NOVEMBER 5-8, 2022 Volume 32 - No. 88 • 2 Sections – 22 Pages
More voting centers open in LA USA LA County reports rise County ahead of midterm elections in COVID case, warns DATELINE
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
by AJPRESS
of winter surge
LOS Angeles County voters can head to the polls AS the 2022 holiday season nears, Los over the weekend ahead of the midterm election on Angeles County health officials are warning Tuesday, November 8. Over 500 additional voting centers will open across residents of a possible winter surge as case rates are rising. The LA County Department of Public Health on Friday, Nov. 4 reported nearly a 10% increase in the seven-day average case rates compared to the week before. The 7-day average case count in the county is 1,083, a nearly 10% increase from one week ago when the 7-day average of 988 cases was reported. Over the past seven days, the average number of daily COVID-positive patients in LA County hospitals increased slightly to 403. The week before, the average daily COVID-positive patients per day was 389. Deaths, which typically lag hospitalizations by several weeks, have decreased slightly and they are at an average of 8 deaths reported each day this past week. Careful monitoring of case rates and early
the county starting Saturday, Nov. 5, enabling voters to cast their ballots in person or drop their vote by mail ballots. Last week, 118 vote centers were opened up during the early voting period. Starting Saturday, 640 locations throughout the county will be made
Easing of inbound travel restrictions OK’d to boost PH tourism by HELEN
FLORES Philstar.com
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What you don’t know can hurt: The facts about updated COVID vaccines THE updated vaccines have arrived, but surveys are showing that some people don’t know much about them — even though they could make a big difference as cooler weather and growing case numbers abroad signal another possible COVID-19 surge. “COVID is still with us,” said Dr. Neil Wingkun, an emergency physician at Houston Methodist. “It’s important to stay vigilant and up to date with facts about the updated vaccines and protection against COVID during the upcoming holiday season. As we bring together family, friends and loved ones, dive into celebration with peace of mind.” To make our communities aware of the updated vaccines, the national We Can Do This Campaign has been releasing new ads specific to Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, South Asian, Vietnamese, and the broader Pan Asian audiences. Our audience will see and
GIANT CHRISTMAS TREE. A worker uses a boom lift machine to place the Nativity star on this giant Christmas tree being set up at the Rizal Park on Friday, Nov. 4. As early as the start of the ‘ber’ months, Christmas carols fill the air inside malls and establishments, making the Philippines known to have the longest celebration of the Yuletide season. PNA photo by Alfred Frias
MANILA — To allow the Philippines’ tourism sector to catch up with that of neighboring countries, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the recommendation of the government’s pandemic task force to further relax travel restrictions for inbound travelers. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, in a memorandum dated Oct. 28, said the President approved the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ Resolution No. 2, recommending the lifting of pre-departure testing requirement for fully vaccinated arriving passengers, whether Filipinos or foreign nationals. “Please be informed of the approval of IATF Resolution No. 2 subject to strict observance of other minimum health protocols and compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations,” Bersamin PAGE A4
Inflation races to 14-year high by KRISTINA AND
MARALIT EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ ManilaTimes.net
INFLATION in the country surged to 7.7 percent in October, the highest increase in 14 years, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday, November 4. The rate is likely to rise further in the last two months of the year, the PSA said. It rose from 6.9 percent in September and almost doubled the 4.0 percent a year earlier. The increase was higher than the 7.3 percent median in The Manila Times' poll of analysts and was near the upper end of the PAGE A4 Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (BSP) 7.1 to 7.9
percent range for the month. The last time consumer price growth was higher was in December 2008 when it hit 8.2 percent. BSP Governor Felipe Medalla told Bloomberg on Friday that "our best guess is that it will peak either next month or the last month of the year." The stock market initially fell on the news but was lifted by last-minute bargain hunting. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange The storm affected 1,176,074 families or 4,124,267 people, 123,024 of whom are still in evacuation index ended the day up 29.42 points or 0.48 centers and 911,226 are seeking shelter elsewhere. Handout photo from the Philippine Coast Guard percent to 6,185.53. The peso, meanwhile, added 25 centavos to close at P58.55 to the PAGE A7
Marcos to push food security, disaster response at ASEAN by HELEN
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
available. Those who are registered in LA County can vote at any location, outside of their city of residence. The ballot in this election is extensive and includes contests and candidates from the neighborhood and PAGE A2
FLORES, ELIZABETH MARCELO Philstar.com
MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. will raise several issues, including post-pandemic recovery, food security and disaster response, when he confers with fellow world leaders at the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits and Related Meetings in Phnom Penh, Cambodia next week. At a pre-departure briefing at Malacañang on Friday, November 4, Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Imperial of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)’s Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs said Marcos is also set to hold bilateral meetings with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Phnom Penh. Imperial said meetings with other leaders are still being finalized ahead of his schedule to leave for Cambodia on Nov. 9. The ASEAN’s annual summit and other related meetings will happen from Nov. 10 to 13. This will be the first ASEAN summit to be held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Marcos is expected to present the Philippines’ post pandemic “economic recovery and transformation” and the country’s disaster management efforts to avert the negative impact of climate change, Malacañang photo PAGE A5
‘Paeng’ death toll climbs to 154 MANILA — The number of people who have died due to the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) has risen to 154, according to the country’s disaster management agency. Of these deaths, 101 have been confirmed while 53 more are “for validation,” according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Bulk of the fatalities were reported in the BARMM where 63 people died, followed by Western Visayas and Calabarzon with 33 each. Five people died in Eastern Visayas, four each from Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccsksargen, three from Mimaropa, two each from Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol and Central Visayas, and one from the CAR. The NDRRMC also reported
that 128 have been injured and 35 are still missing in the wake of Paeng. It also said that the storm affected 1,176,074 families or 4,124,267 people, 123,024 of whom are still in evacuation centers and 911,226 are seeking shelter elsewhere. The damage wrought by Paeng to agriculture and infrastructure is estimated by the NDRRMC to be at a total of around P5.62 billion. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. placed Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas and BARMM under a state of calamity for a period of six months unless he lifts it earlier. An average of 20 tropical cyclones pass through the Philippines annually. Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world continues to heat up because of climate change. (Xave Gregorio/Philstar.com)
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FROM THE FRONT PAGE
LANTERNS FOR SALE. A man hangs a “parol” (Christmas lantern) for sale in front of his shop in Barangay Kamuning, Quezon City on Thursday, Nov. 3. A parol made of Japanese paper and plastic such as these colorful ones are being sold between P70 to P300 depending on the size and design. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfile
More voting centers open in LA... PAGE A1 local levels through state offices and measures as well as federal representatives. Voters can save time when they vote in person by using the Poll Pass on the LA Vote website. The Poll Pass is an optional tool that allows voters to review and mark their selections before visiting a Vote Center. The safest way to participate in this election is to return the Vote by Mail ballot by mail (no postage required), to an Official Ballot Drop Box, or at a Vote Center.
Voting centers are open daily until November 7 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Tuesday, election day, the locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In addition, voters can mail their ballot in until Election Day, November 8, 2022 (if postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days, it will be accepted) or by dropping it off at any Official Drop-Box or Vote Center. To locate the nearest Official Drop-Box or Vote Center: Visit the Los Angeles County Registrar-
Recorder / County Clerk's (R/CC) website at: locator.lavote.gov; call the R/CC vote center information number at (800) 815-2666, Option #1.; or call the City Clerk- Election Division at (213) 978-0444. Eligible Los Angeles County residents who missed the October 24, 2022 registration deadline can still vote at any Vote Center in LA County. Under California Election Law, Conditional Voter Registration (CVR) allows a prospective voter to conditionally register and cast a ballot.
As families are about to start their holiday travel and get-togethers, it continues to be important to follow simple steps to prevent respiratory illness and COVID-19. The first, and most important, health measure we can take is to receive the new COVID-19 bivalent booster if we are at least two months out from our last dose,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. These updated Fall COVID-19 boosters, plus flu vaccines, are readily available at Public Health sites, pharmacies, and other locations across the county. Seniors and residents who can’t easily leave their home can contact Public Health telehealth services at (833) 540-0473, seven days a week, from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm to arrange for at-home COVID-19
Fall booster and primary series vaccinations or transportation to a vaccination center. Insurance is not required, and callers can be assisted in multiple languages. Residents can also go to VaccinateLACounty.com to find nearby vaccination sites, request a mobile vaccination team for your worksite or community event, or an in-home visit if you or someone you know is homebound. Public Health has reported a total of 3,493,150 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County. The current positivity rate is 5.0% There are 453 people with COVID-19 currently hospitalized. Testing results are available for more than 12,653,863 individuals, with 24% of people testing positive. (AJPress)
LA County reports rise in COVID case, warns...
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alert signals, officials said, will help the county prepare for a winter surge and more infectious variants. Public Health is encouraging those eligible — people 5 years and older — to get the updated COVID-19 bivalent booster, which can protect against the original virus and the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. In LA County, nearly 85% of residents 5 years and older have received their primary vaccine series, however, only 11% of those eligible have received the new bivalent booster. “With recent unusually high levels of flu and other respiratory diseases, there are signs the county could be headed toward a COVID surge this fall and winter.
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DATELINE USA
NOVEMBER 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Easing of inbound travel restrictions... PAGE A1
said in his memo addressed to IATF chair Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire and the task force’s members. Filipino and foreign nationals shall be deemed fully vaccinated if he or she had received the second dose of a two-dose series or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine more than 14 days prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin or port of embarkation, according to IATF Resolution No. 2, dated Oct. 4. The vaccinated individuals are required to present the following proofs of vaccination upon arrival in the country: World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis, VaxCertPH, national or state manual/digital certificate of the country/foreign government or other proof of vaccination. In the memo, the Palace directed the Bureau of Quarantine to coordinate with the DOH and other concerned agencies to identify the other acceptable proofs of vaccination in order to avoid confusion and inconvenience on the part of
inbound travelers, and facilitate dissemination thereof for public information. Meanwhile, unvaccinated Filipinos and foreign nationals 15 years or older shall present a remotely supervised, or a laboratory-based rapid antigen negative result administered and certified by a health care professional in a health care facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy or other similar establishment taken within 24 hours prior to the date and time of departure from the country of origin/first port of embarkation in a continuous travel to the Philippines, excluding layovers; provided that he/she has not left the airport premises or has not been admitted into another country during such layover. Filipinos and foreign nationals 15 years or older who fail to present negative pre-departure testing with conditions set forth above, shall be required to undergo a laboratory-based rapid antigen negative result administered and certified by a health care professional in a health care facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy or other similar
establishment taken upon arrival at the airport, it said. Those who shall test positive for COVID-19 through rapid antigen test shall be subjected to the latest prevailing quarantine and isolation protocols of the DOH, the resolution stated. Accompanied minors below 15 years of age who are not vaccinated for any reason shall follow the quarantine protocols of their parent/s or an accompanying adult/guardian travelling with them, the IATF said. Unaccompanied minors below 15 years of age who have not been vaccinated for any reason shall follow the protocols set for Filipino and foreign nationals 15 years and above. On Oct. 28, Marcos issued Executive Order 7, lifting the mandatory wearing of face masks in indoor settings, except in medical facilities and public transportation. On Sept. 12, the President issued EO 3, which allowed the voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings, particularly in open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation.
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PH Army soldiers train with US troops in Hawaii by MICHAEL
PUNONGBAYAN Philstar.com
MANILA — Select soldiers of the Philippine Army are in Hawaii for a month-long series of training exercises with United States military forces. Army spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad said troops of the 91st Brigade Reconnaissance Company (91BRC) of the 1st Brigade Combat Team teamed up with the 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade of the U.S. Army and 2-14 Cavalry Squadron, 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Army for a recon exercise in the jungles of Oahu’s East Range on Monday. The training is part of the ongoing Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Capability (JPMRC)
Exercise 23-01 being conducted by the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, U.S. joint forces and allied armies across the Hawaiian archipelago. Trinidad said the month-long training exercise builds upon shared tactics, techniques and procedures that enhance readiness and response capabilities for realworld crisis and contingencies. He added that JPMRC 23-01 also bolsters the defense relationship between the Philippines and the U.S., fosters greater Army-to-Army interoperability and increases the defense readiness of participating forces. Last week, Trinidad announced that 91BRC participated in the final mission briefing that kicked off the JPMRC 23-01 into high
gear at the Schofield Barracks in Oahu, Hawaii. Second Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander Lt. Col. David Forsha of the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division issued the operational order that laid out the unit mission and the commander’s intent to subordinate units and the 91BRC commanding officer 1st Lieutenant Junrey Bordado. Trinidad said Bordado led the company’s final mission planning that laid the direction for drills scheduled on the East Range and other areas in Oahu. Philippine Army head of delegation Col. Emmanuel Cabasan and the Exercise Directorate joined the 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade’s Maneuver Advisor Team during the 91BRC mission brief.
What you don’t know can hurt: The facts about...
PAGE A1 hear new radio, print, digital, and social ads in our language that urge everyone five and older to protect themselves by getting an updated vaccine ahead of family gatherings this winter. Also, be on the lookout also for a new television commercial, “Just in Time,” on English channels. We Can Do This continues to work closely with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community partners and events across the country to support vaccine clinics that offer the updated vaccine. Upcoming events include: • Vaccine clinics held by the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) in Sparks, NV, Nov. 6 and Las Vegas, NV, Nov. 2, 3, 4, 8, and 12. • A vaccine clinic at KoreaFest 2022, held by InWave, in Raleigh, NC on Nov. 19. On Nov. 1, 2022, Dear Asian Americans featured Vice President Kamala Harris in a special podcast episode. Vice President Harris spoke with host Jerry Won about her personal upbringing and Asian heritage, encouragement for the next generation, and a message ahead of Election Day. We Can Do This is proud to partner with Dear Asian Americans to urge everyone 5+ to get their updated vaccines. Updated vaccines are among the latest tools for managing COVID. Hundreds of Americans, including Asian Americans, are still dying each day from COVID, and hospitalizations have been rising again in some areas. Maximizing the use of the tools developed in the last two years, including
vaccines, can help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and even death. Here’s what you need to know about the updated vaccines: Updated vaccines provide protection against both the original COVID virus and Omicron. The updated vaccines offer you the only targeted protection you can get against the Omicron strains that are infecting people right now, and also offer protection against the original COVID virus. Anyone age five and older who has finished a primary series is eligible. Once two months have passed since your last dose, whether it was the primary series or a booster, it is time to get an updated vaccine. Your body needs time to build up full protection, so it’s a good idea to get an updated vaccine as soon as possible to have full protection in time for holiday gatherings and ahead of a possible winter surge in cases. If you’re 18 or older, it doesn’t
matter which brand. Regardless of which brand of COVID vaccine you got, it is all right to get an updated vaccine from either Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer. Updated vaccines are available from Pfizer and Moderna two months, and from Novavax six months, after the second dose of any of the recommended vaccines. Updated vaccines are safe and effective. As with other vaccinations, side effects are possible, but they don’t last long. Some people have a sore arm where they got their shot, or even flu-like symptoms for a few days, but these are normal responses to a vaccine. The updated vaccines are currently widely available and free. Visit www.vaccines.gov to find a vaccination location near you. For more information and to find a vaccine, visit www.vaccines. gov. (By We Can Do This COVID-19 Public Education Campaign) (Advertising Supplement)
DATELINE USA
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TIDY UP. It has been a hectic post-All Saints’ Day for employees of Caloocan City’s Environmental Management Department as they cleared Tala Cemetery in Barangay Bagong Silang of garbage on Thursday, Nov. 3. The city also maintains the Bagbaguin Cemetery. PNA photo by Ben Briones
PCG-LA to host leaders forum in Historic Filipinotown THE Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles (PCGLA), spearheaded by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), in cooperation with the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) cordially invite the Filipino Community for a Leaders’ Forum to be held on Thursday, November 17, 4 p.m. at the FACLA Auditorium located at 1740 W Temple St. Los Angeles, California. This activity will highlight the functions of the PCG-LA
Labor Section, particularly the overseas employment program and its welfare services, including the OWWA programs and services for our Filipino migrants. It also aims to reach out and have partnership with the Filipino Communities in California thereby sharing the common objective of providing assistance to our kababayans living and working in the U.S. POLO-LA firmly believes that the Filipino Community will
play a big role in fulfilling this objective. This is going to be a significant undertaking and forging of cooperation among the Filipino communities may be a good take-off for a partnership with the Philippine government agencies present in the State. Consul General Edgar B. Badajos will be gracing this special occasion. For more information, kindly contact the POLO-OWWA LA Hotline at number (213) 8002836.
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we are very much at the forefront of the call for the implementation of the five-point consensus,” Espiritu said. At a summit in Jakarta on April 24, 2021, nine ASEAN leaders agreed to five points: the immediate cessation of violence, a dialogue among concerned parties, mediation by an ASEAN special envoy, provision of humanitarian aid and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties. “And then on other international issues such as Ukraine, we are of course, calling for cessation of hostilities and the return of the concerned parties to the negotiating table,” Espiritu said. “Now, the South China Sea will also be there because we always carry that in all of our meetings in international fora,” he said.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Marcos’ first bilateral meeting will be with Cambodia’s Hun Sen, the host of the ASEAN summit. Imperial said Marcos would also hold bilateral talks with South Korean leader Yoon. Among the topics they will discuss will be the conclusion of the free trade agreement between the two countries. “Korea is only the second country with which we will be concluding a free trade agreement after Japan. Aside from that, we have a very robust defense and security cooperation as you well know,” Imperial said. Imperial said the President will have “more than two” bilateral meetings.
Marcos to push food security, disaster... said Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu of the DFA’s Office of ASEAN Affairs. “At the top of the list is the post pandemic economic recovery and transformation. So that would cover food security, energy security, digital transformation and the digital economy. Now, there are also climate change (issues) inasmuch as this is very much related to our disaster management efforts in the Philippines,” Espiritu told the same media briefing. He said Marcos is also expected to raise international concerns, including diplomatic efforts to immediately end violence in Myanmar, the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine and the dispute in the South China Sea. “With regard to international issues, especially on Myanmar,
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DATELINE USA
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This open enrollment season, look out for health insurance that seems too good to be true by BRAM
SABLE-SMITH Kaiser Health News
ALL SET. The time capsule is lowered during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) building at the Occupational Safety and Health Center on the corner of North Avenue and Agham Road in Diliman, Quezon City on Friday, Nov. 4. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler
Inflation races to 14-year... PAGE A1
U.S. dollar. National Statistician Dennis Mapa, who attributed the October rise to "increasing food inflation," told a briefing there was a "substantial probability of an increase" given rising cooking gas prices and the recent damage from Storm "Paeng." In a statement, the PSA attributed the continued inflationary rise to the "higher annual growth rate in the index for food and non-alcoholic beverages at 9.4 percent, from 7.4 percent in September 2022." Food inflation alone increased to 9.8 percent, up from 7.7 percent in September and more than double the 4.0 percent in October 2021. Core inflation, which does not include price-volatile food and energy items, rose to 5.9 percent from September's 5.0 percent. It stood at 2.5 percent a year earlier. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said in a statement the "surge in prices resulted from external price pressures, like the RussiaUkraine war and lockdowns imposed in parts of China, which disrupted global supply chains, and the lingering aftermath of recent typhoons, including Typhoon 'Karding' that hit the country in late September." NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the government's "immediate priority is to continue supporting the most vulnerable sectors of the economy, hence, the cash transfers and fuel discounts will continue." Medalla told Bloomberg that
"our forecast is by the second half of next year, it (inflation) will be below four [percent] already." The BSP, which has a 2.0 to 4.0 percent inflation target, has estimated that this year's result will be in the 5.6 to 5.7 percent range. Year to date, average inflation is at 5.4 percent. Commenting on the latest inflation data, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) lead economist Emilio Neri Jr. said, "we continue to see price pressures that could prevent inflation from going back to the target of the BSP in the coming year, with inflation prints likely to remain above seven percent for the remainder of the year." "Given the absence of structural reforms in the agriculture industry, supply constraints will likely persist. The importation of food products may not provide enough relief since global prices of food are also high," Neri said. The latest consumer price growth figure underlined Medalla's preemptive announcement on Thursday, November 3 of a 75 basis point increase in key interest rates on November 17. In the Bloomberg interview, he reiterated that the move aimed to prop up the peso and maintain a 100-point differential with the US Federal Reserve's rate. Asked about the Marcos government's push to stop the currency — which last month hit an all-time low of P59 to the dollar — from falling to P60:$1, Medalla replied that monetary authorities would not draw a line but would continue to use policy tools such as interest rates and the country dollar reserves to support the
peso. Neri said he sees the peso continuing to depreciate in the coming months. With the country becoming more and more reliant on imports, dollar outflows will continue to significantly exceed inflows, he added. "Even if The Fed stops hiking in 2023, it may not necessarily lead to a huge appreciation of the peso given the country's fundamentals. The peso may even continue to weaken in this scenario if the trade deficit remains sizable, although at a slower pace compared to this year," Neri said. On Friday, Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the continuation of financial aid and fuel discounts to the most vulnerable sectors to help cushion the impact of rising inflation. In a statement, the Palace said the President "is committed to support our farmers and other stakeholders in agriculture in post-disaster recovery, while improving the value chain and investing in climate-smart technologies remain a priority in the medium and long term." "As part of the response to mitigate water-induced damages to lives, livelihood and property, the effective management of our water resources will also be prioritized. Even early on, the President had stressed the need to establish the Department of Water Resources," it added. The President also directed concerned agencies to invest in innovations and technologies to make communities and businesses resilient amid extreme weather challenges.
IT took nearly a year for Kelly Macauley to realize the health plan she bought while shopping for insurance coverage last October was not, in fact, insurance. Sure, red flags popped up along the way, but when she called to complain, she said, she was met with explanations that sounded reasonable enough and kept her paying her $700 monthly premiums. She said she was told that her medical bills weren’t being paid because the hospital was submitting them incorrectly. That Jericho Share, the nonprofit that sent her a membership card reading “THIS IS NOT INSURANCE,” was just her policy’s underwriter, not the actual insurer. That she hadn’t received a policy welcome packet because the company was saving paper and passing those savings on to customers. Then, this summer, the 62-year-old retired teacher who recently moved from the Philadelphia area to South Carolina, learned her plan had paid only $120 of the bill for her hip replacement last year, leaving her with a balance of over $40,000. She said she’d been assured the procedure would be covered when she was shopping for insurance. But it turns out that the plan she purchased wasn’t insurance at all but rather part of something called a health care sharing ministry. Health care sharing ministries are an alternative to health insurance in which members agree to share medical expenses. They are often faith-based and can be cheaper than traditional insurance, although they don’t necessarily cover their members’ medical bills, according to a Commonwealth Fund report. “That was never, ever mentioned to me,” Macauley said. “I honestly believed I was buying legitimate medical insurance.” Beginning Nov. 1, millions of Americans will purchase health insurance for 2023 in a period known as “open enrollment.” Through the federal and state insurance marketplaces, consumers can shop for Affordable Care Act-compliant
health insurance plans and find out whether they qualify for financial assistance. But experts caution that the rush to buy coverage also presents an opportunity for people selling alternative products, such as short-term health plans and health care sharing ministries, that are often cheaper than comprehensive coverage but provide far fewer protections. Though those alternatives are themselves legal, experts caution that misleading marketing can direct consumers shopping for comprehensive coverage into buying health plans that exclude protections for preexisting conditions and leave patients vulnerable to large medical bills. “It’s a prime time to go looking for consumers who are out shopping for insurance and take them down the wrong path,” said JoAnn Volk, co-director of Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. Volk identified telltale signs of that wrong path: if the person selling you a plan starts asking about your health history, or if they refuse to send you information about the plan altogether, or they agree to provide that information only after you give them your payment information. According to a 2021 secret-shopper report on misleading marketing practices, which Volk co-authored, one broker incorrectly cited HIPAA, the law to protect patient privacy, as a reason to not share information about the health plan. “Just made-up stuff,” Volk said. “If you’re committing fraud, there are no boundaries.” In a statement to KHN, Jericho Share spokesperson Mark Hubbard said the organization couldn’t discuss Macauley’s case without her prior written approval but doesn’t tolerate any misrepresentation or unethical conduct on the part of its programs. Nationwide, lawmakers and regulators are taking notice of how health care plans are sold. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, is investigating complaints about the marketing of Medicare Advantage plans. And in May, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services noted that complaints about marketing practices for Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug benefit plans rose from 15,497 in 2020 to at least 39,617 in 2021. “Scams involving health care have increased exponentially,” said Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro, who also chairs the anti-fraud task force of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Multiple factors are causing the increase, Navarro said. Rising health care prices can drive up the cost of regulated health plans, such as those that are compliant with the Affordable Care Act. Higher costs push more Americans to look for cheaper alternatives that usually don’t provide as much coverage and can confuse consumers. Those types of plans proliferated under President Donald Trump’s administration, Navarro said. “I don’t want to sound political,” said Navarro, an elected Democrat, “but the previous presidential administration was really pushing the skinny plans and the alternatives to the ACA, and I don’t necessarily think that they understood the fraud that was associated with these plans.” Finally, Navarro said, because states are the primary regulators of insurance, tamping down on health care scams can be like playing a game of whack-a-mole — when one state takes action, scammers move to another one to open shop. To fight that tactic, Navarro said, insurance regulators nationwide have created what he described as a “confluence page” to share among themselves information about bad actors. For consumers, Navarro said, regulators are talking about creating a public lookup tool to search for complaints against health insurance brokers, similar to the BrokerCheck tool created by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to monitor stockbrokers. For now, he suggests working with health care navigators, who help consumers enroll in plans through the official health insurance marketplace, healthcare.gov. Also, regulators have been taking legal action on misleading sales tactics. In August, the Federal Trade PAGE A10
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OPINION
FEATURES
Enhancing disaster management CONTRARY to the claim of Maguindanao local officials, the country’s geohazard map clearly shows in red the areas prone to landslides in the province, now gerrymandered into two, as well as the rest of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Science Secretary Renato Solidum pointed this out amid reports that residents of coastal communities in Maguindanao were evacuated from the shores to avoid possible storm surges or tsunami that might be spawned by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng. The evacuees were brought to higher ground, where they ran smack into deadly mudslides unleashed by days of incessant rain even before Paeng made landfall. The mudslide area is marked in red in the geohazard map that can be accessed on government websites, according to Solidum, a geologist. Rainfall warnings, color-coded for easier understanding, are also issued regularly during weather disturbances, he said. Certain disaster mitigation protocols are associated with the color-coded warnings. The question is whether local government units are aware of the protocols, or even bother to study the geohazard maps, which also specify areas prone to earthquakes and flooding. Even if local government officials do not scrutinize the geohazard maps in their areas of jurisdiction, there are localized disaster risk reduction and management councils that are
supposed to have personnel tasked to study such maps and coordinate with government officials for appropriate responses. With the death toll soaring to over 110 from Paeng, a weather disturbance that was not even categorized as a typhoon, various agencies involved in disaster management should get together for improved coordination and information dissemination on the risks associated with natural calamities. The creation of a new department of disaster resiliency, with all the additional costs it will entail, will not resolve these problems of disorganization in disaster response. There are local government units that will continue to act like independent republics, without bothering to review available geohazard maps that can serve as guideposts in drawing up plans for disaster preparedness. Many LGU officials move swiftly only in placing disaster-hit areas under a state of calamity because it speeds up the release of public funds. Government scientists may have to conduct additional training or upskilling for personnel of disaster management councils, not only on the proper use of geohazard maps but also to
Editorial
can bring torrential amounts of rainfall within a short period, as Ondoy did in September 2009, spawning catastrophic flooding. Paeng, also classified as a storm, should offer lessons in enhancing disaster management. (Philstar.com)
The President gave the nation an excuse slip
The Long View MANUEL L. QUEZON III IN his inaugural address, just four months ago, the president said, “I will not predicate my promise to you on your cooperation. You have your own lives to live, your work to do—and there too I will help. Government will get as much done alone without requiring more from you. That is what government and public officials are for. No excuses; just deliver. It was like that, once upon a time. [Cheers]” It is the particular genius of this administration that it harnessed the power of nostalgia to propel itself back to power. Genius because it seized on a particular kind of nostalgia not based on actual, selective, memory (since our population is so overwhelmingly young), but rather, a derived, implanted, nostalgia. That old pedant Ferdinand Marcos Sr. of the good grades and photographic memory once tried to master history. His son seized on the easier and more satisfying because essentially undebatable solution of simply trying to tell a more crowd-pleasing story.
Hence, “once upon a time,” which means those looking for the telltale signs of history will forever be frustrated. Consider what to me is the most puzzling part of our recent typhoon experience. It wasn’t the bureaucracy, including its politically appointed leadership. From the Cabinet on down, they acted true to form. They put on vests emblazoned with the logos and initials of their respective agencies and went ahead and did the things they’re supposed to do, while the component parts of what passes for the communications infrastructure of the government did their part too, including itemizing “presidential directives.” Taken as read, the various agencies including the communication agencies of the government itemized plenty of goings-on. Neither was it the President. Our presidents don’t seem to have quite figured out how to dress down to show they’re in emergency mode: some wear jackets, others settle for polo shirts. What is universally considered central is that chief executives should be seen. And they should be seen presiding, then instructing, followed by their being seen to be inspecting. In times of calamity, all the chatter boils down to
two questions all our recent presidents are interrogated on: do they know what they are doing, and are they doing enough? If there is a deficiency in either of the two, could it be because they don’t care? So the President’s behavior wasn’t puzzling, either. He presided. He instructed. He inspected. That the President decided to preside over the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council conference via teleconferencing, instead of doing so in person, was different. The relative informality of his location was curious, to the extent that government found it difficult to simply state where he was and why he decided to preside remotely. So aside from scrutinizing the questions he asked and the comments he made, his very location, down to the kind of electrical outlets seen behind him, ended up dissected online for what it might possibly reveal. The President himself seemed to think he put the peanut gallery in its place by offhandedly scoffing, “Welcome to Hokkaido” when he finally interacted with the press. No one in his official family can do anything about that because there is no designated point person able to backstop the
President and serve as the focal point—the chief storyteller—of his administration. The acting press secretary tried. But the agency she (temporarily) presides over is in flux. The acting executive secretary is too old. The acting secretary of social welfare and development could be the one, except he himself is still learning the ropes. What is puzzling to me is how scarce the First Lady and her children have been. The presidency is a package deal. The Marcoses in their pre-1986 heyday, harkening back to their predecessors, knew family solidarity was expected during times of calamity: the president thus assumed the role of field marshal of operations, while the first lady provided empathy and compassion; even the children were drafted to prove they were both dutiful and useful, whether rolling bandages or packing relief goods. The First Family is fortunate that it’s been two decades since we had a first lady, so both memory and expectations of that informal office are pretty much extinct: We saw the First Lady at the MassKara Festival, and donning a witch’s hat at a Palace Halloween children’s party. But these are all questions
of executive style. Just because you lived through it once doesn’t seem to mean you internalized it going into the second time around. What upset me more is the latest manifestation of a phenomenon that became apparent after President Marcos Jr. won last June. It’s of those formerly committed to change, who have changed by announcing they are no longer committed to the common good because the common people turned their back on the chance for good governance and servant leadership. Let the people, this thinking goes, ask the Marcoses the next time they need help. In this calamity, what I found remarkable was there seemed less enthusiasm to help. Those of a kinder, more understanding disposition have suggested that, instead, there is “donor fatigue” on the part of the middle class normally so active online in self-organizing to extend relief. High inflation, the toll the pandemic has taken on SMEs and even big corporations must account for some, if not most, of the apparent moderation in enthusiasm to help. This may be so. While perhaps an emotionally understandable attitude on the part of those who have only now experienced the anguish
and disappointment of a losing campaign, it’s still wrong. Concern for fellow citizens might be conditional in some respects—you can only give what you have, to the extent you are able—but compassion in times of calamity cannot and should not be predicated on whether the public was likeminded in the last election. “Let’s see what the Tallano gold can buy you now,” or “If you need help, ask the ones with intelligence funds” is a malicious response none of our fellow citizens deserve. The President and his people could have made a devastating response to criticisms by seizing on this freely expressed change of heart among some of his critics. Except his own assumption of power marked a return to a more passive relationship with the authorities when it comes to unexpected events: the President himself has given the nation a free pass on civic engagement. *** 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: mlquezon3@gmail.com; Twitter: @mlq3
Less blaming, more listening
Question The Box INEZ PONCE
ManilaTimes.net photo
finesse protocols on responses to rainfall alerts, which are different from typhoon warnings that are based on wind speeds. A typhoon can bring destructive winds but not enough heavy rainfall. A storm may not have such powerful winds, but
DE LEON
LAST weekend, Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” damaged nearly the entire country in a lashing of wind and rain. What followed was yet another blame game. People blamed the forecasters. The problem with this argument is that the nature of forecasting, and all of science, is that of tentativeness. Weather forecasting, in particular, has to contend with the inherent unpredictability of natural hazards. A storm of Paeng’s magnitude bumped into land masses, drew strength over multiple waterways, and sucked in water and wind. The storm was wobbly, and its path changed by the hour. You cannot lay blame on science, let alone equipment, for chasing a
rapidly changing storm. Others blamed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) for poor information dissemination. This is something that I have always argued against: to reduce communication to mere diffusion shortchanges both the complexity of the risk being communicated and the people that need to hear it. Dissemination is often confused with communication, even as there are so many more effective communication models that have little to do with simply spreading information. There is very little reliable feedback on the effectiveness of dissemination. Often, institutions use action as metric of success. That is, if people evacuated, took action, or did what was expected, then it was because they obeyed disseminated orders. However, people might have
evacuated because they saw their neighbors leaving and didn’t want to lose space at the evacuation center. People might take action because their local officials knocked on their doors and told them what to do. People do what we expect because of factors we can’t anticipate. And yes, this is all backed by research. In previous storms, people threw out brochures, ignored online posts, and tuned out text alerts. They listened to their barangay officials because these officials shared their environment and knew them personally; the national government was too far away. When they saw news broadcasts, they discussed them with their neighbors, then made evacuation decisions after the discussion. When I presented this information to our auditors, I recommended that we train our
barangay officials to process information from the NDRRMC, establish networks within their community, and engage communities in discussion so that we could have long-term solutions to the lack of action when it came to floods. The response: we need something to print. Training is too abstract. The translation: we need something that we can put a government stamp on. We’ve used tarps for elections. We’ve labeled relief goods. Let’s just do as we’ve always done. It’s absurd, years later, as I look back on that incident. It’s absurd because an effective local government is evidence that one’s government is working. What the auditor meant was that the national government wanted to make a show of its efforts. A reader of mine, also a dear friend, has an appropriate term for this ailment: AIDS. As If
Doing Something. This auditor also revealed the government’s obsession with communication as mere “reaching,” which explains why its strategies don’t work. What happens after the communication reaches its target? There is no long-term plan, only an assumption that once the message reaches someone, they will simply obey. There is an obsession with what the message looks like, but no consideration of the context in which the message is received. There is reaching, but no compassion. There is much to be changed in this government; but there, too, is this lingering dissemination model that makes its attempts at communication so ineffective. There are other models of risk communication that actually work. Train local governments. Make people talk to each other. We are a
conversational people with informal networks that are often imposed upon by formal, ineffective ones. For a longterm solution, there has to be cooperation and a recognition that expertise lies everywhere. We need a government that plans for people to understand something, rather than one that merely reaches out and then absolves itself of any responsibility for what comes after. The government can’t claim to be surprised if it ignored the research all along. To encourage people to cooperate? That’s governance. To post something and call it communication? That’s just laziness. *** 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.
*** iponcedeleon@ateneo.edu
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DATELINE PHILIPPINES
Study: Filipino women retire reaching only 79% of what men earn by RAMON
ROYANDOYAN Philstar.com
MANILA — A new study found that by the time Filipino men and women retire, their accumulated wealth is not as equal as it's supposed to be. In a study penned by global advisory and brokerage firm Willis Towers Watson and the World Economic Forum, women in 39 countries on average only reach 74% of the wealth men accumulate by time they retire. Within countries in Asia and the Pacific, the figure exceeds the global average by two points at 76%. The stark disparity of wealth among genders highlights the inequalities faced by women in the workplace globally, as studies in the past show women in developed economies are paid less compared to men. The Philippines figured in the list of economies where the WTW Wealth Equity Index outpaced the global average. The Philippines eked out 79%,
counting itself among developed economies such as China (78%), Japan (82%), South Korea (90%), and Singapore (79%). “The results from our global analysis are startling. It shows that there is a gender wealth gap consistently across the 39 countries that we studied,” said Manjit Basi, senior director for Integrated & Global Solutions at WTW. The study employed qualitative and quantitative methods to dissect gender wealth equity within 39 chosen countries. Likewise, the study revealed that within APAC countries, India’s gender wealth gap stood high at 64%. Pay gaps, especially in professional and technical roles still persisted alongside limited opportunities for women to climb up the corporate ladder. WTW cited an age-old concern that women had to forego their careers, even at a young age, to prioritize childcare. Likewise, the firm reckoned that financial literacy and long-term financial
decisions are often relegated to men. WTW's Basi noted that these “influence women’s participation in paid employment and therefore their ability to build wealth.” Broken down, the study showed that the gender wealth gap increases within senior roles. Women in senior expert and leadership roles globally raked in 62% less of what their male counterparts haul by retirement. Within mid-level professional and technical roles, the gap stood at 69% but dissipated in frontline operational roles at 89%. “It’s imperative that activities around gender diversity, equity and inclusion broaden to look at economic wealth at the end of women’s working careers,” said Clare Muhiudeen, WTW’s Asia head. “Pay is a fundamental factor that underlies the gender wealth gap and while addressing the gender pay gap will partially close the wealth gap, it won’t eliminate it entirely,” she added.
2.9-M families experienced hunger in Q3 – SWS by JANVIC
MATEO Philstar.com
MANILA — Some 2.9 million Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the third quarter of the year, a survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed. Results of the Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 survey released over the weekend showed that 11.3 percent of the respondents said their families experienced hunger and not having anything to eat at least once in the past three months. It was statistically similar to the 11.6 percent obtained in a similar survey in June, but slightly below the 12.2 percent in April and 11.8 percent in December 202. However, it was still 1.3 points above the 10 percent reported in September 2021 and two points above the pre-pandemic annual average of 9.3 percent in 2019. According to SWS, the October
2022 hunger rate is composed of 9.1 percent of respondents who said they experienced moderate hunger (down from 9.4 percent) and the 2.2 percent who experienced severe hunger (up from 2.1 percent). Moderate hunger refers to those who experienced hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months, while severe hunger refers to those who experienced it “often” or “always” in the last three months. The survey showed that involuntary hunger fell in balance Luzon, but rose in Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao. Involuntary hunger remained highest among those in Metro Manila at 16.3 percent (from 14.7 percent), followed by Mindanao at 15.3 percent (from 14 percent), rest of Luzon at 9.6 percent (from 11.9 percent) and the Visayas at seven percent (from 5.7 percent). Based on the survey, some 16
percent of those who rated their families as poor experienced hunger in the past three months, up from 15.3 percent in June. Involuntary hunger decreased among those who rated their families as “not poor” (from 8.1 percent to 6.7 percent) and “not food-poor” (from 7.8 percent to 7.4 percent), while it hardly moved among those who rated their families as “foodpoor” (from 19 percent to 18.9 percent). The October survey showed that 49 percent of respondents rated their families as poor, 29 percent as borderline poor and 21 percent as not poor. Some 34 percent of respondents also rated their families as food-poor, defined as being poor based on the food they eat, 38 percent as borderline food-poor and 28 percent as not food-poor. The survey had 1,500 adult respondents and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent for national percentages.
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DATELINE PHILIPPINES
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Gov’t rushes to avert EU ban on PH seafarers by DONA
Z. PAZZIBUGAN Inquirer.net
MORE LAPS. Cyclists do their laps at the Neopolitan Business Park in Novaliches, Quezon City on Thursday, Nov. 3. Aside from paved roads, the park also has an off-road track for mountain bike riders and areas where families can go on picnics. PNA photo by Ben Briones
Further decline of COVID-19 cases seen by November – OCTA CASES of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will continue to decrease in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the surrounding areas after the highly-transmissible XBB variant has peaked, according to OCTA Research. OCTA Senior Research Fellow Dr. Guido David told The Manila Times in a phone interview on Thursday, November 3 that they were expecting a continued downtrend in the number of Covid cases for the month of November in NCR, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Central Luzon. However, positivity rates will continue to increase in other areas in the country such as
in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and parts of Mindanao. "We are expecting a continued downtrend sa pababa na pero yung areas na pataas na (in areas that have seen a decline, but in areas with an increase in cases), we might expect a peak within this month and hopefully pababa na sya (it will decline) by December," David said. David also said that areas that were affected by severe tropical storm "Paeng" (International name: Nalgae) can also expect some localized clustering of cases because of people converging in evacuation centers. "It is usually local clustering, baka magkaroon ng uptick or spike, pero nagsa-subside rin
naman, so hindi sya long term wave na nakikita natin (Usually it is local clustering, we may see an uptick or a spike but it subsides eventually, we do not see a longterm wave)," David added. With the government issuing the executive order that makes wearing of masks in indoor spaces voluntary, David believes that Filipinos will continue to be responsible in protecting themselves against the virus. "I think people are responsible, and that is a good thing because we don't have to tell Filipinos what to do, kahit i-lift yung mask mandate (even if we lift the masking mandate), they still wear their masks," David added. (ManilaTimes.net)
MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a collective effort involving several government agencies to ensure that the country’s training program and accreditation system for seafarers will finally pass the standards of the European Union (EU), according to Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople. Around 50,000 Filipino seafarers working in European vessels are reportedly at risk of losing their jobs due to the country’s repeated failure to pass the European Maritime Safety Agency’s (Emsa) evaluation over the last 16 years. In a recent House hearing, officials reported that the final deadline for the country to address the concerns raised by Emsa was set for this month. According to Ople, tasked to come with “implementation plan” are the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) “The President has issued a directive recently [after] we tackled the Emsa audit report several times in the Cabinet [meetings],” Ople said in an interview this week. “The DOTr, DFA, DMW, CHEd and Dole would have to sit down and come up with an implementation plan, because we have been submitting compliance reports in the past 10 years but
we have not really seriously addressed the shortcomings that show up in these audit reports of Emsa,” she said.“We are looking at the root causes [of failing the Emsa audit] and looking to address these soon,” added Ople, whose agency was created only this year. Marina not excluded The Inquirer originally reported that President Marcos had excluded the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) from the task of overseeing maritime training and accreditation after the country repeatedly failed to pass Emsa’s evaluation in the past 16 years. On Thursday, November 3, Ople said the Marina was included in the President’s directive “as an attached agency of the DOTr.” “The directive of the President was for various agencies led by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to come up with a joint implementation plan to address the concerns raised by the European Maritime Safety Agency, or EMSA,” she said in a statement on Thursday. “The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), as well as the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), as an attached agency of the DoTr, were included in that directive. The President never ordered Marina to be removed as an implementing agency nor did I ever say this in any interview,” she stressed. She added that the DMW “fully supports the actions being taken by the DoTr and Marina to ensure compliance with international maritime standards particularly on the education, training, and certification of Filipino seafarers.” Top supplier The Philippines is a top source of certified seafarers in the world and these Filipino maritime workers send about P376 billion in remittances annually.“We’re almost back to the prepandemic level of deployment of seafarers since the cruise ships have returned,” according to Ople. As a consequence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ople said EU shipping companies have turned to Filipino seafarers to make up for the shortfall since Ukraine could not supply seafarers anymore. Before Russia’s invasion in February this year, Ukraine was the world’s sixth biggest supplier of seafarers. “With Ukraine (seafarers) gone, EU shipping companies went looking and there’s a preference for Filipino seafarers,” Ople said. According to the 2021 maritime transport report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), the Philippines was the top provider of seafarers globally, followed by Indonesia, China and India. “Over a quarter of all global merchant shipping crew members come from the Philippines. As of 2019, there were 380,000 Filipino seafarers overseas,” the Unctad report noted. EU decision coming During last week’s public hearing by the House committee on overseas workers affairs, officials from various agencies admitted that Filipino seafarers in EU-flagged ships were in danger of losing their jobs since the Philippines had repeatedly failed to pass the Emsa audit for compliance with the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping
for Seafarers (STCW) since 2006. But during the same hearing, the Maritime Industry Authority said there was no imminent danger while the European Commission reviews the Philippines’ response and action plan to address the EU’s concerns on the government’s implementation of the STCW Convention for seafarers. It said it submitted the country’s Final Report of Compliance to the European Commission in March 2022. The European Commission will then decide on the status of the country’s compliance with the STCW and Marina said a decision was unlikely to be released this year. “The (EU) deliberation on the Philippine response may not happen until spring of 2023 or about March to May 2023,” Samuel Batalla, officer in charge of Marina’s STCW Office, told lawmakers.Since 1998, Marina has been the overall lead government agency in the implementation of the STCW. In 2014, former President Benigno Aquino III signed Republic Act No. 10635 that established Marina as the single maritime administration to implement the STCW, the same year Emsa was conducting another audit of the country’s education, training and certification system for seafarers. At the time, CHEd already said that 123, or 75 percent of the 157 maritime training programs in the country, had failed to meet quality standards since 2009. The European Union recognized the Philippines’ maritime education, training and certification in 2002, allowing Filipino seafarers to work in EUflagged vessels.The Philippines has repeatedly faced since 2006 the possibility of a ban by the European Union on the hiring of Filipino seafarers after Emsa perennially raised concerns about the country’s compliance with international seafaring standards. In July 2019, Nelson Ramirez, president of the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS), said in an Inquirer report that the Philippine maritime industry was “dying.”“This is why there are many training courses required (under the STCW) for our seafarers: our maritime education is wrong,” he said. Marina turnover The administration of Marina has also been hounded by controversy over the years. Last September, the country’s seafarers strongly opposed the move by Marina to bring back the management level course, a training program that they claim would only be an added financial burden to them. It was revived by new Marina chief Hernani Fabia, who also intends to impose huge fines of P50,000 to as much as P1 million on seafarers and manning agencies caught in any act of deception in securing a certificate of proficiency. UFS expressed dismay over the revival of the management level course and accused Fabia of conflict of interest, saying the latter would benefit from it since he allegedly owns a training center and a maritime school. Fabia was appointed in July 2022, succeeding former Philippine Navy chief Robert Empedrad. In January 2018, former President Rodrigo Duterte fired “jet-setting” Marina administrator Marcial Amaro III for making 24 foreign trips in just 18 months in office.
This open enrollment season...
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Commission won $100 million in refunds for consumers it said were “tricked” into sham health plans. Last year, the Massachusetts attorney general won $515,000 in consumer relief from an insurance company accused of deceptive sales practices. Court filings from October indicate the California attorney general is investigating Jericho Share — the health care sharing ministry that Kelly Macauley said she unwittingly bought a plan from — to see whether it is in compliance with the state’s requirements for health care sharing ministries. Jericho Share’s spokesperson, Hubbard, said the organization is “responding appropriately” to the attorney general’s inquiry. Macauley reached out to KHN after reading a June investigation about consumers who said they thought they were buying insurance only to later learn they had been sold memberships to that health care sharing ministry. Hubbard noted that since that story was published, Jericho Share automatically provides refunds in 72 hours for new consumers requesting one within 30 days of signing up, no longer allows “outsourced marketing for enrollments,” and added a member guide and pop-up on its website stating that Jericho Share is a health care sharing ministry.
The company did reply online to Macauley’s bad review on the Better Business Bureau website, asking for more information about her case. She said she supplied that information but never heard back. After Macauley unsuccessfully attempted to cancel her Jericho Share plan with the company directly, she said, she called her credit card company to stop it from approving any more charges by the company. When she described her situation, Macauley said, the sympathetic credit card representative told her, “This is fraud,” and offered to try to get Macauley all of her premiums back. Even if that effort is successful, Macauley will be left with the tens of thousands of dollars of medical charges she incurred while unknowingly uninsured. She is on the market for health insurance again and plans to choose a company she’s heard of before. “Whatever it costs,” Macauley said, “I just want to know I really have insurance.” KHN (Kaiser Health News) is 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.
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LIFESTYLE CONSUMER GUIDE COMMUNITY MARKETPLACE
ConGen Badajos of PCGLA sits down with Atty. Gurfinkel on brand-new, special episode of Citizen Pinoy this Sunday MANY are familiar with the word “consulate” and many Filipinos in the U.S. know that there could be a Philippine Consulate General near their area. But does the community really know what the Philippine Consulate General does, aside from issuing passports or visas to foreigners? In this special episode, Citizen Pinoy’s special guest is Consul General Edgar Badajos of the
Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles. He will share a little bit about himself and his experience as a seasoned diplomat, and his role in promoting and protecting the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos. Viewers will also learn important and useful information on immigration, dual citizenship, passports, owning property in the Philippines, PAGE B2
Liza, James attend Los Angeles premiere of Harry Styles’ ‘My Policeman’ By anne
Pasajol Inquirer.net
Liza Soberano and James Reid
Photo from Instagram/@
LIZA Soberano and James Reid were in attendance at the recently-held premiere of Harry Styles’ romantic-drama film “My Policeman” in Los Angeles. Soberano and Reid were next to each other while posing for a photo beside the movie poster, as seen on the actress’ Instagram Stories on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Soberano also could not help but fangirl over the British singer-songwriter who she crossed paths with during the event. Styles’ co-star David Dawson was present at the premiere as well. “Still can’t believe I got to see Harry Styles at the premiere last night!” she said. Soberano, together with Reid whose record label manages the actress, has been meeting celebrities from all over the globe as she works on building her Hollywood career. The two of them also attended several events in the U.S. including the Gold House’s first annual Gold Gala and Asia Society Southern California 2022 Annual Gala. The actress earlier finished filming her Hollywood debut film “Lisa Frankenstein,” which stars “Riverdale” actor Cole Sprouse and American actress Kathryn Newton. g
LA CONGEN EDGAR BADAJOS IS SPECIAL GUEST AT CITIZEN PINOY. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel has Consul General Edgar Badajos of the Philippine Consulate General in L.A. as his special guest, where the latter will provide many useful information about the services and purpose of the consulate. Watch this very informative and inspiring feature on Consul General Badajos on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, November 6 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)
Manny Pacquiao set to release movie on Asian hate crimes ‘Almighty Zeus’ By Dana
Cruz Inquirer.net
“ALMIGHTY Zeus,” a movie on Asian hate crimes executive-produced by Manny Pacquiao, is set to have its theatrical release in the United States by December. The film—which is directed, produced and written by
Filipino American Chris Soriano—will be released in various theaters in the U.S. on Dec. 2, as per a release from production company TriCoast Worldwide Tuesday, Nov. 1. Soriano also stars as the main actor in the movie. “Almighty Zeus” tells the story of a middleweight boxing champion who loses
his mother to COVID-19 and ends up challenging Zeus, an Asian American boxer, to punish in the ring. Zeus then meets neighborhood boxing legend Coach Green (Miguel Matos) who takes him under his wing and teaches him how to fight through the streets of Los Angeles. PAGE B5
B2 NOVEMBER 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Community
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Pechanga Resort Casino voted Best SoCal Casino, Best CA Casino Hotel in major publications’ readers’ polls Pechanga also picks up awards for Best Golf Course, Best Breakfast, Best Brunch
AWARDS season is upon us, but we’re not talking staged awards shows in a Los Angeles theater. These awards stacked up recently for Pechanga Resort Casino, one of the largest resort/ casinos in the United States. Pechanga was recently awarded top honors by three national and regional publications’ readers. The awards include Best So Cal Casino in two large regional newspapers/websites, Best Casino Hotel in California in a national website, and Best Golf Course, Best Brunch and Best Breakfast in one regional media outlet. Pechanga’s staff and management know these awards hold extra weight since readers cast their votes for their favorites. Readers of the Orange County
Register named Pechanga Resort Casino as the Best Casino in Southern California. Voted on by newspaper and web readers, 25 southern California tribal casinos were eligible for the distinction in the annual Best of Orange County poll conducted during the summer of 2022. Pechanga Resort Casino was also awarded the Best Southern California Casino title by the readers of the Press-Enterprise. The annual poll asked readers to vote for their favorite businesses throughout the Inland Empire region this summer. In addition to the Best Casino distinction, readers also named Journey at Pechanga the region’s best golf course. They also staked their love for Journey’s End, the restaurant inside the golf course clubhouse, as their favorite in the
region for breakfast and brunch. Guests do not need to golf in order to enjoy an award-winning meal at Journey’s End. In a competition that’s had casino/resorts vie for the top spot since 2015, Pechanga Resort Casino came out as the Best Casino Hotel in California in the 2022 USA Today 10Best awards. Travel and casino experts hand select the 20 competitors for the category. Voting then opens to the public to choose their favorite destinations, resulting in a top 10 list of winners. All aiming for the number one distinction, Pechanga’s management says their attention to detail and guest service sets them apart from the pack. “The fact that readers voted us number one in these polls once again speaks volumes about how
our guests feel about the level of service and comfort they receive here,” said Andrew Masiel, Sr., President of the Pechanga Development Corporation. “Our team works incredibly hard to ensure each guest’s experience measures up to a very high standard in every interaction we have with them. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for us.” Pechanga’s 200,000 square foot casino floor sets the bar high for casinos throughout the country, having a larger casino floor than any Las Vegas resort, as well as being one of the largest resort-casinos in the United States. A selection of 5,400 slot machines and 154 table games in a completely non-smoking casino gives visitors the chance to enjoy themselves without being enveloped by smoke. Guests also enjoy the 1,100 hotel rooms and suites, 12 restaurants, on-site championship golf course, luxury spa and 4.5-acre pool complex. To experience all the awardwinning amenities and gaming Pechanga Resort & Casino has to offer, visit pechanga.com. Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experience anywhere in the A panoramic view of the Cove, part of the Journey at Pechanga golf course, United States. Rated a Four and the Pechanga hotel. Photos provided by iGraphix Diamond property by AAA
The beautifully-decorated entryway to the Pechanga Spa.
A well-appointed, luxurious queen room at the Pechanga hotel.
since 2003, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway, whether for the day or for an extended luxury stay. Offering more than 5,400 of the hottest slots, 154 table games, world-class entertainment, 1,100 hotel rooms, dining, spa and golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and
exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 711-2946 or visit www.Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter @PechangaCasino.
(Advertising Supplement)
Atty. Michael Gurfinkel (right) with Consul General Ed Badajos of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles.
ConGen Badajos of PCGLA...
PAGE B1 even divorce and how to get a passport under your real name if one entered the U.S. under an assumed name. Viewers will also know about the other services provided by the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles, and what areas of jurisdiction they cover. Watch this information-packed encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, November 6 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET thru select Cable/Satellite providers), right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app.
A power couple, who is known in Southern California for their generous contributions, was recognized by the UERM Medical Alumni Association of Southern California. This couple has dedicated time to uplifting marginalized people’s lives in the Filipino American community in both greater Los Angeles and the Philippines and for their humanitarian missions to the needy, underserved and underprivileged beneficiaries. Dr. Joselito P. Babaran and his wife Lucy R. Babaran were conferred the Lifetime Achievement Awards during the Inaugural Ball and Gala Night of UERMMAASC on Oct. 29 at Marriott Long Beach. The awardees were also gifted with a “His and Hers Signature Watches” by Drs. Gregorio and Penny Abad Santos and the medical association board. The couple was surprised to receive the only award for the evening for Dr. Babaran’s 30 years of selfless service as a medical doctor and humanitarian services with his wife Lucy, who is an active supporter and co-organizer of these various charitable and philanthropic endeavors through the United Specialist Healthcare Foundation (USHF) and UERM Medical Alumni wherein Dr. Babaran was a past president from 2015 to 2017. Dr. Babaran, a recent retiree, is the CEO and president of USHF while his wife Lucy is the executive director. Pictured on the top panel from left are: Lucy Babaran, daughter Nicole M. Babaran and Dr. Joselito P. Babaran. Lower panel (foreground) shows from left: Philippine Consul to Los Angeles Francis Maynard Maleon, awardee Lucy R. Babaran Dr. Gregorio Abad Santos, awardee
Maine not closing doors on reunion with Alden By Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
KAPUSO actress Maine Mendoza is not closing her doors for an AlDub reunion with Alden Richards. In an exclusive interview for Philstar.com’s “Slam Book”
show, Maine said that she’s open to do a reunion project with Alden. She, however, said that they were both busy that time with their own projects. “Sa ngayon wala pa e. We’re both busy din with our own PAGE B6
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Why Nevada is a good choice to settle to, live in By REALTOR
FELY QUITEVIS-BATEMAN
THE State of Nevada is one of the places many people tend to look at nowadays when they are trying to find a place to move to or start their life/ career. The state, particularly places like Las Vegas, which is a gaming/entertainment capital in the U.S. and a budding sports center, is not a onetrick pony. Since gambling was legalized in 1931, people tend to think that the only jobs in Nevada tend to be associated with the gambling industry. Not so, as many industries and companies have found a happy home in Nevada. There are many advantages to living in the state, and that includes the presence of jobs, whether it’s in the construction, mining, education, and gambling/entertainment fields. For instance, employment is up an estimated 9.2% in Las Vegas. If you visit Las Vegas now, construction projects abound. There are many corporations, groups and companies that are betting on Las Vegas, as it comes out of the pandemic and resumes some type of normalcy. With tourists and visitors coming back, and McCarran International Airport reporting a huge number of travelers passing through its gates, it looks like the city is on its way to gaining back the status and revenues it raked in before COVID-19 reared its ugly head. Education is also being emphasized by state and local officials, with the school systems trying to attract the best teachers out there to make the student population competitive. In fact, several colleges offer hands-on training for their students. The biggest names in the casino industry are making their expansion plans. Red Rock Resorts
Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman helps those who need business financing, including loans for small businesses. For more information, call (702) 538-4948, or send email to fely@ precious-properties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com.
are putting up projects in different parts of the state and pursuing projects in the downtown area and northern part of Las Vegas, while MGM Resorts International purchased The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and enhanced its meeting and convention spaces. Meawhile, Hard Rock International plans to open its hotel along the strip in 2025, which will feature a guitar-shaped hotel similar to the one they have in Hollywood, Florida. Of course, gambling is not the only recreational activity in the state. When you tire of the slot machines and card tables, there are shopping avenues to get lost in, including high-end and outlet types. For many of the casino-resort properties, there are brand-name and other stores to visit, and purchase your favorite goods from. Also, watching shows, concerts and musicals is another other great activity. Las Vegas is no longer the city where “old” performers make their way to when their popularity fades. Big musical and award-winning acts like BTS, Lady Gaga, Adele, Celine Dion, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry and Carrie Underwood have had their series of shows or residencies to cater to their fans. Food is another great showcase in the state, with many popular chefs opening their places in the resort-casinos, especially along the Strip. Giada de Laurentiis, Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Nobu Matsuhisa, Guy Savoy, Buddy Valastro, Guy Fieri, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Masaharu Morimoto are just some of the world-renowned chefs whose restaurants have struck a chord with diners. Plus, many of the properties feature their own unique restaurants, with some featuring cuisine around the world (as with Pepita’s Kitchen in Resorts World, which showcases Lechon Diva Dedet De La Fuente’s unique take on a classic Filipino offering of suckling pig and is a part of the property’s Famous Foods Street Eats fast food section). What draws people, too, to Nevada is the fact that it has no state income tax, and there’s also no tax on food and medicine purchases. Also, with a lower tax rate for businesses, many companies have found it easy to build their businesses in Nevada than in other states. And if you do your research, you’ll also find that Nevada does not have corporate income tax, no franchise tax, no inheritance or gift tax, no estate tax, no unitary tax and has very competitive sales and property tax rates, among other things. Moving to a place, whether it’s for a job, a fresh start, or to retire to means looking for a place to live in. Or you may be looking at properties to plunk down your extra money in. While today’s real estate market is not as thriving as it was in the last year or two, it is a good time to look for a land or real estate properties as there is more inventory to choose from. Contrary to what took place in the last two years, where some developers and sellers put people on waiting lists or did a lottery to have prospective buyers have their turn at looking at a certain property, buyers now have more choices to look at and may be able to negotiate with sellers when it comes to prices and other things. Nevada, and its popular cities like Las Vegas or burgeoning towns like Pahrump, has not been immune to the real estate slowdown, which is being experienced in many parts of the United States. But in terms of affordability, land and real estate
Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman takes a picture from her place at Turnberry Tower towards the west side of her building, which shows the changing landscape of Las Vegas Blvd., which now includes Resorts World Las Vegas on the left and the Wynn/Encore towers on the right.
Realtor Fely Quitevis-Bateman takes a photo of the east side from Turnberry Tower, showing how developed the Las Vegas area is. The city has many projects under construction, which will change the cityscape and landscape of Las Vegas further.
The concrete building in the middle of the photo is a parking structure near the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and the Convention Center, which has been, in recent days, full to the top due to events in Sin City.
The Las Vegas Convention Center (in foreground) is currently the site of the SEMA Car Show 2022, where the latest product and custom vehicle trends, as well as innovations from new and iconic exhibitors can be seen by thousands of attendees. The city’s comeback from the pandemic has seen the convention center attracting major expos and events from around the U.S.
prices in Nevada are very competitive. In fact, the affordability factor may be one of the reasons why people and families from other parts of the U.S. are moving to Nevada. Plus, of course, the cost of living is lower, especially when you compare living in a major city like Las Vegas, as compared to, say, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Miami and Hawaii. An industry expert has put the cost of living in Las Vegas as 1.9% lower than that of the national average. Now may be one of the best times to take a look at what’s out there in the market, and negotiate your way to a great deal! The growth in Nevada, especially in Las Vegas and neighboring cities and towns, have been tremendous. I can tell you that from experience – I have many decades under my belt, assisting clients who are looking for their first home,
second/vacation homes, investment properties or land (for future use/development). I can assist you in looking for these opportunities, given your budget and things you are looking for. Many of my clients have begun to reap the benefits of their investments, including turning their properties to rentals or Airbnb, or getting a good return on investment for the properties they bought in previous years. My company, Precious Properties, is a fullservice company that has served its clientele since 1992. You can reach me at 775-513-8447, 805-5592476 and 702-538-4948 for more information, or send me an email at fely@precious-properties.com or fely.precious@gmail.com. We have investors who buy houses in California and Nevada for cash and quick escrow in as short as 7 days. (Advertising Supplement)
B4 NOVEMBER 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL Debt Relief
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3 different Chapter 7 cases
further into chaos and become a So without further ado, you can banana republic, or we get back certainly see at this point that our humanity as a people. You the $1,200 for minimum credit have the right to vote for our card payments is a heavy burden Atty. LAwrence yAng future. Just do it, whoever you for this family. She quickly decides that want to lead our great nation to FAMILY of 3: $40K credit kingdom come. she needs the $1,200 that she cards owed The young client owes can save from wiping out her Client no. 1 is so young. She $40,000 in credit cards. Her $40,000 of credit cards for is in her late 30s, less than 40s. gross income is $50,000 a year. her family’s use and financial I remember when I was that She’s the sole bread winner security. If she doesn’t have to young, a young lawyer with a of the family at this time. Her pay the $1,200 to MasterCard decade and a half of experience. rent is $1,000 a month. So, her and Visa, she can save at least Seems only yesterday. Yeah, monthly gross is about $4,000. $12,000 a year. Every family time flies and waits for no man or woman. That is certainly true. The client is lucky to be still “All these clients did the same thing that working in this pandemic. She still has two jobs. She works hard Walt Disney decided to do twice before the because she has to take care of Disney Empire became successful. Yes, her young family. She has a 12 year old and she’s married. Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice. Milton But the husband, though willing to work, has not yet found Hershey also filed for Chapter 7 before his a job as he is a new immigrant chocolate empire became the biggest in the to this country. It’s pretty hard to get a job nowadays as you well world. If you have accumulated debt that has know. Lots of citizens have lost their jobs. become a heavy burden, seriously think about Indeed, millions have lost their a fresh start with no debt. It’s the right choice.” jobs as the economy has tanked due to the raging pandemic that doesn’t exist. I thought it was basic common sense that wearing That means her take home pay needs to have some savings set a mask helps prevent the spread is about $3,500. Deduct the rent aside for emergencies. She’ll of the virus. I didn’t expect that of $1,000 and she has $2,500 have $24,000 saved up in two wearing a mask would be a left. To make the minimum years without the $40,000 of matter of constitutional right. payments on $40,000 of credit credit cards to worry about. She Well, just five more days and we cards, she needs $1,200 a doesn’t own a house. There’s get the verdict of the American month. For a family of three, no presumption of abuse under people. I voted by mail like food and groceries can actually the means test. The client opts millions of others who wanted reach $1,000 a month pretty for Chapter 7 for a fresh start to have their vote count. As I easily. I mean, that’s reality, without the accumulated debt hear it from the pundits, this is unless you scrimp and save with of $40,000. Smart and correct an historic election like no other coupons and always on the look decision. before. It’s either we descend out for promotions and freebies. Family of 4: $45K credit
cards owed Client(s) no. 2 are husband and wife. Together they owe $45,000. They tried doing “consolidation” a year ago, paying $700 a month. Under the consolidation plan, they will pay $700 a month for 60 months. They are a family of four with two teenagers still living with them. Their gross income is $6,000 a month. Both of them are still working in this pandemic. They told me that they are just tired of paying the $700 a month. They own a house but with two mortgages, the equity in their house is less than $100,000. They are still young also, just late forties. Not yet fifty or almost fifty. Believe me, they are still young but feeling old because of the burden of paying $700 a month for another 4 years. Fortunately for them, they can wipe out the $45,000 with Chapter 7. A fresh start without accumulated debt. It takes them only a minute to decide to go for Chapter 7. I proceed further with analyzing their eligibility for Chapter 7, specially now with house prices on the ascent. The market value appears to be correct. They have less than $100,000 of equity. They are good for Chapter 7 and so they opt for a fresh start in life with no debt. Good decision. This is the correct decision for their future financial security. Single person: $50K credit cards owed Client no. 3 is also young, mid-30s. He is single but racked PAGE B5
Motion for bifurcation, status only dissolution for spouses who want to move on while divorce pending Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes THE decision to terminate one’s marriage typically brings to the forefront many issues all at once. Issues pertaining to property, support, and child custody need to be addressed in a divorce proceeding. In a long term marriage especially, these issues are often heavily litigated between the spouses, and can take a significant amount of time to resolve. Frequently, a spouse would like to “move on,” and reattain single status as soon as possible, but has a perception that to become divorced, issues concerning property, support, and child custody first need to be resolved. Many erroneously believe that getting a divorce prior to resolution of property, support, and custody issues is like putting the “carriage before the horse”—an impossibility. Under the Family Code, a spouse can “bifurcate” the issue of marital status and terminate the marriage without having to wait until the issues pertaining to property, support, and child custody are resolved. A judgment dissolving the marriage need not resolve all issues raised in the divorce petition. If there are issues set forth in the petition with regard to property, support, and custody, the Court may nonetheless separate the issue of dissolution of marriage status and grant an early trial on that issue (a “status only” judgment). Obtaining a “status only” judgment is most beneficial to those persons who want his or her marriage terminated as soon as possible. Through a “status only” judgment, a person is restored to single status more quickly, enabling a person to remarry even if other issues concerning the marriage have yet to be resolved. It is important to note, however, that a judgment terminating the marriage itself also brings with it the consequence of terminating rights associated with marriage. To address the foregoing, the Court may impose conditions on a “status only” judgment, to preserve rights which normally would exist if an
early dissolution of marriage status were not granted. These conditions are contained in Family Code Section 2337. The Court may require a spouse seeking early dissolution of marriage status to do any of the following, all designed to protect the interests of the spouse who is not seeking early dissolution: 1) indemnify the other spouse for adverse tax consequences resulting from the early termination of marital status, 2) maintain the other spouse on existing health insurance, 3) indemnifying the other spouse from loss of rights to a probate homestead or probate family allowance, 4) indemnify the other spouse for loss of benefits under employee benefit plans, 5) joinder of an employee benefit plan, and 6) any other condition that the court determines is just and equitable. With a “status only” judgment, the Court reserves jurisdiction to adjudicate any other issues concerning the marriage, including division of property, award of support, and custody issues. Accordingly, if you would like to obtain a “status only” judgment, and resolve any other issues pertaining to the marriage later, it is advised that you consult with an experienced attorney. *** 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, P.C. 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, APC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com. Visit our website at kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
LEADERS’ FORUM WITH THE FILCOM LEADERS IN LOS ANGELES 17 NOVEMBER 2022 PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES
National Anthems “Lupang Hinirang” “The Star-Spangled Banner” Opening Prayer Musical Prayer Opening Remarks MARIE ROSE C. ESCALADA Labor Attaché Special Messages Secretary SUSAN “TOOTS” V. OPLE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) (Video Message) Inspirational Message Consul General EDGAR B. BADAJOS Philippine Consulate General – Los Angeles Presentations: Overseas Employment
Program MARIE ROSE ESCALADA Labor Attaché Employment Facilitation and Monitoring Services MACY MONIQUE MAGLANQUE Assistant Labor Attaché Welfare Assistance Services CARMELITA RAQUIZA Welfare Officer Open Forum HAMDAN BAINA SAYEDY Administrative Staff Closing Remarks Consul MARIA ALNEE A. GAMBLE HAMDAN BAINA SAYEDY Master of Ceremony
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On this solemn month of November Pastor’s Notes reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAS NOVEMBER is the month dedicated to remembering our deceased relatives, friends, and parishioners. I’d say it’s also a month of deep reflection about life—of how we live it. Do we live it fully, joyfully, and meaningfully? Do we live it every day with gratitude to God? Do we live it bravely, knowing that God is always on our side? And as Pope Francis posed in his Angelus address on October 16th: What would he [God} find in me if the Lord were to come today? What would he find in me, in my life, and in my heart? What priorities would he see in my life? Archbishop Gomez reflected on the same matter in his regular column in Angelus magazine, New World of Faith. Explaining the difference between “resume eulogy” — skills that qualify you for a job —
and “virtues eulogy”--qualities that you hope you will be remembered for at your funeral such as honesty, faithfulness, courage, and love--he writes: November for Catholics is the month of all saints and all souls. This month is given for us to reflect on our mortality, the meaning of our lives. November is the time for us to think about the “eulogy virtues.” Indeed, how do I want people to remember me at my departure from this world? Besides getting into a profound meditation on the gift of earthly life, as Christians, we must also acknowledge our belief and hope in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and our sharing of this new life through Baptism and virtuous life. We never become too attached to this world. We live for the Eternal Life—the other side of life—promised to all of us. The seven brothers in this Sunday’s (November 6) First Reading from the Book of Maccabees (7:1-2, 9-14) expressed it. Each of them professed their belief in the Resurrection. “You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.
It is for his laws that we are dying,” said one of the brothers as he was tortured. “It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him, I hope to receive them again,” another brother pronounced. “It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him,” another brother said. Spend intentional moments reflecting deeply on life and the promise of Eternal Life. In this way, your daily life would become more tranquil and meaningful. Moreover, I recommend you repeat these words ten times at a given moment of prayer. “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything.” If you do this daily, I assure you that you will experience peace and wholeness. Blessings! *** 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. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
Manny Pacquiao set to release... PAGE B1 The movie’s goal is to “showcase unity through the sport of boxing” and promote peace, as per release. Pacquio had spoken about executiveproducing “Almighty Zeus,” in an interview with CBS Los Angeles back in July 2021. “I hope this [movie] will encourage and inspire a lot of people, not only in America but all over the world,” he said then. “Supporting this movie can help a lot and encourage people that we should spread love instead of hating each other, fighting each other.” Pacquiao also stated on his Facebook page last June 2021 that he believed “this film will impact many lives.” Filming for “Almighty Zeus” began during the pandemic and incorporated real hate crimes that happened to Asian Americans. For Soriano, there is a need to include such stories to the film in hopes of “[shining a] light on how the [U.S.] could deal with racism toward minorities.” g “Almighty Zeus” poster
Employee’s waiting time to boot up and shut down computer must be paid Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. AN employer’s policy not to pay call-center employees for time spent booting up and shutting down their employerprovided computers is not lawful. The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the employer’s contention that booting up and shutting down computers was not part of the employees’ principal duties, as these consist of taking calls and scheduling services for the employer’s customers—so it need not be paid time. It took as much as 20 minutes to boot up and open the necessary applications at the start of employees’ shifts before they could clock in. And after clocking out at the end of their shifts, the employees were obliged to wait as much as 15 minutes for the computer to properly shut down. The call-center employees filed a collective action under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, arguing that they should be paid for their time spent waiting to clock in, as well as time spent waiting for the computer to shut down after clocking out. The employer asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that they did not hire these call-center
employees to turn computers on and off, but rather to provide customer service. The Ninth Circuit disagreed. The Court noted the longsettled principle that activities performed before or after a work shift are compensable if they are “an integral and indispensable part of the principal activities for which [workers] are employed.” As examples, the Court recalled past cases finding that: (1) time spent, by workers at a battery factory, changing clothes at the beginning of a shift, and showering after, are compensable because of exposure to toxic dust; (2) time spent on pre-shift knife sharpening by workers at a meatpacking plant were integral to butchering duties and should be compensated; and (3) pre-shift time spent by machine operator on oiling, greasing, or cleaning his machine is compensable. The Court found that the call-center employees, who took customer calls and performed all other customer-service tasks on the employer-provided computers, needed those computers to perform their principal duties. As such, time spent on booting up and shutting down those necessary tools are an integral and indispensable part of their jobs and should be compensated. On occasions, an employee’s time merely consists of waiting
and is not deemed productive by the employer. In those instances, some employers decide not to pay. But if that unproductive time is an integral part of the employee’s duties, or the waiting becomes part of the employer’s control, those times are deemed “work times.” Thirty minutes of unpaid time may seem little, but spread across months or even years, the amount becomes significant. For all those hours worked, the law and our sense of fairness demands that the employee should be paid. *** 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. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. [For more than 25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine for 11 years, and is a past Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas.] (Advertising Supplement)
3 different Chapter 7 cases...
Photo courtesy of TriCoast Worldwide
PAGE B4 up about $50,000 of credit cards in the last five years. He was making about $100,000 a year before the pandemic hit. Like so many others, he lost his job when his employer closed shop because of the virus. Sales dropped to almost nothing. His boss had to let him go. He doesn’t own a house and had to move back with his parents because he had no money to pay rent for his apartment. His lucky he still has good parents around. He decides also rather quickly that he wants to get a fresh start in
life by wiping out the $50,000 of credit cards with a Chapter 7 discharge; again, another good and timely decision. All these clients did the same thing that Walt Disney decided to do twice before the Disney Empire became successful. Yes, Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice. Milton Hershey also filed for Chapter 7 before his chocolate empire became the biggest in the world. If you have accumulated debt that has become a heavy burden, seriously think about a fresh start with no debt. It’s the right
choice.
*** DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THE FOREGOING IS CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE. EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South, Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
B6 NOVEMBER 5-8, 2022 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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K-1 fiancé(e) visa: Getting your significant other to the United States SEVERAL options exist for a U.S. citizen to bring his/her foreign-national fiancé(e) to the United States. One popular option is to marry the fiancé(e) in the country in which he/ she resides, and file an I-130 immigrant petition, with the fiancé(e) to undergo consular processing for an immigrant visa when the I-130 petition is approved. However, this option often is not advisable in that the U.S.-citizen petitioner would have to learn and comply with complicated, country-specific marriage license requirements, or legal barriers to marriage may exist to the U.S.-citizen petitioner in the foreign country (as in the case of the Philippines, which in some circumstances will not recognize a foreign divorce judgment). In such cases, the best way to get your fiancé(e) to the U.S. is via a K-1 Fiance(e) visa. The K-1 Fiancé(e) visa allows
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a fiancé(e) to enter the U.S. for 90 days to allow marriage to take place. By having the marriage take place in the U.S., couples are able to bypass the foreign country’s license requirements and/or other impediments to marriage imposed by a foreign law. To be eligible for the K-1 Fiancé(e) visa petition, the following are required: 1) the petitioner must be a US Citizen, 2) the petitioner must have an intent to marry the fiancé(e) within 90 days of his/her arrival in the US, 3) the petitioner and fiancé(e) must have the ability to marry (i.e. any previous marriages were terminated by divorce or death), and 4) the petitioner and fiancé(e) must have physically met each other within 2 years of filing the K-1 Fiancé(e) visa petition (certain exceptions apply to this fourth requirement). Minor unmarried children of the fiancé(e) may
Legal Advice
Atty. DArrick tAn also come to the U.S. under a K-2 visa classification. Upon arrival in the U.S., the fiancé(e) can immediately apply for authorization to work in the U.S. He/she does not have to wait until marriage to apply for work authorization. The work authorization issued to the fiancé(e) is valid for 90 days after entry. This provides the fiancé(e) the ability to immediately seek lawful employment. Once married, the spouse of the U.S. citizen can file an I-485 application for adjustment of status (from K-1 to permanent resident), and remain in the U.S.
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while the application is pending. At the same time the I-485 application is filed, the fiancé(e) may apply for an extended work authorization. Upon approval of the I-485 application, the fiancé(e) is granted a conditional green card that is valid for 2 years, after which he/she can apply to remove the conditions on the green card. The K-1 Fiance(e) status automatically expires after 90 days. If marriage with the U.S. Citizen who petitioned the fiancé(e) does not occur within that time, the fiancé(e) begins to accrue unlawful presence. Also, the fiancé(e) will be precluded from adjusting to permanent resident status in the U.S. if he/ she marries another U.S. citizen (however, he/she may be able to become a permanent resident through consular processing with a provisional waiver). If you are a U.S. Citizen who is planning to marry your foreign
national fiancé(e), or you are someone who arrived under a K-1 Fiance(e) visa whose marriage did not take place, it is recommended you consult with an experienced attorney. *** 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. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles. Previously, He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association. LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: 323-
Maine Mendoza Photo from Instagram/@mainedcm
Maine not closing...
PAGE B2 projects,” she said as she then joined Alden as e-commerce platform Lazada Philippines’ endorsers. “Wala pa sa ngayon pero we’ll see. Like I said, wala namang imposible,” she added. g
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