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DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
US State Department, Philippine envoys address domestic workers’ rights WASHINGTON, D.C. – A recent virtual forum for Filipino domestic workers employed by various embassies, as well as members of the diplomatic corps, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, addressed questions and concerns about domestic workers employment contracts. The webinar, hosted by Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO-WDC), covered concerns of interest to domestic workers employed under special work visa programs, specifically the A3 and G5 visa programs. This developed as the Philippine Embassy, through POLO-WDC, received at least three requests for assistance and intervention from Filipino domestic workers regarding their salaries and complaints against abusive employers. U.S. State Department Assistant Chief of Protocol for Diplomatic Affairs Nan Kelley explained the rights and responsibilities of domestic workers under these visa programs.
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Voting rights is the civil rights issue of our time IT’S the “civil rights issue of our time,” voting rights advocates say, but three different proposals to strengthen and create nationwide standards on voting are all stalled in Congress. “Democracy is facing challenges unlike any we have seen in modern time,” said Wade Henderson, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, at a press briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services and LCCR on Nov. 5. Already this year, in 19 states, legislators have passed 33 laws that will make it harder to vote. In all, 425 new voting rules have been proposed in 49 states. Generally, where it’s been challenging to vote, the new laws have made it harder, Henderson noted. In Florida and Georgia, for example, giving water or snacks to people waiting in lines to vote is now a crime.
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N O V E MBE R 1 2 - 1 8 , 2 0 2 1
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, SAN DIEGO, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
Palace: PH travel restriction on foreign tourists being studied by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
THE Philippines’ reopening to international tourists is currently being studied by the national government, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on
Tuesday, November 9, pointed out that the country only closed its borders to foreign tourists, never to arriving Filipinos from other countries. “Hindi po natin kahit kailan pinigilan ang pag-uwi ng mga kapwa Pilipino natin, iyan po ang standing order ng ating Presidente… Ang hindi lang po natin pinapayagan ngayon ay iyong mga dayuhang mga
turista na makapasok (Never did we ban the return home of our fellow Filipinos, that is the standing order of the President… What we are not allowing is the entry of foreign tourists),” he said. However, the spokesman assured that the possibility of allowing foreign tourists in the country
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UC Berkeley’s Pilipinx community stages protests against Doe Library exhibit by JOSEPH
L. PERALTA
AJPress
UC Berkeley Filipino American students and faculty, along with members of the school’s student government leaders and other community supporters, held a protest action on Thursday, October 28 to rally against an exhibit in the campus’ Doe Library. The small exhibit in question was part of the South/ Southeast Asia Library 50th Anniversary Exhibit that featured the Philippines. The display, according to a release from the group, “featured the careers and writings of school administrators David Prescott Barrows, Alfred Louis Kroeber and other campus stakeholders justifying the colonization of the Philippines and the inferiority of communities in the Philippines.” The noontime press conference and protest action featured short speeches from graduate student representative Alex Mabanta, who is also a PhD student at the UC Berkeley School of Law; UC Berkeley advising PROTEST. Keynote speaker Emil De Guzman told students that honoring those that came before you is very important as he unfurled a poster of the manongs of Agbayani Village. “These guys were my greatest professors. These were the guys who taught me humanity. faculty members Karen Llagas, Joi Barrios and Cynthia I-Hotel tenants taught me humanity, generosity, kindness…they taught me humility,” he said. AJPress photos by Joseph L. Peralta u PAGE 4
CDC recommends COVID-19 Duterte urges Comelec to give 2022 candidates space to campaign amid pandemic vaccines for children 5 to 11 by DANIZA
FERNANDEZ Inquirer.net
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, November 8 to provide candidates inf the 2022 elections a space where they could campaign safely, citing that there were Filipinos still unvaccinated against COVID-19. “I’d like to remind the Comelec that you must give the candidates really the space and
whatever modality is there because there can never be an election without a campaign,” Duterte said in his taped weekly address, “Talk to the People.” Duterte likewise said that there were candidates who did not have the machinery for a television campaign and were limited to in-person campaigning. “Some candidates cannot afford the expense of TV exposure,” he said. Duterte said that the Comelec must address
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Sara Duterte withdraws reelection bid by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
Pre-campaign billboards showing support for potential Duterte-allied candidates flank major thoroughfare EDSA as seen on Monday, November 8. Philstar.com photo by Boy Santos
DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte has officially withdrawn her bid for reelection just days ahead of the deadline for the substitution of candidates for the 2022 elections. In a post on her official Facebook page, the mayor announced that she will be replaced by her brother, Davao City vice mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, in the mayoralty race. “Ngayong hapon wini-withdraw ko ang aking kandidatura sa pagka-Mayor ng Davao City. Si VM Baste ang papalit sa akin. Ito lamang po muna sa ngayon.
Maraming salamat po (This afternoon, I’m withdrawing my candidacy for mayor of Davao City. Vice Mayor Baste will substitute for me. This is all for now. Thank you very much),” Duterte said on Tuesday, November 9. Earlier that day, Sebastian also withdrew his certificate of candidacy (COC) for reelection as Davao City’s vice mayor. According to him, Atty. Melchor Quitain Jr. will replace him in the vice mayoralty race. “I have filed my withdrawal as vice mayor candidate of Davao City. I hereby nominate Atty. Melchor Quitain Jr. as my substitute,” said Sebastian. u PAGE 2
by AJPRESS
CHILDREN as young as 5 years old in the United States can now get the COVID-19 vaccine as the country further expands its vaccination campaign. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, November 2, endorsed its advisory committee’s recommendation to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children ages 5 to 11. “We know millions of parents are eager to get their children vaccinated and with this decision, we now have recommended that about 28 million children receive a COVID-19 vaccine,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said. “As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated,” she added. At the outset of the meeting, Walensky noted that the pandemic has had a profound social, mental health and educational impact on children. “There are children in the second grade who have never experienced a normal school
year,” she said. “Pediatric vaccination has the power to help us change all of that.” Earlier that day, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) unanimously voted in favor of the child-sized doses of vaccine for the younger kids. The Pfizer vaccine will be administered to children in two low doses, three weeks apart, using a smaller needle. For his part, U.S. President Joe Biden called the decision “a turning point” in the fight against COVID-19. “It will allow parents to end months of anxious worrying about their kids, and reduce the extent to which children spread the virus to others. It is a major step forward for our nation in our fight to defeat the virus,” he said in a statement. “Over the last several weeks, my Administration has been working hard to be prepared for this moment: we are ready to act. We have already secured enough vaccine supply for every child in America,” he added. Likewise, the American Academy of Pediatrics welcomed the CDC’s decision.
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From the Front Page
Palace: PH travel restriction... PAGE 1 again is under rigorous study. “Pero alam naman po natin na napakaraming mga Pilipino nakasalalay din sa turismo para sa hanapbuhay. So iyan po ay maigting na pinag-aaralan na dahil marami na rin pong mga bansa ang nagbubukas ng kanilang mga teritoryo para sa turismo (But we know that a lot of Filipinos are depending on tourism for their livelihood. So it’s now being studied since many countries are also opening their territories to tourism),” said Roque. He urged everyone to exercise patience, noting that nearly 90% of Metro Manila residents are now vaccinated against COVID-19. According to Roque, the country will allow international tourists again once the Philippine population gets ample protection. “So antay na lang po tayo dahil encouraging nga po na mahigit
90 percent na ang bakunado sa Metro Manila, at inaantay lang po natin na makahabol iyong ating mga karatig-probinsiya (So let’s just wait for it since it’s encouraging that nearly 90% of Metro Manila are now vaccinated, and we’re only waiting for the nearby provinces to catch up),” he said. “At tingin ko naman po, hindi naman po para ipagkait iyong ganda ng ating bayan sa mga turista kung mayroon nang sapat na protection ang ating mga kababayan (In my view, we wouldn’t deny tourists the opportunity of seeing our beautiful country once our people get ample protection),” he added. Last week, Roque said that the country will reopen to international tourists “in due time” as Metro Manila relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions. “We will open tourism in due time. At ngayon nga po na alert
level 2 (And now that we’re under alert level 2), that’s very encouraging,” he said Friday, Nov. 5. “Titingnan din po natin iyong mga karanasan ng ibang bansa na nagbukas na po para sa international tourism (We will also look at the experience of other countries that have reopened to international tourism),” the spokesman added. The country’s Bureau of Immigration, for its part, said that it is ready to accept foreign tourists should the government decide to lift the country’s travel restrictions. “Should the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the Office of the President see that the country is ready, we will be happy to welcome again foreign tourists to our shores,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said Monday, Nov. 8. n
CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for... PAGE 1 “Vaccinating children will protect children’s health and allow them to fully engage in all of the activities that are so important to their health and development,” it said in a statement. “Parents can enjoy greater peace of mind gathering with family members this winter and sending their children to school, sports and other events
that were paused during the height of the pandemic,” it added. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer vaccine for the country’s youngest age group, saying the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risk to children. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for
the prevention of COVID-19 to include children 5 through 11 years of age,” the agency said Friday, October 29. “The authorization was based on the FDA’s thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favor of making the vaccine available to children in this age group,” it added. n
Duterte urges... Sara Duterte withdraws... PAGE 1 how election-related assemblies would be conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “That’s Comelec’s problem — if they will allow us to assemble because you cannot campaign by just shouting at one corner,” he said in Filipino. “You have to have a place where maybe they would limit the attendants or the number of people there. That’s Comelec’s problem,” he added. Comelec earlier said that the final list of the candidates for the 2022 elections would be released by December. n
PAGE 1 “I am deeply grateful to the Dabawenyos for the support they have given me all this time. I have no other details to share at the moment. Thank you,” he added. Duterte’s move raised speculations that she might pursue a national post after months of consistently denying that she won’t. In the event that this happens, however, she can’t run under her regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP). “Why is that? Because HNP is a regional party, which means they are unable to file national candidates,” noted poll body spokesperson James Jimenez. He added, “She is going to substitute, then she will have to join a political party that already has a candidate for whatever position she wants to substitute.” The COC filing ran from October 1-8 but candidate substitution will be accepted until Nov. 15. As per the Commission on Elections’ rules, substitution is accepted if a candidate dies, withdraws, or is disqualified by the poll body. n
The UC Berkeley Pilipinx community held a press conference and protest action against a display at campus’ Doe Library on October 28 in front of the main library steps. Speakers included ASUC officials, graduate and undergraduate students, representatives from League of Filipino Students and PAGaSA, and keynote speaker Emil De Guzman. AJPress photo by Joseph L. Peralta
UC Berkeley’s Pilipinx community stages... PAGE 1
Aban; UC Berkeley League of Filipino Students vice chair Denise Cruz; ASUC president Chaka Tellem, ASUC senator Stephanie Wong, graduate assembly external affairs vice president Lucy Andrews; and a representative of Amia Nash, who is from the steering committee of the Pilipinx American Graduate Student Association (PAGaSA). The keynote speaker at the event was Emil De Guzman, a faculty member of the California State University, who was an original student striker with TWLF at UC Berkeley in 1969 and former president of the International Hotel Tenants Association. In his remarks, Mabanta decried the exhibit after the university had unnamed buildings and halls named after Barrows and Kroeber, and after UC Berkeley acknowledged that Kroeber’s views “clearly stand in opposition to our university’s values of inclusion and our belief in promoting diversity and excellence.” In addition, Mabanta revealed that twenty-five descendants of Barrows’ family “supported the unnaming, acknowledged the ‘deep pain’ David Prescott Barrows inflicted on many communities, apologized, and offered, in the letter, ‘to sit in conversation with those who are directly affected by Barrows’ legacy’.” “We condemn the display. We urge the library to acknowledge and apologize for the harm it has caused. We urge the removal of
the same books that motivated the unnaming of campus buildings. It is 2021. I cannot believe I have to urge this,” Mabanta said. “And yet, it is 2021, and I can and must believe this because this whole episode is a microcosm of being Pilipinx at UC Berkeley. The wholesale inattention to the thriving Pilipinx communities on campus, communities that have been present for over a century and who have shaped and built this university.” “During all of Filipino American History Month, not a single campus-sponsored or department-sponsored event was organized to give visibility to Pilipinx communities, except this display on the Philippines. On October 31st the exhibit ends, and these books and the rest of the exhibit are already in the process of being removed – but what justified retaining these books for months, in spite of the outpour of objections raised?” he added. ASUC officials Tellem and Wong both acknowledged the support of the student association with regard to its protest against the exhibit. “I believe in our ability to acknowledge how the history of the Philippines is informed by imperial exploitation without commemorating those who laid the groundwork for its expropriation,” Tellem said in his brief remarks. “When I first arrived at Berkeley, I had a vision of an institution that used its power to debunk systemic beliefs of racial
superiority, not showcase them. I am disheartened to walk past a display that only as a side note acknowledges the contributions of past academics to the prevalence of white supremacy. This display is antithetical to the values of the university that this library is meant to support and represent. For the past few years, we’ve made progress in the fight to make the names on our classrooms represent who we are as academics, as students, and as people. We are still reckoning with how that history laid the foundations for the literature and the subjects we study today,” he continued. “I am not suggesting we ignore the ways our institution has contributed to the systemic misunderstandings of our world. There is a difference between acknowledging our shortcomings and learning from them and highlighting those who perpetuated self-serving narratives of racial superiority. I am grateful for the leadership shown by Alex Mabanta, Senator Stephanie Wong, faculty, students, alumni, and community members at large that have rallied together to demand better from our learning environment. That collaborative spirit is what will drive us to build a better Berkeley in the long run. I challenge campus administrators to look at these books not as illustrations of a historical moment, but as physical reminders of the trauma inflicted on our community members, reopening u PAGE 3
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UC Berkeley’s Pilipinx community stages... Fil-Am would-be terrorist bomber sentenced to 25 years PAGE 2
generational wounds in the very place that is meant to heal them,” he further stated. Wong, who was asked to sponsor ASUC Senate Resolution 21/22-018, a piece of legislation which condemns the white colonial gaze with which this institution views Pilipinx students and its students of color that unanimously passed recently, echoed the demands of Pilipinx activists, students and faculty in part of her speech. “First, the library should not only acknowledge and apologize for the harm it has done, but take action to remedy it. This would look like amending the display in a way that Pilipinx students and faculty see fit, representing Pilipinx in the way they would like to be represented, and uplifting their authentic narratives,” Wong declared. “Some might argue that what is currently on display, is an authentic retelling of history, seeing as Barrows, Moses, Sproul, and Krober were all scholars at UC Berkeley. It is incredibly unfortunate that this institution chooses to continue associating itself with these individuals, on the basis that they are their only connection to the Philippines.” She continued: “Berkeley must abandon this notion and invest in its Pilipinx students who are making history every day and deserve to have their stories uplifted at Doe Library and every single Library on this campus. This brings me to the second demand: Berkeley must build and secure long-asked for programs such as a resource center, language center, and Philippine Studies Program. These are investments that will support the already amazing work students and faculty are doing, creating a new kind of legacy for Berkeley, one that centers Pilipinx and one that our community can be proud of.” “Third, the campus should celebrate Pilipinx heritage genuinely, by formally recognizing October as Filipino American History Month. Instead of celebrating those with legacies of racism, we must recognize true heroes like Larry Itliong and Emil De Guzman of whom we have the absolute honor of hosting today as our keynote speaker,” she further said. De Guzman in his keynote address told the audience of the two big things he learned during his involvement in the many civil rights movements and protest actions he participated in – one was his identity as a person of color, being a Filipino American and Asian American; the other was how he learned to appreciate power. “When you have thousands of people out here, you can force change… Power can come from money, but not in our case, it was from people. And it wasn’t just Filipinos or Asians, it was a coalition of all kinds of students who joined us, who were on the marches with us, who made the difference, who fought the police,” he said. “Everything that you can do non-violently, do it. But recognize that it has to be done over and over again.” The victory 52 years ago as they fought for their place in the university, De Guzman said, that gave birth to ethnic studies that has now become law gave rise to community members teaching younger generations about their history and shared narrative through their own eyes and experience, and not from somebody else’s lens. “If there’s anything I can leave with you, it’s this one point – we can’t ever forget those who came before us,” he said, unfurling a poster of the manongs from Agbayani Village. “These guys were my greatest professors. These
Pilipinx community members and supporters gather around the display after the noontime press conference. AJPress photos by Joseph L. Peralta
were the guys who taught me humanity. I-Hotel tenants taught me humanity, generosity, kindness…they taught me humility.” “Students and community together is the only way that you can win. Organize, bring the community in this campus so that we can meet with the Chancellor, tell him what we think because that’s the only language that they understand and that means we mean business,” he said as a final point. The university, through campus spokesperson Janet Gilmore, who is Senior Director of Strategic Communications from the Office of Communications & Public Affairs, issued an email response when contacted by Asian Journal on the Pilipinx community protest versus the exhibit. “We hear and understand their concerns and will continue to meet with members of the campus community to discuss the matter further. Library officials have already made some modifications to the exhibit within the last few weeks, including by posting an acknowledgement that several Berkeley scholars who worked in the Philippines played a role in perpetuating American colonialism in that country and provided racist perspectives of people of color in the Philippines and in the United States. While individuals such as David Prescott Barrows have a clear legacy of racism towards Filipinos, Black people and Indigenous peoples, they and their work remain part of Berkeley’s history. And for that reason we must exercise extreme care, caution and sensitivity when presenting their work and discussing their legacies,” the statement read as a response to those opposed to the exhibit. According to the email, the university has “a library exhibit that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the South/Southeast Asia Library, and the Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies. It recognizes the influential scholarship of many Berkeley faculty whose research was enabled in part by the collections in the South/Southeast Asia Library. There is one portion of the exhibit that provides information on the work of five scholars who did research about the Philippines.” In an interview with Asian Journal, Mabanta said that although he believes the library system reached out to some members of the Pilipinx faculty, prominent faculty member Professor Cathy Choy of the Department of Ethic Studies at UC Berkeley was not consulted. He also said he knows of no Pilipinx students who were consulted on the matter. “Our hope is to really raise attention to community engagement participatory ways of incorporating lived experience and ways of representation from directly-impacted stakeholders into any kind of content about history, culture, etc., particularly in an exhibit about scholarship and stewardship,” Mabanta said. The Library has not apologized to the Pilipinx community for the display, according to Mabanta,
The exhibit at Doe Library featured the careers and writings of David Prescott Barrows and Alfred Louis Kroeber whose names have been removed from UC Berkeley buildings/halls.
although it has put a 300-word addendum to the display. One of the good things that may have come out of this drama is the possibility of future collaborations and engagements within the library system at UC Berkeley. “What is so important to understand is that the UC Berkeley library system is not a monolith. They are not centralized. They have many different participating library systems. So I can already say that members in other libraries – the Ethic Studies Library, the Bancroft Library – have indicated that they would like to do work in future Filipino American History Months, maybe in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Of course, our ask is for the main library, Doe Library, here at UC Berkeley, to commit to its racial justice statement and to provide the kind of representa-
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A FILIPINO American who planned the bombing of a political rally in Long Beach, California, in 2019 was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on Monday, Nov. 1. On Aug. 11 Mark Steven Domingo, 28, of Reseda, California, was found guilty of one count of providing material support to terrorists and one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction at the conclusion of a five-day jury trial. Domingo has been in federal custody since April 2019. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, the investigation into Domingo was prompted by his online posts and conversations in an online forum, in which he expressed support for violence, specifically a desire to seek violent retribution for attacks against Muslims, and a willingness to become a martyr. After considering various attacks – including targeting Jewish people, churches and police officers – Domingo decided to bomb a rally scheduled to take place in Long Beach in April 2019. As part of the plot, Domingo asked an accomplice – who actually was working with the FBI as part of the investigation – to invite a bomb-maker into the scheme. Domingo then purchased and provided to the confederate and the bomb-maker – who in fact was an undercover law enforcement officer – several hundred 3½-inch nails to be used as shrapnel for the bombs. Domingo specifically chose those nails because they were long enough to penetrate
Mark Steven Domingo, 28, of Reseda, California, was found guilty of providing material support to terrorism and attempting to use of a weapon of mass destruction. Inquirer.net file photo
organs in the human body. Leading up to the attack, Domingo called for an event similar to the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Following an attack on Muslims in New Zealand in March 2019, Domingo called for retribution in an online post. Domingo selected the Long Beach rally as his target and, in April 2019, drove his accomplice and the undercover officer to Long Beach to scout the location he planned to attack. While there, Domingo discussed finding the most crowded areas to place the bombs so he could kill the most people. On April 26, 2019, Domingo received what he thought were two live bombs, but were actually inert explosive devices delivered by an undercover law enforcement officer. He was arrested that same day with one of the bombs
in his hands. “At trial, [Domingo] testified and repeatedly affirmed that he intended to commit mass murder in March and April 2019,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum that recommended a sentence of life in prison. “He admitted that the [confidential informant] stopped him from committing at least one murder in April 2019 by encouraging him to be patient. Finally, he admitted that he was excited when he learned that the [confidential informant] had access to an individual who could construct a bomb, and that he was the one who chose to attack the rally, chose to use the bombs, and chose to go through with the plot to commit mass murder, right up until the moment of his arrest.” (Inquirer.net)
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Voting rights is the civil rights issue... PAGE 1
Graduate student representative Alex Mabanta talks to students, faculty and members of the Pilipinx community and their supporters on the urgency of condemning the display, and urged the library to acknowledge and apologize for the harm that the display has caused. AJPress photo by Joseph L. Peralta
UC Berkeley’s Pilipinx community stages... PAGE 3 tions of the Philippines in [inaudible]… We hope that the library will continue to invest in public education,” Mabanta revealed, even as he added the hope that the university will return or repatriate materials and artifacts stolen, including human remains, from the Philippines during the American colonial period. When asked if some quarters may think that the display is just a piece of UC Berkeley history
that can be seen for what it is, Mabanta said that such a small exhibit like this only serves to promote hurt within the Filipino American community. “There are so many slogans like ‘history is written by the victors’ and ‘if you’re not on the table, you’re on the menu’… I think this is a living testament that the Pilipinx community continues to see itself subordinated with white supremacy depictions about them. And so what’s im-
portant is to encourage folks to come learn how the Philippines is represented to the global public and hopefully seed to the young people to think about – what is history, what history would you like to tell, how can the narratives of the many people in the Pilipinx community be told, and how can we advance that work. This particular display indicates that we must invest in Philippine history in Filipino American History Month,” Mabanta said. n
This “torrent” of new rules on voting across the country is due to two recent Supreme Court decisions gutting the 1965 Voter Rights Act, combined with the “Big Lie” frenzy stoked by former president Trump, still trying to overturn the 2020 election. “We still have tools available to us, but fewer than we once did,” said Sean Morales-Doyle, of Brennan Center’s Democracy Project. And even in those two recent rulings that gutted the Voting Rights Act – 2013’s Shelby v. Holder and July 2021’s Brnovich v. DNC — the Supreme Court acknowledged Congress’ ultimate responsibility for setting federal voting standards, Morales-Doyle pointed out. “We actually do have two pieces of legislation that would help us get us past this moment,” Morales-Doyle pointed out. “The Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.” On Nov. 3, Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, was the 51st “yes” vote for discussing the proposed John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Jacqueline DeLeon, of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), noted that Murkowski was elected, in part, thanks to native Alaskan voters traveling long distances to get to polling places to vote in the pitch-black dark in the snow after learning how to spell her name to support her write-in election in 2012. But filibuster rules in the Senate meant that 51 of 100 possible votes was not enough. Because of the filibuster, it takes 60 votes to do most things. There are currently 50 Republican senators, two Independents and 48 Democrats. But 51 votes would be enough to change that filibuster rule, for
example, by making an exception for voting laws, similar to the exception made for Supreme Court nominations in 2017. “All eyes are on Congress and the Senate,” Morales-Doyle said. Meanwhile, in Indian Country, change is long overdue. DeLeon described how some reservations have no polling places at all, forcing impoverished voters to drive 100 miles on dirt roads into sometimes inhospitable, racist border towns to exercise their voting rights. Lousy mail service, too, can make registration and absentee voting difficult-to-impossible, she said. “Natives vote if they’re provided a fair opportunity, but they’re too often not given that fair chance.” “We need to get away from the framing that the voting rights is a Democratic ask,” she concluded. “This is about protecting American citizens from racist abuse and denying them their right to participate in the American political process.” John C. Yang, of Asian Americans Advancing JusticeAAJC, also emphasized the nonpartisan importance of seeing that everyone’s voice is heard. “Then we have an argument on the values, on the issues. We try to persuade the voters that our policies make sense. That’s the beauty of democracy.” “Our community is quite diverse,” he said. Asian Americans have become the fastest-growing ethnic group in the country. “We have individuals of all different political stripes.” “For us, it is about making sure that every citizen that has the right to vote has the opportunity to do so in a most efficient and effective manner.” He described how voter-ID laws sometimes run afoul of language barriers. And once a person has secured their right to vote, having
multi-lingual voting materials and mail-in voting is also important. “It is about having communities not feeling that they are less of a citizen because of their immigrant status or because they have limited English proficiency, or because they have different socio-economic means that don’t allow them to vote during a 9-5 period.” Henderson pointed out how 13 of the same senators who stopped the Lewis Act last week, such as John Conryn of Texas, had all previously voted in favor of continuing the VRA. “We have to take the fight to them,” he said. “This is a right and we should demand it and we should generate the political heat necessary to obtain it.” The Leadership Conference has prepared 14 reports documenting the state of voting rights in 13 states across the country: Alabama (second Alabama report), Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. “The way forward is through Congress, and Congress needs to be told that over and over and over again,” Morales-Doyle said. In the meantime, he and other voting rights advocates are using what tools they still have to take the battle to the courts. The Justice Department recently joined a suit by the Brennan Center, Mexican American Defense and Educational Fund and others against new rules in Texas. “None of the work stops while we’re waiting for Congress to act, but we still need Congress to act,” Morales-Doyle said. “Apart from suing, we need to keep up the work to change the public narrative on this. And people DO want an expansive democracy!” (Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services)
US State Department, Philippine envoys address... PAGE 1 “We want to be sure that A-3 and G-5 visa holders know they have rights in the United States, and that if they need help, there are resources available to provide assistance,” Kelley said. Her office also encouraged the attendees to either contact them directly for all concerns regarding their employment or seek the intervention of the Philippine Embassy or POLO. Consul General Iric Arribas also
assured support and assistance from the Philippine Embassy and POLO-WDC, especially on matters concerning their personal security and well-being. “We underscore the importance of continued collaboration between the Philippine Embassy and the US Department of State to educate our Filipino domestic workers of their rights in the United States and the Philippines and ultimately to protect the latter from any form of abuse,”
Arribas stressed. “As this webinar is being in the same month that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was passed in the United States, all the agencies here present in this webinar commit to provide help, assistance and support to those who are victims or are potential victims of trafficking, including labor trafficking,” POLO-WDC Labor Attaché Angela Trinidad added in her closing statement. (Inquirer.net)
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Palace: Wait for IATF final decision on face shield mandate by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
signed an executive order that said face shields would no longer be required in the city THE mandatory use of face except in medical facilities. shields in closed spaces and Roque also reminded local crowded areas will remain chief executives that they are until the pandemic task force “under the control and supermakes its final decision on the vision of the President in the matter, according to Malaca- executive branch of governñang. ment.” Presidential Spokesperson “IATF exercises derivative Harry Roque on Monday, No- authorities from the Presivember 8, urged local govern- dent because it was created ment units (LGUs) to wait be- through an executive order. fore issuing ordinances since Halos lahat naman po ng deVACCINATION. Health workers check the information on the vaccination cards submitted by minors aged 12-17 to get their first dose of the Inter-Agency Task Force sisyon ng IATF is either ratiPfizer vaccine at the Ugnayang La Salle in De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, Cavite on Tuesday, November 9. At least 1,600 individuals for the Management of Emerg- fied or binigyan ng Presidente were inoculated with their first dose of Pfizer jabs. PNA photo by Gil Calinga ing Infectious Diseases (IATF) ang kapangyarihan ang IATF is still studying the existing na mag-desisyon (Almost evpolicy. ery decision of the IATF is ei“So ang desisyon po ngay- ther ratified or the President on ay kinakailangan ipatupad gave the IATF the power to muna ang face shields habang decide),” he said. of the Philippines (AFP), Philipmillion individuals. by Ritchel Mendiola pinag-aaralan naman po. Hin“Dahil lahat po ng mga may“With this, we want to convey pine National Police (PNP), OfAJPress di naman po natin sinasabi na or ay nasa control and superthe message that every Filipino fice of Civil Defense (OCD), and hindi tatanggalin ‘yan pero an- vision pa rin po ng ating PresAROUND 30 million Filipinos who will get vaccinated… Ev- Department of Transportation tayin naman po natin ang desi- idente, kinakailangan po lahat are now fully-vaccinated against eryone who got vaccinated is a (DOTr) will be tapped for vaccine syon ng IATF (So for now the ng mga mayor sumunod pa COVID-19. hero, all of you are heroes,” he deployment. mandatory use face shields rin po sa mga polisiya ng IATF As of Wednesday, November said during his taped public adAfter the vaccination drive, should be imposed while it is hanggang hindi po nababago 10, a total of 30,108,097 Filipinos dress. “sustainment operations” will be being studied. We are not say- (Since all mayors are under have received a second dose of According to vaccine czar Car- conducted by the government ing that we will not remove the control and supervision the vaccine or completed the sin- lito Galvez Jr., the proposed vac- from Dec. 2 to 31 to ensure LGUs that, but let’s wait for the IATF of the President, they need to gle-dose regimen manufactured cination program will be called meet their vaccination targets by decision),” he said in an on- follow the policies of the IATF by American drugmaker Johnson “Bayanihan, Bakunahan” and is the end of the year. line briefing. until they are changed),” the & Johnson. “We will not end up with the tentatively scheduled to run from The statement was issued spokesman added. Meanwhile, 35,656,279 indi- Nov. 29 to December 1. national vaccination day. We will after Manila Mayor Francisco Further, Roque said that viduals have received their first He also said that around 4,000 sustain the effort up to December “Isko Moreno” Domagoso the Manila City government’s dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. to 5,000 vaccination sites across 31,” said Galvez. n However, the latest figures all of the 17 regions in the Philare still far from the national ippines will be activated for the government’s target of 50 to 70 program. million individuals by the end of Further, Galvez said that all the year. government agencies, local govEarly Wednesday, Philippine ernment units (LGUs), civil soPresident Rodrigo Duterte said ciety organizations, and private that they are planning to conduct sector partners will be mobilized a three-day national vaccination to participate in the vaccination drive this November with the drive. goal of vaccinating at least 15 Meanwhile, the Armed Forces
PH to hold 3-day COVID-19 vaccination drive
3 years since graft conviction of Imelda Marcos, Martial Law victims appeal affirmation of verdict by KRistine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
MANILA — Three years since the Sandiganbayan’s guilty verdict on former Rep. Imelda Marcos (Ilocos Norte), a group of Martial Law victims appealed to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo to “affirm” the graft conviction of the wife of the late dictator. Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) wrote to Gesmuno on Tuesday, November 9 urging the chief justice to upheld the conviction of Marcos, noting that their inquiry on the appeal status in 2020 went without answer. They were referring to Marcos’ appeal to the SC to reverse the anti-graft court’s fifth division conviction on three counts of violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in connection with her alleged financial interest in a private local corporation during her government tenure. The trial of this specific case already lasted for 17 years, until the ruling of the Sandiganbayan division on Nov. 9, 2018, but Marcos has yet to serve any prison time three years since. Danilo Dela Fuente, SELDA vice chairperson, told Gesmundo: “Sir, we, the victims of the atrocities during Marcos’ martial law, have suffered enough. We continue to suffer as we witness Mrs. Marcos, the principal conspirator of the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. is still out of jail, living a profligate lifestyle, shamelessly luxuriating with the money she and her family stole from the Filipino people, despite this conviction by the Sandiganabayan.” In a separate statement, Campaign against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) also pointed out that pending the resolution of the ap-
Former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
peal, Marcos remains free. “In the meantime, we Filipinos continue to pay for the Marcos regime’s massive loans — loans for government projects which were embezzled and funneled to the Marcos’ own fraudulent Swiss foundations,” they added. Return to power SELDA, in its letter to the chief justice, also pointed out that Marcos son, Bongbong, is running for president in the 2022 polls, and suspicions were raised that funds for the campaign may be obtained from the nation’s coffers. “In the interest of justice for all victims of human rights violations during the martial law period, we again appeal to this honorable Court to affirm Mrs. Imelda Marcos’ conviction by the Sandiganbayan,” they said. “We call on the sense of truth and justice the members of this honorable Court and decide with dispatch to dismiss Mrs. Marcos’ appeal,” they added. CARMMA also stressed that their reasons for protest and indignation against the Marcoses remain even with more than three decades since the historic ouster of the patriarch. “We continue the call for justice – for all of us who suffered under the Marcos dictatorship that imprisoned, tortured, and killed thousands of Filipinos. Decades may have passed, but not the memory of the Marcos’ reign of terror, the wanton plunder of our nations’ coffers and the disregard for the voices of the people,” they said. “Plundered money by the Marcoses should be returned to the people, instead of being held by this dynasty for their political rehabilitation and ambitions. They should be held accountable for their crimes. We should oppose all attempts of their return to Malacañang,” they added. n
Inquirer.net photo
executive order was “null and void.” “Another way of looking at it is null and void po siya (it is null and void) for being in violation of an existing executive policy decreed by the President himself, in the exercise of police powers,” he said. Likewise, the country’s Department of Health urged LGUs to wait for the IATF before issuing orders to drop the face shield requirement. “We urge local governments to just hold their executive orders or issuances so we can all be uniform in our implementation and we are all aligned,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire. The IATF first issued the use of face shields outdoors in December last year. In September this year, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte limited the use of face shields in places that fall under the “3Cs” category: crowded, closed, and close contact. The Philippines is the only country in the world that requires using face shields in addition to masks. To date, there are a total of 2,805,294 COVID-19 cases in the country, with 44,521 fatalities and 2,728,696 recoveries. n
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Novemebr 12-18, 2021 • NorCAL ASIAN JoUrNAL
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Veritas poll: Robredo leads in upholding Catholic values by RoBeRtZon
RaMiReZ
percent of respondents saying Robredo will follow Catholic values and beliefs. MANILA — Vice President She is followed by former Leni Robredo led in a survey senator Ferdinand “Bongthat asked 2,400 respondents bong” Marcos Jr. (27 percent), who among those running in Sen. Panfilo Lacson (19 perthe presidential race adhere to cent) and Manila City Mayor “Catholic values and beliefs” Isko Moreno (nine percent). centered on the sanctity of Other presidential aspirants life. – Senators Ronald “Bato” dela The poll, dubbed as “Veritas Rosa and Manny Pacquiao Truth Survey” (VTS) and initi- – got one percent each. Four ated by the Catholic church- percent of the respondents run Radyo Veritas, showed 37 said they were undecided. Philstar.com
Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (right) raises the hand of Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. whose presidential bid in the May 2022 elections he has endorsed. ManilaTimes.net photo
Marcos, Enrile together again by Vince JacoB and
Visaya JaVieR Joe isMael ManilaTimes.net
FORMER Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has gone full circle. After he helped topple the president whom he served for most of his political life more than three decades ago, Enrile has returned to raise the hand of the son who is determined to follow in the footsteps of his father. Enrile and his daughter, Katrina Ponce Enrile, forged an alliance with the Partido Federal Pilipinas (PFP) standard bearer Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during a meeting at the former senator’s home in Metro Manila on Friday, November 5, according to a statement released by the Enriles on Saturday, November 6. Enrile, 97, and his 61-yearold daughter, along with board member Perla Tumaliuan, met with Marcos during the endorsement of the younger Enrile, who is aligned with the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), as congressional representative of the first district of Cagayan. The Enriles said they discussed with Marcos common aspirations and programs of the Lakas-CMD and PFP where Katrina Enrile is an adopted candidate. The PFP is also supporting Tumaliuan, the party’s vice gubernatorial candidate and its provincial chairman. Katrina Enrile had described herself as a “young political aspirant” despite tagging along with
her father when she was a child in campaigns and political meetings “to learn the ropes of politics early.” Juan Ponce Enrile was the then Defense minister of the late president Ferdinand Marcos and one of the alleged architects of martial law. In 1986, Enrile and Fidel Ramos, a cousin and former head of the Philippine Constabulary, now the Philippine National Police, joined forces with the people in a “bloodless revolt” that ended Marcos’ 20-year rule and install Corazon Aquino, widow of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr., as president. The PFP called the petition seeking to cancel or deny the Certificate of Candidacy of Marcos as nothing but a “nuisance” case. Lawyer George Briones, PFP general counsel, viewed the petition as a desperate move by some groups trying to derail Marcos’s candidacy for president in next year’s elections. Briones also referred to the petition as a mere “scrap of paper” since the protesting groups failed to attach a certified true copy of a final judgment showing Marcos was guilty of a crime involving moral turpitude. He added that before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) allows the petition to proceed and ask the respondent [Marcos] to comment, the poll body should at least order the petitioners to provide an “actionable docu-
ment”. “Before the Comelec gives due course and requires the respondent to answer or comment on the petition, the poll body must, at the very least, order the petitioners to attach a certified true copy of this final judgment. For how can the respondent intelligently answer the petition, if the judgment upon which his alleged ineligibility is based is not even attached to it?” said Briones. “Since the penalty or penalties you are looking for in the Decision of the Court of Appeals are not there, then Marcos Jr. is eligible to be a candidate for President and did not commit a crime involving moral turpitude. That CA decision has long been final. It is now immutable and cannot be changed to favor this nuisance suit,” Briones said. Meanwhile, Marcos’s chief of staff, lawyer Vic Rodriguez, said the petition filed against Marcos was part of the alleged “dirty tactics” being used by his opponents. “Kitang-kita ng sambayanang Pilipino na patuloy ang pang-aapi ng iba’t-ibang grupong dilawan kay Presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos (The Filipino people sees the continued bullying of the different ‘yellow’ groups against presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos),” Rodriguez said. “Let’s not play along the propaganda line of the yellow-wannabe political assassins,” he added. ■
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Radyo Veritas said the results of the survey, which was conducted from Oct. 1 to 31, were based on the people’s perception of the “servant leadership persona” of the presidential hopefuls in the May 2022 national and local elections. VTS head Bro. Clifford Sorita said the survey does not serve as a “voting preference survey” but an insight on how the Catholic faithful reacts to the values and beliefs of the 2022 presidential candidates. ■
Roque inclusion in international law body would be ‘inappropriate, unacceptable’ - lawyers’ group by KRistine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
MANILA — Lawyers who have raised human rights issues as issues of international law have joined growing opposition to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s nomination to the International Law Commission. Twenty-four members of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers wrote to member-states of the United Nations to say that Roque’s nomination to the ILC is “inappropriate and unacceptable.” They said that the “IADL opposes the nomination to the ILC of representatives of governments violating international law, notably the Charter of the United Nations and or the Charter of Human Rights.” The IADL is a worldwide body of lawyers from over 90 countries and has contributed to the development of international law, they said in their letter-statement. On its website, IADL says its members “have participated in the struggles that have made the violation of human rights of groups and individuals and threats to international peace and security, legal issues under international law.” IADL members “throughout the globe have protested racism, colonialism, and economic and political injustice wherever they interfere with legal and human rights, often at the cost of these jurists per-
sonal safety and economic well being,” it also said. Defense of ‘war on drugs’, vilification of opposition In opposing Roque’s bid to join the ILC, the lawyers noted Roque’s defense of President Rodrigo Duterte and the bloody “war on drugs.” They also noted that the former human rights lawyer “vilified and casted aspersions on his own colleagues in the legal profession, his peers in his very own alma mater, and other Filipino and solidarity groups in the Philippines and in New York who have interposed bona fide objections to his nomination and candidacy.” “To allow Mr. Roque to be elected to the Commission, therefore, is incompatible with its mandate, may contaminate its reputation and prestige and might unduly compromise its credibility,” the lawyers also said. “At its core, his election will be adding insult to the irreparable injury to the victims of continuing human rights violations in the Philippines.” Roque unfazed by growing opposition But Roque, in a a briefing on Tuesday, November 9, dismissed an earlier letter-statement of 152 of his colleagues in the legal profession, as he pointed out that they only compose a small fraction of the tens of thousands of lawyers in the country. “They are opposing us be-
cause we supposedly have guilty by association to [Duterte] by being a spokesperson. First, there is no such thing as that… Second, there is no proven crime against Duterte,” he said in Filipino. The International Criminal Court is investigating allegations of crimes against humanity in the Philippines in the course of the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs.” “The needed qualification for the [ILC] is proven expertise in the field of international law. I will accept the judgment of different states of the world this coming Friday,” Roque added. The Free Legal Assistance Group also sent at least two letters to the ILC, expressing their objection to Roque’s nomination to sit in the panel. Roque’s nomination also earned objection from the University of the Philippines, Diliman where he obtained his law degree and taught constitutional law and public international law for 15 years. The UN General Assembly on November 12 can elect Roque to the ILC as one of eight representatives from Asia-Pacific states to sit for five years beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The commission was instrumental in the creation of the International Criminal Court as it helped draft the statute that created the tribunal that tries genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. ■
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Op in iO n & Fe atu re s
Novemebr 12-18, 2021 • NorCAL ASIAN JoUrNAL
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Resilience after Yolanda EIGHT years ago after Super Typhoon Yolanda flattened large swathes of Eastern Visayas including much of Tacloban City, leaving over 6,300 people dead and 1,800 others missing, there was a lot of talk about building back better. That objective of building for climate resilience remains relevant as survivors and those left behind by the dead and missing commemorate the disaster. Yolanda, the most powerful storm recorded in the world in 2013, made the first of six landfalls before dawn on Nov. 8 in the coastal town of Guiuan in Eastern Samar. The Category 5 storm, packing winds of up to 314 kilometers per hour, spawned powerful storm surges up to 15 feet high that ripped out about 1.1 million houses and even concrete structures and laid waste to approximately 33 million coconut trees – a major source of livelihood in the affected areas. The disaster disrupted the livelihoods of an estimated 5.9 million people. A serious humanitarian crisis was averted only because of an ava-
lanche of support from the international community. Even with outside help, rising from the ashes took time, especially for those who lost their loved ones. This week survivors lit candles and laid wreathes to remember the dead, even as they continue the challenging task of rebuilding with climate resilience in mind. Yolanda’s fury is remembered amid the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP26, which is being held until this Friday in Glasgow, Scotland. The death and destruction caused by Yolanda showed the damage that extreme weather can unleash. Commemorating that tragedy should firm up commitments to boost climate resilience. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Another reason to be thankful: Congress just passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill that will also address climate change, add more jobs!
The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS AFTER a better than expected jobs report and lower unemployment rate (4.6%) last Friday, November 5 — coupled with a very encouraging news about the continuing rise of vaccination rates in the United States (now at 77% as of mid-October) — we now have more reasons to be thankful for and look forward to. A bipartisan infrastructure bill we thought would never happen has passed! Late Friday, November 5, 13 Republicans joined 215 Democrats in support of the legislation, the National Public Radio (NPR) reported. “After months of tense negotiations, the House of Representatives has passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, 228-206, fulfilling a major priority for President Biden’s domestic agenda,” the report stated. Indeed this is long overdue. We have been left behind by other industrialized nations and we urgently need to be competitive in the 21st century in facing the ever-changing landscape of
our global challenges that affect not only us in America, but the whole world. Our bridges, roads and railways are antiquated; our airports and seaports are old and worn out; our public transit system pales in comparison with other nations, making us depend more on private vehicles that lead to more traffic congestion, gas dependency, and pollution; our broadband internet access has yet to benefit so many remote counties around the nation; our health and safety have been compromised by our own abuse of our ecosystem, threatening our water and food supply, and the sustainability of life in our planet as we know it. As the White House website explained: President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal passed by Congress will strengthen our nation’s resilience to extreme weather and climate change while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding access to clean drinking water, building up a clean power grid, and more. When coupled with the Build Back Better Framework,
these historic investments will help reduce our emissions by well over one gigaton this decade – ensuring we meet President Biden’s commitment to reduce U.S. emissions by 5052% from 2005 levels in 2030, create a 100% carbon pollutionfree power sector by 2035, and achieve a net-zero economy by 2050. Together, these once-in-ageneration investments will unlock the full potential of a clean energy economy that combats climate change, advances environmental justice, and creates good-paying, union jobs. The Build Back Better spending package originally had a price tag of $3.5 trillion, the NPR reported. But with strong opposition from Republicans and some Democrats, the bill had to be trimmed down, choosing priority and urgent projects to keep the bill alive. According to the NPR report, “the slimmed-down spending package includes universal pre-K for all 3- and 4-year-olds, investments in affordable housing, premium reductions under the Affordable Care Act, major investments aimed at address-
Philippines: Five hundred years without love Commentary
eRnie D. Delfin MARCH 16, 1521 is one date that is known by students of Philippine history, as it’s the date when Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese national but worked as a mercenary of Spain, “discovered” the Philippines that put the country onto the map of the world powers (Spain and Portugal) then. Due to this discovery, Filipinos could claim that the country has been “Christianized” over five centuries this year. However, to this day, the country is still searching her own place in the sun! In his book “Why are we poor,” the national artist F. Sionil Jose’s attempted to give valid reasons and enumerate many factors why. His other novels like “Po-on” or “Ermita” also contained fictional characters that represented leaders in business and politics, the rich and poor, and the exploiters and exploited in Philippine society. Reading F. Sionil Jose’s epic novels can move nationalistic readers to tears. Fast forward to January 2021, while “imprisoned” at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this writer just finished reading a 368page book, titled “Five hundred years without love,” a novel by Atty. Alex Lacson, a best-selling author of a series of small books “12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country.” The novel is a painful journey of several tragic events and human drama that a poor family in Negros suffered profoundly as a
result of a dysfunctional political system and unjust social-economic system that have become debilitating cancers with origins during the Spanish colonial times. The narrations of the main character, Atty. Anton Hinirang, are so graphically alive to this day that you the sensitive reader (like this columnist) can feel the pains and lamentations of his family. Anton’s father, a poor farmer was mysteriously killed by “hired goons” to expedite the land-grabbing goals of corrupt politicians to expedite their family business expansion. Months after the old man’s death was followed by another tragic murder of Anton’s brother, Teodoro, an honest-to-goodness policeman, whose killers remained unsolved as of the book’s publication. It is assumed by many residents of the town that the murders were premeditated as both father and son killings were carried out by two unknown men riding in tandem in motorcycles. The latter’s murder was to prevent the uncovering of his father’s murder. As tragic events often go by threes, Anton’s sister Phebe, a teacher-turned OFW in Saudi who worked as a domestic helper, mysteriously died purportedly by an exploiter-employer who hid his crimes for months. The OFWs are commonly known to be the “unsung heroes” of the Philippines as they are the #1 exports of the country that kept the nation afloat for decades. Although many of these OFWs are college graduates, like Phebe millions of them opted to leave (the country) to live as their salaries/income in the Philippines as minimum wage earners cannot support a family to live decently as human beings as they always dreamed when they were in college.
A great percentage of these 11 million OFWs are compelled to leave their families to have a better life. The OFWs suffer much sacrifice work long and hard work just to earn more money to provide for the economic needs of the family that is left behind. Filipinos leaving home to work as OFWs, however, creates many predictable social problems of the family as the children are forced to be taken care by other people who are not the parents (many times husbands and wives become OFWs too). Oftentimes, only one parent becomes an OFW, and both husband and wife suffer tremendous pressures to maintain a good happy family due to sheer absence. In the case of Anton’s sister, Phebe, she opted to leave her teaching position to leave a very unhealthy working environment that was controlled by political benefactors! She left an employer that was corrupt only to suffer the ultimate sacrifice, coming home in a casket. Anton’s other brother “Manong Jose” became a priest who tried very hard to “spiritually” rationalize or to create a defense mechanism to cope up with the family’s tragedies, until he himself, considered joining the NPA (New People’s Army) underground. He felt very sadly as a failed priest in his human mind. His expectations as an ordained priest were very high to cause tangible progress and better changes in his province. However, the reality seemed worse as the social environment is mired deeper in the mud of corruption, exploitation and extreme greed of those in power. Atty. Anton’s readings of history revealed that the exploitation and corruption remain remained alive and even became worse in so many areas of Philippine so-
ing climate change and an additional year of the expanded child tax credit.” Here’s a closer look at what’s in the infrastructure bill that now heads to Biden’s desk for his signature: Transportation Roads, bridges, major projects: $110 billion Passenger and freight rail: $66 billion Public transit: $39 billion Airports: $25 billion Port infrastructure: $17 billion Transportation safety programs: $11 billion Electric vehicles: $7.5 billion Zero and low-emission buses and ferries: $7.5 billion Revitalization of communities: $1 billion Other infrastructure Broadband internet: $65 billion Power infrastructure: $73 billion Clean drinking water: $55 billion Resilience and Western water storage: $50 billion Removal of pollution from water and soil: $21 billion
How do we pay for this investment in our future? There are already public funds allocated for infrastructure. The NPR report said “that includes nearly $550 billion in new spending above what Congress was already planning to allocate for infrastructure over the next eight years.” “The plan will be financed in a number of ways, including repurposing unspent emergency relief funds from the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthening tax enforcement for cryptocurrencies. The CBO has predicted the bill will add about $256 billion to projected deficits over the next 10 years,” the report added. With other spending bills to invest in our future and in ordinary hardworking Americans, the White House and Democrats are pushing to tax the billionaires their equitable share after growing in wealth exponentially even and because of the pandemic, as the basic and essential needs of ordinary families are threatened and compromised. So far, the Biden Administration have delivered on its promise to work on priorities to help
our nation build back better. Actions to control the COVID19 pandemic, provide economic relief, and now tackle climate change - these are all work in progress. We have to see more action to the promise “to advance racial equity and civil rights, as well as immediate actions to reform our immigration system and restore America’s standing in the world”. We will get there. We are in the right path. The future is brighter. We all should work together, not just the government. We can do this. ***
ciety today. The only things that changed are faces of the corrupt and greedy oppressors: from the mestizos with Spanish last names and whiter skins and now the Filipinos themselves! The root cause of the metastasized cancer of the Philippines is too much greed from top to bottom of society: from politics to business and also the “forgiving” attitude and short memory of the Filipino people. Even commonly known corrupt politicians are “idolized” and even asked to be the honored “ninong or ninang” of the people’s children. As it is the practice of many, politicians dole out money far beyond their “nominal” salary, while having the power to “budget” public expenditures, that are padded to include kickbacks to the pockets of the politicians’ families. The money given to poor people is considered a good investment for their (lucrative government) business. This common practice creates many family political dynasties all over the Philippine archipelago. The political positions are held by family members: from one position another, father to mother to son and daughter, like a musical chair. Mr. Alex Lacson, the author, speaking in the mouth of Professor Atty Anton blames and indicts the corrupt politicians, business people who are self-serving leaders as the # 1 culprit of the malaise of the Philippine society where millions of a vast majority of people are just existing, not living their full potential as God wants His children to live their full potential. Mahatma Gandhi summed up seven major causes of the world’s social cancer, the great inequality of human resources and wealth, dividing deeply the lives of the few HAVES and the billions of HAVE NOTS, namely: Politics without principle, business without ethics
Wealth without works, pleasures without conscience Science without humanity, knowledge without character Religion without honor This columnist agrees with the great Servant Leader, Mahatma Gandhi. Furthermore, I also agree with the book author, Alex Lacson who I admire greatly for his exceptional optimism which I find very hard to totally embrace. I feel that the current crap — oops, crop — of leaders in the Philippines today do not have the political will to provide or initiate real and pragmatic solutions to make the country progress as the author dreams and hope. Simply because many will not kill the golden goose that preserves their centuries’ old power and wealth. No one among them will destroy their “future!” Of course, no one including this columnist claims to have the right answer. However, I can posit a possible solution. If self-serving leaders were the culprit, let’s change them with true servant leaders like Mother (now Saint) Teresa and many missionaries like the Missionaries of the Poor (MOP) founded by Father Richard Ho Lung from Jamaica where many Filipinos are now joining. These kinds of servant leaders already exist but they are not in the political or economic or business arena yet! In religious orders or communities, their “economic” system (although some deride it as communistic or socialistic) is much better as the members of the community are assigned where their talents, be in the classroom, kitchen or in the hospital or in the garden or even assigned as missionaries in other parts of the world like the U.S. Peace Corps that was created during the administration of President John F. Kennedy. With genuine servant leaders, we can educate, motivate and
develop the youth’s moldable young minds to have the common good always as the national mantra to transform the country economically and ethically to follow Gandhi’s formula. If the young minds are not polluted and they are not trained to be greedy and self-serving like the generations before them, when their time to become leaders of the country, then we have a very good chance to have genuine servant leaders in a generation or two. That is my hope and dram for the country, to attain Gandhi’s ideal place where politics with principles, business with ethics, and knowledge with character exist. Along with this ambitious strategy, I am proposing to flood Mr. Alex Lacson’s books in as many high school or college libraries as possible, to be read by the youth, and then “create” regional essay contests after reading the book on a relevant topic like: “Youth can do little things to to help their country” and provide great prizes and awards as big enough incentives for the youth to read, think and write their ideas as young men and women as the hope of the motherland. Last, but not least, I urge every Filipino to read “Five Hundred Years Without Love” and think and challenge himself about what he can do for his country. By reading the novel, you can also find out what happened to Atty. Anton Hinirang in the book! Happy reading. Good luck and God Bless the Philippines! God Bless all of us during these challenging COVID times! ***
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.
*** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.
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.
*** ernie.delfin@gmail.com
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THE ASIAN JOURNAL
MAGAZINE
I N
N O R T H E R N
C A L I F O R N I A
Friday, November 12, 2021
INSIDE >>> L I F E S T Y L E • C O N S U M E R G U I D E • C O M M U N I T Y • M A R K E T P L A C E
Naturalizing with an undocumented spouse Immigration Corner attY. MiCHael GURfinKel, eSQ DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I have been a green card holder for over 5 years, paid my taxes, committed no crimes, and am eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. However, my spouse is out of status. (He entered as a tourist and overstayed). I reviewed the naturalization application, Form N-400, and there are many questions about my spouse. ’m afraid that if I apply for U.S. citizenship, and I disclose the information about my spouse’s status, they could go after him and put him in deportation. What should I do? Very truly yours, LK Dear LK: Many immigrants/green card holders are married to undocumented immigrants or someone who is out of status. Of course, they would like to petition and legalize the immigration status of their spouse. However, if they petition the spouse while they are a green card holder, ordinarily, the undocumented spouse would not be eligible to apply for a green card in the U.S. Instead, they would have to return to their home country on a provisional waiver and apply for their immigrant visa there. However, in many cases, if a U.S. citizen petitions an undocumented spouse, that spouse could be eligible to apply for a green card (or adjust status) in
the U.S. Please note: There are some cases where even marriage to a U.S. citizen would not enable an undocumented person to adjust status in the U.S. This would include crewman/jump ship without section 245(i); those who entered the U.S. without inspection (EWI or snuck across the border) without section 245(i); and those who entered on a K-1 fiancé visa but did not marry the K-1 petitioner and instead married someone else. Therefore, in your case, I can understand it would be very important for you to be able to naturalize to enable your undocumented spouse to apply for a green card (or adjust status) in the U.S. In my opinion, the benefits of applying for naturalization outweigh the possible risks to your undocumented spouse. I have yet to come across a case where someone “endangered” their undocumented spouse by applying for naturalization. I remember in one case, my client was being interviewed for naturalization, while her undocumented spouse was waiting in the parking lot of the federal building where the interview took place. The officer did not question or focus on the undocumented spouse. Just recently, a client was interviewed for naturalization and the officer did ask her about her husband’s immigration status, entry into the U.S., and his working in the U.S. She truthfully responded that the husband had entered the U.S. on a valid visa and was out of status. After approving her naturalization, the officer himself told her she could now file a petition for
her husband and he could adjust status in the U.S. (Coincidentally, we had already advised our client of this fact, which was the main reason she was applying for naturalization, and she had already signed up to petition him, once she took her oath of citizenship.) If you are eligible for U.S. citizenship and hope to petition an undocumented spouse, or if you have any other questions or concerns about eligibility, risks, chances, etc., I would recommend you consult with an attorney who can evaluate your situation and represent you. While that would not “guarantee” results, it could greatly increase your chances for success. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 40 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different, and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw, YouTube: US Immigration TV and Instagram. com/gurfinkellaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
BANNED FOR LIFE NO MORE, THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Joyce (center) petitioned her fiancé, Ronald (left), in 2006. However, while the K-1 petition was approved in 2007, his visa was denied due to Ronald’s admitting to drug use to the doctors at St. Luke’s. He was then banned for life from entering the U.S. In 2011, leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) was able to convince the U.S. Embassy in Manila to change their policy, and they agreed they would not ban people for life if the only “evidence” is the person admitting drug use to the doctors at St. Luke’s. In 2016, MJG was able to clear Ronald’s name, and Ronald’s immigrant visa was issued. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, November 14 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)
Lifetime ban for admitting drug use lifted this Sunday on Citizen Pinoy RONALD was petitioned as Joyce’s fiancé in 2006. While the K-1 petition was approved, his visa was denied after Ronald admitted to the doctors at St. Luke’s that he tried drugs many years ago. Because of that admission, he was banned for life. In 2008, Joyce and Ronald got married, hoping that this would get a positive result. However, the same policy was still in place
and his visa was again refused. Fortunately, in 2011, leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel was able to convince the U.S. Embassy in Manila to reverse their policy of a lifetime ban if the only “evidence” was the person admitting drug use to St. Luke’s doctors. In 2015, Joyce consulted again with Atty. Gurfinkel, and he was able to clear Ronald’s name and the visa was issued. Finally, Ron-
ald and Joyce were able to spend their first Christmas in the U.S. as a married couple. Watch this success story on a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” this Sunday, November 14 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 app for free. (Advertising Supplement)
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Novemebr 12-18, 2021 • NorCAL ASIAN JoUrNAL
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Fil-Am breaker wins Red Bull Jennylyn and Dennis reveal past plans BC One World competition to freeze eggs, attempt at surrogacy by dana
cRuz Inquirer.net
By Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
FILIPINA American Logistx is the first B-Girl from the United States to be crowned champion at the 2021 Red Bull BC One World Final. The breaking tournament invited 16 B-Girls and B-Boys to compete at the world final on Saturday, November 6, at Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. Logistx dominated in the BGirl event, defeating Yell from South Korea, Japan’s Ayumi, and Russians Nadia and Vavi. At the age of 18, the Fil-Am breaker became the youngest B-Girl to win the Red Bull BC One title. “I’ve definitely dreamed about winning this belt many times, but what means the most to me from this experience isn’t the belt. It isn’t even the title. It’s deeper for me,” Logistx said after claiming the title. “I wanted to win, because if I did, I knew that whatever I have to say, people are going to listen to me. What I want to say first is that everyone is capable of winning, because I lost and I had to come back from that,” she added. In the B-Boy event, Amir of Kazakhstan secured the title, beating Flea Rock of the U.S. and Canadian Phil Wizard. The Red Bull BC One World Final, for the first time ever, featured a top 16 B-Girl line-up. Logistx, whose real name is Logan Edra, was born and raised in California.
She started breaking in 2011 in San Diego after watching a youth breaking class taught by a B-girl. Logistx got her B-Girl name from her father. Her first mentors were B-Girl Val Pal, B-Boy Villn, and B-Boy Mpact. She has competed in various tournaments, winning the 2018 Silverback Open B-Girl solo competition and the junior
celebrityworld
Photo from Instagram/@logistx_
breaking Seven to Smoke battle at the 2019 Radikal Forze Jam. She also joined and won season 2 of NBC’s World Of Dance with The Lab. Logistx also performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2019. Currently, she is a member of the crews Underground Flow, BreakinMIA, and Red Bull BC One All Stars.
JENNYLYN Mercado and Dennis Trillo opened up on the procedures they went through to try to get pregnant, before finding out they are expecting their first child. Part of their initial plan was to freeze the actress’ eggs back in 2018. The couple narrated their surrogacy journey in Mercado’s YouTube channel, in a vlog titled “The Surrogate” last Friday, Nov. 5. They explained why they changed their plan from egg freezing to surrogacy. Egg freezing is a procedure that allows a woman to get pregnant at a later date, according to non-profit medical center Mayo Clinic. “Noong 2018, ang plano namin ni Dennis ay magpa-freeze lang ng eggs, ng specimen. Noong mga time na ‘yon, hindi pa rin ako handa talagang mag-carry ng baby,” Mercado recalled. “Pwede pa akong mag-trabaho.” (Back in 2018, Dennis and I planned to freeze my eggs, specimen. At that time, I was really not ready to carry a baby. I could still work then.) Trillo added that they tried egg freezing twice in the Philippines, but nothing came out of it. “Parang sinabi sa ‘min na, ‘Hindi pa kayo ganoon ka-ready,’ kaya hindi siguro sa ‘min binigay ‘yon,” Mercado said. (It’s like we were told, “You’re not that ready yet,” so maybe that’s why it was not given to us.) The couple’s friends suggested that the two try surrogacy, an arrangement where a woman
Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo
Photo screengrabbed from YouTube/Jennylyn Mercado
agrees to give birth to a baby on behalf of another person. Mercado and Trillo began exploring this process in the United States, since it is yet to be legal in the Philippines. The two went through checkups, ultrasounds and numerous injections in their attempt to have a baby via surrogacy. They also told fans that they were fortunate to have nurse friends since they were able to teach Trillo how to inject Mercado’s medication, which was given to her thrice a day. “Imagine, three times a day, bugbog na bugbog na yung tiyan ko. Parang ayoko na ako yung gumawa kasi sakit na sakit na ako, so kailangan ibang tao na kasi hindi ko kaya itusok sa sarili ko,” Mercado recounted.
(Imagine, three times a day, my stomach was already beat up. It’s like I did not want to do it anymore because it was too painful, so another person had to do it because I could no longer inject it on myself.) The couple also gave fans a glimpse of their announcement to family members, where they showed a sonogram of their baby. Mercado and Trillo, confirmed they are expecting a baby in an exclusive interview with “24 Oras” last Oct. 29. They also got engaged last month. The couple both have children from previous relationships. Trillo has a son with beauty queen Carlene Aguilar while Mercado has a son as well with actor Patrick Garcia.
Maureen Montagne wins Miss Globe 2021
By Ferdie Villar CHALK up another win for the Philippines in the world of pageantry! On the heels of Cinderella Faye Obeñita’s win at the Miss Intercontinental 2021 in Egypt, fellow Binibining Pilipinas beauty Maureen Montagne was adjudged Miss Globe 2021 last Friday, November 5 in Albania. A 28-year-old Batangueña beauty, Maureen bested over 40 candidates for the crown, according to ABS-CBN News. She is the second Filipina beauty to garner the Miss Globe crown, the first being Ann Colis, who won the crown in 2015. “This is such an honor and I can’t wait to celebrate with all of my [fellow] Filipinos. Thank you so much for all your love and support,” she said in an interview shortly after the competition “I hope to hit the ground running with my advocacies and feeding the hungry all around the globe,” she added. Aside from the Miss Globe title, Montagne also placed first runner-up in three pre-pageant competitions: People’s Choice, Miss Bikini, and Head to Head Challenge. Her runners-up include candidates from Nigeria (first runnerup), Turkey (second runner-up), Venezuela (third runner-up), and Canada (fourth runner-up). During the question-and-answer round, Montagne was asked about beauty and how it can be enriched. She replied: “I think that true beauty comes from within. To be a Miss Globe is to be a beauty that inspires. What makes us beautiful is our smiles, it’s what we do for our community. It’s how we give back to others, and it’s how we carry ourselves through life.” “I believe that everyone has beauty in inside of them, and I believe it is our duty to share it with the world, and to give back, and to truly inspire others,” she continued.
Montagne, 28, is a commercial model and professional host, and has also worked as a magazine writer. Prior to her stint in Miss Globe, she finished first runner-up in Miss Eco International 2019. The title was eventually offered to her after the winner, Peru’s Suheyn Cipriani, was dethroned due to pregnancy. Montagne declined the offer, with fourth runner-up Amy Tinie Abdul Aziz of Malaysia taking over the crown that year. *** Almost lost in the cheers for pageant wins of Cindy and Maureen was the 3rd runner-up finish of the Philippines’ Emmanuelle Vera at the 30th edition of the Reina Hispanoamericana pageant held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia last October 30. Emmanuelle is a singer-songwriter and actress, who started out with Star Magic and Cornerstone Entertainment. Among the shows she has appeared in include 1DOL, Shoutout!, Maalaala Mo Kaya and 100 Days to Heaven. She also released a self-titled album under Universal Records Philippines which contains seven tracks in 2012, aside from guesting as a celebrity video jockey on Myx, which is a Filipino music channel. In a video message on her Facebook account, Emmanuelle said, “Guys, we did it! Naku, maraming salamat sa lahat ng sumuporta, sa lahat ng pagmamahal na binigay n’yo sa akin. You strengthened me throughout this journey. It definitely was not easy. It’s actually the hardest thing that I’ve done in my life. By the grace of God and the loving support of my country, we’re here, we made it and I hope I made you proud. That was my only goal, to make my country proud. (blows a kiss) So much love and I’ll see you soon!” The Miss World Philippines Organization released a con-
The Philippines’ Maureen Montagne won the 2021 Miss Globe crown on Friday, November 5 in Box Office King winner and actor John Lloyd Cruz has officially signed with GMA Network. pageant rites held at Tirana, Albania. Photo from instagram/@maureenmontagne Photo from instagram/@johnlloydcruz83
tion: “Life after the pandemic has given us a second chance, what do you do now and why?” She answered: “I stand here before you here today receiving a second chance. The pandemic rendered me jobless and hopeless, but through faith and perseverance, I rose again. But I realized that many Filipinos, countless Filipinos did not have the same opportunities as I did. Throughout the pandemic, I had the privilege of volunteering, raising funds, and serving the less fortunate in my country. I witnessed their situation and I realized that I will never be the same. And now, because of the pandemic, I choose to see people through the lens of empathy to give them kindness and to act in genuine, selfless love. And to live a life that serves as the purpose that is bigger than myself, and is in service of my fellowmen.” *** John Lloyd Cruz has officially signed with GMA Network. The actor inked the contract with the Kapuso network on Tuesday, November 9. According to the Philippine Star, also present at the official signing and presentation of the former ABS-CBN talent were Annette Gozon-Valdes, GMA Network’s board director, programming consultant to the chairman/Chief Executive Officer, and GMA Films president, as well as director Edgar “Bobot” Mortiz, who directed ABS-CBN shows such as “Maalaala Mo Kaya” and “Goin’ Bananas.” Former Star Magic Manager Johnny Manahan was also virtually present to welcome John Lloyd. Crown Artist Management Top celebrity endorser/TV host/actress Kris Aquino is engaged to former Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento. Aquino announced the (CAM), the agency handling John engagement via an Instagram post on October 24. Photo from instagram/@krisaquino Lloyd’s career, is pleased with gratulatory message in Facebook for Emmanuelle’s finish at the 2021 Reina Hispanoamericana pageant, saying, “Congratulations to our very own Emmanuelle Vera (@emmanuellevera) for placing as Tercera Finalista (3rd Runner-Up) in the Reina Hispanoamericana 2021! We are so proud of you! You represented our country very well. Thank you for raising the flag of the Filipinas. Mabuhay ka! (Philippine flag emoji) Congratulations also to Andrea Bazarte of Mexico for the crown! We would also like to thank Miss Dominican Republic for being the translator in the Q&A segment.” During the pageant’s final Q&A, Vera was posed this ques-
Jayda (extreme right), the only daughter of singers Jessa Zaragoza and Dingdong Avanzado, won Best Music Video at the 2021 International Film Festival Manhattan for her song “Paano Kung Naging Tayo,” which she directed and was her first foray into music video directing. Shown in photo above with Jayda are (from left) mom Jessa and Philippine-based fashion designer Jhay Layson, who had a successful fashion show in North Hollywood recently. Text/Photo courtesy of Bradford Adkins
International super singer Jake Zyrus recently visited the famed Yamashiro in Hollywood where he had a taste of the offerings by Fil-Am Emmanuelle Vera of the Philippines Valerie Castillo Archer, the restaurant’s first finished as 3rd runner up in the 2021 Reina female executive chef. Photo above shows Jake Hispanoamericana pageant held in Santa Cruz, and Valerie in the front steps of the Yamashiro Bolivia. Facebook photo/@missworldphil Hollywood. Photo courtesy of Oliver Carnay
the signing. CAM is co-owned by actress Maja Salvador and her boyfriend Rambo Ortega. “The management is excited in many ways because this is a first between JLC, CAM and GMA. Just the idea of putting together
a project that his fans have been waiting for is something that is really worth anticipating,” Rambo said. “We are looking forward to a fruitful relationship and also help each other produce quality projects together.”
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SFIO: A new age company addressing the ‘new normal’ needs THE COVID-19 pandemic has turned out to be one of major events that we all have witnessed together. Everyone had different approaches to deal with the crisis which led to the situation of lockdown. And then the process of vaccination was initiated along with several new norms of social distancing and remote working to counter the crisis. The majority of industries went under deep distress on how to handle the pandemic. Thus, there was a beginning of new normal where the business had to adapt to changes such as remote working and rapid digitalization. Alongside, companies had to face a challenging situation to establish a new model of managing remote working. This was the same time when several companies began restructuring and remobilizing the business. As a market leader, SFIO saw the opportunity to restructure its business model to suit the new behaviors and needs of its loyal customers in the market. Expressing his views, Jeths De Jesus Lacson, Chairman and CEO of SFIO says, “We are introducing new models that are suitable for the new normal and may disrupt the traditional way of doing business.” Identifying Capabilities Incepted in 2021, SFIO is in the progress of renaming to Starfleet Innotech, Inc. The story of SFIO began with its pilot project, the Epiphany Cafe brand. Epiphany Cafe brand is a franchise business in New Zealand which the founders started from scratch. The founders of Epiphany Cafe are the same founders of SFIO.
The leadership has identified capabilities that will enable Epiphany Cafe to be successful in the global market. This has helped them to integrate into the Epiphany Cafe model through the strategic acquisitions of the partner companies within SFIO. The mission of Epiphany Cafe in providing diverse opportunities to people has carried on in SFIO. The experience at Epiphany Café helped the founders to lay a stronger foundation at SFIO. It assisted the company to innovate and understand the demands of today’s customers. To sustain in this challenging environment, it is important to constantly evolve with the demands of the market. The Technology and Software division of SFIO works closely with the Franchise and Food Manufacturing divisions as it develops business solution applications focused on Small and Medium-Sized (SME’s) businesses which will make the business operations seamless through the use of AI technology and Data Analytics. SMART-FREEZE Technology The inclusion of advanced technology allows the food manufacturing division of SFIO to develop the SMART FREEZE Technology. It enables the product to be frozen for up to 3-6 months. Once thawed within an hour at an ambient temperature, the products like donuts are with ‘fresh like quality in terms of appearance, texture, and taste.’ This tech addresses the end-of-day wastage on-site and could eliminate the “limiting” factor to expand a brand in a given region or country. A central commissary can meet the
demand of the entire region or country. SMART-FREEZE has enabled the traditional franchise business to become a diversified model where micro-business concepts can be integrated into. Business operations in these companies are on-site to make the products are no longer required. The four-core product model (Donuts, Coffee, Cakes, Bread) of Epiphany Cafe provides a value proposition not only to the business partners such as franchisees but also to customers who are looking for premium quality products in one store. Identifying and analyzing the gaps The nature of the business environment is such that no one can avoid challenging situations, especially with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Furthermore, a franchise start-up business has to encounter other challenges which include maintaining a good profit for its business partners (i.e., Franchisees) without compromising on the product quality and branding. A franchise business is affected by several key aspects such as branding, product quality, and profitability which makes it successful to expand a brand on a global level. SFIO has experience from its Epiphany Café business which helped the company to identify the root causes and develop the necessary technology. Moreover, the company has updated its business models to suit the needs of the customers and ensure the stability of the business. SFIO understands the importance of staying in the business for the long run. To maintain its success in the coming years, the company
has been studying detailed industry and market analysis. This has helped to identify and analyze the gap where it needs to be the focus. “We have considered the customer behaviors 10 years ago and predicted their behaviors in the next 10 years. This has provided insights as to how we should structure and position our business,” says Jeths. A leader with a positive mindset Since the beginning of his career, Jeths has been an influential leader with ample years of experience backing his leadership skills. He is also the co-founder of Epiphany Cafe, Ardent Bakers, Gorgeous Coffee, and A+ Electrical. Furthermore, he is a Chartered Professional Electrical Engineer and a Certified Asset Management Assessor with over 15 years of professional experience in different industries. His expertise is in Asset Management and Business Development. While expressing his views on how important a leader’s mindset is on the success of the company, he states, “Absolutely! While leaders only represent the entire organization, leadership influences culture, culture drives behaviors within the organization which yields results. Leaders provide the direction where the company is heading and at the same time, paint the vision in such a way that everyone will be on board. Ultimately, leaders need to ‘build leaders’ within the organization as part of the succession plan to ensure stability and ‘consistency of culture’.” Empowering small and medium enterprises
As aforementioned, COVID-19 has definitely changed the market landscape and behaviors of the customers in the majority of the industries. Jeths and his team at SFIO have structured and positioned their businesses within the company to address the current challenges and needs. In the retail industry including Food and Beverage, the key focus is empowering small and medium enterprises. Hence, its business models are upgraded to enable SMEs through its diversified and multi-layered business model which will bring in the “Shared ownership model” into these types of businesses. “One key area in the business that COVID has taught us so far is in terms of collaboration even with our competitors. In the past, this was seen as ‘threats’ to a business not until COVID happened where businesses have worked or collaborated together not only to survive but more importantly to adapt to the new playing field in the market,” says Jeths.
A very detailed roadmap for the future With a positive outlook and under strong leadership, the company is optimistic about the coming years. SFIO is introducing a disruptive innovation in the market where it can do a hypergrowth expansion enabled by its SMART FREEZE Technology and the diversified business model. Utilizing the shared-ownership model, the company has also a very detailed roadmap in line with its strategic global expansion in Australia, Asia, and the U.S. in the next 3 to 5 years. The key to this is ‘speed’ with high ‘precision’ in terms of project execution of the detailed plan. SFIO will be launching its global fundraising and marketing campaign from August 2021. Jeths encourages everyone to consider becoming part of SFIO by way of investing in SFIO through its authorized brokers or becoming one of its business partners in the businesses. (Advertising Supplement)
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Novemebr 12-18, 2021 • NorCAL ASIAN JoUrNAL
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Schedule your child’s dental visit today NOW that school is back in session and the holiday season is approaching, it’s time to schedule your child’s dental visit before the year ends and make sure you use your family’s yearly dental benefit. Remember that children and teens under 21 years old are able to have dental exams, teeth cleanings and fluoride varnish every six months. During the pandemic, many young people missed out on their regular dental checkups. Dental offices are safe, with COVID-19 rules in place for patient care. It is important for children and teens to get back to seeing a dentist every six-months. Regular dental visits and practicing good dental care helps with good dental health into adulthood. One of the most effective ways to protect children and teens back teeth from decay is with sealants. “Dental sealants are thin coat-
Health @Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS MY grandson Colin, 11, finally got his first COVID-19 vaccine last Thursday, November 4, after eagerly waiting for months “because someone ahead of him had opted out,” his mother, my youngest daughter, Emily, an ophthalmologist in Iowa, texted to me. I would think all parents would be very eager to have their children vaccinated soonest and protected from this deadly COVID-19 infection, which was originally thought to be “kinder” to children. Statistics, however, show that there have been about 6.4 million children infected, representing 16.6 percent of all cases of COVID-19 in the United States. The last two weeks of October revealed a 4 percent increase. Hospitalization rate was about 1.7 to 4.2 percent and mortality between zero to 0.26 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in various states. Certainly, without the vaccines, children are at an equal grave risk like adults, no more immune from getting this killer virus than older people. Hopefully, parents would not stand in the way of protecting their children and allow them to get vaccinated. Refusing this vaccine for their children (like parents who are against vaccination in general and those who refuse the life-saver Gardasil vaccine against HPV of cervical cancer for their kids) is tantamount to intentionally depriving their children of an available and no-cost life-saver and wantonly placing them at the mercy of a potential killer, all in the name of the constitutional freedom to choose. Is that love or wisdom? In my book, “Let’s Stop ‘Killing’ Our Children” (available in philipSchua.com and Amazon.com), the basic theme is healthy lifestyle and disease prevention starting from the crib, critically pointing out that some of our actions/inactions and decisions as parents could be detrimental to our children’s life, albeit all of them are (were) done in the name of love. That saying “no” to our children, whenever appropriate, could be the best lesson they could learn, and that allowing them to say or do whatever they want, regardless of reason or wisdom, could provide them with a twisted sense of order, justice, respect for their fellowmen, and what their constitutional rights, civil liberties in a democracy properly mean. The crisis today The greater dilemma we have
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ings that when painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (molars) can prevent cavities for many years,” according to the Centers for Disease Control. “School-age children (ages 611) without sealants have almost three times more first molar cavities than those with sealants.“ Dental sealants are part of your child’s Medi-Cal benefit. So call your dentist now for a dental visit. To find a dentist near you, visit SmileCalifornia.org or call 1-800-322-6384 for more information or help. Dental care is health care. By
making important checkup and cleaning visits now — including sealants if needed — your child can avoid serious oral health problems later, including gingivitis, cavities, and the possibility of fillings and teeth removal. With all the sugary treats coming during the holidays, it is important to help your children keep their smiles strong and healthy for a lifetime by taking them to the dentist now, before the end of the year. Keep smiling. Keep brushing. Keep flossing. And schedule your child’s dental visit today. California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, currently offers dental services as one of the program’s many benefits. Medi-Cal Dental, also known as Denti-Cal, is the program that provides free or low-cost dental services to eligible children and adults. For more information, visit SmileCalifornia.org. (Advertising Supplement)
The only way to win during this pandemic is the 20 percent of the population (around 60 million, according to a survey) who refuse to get the vaccine. These unprotected individuals become the primary targets of the SARS-CoV2 virus of COVID19 which will live in their bodies and then act as a massive viral reservoir and laboratory, where the virus will replicate and mutate to deadlier strains, with greater transmissibility, and kill others with worse impunity. And the cycle will continue, exponentially, keeping this pandemic with us much longer. One person, just one individual, like the first Chinese who got infected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, was enough to spread the disease to dozens, hundreds, and thousands within a few days. Today, 23 months later, we have nearly 251.3 million cases of COVID-19, and almost 5.1 million deaths around the world (about 47.5 million cases and close to 776,400 deaths in the U.S.; and 2,807,000 in the Philippines, with about 44,600 deaths). When those high-risk individuals (immunocompromised or those with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, heart or lung disease, etc.) are exposed to even one carrier of the virus, the encounter could turn out to be a death sentence. This happened to two medical colleagues of mine, whose own unvaccinated adult children inadvertently transmitted the virus to them, killing them. The proper strategy A pandemic, like COVID-19, is like a world war. The global enemy: the killer SARS-Cov2 virus. Medically speaking – sans politics, religion, and personal beliefs – there is only one way to deal with an infectious disease like COVID-19, which is a serious killer. The epidemiologic strategy that can end the pandemic most efficiently, with minimal deaths, is prompt isolation, masking, social distancing, and most importantly, vaccination of every person urgently, without delay, when vaccines become available. This is the only proper way to manage a pandemic, and save lives and the nation’s economy. A national mandate, a unified federal approach, is the only effective strategy for a pandemic, which is no different from a world war. Leaving the strategy to win a “world war” to every individual state (polarized by politics) will lead to chaos and confusion, killing hundreds of thousands, like what has resulted in this pandemic. Medically, an endemic may be handled by a state, but not a pandemic. Imagine leaving the strategic decisions during a world war to 50
states! It is plain common sense. A no-brainer. Painful reality Every person in a democracy has the right and liberty, guaranteed by our Constitution, to refuse the vaccine. That is an unquestionable personal civil right. An individual in our society has the right to hurt or even kill himself/ herself. While I may not agree that this self-destructive act should be committed, I shall defend the right of the individual to do it, akin to the sentiment expressed by the 18th century French philosopher Francois-Marie Arouet (Voltaire) about the freedom of speech. But the sad and unfortunate inescapable reality is that the unvaccinated people are not risking only their lives but the lives of others they come in contact with. While they have the right to refuse the vaccines and get infected, they do not have the right to infect and kill others (albeit unintentionally). How would unvaccinated persons feel when people with active highly transmissible tuberculosis or those infected with killer ebola (who refuse treatments on constitutional grounds) are not isolated and mingle among them? Annual COVID-19 shot? So long as there are people who are unvaccinated and may become carriers of the virus, COVID19 will linger around, with no end in sight. There will be outbreaks and surges every now and then. If there are no hosts (human bodies), viruses self-destruct. With so many unvaccinated people, COVID-19 infections will remain with us and it is possible that, later, a yearly COVID-19 vaccine might become necessary, like the annual flu shots. God forbid. *** 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 main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and antigraft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
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Mayor Breed celebrates groundbreaking of 100% affordable housing on Balboa Park Upper Yard Former SFMTA surface parking lot will be converted into 131 homes for families
SAN FRANCISCO — Mayor London N. Breed on Tuesday, November 9 celebrated the groundbreaking of 131 new affordable homes at Balboa Park Upper Yard (BPUY). The Site is one of two new 100% affordable housing developments to break ground in District 11 in 2021, and will feature a revamped Balboa BART station plaza as part of the complete design. Once construction concludes in 2023, the transit-oriented development will feature a number of community benefits, including a licensed early childhood education center with an outdoor activity area operated by the YMCA as well as a family resource center. “Moving forward with affordable housing across San Francisco is critical as we continue to emerge from this pandemic,” said Mayor Breed. “Balboa Park Upper Yard will not only serve the residents of District 11, but it will also shift our city’s housing focus to a more affordable, transit-oriented model. I want to thank everyone who has helped make this project possible.” In 2012, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors approved the sale of the BPUY to other partner agencies to meet community goals of increased transit ridership, new affordable housing, and improved services for residents, consistent with the Balboa Park Station Area Plan.The BPUY site, a former SFMTA surface parking lot, was transferred to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) in 2018 for the purpose of developing affordable housing. As an interim use, BPUY housed the City’s first Vehicular Triage Center, operated by the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH). HSH operated the Site until January 2021. “San Francisco is in a housing crisis. The 131 affordable family units at the Balboa Park Upper Yard is a big step in the right direction for District 11 and San Francisco,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safaí. “It has been more than 40 years since our community has built 100 percent affordable family housing. I am proud to have fought for affordable housing units for our working families, with childcare on site, using 100% union labor.” In September 2016, MOHCD selected Related California (Related) and Mission Housing Development Corporation (MHDC) to develop, own, and operate the family housing proposed for the Site. BPUY was one of the first affordable housing developments in the City to receive planning department approval to utilize Senate Bill 35 (SB 35), which in recent years streamlined the approval processes for this infill project and has allowed for construction to begin sooner. “Our city needs more housing: for families, for teachers, for seniors, for young people just starting out. We especially need 100% affordable housing for lower-income San Franciscans, many of whom were also negatively financially impacted by the pandemic. The Balboa Park Upper Yard Project is exactly what we need, and I applaud the Mayor’s leadership on getting it approved. I’m thrilled that SB 35, my legislation to
San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed
streamline approvals for affordable housing, continues to be useful in adding to our affordable housing supply in San Francisco. These 131 new affordable homes will help improve the lives of so many people,” said State Senator and author of SB 35, Scott Wiener. “For far too long, District 11 has gone without truly affordable, high-quality family housing. With the Balboa Park Upper Yard ground breaking, those days of inequality can finally begin to end,” said Sam Moss, Executive Director, Mission Housing Development Corporation. The 131-unit development at BPUY, which MHDC is developing in partnership with Related California, has 39 apartments set aside for existing HOPE SF residents voluntarily relocating from the Sunnydale-Velasco public housing site. Amenities at BPUY will include a 3,994square-foot licensed early childhood education center, a family wellness community resource center operated by MHDC’s resident services department, and a commercial space operated by PODER, a grassroots environmental justice organization, for bicycle maintenance. “We’re pleased to be working with San Francisco’s elected leaders, Mission Housing, BART, and our state housing partners to bring this muchneeded, transit-oriented affordable housing to the community,” said Ann Silverberg, CEO, Related California Northern California Affordable and Northwest Divisions. “These types of partnerships are critical if we want to build enough housing to meet demand in San Francisco, and across the region.” As part of the funding applications, the developers worked closely with BART and SFMTA to complete a redesign of the southern portion of the Balboa Park BART Station Plaza to improve bicycle and pedestrian improvements in the area. A brand-new pedestrian plaza will be constructed next to BPUY, and a new vehicle drop-off area will be built simultaneously with the housing units. “What’s wonderful is this neighborhood took ownership of the Balboa Park Upper Yard Project from the beginning,” said BART Director Bevan Dufty. “Without their advocacy and input, we wouldn’t be here
breaking ground.” BPUY is supported by California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) with funds from California Climate Investments—Capand-Trade Dollars at Work. The developers submitted a successful application for $20 million in Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities grant dollars, which includes $13.5 million in housing funds, $3.3 million for BART cars, another $5 million for the BART Plaza, and another $1.1 million for sustainable transportation improvements for SFMTA. Residents of the new building will also receive free Muni passes for three years. In addition, the developers were awarded an Infrastructure Infill Grant to fill the Plaza gap for another $3.5 million bringing the total State Housing and Community Development department contribution to approximately $33.2 million. Locally, the BART Plaza also received another $1 million from County Transportation Authority from Prop K money for capital costs. The nine-story building, designed by Mithun includes studios, one-bedroom, twobedroom, and three-bedroom apartments. Once complete, the new homes will be available to applicants with a broad range of incomes, including 41%, 50%, 60%, 82%, and 109% Area Median Income (AMI) or below. “When our community began the fight to dedicate our public lands towards 100% affordable housing, we didn’t know that it would take a decade to bring our vision to fruition. Communities United for Health & Justice is thrilled to see the Balboa Upper Yard project break ground, but we see this as a call to action, calling upon our City to move more of our public moneys and public policies towards more 100% affordable housing,” said Maria del Rubi Merino, member of PODER. Major financing for BPUY was provided by a $23.2 million investment from MOHCD that enabled the $120.3 million project to move forward. Operating subsidies will be delivered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Project Based Voucher program administered by the San Francisco Housing Authority. (SF Mayor’s Office Release)
HOUSING 91 SoMa Apartments for Middle Income households Available Early 2022 THE GEORGE at 434 Minna Street, San Francisco CA 94103
SF#2993
Households must earn within the income range levels below depending on household size: uniTs
incOmE RanGE
REnT
sTudiOs 21 Available
$4,516 to $13,320 per month
$2,258 to $3,425 per month
1 Bedrooms 31 Available
$5,156 to $14,980 per month
$2,578 to $3,910 per month
2 Bedrooms 39 Available
$5,764 to $17,980 per month
$2,882 to $4,380 per month
16 parking spaces available to qualified renters for an additional $100 a month and will be offered to households in lottery rank order. Must be income eligible and must not own a home. Applications are available from November 4 to December 2, 2021 and must be received by 5PM on Thursday, December 2, 2021. Apply online through DAHLIA, the SF Housing Portal at housing.sfgov.org. contact THE GEORGE leasing at (916) 686-4126 or thegeorgemiddleincome@gmail.com. Virtual Lottery will be held on December 16, 2021 at 11AM. Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. Visit www.sfmohcd.org for program information.
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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvemebR 12-18, 2021
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Novemebr 12-18, 2021 • NorCAL ASIAN JoUrNAL
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