic beverages weakens our resistance (or makes us more susceptible) to other “temptations,” like eating more and succumbing to additional high-calorie desserts (pecan pie, crème brulle, or chocolate mousse, etc), the technique of drinking two glasses of cold water after each cocktail drink, used by experienced drinkers, not only ward off dehydration (caused by alcohol) but also helps in calorie and weight control. So, pick your poison, I mean potion, wisely, hold your liquor with grace, and know when to quit. And as always, let the designated (sober) driver handle the car

to avoid being a statistic. In the meantime, a votre sante! The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

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SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

• (212) N E W http://www.asianjournal.com YO R K / N E W J E R S EY 655-5426 S E P T E M B E R 25, 2 0 2 0

people events arts culture entertainment

Why Mia Mercado’s ‘Weird But Normal’ is the Funny Read We Need

M

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA / AJPress

EET Mia Mercado, a Filipina American millennial humorist who launched “Weird But Normal,” her debut collection of essays last May.

The essays focus on various subjects, from gender roles, sexuality and beauty standards to racial identity, privilege and work dynamics. In the book, Mercado shares her insights about issues, some absurd, some beautiful and some mundane.

Armed with her sharp humor and wit, “Weird But Normal” brings the laughter and hilarity, and we sure need some of those these days. Mercado deftly maneuvers her way around humor, identity, culture and the intersections between them and comes up with gems.

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Some parts are a little intimate and personal as the author delved into her memories as a young girl going through her teens (along with the corresponding bad/good decisions), and now adulting (with issues on racism, relationships and capitalism). It’s like watching an unfiltered livestream of a reality show where the protagonist wears her heart on her sleeve as she shares some painfully embarrassing moments in her life so far. Some of the essays look hilarious, judging by the titles alone: “The Holy Sacrament of Birth Control,” “I Am the Girl From Your Tampon Commercials,” “Can I Still be a Good Girl While Still Getting F*cked Up?,” “All the Things I Thought Sex Was” and “White Friend Confessional.” Born to a Filipino dad and a white mom, Mercado grew up in what she describes as “very suburban Christian Midwest” (read: Glendale, a small city outside Milwaukee in Wisconsin). She took up creative writing at the University of Wisconsin, the same university where her parents met. She has been asked “where she’s from” many, many times that she felt she had to make some jokes out of it so it wouldn’t overburden her thoughts. As a

Mia Mercado, seen here with her dog Ava, blends personal stories and humor to explore the completely absurd, and yet completely regular experiences of being a millennial.

Mia documented the day she received copies of her book in her Instagram account @mia. market. Photos by Chase Castor

young girl, she didn’t realize what it meant then but now that she’s an adult, she says she’s “all too familiar with this line of questioning.” “‘What ethnicity are you?’ is something I’ve been asked so frequently my answer is not only well rehearsed, it comes equipped with a brief lesson in Filipino history and the etymology of my last name. I’m working on a choreographed musical number called ‘Spain Colonized the Philippines

and All I Got Was a Spanishsounding Last Name and a Whole Lot of Catholicism.’” Mercado writes. There’s a part in the book where she introduces Rachel Ambiguity (see what she did there?), where she talks about how being halfwhite afforded her “whiteadjacent privilege,” and says that while her mixedrace informs every part of her life and experience, it is not the focus. Mercado’s essays have PAGE 15

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 25 - OCtObER 1, 2020

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Why Mia Mercado’s ‘Weird But... Julia shuts down pregnancy rumors with toned abdomen photo By Gabriel

Pabico Inquirer.net

lalu

ACTRESS Julia Barretto has shut down rumors of her being pregnant, supposedly with actor Gerald Anderson, by showing a photo of her toned abdomen in her Instagram page. Barretto, seen wearing white pants and a grey bralette that exposes her mid riff, captioned the post with the words “fake news,” apparently to dismiss speculations of her being pregnant. Former broadcaster and administration supporter Jay Sonza earlier posted something about Barretto’s alleged pregnancy, claiming that the actress and Anderson “proved that they were not barren.” Barretto’s relatives including sisters Dani and Claudia, as well as friends and other celebrities like Liza Soberano, Miles Ocampo, and Alex Gonzaga shunned the issue, saying that it is how baseless allegations should be answered. “Shut it down sis! Love you!” Dani said in her comment. As of now, the phrase “Leave Julia Barretto

Julia Barretto

Alone” is trending on Twitter with Jay Sonza’s name, as over 3,200 tweets have been made about the topic. Netizens have condemned Sonza for his post, with several of Barretto’s supporters and other women rights advocates urging her to file a case against the former mediaman. Others on the other hand ridiculed

Ria assembles...

PAGE 13 all the Gen Z and millennials to go and exercise their rights to suffrage. Surely, Ria’s mom Sylvia Sanchez is one proud parent! She taught her daughter well to care enough about the future. Ria shared that the moment she turned 18yrs old, she immediately registered and became a voter ever since. She credits her family and their dynamics as her inspiration, “At the dining table the topic would always be always about politics Or business more than our personal or private lives so bata pa lang it’s always been something that I have been aware of.” In the US, big name celebrities are paid to endorse the rock to vote movement and Ria is not envious about that at all. She even revealed that it was not hard to get the likes of Macoy Dubs, Tonette Jadaone and so many more to join We The Vote, “Ang dami you’d be surprised to see and it makes me so hopeful That

there are a lot of people who still believe in the democracy of this country and in our right to suffrage so nakakatuwa talaga.” She is even backed up by her brother Arjo Atayde and his girlfriend Maine Mendoza to further her cause. “Arjo is very passionate about these things as well he’s just not as vocal as I am… I aslo talk to her (Maine) about the things I’m passionate about.” Ria was active in the student council back in school and the key to her voice being heard are the people behind her, “A lot of people who support me or also aligned with the way I think and that is important.” Though she says that she has yet to fully adjust to the morning talk show life, Ria is known to be one of the outspoken personalities of today who is very much vocal to issues such as ABS-CBN’s shutdown as she is part of the Star Magic talent roster. She was present in the rally

Photo from Instagram_@juliabarretto

Sonza for insinuating that a woman with a flat tummy is pregnant. Anderson and Barretto drew controversy in 2019 after Anderson and his former girlfriend actress Bea Alonzo broke up, with people pointing at Barretto as the culprit. However, both Anderson and Barretto denied the accusations. but she said the birth of the group who they will inspire to go and register does not have to do anything with what happened to channel two, “When it comes to that you have to separate my individual self from this because this is for voting. There is no color to it.” Though she clarified that she does not have control over the reasons of her peers who joined since they’re also their own, “Some people have joined because of the influence of that.” They had a successful launching last September 15 live on We The Vote Facebook page and Zoom and plans to have on ground activities as soon as the pandemic restrictions ease up. Ria is passionate to make the kids nowadays realize the power they could have just by voting the right people in office, “The movement did not start out of anger or out of the scent nothing really like that it’s really just because it is our right to vote and it’s our responsibility to our country.”

PAGE 14 been published in outlets such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, Washington Posts’ The Lily, New York Magazine’s The Cut, Bustle, McSweeney’s, Gizmodo, The Hairpin, among others. For a time, she also worked as a greeting-card writer and editor at Hallmark. In an interview with the Asian Journal, Mercado shares how this book of essays came about. Asian Journal (AJ): What was the reason behind the book? MM: It’s something that seemed like a pipe dream or something I’d need to wait years to be even remotely qualified to do until I had enough people with enough publishing power saying I could do it. There are self-aggrandizing and self-sacrificial and romantic reasons why I wanted to write a book, but ultimately, I wrote the book for, I’m guessing, the same reason anyone writes a book: I had an idea and enough people said “yes” to it. AJ: What was the writing process like for you, did you follow a certain structure or did you write about what you wanted to write when inspiration struck? MM: If you asked any writer if they’d ever want to write a book, they’d be like, “Yes, duh, of course.” If you told them to start writing it, they’d be like, “Oh, you meant, like, now?” It was a lot of sitting in coffee shops, thinking about writing, and then maybe writing a couple sentences. I need a lot of thinking time/brainstorming time/looking at Twitter time before I write something. When I would write, I’d try to write a couple of the satirical/conceptual humor pieces between the personal essays just to give my brain

an emotional break. AJ: How did you end up with the title? Were there other alternate titles you thought about? MM: I have a list of potential names in a Google doc that are all bad and confusing and trying very hard. My main criteria for a title, aside from something that pertained to the book, was that it had to be something I wouldn’t be embarrassed about in five years. AJ: What was a normal day like for you (before COVID-19)? MM: My day-to-day hasn’t changed too much since coronavirus lockdowns and self-quarantining. The main difference is I now just work from my bed or my couch instead of at coffeeshops. On a typical day, if I have a specific assignment, I start with that. The rest of my day is a combination of checking email, thinking about writing, and maybe writing a couple sentences. I repeat that until it’s an acceptable time to start thinking about dinner. AJ: In a nutshell, how do you describe your journey so far? MM: I started as a greeting card editor, had the briefest stint an ad agency, freelanced for whoever would have me, and now I’m almost exclusively writing things I want to be writing (as opposed to writing what I had to because [of] money). It’s a rare and cool thing to be able to do the thing I’m passionate about as my job. Mostly, I’m trying not to take that for granted. AJ: What was your biggest learning in coming up with this book? Was it how you imagined it to be? MM: My biggest takeaway is to try to work with people who are as excited about the thing I’m excited about both when it comes to writing a

book and also…every other aspect of a creative project. I still only understand a small fraction of what goes into publishing a book—the “writing the book” part is neither the beginning nor the end of that process— but having people around me who know their shit and are excited about what I’m doing (or are at least very convincingly fake excited) is what helped make it all fun and fulfilling. AJ: What’s next for you? MM: Hopefully, book two. I’d also love to write for TV. If those don’t pan out, I’ll figure out how to scam my way onto the next season of Love Island. AJ: When was the last time you visited the Philippines? MM: I’ve only visited the Philippines once, twenty years ago when I was in fourth grade. My dad Basil grew up in Makati. AJ: What’s the most important lesson your father has taught you? MM: If you want to do something, there is probably a YouTube tutorial for it. My dad had taught himself how to do everything from chang[ing] his oil to install[ing] a dishwasher to repair a shower. Sometimes I forget how to open the hood of my car. AJ: How old were you when you realized you wanted to write? Did you have other childhood ambitions? MM: When I was five or six, I would tell my parents I wanted to be a typewriter because I thought that a writer had to use a pen and paper and I was like, “Hmm no I will be using a machine for my word making.” At other points growing up, I also wanted to be a vet, a teacher, and a singer/actor/ dancer/model. I should have stuck with typewriter.

Ryan hopes to wed a... PAGE 13 ever his future plans may be. He weighs things carefully so as not to regret later on in life. “I had my regrets in my past relationship, sa ex ko, kasi naging mas focused ako sa work and I didn’t have enough time for her kaya those who are in a relationship, spend time with your partner. Sa mga bata, love your parents and say I love you to them while they

are still with you.” Ryan also talked about his learnings in this pandemic. This crisis has led us to realize that everything can change in an instant. Thus, Ryan stressed that no one knows what’s going to happen in the coming days. He learned to recognize what are the things that truly matter. What is one important message he would like to send to the world?

“You only live once so enjoy life. And I have a message for the Filipinos because I know that in the ‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s, the Philippines was the richest in the whole of Asia and we can do this again if we unite and work together. Be proud to be a Filipino. Magsalita tayo ng Tagalog, let’s patronize Filipino brands at konting sipag at tyaga lang lahat, kaya natin maging mayaman ulit sa buong Asia.”

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SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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