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From the Front Page
California becomes only state...
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The California Department of Public Health reports a 2% 7day positive rate. From Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18, the department reported 16,764
new cases, with cases largely among unvaccinated populations, bringing the total confirmed cases to date to 4,588,231. Meanwhile, 3,669 are hospitalized and 1,006 are in the ICU with confirmed
COVID-19. The state continues to lead in vaccination rates with 51,271,175 vaccines administered and 24,426,200 individuals considered fully vaccinated. n
hand information helpful to the resolution of the 52 cases to come forward and approach the NBI for the taking of their statements, if any. For his part, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that information on the 52 cases will be published in a 20-page matrix on Wednesday, October 20. “The President has expressly
directed the DOJ and the PNP to review the conduct of the war on drugs and has publicly stated that all those who acted ‘beyond bounds’ should be held accountable for any unlawful acts or omissions,” he said. “That is a clear signal that transparency in the drug war review will be observed,” he added. n
DOJ to release info on reviewed drug...
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for the purpose of informing the families and loved ones of the deceased suspects that the circumstances surrounding each incidence of death are undergoing a determination of possible criminal liabilities on the part of erring police officers. Another purpose is to invite witnesses or persons with first-
Climate change may wash out traces of... PAGE 1 both the Philippines and Louisiana were under Spanish rule. Today, The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are around 8,000 Filipinos in Louisiana. Randy Gonzales, an English professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and covice president of the PhilippineLouisiana Historical Society, told CNN that in the late-1700s
Filipinos likely escaped from globe-sailing Spanish ships and went deep in the bayous of Louisiana, building huts over the wetlands. The Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society successfully lobbied for a marker to commemorate St. Malo. Gonzales said it was a challenge to put up since no one ever goes to St. Malo, and they wanted it protected.
An early depiction of “Manila Village” in Jean Lafitte, Lousiana.
As the climate crisis intensifies, Louisiana’s coast is being battered by sea level rise, more frequent hurricanes and erosion. Traces of St. Malo and even the Jean Lafitte settlement may disappear soon. Louisiana has lost about 25% of its coastal land the size of Delaware since in 1932, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, cited by the CNN report. (Inquirer.net)
SECURED. Courier company workers tighten the plastic strap around the boxes of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine that arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Saturday, October 16. A total of 207,090 doses of the U.S.-made jabs were delivered. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
Palace vows to exert ‘greater efforts’ to uphold...
PAGE 1 ‘yung iba’t ibang mga pillars kasama na ang lipunan dahil kabahagi bilang pillar ng criminal justice system ang lipunan (You know, the rule of law has five pillars. The executive is in charge of two — the police and jails. The different pillars need to unite including society as it is part of the criminal justice system),” he said. “Pero kinakailangan ang hudikatura, bilisan ang proseso at kinakailangan din na ang civil society magmatyag pa rin ‘no at talagang gamitin ang proseso para lahat noong lalabag ay maparusahan kung kinakailangan (But we need our judiciary to hasten the process, and we need our civil society to keep watch and use our process so that all violators will be punished if necessary),” he added. Rule of Law index Last week, the WJP released its annual Rule of Law Index 2021, which assesses the rule of law in 139 nations based on national surveys of over 138,000 families and 4,200 legal practitioners and experts worldwide. The Philippines placed 102nd, dropping several notches down from last year’s ranking of 91 out of 128 countries. Photo courtesy of FANHS In East Asia and the Pacific
region, the Philippines remained at 13th place out of 15 countries. The index measures adherence to the rule of law based on eight indicators namely constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice. In the latest index, the Philippines scored 0.46 on a zero to one scale. A score of one indicates strongest adherence to the rule of law. The country’s scores in other indicators likewise declined, except in regulatory enforcement and criminal justice, which stayed at 0.48 and 0.31, respectively. In addition, the index noted a statistically significant change in the country’s score in order and security, which dropped by 0.02 to 0.63. “Significant trends for the Philippines included a deterioration in the factor measuring order and security,” the WJP said Thursday, Oct. 14. Nonetheless, it pointed out that decline of rule of law is a global trend this year. “In a year dominated by the global COVID-19 pandemic,
74.2% of countries covered experienced declines in rule of law performance, while 25.8% improved,” the organization said. “The 74.2% of countries that experienced declines this year account for 84.7% of the world’s population or approximately 6.5 billion people,” it added. In response to the ranking, Guevarra maintained that the country’s judicial system is “functioning” as it should. “Our law enforcement, prosecutorial and judicial institutions, although imperfect like any other human institutions, have been functioning as they should,” he said Saturday, Oct. 16. “Be that as it may, the government will exert greater efforts to uphold and promote the rule of law in our country,” he added. Guevarra also insisted that the crime rate in the Philippines has been “on a downward trend.” “Except for a few sensational cases, the general crime rate in our country has been on a downtrend in recent years, and the government has been addressing reported violations of human rights and alleged abuses in the conduct of the campaign against illegal drugs,” he said. n
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Q&A: How will California’s new 988 mental health line actually work? by Jenny
Gold Kaiser Health News
UNDAS PREPARATION. A cemetery caretaker cleans the tombs at the Golden Haven Cemetery in Las Piñas City on Monday, October 18. The public is advised to visit their departed loved ones early as cemeteries in Metro Manila are closed from October 29 to November 2 in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Vaccinations urged as Los Angeles County... PAGE 1
with 5 deaths per 100,000 vaccinated people. These numbers demonstrated the true magnitude of the protection afforded by the vaccines. Among the more than 5.7 million fully vaccinated people in L.A. County, Public Health identified 60,689 people fully vaccinated who tested positive for COVID-19 as of October 9. In all, a little over 1% of fully vaccinated people in L.A. County have tested positive. Of those who tested positive, 2,043 were hospitalized, which translates to 0.04% of all fully vaccinated people. There have been 311 deaths among fully vaccinated people or 0.005% of fully vaccinated people passed away. Public Health confirmed four new deaths and 948 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. The number of cases and deaths likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend. Of the four new deaths reported , one person who passed away was over the age of 80, one person who died was between the ages of 50 and 64, and two people who died were between the ages of 30 and 49. To date, Public Health has identified 1,478,622 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 26,418 deaths.
There are 638 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for nearly 8,904,000 individuals with 15% of people testing positive. Monday’s test positivity rate is 0.7%. “To the families grieving the loss of a loved one to COVID19, we send you our deepest sympathies and keep you in our thoughts and prayers,” said Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health. “We join the nation in mourning the death of former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, who has died of COVID complications at the age of 84. While our data demonstrate the tremendous power of vaccines to prevent severe outcomes of COVID infection, this tragic loss highlights the fact that for vulnerable people, including older adults and those with underlying health conditions including immunosuppression, there is still a small but serious risk of hospitalization or death even after vaccination. This is why masking and distancing remain important layers of protection when transmission of COVID remains high or substantial; and increasing vaccination rates is the beast strategy for reducing exposure risk for everyone.” Vaccinations are widely available throughout LA County
IN September 2020, Congress passed bipartisan legislation creating a three-digit national suicide hotline: 988. Think of it as an alternative to 911 for mental health emergencies. The system is intended to make it easier to seek immediate help during a mental health crisis. Instead of calling 911 or the 10-digit national suicide hotline, Americans theoretically will be able to speak to a trained counselor by calling 988 from most any phone line. The federal law allows states to raise funds for the effort by levying a surcharge on monthly bills for mobile and landline phone service. The money can be used to support the dedicated call centers, pay for trained mobile response teams to be dispatched instead of armed law enforcement officers, and bolster stabilization services for people in crisis. States are required to have some version of the 988 system up and running by July 2022. But the actual shape it takes is up to each state. In California, the state Department of Health Care Services announced in September it would spend $20 million to help launch the 988 system. AB 988 is legislation that would tack on up to 80 cents a month on phone lines in the state — both wireless and landline services — to provide ongoing funding for the system and associated services. The bill has faced opposition from the telecommunications industry, which argues the fee should be capped at 10 cents and fund only the cost of routing 988 calls to an appropriate crisis center. The bill has passed the Assembly and is expected to be taken up by the Senate next year. Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, an Orinda Democrat, is the principal author of AB 988, which she called the “Miles Hall Lifeline Act” in honor of a 23-year-old man who was fatally shot by police in Walnut Creek
and are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Anyone 12 and older living or working in LA County can get vaccinated. Appointments are not needed at many sites and all Public Health vaccination sites where first, second, and third doses are available. Vaccinated middle and high school students are eligible for free UCLA football tickets. UCLA has partnered with Public Health to give away free tickets to a UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl to middle or high school students in L.A. County who’ve received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while tickets last. Students aged 12 to 18 who’ve received at least one dose can sign up for the free tickets online by visiting: http://ph.lacounty.gov/ DPHUCLAVaxforTix. Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) to find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more. If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or sched- PAGE 1 uling a home-visit if you are from the presidential race. homebound. (AJPress) “VP Leni Robredo has not been disqualified. Video and articles that imply or suggest otherwise are #fakenews. COMELEC’s reminders on prohibited sources of funding apply to all would-be candidates. #fightfake,” Jimenez tweeted on
during a mental health crisis. His family said he had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Bauer-Kahan, a Bay Area lawyer, talked to KHN’s Jenny Gold about efforts to get 988 operational in California and what the new system might be able to accomplish. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Q: The new federal law requires that every state have a 988 phone system in place by July. How is California doing, and will we be ready? I’m hopeful that we will. We definitely have more work to do. We appropriated $20 million in September to ensure that we have the startup costs to build up our call centers. The data is showing that we should expect about a 30% increase in call volume [for California’s 13 suicide prevention call centers] when the rollout happens for 988 in July. So, it’s really critical to ensure that the call centers have the ability to increase staffing, and train people so that we’re prepared. Q: Why is it important to have an emergency system dedicated exclusively to mental health? This is a health care issue, but currently it’s being treated as a public safety issue. And that’s leading to a whole host of problems. I’d say the largest problem is that [an estimated] 25% of all officer-involved shootings are people in mental health crisis. So that tells us that we aren’t getting the support we need to the people who need it. Our law enforcement has been incredibly supportive of this effort because they know that there are people better trained to manage people who are in crisis. The largest mental health provider in the nation is the L.A. County jail, which is just the most upsetting thing I’ve heard. People shouldn’t be treated in our jails. Q: What does the completed 988 system look like? The federal legislation dictated that 988 calls have to be
answered by certified suicide prevention call centers. We have 13 of those call centers in California, so they will be the people who answer. Behind the call, the county where you live would be listening and determining whether you need dispatch. We believe, actually, a good percentage of callers will be served via just a phone call. But for those that need a response on the ground, there would be a warm handoff to county services. People who have law enforcement showing up today would instead get a mobile crisis team show up to support them in that moment of crisis. Then they’d be handed off to stabilization services and long-term care for their mental health needs. Q: What happens after emergency personnel respond to a 988 call? Would the patient be routed into a system that looks different from the one we have now, where people are so often taken to an emergency room or jail? The goal is yes. They wouldn’t go to jail, because law enforcement isn’t the responder. So our jails would not continue to be our largest mental health care providers, but we would be building up a network of services. Some people do need in-patient care that cannot be provided outside of the hospital, and we should make sure we have the [necessary] beds, which we don’t today. If somebody needs somebody to talk to weekly, then the county will be able to provide those services. [We need to ensure that] the counties, who really should be the service providers, have the resources to provide care to those in need. And, currently, we just are woefully inadequate in the services that we can provide. The bill really defers to the counties with appropriate funding to create a system that will work for the community. Q: We have a crisis that extends well beyond the point of police intervention, con-
u PAGE 5
Comelec dismisses ‘false reports’ on... Sunday, October 17. These claims surfaced over the weekend after Robredo’s supporters launched an online fundraising page for her presidential campaign. However, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon already clarified that foreigners cannot contribute to any Filipino
candidate. Apart from this, the Comelec has not yet released the official list of candidates in the upcoming elections, which means none can be disqualified yet, according to Jimenez. The final set of candidates is set to be released by December, according to Comelec. n
More women are targets of xenophobic... PAGE 1
(wearing the hijab), external and opposing culture,” said Basima Sisemore, researcher for the Global Justice Program at the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, who conducted the survey. “And that culture is Islam and the East, and Muslims who supposedly are at odds with western ideals and democratic values.” The survey is the first national study to ask Muslim Americans (about 3.5 million people) their perceptions and experiences regarding Islamophobia. It was conducted in 50 states and 1123 respondents participated. 62% of all respondents reported that they, relatives, friends or members of their community have been affected by federal and / or state policies that disproportionately discriminate against Muslims. Islamophobia, says Sisemore, already existed before the attacks of September 11, 2001 and dates back to the beginning of the nation as 20% of the African slave population was Muslim. It has been perpetrated by people in individual acts of violence, but also institutionalized by “structural racism” in the United States with policies such as “the travel ban for Muslims, Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programs or even anti Sharia legislation.” “Liberal and imperialist feminism feeds into the false and dangerous narrative of Muslim women as oppressed,” continued Sisemore. “That feminism says that women have no equality under Islam, and are seen in need of being saved from violent and oppressive Muslim men, which is a very dangerous narrative that played out in the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan as a means to garner public support toward the narrative of white saviorism.” While in some Islamic countries women need to go out in public with their husbands or have severe restrictions on their rights, Sisemore says these are “extreme examples” and that the media could highlight other aspects of Muslim culture as “women play an intrinsic role in all parts of
society.” According to Elsadig Elsheikh, Director of the Global Justice Program at the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, in some African countries women have led the struggle against dictatorships and invasions and there are exemplary cases of leadership in the East like that of Sheikh Hasina, current prime minister in Bangladesh, and Benazir Bhutto, the first woman to head a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country like Pakistan. “I’m not quite sure the representation of women in most liberal democracies in the West exceeds 20%,” Elsheikh said. Elsheikh said that another worrying finding from the survey is that almost a third or more of Muslims have hid or attempted to hide their religious identity, “because Islamophobia has made their place of worship linked to ‘terrorism’ which makes it hard for Muslims to engage with each other… if I see a guy with a turban on his head, I am also filled with rage against those who will come into bombing our country.” Many Muslims censor themselves by avoiding talking about their beliefs or place of origin and in the case of women “almost nine out of 10 women do that in their everyday life, they try to get away from speaking their mind.” For Elsheikh, Muslims and other marginalized groups, “seem to be the scapegoats for everything wrong in the United States.” This experience is similar for Asian-American communities that have been the subject of a wave of racist and xenophobic incidents related to the origin of COVID in Asia. According to the Stop AAPI Hate center, from March 2020 to June 2021, more than 9,000 incidents have been reported against this community and more than 66% of those attacks have been against AsianAmerican women, including school-age girls. “With that idea of ‘Make America White Again”, the rest of us are foreign invaders and whole
groups of people are rendered as being second-class, less than human,” said Helen Zia, AAPI activist, author, and journalist. “Add to that a layer of gender based attacks against women, which puts immigrant women to face multiple jeopardy for being just who they are.” Zia mentioned the massacre in Atlanta, Georgia, where six Asian-American women who worked in spas were killed, and said that the hate incidents, although not documented by gender, date back to 1980. “The sexualization of Asian women, and women of color in general, plays a role in these kinds of incidents,” Zia said. The most difficult thing for women is to report “because they know that in society overall they are diminished, they are shamed and blamed, and they may even face stigma within their own community.” Among the Latino community, labor and sexual exploitation occurs in silence due to the latent threat of deportation. Latina and indigenous agricultural workers, particularly immigrants from Mexico, Central and South America escape various forms of violence in their countries of origin and by seeking refuge in the United States, they continue to be victimized. “Latina women have faced a lot of sexual violence, especially in the fields, considering the dynamic that exists with their citizenship status,” said Irene de Barraicua, Director of Operations for Lideres Campesinas, a network of agricultural workers that supports women with their asylum cases. “They are afraid of retaliation and deportation and do not seek assistance for fear of being deemed a public charge,” added Barraicua. During the pandemic “they were the first to go when business and growers farmers had to stop or wanted to keep the fastest workers.” The leader says that all these forms of violence can only stop when “we see a fair immigration reform” and for that “we will continue lifting these voices.” (Jenny Manrique/Ethnic Media Services)
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Children with disabilities face special back-to-school challenges by HeIdI de
MARCo Kaiser Health News
couldn’t devote the same attention as a kid without disabilities.’’ Christopher “could have advanced much more” since the pandemic hit if he hadn’t missed so much school, said Manzano, who is 36 and has three other children, ages 12, 10 and 8, whom she also has had to guide through months of home-schooling. Yet the return to school raises particular health issues for Christopher and other children with disabilities who are at increased risk for serious bouts of covid-19, said his pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Dr. Liza Mackintosh. Though he isn’t immunosuppressed, Christopher has trouble coughing up secretions, which leaves him vulnerable to lung and respiratory infections, she said. Compared with other adults in contact with children, his parents, teachers and therapists “have to be more vigilant about mask-wearing, hand hygiene and social distancing,” she said. In short, Manzo was deeply worried about the threat of covid exposure Christopher faced at school. But it was a risk she felt he could no longer avoid, to get on with his life. Trying to learn from home was “really hard on him,” Manzo said. “He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t go to school or the park or to his therapies.” “I know covid is still among us, but I also can’t keep him at home like he’s a crystal bubble and pro-
tect him,” she said. “He needs contact with other kids and his teachers.” LOS ANGELES — Christopher The challenges faced by ChrisManzo, a boy with curly brown topher during the pandemic hair and bright-blue-and-yellow have been shared by many of glasses, has lived a third of his the roughly 7 million U.S. chilfive years at home because of the dren and young adults, ages 3 pandemic. to 21, with special needs. Online And he is more than ready for platforms usually don’t work for kindergarten. them. For example, Christopher Hand in hand with his mother, needs to feel Braille letters to Martha Manzo, he walks into read — he can’t do that on a comthe Blind Children’s Center, a puter screen. low-rise building nestled among Students with disabilities had apartment complexes in East “sort of this double hit where it Hollywood. In the brightly colwas very hard to access school ored hallway, filled with paintings services and very challenging to of animals, Manzo kneels to hug continue to work on developing Christopher before he scurries new skills,” said Dr. Irene Koolunsteadily to his cubby. wijk, a specialist in developmen“God take care of you and be tal-behavioral pediatrics at UCLA with you,” she says. “And have Health. fun.” It took a lot of preparation to Born with congenital hydroget Christopher and the 40 or cephalus that damaged his brain so other children attending the and left him with severely imBlind Children’s Center back into paired vision, cognitive difficulthe building of the private, inties and a lack of coordination, fant-to-kindergarten school. All Christopher hasn’t missed only the children are blind or visually school the past 18 months — he’s impaired, and most also have dismissed out on a host of vital occuorders ranging from autism and pational, physical and language albinism to cerebral palsy and therapies, as well as socialization epilepsy. The school practices with other kids. reverse mainstreaming, in which At home, Christopher couldn’t a few children with typical devellook at a computer screen long opment share the classroom with enough to attend therapies or children with disabilities. classes on Zoom, said Manzano, Months before the school in an interview conducted in doors reopened, the center startSpanish. “He would strain his ed teaching the students about eyes, look away, and his attenwearing masks. tion would falter,” she said. “He “Little by little, we started training the kids to wear masks on Zoom. It started off with the duration of a song, then two songs,” said Rosalinda Mendiola, adaptive services specialist at the Blind Children’s Center. “Our goal was that by the time we opened back up, they would be used to them.” But it was difficult. Many children with special needs have a hard time wearing their masks and understanding the concept of distancing, said Mackintosh. Children with some forms of autism, in particular, have sensory issues that make it bothersome to have something on their faces. “Children learn the most from modeling. They watch their parents, their teachers, their friends,” said Bianca Ciebrant, the center’s director of early childhood education. “But children who are visuMartha Manzo drops off son Christopher at his school, the Blind Children’s Center, in the East ally impaired and blind can’t see Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The center is a free preschool for children who are the mask-wearing. That’s probblind or visually impaired. Photo by Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News ably one of the harder barriers.”
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DOLOMITE BEACH. A worker from the Manila Department of Public Services picks pieces of trash mixed with the dolomite sand at the Manila Bay Dolomite Beach along Roxas Boulevard, Manila on Monday, October 18. The beach saw an influx of visitors over the weekend after Metro Manila was placed under Alert Level 3. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Q&A: How will California’s new 988 mental... PAGE 4 sidering we don’t have places to treat people during mental health emergencies. Is that part of the vision for 988, or does it deal mostly with this very specific moment of initial contact? I’ve always said in thinking about this legislation that this is a small piece of the puzzle. I will not say that I’m solving mental health in one piece of legislation. I am really focused on this piece of where we have law enforcement responding inappropriately today. How do we turn that into a health care response? Now, do we need a complete, robust health care, mental health system underneath it? Yes. Am I creating that all through 988? No. So there’s a lot of work that I think will go with this. I think it’s this incredible step in the right direction, but I by no means believe that it is going to solve all of our problems. The end goal is to have a complete continuum of care, so that the counties are able
to provide the services that each individual needs to get them to a healthy place. Q: Is there a way to raise funding through 988 to help with that broader continuum? The bill funds both the mobile crisis response and stabilization services. So, we anticipate funding more than just the telephone operators. And we have fought tooth and nail to ensure that funding remains in the bill, because we believe that the phone system will be inadequate unless we have the services behind it to actually provide folks with the ability to be stabilized by their local counties. [Having] the resources to provide exactly what each person in crisis needs is absolutely the goal. 988 is a piece of that puzzle. Sometimes you take the first step. This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Pol-
It took Christopher seven months to start wearing a mask. “At first, he didn’t even want it in front of his face,” said Manzo. “He started to slowly accept it when he saw his siblings wear it.” To reopen in September, the school also adopted new covid safety protocols. All 30 staff members are vaccinated, temperature checks are performed
at drop-off, and parents aren’t allowed inside classrooms. All students wear masks except for three of them who have limited motor ability and couldn’t safely remove a mask or don’t understand the mask-wearing process “and therefore it becomes sensory overload and behavior breakdown,” Ciebrant said. There are six kids in each u PAGE 8
icy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. ■
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY RFQ NO. MTL2204328 STOCK AND POINT RAILS FOR TURNOUT STOCK AND POINT RAILS FOR TURNOUT The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking quotes for the replenishment of Stock and Point Rails for Turnout. Bid documents may be obtained at https://metrolinktrains.com/ doing-business (free registration). Electronic Bids are due at 2:00 p.m. (PT) on November 12, 2021. For further information contact: Brian Jacob, Senior Contract Administrator at 213.452.0316 or email jacobb@scrra.net. 10/20/21 CNS-3520077# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)
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Questions on ayuda distribution SINCE the multibillion-peso financial assistance or ayuda for the COVID pandemic was launched last year, anomalies have hounded the aid distribution. There were complaints of favoritism, and provision of aid even to the wealthy. There were problems with the list of beneficiaries. As early as May last year, 134 barangay officials, mostly captains, faced criminal charges before the Department of Justice for various types of irregularities in ayuda distribution. Among the offenses were the collection of “processing fees” ranging from P50 to P1,000 from each recipient, and inclusion of unqualified relatives of barangay officials among the beneficiaries. Despite the filing of criminal charges and suspension of those indicted, the aid anomalies have continued. Last August, for example, three barangay officials led by the captain together with a civilian were arrested in Manila on charges of stealing the P8,000 cash aid from two beneficiaries. In the latest ayuda-related controversy, senators are questioning a contract awarded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to what they described as a little known financial service provider to distribute about P50 billion worth of aid to over 1.89 million beneficiaries.
The DSWD has defended the award of the bulk of the contract to Starpay, saying it was one of just two FSPs accredited to do mixed manual and electronic payouts. Senators wondered why bigger entities such as GCash, PayMaya and RCBC have fewer beneficiaries than Starpay, which was allotted up to seven million beneficiaries, each of which would be charged P50. Only 800,000 have downloaded the Starpay app as of last week, the senators said. DSWD officials have said it was the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that selected the FSPs for the distribution of the social amelioration program. The department had to “recalibrate” after it turned out that many beneficiaries did not have contact numbers. Only Starpay and RCBC “signified” readiness to distribute the SAP to such beneficiaries, the DSWD explained. Senators, on the other hand, urged the Bangko Sentral and investigative bodies to probe the deal with Starpay, a company that reportedly declared
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
bankruptcy in 2019. Apart from failing to fully distribute the aid, Starpay reportedly deposited the undisbursed amount in a private bank before it began returning the funds in installments to
the DSWD, the senators said. The country has struggled to deal with pandemic, and the government must ensure that aid distribution is efficient and aboveboard. (Philstar.com)
Climate change: the next global challenge
Babe’s Eye View BaBe Romualdez AS the current chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Washington (ACW) an organization composed of ambassadors of ASEAN member-nations in Washington – we have organized a list of activities aimed at elevating the concerns of Southeast Asian nations and further strengthening the political and economic ties with the United States. Last Wednesday, October 13, we chaired the ASEAN committee meeting at our embassy where we invited former State Secretary, now Special Presidential Envoy on Climate John Kerry, to discuss climate change and its inherent consequences affecting the world which could be equated with COVID-19. Secretary Kerry gave us a rundown on what the U.S. wants to accomplish together with other countries – the reduction of carbon emissions and a commitment to phase out fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. President Biden has pledged to
Commentary
Cielito F. HaBito ONCE again, we are going into the exercise of choosing the person to lead our nation through the next six years. We must stop looking for the perfect president among the candidates because there is no such animal. But we certainly must shun the clearly bad ones and choose the one we feel could best lead us in shaping a better country for all Filipinos. There are seven Cs I am personally watching out for in making my choice: Character, for me, is topmost. Any president will receive all kinds of advice from all directions and widely differing perspectives, but in the end, it is his/her character, principles, and judgment that will determine which and whose advice will be adopted. We must therefore feel comfortable and confident that the leader will decide and act based not on self-interest, not on what is popular or convenient, but on what is right—that is, what promotes the greatest good for the greatest number. Competence is important, as it equips the leader to understand the alternatives that would yield the greatest good for the greatest number. While no one should expect our president to be a jack of all trades, an educational background that equips him/her with essential principles in key fields like economics; law; natural, physical, and social sciences; and the liberal arts would best combine with the top requisite
cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent (based on 2005 levels) by 2030, create a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050. According to Secretary Kerry, we have less than 10 years – by 2030 in fact – to get the world on the right path and avoid a potential climate catastrophe. He believes we can reverse the dangerous warming of the planet by limiting the rise in our temperature to that level of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Secretary Kerry spoke about the upcoming 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland this November where leaders are expected to step up on their commitment to reduce carbon emissions. Each country that signed up on the 2015 Paris Agreement committed to a target known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, the chairpersondesignate of the Climate Change Commission, will be our representative to COP26, but perhaps
Secretary Teddy Locsin may be joining him at that important two-week summit with an estimated 30,000 delegates that include world leaders as well as scientists and environment advocates. All eyes will be on the COP26 (which was postponed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic), acknowledged as the biggest and most important climate conference and dubbed by many as “the world’s best last chance” to keep the worst consequences of the climate crisis at bay. A major factor in helping countries move forward in the goal to reduce their carbon footprint is new technology, such as “green hydrogen” using a chemical process that extracts hydrogen from water using electricity from renewable sources, which can be a replacement for fossil fuels. Secretary Kerry discussed opportunities for alternative sources of energy – green energy – which can be a driver in reversing the impact of global warming and climate change. He mentioned the technology that develops small, modular nuclear reactors as sources
of renewable energy that require smaller investment capital plus greater scalability. In fact, Bill Gates – who authored “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” – founded TerraPower, an advanced nuclear innovation company that aims to develop carbon-free small modular reactors, the first of which will be built in an abandoned coal station in Wyoming. Scientists have long been saying that nuclear energy can combat climate change because it is low carbon, and power plants do not emit greenhouse gases during operation. In the Philippines, one of the most passionate advocates of nuclear energy is former Pangasinan Congressman Mark Cojuangco, who has been calling for the revival of the Bataan nuclear power plant to boost the supply in Luzon and avert a power shortage as it could add 600 megawatts of reliable power. Mark believes reviving the BNPP will help provide consumers with a stable source of electricity at a lower cost. He also cites NEDA estimates that the Philippines will need 13,000 megawatts of electricity to cope
with the rising demand, and small modular reactors with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts could address this rising need in the electricity grid. This is something that we should continue to study and, hopefully, the next administration will seriously look at alternative sources of energy as the only way to go. During our meeting with Secretary Kerry, I precisely asked him about his thoughts on nuclear energy. The secretary was very clear: he was a firm believer in nuclear energy. As I said, the United States is already developing a safe modular type of nuclear energy power plant that will be ultra-safe and can be easily installed in many countries. The U.S. plans to share this technology as soon as it is fully developed. To this day, the impact of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) can still be felt, with people in low-lying coastal areas getting distressed every time strong rains start pouring. A few days ago, Severe Tropical Storm Maring (Kompasu) battered several provinces in northern Luzon, dumping more than a month’s worth of rain that submerged
many towns, with damage to agriculture estimated at P1 billion. While the COVID-19 pandemic is a global concern, climate change is an “existentialist threat” that also poses the “greatest threat” to global public health, increasing the number of heat-related deaths and illnesses, causing a rise in infectious diseases and impacting the mental health of people, with lives and livelihoods lost due to droughts, floods, fires and other disasters. As Secretary Dominguez noted, the pandemic is a problem – but climate change issues that we have faced and will continue to face will impact the next generation. Hopefully, leaders – especially those from the G20 economies – will deliver on their climate change commitments because the time to act is now, not tomorrow. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
*** Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com
Seven Cs of a good leader This autumn, school is where our students are thriving
of good character, to make for sound decision-making. It’s not enough to rationalize that the leader could rely on the advice of well-chosen Cabinet members on matters s/he is not technically equipped for. His/her very choice of who to appoint to key positions in government will hinge on the same character, principles, and judgment described above. That is why it is paramount. Consistency means being guided by a clear set of principles and remaining faithful to them. We have seen enough leaders who were only too willing to contradict themselves later on policies, decisions, and even pronouncements earlier made, when political winds blow in another direction, or personal interest gets in the way. Courage is thus related to this. To me, it means that the leader will have an unshakeable political will to do what is right, even when political or populist pressures push him/her in a different direction. Cohesiveness (as against divisiveness) is something I wrote about last week, as I stressed that unifying leadership is vital to having our nation move and surge forward. Our leader must be able to effectively bridge the social, political, economic, and cultural differences that divide Filipinos, and effect national unity where justice and the rule of law prevail. It obviously does not imply unification with criminals and enemies of the state but implies cohesion among all principled Filipinos sharing the common dream of a nation whose citizens live in comfort and prosperity, with no one left behind. For a national leader,
magnanimity and statesmanship are a must, and again, these hinge crucially on the person’s character. Capability as a leader to me implies the ability to bring out the best in people and officials s/he leads, and inspire them to change. Such was the leadership I felt serving in the Cabinet of President Fidel V. Ramos, who articulated a clear vision for the country that people could identify with. And he led like a playing coach, harnessing teamwork to aim for the vision he clearly owned, and not simply mouthed. Our next leader must be such. Finally, Charisma is important, not only for “winnability,” but more so for effective leadership. It means a leader who inspires. It means a leader who is humble and has empathy with the people, especially the marginalized. It means a leader who does not claim to know everything but listens both with his/her ears and heart. Charisma will also help him/her push for the right reforms even when they are unpopular—and there are, unfortunately, many of these. By now, Filipinos should have all learned from experience with past presidents what kind of president we should not have. We should have also learned by now what kind of values and attitudes we as a people should not have as we choose our leaders—and this could well be the harder part. (Inquirer.net) ***
by Ling Jing
nieh
LAST fall and winter were the toughest seasons of the pandemic, especially for our students, who lacked the refuge of a classroom to learn, connect with peers and freely express themselves. I teach at Inderkum High School, where 36 different languages are spoken, more than 60 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and many households have been hit hard by the pandemic. I worried about the impact the isolation was having on their academic and emotional wellbeing and how COVID-19 may have turned their home life upside down. Despite my efforts to make online learning as easy and efficient as possible, it was a challenge to keep all my students connected, motivated and engaged. While I helped them install software so they could type using Chinese characters, many don’t have a computer printer at home, so it was hard for them to complete the Mandarin writing assignments. Once again, the days are growing shorter, and the air is cooler. But this season is different. The changing leaves announce the arrival of a very different autumn. Thanks to California’s K-12 safety measures to prevent COVID-19 in schools, I am back in the classroom with my students, and we are more focused than ever The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints on teaching and learning. We’re expressed by the author do not necessarily having some fun, too. No longer reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of feeling isolated, the kids’ moods the Asian Journal, its management, editorial are lighter, and everyone seems board and staff. happy to be together at school
again. Our schools have added important safety layers of virus prevention including screening for COVID-19 infection, proper air ventilation, frequent handwashing, masking and contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, as well as cleaning and disinfecting protocols. When we have a student or staff member who tests positive, I am one the school’s contact tracers who calls the individuals that the person had close contact with to make sure the virus has not spread and to protect others from possible exposure. Our district provides a lot of COVID-19 safety information, including a dashboard that tracks each school’s case. When students are reluctant to follow our safety measures, I put on my scientist hat and remind them how by doing so they are not only protecting themselves but their families, too. That includes their moms and dads, siblings and grandparents who may live at home with them or who they often visit. I say, this is one way you can show them your love. These measures are working. Our state has experienced less than 15 school closures due to COVID-19 outbreaks since school began in August. This accounts for less than one percent of all closures nationwide. At Natomas Unified we have had just 245 students with positive COVID19 tests out of 11,248 students. None of our schools have closed. But safety measures only work when we all do our part.
Parents are key to helping keep schools in-person instruction safe. They should remind their children about the proper way to wear a mask, the importance of handwashing and monitoring themselves for any symptoms of illness. Together we can provide a safe and conducive learning environment for your children. The state’s Safe Schools Parents Page is a useful resource to learn more. The more parents know about their children’s school safety measures, the better we can reduce COVID-19 risk on campus. Vaccination remains our greatest tool in fighting the pandemic; all eligible California students and school staff will be required to get vaccinated against COVID19 by Jan. 2022. Now is the time to make a free COVID-19 vaccination appointment for youth ages 12 up and to get a flu shot if you haven’t already. California’s actions have helped keep kids in school for in-person learning. Let’s join forces to keep from falling back to the worst days of the pandemic. Together, we can put COVID-19 behind us. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
*** Ling Jing Nieh teaches Mandarin Chinese and Math at Inderkum High School in the Natomas Unified School District. A former biochemist, Nieh also is credentialed to teach Chemistry. A native of Taiwan, Nieh has taught in the U.S. for 18 years.
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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • OCtObeR 20-22, 2021
Dateline PhiliPPines
7
5-10% of private health workers in PH resign to work overseas — hospitals group po maubusan na tayo ng mga nurses at mapipilay po talaga ang ating mga health faciliMANILA — Around five to 10 ties at healthcare system,” he percent of health workers have said. filed their resignation to work (We observe that if they canoverseas, Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. President Dr. Jose Rene De Grano said on Tuesday, October 19 as he cautioned that continuous resignation may strain the country in the next six months. “For the past siguro mga two or three weeks, nakita natin na medyo mga around five percent or more ng ating mga nurses — lalo na po ang ating mga nurses — ay nag-fa-file ng mga kanilang resignations dahil gusto po nilang mag-work sa ibang bansa,” De Grano said during the Laging Handa briefing. (For the past maybe two or three weeks, we saw that around five percent or more of our nurses — especially our nurses — file resignations to work in other countries.) “Siguro mga at least five to 10 percent po ‘yan na mga nag-a-abroad lang,” he added. (Maybe at least five to 10 percent want to work overseas.) De Grano said that while health workers who resign do not hastily leave their duties and notify their employers of working abroad, he said that without immediate replacement, the country’s health system will be strained. “‘Yun po ang kinakatakot natin kasi ‘pag masyado tayo lumuwag sa pagpapalabas ng ating mga healthcare workers at wala naman tayong maipalit kaagad sa kanila ay baka tayo po maubusan ng mga healthcare workers,” De Grano lamented. (We fear that if more healthcare workers will be allowed to leave and we cannot find a replacement immediately, we may run out of healthcare workers.) “So, ‘yun po ang ating nakikita na siguro kung hindi po natin medyo mapipigilan itong pag-alis na ‘to, baka po in another six months, baka by dAnizA
FernAndez Inquirer.net
APOR’S RIDE. An authorized person outside residence (APOR) signs on the contact tracing form inside the modern public utility vehicle (PUB) on Zabarte Road, Quezon City on Tuesday, October 19. The modern PUV is one of the service contracting free rides by the Land Transportation Office and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board that traverses Caloocan City to Fairview and vice versa. PNA photo by Ben Briones
Displaced Marawi residents return home by Jerry
AdlAw ManilaTimes.net
FOUR years after the Marawi siege in 2017, some 100,000 residents affected by the war between government forces and the extreme Maute group were hoping to return to their homes, said chairman Drieza Lininding of the Moro Consensus Group in an interview. Lininding said most of the displaced residents used to live in Ground Zero, where the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) have been developing infrastructure projects. Muslim families were seen cleaning housing units in Barangay Gadongan, the site of the 150 permanent shelters that the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and the National Housing Authority (NHA) built with additional funding from the Japanese government. The NHA already developed 100 units and also procured and developed the land. “The new 90-square-meter house is small compared to the old model unit being constructed by residents of Marawi.
These would at least give them a comfortable zone, which will now become their permanent home,” said Lininding. The residents affected by the siege wanted to begin a new life with their new home with the help of the P73,000-cash assistance from the government. “With regards to housing, there is none yet for sharers but they were provided with financial assistance (worth) P35,000 per family including those vendors who rented their stalls inside MAA but lost their businesses during the siege,” added Lininding. The government, however, declared as “no-dwell zone” the areas within the 3- to 6-meter easement of the Lake Lanao, at the riverbanks and within the reclamation area where the government is doing infrastructure projects. The UN-Habitat had previously awarded permanent shelters to displaced families in Hadiya Village Phase 1 in Barangay Dulay West (109 units), at Phase 2 in the same location (120 units) and at the Pamayandeg Ranao Residences (50 units) in Barangay Mipantao-Gadongan.
The UN agency said 910 permanent houses are set to be completed by December 2021 in five resettlement sites. Lininding said in September, a legislation for the compensation of residents of the war-torn city inched closer to approval in the Senate with the Special Committee on Marawi City Rehabilitation chaired by Sen. Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa. Dela Rosa has given the assurance to expedite the approval of the bill as both legislative houses will work double time to pass this measure for the people of Marawi. The lower house passed its version, House Bill 9925, on September 6 which, under the bill, private property owners shall be compensated for loss or destruction based on the current market value. Some families affected by the five-month siege received permanent shelters from the partnership between private organizations and TFBM. Most of these were distributed prior to President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit on Saturday and later presented in a symbolic u PAGE 8
not be prevented from leaving, maybe in another six months, we will lose our nurses and our health facilities, and the healthcare system will be paralyzed.) n
8 OctOber 20-22, 2021 • Socal ASIAN JOUrNAL
Dateline PhiliPPines
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Give Rappler a chance - Marcos by Bernadette
e. tamayo
ManilaTimes.net
FORMER senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. appealed to his supporters to give Rappler “a chance” after they raised a howl against the online news outfit for allegedly manipulating an online presidential survey. “Let us give Rappler another chance,” Marcos, the standardbearer of the Partido Federal, told his supporters on Monday, October 18. “Those behind the manipulation of a simple exercise to get the voters’ pulse on the 2022 presidential race might have been overwhelmed by their desire to accomplish whatever mission assigned to them,” he said. “So, let’s give them another chance to find honesty in their heart.” Marcos thanked his supporters for checking the survey facts of Rappler, the Facebook
fact-checker in the Philippines, which conducted an online survey on presidential preference in the 2022 elections. He asked them to remain vigilant amid reports that some poll trendings for the presidential race were being doctored to favor certain candidates, particularly those with low survey numbers. A group of vloggers and Marcos supporters last week called out Rappler over its questionable online survey. The survey on Facebook assigned different emoticons to presidential candidates. The “wow” emoticon was assigned to Marcos; the “heart” emoticon to Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo; the “laugh” emoticon to Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson; the “like” emoticon to Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso; and the “care” emoticon to Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao.
Marcos’ office said Rappler’s manipulation was discovered after a netizen uploaded on TikTok, another social media platform, a video of him checking out the emoticons hit for each of the candidates. In the video, the total number of votes cast for Robredo was already 161,000 and Marcos had 87,000 votes. The video showed that on counterchecking the pages, the actual “wow” emoticons outnumbered the “heart” emoticons. Rappler deleted the survey, apologized to netizens and explained that the survey had to be taken down since it was not aligned with its objectives. Vloggers Kasangga Jay and Princess Maui chided Rappler for its “attempt to deceive the public” into believing that Robredo was now getting the support of netizens. n
PLAYTIME. A group of people plays a video game at a table with a transparent barrier inside a gaming arcade in a mall on Quirino Highway, Fairview, Quezon City on Tuesday, October 19. Under Alert Level 3, gaming arcades are allowed at 30 percent indoor venue capacity for fully vaccinated individuals. PNA photo by Ben Briones
Face-to-face classes to start Displaced Marawi residents return... in 30 schools on November 15 PAGE 7 ceremony at the Rizal Park. According to the Rebuilding Marawi Project of the UN-Habitat, in partnership with the NHA, 250 families were awarded permanent house and lot units. Marawi residents represented by Norjannah Amerol, 46, said it is an opportunity to rebuild part of what they lost in the war. “The new house that we now have is a blessing, a symbol that if a person patiently waits, Allah will provide his blessings,” Amerol said crying as she recalled how
by Christian
deiparin Philstar.com
MANILA — The Department of Education on Tuesday, October 19, said only 30 public schools are so far seen to proceed with the limited face-to-face classes that will start in the Philippines next month. Some 59 public schools were identified last month for the pilot run on resuming in-person learning on November 15 but Education Assistant Secretary Malcolm Garma said some of the proposed sites did not get approval from local governments, communities, or parents to hold the classes. Some areas are also seeing a sudden increase in coronavirus cases, he added. “The 30 schools are definitely those that will start on November 15,” Garma said in Filipino, adding that a second round of validation in the regions is underway for 70 more institutions. Most of the public schools reopening next month are in the Central Visayas and the Zamboanga Peninsula. Face-to-face classes will also be held in a handful of schools in Northern Mindanao, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and Soccsksargen.
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she feared for the lives of her two sons who chose to stay behind to take care of the family’s belongings, thinking that the gunfight will last for just three days at the most. One of Amerol’s sons was hit by a stray bullet as other members of the family made their way to the boat by the lake that brought them to safety. “Four years! Whatever hardships my family went through, those were assuaged by this house. I will not let my children be separated from me again.
That kind of fear as a mother is something that I do not want to experience again. This is where we will rebuild our lives, together,” Amerol said. Last Saturday’s (October 16) visit of President Duterte in Marawi led to the unveiling of the marker of the recently finished Jameo Mindanao Al-Islamic Masjid, otherwise known as the Grand Mosque, as he went to the Rizal Park to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Marawi’s liberation from the siege perpetrated by the Maute terrorists. n
Children with disabilities face special... Staff of Dagat Dagatan Elementary School in Navotas City prepare the classroom and other materials needed on Saturday, October 16 once the government allows the resumption of face-to-face classes. Philstar.com photo by Geremy Pintolo
To proceed with face-to-face classes, short-listed schools must get concurrence from local government units. Parents would also need to give their signed consent to allow their children to participate. Per the approved guidelines, 100 public schools would be permitted to hold the limited face-to-face classes, along with 20 private schools. DepEd regional offices nominated schools for the classes but those that make it to the initial list would still have to pass two safety checks: the Department
of Health’s granular risk assessment and DepEd’s safety school criteria. “Our objective in compliance with the joint memorandum circular is to complete the 100 public schools,” Garma said English and Filipino. “[The 30] will still be increased.” On COVID-19 vaccination for participants, the education official said 317 personnel in total have received at least a single dose. The figure is out of the 444 teaching and non-teaching staff joining the pilot run. n
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PAGE 5 class, overseen by a teacher and two assistants. Christopher needs someone near him to remind him where to walk and to hold on to the banister for balance. With so many staffers around, “creating a shield of vaccinated individuals around the child is important to making the transition back to school as safe as possible,” said Dr. Christine Bottrell Mirzaian, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Martha and her husband, Fausto Manzo, were vaccinated last March, and their 12-year-old daughter, Samantha, also has been immunized against covid. “Our health is important to be
able to continue taking care of him,” Martha Manzo said. On a recent Wednesday, Christopher wore a teddy bear mask and a Ryan’s World backpack to school. This is his last year at the center. When he started, he was only 2 and hadn’t learned to walk. “He has received a lot of help,” Manzo said. “His movements have improved, and his communication skills.” Christopher toddles around the playground during recess and greets his friends with a wave. “His balance is off, but he’s walking now,” his mother said. “I always wanted to see him run and explore.” School staff members were
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happy to have their students back. “We all felt this little warmth in our heart to hear their voices back in the hallway, whether it was crying or laughing or talking to their friends,” said Ciebrant. “This is what we’ve been waiting for, to hear those moments.” This story was produced by KHN (Kaiser Health News), a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. n
9 The
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Diwata Komiks introduces ‘Carmina: Gabbi not giving up on A Filipino-American Urban Mythology’ her beauty-pageant dream and a number of upcoming titles By AllAn
PolicArPio Inquirer.net
AS the world looks to discover new stories for media consumption, Diwata Komiks (simply the English word “comics,” adapted to fit native Filipino languages) launches with a premiere slate of titles spearheaded by its cross-cultural supernatural thriller, “Carmina: A FilipinoAmerican Urban MythologyTM,” which tells the story of a troubled biracial young woman living in a New Mexico trailer park who discovers that she’s part Diwata (mythical beings in indigenous Philippine folk religions) and the daughter of a powerful goddess. Carmina’s story debuts this October on Filipino American History Month with “Carmina #1: Beginnings” now on pre-sale and officially
The cover image of “Carmina #1: Beginnings”
launching physical and online sales on October 30. The comic series’ launch will be held at the Philippine Expressions Bookshop at 479 W 6th St UNIT 105, San Pedro, CA 90731 from 2-6 p.m. Diwata Komiks’ launch event will be held in partnership with cultural organizations FilAm Arts and The Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles and will feature a number of food vendors for different tastes. Additionally, in the spirit of Halloween, cosplayers will be coming to take pictures with the guests who are encouraged to also come in costume! Founded by Filmmaker/Writer and Emmy® Award-Winner Mark A.J. Nazal with Community Advocate/Producer Joe Arciaga, Actress/Writer/ Producer Erica Juliet, and Award-Winning Filipino Comics Artist Roland Amago, Diwata Komiks hopes to expand accessibility and bring more diversity to the comics landscape with the introduction of stories from, and inspired by, Philippine mythology. “I believe that just as we’ve traveled to this country, so have our stories that now have a foothold here in some of the most unexpected places” Writer/Creative Director Mark Nazal muses about his own immigration experience. The comics startup hopes to introduce a new world of gods and monsters to the mainstream with its own unique mythologies. While established comic book powerhouses continue to employ artists from the Philippines for their stories, Diwata Komiks looks to introduce Filipino “Komiks” as its own cultural genre similar to the introduction of Japanese Manga and Anime. Director of Community Engagement Joe Arciaga closes with his statement saying that “we believe there is a space for these stories today with an ever-growing population of Filipino-Americans looking to see ourselves represented in our own narratives and a new generation of international readers looking for new sources of lore.” Follow Diwata Komiks on all social media platforms @diwatakomiks today and discover a slate of new titles only at diwatakomiks.com.
GABBI Garcia’s beauty pageant dream is alive and well. It’s just a matter of finding the right time, she said, because she’s not one to embark on half-baked pursuits. “That dream is really still there and I have been very vocal about it. But I will do it only when I’m certain that I can give my 100 percent focus, attention and commitment,” she told the Inquirer in a virtual conference announcing her contract renewal with GMA Artist Center. Going digital But with showbiz projects and opportunities abound, the 22-year-old actress felt it would be unwise not to make the most out of them. “There are a lot of things on my plate at the moment. I don’t want to do anything half-hearted. I can’t enter a pageant unprepared,” she said Should the stars eventually align, Gabbi said she would be willing to take at least a year off from acting to prepare. “I will be open to doing training for my speech and communication, walking and physique. I’m really, really game and I’m up for that challenge,” she said. “The important thing is that the desire is there.” Finding work has been tough for celebrities because of the pandemic. But while Gabbi is one of the lucky ones to have network support, she still went out of her way to expand her digital presence and audience.
and I work as a two-man team, so it’s all fun. But because we do it out of creativity, we get good results,” she related. The couple recently starred in “One Million Comments, Magjo-jowa na Ako,” a madefor-television movie that’s part of “Regal Studio Presents.” They’re also teaming up for a new drama series titled, “Love You Stranger,” which had to be postponed because of pandemic-related limitations. But the good thing is that taping and production will resume early next year. It was sad and frustrating, but we understood the situation. The team sat us down and talked Gabbi Garcia Photo from Instagram/@gabbi to us, which we appreciated. We let each other know how Aside from her personal we felt… But we’re one team. vlog and social media platAnd the important thing is that forms, Gabbi also started a podcast called “Figure It Out” the show will push through next year,” she said. “Thanktogether with her boyfriend, Khalil Ramos, and a YouTube fully, we’re given other projects food show called “Front-Seat to do while we wait.” Foodies.” G for GL “It’s always nice to be a Asked what type of roles or well-rounded person and artist. genres she wants to explore, Every day, we learn new skills. Gabbi said she would like to There are always new challeng- do more action, coming-of-age es, because there’s now social and heavy drama projects. “I media on top of television. So want to do more films and be you have to be versatile,” said more versatile as an actress,” Gabbi, who’s also a mainstay she said. Doing a “girl love” in the variety show “All-Out drama or having another Sundays.” female love interest onscreen Two-man team is something she’s also open In these challenging times, to. “I would love to try a GL creating content with Khalil series. Maybe I can work proved to be therapeutic. with Sanya Lopez (her former “The past year or so has been “Encantadia” reboot costar), a struggle for all of us; we all because she and I are really have something to deal with. close. And we have already For me, being productive at worked together. So I feel home helped a lot… Khalil Continued on Page 10
10
Bea on her birthday: I had the time of my life
entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 20, 2021
By doris
moNdragoN Inquirer.net
Carlos Gallardo
CGBanco: Not just changing lives, but also the world
GETTING a new business off the ground isn’t an easy feat. Growing and moving it in the right direction aren’t without challenges, too. In a global economy that’s ever-changing, businesses are expected to keep up with the market’s demands and prepare for further funding opportunities — and oftentimes, seeking out outside funding is the solution to keep businesses afloat and running smoothly. CGBanco is one such company. Established in 2019, CGBanco is an independent financial services firm that readily helps clients prepare for the unknown while meeting their financial goals. It offers various services including lending money to businesses that need additional small funding for capital and/or operational requirements. CGBanco employs proven finance strategies designed
to meet clients’ risk tolerance and stand up against market volatility. It also provides unbiased recommendations and impartial guidance based directly on the client’s needs and goals. This company is the brainchild of Mexican-born Carlos Gallardo, who moved to the United States at the age of 11 years old. After graduating and joining the workforce, he noticed that his job was too demanding for something that paid so low. This inspired him to consider starting his own business. With his vision and belief that action means everything, Gallardo soon founded CGBanco. “We are not just changing lives, we are changing the world,” he said. CGBanco prides itself for being the only company that is doing what others Banks won’t that is give an excellent rate of return on their investment.
The company’s ROI is very well accepted in the Filipino community and also is growing rapidly among other communities, including other Asian groups and the Hispanic and Black communities. Innovation far outweighs CGBanco’s purpose than competition. Every successful financial strategy starts with an excellent client relationship, and CGBanco assures client expectations are met, if not exceeded. To find out more about the company, visit CGBanco online at https:// cgbanco.com/ or call 1-844799-0536. CGBanco is under CG Enterprises, which also operates other brands such as Luxury Bros, CG Worldwide Advertisement, EmporiumCan, Nexthookup, Modelo Magazine, Northwest Private Driver, CG Capital Real Estate, and CG Cryptocurrency. (Advertising Supplement)
Direk Paul gets ‘most personal’ in ‘Real Life Fiction’ By Nathalie
tomada Philstar.com
FILMMAKER Paul Soriano has created his “most personal” work yet in Real Life Fiction. Starring Piolo Pascual and Jasmine Curtis-Smith, the psychological drama attempts to shed light on the psyche and limits to which actors push themselves and the people around them “to find brilliance in madness.” Being a director for 15 years now has given Paul a frontrow seat to the lives of actors who create fiction for real. The director, who is also married to one, Toni Gonzaga, and the grandson of one, Nestor de Villa, has had opportunities to explore and observe what he called as the thin, blurry line that actors cross day in and day out. His film is borne out of his observations on the methods and processes actors do when creating characters, and how these affect who they are and how they live their lives when cameras stop rolling. Real Life Fiction is produced under Paul’s production house TEN17P with Spring Films and Viva Films. Its first official trailer will be released today, which is also the director’s 40th birthday. “I’ve been fortunate and blessed to work with many different actors — some of the most popular ones, some of the better-known character actors and some first-timers. I got to know them personally and professionally,” direk Paul told The STAR in a recent virtual interview. “I have the most respect for actors because technically their job is to be somebody else, to create a character that can convince strangers in a cinema and make them believe in their journey. It’s a very respectable thing to do because how do you separate yourself from real life and from fiction? There’s that blurred line that sometimes for some actors, there’s no more line and it becomes just them.” Casting Piolo In his film, Paul goes into the mind of an actor played by Piolo, whom he described as perfect for the role. “He’s also had, what, 30plus years in the industry, so his journey as an actor, as a character was also kind of a release for him. We got along and he was able to really encapsulate the character of Paco for Real Life Fiction.”
KAPUSO actress Bea Alonzo on her 34th birthday said she had the time of her life—thanks to boyfriend Dominique Roque who went out of his way to surprise her. In an Instagram post, Alonzo shared how the romantic Roque made her day special. Roque surprised his girlfriend with a box of red roses and cake on the eve of her birthday last Sunday, October 17. He also gifted her with a puppy and treated her to a weekend getaway in Batangas, the actress said. Alonzo shared a barefaced photo of her during the surprise. “Thank you for all your love and well wishes on my birthday. You never cease to make me feel special on my birthday every year. But for me, this year is different. A lot has happened, and all I have in my heart right now is GRATITUDE. I am thankful for all the lessons and courage that this year has brought me. I am now seeing myself in a different light,” she said. “What more can I ask for? Thank you, Lord, for a life so beautiful; I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she added. Alonzo was also greeted by fellow celebrities and fans on her birthday.
Bea Alonzo
Photo from Instagram/@beaalonzo
FAHM Mania in West Covina on October 23 AS part of the celebration of the achievements and contributions of the Filipino Americans in the U.S., Adobers, in collaboration with Plaza West Covina and the support of community partners, bring you FAHM Mania (Filipino American History Month celebration) in the City of West Covina. FAHM Mania offers a fun-filled experience with something for everyone who wants to enjoy Filipino food, learn or experience the culture, or simply enjoy the day with shopping, live performances, popup art exhibit, book signing, singing contest, giveaways and raffles.
Adobers aims to represent Filipino Americans in different industries through their online directory platform, marketing innovations and live events like FAHM Mania. Their online directory, Adobers.net, serves as an invaluable community resource to find and support Fil-Am shops, restaurants, services, organizations, events and more. Adobers co-founders, Jv Libunao and Demeven Quirino, strongly believe that by fostering the connections and support for each other within the community, they are helping elevate the Fil-Ams in
the U.S. They tirelessly seek collaborations with other individuals and organizations to further expand the reach of their efforts. FAHM Mania would not have been possible without the support of Plaza West Covina, City of West Covina, Fil-Am Association of West Covina, SCP Bayanihan Foundation, Inc., and community volunteers, performers and supporters. FAHM MANIA will be held on Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Plaza West Covina (112 Plaza Dr. West Covina, CA 91790). For more information, please visit www.FAHMmania.com.
Gabbi not giving up on...
From Page 9 like we can have a good dynamic,” she said. Dingdong Dantes is another actor she wants to work with. “I always see him but only in show guestings. But we haven’t really worked propPaul’s directorial comeback, Real Life Fiction, is borne out of his observations on the processes erly together.” actors go through when creating characters — and how these affect who they are and how Gabbi started out in the business when she they live their lives when cameras stop rolling. Philstar.com photo was 15 years old. And while she feels that she my most personal from a As the synopsis puts it, filmmaker’s perspective, just Paco is a seasoned actor from my experiences. (It’s surrounded by people who about) being a filmmaker for think they know who he truly the past 15 years and what I is. In hopes of coming to terms got from it,” he further shared. with his own mortality and “I am very thankful, rediscovering who he really is obviously, that I had the and what he has become, Paco opportunity to do a film like decides to write, direct and act this. It’s a little bit niche, it’s in his own movie. In the course experimental...” of doing so, he meets a new He began writing it in actress, Paula (Jasmine), who 2019 while attending the becomes his on and off-screen Tokyo Film Festival for his last muse. She turns into all the film Mañanita and enjoying characters he creates for her, different cinematic works there. from assassin, therapist to a On the day the country woman he plans to marry. was put on a hard lockdown As he relentlessly pursues his film, his ways put a strain on in March 2020, he was with Piolo in his office in Quezon his relationship with Paula and City, pitching the concept. “He take a toll on his life. As lines instantly gravitated towards between what’s real and not the project, saying that’s kind are blurred, Paco is haunted of been his life and he signed by memories that push him to on. He gave me this word that make a choice between finally he’d do it. Then, the pandemic ending his misery, or getting happened and I was able to out of his head and forgiving write more.” himself. In August 2020, when Paul acknowledged that things improved, they locked his film has a “very existential” themselves in a bubble and nature, heavily influenced by shot the film for a month. It is the likes of Terrence Malick, now done but no release date François Truffaut, Federico yet. He is, however, definite Fellini — the masters he about having it screened in has studied or watched for cinemas. inspiration. Paul further said of The director also confirmed his choice for a directorial that the movie has a metacomeback. “It just felt right. I quality to it in that “it is kind of never really know what my next like a film within a film because film is. Like right now, if you ask you actually see the making me, I’m working on three or of the film. You also see bits four films. There is one film that and pieces of the film they’re could be it. But I guess my next shooting. It’s kind of what the film is always whatever feels structure of Real Life Fiction right, whatever organically is.” happens well. Real Life Fiction Most personal film all just came together. All the According to Paul, Real pieces were happening. Piolo Life Fiction is 15 years in the said yes, Jasmine, yes, the making “because that’s kind team was okay, the location of what I needed to be able to was okay, so game.” write something like this.” “I think it’s definitely Continued on Page 12
has come a long way, she also knows that the road ahead is even longer. “I have done a lot but there are still more things to do,” she pointed out. “I’m the only person in my family in showbiz. I didn’t have connections, so I had to audition and do VTRs. But I was dedicated and eager. I’m so proud and grateful.”
Hidilyn & Julius want destination wedding in 2022
entertainment
11
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 20, 2021
By Nathalie
tomada Philstar.com
HIDILYN Diaz initially thought it was a prank. But the country’s weightlifting golden girl got engaged on Friday, October 15 after long-time boyfriend and coach, Julius Naranjo, went down on bended knee and proposed with a golden ring. On Saturday, the sports couple, both 30 years old, shared the “magical” and “meaningful” moment, which took place at Resorts World Manila, on their respective social media accounts. “It’s YES!” Hidilyn captioned her post that showed her wearing her gold medal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the golden ring featuring a barbell design. “I’m grateful to God that He sent Julius into my life. He makes my life easy, alam ng iba kung ano mga sinasakripisyo niya para maabot namin ang pangarap na ginto sa Olympics together with #TeamHD,” wrote the first Filipino Olympic gold medalist. “Kinilig at masaya ako kasi siya mismo nagsabi God is the center of our relationship, kaya walang duda magye-YES ako dahil swerte ako may isang Julius nagmamahal, nagintindi at sumoporta sakin.” Julius, on the other hand, posted a photo of his fiancee proudly flaunting her engagement ring. “There’s a first for everything,” he wrote. The future husband and wife, who first met at an international weightlifting competition in 2017, have been together for three years now.
Hidilyn Diaz and coach Julius Naranjo are planning to wed in 2022. Photo from Instagram/@hidilyndiaz
In a video shared with The STAR by Hidilyn’s manager Noel Ferrer, Julius told the story behind the custom-made, barbellinspired ring he designed with the help of Manila Diamond Studio. “I told them to make it gold because she won gold,” Julius said. “This is a barbell and the engraved ‘Tokyo 2020’ inside the ring.” According to Noel, Julius has long planned the proposal. “Actually, matagal na. Before the Olympics pa ang plano. It was just a matter of timing really.” The newly-engaged couple are looking at a destination wedding in Baguio City in 2022 with a reception party to be held in Metro Manila. “Si MVP (PLDT-Smart big boss Manny V. Pangilinan) nagsabi na, siya in charge ng honeymoon pack-
age,” disclosed Noel. Fashion designer Francis Libiran with business manager Arsi Baltazar also attended the intimate engagement party to have preliminary talks on the wedding motif. “Gift nila daw yan ng major,” Noel said. Their respective parents in Zamboanga (Hidilyn’s) and Guam (Julius’) couldn’t make it to the special occasion due to the pandemic situation. “But they’re aware,” Noel told The STAR. “At nagpaalam si Julius sa mga magulang ni Haidie (Hidilyn’s nickname) sa Zamboanga bago nag-propose kaya may blessing na rin sya ng mga future in-laws.” The affair was witnessed by some of the couple’s celebrity friends, including Iza Calzado, Joross Gamboa, Precious Lara Quigaman and Marco Alcaraz, among others.
How return to showbiz reaffirmed Lauren’s love for acting after 2-year hiatus By allaN
PolicarPio Inquirer.net
GRIEVING the death of her beloved grandmother, Lauren Young had to put on a brave face as she worked on her first soap in two years. “It was hard because my lola passed away while we were in our locked-in shoot,” she told the Inquirer in a
virtual conference for “Never Say Goodbye,” the coming new episode of the afternoon anthology, “Stories from the Heart.” “In between our takes, I would ask our director (Paul Sta. Ana) if I could cry for a bit in the bathroom. And then, it was back to work again.” “I was really sensitive, so I struggled turning [my emotions] on and off,” added the actress,
who considers her late lola as a second mother, who helped raise her. “But I was lucky to be surrounded by people who were very supportive of me.” For this reason, “Never Say Goodbye” turned out to be one of the most challenging projects she had to do. “But I’m dedicating this to her. I just know and feel that my lola was Continued on Page 12
SFIO has recently established a new headquarters in New York City to accommodate U.S. investors and business partners.
SFIO commences US roadshow led by newly-appointed advisory board members
SFIO has started to embark on its six-month roadshow program across the United States through SFIO’s ‘The Global Academy.’ SFIO’s ‘The Global Academy’ (Training Hub for Entrepreneurship) is a strategic learning provider of masterclasses and workshops for business partners, shareholders and potential investors. It is led by newly appointed Advisory Board member Jonathan Petalver, who has over 25 years of designing and conducting learning and development programs under his belt. Coach Petalver, the CEO and co-founder of ‘The Global Academy.’ is headquartered in New Zealand, and with offices in New York, Melbourne, Dubai and Manila, it has extensive experience in conducting and facilitating masterclass programs in entrepreneurship and business leadership across Asia, Middle East, North America and Europe.
Petalver will also be conducting conferences with existing investors during the roadshows. He is to be joined by Roger Oriel, another newly appointed Advisory Board member of SFIO, and the CEO of Asian Journal Publication, Inc. headquartered in Los Angeles. SFIO has recently established a new headquarters in New York City to accommodate U.S. investors and business partners. Messrs. Petalver and Oriel will travel to Los Angeles to meet potential business partners for SFIO’s property development projects in the U.S. and to expand the business opportunity in the U.S. Moving toward the expansion in the U.S., Petalver scheduled to meet with the potential business partner who will operate the pilot store of Epiphany Cafe. He will be in Silicon Valley, where SFIO plans to establish its technology and development division. Then he will proceed with meeting a
partner in San Francisco, who has been shortlisted to operate the commissary of Ardent Bakers in the U.S. The six-month roadshow program is planned to complete in April 2022. The Chairman of SFIO, Jeths Lacson and the New Zealand team will follow in the first quarter of 2022. To achieve the SFIO’s target of a $100M business roadmap, SFIO officially appointed the CEO of Australia-based MLV group, Michael Venezuela, as the new Chief Financial officer with over 30 years of tax, accounting and audit international experience. His vision is to offer affordable charges of professional tax, accounting and business advisory services to a welldiversified customer base. The commencement of the U.S. roadshow with the new appointment is all part of SFIO’s $100M business roadmap to be achieved by 2022.
(Advertising Supplement)
‘There was a lot of crying’: entertainment Alex recalls miscarriage Why Aubrey enjoys the extra weight 12
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 20, 2021
By Deni Rose M. AfiniDAD-BeRnARDo Philstar.com
By Alex
BRosAs
Inquirer.net
ACTRESS and health buff Aubrey Miles does enjoy gaining a little weight every now and then, but at the same time, she does not want to be complacent.
Miles spoke about gaining and losing weight in her Instagram page last Friday, Oct. 15, as she shared a short video of herself examining her physique while facing a mirror. “In a weird way, I’m enjoying my heavier weight,” she said. “It’s on and off though. I
can gain it in a week or [two] and lose it easily. It’s somehow a pleasure to see my body with a little meat here and there.” While she may be comfortable with the additional pounds, Miles said she can’t stay in such a form for a long time. “I can’t stay in this weight coz I don’t want to shop for new clothes and new size LOL,” she explained. “Motivation is I don’t have to shop or more I don’t want to shop.” Miles admitted that she is the “best and worst critic” of her own body. “I can’t always have the best abs, only people with solid abs [know] how hard to maintain it unless that’s their job/profession,” she said. “For a normal body like [mine, you] see it comes and [goes]!” she added, while stressing that what’s important is one being “healthy inside and out.” Aside from being a health buff, Miles is also a known plantita, owning very pricey and beautiful plants.
ACTRESS and vlogger Alex Gonzaga broke her silence over miscarriage rumors that circulated online after veteran showbiz columnist Lolit Solis wrote about it in an Instagram post last October 9. According to Alex, she and husband Mikee Morada waited for the pregnancy to naturally end before they can tell their story. “Hi. 2 months ago we found out that I was pregnant and 3 weeks ago, we got a heartbreaking news that we might be having an anembryonic pregnancy (blighted ovum),” Alex began. “Our doctor advised us to wait for the process to naturally take its course. So we had to wait for awhile for the pregnancy to finally end before we can tell our story.” The ordeal was so heartbreaking that it tested their faith. “The waiting and praying tested our faith and there (was) a lot of crying. (Every day,) we were clinging on to a miracle that an embryo would still appear but last Tuesday (Oct 12), the Lord’s will prevailed and we finally closed the book of our first pregnancy,” she explained. Although painful, Alex said she shared their story to give inspiration. “We share our story to give hope that in the midst of this pain and loss the Lord will always sustain you. To any couple who’s going through this or who might go through this pain, don’t ever lose hope. It’s not your fault this happened. At your own pace you can start to grieve and heal.” She remains hopeful that she would bear a child again in the future. “Mikee and I held on to our Lord Jesus to prepare and help us accept our situation. He blessed us with a kind of LOVE
Alex Gonzaga with husband Mikee Morada
that is ready to understand. We know that in His perfect time He will bless us with our ultimate desire.” She sent her thanks not only to people who stood by their side, but also to their little bundle of joy. “To our baby whom we almost had, thank you for giving mommy and daddy joy even for a short span. Lastly, thank you to everyone who gave us time to heal.” Celebrities poured love and prayers for the couple. “Praying for your healing Alex. Yours, Mikee’s and your family’s healing,” said singer, actress and vlogger Donnalyn Bartolome. “Stay strong Ate Cath,” added singer-actress Maris Racal. “Sending my prayers and love,” enthused actress-beauty queen Kylie Verzosa. “Sending prayers and love,” commented actress and vlogger Ivana Alawi. Last October 9, Lolit wrote on Instagram: “Naawa naman ako sa balita na nakunan daw si Alex Gonzaga. Kasi nga worried na worried ang mga followers niya at gusto malaman ang tutoong nangyari pero may nagsabi na sa vlog na lang daw
Photo from Instagram/@cathygonzaga
ni Alex o Toni Gonzaga hintayin. Para bang ginawa ng business pati malungkot na balita. “Siyempre para sa sinuman babae very sad na mawala ang baby mo, lalo at first baby nilang mag-asawa. Hindi naman siguro tutoo na nagagalit ang mother Pinty nila Alex at Toni na lumabas ang balita dahil gusto nga daw nila na maging exclusive sa vlog nila. Very petty ‘di ba? Dahil lang sa vlog pati ganitong balita itatago? Eh married naman si Alex, at paano itatago iyon medical record? Basta for us, get well soon Alex, at be strong. Magkakaruon ka pa uli ng baby, we pray for that. Amen.” Mikee expressed dismay by commenting on the post: “(Ma’am,) masakit at nakakadismaya naman. Hindi lang patungkol kay Alex ang inyong sinulat, tungkol ito sa amin mag-asawa. Kaya hinihingi ko ang inyong pag-respeto. Huwag po kayong gumawa ng kwento sa ganitong klaseng sitwasyon lalo’t hindi niyo naman alam ang totoong pangyayari. Salamat.” Lolit has since apologized for the post, saying in a follow-up post: “If I have offended, o may nasaktan dahil dito, I am very sorry. Hindi iyon at never iyon ang naging intention ko nang isulat at i-post ko iyon.”
Direk Paul gets ‘most personal’...
Aubrey Miles Photo from Instagram/@milesaubrey
From Page 10 Biggest change as director From directing music videos and concerts, direk Paul ventured into full-length features starting in 2009 with A Journey Home. Citing his filmography, The STAR asked if it was his intention to take on varying genres. “It’s funny that you say that, like, one of the next films I’m doing, it really does not coincide with any of my past films. I know there’s a tendency to brand certain filmmakers. But I guess with me, I just want to be branded to the kind of story I want to tell,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that I always do a love story or drama or action or science fiction, but if there’s a story I can fall in love with and sacrifice possibly a year, or a year and a half of my life, then I think it’s worth-telling.” Noting he’s not “genre-picky,” he added, “I love all kinds of films, from local to world cinema. I think my taste in films can go from ‘very shallow’ movies to what people consider critically-acclaimed. I keep an open mind, I think.” Asked if he’s the type of director who, after every film, clinically looks at it and assesses what he could have done better, he said, “I think what every film I’ve done shows where I was at that particular moment in time of my life. Like when I did Thelma (2011), when I watch that film, I kind of know what I was thinking, what my inspirations were. Or when I did Kid Kulafu (2015), First Love (2018), Siargao (2017), (each
film) brings me back to the Paul Soriano at that time. We’re all evolving, we’re all changing. We’re all hopefully getting better, learning from our mistakes. I would like to think every film that I do is kind of the best version of me at that particular moment.” He continued, “The best part about making films is that it’s so subjective, to the point where you have really good discussions. And from those discussions, you get better.” One thing’s certain, the biggest change in him as a filmmaker was brought about by the arrival of his son, Seve, five years ago. “That brought out a whole plethora of emotions I had never felt before. I think for the first time, you literally can’t control anything. Toni said it best, that your heart is literally living outside your body. I never understood that until I had my own son. You can only do so much to give him the best and protect him as much as you can, but at the end of the day, you have to learn to slowly let them grow,” Paul reflected. “That kind of emotion I have now as a father maybe has changed me also as a storyteller. I guess, I’m more sensitive. I’m very choosy with my projects because it means I’m going to be away from Seve. Is it worth to be gone for a month and miss milestones maybe or miss something? When I became a father, I kind of organically became more emotional, which I think as a filmmaker is very positive because you should feel empathy, you should feel sympathy, you should feel happy, sad.”
How return to showbiz reaffirmed... From Page 11 watching over me and guiding me. I’m so proud of the work I have done here,” the 27-yearold Kapuso artist said. Breath of fresh air In this series, which will air weekdays starting Oct. 18, Lauren plays Victoria, a New York-based woman who offers marriage—and a green card— to Bruce (Jak Roberto), a nurse distraught by his ex-girlfriend Joyce’s (Klea Pineda) decision not to follow him to the United States. Later on, Bruce crosses paths with Joyce, who’s now battling breast cancer. Despite being married, Bruce insists on helping his former lover get through her ordeal. But in doing so, old feelings begin to resurface. Victoria is forced to give way. “My character loves her husband, so much so that she gave way to make sure he’s happy. But the thing I loved about her is that she will learn to love herself eventually. She can make decisions for herself,” Lauren said. “There will come a point in life where you have to stand up, not only for others, but for yourself. It’s important to know that sometimes, it’s OK to choose yourself over the person you love. Because at the end of the day, you don’t have anyone but yourself.” She also finds Victoria a
other times, not so much. But this drama series, she said, reaffirmed her love for the craft. “It shows that I really love acting, and that I’m very fortunate to be part of something that’s beautifully executed,” she said. Something to prove It was Lauren’s first acting project since the COVID-19 pandemic began, so she came to the set feeling that she had something to prove. “I thought I had to step up my game and show people that even if I went on a two-year break, I still have it in me … I’m quite competitive, to be honest,” she said, laughing. “I want to show that I can be good.” She can be hard on herself sometimes, Lauren said, because she wants to make sure that she delivers a performance that’s worth people’s while. Lauren Young GMA photo “That’s why I take myself seriously on the set. I don’t breath of fresh air from the contravida roles she has played want the audience to have anything bad to say when they see in the past. me on television, because this “Another thing that chalis what I have been doing for lenged me was that, for the years,” said Lauren, who busied longest time, I played the herself with gaming and variety kind who shouts, slaps or gets people kidnapped. But not this streaming to maintain visibility time around. I don’t even think and to interact with her fans amid the pandemic. “I want to I can call Victoria a contravida, prove something to myself. I because she’s just human. The want to make myself proud, so I way she was written was just really strive to be good. I don’t refreshing.” want to waste all those workLauren has had a “strange shops and training I have had relationship” with show through the years,” she said. biz—sometimes, she loves it;
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA WE live in the Age of Information. You could say it is both a blessing and a curse to live during what could very well be “the best of times, the worst of times” as Dickens would probably describe it, to have so much information available at our fingertips. We have terabytes of available information on our smartphones and computers. It is amazing wizardry indeed! All we need is the correct phrase and spelling to look up something and VOILA, there it is. What is the downside? We think we know everything there is to know about practically everything. Secondly, we feel lost without our mental crutch, our smart phones. Third, we are susceptible to groupthink — to think like the herd does, as trends and memes proliferate in the internet. There is a serious need to dig for the truth. Raw knowledge is not the same as wisdom as it applies to how we live our lives. We still need our thinking caps to process and filter information and cull out only those golden nuggets of wisdom we could use to live our lives the best way we can. We junk the rest. Our minds and the collection of life experiences in our memory banks function as the kidneys to filter out the lies and all useless information. The Pareto 80/20 rule applies: 20% of stuff matters and the remaining 80% is chaff and should be trashed if we want our mental and spiritual faculties to remain healthy and functioning for a long time yet. With all these ever evolving gadgets and gizmos, most people these days think that they have the smarts to handle practically every life situation. This may be true — but only up to a point. Life, as we know it, is not so cut and dried. Self-confidence is good but not when it makes you
The buckeT lisT
Ask for help 14th of a series
“Don’t be shy about asking for help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, it only means you’re wise.” — Anonymous arrogant and cocky believing that you are better than anyone else. Life has a way of knocking you down off your high horse. A bruised and battered ego is a good starting point to learn humility and gratitude. This is when the soul begins to grow. The downside of the Age of Information? Because we have become self –reliant, we feel we don’t need anyone else. We don’t want to ask for help when we are stumped with a problem or a situation that is beyond our abilities to deal with. Society expects us to find our way with the wherewithal and smart tools we have. Before the advent of GPS (Global Positioning System), most men (yes, men) wandered aimlessly about trying to find an address, refusing to admit to themselves that they are lost. Ask for directions? Bah, humbug! Why was this so? The short answer: EGO. Most do not want to be perceived as weak or inept or lacking in common sense. Most women seem to be just fine asking strangers or people at gas stations for directions and the men who give the directions seem just happy to oblige. GPS technology is a blessing. However, there is a caveat about complete reliance on it. No technology, at this time, no matter how sophisticated can replace good old common sense. You still need to process the information provided to find the best route for yourself. GPS is a great tool when the freeways are clogged and you need alternate routes to your destination. That said, in life never relinquish your chief navigator position.
community 13 When is my prenuptial agreement not enforceable? The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - October 20, 2021
following: (1) The party against whom enforcement is sought was represented by independent legal counsel at the time of signing the agreement or, after being advised to seek independent Atty. Kenneth Navigating our own life’s legal counsel, expressly UrsUA reyes journey is not that simple waived, in a separate however. There are twists and writing, representation by turns in life that throw us out MANY people are of independent legal counsel. of our smug self-sufficiency. the perception that simply The advisement to seek We find ourselves needing downloading a prenuptial independent legal counsel help, either from our fellow agreement from the internet shall be made at least seven men or more than likely, and signing it with their fiance calendar days before the from God, when everything offers them a bullet proof final agreement is signed. we have tried, has failed protection from a divorce. (2) One of the following:(A) spectacularly. What many people do not For an agreement executed Don’t be too proud to ask know is that certain statutory between January 1, 2002, for help. Sometimes, we go requirements must be met and January 1, 2020, through seasons of darkness in order for the prenuptial the party against whom when it seems the universe agreement to be valid and to enforcement is sought had is conspiring against us and withstand attack in court by not less than seven calendar everything that is happening your future spouse’s lawyer. days between the time that weighs us down. We feel Family Code Section 1615 party was first presented helpless as though a Category provides that a prenuptial with the final agreement and 5 hurricane is tossing us about agreement is not enforceable advised to seek independent like a rag doll and there is no if the party against whom legal counsel and the time end in sight. enforcement is sought proves the agreement was signed. These are the seasons either of the following (1) (B) For an agreement when going down on our that party did not execute executed on or after January knees doubling down on the agreement voluntarily 1, 2020, the party against prayers begging for help from or (2) The agreement was whom enforcement is sought above is the best option. unconscionable when it had not less than seven This is a time of building was executed and, before calendar days between the a deeper, more personal execution of the agreement, time that party was first relationship with the loving all of the following applied presented with the final God of our beings, who the to that party:(A) That agreement and the time psalmist described as the one party was not provided a the agreement was signed, “who knit us in our mother’s fair, reasonable, and full regardless of whether the womb,” so that we are each disclosure of the property party is represented by “fearfully and wonderfully or financial obligations of legal counsel. (3) The party made.” the other party. (B) That against whom enforcement All we need to do when party did not voluntarily and is sought, if unrepresented lost and helpless, is to ASK expressly waive, in writing, by legal counsel, was fully for HELP. After all, PRAYERS, any right to disclosure of informed of the terms and heartfelt and unceasing, are the property or financial basic effect of the agreement the most powerful force in the obligations of the other as well as the rights and universe. party beyond the disclosure obligations the party To borrow from the slogan provided.(C) That party did was giving up by signing that a sportswear company: not have, or reasonably could the agreement, and was JUST DO IT. not have had, an adequate proficient in the language *** knowledge of the property in which the explanation The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints or financial obligations of of the party’s rights was e x p r e s s e d b y t h e a u t h o r d o n o t the other party. The issue conducted and in which the necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs of unconscionability shall be agreement was written. The and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its decided by the court as a explanation of the rights management, editorial board and staff. matter of law. and obligations relinquished *** A prenuptial agreement shall be memorialized in Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is shall be deemed not writing and delivered to SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. executed voluntarily unless the party prior to signing To send comments, e-mail monette. the court finds in writing the agreement. The maglaya@asianjournalinc. or on the record all of the unrepresented party shall,
Barrister’s Corner
on or before the signing of the premarital agreement, execute a document declaring that the party received the information required by this paragraph and indicating who provided that information. (4) The prenuptial agreement was not executed under duress, fraud, or undue influence, and the parties did not lack capacity to enter into the agreement. Having both you and your fiance represented by separate counsel during the drafting and execution of your prenuptial agreement can help avoid any of the problems noted above which will can result to your prenuptial agreement being found to be invalid by the court during your divorce proceeding and your assets divided according to California community property law. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)