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DECEMBER 4-10, 2020

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USA

DATELINE

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Fil-Am coach Mike Magpayo intent on opening doors for other AAPI coaches BACK in July, Filipino American coach Mike Magpayo made history by becoming the first U.S. NCAA Division 1 head coach of Asian descent. He was named head coach of University of California (UC) Riverside, which is a feat in and of itself. “People of Asian descent make up a disproportionately small number of professional athletes in the majority of professional leagues, as well as in the NCAA,” Sports Illustrated wrote in its feature on Magpayo published Wednesday,

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Newsom announces new regional stay-at-home order by Joseph

Peralta AJPress

CALIFORNIA Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new coronavirus order on Thursday, December 3 which is intended to address the surging COVID-19 cases in the state. The new order divides California into five regions and will be triggered when a region’s inten-

sive care unit (ICU) capacity drops below 15%. Under the new sweeping order, the state will be put into five distinct regions – Northern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. All counties within a region are expected to abide by the stayat-home order when that region falls into the order’s parameters. The Northern California region includes Del Norte,

Photo courtesy of UC Riverside

CAPIZ HANDICRAFT. Numerous decorative Christmas lanterns made of capiz are on display outside a handicraft store under the bridge in Quiapo, Manila on Thursday, December 3. Several businesses have been allowed to reopen to slowly recover from the adverse economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.

Duterte allows emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

THE Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been granted the authority to allow emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, December 1, signed Executive Order No. 121 allowing FDA Director General Eric Domingo to issue Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for vaccines or treatments deemed safe and effective against the novel coronavirus. The order shortens the process of approving vaccines from the regular six months to 21 days. “It is a priority of the State to ensure that

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FORMER Filipino citizens or “balikbayans” will be allowed to enter the Philippines visa-free starting December 7, Malacañang said on Friday, November 27. Their spouses and children, regardless of age, are permitted entry into the country without a visa requirement as well.  According to Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 85, they are allowed to enter the country provided that they have a quarantine facility booked and a swab test scheduled at any Philippine airport.  “They, too, must be subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry,” the resolution read. Filipino citizens’ foreign spouses and children are likewise permitted entrance to the country. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the Philippine Bureau of Immigration has

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Pacquiao takes over as president PH eyes ambitious of Duterte’s PDP-Laban growth return after record collapse by Neil

President Rodrigo Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members prior to his talk to the people at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Monday, November 30. Malacañang photo by Toto Lozano

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Balikbayans, family allowed to enter PH starting Dec. 7

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Mike Magpayo

Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties. The SF Bay Area region includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties. The Southern California region’s counties are Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa

Arwin Mercado Inquirer.net

MANILA — As the 2022 elections draw nearer, Sen. Manny Pacquiao was sworn in as the new president of PDP-Laban, the political party of President Rodrigo Duterte. The oathtaking ceremony took place Wednesday night, December 2, with House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco also taking his oath as the party’s new executive president. Boxer-turned-senator Pacquiao replaced Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who will now serve as the party’s executive vice chairman.

“Senator Koko Pimentel has passed on the practical day-to-day leadership of the Party to one with new, ‘modern’ ideas and one who has the time, energy, and boldness to prepare the Party for the 2022 national and local elections,” Ron Munsayac, PDP-Laban executive director, said in a Viber message. “Senator Koko Pimentel is now Executive Vice Chairman of the Party and will work very closely with our Chairman President Duterte, National President Sen. Manny Pacquiao, and Executive Vice Presidential Speaker Lord Velasco,” he added. Pacquiao’s name is among those being

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DOT eyes subsidizing half of testing costs for tourists  by Christia

Marie Inquirer.net

Ramos

MANILA — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing to subsidize half of the cost of travelers’ COVID-19 tests, which are mandated before entry to a local tourist destination. Tourism Secretary  Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Tuesday, December 1 said the DOT will be tying up with the Philippine

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Philippine Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo Puyat Inquirer.net photo

by Ian

Nicolas Cigaral Philstar.com

MANILA — The Philippine economy would slump deeper than initially thought this year, an expected projection that already prompted the Duterte administration to look to next year and mount a convincing bounce-back for Southeast Asia’s worst economic performer. Gross domestic product (GDP) would likely shrink between 8.5-9.5% year-on-year in 2020, worse than the 4.4%6.6% contraction seen last July, the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), the interagency panel of economic managers, said. The gloomier outlook followed what officials said were a “prolonged” lockdown of the archipelago that disrupted business and sapped consumer confidence, leaving the economy without its typical driver of household spending that accounts for 70% of annual economic output. Exports would

dive 16% this year, while imports would implode a bigger 20% from 18% considered previously.  For the first 3 quarters, GDP lost 9% year-on-year. Already, the Duterte government is trying to move forward by sticking to its 6.5%-7.5% growth assumption for next year, and an upwardly revised 8-10% target for the entire 2022, by the end of which President Rodrigo Duterte would have already left office. “As the economy gradually moves towards full reopening, we expect significantly better economic outcomes next year,” DBCC said. Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua told reporters a “more relaxed form of quarantine” next year, and a full coronavirus vaccine rollout by 2022 would help hit the ambitious targets. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III agreed. “The productive capacity of the Philippines has not been

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DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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PH military chief says Senate hearings confirmed activists’ link with Reds by Frances

Mangosing Inquirer.net

MANILA—Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Gilbert Gapay said three hearings at the Senate confirmed what the military has been saying all along—the Makabayan bloc of leftist members of the House of Representatives “serves as spawning pool” of communist rebels. The Senate has been investigating cases of red-tagging and alleged communist recruitment. “We may disagree on the way this modus was presented in the past months,” said Gapay in a

BROOM VENDORS. A woman and her daughter walk and sell brooms along Aguinaldo Highway in Imus, Cavite on Thursday, December 3. Apart from the brooms, some vendors sell other merchandise along Aguinaldo Highway such as plastic housewares, chairs, pails, laundry tubs, hardware tools, among others, to earn a living amid the coronavirus pandemic. PNA photo by Gil Calinga

O. de Vera Inquirer.net

MANILA—Foreign loans and grants spent by the Philippine government on COVID-19 response have already reached more than $10 billion (P509 billion), according to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III. “Fighting the pandemic is costly, as you very well know,” Dominguez said at the online Philippines-Japan Business Investment Forum 2020 on Tuesday (Dec. 1). In his presentation, Dominguez said the Philippines secured $3.8 billion in loans from Asian Development Bank and these other sources: • $1.78 billion from World Bank • $750 million from the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank • $917.9 million from Japan International Cooperation Agency • $275.7 million from Agence Francaise de Developement,

the aid agency of France • $100 million from Export Import Bank of Korea Aside from direct loans from lenders, another $2.53 billion was raised through the issuance of US dollar-denominated bonds in two tenors, or maturity periods, last May. Proceeds from the loans and commercial borrowings were for budget support for COVID-19 response. Last November, the Philippines also borrowed $615 million for COVID-19 projects. Grants of $26.36 million had been given to the Philippines for projects to fight the pandemic. “This year, we expect to collect less in taxes even as we increase spending in health care and relief measures,” Dominguez said. “The borrowings we have secured at concessional rates will help cover our revenue shortfall,” Dominguez added. Dominguez told Japanese investors that “the people and

with Communist Party of the Philippines. At the hearing, the military presented accounts of former rebels, who had surrendered, on the supposed process of rebel recruitment that involved activist groups like Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Kabataan and Anakpawis. Gapay said he expects “more information to surface as more activists-turned-NPA fighters end up dead as a result of our military operations.” “Their blood is in the hands of these front organizations and their enablers in the party-list groups in the House of Representatives,” Gapay said.

Wesley So spoils Magnus Carlsen’s birthday with Skilling Open title by Mark

Giongco  Inquirer.net

‘Fighting pandemic costly’: PH foreign loans, grants now P509-B by Ben

statement on Tuesday (Dec. 1). “But we can no longer deny the role that these front organizations had in the destruction wrought upon families and communities by this decades-old violence,” he said. The third Senate hearing was conducted a few days after the death of Jevilyn Cullamat, daughter of Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat, in a clash between soldiers and New People’s Army guerrillas in Surigao del Sur. While they expressed sympathies for the death of Jevilyn, military and defense officials were one in saying it only proved that the Makabayan bloc has links

government of Japan have been very generous at providing much-needed support for the Philippines.” On top of the financial assistance in the fight against COVID-19, Dominguez also acknowledged Japan’s help in rolling-out the Duterte administration’s ambitious “Build, Wesley So Photo from Chess.com Build, Build” program. “Our infrastructure program is a sound strategy strongly supported by our development partners, especially Japan, through soft project loans and by Krissy Aguilar  official development assisInquirer.net tance,” said the head of the Duterte economic team. MANILA — President RodriDominguez said that “with go Duterte has again invited our enduring financial strength, Russian President Vladimir Puwe will meet these obligations.” tin to visit the Philippines “as Dominguez earlier acknowl- soon as circumstances allow” edged that repaying these mas- to reaffirm the ties between the sive borrowings could require two nations. higher taxes in the future and The President made the repossibly selling government marks on Wednesday, Decemassets, like mining sites and ber 2 as he met with the new contracts, and selling gaming Russian Ambassador to the operations to the private sec- Philippines Marat Pavlov, Malator. cañang said. “It will be an opportunity to celebrate and reaffirm the en-

WESLEY So played the spoiler’s role on his way to claiming the Skilling Open title in thrilling fashion on Tuesday, December 1. The Filipino-born So, who began representing the United States in 2014, toppled reigning World chess champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway to bag the $30,000 (P1.5 million) prize. “I have to apologize to Magnus for semi-ruining his birthday,” said So. “I’m very shocked, of course, to beat Magnus. He’s the best player in the world,” he add-

ed. “Coming to the match, all I wanted to do is to put up a good fight and make the games interesting.” Carlsen, the world classical, rapid and blitz chess champion, couldn’t make it a double celebration on his birthday following his loss to the underdog So, but still took the defeat graciously. “First of all, huge congratulations to Wesley on a deserved win,” Carlsen, who also rued making crucial blunders in the match, said. “It was a very exciting match. Frankly, to lose to him is not a shame, it’s not a disaster.” The win also put So on top of the rankings with 46 points.

Duterte invites Putin again to visit PH during friendship and cooperation between our countries,” Duterte said, as quoted in a Palace statement. The President said this as he noted the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and its “good friend and partner” Russia. Duterte also took the opportunity to thank Russia for its offer to supply the Philippines with its Spuntik V vaccine and share its technology on vaccine reproduction. Pavlov, for this part, said Russia is keen on stepping up efforts to “promote peo-

Gov. Newsom’s new coronavirus plan divides the state into five regions.

ple-to-people connectivity through cultural and educational exchanges.” The Russian envoy also noted that the “possible distribution and production” of Sputnik V in the Philippines would greatly contribute to the growth of Russian-Philippine relations. Prior to the pandemic in October 2019, then Russian Ambassador to the Philippine Igor Khovaev said Putin already accepted Duterte’s invitation to visit the country. Meanwhile, Duterte already made two official visits to Russia in 2017 and 2019.

Image capture from Twitter (@GavinNewsom)

Newsom announces new regional...

PAGE 1 Barbara and Ventura. The Greater Sacramento region includes Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. Finally, San Joaquin region includes the following counties – Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kins, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne. When triggered, the stayat-home order will close the following types of businesses: restaurants for all on-site dining, breweries and wineries, indoor recreational facilities, hair salons, personal care services, movie theaters, museums, cardrooms and casinos, family entertainment/amusement centers and playgrounds. Hotels may remain open to provide critical infrastructure support, while churches and places of worship can hold outdoor services. Retail stores and shopping centers can stay open indoors, but with only 20% capacity. Film production and other entertainment can continue as well as professional sports, but without live audiences. As for schools, K-12 students will not be affected by the order. Educational institutions which are open for classroom instruction will remain able to do so. People in a region where the stay-at-home order gets enforced will have to, as much as

California Governor Gavin Newsom

possible, limit travel and mixing with other people outside their household. Like the stay-at-home order issued early this year, people from the same household will be allowed to go outside for physical activity or exercise. The order will also still allow people to continue with essential activities, which includes going to the grocery, going to the doctor, and picking up takeout. Once an order gets triggered for a region, the stay-at-home order remains in effect for at least three weeks. So far, no region falls within the parameters of the new stayat-home order, although Gov. Newsom indicated that that may change within a week or so. Businesses within a region that falls into the new stay-at-home threshold will have 48 hours to comply with the mandate. According to an article in The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Di-

Image capture from Twitter (@GavinNewsom)

ego county will be lumped with ten other counties in the regional divisions that have significantly less bed availability than San Diego. In the article, it showed that San Diego County as of Tuesday, December 1 does not meet the ICU threshold for the regional stay-at-home order, stating that “539 of 853 local licensed intensive care beds were occupied, 38 percent of them by COVID-19 patients. It’s tighter for current bed capacity, which is estimated at 696 beds which would give San Diego a current occupancy rate of 77 percent, still 23 percent away from the 15 percent threshold.” The regional strategy is intentionally designed to make sure that neighboring counties have the capacity to help each other out, according to California secretary of health and human ser-

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DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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From The Front Page

Fil-Ams react to new safer-at-home order as Los Angeles County beats single-day COVID-19 record

December begins with 7K new cases, officials prepare for a forthcoming surge from Thanksgiving travel, large gatherings by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

IN an effort to curb the spike in coronavirus cases and deaths, Los Angeles County issued a strict stay-at-home order that took effect on Mon-

day, Nov. 30. The order, which was announced on Friday, will remain in effect until at least Dec. 20 and urges people to stay home for the next three weeks. The order places new limits on outof-home gatherings, activities

and business patronage. LA County Public Health issued the order as a response to the dramatic uptick in cases that immediately followed the week of Thanksgiving, which saw a disturbing increase of

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PH eyes ambitious growth... CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING. Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano (center), Rep. Antonino Calixto (2nd from left), and Vice Mayor Noel Boyet del Rosario (3rd from right) lead the synchronized ceremonial Christmas tree lighting at the Pasay City Hall on Wednesday, December 2. The event coincides with the celebration of the city’s 157th founding anniversary. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Balikbayans, family allowed to enter... PAGE 1 t been directed to formulate guidelines to ensure the policy’s smooth implementation. The Philippine Department of Tourism, meanwhile, was directed to issue separate guidelines on providing sufficient accommodation for returning spouses and children of Filipinos. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat welcomed the decision to allow balikbayans to return to the Philippines during the Christmas season. BI clarifies travel restrictions Foreign spouses and children of Filipino citizens are only allowed to enter the Philippines if the Filipino citizen or balikbayan is traveling with them, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration clarified on Tuesday, December 1. “The intent of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) resolution was to enable foreigners to reunite with their families in the Philippines,” Immigration Commissioner

Jaime Morente said. He added, “Thus, such intention is not served if the alien comes here when his wife or children are not in the country.” The BI commissioner issued the statement after the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) sent the bureau a clarification explaining the rationale behind the IATF’s newest resolution that lifts restrictions on traveling foreigners who are immediate family members of Filipinos. Morente warned that arriving dependents may be denied entry in the Philippines if they are not travelling with the Filipino citizen or former Filipino citizen, or if their Filipino family is not in the country. “The intent of the relaxed restriction for balikbayans is to allow families to reunite this holiday season. Apart from those exempted by the IATF, others who will be entering under a tourist status will still not be allowed,” he said.

According to Morente, dependents, including minors, of Filipino citizens who are not traveling with the principal may still enter the Philippines if they are joining the Filipino citizen in the country.  “The Balikbayan privilege is specifically for spouses and children of a Filipino or a Former Filipino only, who is traveling with him,” said Morente. However, they must secure an entry visa from a Philippine Embassy or Consulate abroad. “If they are not traveling with the Filipino or former Filipino spouse, and are just joining him in the Philippines, then they may be allowed to enter if they secure an entry visa, but with a limited stay in the country,” Morente added. The country’s Balikbayan Program was launched by the national government in 1989 under Republic Act 6768, amended by Republic Act 9174. The program aims to attract and encourage overseas Filipinos to come and visit the Philippines.

Duterte allows emergency use of... PAGE 1 t the lives of the Filipino people, especially the underprivileged, poor, and marginalized, our frontliners, healthcare providers, police officers and soldiers, and those in the essential services shall be protected from COVID-19 by ensuing accessibility and adequacy of supply of related drugs and vaccines,” said Duterte in the order. EUA can be issued provided these following conditions are met: • Based on the totality of evidence available, including data from adequate and well-known controlled trials, it is reasonable to believe that the drug or vaccine may be effective to prevent, diagnose or treat COVID-19; • The known and potential

benefits of the drug or vaccine when used to diagnose, prevent or treat COVID-19 outweigh the known and potential risks of the drug or vaccine if any; and • There is no adequate, approved and available alternative to the drug or vaccine for diagnosing, preventing or treating COVID-19. The order allows the FDA to convene a panel of experts to conduct a review of data on the safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 drug or vaccine applying for an EUA. Afterwards, the panel needs to submit to the FDA Director General its report and recommendations on the application for EUA. The issued EUA will only be valid “within the duration of the declared public emergency due

to COVID-19.” The FDA director general may revisit or revoke the EUA to protect the general public health and safety. Domingo, for his part, welcomed the order. “We at the FDA will do our best to help make safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines available in the Philippines,” he told Philstar.com. Last Friday, the Philippines signed a tripartite agreement for two million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine against COVID-19. According to the country’s vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., the two million doses will be funded by the private sector as the national government negotiates with the British vaccine maker for 20 million doses using public money.

PAGE 1 t damaged. What has limited us is the fear of getting infection. But the factories are there, the call centers are there. These factors of production are there,” Dominguez said in an online briefing. As it stands, the Duterte government’s recovery strategy has not changed. Apart from easing prohibitions to allow more people to go out, officials were also banking on savings to be generated by companies once the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill is enacted. Currently, the measure is undertaking final touches by House and Senate contingents before transmitting it to Duterte. They are also hoping that another bill, the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer, would prompt banks to lend more as wanted by the central bank that has given them more funds to do so. FIST is also under Congress deliberation, all while the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has tried to push the monetary stimulus envelope further by slashing 200 basis points from key rates. So far, BSP has been failing

with bank lending only up 1.9% year-on-year in October, the weakest in nearly 14 years.  Calls for more fiscal stimulus rejected What has been persistently missing, and constantly asked for recovery however, was a bigger fiscal stimulus, something the administration has been hesitant to give over fears of losing its most prized investment grade credit rating. Alas, this hesitance has finally shown in black and white. For this year, the budget deficit is seen widening to 7.6% of GDP, which while at record level, is narrower than July’s 9.6% assumption. The narrowing will be facilitated by higher revenues of P2.85 trillion from P2.52 trillion seen originally, and lower expenses of P3.23 trillion from P3.33 trillion originally. Amid growing public needs and calls even from former state officials to do more, DBCC reiterated sticking to the current conservative program. “We will not abandon the prudent fiscal management set by President Duterte…,” it said. Dominguez, in the briefing, doubled down on this commit-

ment. “There is no direct relationship between stimulus and GDP growth…What is really holding back our economy at this time, it seems to me is the lack of confidence,” he said. The deficit is poised to widen slightly to 8.9% of GDP by 2021 from originally 8.5%, and to 7.3% from 7.2% in 2022 on the back of higher than originally programmed spending. But this would largely come from unused allocations in 2022 that the government intends to utilize over the next 2 years. Other targets With a weak economy, inflation is seen staying under control at between 2.4-2.6% this year, and 2-4% in 2021 and 2022. As of October, consumer prices have risen an average of 2.5%. Helping tame inflation is a strong peso seen trading between P48-P50 to a dollar this year, stronger than the P50-P52 projection last July. A wider P48-P53 band was set for next year and in 2022, also firmer than the initial P50-P54. Goods exports and imports, meanwhile, are forecast to grow 5% and 8%, respectively over the next 2 years.

Newsom announces new regional... PAGE 2 t vices Dr. Mark Ghaly the article pointed out. Currently, San Diego is in the purple tier in the most recent plan unveiled by the state (Blueprint for a Safer Economy in the covid19.ca.gov website) which allows for most businesses to provide for outdoor operations and cease indoor services. San

Diego is one of 51 counties in the purple tier in the state. Under this tier, which is also referred to as Tier 1, retail stores and bookstores can open with a maximum 25% capacity, while museums, zoos and aquariums can open outdoors only with modifications. Places of worship, gyms and fitness centers can offer services but only outdoor.

Also under the purple tier, breweries, distilleries and bars that do not serve or provide meals must close. Groceries, which are considered essential businesses, can continue to operate at 50% capacity. Schools that have not opened in any capacity, meanwhile, must keep their campuses closed with the certain exceptions.

DOT eyes subsidizing half... PAGE 1 t General Hospital (PGH), which she noted offers reverse transmission – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing at only P1,900. “The President already instructed the DOH (Department of Health) and the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) to put a price cap but having said that we also have, we are going to have a tie up with the UPPGH. They are only charging

1,900 for the RT PCR and the results come out in 24 hours,” Puyat said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel. “Then we are looking at how to probably make travel vouchers. Because mura na nga yung P1,900 but then gusto pa namin mas affordable so we’re looking at making it parang subsidizing 50 percent of the RT PCR in UPPGH,” she added. With the easing of restrictions, some tourist destinations

in the country have opened to domestic travelers. “Today Coron, Palawan is opening and Siargao. Finally. They’ve already been under modified GCQ (general community quarantine) for quite some time. The LGUs were hesitant to open,” the DOT chief said. “So, it’s really up to the LGU if they’re going to open or not. So we’re quite happy that they finally decided [to open],” she added.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III (left) swears in two new officers of PDP-Laban — House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (center) as executive president and Sen. Manny Pacquiao as president. Photo from Ron Munsayac, PDP-Laban executive director

Pacquiao takes over as president of... PAGE 1 t floated as a possible contender in the 2022 presidential elections. Back in June this year, Bob Arum,  Pacquiao’s former pro-

moter, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the boxer-turned-senator would run for the presidency in 2022. “I did a telephone call with him. ‘Bob, I’m gonna run in

2022 and when I win, I want you there at my inauguration,” Arum said. But Pacquiao denied that he discussed any plans about running for president with Arum.

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-10, 2020

Dateline Philippines

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`Sison has lost control over NPA’ ‘I don’t care about human rights,’ Duterte says, urging cops to ‘shoot first’ by Bernadette

E. Tamayo

ManilaTimes.net

JOSE Maria “Joma” Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), has lost control over the New People’s Army (NPA), Sen. Panfilo Lacson said following the Senate inquiry on the alleged red-tagging by the military. The senator pointed this out on Wednesday, December 2 as he reiterated the need to pursue localized peace talks instead of dealing with the CPP’s political arm, the National Democratic Front (NDF). Lacson said not all local government units (LGUs) have the same level of insurgency problems. “Either that, or there is basis in the claim of the security sector that bad faith through deception has always been part of the CPP/NPA/NDF Central Committee’s agenda in calling for bilateral ceasefires with the government,” he said. “That explains why even if Sison agreed to a ceasefire [NPA rebels] continue their attack,” Lacson said. A former ranking NPA offi-

by Franco Luna Philstar.com

MANILA — It’s been made clear countless times in the past: the president does not care about human rights, despite claiming to abide by the 1987 Constitution.  At a speech in Cavite on Thursday, December 3, at an event celebrating the destruction of P7 billion worth of narcotics, President Rodrigo Duterte made the statement as explicitly as he could, urging officers of the law to shoot This file photo shows Guerillas of the New People’s Army march inside their camp in an first, and worry about human undisclosed location in the Sierra Madre Mountains. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan rights later.  “All addicts have guns. If cer, Noel Legaspi, on Tuesday, tan Kudarat. “We maximized [our attack there’s even a hint of wrongDecember 1 testified that NPA rebels continued to attack gov- during the] peace negotiation. doing, any overt act, even if ernment forces and harassed That’s 155 days. Because that you don’t see a gun, just go business establishments even time there was a suspension of ahead and shoot him,” he said military and police operations in Filipino. “You should go during peace talks. first, because you might be Legaspi, the former CPP [against the NPA],” he said. “So, napakaluwag para sa spokesman in Mindanao, said during the peace talks from CPP-NPA na mag (So, it was 2016 to 2017, the group was easy for the CPP to) maneuver. able to expand its mass base So, we were able to consolidate nationwide. It also set up a and expand our mass base,” “shadow government” in Sulu PAGE 7

Fil-Am coach Mike Magpayo intent on... PAGE 1 t November 25. “More than 18.6 million Asians live in the United States. Of the more than half a million NCAA athletes who compete every year, just 1% of them are Asian. That number gets even smaller when carried over to the professional level; in 2015, Asian players made up only 0.2% of the NBA,” it added. Magpayo, 41, was the defensive coordinator at UC Riverside before replacing David Patrick as head coach. He also had stints at University of San Francisco, Campbell University, and Columbia University before making his way to UC Riverside in 2018. Outside the NCAA, Magpayo is the founder and president of the Asian Coaches Association, an organization that unifies, supports, and elevates all Asian coaches beyond just the basketball community.

“I hope I can open the door for other Asian coaches… that’s the mission,” he told Sports Illustrated. However, Sports Illustrated noted that while Magpayo and his organization continue to open doors in the sports industry for Asians, “his own door has been wavering shut.” UC Riverside in August began considering eliminating its entire athletic program to address the financial deficits that the school is experiencing due to the global health crisis. “A number of Power 5 universities have already eliminated several sports teams—including Stanford’s rowing program and Minnesota’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams—though no one in 2020 has ended athletics entirely,” said Sports Illustrated. “But for a non-Power 5 school like UC Riverside, which additionally lacks a lucrative football pro-

gram (the Highlanders’ football team is a member of the NCAA’s Division II), a notion to cut its entire athletic program could be seen as justifiable,” it added. Magpayo, for his part, expressed disbelief over the situation. “I know it’s about dollars and cents and we’re in a once-in-acentury pandemic, but I just truly believe in the value of athletics and sports in general. Especially in a pandemic… I just can’t imagine it,” he said. On the bright side, the Filipino coach will remain steadfast in his goal to continue opening doors for future basketball generations despite the uncertainty he currently faces.  “And those inspired by his presence as a coach can clearly see how crucial it is to keep his own door open,” Sports Illustrated concluded. (Ritchel Mendiola/ AJPress)

shot. Shoot him first, because he will really draw his gun on you, and you will die.” “Human rights, you are preoccupied with the lives of the criminals and drug pushers. As mayor and as president, I have to protect every man, woman, and child from the dangers of drugs. The game is killing...I say to the human rights, I don’t give a shit with you. My order is still the same. Because I am angry,” he added.  Duterte has often slammed the criticisms of rights groups, and statements encouraging police to shoot first are nothing new. Earlier in the coronavirus pandemic, he also urged law enforcement personnel to “shoot dead” any quarantine violators, especially those linked to left-leaning groups

critical of his administration.  According to groups from the United Nations to local rights monitors, cops under the Duterte administration have been handed “near-impunity” by the president’s pronouncements and are only further emboldened to carry out the summary executions linked to the administration’s flagship campaign against illegal narcotics.  Even worse, the findings of an earlier UN report have suggested that the planting of evidence by police officers was a common practice. Both local and international organizations have said that the nightly killings only increased amid the coronavirus-induced lockdowns, a claim corroborated by the

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Opinion

Asia’s leading destination

Features

THE Philippines has always taken pride in its world-class beaches and diving sites. Now another destination is increasingly gaining recognition among international travelers: Intramuros, Manila’s walled city. Manila has long been associated with urban blight, but Intramuros has always had the potential to be turned into what in other countries are the historic Old Towns. Such preserved enclaves are typically major tourism draws. In recent years, efforts have been made to restore Intramuros to its historical splendor. Museums have been opened, vehicle movement regulated and, in the past months, more streetlights and artistic building illumination installed. Fort Santiago has been rehabilitated. The efforts have started paying off. In 2016, the walled city was chosen for the first time as Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction, at the World Travel Awards Asia. This year, at the 27th edition of the awards, Intramuros has repeated its feat. The Philippines also bagged its fourth award as Asia’s Leading Beach Destination and its second as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination. The awards in the World

category are still being awaited, but the regional recognitions are welcome news even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the global travel and tourism industry. With COVID vaccines now being prepared for mass application, it’s only a matter of time before people will start traveling again. There will be stiff competition for visitors especially among countries whose economies are heavily dependent on tourism. The World Travel Awards make it easier to market the Philippines as a priority destination for people who are raring to end the COVID mobility restrictions. Philstar.com photo The pandemic has shown the economic importance of tourism and its downstream industries. With the latest official accolades, the challenge is to maintain the environment that won the recognition. Travel destinations must not only feature unique attractions but must also services and infrastructure. Winning awards this momentum and develop a solid reputation as a be clean, safe, and supported by the necessary year is not enough; the country must sustain the top travel destination. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

God’s advent message for us amid the challenging 2020: Wait!

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel Santos-Relos ADVENT is very special to me because year after year, my birthday (December 1) is within the Advent season. This year, Advent lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas — from November 29 to December 24. The reflection of this year’s advent season has an even deeper meaning and significance to us as we are all going through the worst health crisis around the world, which has greatly exacerbated the hardships we are now facing politically, economically, and socially and therefore, in our personal lives. The sermon of the Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan during the mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral has such a profound message to us Christians last Sunday, November 29, during the trials and tribulations we are now facing. But before that, let me share with you some interesting things I read about Advent. According to christianity.com, “the word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was

a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (John 1:29), and his first miracle at Cana (John 2:1).” “During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.” However, beginning the 6th century, “Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the ‘coming’ they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.” Going back to the sermon of Cardinal Dolan that my family got to hear during the televised Sunday mass during this time of the pandemic. Cardinal Dolan said the message for us Christians during Advent is to WAIT. And he confessed how human as he is, he hates waiting. And we all do, especially during this time of a fast-paced life and the sense of entitlement

to fast results and instant gratification. But Cardinal Dolan said life, in reality, is all about waiting. We experience this in our everyday life. We want for the mass to end, for the food to be cooked, for our train or bus ride, for our paychecks to be released or deposited to our accounts, for the results of an exam to come out, or for the results of a COVID test to come out. Mothers need to wait for nine months and endure the hardship and suffering of pregnancy and childbirth but when the baby comes out, the joy of motherhood makes us forget the hardship we endured as we were waiting. The Archbishop of New York said that God’s message for us especially during Advent is to WAIT. And he explained why. Dolan said waiting during advent helps us to: 1. Flex our emotional and spiritual muscles to strengthen our faith; 2. Prepare us until we are ready to receive the grace of God and the answers to our prayers; and 3. To make us realize God is in command, that God is in control. Listening to Cardinal Dolan made me think about how this is so real in our life, especially this year. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to

Will Biden’s problems soon begin? Street Talk Greg B. Macabenta IF the four-year term of President Donald Trump was rocky, it looks like that of President-elect Joe Biden will be just as rocky. In fact, it could even be rockier. First of all, Biden will have to deal with a Trump out for vengeance and a Republican Party wanting to keep control of the Senate and regain control of the White House and the House of Representatives. They have a choice between making sure Biden fails so that he won’t win a second term and they can regain power, or they could tactically cooperate with him on programs and policies for which they could claim credit. Or they could do what every politician professes to be committed to do, which is to promote the welfare of the nation and its citizens – but skeptics think that might be expecting too much of politicians. What is ironic is that Biden will also have to deal with the members of his own party, many of

whom do not share his centrist posture. There are Democrats whose agenda and ideology tend to be left of center. “Left” really refers to a populist – even a markedly socialist – ideology that envisions a society where all citizens equally enjoy the benefits provided by the State. In a country built by pioneers and self-made entrepreneurs, “equality” is not necessarily appealing. They recoil at the idea of achieving equality by making those who have much, much more carry a bigger part of the social cost to compensate for those who have much, much less. This appears to be the emerging view among the “new Democrats,” epitomized by New York’s young congresswoman, Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, as well as by the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders, who has twice vied for and nearly won the party’s presidential nomination, ran on a platform of universal health care and free college education for all, as well as other free social benefits. And how will these be paid for? By levying a heavier tax on the small percentage of the population who control a large percentage of the nation’s wealth. Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders differ mainly on the extent to which

they envision the “super rich” to carry the social cost. In her proposed Green New Deal, Ocasio-Cortez would impose a tax of up to 70 on the very rich. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez both appear to be using the socialist templates of several Nordic countries, as well as of Canada and New Zealand. On the other hand, their detractors identify them with Cuba and China. The term “Socialist,” in this context, has been portrayed as synonymous to Communism. While the freebies provided to their citizens by the socialist governments may be appealing on the surface, the fact is that there is a price that they have to pay for the benefits. Denmark, said to be one of the most successful socialist countries, also levies the heaviest taxes on the citizens. It is said that in Canada, people are not motivated to hold down a second job because the extra earnings will be eaten up by taxes. Even the free health care is not as ideal as it seems. People have to wait in line – long lines – to get medical treatment. These harsh realities may have bothered a significant percentage of the Democratic voter base, such that they gravitated to the centrist candidate, Biden.

be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.” The threat of the coronavirus to our lives and livelihood; the financial problems we are facing; the hatred and division in our families, in our nation, in our world; the feeling of emptiness and disconnect in our hearts and among us — these make us pine for a better tomorrow, for a better world, for solutions to our problems, answers to our prayers. For us, Christians, or for people of other faith, or for those with no religion at all — we feel that deep need to plug into a higher power, a power greater than ourselves, than our might. For us Christians, that is God. However, God uses our trials and tribulations to make us introspect as we wait, and search within our hearts if our own thoughts and actions go toward the direction of our prayers. We pray for our good health and safety during this pandemic: do we do our part to protect us, or loved ones and others? Do we wear a mask, practice social distancing, avoid crowds, and sacrifice so that lives may be saved? We pray for abundance in harvest, but do we plant good seeds? Do we nurture them with hard work? Do we protect them with integrity? Do we foster growth and protection in others? Do we rush things, sacrifice quality, life,

safety and miss on God’s best? We pray for enlightenment and peace, but do we search for and share the truth? Or do we lean on our own understanding, ego and personal agenda and false gods that twist our fidelity to the truth? We pray for love and unity, but do we fill our thoughts and our hearts with the divinity of every human being and our equality in the eyes and heart of God? Or do we think we are more superior than others? Holier than others? Do we speak words and do acts of empathy? Compassion? Do we forgive or do we harbor resentment, revenge and ill will, instead of goodwill? Do we choose to think of what we share in common with others rather than what makes us different and apart? Do we think and speak and act toward building bridges instead of walls? We pray to honor and serve our God, but do our thoughts and words and action follow God’s Ways and calling in our life: “Whatever you do to the least of your brethren, you do unto me”? Do we think of the greater good and commit to something bigger than ourselves? God is using our trials and tribulations to reach up to Him, to allow Him to mold us, to prepare us to receive His grace. Remember the candles that the priest lights up during each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas? Christianity.com

explains: “The most common Advent candle tradition, however, involves four candles. A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Each candle represents something different, although traditions vary. The four candles traditionally represent hope, faith, joy, and peace. Occasionally, a fifth white candle is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day to celebrate Jesus’ birth. In Advent, God is asking us to WAIT. When we wait, we hope. When we hope, we have faith. When we have faith, we experience the joy and peace as we take that step of faith, and God will help us do things we cannot do on our own, and will take us to where we cannot go on our own — in His time. “Peace be with you.” ***

Trump had gone to great lengths in portraying socialism in the worst possible light. In fact, it is said that Florida voted for Trump over Biden because Cuban-Americans, haunted by their travails under Fidel Castro, would have nothing of socialism, as depicted by Trump and the Republicans. Biden appeared to have a better chance of winning against Trump, than the other Democratic presidential contenders with their progressive, albeit radical, platforms. It was a choice between a second term for Trump and the centrist ideology of Biden. The latter was the more palatable option. Even Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, perceived to be “progressive but not progressive enough” was considered a better option than the others (in addition to Harris’ expected appeal to African-Americans and other minority blocs). In sum, the choice of Biden was a compromise. It was as if the ideologues in the Democratic Party reasoned that they had a better chance of infusing a Biden administration with their platforms than a Trump second term. Now, that Biden is about to assume the presidency, the piper must be paid. The question is, will Biden be willing to dance to the tune of the “new Democratic

Party”? During the campaign, Biden denied endorsing Ocasio-Cortez’ Green New Deal and when asked to what extent his administration would adopt the platform of Sanders, Biden replied that he – and not Sanders – was the Democratic standard bearer. Another sticking point still has not been resolved – control of the Senate. But even if the Democrats win the run-off in Georgia, things will not necessarily be easier for Biden if the progressives have a louder voice in the party. Of course, that could still be better than Biden having to deal with a GOP-controlled Senate. That would seem to place Biden between a rock and a hard place. But then, this would be nothing new for a former Vice-President who served under President Barack Obama who, during his two terms, never had full control of the Legislature. It is said that Biden’s most important role in the Obama White House was to serve as a bridge with the Republicans on Capitol Hill. In such a case, Biden not only had a lot of battlefront experience, he also survived and managed pretty well. Indeed, Biden has not been in Capitol Hill politics for almost five decades for nothing. My guess is that Biden will seek an “alliance of convenience” with

the Republicans. One other perspective is Biden’s age. He will be 78 in 2021, the oldest person to serve as president. That makes Harris’ position a very pivotal one. She could find herself suddenly thrust into the presidency or even be as chosen Democratic Party standard bearer in 2024, with the support of a retiring President Biden. The implications are that Harris will want to show off her best presidential qualities while waiting in the wings. Biden, on the other hand, may want to leave a heroic legacy in the final stage of his public service career. He may want to provide a stark contrast to Trump’s chaotic tenure. He may, in fact, decide to live up to the classic – but oft-broken – commitment of every politician to place the country’s interests above self-interest. But then, he will have to contend with the politicians of both parties and those with centrist, leftist and extremist agenda. And that could mean a rocky presidency. ***

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. *** E-mail: gregmacabenta@hotmal.com

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-10, 2020

Lacson mulls proposal to criminalize red tagging by Bernadette

E. Tamayo

ManilaTimes.net

PHILIPPINE Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, December 2 said he was studying the proposal to criminalize red tagging as long as such legislation will not infringe on the bill of rights. The senator made the remark as he dismissed the claim of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives that the Senate inquiry on red-tagging of some personalities and groups by the military has become a venue for witch hunting. “As a matter of fact, I am seDREDGING MANILA BAY. A dredging machine digs near the breakwater of the Manila Bay on Wednesday, December 2. The dredging of the riously considering the recombay is part of the national government’s Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan mendation to criminalize red tagging as long as such legislation will not infringe on the bill of rights involving freedom of speech and expression,” Lacson said. The chairman of the Senate PAGE 5 t who fought back were killed, full legal responsibility. I will though rights groups say the face those human rights, not Committee on National Degovernment’s own data. fense and Security on Tuesday Overall, police figures ac- number may be as high as you (enforcers),” Duterte said.  “As far as you can go in conducted the third hybrid knowledge just 8,000 “drug 30,000 deaths since Duterte’s accordance to the law, if you hearing on the alleged red tagpersonalities” slain in offi- “war” began in 2016.  “For me, I don’t care about suspect that you might be in ging of some individuals and cial operations where poorganizations by the security lice claim that only suspects human rights...I will assume danger, just kill them.” sector. “We will collate all the testimonies and documents submitted by both sides to the

‘I don’t care about human rights,’ Duterte...

`Sison has lost control over... PAGE 5 t Legaspi said. “That’s where the deception of CPP lies — using peace negotiation. We were saying among ourselves that we are outwitting government.” Lacson said that while the government should not give up on peace efforts with insurgents, it would be better to pursue localized talks with them. “Giving up on peace should not be an option. But given the failures of past administrations who engaged in centralized peace negotiations, I fully support the present efforts of localizing it,” he said. The senator noted the situation of rebels “varies in different areas, and the LGUs are thus in a better position to determine and address their needs.” What is needed from the national government would be clear guidelines and parameters for the talks, along with the proper assistance and supervi-

sion, he added. “That makes it more practical and efficient to pursue it at the local level with the national government just providing the guidance and support,” Lacson said. Sen. Francis Pangilinan, however, said the government should always be open for peace negotiations with the NDF. “Hindi paramihan ng patay ang labanan dito (This is not a competition on the most number of fatalities [on both sides of the NPA and military),” the opposition senator said in a statement. During the hearing, Pangilinan admonished Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. for saying that the peace talks are a folly. Pangilinan pointed out that the government had allotted P19 billion to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, or NTF-Elcac, to achieve peace.

“The challenge now is to ensure the money is spent well through good governance. All parties in these talks should learn a lesson or two from the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) peace accord and pursue a similar route,” he added. Meanwhile, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said an armed struggle is not the solution to achieving lasting peace. “Ako naman, personally ayokong nagkakapatayan ang Pilipino laban sa kapwa Pilipino, nasasaktan po ako (I am opposed to killings between and among fellow Filipinos),” he said. “‘Di po nadadaan sa armed struggle ‘yan at kung gusto n’yo talaga ng totoo at maayos na pagbabago na makakabuti sa bawat Pilipino, tigilan n’yo na ang armadong pakikibaka (Armed struggle is not the way, and if you want real and better reforms that are good for every Filipino, you have to stop the armed struggle),” he added. Philippine Senator Panfilo Lacson

Ipinagmamalaki namin ang Tatlumpo’t Pyton Pagsuporta sa aming Kapartner sa Kommunidad “Kami ay lumilingon ng may ngiti, pero ang aming tinatanaw ay ang

kinabukasan na may positibong impak o impluensiya sa buong San Diego” – Cody J. Martinez, Chairman, Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

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committee and thereafter come up with our conclusions and recommendations in our committee report,” Lacson said in a text message. Detained Sen. Leila De Lima said that President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday went on a red tagging “rampage” against the Makabayan bloc. “It’s supposed to be a President’s weekly report on the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) situation but what we’ve been hearing since Day 1 are desperate attempts at damage control,” she said. “In his latest address to the nation, he went on a red-tagging rampage against the Makabayan bloc, clearly a diversionary tactic,” De Lima stressed. Lacson maintained that the hearings have been fair, with all sides given their chance to air their concerns – contrary to the Makabayan bloc’s accusations. He said that the inputs gathered during the three hearings will lead to legislation that seeks to address the issue. “Just because the Makabayan bloc cannot have it themselves, in spite of all the time and space that the committee had given them, not

ManilaTimes.net photo

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to mention the fact that I was even defending them at least a couple of times, they still have the temerity to accuse the Senate of with hunting,” he said. Lacson added, “Looking for a scapegoat in the committee for their failure to address squarely the allegations of the former NPA (New People’s Army) rebels could only indicate their inadequacy during the hearings.”

NOTICE TO BIDDERS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of San Diego (City) is seeking to receive Electronic Bids for the below named Public Works project. The solicitation, including plans and specifications, may be obtained from the City’s website at: https://www. sandiego.gov/cip/bidopps Contractors intending to submit a Bid must be prequalified. Please refer to the solicitation for instructions. Project Name: North City Pure Water Pipeline and Dechlorination Facility Project Number: K-21-1744-DBB-3-A Estimated Value: $156,000,000.00 Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting 1: 12/10/20 at 10:00 A.M. GoToMeetings Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting 2: 12/14/20 at 10:00 A.M. GoToMeetings Bid Open Date: 1/20/2021, at 2:00 P.M. License Requirement: A It is the policy of the City of San Diego to encourage equal opportunity in its Construction and Consultant contracts. Bids or proposals from local firms, small, minority-owned, disabled, veteran-owned, and women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged. Contractors are encouraged to subcontract with and/or participate in joint ventures with these firms. The City is committed to equal opportunity and will not discriminate with regard to race, religion, color, ancestry, age, gender, disability, medical condition or place of birth; and will not do business with any firm that discriminates on any basis. Bids shall be received no later than the date and time noted above at: City of San Diego’s Electronic Biding Site PlanetBids at: https://www.planetbids.com/portal/ portal.cfm?CompanyID=17950 James Nagelvoort, Director Engineering & Captial Projects Department November 30, 2020 12/4/20 CNS-3420647# ASIAN JOURNAL

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Internet service has not improved – Palace Fil-Ams react to new... by Keith

Calayag ManilaTimes.net

INTERNET service had not improved despite the deadline given by President Rodrigo Duterte to Globe Telecom and Smart Communications to enhance their service, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said. “Kinukumpirma ko na ‘yung karanasan natin ay talagang ganyan din ang nararamdaman ng buong bayan at si President rin siguro, napansin niya na wala pa ring improvement (Based on my experience, [internet service is still slow] and I believe that the public has the same sentiments

and the President have also noticed that there was no improvement),” he added. The President gave the two telecommunication companies (telcos) until December this year to improve their service. To speed up the installation of cell sites, Duterte ordered local governments to ease the permit application process. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Monday, November 30 informed the  President Duterte that 2,200 applications for telecommunications towers had been approved. Roque said telcos should fulfill their promise to improve their servcies.

“Hininimok ko po ang ating mga telcos, ano naman po ang isususkli ninyo matapos kayo pagbigyan ng Presidente d’un sa hinihiling ninyo na mas mapabilis ‘yung approval ng telecommunications towers? (We are challenging the telcos, what will you give back after the President gave in to your demand to speed up approval of telecommunications towers?),” he said. Roque invited Globe and Smart to give updates on the steps they have taken to improve their system. He also asked the National Telecommunications Commission to assess if Globe and Smart services have improved.

Complaints piling up at task force vs corruption by Evelyn

Macarian Philstar.com

MANILA — The Department of Justice-led Task Force Against Corruption (TFAC) has received 98 complaints against government officials who are allegedly engaged in graft and corrupt practices. Since President Duterte announced the creation of the TFAC on Oct. 27, the DOJ has been receiving reports of alleged irregularities committed by government officials and employees. DOJ Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said as of

Dec. 1, the DOJ’s Action Center has received 35 complaints while the secretariat, through the Office of the Secretary, has received 63 – or a total of 98 complaints. “However, some of the complaints received pertain to the same subject so this could be further reduced,” said Villar. Members of the inter-agency task force have been holding meetings to finalize the setup of their operations center during the past weeks in order to make the newly formed TFAC fully operational. Last Tuesday, they discussed the functions of the Operations Center of the TFAC and the

LEGAL NOTICE

units under it, such as the secretariat and records custodian, Operations Center Information System, the Operations Center Evaluation Committee, special investigation teams and the system of filing and receiving. “Once the department order detailing the duties and functions is issued, it will be fully operational,” said Villar. She expects the department order to be issued “in the coming week” but that would depend on the comments of the task force members who are set to have another meeting. The TFAC, headed by the DOJ, would be composed of the National Bureau of Investigation, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of the Special Assistant to the President, National Prosecution Service and the Anti-Money Laundering Council. It would also invite the Commission on Audit, Civil Service Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman, but with due consideration of their independence as constitutional bodies. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra earlier said they have received many complaints concerning Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-related projects. The task force has identified the government agencies it would prioritize in its corruption probe, namely DPWH, the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA). The BI and the LRA are agencies under the DOJ.

CASE NUMBER:

37-2020-00041864-CU-PT-CTL

CASE NUMBER: 37-2020-00035487-CU-PT-CTL

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner SAM PUTRUS, NADWA ALJAMEEL filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: REGINA ALKASS TOBIYA to REGINA PUTRUS. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 12/28/2020 Time: 8:30 AM, Dept. C-61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. C-61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: SEP 25, 2020 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 677 NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 18, 2020

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner NAKEIL DE’SHAUNNE WILLIAMS filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: NAKEIL DE’SHAUNNE WILLIAMS to SEVENTH NOVEMBER WILLIAMS. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 12/30/2020 Time: 8:30 AM, Dept. C-61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. C-61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: NOV. 17, 2020 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 678 NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 18, 2020

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner EVAN ALKASS TOBIYA / RENAN KARO filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: KAMIYA ALKASS TOBIYA to KAMILYA E PUTRUS. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 01/19/2021 Time: 8:30 AM, Dept. 61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. C-61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: NOV. 19, 2020 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 680 DEC. 04, 11, 18, 25/202

AJSD 678

AJSD 680

AJSD 677

ing to do whatever they want and they’ll find ways to meet with others and congregate,” Dilig told the Asian Journal in a phone interview on Tuesday. Dilig also mentioned that the order is “too restrictive” and especially lamented the closure of playgrounds and recreational facilities, which could prevent young children, like his 5-year-old granddaughter, from physical exercise. (Outdoor operations of fitness facilities, mini-golf, batting cages and go-kart racing remain open with 50% occupancy and public parks, beaches and hiking trails remain open.) “We always wear masks when we go out and do all that we can to keep sanitized and all that, so it doesn’t make sense to restrict open areas just because there [are] other people — who are likely also wearing masks — there, too,” Dilig said, adding that although he and his family are capable of doing these things at home, “getting outside of the house was and is necessary [to] our mental well-being, too.” “People think that these orders are controlling our lives, but it’s controlling the virus and the spread,” Danica Valenzuela, a communication student at Cal State Northridge, told the Asian Journal.  Valenzuela, 21, said that her family (whom she doesn’t live with) were among the thousands of families that traveled to other families’ homes for Thanksgiving, a decision she thought was “stupid and irresponsible.” She doesn’t know the results of their COVID-19 tests, but she continues to be worried as more families plan to travel for the Christmas and New Year holidays. “I stayed home and didn’t attend even though I was pressured and almost guilted into spending time with my family,” said Valenzuela, who is studying biology with the hopes of working in the public health sector. “My family thought I was being too paranoid, but there’s a reason why [the CDC and other public health officials] urged us not to travel. We don’t want to risk spreading the disease because you could be asymptomatic but make someone else sick, someone who might be more at-risk.”

EMPLOYMENT

LEGAL NOTICE

CASE NUMBER:

37-2020-00033882-CU-PT-CTL

PAGE 4 t travel despite orders from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) to avoid holiday travel.  On Tuesday, Dec. 1, LA County reported 7,593 new cases, the highest single-day report which doesn’t include cases reported by Long Beach and Pasadena. At least 46 new coronavirus-related deaths in the county (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena) were also reported on Tuesday. (It’s unclear whether or not the increase is due to more people testing or a backlog in test results.) The previous single-day record was Nov. 23, which tallied 6,186 positive countywide cases. “The most important action we can all take to stop the surge is to stay home as much as possible,” Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of LA County Public Health, said at a briefing on Monday.  Ferrer led the new rollout of the new stay-at-home order that closes public playgrounds and places capacity limits on businesses, outdoor museums and galleries, zoos and aquariums and strongly prohibits gatherings with people from different households, excluding worship services and political demonstrations. “Yes, we’re asking a lot. Yes, people are going to make more sacrifices, but if we don’t get this virus under control it will cost all of us dearly,” Ferrer added. As it had been throughout the pandemic, LA County Public Health reminded the public once again to avoid non-essential travel and gatherings outside the home. “Even if you don’t feel sick, the simple act of gathering with people outside your household is extremely risky right now. For the next 3 weeks, avoid doing activities that are not essential. People’s lives depend on it,” LA County Public Health tweeted on Tuesday. Franco Dilig, a retired Navy veteran from Reseda, told the Asian Journal that he supports the general effort to lower coronavirus numbers in LA County, but he doesn’t believe that the current stay-at-home order will be effective. “This isn’t the way to control behavior: people are go-

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2020-9019363 RATH’S CORNER located at 2929 ALTA DRIVE, NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950. Registrant: RATH SY, 2929 ALTA DRIVE, NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950. This business is conducted by INDIVIDUAL. REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 11/10/2020. Signature RATH SY. Statement filed with Recorder/ County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/21/2020. AJ 679 12/04, 11, 18, 25/2020. AJSD 679

SERVICES

Filipinos, by nature, are extremely family oriented and the Christmas holiday is an extremely important holiday in the community, which Valenzuela said “definitely complicates” things. “There’s almost a resistance to following the rules [among Filipinos] because we don’t think that it’ll happen to us because we’re strong, but then when it does happen, it’s too late,” Valenzuela said, acknowledging that although the Los Angeles Times article published in July about the COVID-19 mortality rate among Filipino Americans was “flawed” it “should be a warning to [the Filipino community].” That piece posited that the mortality rate among Filipinos is a whopping 40%, but the only data used in that story came in the form of an unofficial list from the Philippine Consulate of Los Angeles that only comprised 48 COVID-19 patients, of which 19 had died of the virus.  Forty-eight is too small a sample size to really capture the virus’ effect on the largest Asian American community in California, but it doesn’t negate the fact that the virus is dangerous and has taken the lives of thousands of Filipinos, Valenzuela acknowledged. “It’s true that the virus has had a really disturbing effect on our community, but we need to be realistic, too. But that doesn’t mean we’re immune to the possibility that we could reach a high mortality rate or a high case rate. It’s so much better to be safe and try to stay as stationery as we can than risk [worsening] the state of things just because you wanted to see your cousins,” she said. The startling situation in LA County acts as a microcosm to the overall predicament happening at the state level. California surpassed its previous daily high of 20,654 positive coronavirus cases recorded last week to 21,848 on Monday. The state acknowledged that the inflated numbers are due to delays in reporting tests following the Thanksgiving holiday, but as of press time, California is averaging 14,000 daily coronavirus cases over a seven-day period.

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-10, 2020

SEAFOOD CITY FPFC

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SAN DIEGO

DECEMBER 4-10, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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INSPIRED BY HER LOLA

Kimberly Camara’s Kora doughnuts ooze with Filipino flavors and fillings

I

by Momar

G. Visaya / AJPress

T’S the season of the Filipino lolas. Disney UK released last week its Christmas video featuring a grandmother (lola) and the Filipino parol, tugging hearts of Filipinos in the diaspora. Then a couple of weeks ago, Blue’s Clues introduced Josh’s lola, along with yet another Filipino classic, the bibingka. But before these grandmas even made it into everyone’s consciousness, another Filipino lola already became viral somehow, thanks to her granddaughter Kimberly Camara who named her online bakery in her honor and memory. Camara is the brains behind Kora, the NYC bakery now famous for its doughnuts infused with Filipino flavors and a long wait list. They staged their first ever popup in October and to say that the event was a smashing success would be a massive understatement.  “I draw my inspiration from my culinary background and also my Filipino heritage,” Camara told the Asian Journal. “It’s a combination of a lot of different influences in my life, one of the biggest one is my grandma, Lola Cora.”  Week after week, the anticipation built up as the demand for Camara’s Filipino doughnuts rose. We asked around while waiting in line and most were curious because they all failed in getting their orders on the day of the release as everything was sold out after just a minute or two. Others were repeat customers who wanted to have more. Camara makes the doughnuts from her apartment in Woodside, Queens, around six blocks away from the popup venue at Fabula Cafe on 61st Street. On their way to the cafe, she surveyed the line and was immediately overwhelmed.

“It’s a lot of hours of manpower and mental planning involved in every single recipe and every single donut. New flavors will be added and rotated on a weekly basis,” Kimberly Camara tells the Asian Journal. AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya

“I did not expect five blocks of lines, maybe 100, 150 people at most. I was absolutely dumbfounded when I saw the line outside wrapping round so many blocks,” the NYC-born chef said. “For me mostly it was the feeling of anxiety knowing that more than half of those people are not going to be able to get anything.” Not bad for something that was started in the middle of the lock-

down due to the global pandemic.  Last June, Camara  posted an update on her Instagram account, apologizing to friends, family and followers for being MIA (missing in action) for a while and revealed that she was working on a “little project.”  “Prior to lockdown, I was working full-time and I was in the process of developing multi-coursed, private Filipino dinners to be held

from my apartment,” she shared. “Of course, as the world still remains upended, these dinners may not be possible for some time, so I wanted to come up with a way to keep creating and introduce you all to some of those Filipino flavors.” Kora was that “little project.”  Like many of us, Camara took to baking and cooking while in lockdown. She baked an ube cake for a friend one day and realized she had leftover dough so she fried some of them and the first version of her ube doughnut was born. “It tasted great and I thought, ‘I could try and sell this and see what happens’,” she shared. She took a photo and posted it on her Instagram account and it took off from there.  Camara then came up with ideas, among them using Filipino flavors from classic Filipino desserts that her mother’s mother Corazon used to make for them. Now, she makes all the doughnuts and its components from scratch and in small batches right from her own kitchen.  Here are the basics: each doughnut costs $6.50 and Camara only makes a limited amount. Customers click a link every Monday at 3:00 p.m. to pre-order the doughnuts and if they’re not quick enough, they end up on a waiting list for canceled orders, if there are any. Every Friday, the doughnuts are made available for pick-up and delivery in Queens for the lucky ones who got through. This is lovingly referred to as the ‘doughnut drop.’ Among the flavors she introduced are traditional Filipino favorites: Leche Flan ni Lola (brioche doughnut stuffed with her grandma’s famous leche flan); Ube (ube brioche doughnut, fresh ube custard, ube glaze, purple yam crisps, ube powder); Halo-halo (brioche doughnut, classic halo-halo mixins, cream, ube glaze, flan, pinipig, banana chip, maraschino cherry); Buko Pandan (pandan brioche, coconut & sago cream, pandan glaze, flaked coconut, pinipig).  Kora has evolved from a “small side project to something that has developed into a full-time, passion-driven craft” and the popup was the cherry on the top for now.  I asked her about her dream for Kora.  “That’s an interesting question mainly because I never had this dream to begin with,” she quipped. “I never even thought Kora was gonna be anything when I first started.”   “It was something I did for myself, my grandma was definitely a big influence but as it grew, I hope we that can get a shop one day so we can be able to give people more doughnuts and expand our horizon,” she added. “I definitely want to get into more savory food as well, that’s something we’re looking in to.” Just how big of an influence was her lola to the flavors she has created?  Well, let’s just say the flavors are a nod to the desserts Camara’s Lola Cora used to make, including the leche flan mentioned earlier. Camara also makes her Sans Rival (brioche, roasted cashews, cashew dacquoise, Tanduay rum buttercream), which she explains is one of her Lola’s favorite Filipino desserts. She recalls her lola’s house in the town of Balayan, Batangas has a huge cashew tree in the backyard. Among the five flavors included in the popup were Churron, a portmanteau of churros and turon (cruller, saba banana & jackfruit filling, caramelized spring roll wrapper, banana chips, toasted sugar, caramel drizzle) and Champorado (brown sugar & chocolate brioche, champorado filling, puffed rice tuile, whipped ganache, cocoa powder, cacao nib, DIY salted condensed milk drizzle). “Growing up, when my grandma used to make champorado for us kids, though I loved having it at any time of day and any time of the year, it was one of the most comforting dishes in the winter time,” Camara posted on her In-

Among the five flavors included in the popup were Churron, a portmanteau of churros and turon (center). Champorado, Leche Flan ni Lola, Ube and Sans Rival.

Kora’s Sans Rival is a brioche made with roasted cashews, cashew dacquoise and Tanduay rum buttercream.

The Ube brioche doughnut includes fresh ube custard, ube glaze, purple yam crisps, and ube powder.

Kimberly Camara with her mom Babes and Lola Corazon (center), the inspiration behind Kora. Photo courtesy of @kimberlymcamara

stagram account. “Stepping inside after playing in the snow, nippy-nosed and hungry, nothing compared to a stewed, steaming hot bowl with all the sticky sweetened condensed milk a little girl could ask for. Leftovers were just as delicious the next day—can’t say I’m not guilty of scooping spoonfuls right out of the pot inside of the fridge…” Other flavors that have made an appearance since she started the project are Itlog na Pula (salted egg yolk lava filling with cured yolk dust), Maja Blanca (coconut and corn pudding), and Calamansi Amapola (calamansi curd, poppy cream, calamansi glaze, torched meringue, graham crunch).  “We wanted to put halo-halo today, that’s one of my favorites, but that’s also one of the most labor intensive. We wanted to make sure that we’d be able to make everything on time,” Camara said, responding to a question why the ubiquitous flavor was missing. True to her earlier assessment, not everyone was able to get their hands on the tasty treats. “For myself and all of us cultured in hospitality and have that as a strong foundation, we don’t like turning people away, we don’t like to say no. We also are only human and we can only do what we can do,” she said. Camara shared that they were expecting more people would be open to sitting inside since partial indoor dining has been allowed in the city.  “This is a very big learning experience for us because this is the first time we’re doing this, we have a physical space where we can welcome people in,” she added. “I hope this doesn’t turn people away from us as a whole.” Herstory Camara studied at the Culinary Institute of America. After graduation, she said she bounced around different New York restaurants including Eleven Madison Park at the same time dabbling in catering as well. She was working at Union Square Hospitality Group when the lockdown happened last March. Intricate Filipino doughnuts

was not something Camara intended, but because of the look of the finished products, that is how her followers have been describing them. She said she prepares the ingredients herself and makes every single component. She has a team that comes together on the day of the drop to build the doughnuts. For the popup, they prepared hundreds (she declined to reveal the actual number) to accommodate the demand.  Family Camara’s family also came in droves to support her.  We met her father Tino Camara, who was excitedly taking photos of the long lines. “They are the entire thing, every single person that’s on our team is either a family member or a very, very close friend of mine. We all each have our different skill sets that we apply to this business,” she said. “We’re selling doughnuts but it’s really about the experience that ties in with the doughnuts, we want to make sure that people are learning more about Filipino culture and they feel heard through our customer service.” This means that they make sure everyone experiences the human connection for people who talk to them on their different platforms. They read and listen to the comments left on their social media accounts so they could improve further.  Camara has created an opportunity in the middle of a pandemic and helping friends and family is a big bonus, which is why she is thankful for the opportunity. She believes that she is lucky to have this platform “to not only share my culinary spirit with all of you, but also all the stories these pastries carry with them.” In the end, it’s all about passion and being true to one’s self. “Don’t be afraid to be genuine, that’s what people respond to the most. When you’re being yourself and you can relate to other people in that way because you are being sincere, that’s what takes you places and that’s what people admire and love,” she said.

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Health@Heart Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS COVID-19 affects only the lungs As of today, the COVID-19 pandemic has victimized almost 64 million people and had killed nearly 1.5 million around the globe. The heart is one of the organs affected by COVID-19 infection, besides the lungs. Actually, as the disease progresses, multiple-organ damages could occur, especially among the seniors with other health issues. The healthier ones with robust immune system, including children, recover from this viral illness more readily than the vulnerable high-risk people 65 and older. There is no question that the persistence (worsening) of the pandemic is due to people’s lack of discipline and non-compliance, especially among the arrogant non-thinking people who demand civil-rights and do whatever they want in the name of freedom and democracy, regardless of other people’s right to remain healthy and not be killed, and of societal good and public safety. Some of them have accidentally killed people not knowing it, without even realizing their reckless behavior was tantamount to homicidal negligence. Let us continue to do only essential travels outside our home, use facemask or two in public, not touch our face, wash our hands frequently, and do social distancing. Science has shown that the use of facemask protects BOTH the wearer and others, and that social distancing works. Again, let us not accidentally kill people, including our loved ones. Persons younger than 40 do not get heart disease This is a myth. The youngest patient we did coronary bypass surgery on in Indiana, U.S.A., was a 28-year-old diabetic Caucasian female, who had very high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and a cigarette smoker. At Cebu Cardiovascular Center in Cebu City, the youngest heart bypass patient we had was a 34-year-old man. Coronary artery disease does not respect any age, gender, or any person who abuses himself/herself with an unhealthy lifestyle.

Be heart wise

Sex is bad for the heart. On the contrary, sex is good for the heart. The morphine-like opiates and other feel-good hormones our own body secretes during sex or during any happy activities or thought processes we have, the physical exercise during sex, and the healthy outlet it provides both partners, actually benefit the heart. Only those with untreated coronary artery disease or heart failure could get into trouble during sex. Heart disease is inherited. Rarely, certain congenital (inborn) structural defect of the heart may be genetic, but in general, we cannot blame our ancestry for the heart diseases that are very common today, like coronary artery disease (cause of heart attacks), or heart valve diseases (due to Rheumatic Fever). Although some families seem to be more prone to heart attacks, and the traits could be a part of the genes, the important causative factors in this situation are mostly not heredity but environmental --- the life style of the family members. Children of heart attack victims will have the same fate This is not true. Even if both parents had heart attacks or coronary artery disease, their children are not necessarily condemned to same fate, provided the children live a healthier lifestyle, unlike their parents. If these children stay on low cholesterol diet, eat fish (instead of red meat), a lot of vegetables, fruits, and high fiber foods, do not smoke, exercise at least 5 times a week, maintain a normal weight, know how to relax and manage stress, they can escape significant coronary artery disease. Healthy lifestyle outweighs genetics in more than 80 percent of people around the globe. Exercise damages the heart. Definitely does not. The heart can take a lot more challenges than one can imagine. It is one of the strongest muscular organs in the human body. Exercise has beneficial effects on the heart. Even heart attack patients who have recovered from the acute phase are prescribed an exercise regimen. Exercise dilates (opens wider) coronary arteries that supply the heart muscles with oxygen and nutrition. Brisk walking is the new recommendation, be-

Features

cause of the significant resulting injuries to the spine, hips, knees, ankles of jogging in the long run. Heart attack victims should be sedentary Nothing is farther from the truth. Heart attack patients who have recovered should resume normal activities as prescribed by their physicians. It is most essential for these people to be active again as soon as they are medically allowed to. A sedentary life for these patients would only lead to deterioration of the heart and to vegetation. Those who bounce back to as normal a life as possible following a heart attack will fare much better physically and mentally than those who resign themselves to invalidism. Longevity is shortened by heart bypass This is another myth. Coronary bypass surgery, not only improves the quality of life by eliminating chest pains but also increases the life span of patients, whose life will otherwise be reduced by heart attack. Heart bypass is superior to angioplasty among those with more than 2 (multiple) coronary artery blockages. More and more clinical studies are showing this to be the case. Red meats and eggs are good for children A dangerous myth! High cholesterol diet is bad for children as it is unhealthy for adults. It has been shown on autopsies performed on children (victims of various accidents and illnesses) ages 4 to 6 that the inner walls of their arteries were already lined with a thin layer of cholesterol plaques (fatty deposits). Therefore, it is clear that hardening of the arteries starts even earlier than that tender age. Since red meats (like pork and beef and anything made of them) and eggs (particularly the yolk) are high in cholesterol, these foods are detrimental to children and to all of us. They cause arteriosclerosis (hardening of our arteries) which leads to heart attack or stroke, which kills one person every 60 seconds in the United States alone. Indeed, not only an epidemic, even here in the Philippines, but a pandemic, worldwide! Fish, on the other hand, contains Omega 3 fatty acids that is cardioprotective

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The unsinkable Charo Santos- Concio became even busier after she retired as president/COO of ABSCBN five years ago. Her long-running, multi-awarded drama anthology MMK bounces back after a long absence. ABS-CBN photo

Ate Charo has never left by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

UNLIKE her character in Lav Diaz’s critically-acclaimed Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left), Charo Santos-Concio has never faded out of the scene and became even more visible after she retired as ABSCBN president/COO five years ago, starring in critically-acclaimed films (the other is the suspense-thriller Eerie, written and directed by Raymund Red), endorsing some products, releasing her autobiography and continuing as a Kapamilya consultant. Oh yes, her long-running, multi-awarded drama anthology MMK (Maalaala Mo Kaya?) did disappear for a few months due to unforeseen circumstances but it’s back with a vengeance on the new Kapamilya channel A2Z Channel 11, now airing its all-star-cast 29th-anniversary month-long specials Saturdays at 9 p.m. Before that, your favorite Ate Charo hosted a five-episode series called Dear Charo that showcased her lighter side (that is, compared to her serious MMK persona). Ate Charo very kindly obliged a free-wheeling interview with Funfare. What are your thoughts as MMK celebrates its 29th anniversary? “It is a blessing for MMK to be back on air and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue

sharing inspiring stories of Filipinos and serve our audiences during this pandemic. People have been hit hard by the pandemic and need hope and inspiration, which MMK stories can provide. And the best sources are real stories of people that show the triumph of the human spirit. It is also a blessing for the production team, especially after all the challenges that we faced as a company this year.” Did you ever think that MMK would last this long and harvest a truckload of awards? “No. When we started MMK, we all just wanted to tell stories of hope and inspiration. We just wanted to create the best quality drama program. The response from the audiences and the recognitions from award-giving bodies through the years are an affirmation that we continue to deliver stories that are relatable and inspiring as we intended when we started doing MMK. Of course, I wanted it to last but I never thought we will last this long. We are extremely thankful and grateful for all the support all these years.” Of the approximately 1,800 episodes, what are the three that you consider memorable? “I have many favorite episodes but the Top 3 are: Rehas showed the sacrificial and unconditional love of a mother. It was a powerful story of a mother, portrayed by Gina

Pareño, and the lengths she can do for the love of her three mentally challenged children. Sinturon told the story of Fanny Serrano. It was MMK’s first LGBTQIA story shown in 1991. But more than that, the story translated that loving is not about gender but it is about being human. It was really a brave gay character portrayal, especially during that time. Kotse-Kotsehan showed two versions of truth from the lens of two mothers — one who lost her son and the other who found and raised the lost son but was charged with kidnapping.” Your 29th anniversary specials are all-star cast; do you personally choose the stars of each episode? “No, I do not. In MMK, the director and the production team decide on the cast based on who they think will best fit and portray the characters. We are glad that the stars are always very willing to do an MMK episode.” How many episodes have been made into a movie and what were the criteria in choosing them? “We have not adapted any of the TV episodes to a movie. What was chosen for MMK the Movie before was really intended for the film version.” Aside from Ate Charo, what do you think makes MMK enduring/durable?

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Beauty queen at 45: Giselle to represent Philippines in international pageant by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

LA-based Filipino American music director Troy Laureta

Photo from Instagram_@torylaureta

Troy Laureta: A true pride of OPM by Tessa

Mauricio-Arriola ManilaTimes.net

IF you’ve ever met or spoken to LA-based Filipino-American music director Troy Laureta, you’re bound to think he was born in the Philippines or at the very least spent some years li­v ing here. And it has nothing to do with his accent because it is pure American. Instead, it has all to do with his love for this country, which is just as pure and truly overwhelming. Before Troy “jumped head first into a career as a producer and musical director for some of the biggest names in the music business” in 2008 — the proud words his alma mater LA’s MI College of Contemporary Music writes on his profile on their website — he was born and raised in Hawaii. If he or his family wanted to, Troy could’ve grown up just knowing he is Filipino then, but he is proud to say the Lauretas lived like Filipinos in the US state. They had a closeknit community where the children sang in church choir, understood a good amount of Tagalog even if they didn’t speak it and, of course, where no occasion was ever needed to bring out the karaoke. “I grew up on Original Pilipino Music and I promise you, every­ w here I go, no matter who I work with, you’ll always hear me playing ‘Maalaala Mo

Kaya’ on the piano when we warm up before a show,” Troy adorably shared. That’s why you can be sure that the likes of pop superstar Ariana Grande (Troy was musical director many of her sold-out tours), Stevie Wonder (for whom he was keyboardist in a landmark concert), Deborah Cox, Melanie Fiona, Cheesa, Tommy Page and Iggy Azalea (for whom he produced music) are familiar with OPM. And just before December rolled along, Troy had made his dream come true with the release of “Kaibigan: A Troy Laureta OPM Collective” featuring the voices of world-class artists Ailee, Cheesa, Matt Bloyd, Nicole Scherzinger, Pia Toscano, Sheléa and our very own Jake Zyrus and Regine Velasquez. Co-produced with ABS-CBN Music International, Troy’s labor of love seeks to put legendary Filipino love songs in the global spotlight in its grandest scale thus far. The heart-tugging collection kicks off with a short intro of “Harana” followed by eight Filipino tracks rendered by musicians from the US and Asia — all friends Troy made through his Troy’s friends he met in his musical journey. South Korean artist Ailee interpreted Martin Nievera’s “Kahit Isang Saglit;” YouTube star Matt Bloyd, Jay-R’s “Bakit Pa Ba;”America’s “The Voice”

season 2 quarter- finalist Cheesa, Jessa Zaragoza’s “Bakit Pa.” Pussycat Dolls member Nicole Scherzinger, Regine Velasquez’s “Pangako.” American Idol” season 10 finalist Pia Toscano “Kailangan Kita” written by Ogie Alcasid; Jake Zyrus (formerly Charice), Pilita Corrales’ “Usahay;” American singer, songwriter and pianist Sheléa, Ange­line Quinto’s “Patuloy Ang Pangarap;” and Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez’s special rendition of “Hanggang Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan.” “I owe a lot to Filipino music and this album expresses my undying love for my culture, our music, and my roots,” Troy shared while choked up with emotions during a virtual media conference with Kaibigan’s artists. And as he said that, the singers one by one revealed a deep respect and love for Troy as the reason why they took on the project —his professionalism, tremendous passion for music and his loyalty as a kaibigan to them. Now out across digital platforms worldwide, Troy Laureta’s Kaibigan Troy Laureta’s Kaibigan OPM Collective, be sure to listen to it and feel pride for the Philippines and this very talented and grounded man. Lyric videos are also available on Star Music’s YouTube channel.

TELEVISION host-actress Giselle Sanchez will represent the Philippines at the upcoming Noble Queen of the Universe pageant this December.  Reigning Noble Queen of the Universe Patricia Javier reportedly convinced the comedienne to join the pageant.  Giselle said on Instagram that she decided to join the pageant upon discovering its advocacies.  “I was hesitant to accept this position at first, but when I saw the advocacies of Noble Queen of the Universe and how they sincerely helped a lot of people especially during this pandemic and typhoon disasters, I agreed to join this pageant mainly to raise funds to be able to help my fellow Filipinos,” Giselle said.  The virtual coronation of the 2nd edition of the Noble Queen of the Universe is scheduled on December 20. Fifteen women from around the globe will compete in the beauty contest.  Apart from the coronation night, the organization will also honor the Prominent Women Empowerment award to Sharon Cuneta, Dyan Castillejo, Regine Tolentino and Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla. Giselle Sanchez

Photo from Instagram_@gisellesanchez

Darren wants to spark hope and joy with new song Believe in Christmas by Nathalie

Tomada Philstar.com

THIS Christmas season, add Darren Espanto’s new single Believe in Christmas to the list of holiday tunes you need to hear. With the times we’re in, we could all use that aural spark of joy. “Why shouldn’t you believe in Christmas even though there’s a pandemic going on?” the 19-year-old singer told The STAR in a virtual one-on-one, sharing one of the core messages of the song released under MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines). Why shouldn’t we, indeed? Interestingly, Darren releases this song at a time when he’s increasingly taking charge of the music he intends to put out. According to MCA, the song isn’t your standard Christmas anthem wrapped in “high spirits and effervescent glow.” It’s sensitive to the current situation yet unabashedly sincere with its intention — that it wants to be part of that playlist of hope. The former The Voice Kids runner-up said, “We’re gonna try a couple of new things like, with the direction of music I’m going to be taking. It’s not the Darren of The Voice Kids anymore. There’s still going to be songs that are like that in the music that I will be releasing in the future but you know, we’re growing and we’re also maturing as an artist and as a person. So, I feel that my new music should also do the same.” Here’s the rest of The STAR’s

Darren is back home in Canada with his sister Lynelle and frontliner parents Lyndon and Marinel Espanto. Photo from Instagram_@darrenespanto

exclusive virtual interview with Darren who has been staying in his hometown in Calgary, Alberta in Canada since the lockdown. How’s life been for you during this time? “Surprisingly po, I’ve been busy with virtual concerts and events and shows. I’d say blessed pa rin po ako, kasi kahit may pandemya na nangyayari, I guess you just have to see the silver lining in everything.” Good thing you were able to return to Canada and be with your family just before the lockdown? “We were watching the news and when the President said that there was going to be a community quarantine for two weeks, my mom said, ‘Feeling ko lang hindi yan magiging two weeks lang.’ So she said, let’s fly out to Canada and we were fortunate enough to get seats

for March 15. “I’ve been here for eight months and the life here, it’s kind of back to normal but it’s the new normal. In indoor public spaces, we have to wear face masks, practice social distancing and all that. We’ve been practicing sanitizing our groceries the moment we arrive at the door. And since my parents are frontliners (registered nurses), pagdating palang po sa garage, it’s either me or my sister who’d get their towels ready. Diretso na sila sa shower and yung uniforms nila, iba yung laundry nila sa laundry namin, I’d say we’ve adjusted quite well to this pandemic.” Let’s talk about your new Christmas single — what’s the story behind it? “This song was written by the new A&R of MCA, si Kuya

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Ate Charo has never left...

PAGE 11t “I always say that MMK mirrors our real life, which makes MMK very relatable to our audiences. While watching MMK, viewers identify with the characters and the stories since they happen in real life. Each story offers hope and inspiration, which can help people transcend whatever it is that they are going through. Filipinos are generally passionate

about helping others and fascinated with stories of other people.” How do you re-invent it so that it continues to be relevant with the times? “I think MMK will always remain relevant because we tell real-life stories. But the production team always makes that conscious effort to add some modern touches in the style of storytelling. We exper-

iment. While we used to just narrate the story from start to finish, we now also do bookends start or flashbacks. We also did two points-of-view versions of a story. And because of the pandemic restrictions now, we will be adding some graphics and animations. The stories will always be relevant, but we also adapt to the present times through our style of storytelling.”

Be heart wise...

PAGE 11t (good for our heart), the reason why it is highly recommended for all of us (together with the other healthy life style regimen we discussed above), and most especially for our toddlers and children, where prevention of cardiovascular diseases could be, and should be, maximized. Unwittingly and without malice, we, the parents, are “killing” our children with love by allowing them to live the same undisciplined, unhealthy and deadly lifestyle we have, which, in essence, cheats them of good health and well-being, and shortens their lives. Being

good examples ourselves and teaching healthy habits to our kids (starting from) while they are still in the crib and learning to say “no” to our children, when and where appropriate, will lead to a healthier, wiser and happier family. It is time for us, parents, to stop “killing” our children with love. Go to philipSchua.com for more details. *** 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 Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

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Community

The San Diego Foundation announces more than $3 million in scholarships available  THE San Diego Foundation announced on Wednesday, Dec. 2, that hundreds of scholarship awards are available for San Diego students pursuing higher education during the 20212022 school year. Through one online application, students can access more than $3 million in available funds for over 140 unique types of scholarships, including those for four-year universities, two-

year colleges, graduate and vocational schools. Scholarships are available for graduating high school seniors, undergraduates, graduate, medical and professional school students and adult re-entry students. The scholarships are made possible through the Community Scholarship Program and Community Scholars Initiative at The San Diego Foundation. Both programs aim to give

more San Diego students the tools and financial support to continue their education. “Investing in our students is one of the best ways to expand economic equity and opportunity within our region,” shared Danielle Valenciano, Director of Community Scholarships at The San Diego Foundation. “The San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Program

SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 4-10, 2020

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Recipe Corner

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Katrina on the receiving end of contravidas’ wrath for a change by Allan

Policarpio Inquirer.net

FOR most of her career, Katrina Halili has portrayed contravida characters. But in GMA 7’s afternoon drama series, “Prima Donnas,” she finds herself in an unfamiliar position. This time, she plays the role of an underdog, the one on the receiving end of all the antics and havoc her past characters wreak. But as it turned out, Katrina can still be effective on the other end of the soap opera spectrum, viewers observed. And she still can’t believe it, she admitted in a recent virtual conference. “To this day, whenever I read my script and see that my character is almost kind to a fault, it gets me thinking: ‘Is this role really for me?’” related the Kapuso actress, who plays Lilian Madreal, mother to Donna Marie (Jillian Ward), and stepmother to Donna Belle (Althea Ablan) and Donna Lyn (Sophia Pablo). There was pressure when she first accepted the job, she recalled, because she had been so used to doing the tormenting. “Nanibago ako. I felt like playing villains is easier somehow, because you’re always stressed when you play a protagonist. One time, I was crying from morning to morning. I thought I was going to get wrinkles!” she said. She knew that there were people who were doubtful about her playing a downtrodden character, mostly because

Chicken Macaroni THE American touch to the Filipino celebratory noodles is this Chicken Macaroni salad. Its richness comes from the dressing, the combination of mayonnaise, condensed milk, and cheddar cheese. Raisins and pineapple not only add color but also contribute sweet and tangy flavors.

Katrina Halili

of her strong look. But she didn’t mind, Katrina said, because she herself was unsure about it at first. But “Prima Donnas” director, Gina Alajar, was pleasantly surprised and, to a certain extent, felt vindicated, because it was her idea to have Katrina in the said role. “I’m happy with the response Katrina has been receiving. It wasn’t easy to defend casting her as someone api because she has been long perceived as mataray or palaban. Because that’s how almost all her characters were. But I said, ‘No, trust me. The

GMA photo

way people view Katrina will change,’” Gina related. “And thankfully, that was what happened.” “I’m happy because I’m able to get by with Direk’s help. I don’t think I could have done it without her,” added Katrina, who also drew inspiration from her costars, like Aiko Melendez, whose character, Kendra, make Lilian’s life a living hell. Will this show signal a future shift in her direction as an actress? “I’m still OK with contravida roles. But of course, if I were given the chance, I would also like to explore other roles,” she said.

Ingredients: 1 pack PAGASA Elbow Macaroni ¼ lb skinless chicken; cut into strips 2½ cups Best Foods Real Mayo 2 cups carrots 1 medium size onion 1 pack Sunmaid Raisins Bag 1 stick celery (optional) ¼ cup Jans Sweet Cow Condensed Milk Directions 1. Bring onion and chicken to a

boil. Cook thoroughly. Cut into strips. 2. Cook elbow macaroni. Follow the cooking instruction on the packaging. 3. Use the boiled water in Elbow Macaroni to blanch the carrots. 4. Mix together condensed milk and elbow macaroni while still warm. 5. Let the macaroni pasta cool down before adding mayo. 6. Add PAMANA Pineapple Slices (cut into cubes), chicken, celery and carrots. Mix well. Serve.

This recipe is provided courtesy of Seafood City. Visit their Facebook Page or http://www.seafoodcity.com for more recipes. If you have any recipes that you would like to share with Asian Journal readers, please send email to editor@asianjournalinc. com or info@asianjournalinc.com, and include a photo of your dish.

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Community

Hey college students: Have you seen this scam?

SCAMMERS are targeting college students. In the last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has told you about a car wrap scam and a COVID-19 scam hitting college students. Today, we want to tell you about a fake check scam. In this one, a scammer posing as a professor sends you an email. It uses a college domain name and a format like your. name@collegename.edu. The scammer offers you a parttime job, like personal assistant or dog walker. Then, the scammer sends you a check, asks you to deposit it, send some of the money to someone else, and keep the rest as payment. A while later, the bank realizes the check was fake and deducts the original check amount from your account. So, if you deposited a $1,000 check, they’ll take that back. But if you sent $400 to someone else, you’re now out $400 of your own money. People report losing a lot of money to fake check scams. The median loss in 2019 was $1,988. That’s a lot of money for anyone to lose. But an FTC analysis published earlier this year showed that people in

their twenties are more than twice as likely as people over 30 to report losing money to fake check scams. So how do you avoid a fake check scam? Never use money from a check to send gift cards, money orders, or wire money to someone. It’s always a scam. And, once you send the money or put it on a gift card and give someone the gift card PIN, it‘s like giving them cash. It’s almost impossible to get your money back.

Image capture consumer.ftc.gov

Banks have to give you money from deposited checks within a few days. But if the check turns out to be a fake, they’ll make sure they get that money back from your account. The bottom line is, if someone sends you a check and tells you to send money by wire transfer or gift card — it’s a scam. Spotted a scam like this? We want to hear about it. Let us know at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. (Ari Lazarus/Consumer Education Specialist, FTC)

PAGE 12 t Tiny Corpuz. We’ve already worked together in past Station IDs. The first time I heard the song, I just fell in love with it and the message of the song. I’d say, apart from it being timely, it has a beautiful message and a sincere intention to really uplift people apart from just celebrating the holidays. “I only mentioned to him, kind of what I wanted the background of the song to be, and also the feel of the song, from the instruments to the type of song that it will be, genre-wise. We did a few tweaks along the way, but very minor. “And the title itself, Believe in Christmas — why shouldn’t you believe in Christmas even though there’s a pandemic going on around the world? And the elements that Kuya Tiny placed in this song will give you the Christmas feels right

away that’s why I really chose this song to release this year.” Besides your single, what’s your favorite Christmas song? “I’d say, My Grown Up Christmas List and the Christmas Song. And also, All I Want for Christmas Is You. When people think of Christmas here in North America, yung All I Want for Christmas talaga yung nasa radyo po agad and stuff like that. But in OPM, Sana Ngayong Pasko, you know, the classic Jose Mari Chan Christmas songs. Christmas songs just really hit you different. That’s also a reason why it’s one of my favourite holidays.” How about your favorite Christmas memory? “There’s so many but I’d say my first Christmas with my little sister like when she wasn’t a year old yet. You know, having a new family member, a new addition to the family was

Information on COVID-19 scams and other helpful resources in Tagalog can be found at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/resources-tagalog. Image capture FTC website

Find COVID-19 scam resources (and more) in multiple languages at ftc.gov/languages

SEARCHING for in-language information on how to avoid COVID-19 scams and other types of fraud? Check out ftc.gov/languages, the FTC’s one-stop resource for consumer education in Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and other languages. At ftc.gov/languages you can just so special to me. And I explore blogs, articles, and pubwasn’t an only child anymore. lications that highlight some key I was opening gifts with this frauds and scams : from learnsmall human. She was just ripping everything apart. I mean, there’s joy in like opening gifts on Christmas day as well as just ripping it open. That’s why PAGE 13 t my favorite Christmas memory ensures that more youth in San will be the Christmas of 2010 Diego are setup for success as they persist through college when my sister was born.” Finally, any Christmas and go on to join the regional workforce.” wishes? According to research from “Sana mawala na po yung virus na ‘to, for things to go the Public Policy Institute of back to normal and I know that California, only a fraction of will take a lot of time for that students in California capable to happen, a lot of healing in of earning a degree actually do, different ways. But, you know, and students from Latinx, Black there may be a pandemic, and and low-income communities like in the Philippines, there are historically underrepresentmay be typhoons, there may be ed in higher education. Addiflooding and all that, but if we tionally, postsecondary educastill have our faith, if we still tion is commonly understood hold on to that, I believe that as essential for future employwe can overcome all of these ment, though a report by California Competes reveals more trials.”

Darren wants to spark hope and joy...

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ing how to spot government imposters to avoiding tech support scams, from recognizing phishing scams to the 10 things you can do to avoid fraud, and more! Ftc.gov/languages also links to the latest COVID-19 related scam information so you can keep up to date. Download, link, or share all the information at ftc.gov/languages with your friends, family and community. You can also

order a selection of In-language publications for free at ftc.gov/ bulkorder. For Tagalog, visit the following webpage: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/resources-tagalog. And remember, if you spot fraud or a scam, the FTC wants to know. Report it to Reportfraud. ftc.gov. (Cristina Miranda/Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC)

The San Diego Foundation announces... than half of San Diegans do not attain an associates or college degree. “Despite their talent and aspirations, first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students face unique and considerable barriers to achieving their academic dreams,” shared Michelle Jaramillo, Director of Education Initiatives at The San Diego Foundation. “By providing needs-based scholarships and college readiness support, we can help students who are farthest from opportunity to better prepare for, pay for, and persist through college.”  The San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Pro-

gram is the largest in the region outside of the university system and provides a variety of scholarships. Since 1997, the program has awarded more than $36 million to thousands of students. The scholarships are made possible through the generosity of more than 100 donors who have opened charitable funds at The San Diego Foundation. The Common Scholarship Application can be accessed at SDFoundation.org/CSA. The deadline to apply is February 3. For more information about the scholarship process, please contactscholarships@sdfoundation.org.

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