LAS VEGAS
We’ve got you covered from Hollywood to Broadway... and Online!
OCTOBER 27 - NOVEMBER 2, 2022 Volume 33 - No. 43 • 22 Pages
T HE F ILIPINO A MERICAN C OMMUNITY N EWSPAPER
2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
DATELINE
USA
White House hosts Fil-Am History Month celebration by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Fil-Am basketball player Remy Martin gets second chance at NBA draft
TO commemorate Filipino American History Month (FAHM), Filipino American community leaders and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) hosted a virtual celebration highlighting the positive historical impact of the vast Filipino American community. In mostly pre-recorded segments shared in the virtual event on Thursday, Oct. 20, the White House event brought together artists, community leaders,
Filipino American White House officials, and other advocates who highlighted historical milestones and current issues of the Filipino American community. Jason Tengco, the White House Liason for the Office of Personnel Management), emceed the virtual event and shared a statement from President Joe Biden, saying, “When Filipino American history is preserved and shared, the millions of Filipino Americans [who] helped build this country can see themselves in the story of America.” (Neither Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris were present at the event.) Filipinos are the second-largest Asian subgroup
by XAVE
GREGORIO Philstar.com
PAGE A8
A HUNDRED years ago, in the 1920s, the state of California began a public health initiative to “expel” Filipinos from the Golden State. Amid a tuberculosis outbreak that impacted hospital occupancy, the California State Board of Health at that time called Filipinos who were hospitalized with the disease “one of the worst problems at the present time.” Following a visit to Kern General Hospital, Edythe Thompson, director of the State Bureau of Tuberculosis, in 1933. Thompson had written, “Here, as in many of the other general hospitals, the beds on the tuberculosis service were nearly all filled with Filipinos. These people seem to have more complications than other races.” Thompson and other officials at that time reported that Filipino patients — many of whom were part of the historied Manong Generation of laborers — called for “much more nursing than a white patient” and were “disturbed mentally” and possessed “many
PAGE A4
SECURITY CHECK. A security guard inspects passengers’ belongings with a K-9 sniffer dog at the entrance of Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), a public transport terminal in Parañaque City, on Thursday, Oct. 27. Before passengers board their respective buses going to different provinces, dogs will sniff their luggage for possible objects that are prohibited by law, such as bombs or drugs, according to the security personnel assigned at the terminal. PNA photo by Gil Calinga
MANILA — Even as the threat of more contagious and vaccine-evasive variants of the coronavirus hangs over the country, the Philippines is on track to loosen travel restrictions further by dropping testing and vaccination requirements. Tourism Secretary Maria Christina Frasco announced on Tuesday, October 25 that “stringent protocols” including RT-PCR testing prior to arrival in the Philippines and the requirement for foreigners traveling to the country to be fully vaccinated will be scrapped. Frasco said unvaccinated foreign travelers will be allowed entry into the country as long as they present an antigen test taken 24 hours before arrival into the country or take an antigen test upon arrival. “We are optimistic that with all of these restrictions being lifted by the Marcos administration, that this can only redound to the benefit of the lives of millions of Filipinos that serve to benefit as well the reinvigoration of the tourism industry,” Frasco said in a press briefing. The DOT has yet to announce a date when these new protocols will be effective. She added that the overarching direction of the
PAGE A3
Politicians among ‘persons Lawmakers back Marcos of interest’ in Percy Lapid slay Jr. policy on voluntary mask use for indoor areas by FRANCO JOSE
C. BAROÑA , WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL ManilaTimes.net
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) chief said on Monday, October 24 there are 160 persons of interest or possible suspects, including the chief of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), in the killing of radio commentator Percival Mabasa, more popularly known as Percy Lapid. PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the list also includes politicians and police and military personalities. He did not identify them. In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Azurin
AND
FRANCIS EARL CUETO
said that the personalities were among those who were criticized by Mabasa in his program. He said that since 2021 Mabasa had censured 600 personalities, but only 160 of them could be considered persons of interest. Asked if BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag was one of them, Azurin said, “Oo, kasama siya (Yes, he is included).” Bantag was suspended last week
PAGE A3
Pacquiao announces plan to return to politics by PAOLO
ROMERO Philstar.com
Former senator and world boxing icon Manny Pacquiao
PAGE A3
Philippines set to loosen travel restrictions to boost tourism
FILIPINO American basketball player and NCAA champion Remy Martin may already have a second chance at being in the NBA, only five months after not being selected for the NBA draft. Minor league basketball team Cleveland Charge has just selected Martin in the second round of the G League Draft. The six-foot 24-year-old Burbank, California native was the eighth player selected in the second round, and the 37th player overall. Notably, he was the only member of the Jayhawks – University of Kansas’ basketball team – who was selected. The Charge is the G League affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Martin’s selection by the Charge means that he may be called up during the season to fill in for injured
Exploring, unpacking API neglect in the US health care system
in the United States, and as of the most recent Census Bureau data, 4.2 million Filipinos live in the U.S. — and that population continues to grow. As previously reported in the Asian Journal, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) first officially observed October as FAHM in 1992 to coincide with the first arrival of Filipinos in the 16th century and the birth month of labor leader Larry Itliong. In 2009, former President Barack Obama became the first sitting president to acknowledge October as FAHM. In 2015, the White House celebrated its
MANILA — Former senator and world boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has expressed his intention to return to politics, citing his “passion” to serve the people. Pacquiao, who ran for president last May, disclosed his political plans when he and K-pop superstar Sandara Park were guests at the South Korean weekly variety “Knowing Bros” on Saturday, October 22. “I joined (the presidential race) because I want to instill discipline in our people. When it comes to corruption, I want to curb corruption and then for our country to progress,” Pacquiao said in Philstar.com file photo Filipino when asked by one of the
hosts of the show, which features a high school classroom setting. Park translated the questions for Pacquiao, who was also asked by host and comedian Kim Young Chul if he wanted to enter politics again. “It’s (political plan) still there. My passion to help people is still there,” the former senator and retired boxing champion said. Portions of the show can be viewed on YouTube. Pacquiao, the only boxer who won 12 major world titles in eight weight divisions, is in Korea to promote his charity fight with Korean martial artist DK Yoo set on Dec. 10. Proceeds from the bout, he added, would be set aside for livelihood projects for the poor in the country.
by GABRIEL
PABICO Inquirer.net
LALU
MANILA — Several lawmakers from the House of Representatives have backed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s policy allowing the voluntary use of face masks even in indoor settings, with some saying that this rule has long been overdue. In a statement on Tuesday, October 25, Quezon 3rd District Rep. Reynan Arrogancia said that the Philippines is already long overdue for a voluntary masking protocol amid the COVID-19 pandemic — except in crowded areas, mass transportation, and healthcare facilities. Instead of stringent masking protocols, Arrogancia said that the health authorities should focus on providing the public bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, or shots that are believed to provide better protection against the dominant Omicron variant. “Our country is long overdue for relaxing the safety protocols. The COVID bulletins show the factual and evidentiary bases of the pandemic spread being severely limited despite the detection of new variants,” he said. “What the country needs is more of the bivalent booster vaccine supplies, availability,
and accessibility to anyone who wants them,” he added. Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua aired the same sentiments, saying that it seems health officials are “overly cautious”. According to Chua, there is a need to lift the mask mandate as the country opens tourism sites and educational institutions. “Health authorities seem to be unnecessarily overly cautious and have needlessly delayed further relaxing of Alert Level One public health safety protocols. They should instead make more of the bivalent booster vaccines available and readily accessible now and more so in the coming weeks. The boosters are the better alternative to maskwearing,” he said. “It would be better to get bivalent boosted than to always have to wear face masks,” he added. Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co meanwhile stated that the relaxed masking protocols would lead to improved public health and a higher output for the economy. “The lifting of some mask mandates indoors I believe is quite justified. Further calibrated lifting of COVID restrictions plus the economic impact of the 2022 and 2023 national budgets
PAGE A7