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DECEMBER 8-14, 2023 Serving San Diego Since 1987 • 12 Pages
T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c A n c o m m u n i T y n e w s pA p e r
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DATELINE LA-based Filipino convicted of setting up 300 fake marriages for ‘green card’ FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
A LOS ANGELES-based Filipino has been convicted in federal court in Boston of setting up more than 300 fake marriages to help foreign nationals get a “green card” or lawful permanent resident status in the United States. Engilbert Ulan, 42, was convicted of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement. He is the 10th defendant to be convicted in this case. Ulan and his co-defendants were arrested and charged last year with “conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud,” authorities said. Ulan is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2024. He faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release
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President Marcos vows to go after terrorists behind Marawi bombing by Catherine S. Valente ManilaTimes.net
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to go after foreign terrorists involved in the bombing attack at the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City that killed at least four people last
Sunday, December 3. The extremist group Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying in a statement its fighters “detonated an explosive device on a large gathering of Christian disbelievers in Marawi City.” In a statement, the president said that the
by eVelyn MaCairan Philstar.com
Desperate families search for affordable home care
CELEBRATING MAMA MARY’S B-DAY. Devotees pray before the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary inside the San Pedro Church in Davao City on Thursday, Dec. 7. Catholics observe the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin every Dec. 8 by hearing Mass and offering prayers of thanksgiving. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.
Inquirer.net
MANILA — The Philippines bagged four major tourism recognitions from the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA) 2023, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Tuesday, December 5. According to the DOT, the country was once again named the World’s Leading Dive Destination and the World’s Leading Beach Destination, defending its 2022 titles.
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MANILA — Pope Francis expressed his intention to pray for the victims of the bombing attack that occurred during a mass inside a university campus in Marawi City on Sunday, December 3. In @Pontifex, which serves as the pope’s official page on X, formerly Twitter, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church said that he is close to the people of Mindanao. “I wish to assure my prayer for the victims of the attack that occurred this (Sunday) morning in the Philippines, where a bomb exploded during mass. I am close to the families and the people of Mindanao, who have already suffered so much,” said the pontiff from his residences in remarks broadcast in Saint Peter’s Square. Four people died and 45 people were hurt during the explosion at a morning Catholic mass at the Dimaporo Gymnasium of the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City.
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PH students still among lowest scorers in reading, math, science – Pisa
lowest in reading and second lowest in math and science among 79 participating nations. For the 2022 assessment, the Philippines MANILA — As the Department of ranked sixth to the last in reading and Education (DepEd) had anticipated, there mathematics while in science, it ranked was no significant improvement in the third to the last among 81 countries. The 7,193 Filipino students from 188 average scores of Filipino students in reading, mathematics, and science, which schools scored an average of 355 points remained low compared to students from in mathematics, still way below the OECD other countries that participated in the average of 472. Their average scores of 347 ‘ILLEGAL PRESENCE’ Chinese militia ships are “dispersed and scattered” in the area of Julian latest Programme for International Student in reading and 356 in science were also Felipe (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea on Saturday, as shown in this photo by the lower than the global averages of 476 and Philippine Coast Guard. Assessment (Pisa). Based on the 2022 Pisa study published 485, respectively. Compared to the country’s 2018 average on Tuesday, December 5 covering 690,000 students from 81 countries, the Philippines’ scores of mathematics (353), reading (340), performance in the three subjects “were and science (357), the latest results did about the same” as in 2018, when it first not show any significant improvement, the report noted. took part in the assessment. u PAGE 3 Sea (NTF-WPS), to order another In the 2018 Pisa, the country scored the u PAGE 2 by FranCeS MangoSing maritime patrol in response to Inquirer.net the “alarming development,” MANILA — At least 135 PCG spokesperson for West Chinese militia ships were Philippine Sea Commodore Jay seen “swarming” Julian Felipe Tarriela said in a statement. The PCG’s BRP Sindangan (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea during a patrol and BRP Cabra challenged the by the Philippine Coast Guard Chinese ships on radio during MANILA — The preliminary investigation (PCG) on Saturday, December 2. a patrol on Saturday but they Separate patrols carried out received no response. The ships of the complaint of grave threats filed by ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro against by the PCG and the Armed were “dispersed and scattered” former President Rodrigo Duterte was reset Forces of the Philippines in mid- around the reef. Diplomatic protests to Dec. 15 after he failed to appear before the November had observed the Julian Felipe Reef is considered Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, “illegal presence” of at least 111 Chinese ships on the reef located a low tide elevation within the December 4. Only his lawyers, Penrose Ann Valles and 324 kilometers (175 nautical territorial sea of relevant high Kristia Lorraine Caringal, showed up and miles) west of Bataraza, Palawan tide features in the Kalayaan said they had yet to receive any complaint or province, well within the Island Group, including Chigua subpoena against their client. They were later country’s exclusive economic Reef, over which the Philippines has sovereignty, Tarriela said. given a copy of Castro’s complaint affidavit zone (EEZ). Chinese militia vessels This prompted National and supplemental complaint affidavit against Security Adviser Gen. Eduardo have been aiding China Coast (From left) Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Shahlimar Hofer Duterte. Tamano, World Travel Awards (WTA) President and Founder Graham Cooke, The lawmaker’s counsel, Rico Domingo, Año, who also chairs the National Guard (CCG) ships in harassing and DOT Assistant Secretary Rica Bueno hold the Philippines’ awards from u PAGE 3 u PAGE 2 Task Force on the West Philippine by Jane BautiSta Inquirer.net
Duterte PH wins 4 major awards in Ex-President preliminary probe World Travel Awards 2023 skips of grave threats case by luiSa CaBato
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Pope sets prayers for blast victims
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IT’S a good day when Frank Lee, a retired chef, can slip out to the hardware store, fairly confident that his wife, Robin, is in the hands of reliable help. He spends nearly every hour of every day anxiously overseeing her care at their home on the Isle of Palms, a barrier island near Charleston, South Carolina. Robin Lee, 67, has had dementia for about a decade, but the couple was able to take overseas trips and enjoy their marriage of some 40 years until three years ago, when she grew more agitated, prone to sudden outbursts, and could no longer explain what she needed or wanted. He struggled to care for her largely on his own. “As Mom’s condition got more difficult to navigate, he was just handling it,” said Jesse Lee, the youngest of the couple’s three adult children. “It was getting harder and harder. Something had to change, or they would both perish.” Frank Lee’s search for trustworthy home health aides — an experience that millions of American families face — has often been exhausting and infuriating, but he has persisted. He didn’t entirely trust the care his wife would get in an assisted living facility. Last August, when a respite program
government is now working closely with the regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the concerned local government units for their swift response in what he called was the “latest assault on peace.” Marcos said he also instructed the Philippine
the preeminent WTA in a ceremony held in Dubai on December 1. DOT photo
Chinese militia ships swarm Julian Felipe Reef in West Philippine Sea
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DECEMBER 8-14, 2023 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
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From The FronT Page
President Marcos vows to go after... PAGE 1 National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines “to ensure the protection and safety of civilians and the security of affected and vulnerable communities.” “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists upon the Mindanao State University (MSU) and Marawi communities. Extremists who wield violence against the innocent will always be regarded as enemies to our society,” he said in a statement. “Rest assured we will bring the perpetrators of this ruthless act to justice,” the president added.
The president also extended his condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, blaming foreign terrorists behind the bombing attack. “I extend my most heartfelt condolences to the victims, their loved ones, and the communities that have been the target of this latest assault on peace. Government assistance to those impacted is ready and forthcoming,” he said. The president also called on the public to remain calm, circumspect and conscientious to ensure that the “horrific events” are not further compounded by inaccurate, unvetted, and unofficial information. “Let us all keep the victims, their families, and our communities in our prayers,” Marcos said. n
Ex-President Duterte skips preliminary... PAGE 1 said they did not expect further delays, adding: “We’re not saying this is a delaying tactic, since what the lawyers said, we assume good faith there.” “Now, under Rule 112 of the Revised Penal Code… they have 10 days to respond to the criminal complaint and the supplemental complaint. There will be no delays there, there won’t be another extension,” Domingo said. Duterte had been asked to appear before the Quezon City prosecutor to submit his counteraffidavit in response to Castro’s complaint of grave threats based on the statements he made in his Oct. 11 “Gikan Sa Masa, Para sa Masa” program aired by Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI). He said that his daughter, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, should be frank about the purpose of the confidential funds she was seeking for 2024 for her office and the Department of Education (DepEd). “But, the first target of your intelligence fund would be you, France, I want to kill all you communists,” the older Duterte added. Castro was among the opposition lawmakers who had opposed the younger Duterte’s request for confidential funds because her office and DepEd did not have specific mandates directly related to defense and national security. The lawmaker also filed a supplemental complaint-affidavit over the former president’s statements in the Nov. 16
ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro and former President Rodrigo Duterte
episode of his program. “The grave threat of the accused toward Congresswoman Castro was continuous. You may recall last Oct. 11, [Duterte] issued grave threats, and that was the subject matter of the [earlier] complaint-affidavit of congresswoman France Castro… The president continued his threats on Nov. 16, and that is what we captured here in the supplemental complaintaffidavit,” Domingo said. In her supplemental complaintaffidavit, Castro said Duterte had “called out my name and in between the Red-taggings, made the following utterances which… grimly and unrelentingly threatened my life, liberty and security and that of my family.” Domingo said the case against Duterte would be a “test of the prosecutorial system as well as the justice system.” “We will see what will be the result of this case. This is what Congresswoman France Castro is fighting for and we are joining
Inquirer.net photos
her in this cause,” he added. Support The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and advocates from different sectors expressed their support for Castro on Monday with ACT Chair Vladimer Quetua saying that Duterte must be held accountable for his threatening statements. “The culture of killing and violation of human rights that have pervaded under his administration must stop … This is not the type of society that should be used and normalized in the minds of the youth and citizens,” he said. Quetua also urged the Department of Justice and the International Criminal Court to pursue “comprehensive investigations” into Duterte’s alleged crimes against the Filipino people, as he also demanded that the Marcos administration abolish SMNI and the government’s anticommunist task force. (by Gillian N. Villanueva/Inquirer.net) n
BICYCLE LANE. Cyclists use the designated bicycle lane along Aguinaldo Highway in Imus, Cavite on Wednesday, Dec. 6. Many local government units have set up bicycle lanes as cycling has become an alternative mode of transport, especially during the pandemic. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.
Pope sets prayers for blast... PAGE 1 According to Vatican News, the pope had sent a telegram to Marawi Bishop Edwin dela Peña, saying he is “deeply saddened to be informed of the injuries and loss of life caused by the bombing.” The message was reportedly signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who said that the pontiff had asked Dela Peña to convey his “spiritual closeness” to all those who were affected by the tragedy. “He joins you in commending the souls of those who died to Almighty God’s loving mercy and he implores the divine gifts of healing and consolation upon the injured and bereaved,” the telegram added. Pope Francis concluded his message with “prayers that Christ the Prince of Peace will grant to all the strength to turn from violence and overcome every evil with good,” and imparted his blessing “as a pledge of strength and consolation in the Lord.” Meanwhile, the Marawi prelature said in a statement posted on its Facebook page that the bombing incident was both “merciless and heartbreaking.” “The Prelature of St. Mary in Marawi strongly condemns any form of violence and terrorism. The incident that happened this morning was merciless and heartbreaking,” it said. The prelature also requested the public to pray
for the souls of those who died from the blast, as well as their families who were devastated because of the tragedy. Meanwhile, the United States and Israel condemned the “horrific” bombing during a Catholic service at the MSU gymnasium in Marawi. “The United States condemns in the strongest terms the horrific terrorist attack that occurred during a Catholic service,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. “We mourn those killed in the attack and our thoughts are with the injured,” he said. The Israeli embassy in Manila condemned the “heinous act of terrorism” perpetrated at MSU. “Our hearts go out to the victims and their bereaved families, and we extend our deepest condolences and sympathy during this difficult time. We also pray for the swift recovery of those injured,” the embassy said in a statement, expressing solidarity with the Philippine government and Filipino people in face of this “despicable” terrorist attack. Australian Ambassador HK Yu said her country is deeply saddened by the violent attack at MSU. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” she said. German Ambassador Andreas Pfafferrnoschke said “Germany supports all efforts to bring those responsible for the attack to justice.” n
PH students still among lowest scorers... PAGE 1 ‘Minimum level’ Pisa is a global study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which evaluates the academic performance of 15-year-old students in the three subjects every three years. It is also the first to offer a glimpse into the impact of the pandemic and school closures on education systems worldwide. From 2018 to 2022, the study noted that the gap between the highest-scoring Filipino students and the weakest or lowestscoring learners narrowed in mathematics, although it did not significantly change in reading and science. “In mathematics, low achievers became stronger, while performance did not change significantly amongst high achievers,” it said. Only a small proportion of Filipino students, compared to the average across OECD countries, were recognized as top performers in at least one subject. “At the same time, a smaller proportion of students than on average across OECD countries achieved a minimum level of proficiency (Level 2 or higher) in all three subjects,” the report added. In mathematics, the Philippines ranked sixth to the last and only fared better than Guatemala, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Paraguay and Cambodia. According to the report, 16 percent of Filipino students reached at least Level 2 proficiency in the subject, which was significantly less than the average across OECD countries.
It noted, however, that more than 85 percent of students in Singapore, Macao (China), Japan, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei and Estonia performed at this level or above. A Level 2 proficiency means that at the very least, students could interpret and recognize how to mathematically represent a situation without direct instructions like comparing the total distance across two alternative routes, or converting prices into a different currency. Ranking from bottom “Almost no students in the Philippines were top performers in mathematics, meaning that they attained Level 5 or 6 in the Pisa mathematics test (OECD average: 9 percent),” the report said. On the other hand, six Asian countries and economies had the largest shares of top math performers: Singapore, 41 percent; Chinese Taipei, 32 percent; Macao (China), 29 percent; Hong Kong (China), 27 percent; Japan, 23 percent; and Korea, 23 percent. Students who reach this proficiency are capable of modeling complex situations mathematically and can select, compare and evaluate appropriate problem-solving strategies for dealing with them, the report said. In reading, the Philippines also ranked sixth to the last with an average score of 347, followed by Kosovo (342), Jordan (342), Morocco (339), Uzbekistan (336) and Cambodia (329). Only 24 percent of Filipino students attained Level 2 or higher in reading, which was just a third of the OECD average of 74 percent.
“At a minimum, these students can identify the main idea in a text of moderate length, find information based on explicit, though sometimes complex criteria, and can reflect on the purpose and form of texts when explicitly directed to do so,” the report said. It added that the share of 15-year-old learners who reached the minimum level of reading proficiency varied globally from 89 percent in Singapore to 8 percent in Cambodia. In science, the Philippines ranked third to last with an average score of 356 points, followed by Uzbekistan with 355 and Cambodia, 347. Almost one-fourth or 23 percent of Filipino students who took the test attained Level 2 or higher in science, which is, again, significantly lower than the OECD average of 76 percent. “At a minimum, these students can recognize the correct explanation for familiar scientific phenomena and can use such knowledge to identify, in simple cases, whether a conclusion is valid based on the data provided,” the report said. The dismal performance of the Philippines in the 2018 Pisa prompted DepEd to address issues and challenges in attaining quality basic education in the country. The agency, under then Education Secretary Leonor Briones, decided to lead “aggressive reforms” such as the review and updating of the K-12 curriculum, improvement of learning facilities, and upskilling and reskilling of teachers and school heads through professional development programs. n
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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 8-14, 2023 AFTER THE SHOCKS. Personnel of the Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office fix the tiles at the Rizal Park in Davao City on Thursday, Dec. 7 after being damaged by aftershocks. Intensity V was felt in Davao City during the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur on Dec. 2, 2023. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.
Chinese militia ships swarm Julian Felipe... PAGE 1 Philippine boats on a resupply mission to Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. The Philippines first called attention to the “swarming” on Julian Felipe Reef in 2021. At the time, China said the vessels were only taking shelter due to rough sea conditions. Several diplomatic protests have since been filed over the presence of Chinese ships in these waters. Use of water cannon Early last month, a Chinese vessel again used a water cannon to drive away a Philippine boat on a resupply mission to Philippine troops stationed in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. However, the NTF-WPS said the Chinese Coast Guard’s attempt to change the route of the militarycommissioned resupply vessel failed. “CCG vessel 5203 deployed water cannon against Philippine supply vessel ML Kalayaan in an illegal though unsuccessful attempt to force the latter to alter course,” the NTF-WPS said. It also said CCG vessels and suspected Chinese
maritime militia ships “recklessly harassed, blocked, executed dangerous maneuvers in another attempt to illegally impede or obstruct a routine resupply and rotation mission to BRP Sierra Madre.” Systematic harassment Last August, the CCG also used water cannon against PCG vessels escorting boats delivering supplies to BRP Sierra Madre, which was grounded on Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to assert Manila’s claim on the sandbank that is located about 194 km (105 nautical miles) from Palawan. The CCG had claimed that the Philippine vessels “trespassed” Ayungin Shoal even if the sandbank is well within the Philippines’ EEZ. The NTF-WPS has frequently condemned China’s “unprovoked acts” and described such behavior as “consistent” and “systematic.” “The systematic and consistent manner in which the People’s Republic of China carries out these illegal and irresponsible actions puts into question and significant doubt the sincerity of its calls for peaceful dialogue,” the task force said. n
PH wins 4 major awards in... PAGE 1 For the first time, the country was also conferred with the World’s Leading City Destination for its capital, Manila. The DOT added that the Philippines was also given the Global Tourism Resilience Award for demonstrating “global leadership, pioneering vision, and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity.” The country was one of the only five countries that received the award, the agency noted in a press release. The awarding ceremony was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on December 1. Other titles received by the Philippines in the WTA 2023 included the World’s Leading Dive Resort (Amanpulo), the World’s Leading Fully Integrated Resort (City of Dreams Manila), and the World’s Leading Casino
Resort (City of Dreams Manila), according to the WTA website. DOT Undersecretary Shahlimar Hofer Tamano and Assistant Secretary Maria Rica Bueno represented Tourism chief Christina Garcia Frasco during the event. In her message, Frasco said that receiving the Global Tourism Resilience Award was an affirmation of all the agency’s hard work in developing the nation’s tourism industry. “With these remarkable triumphs, the Philippines reinforces its position as an unparalleled destination, inviting travelers to explore our captivating shores, vibrant underwater realms, and dynamic urban landscapes as they immerse in our culture and heritage and create unforgettable memories with the distinct grace and hospitality of the Filipino people,” she said. Meanwhile, in his speech, WTA president and founder
Graham Cooke commended the Filipinos as the “main asset” of the country’s tourism industry. “The diversity, the opportunities with sustainability, the beautiful beach resorts, and now the diving [sic], amazing, the beaches, amazing. As I said, the main asset is the people, which a lot of countries in the world don’t have,” he said. “And it’s the people of the Philippines that make your tourism assets the most amazing. The work ethic, the happiness, the smile, and the hospitality that the Philippines have are global icons,” Cooke added. Dubbed the Oscars of the travel industry, WTA is a London-based award-giving body established in 1993. It recognizes excellence in travel and tourism on three levels: national, regional, and global awards in several categories. n
Desperate families search for affordable... PAGE 1 paid for her brief stay in one so Frank, 69, could take a trip to the mountains, she fell and fractured her sacrum, the bone that connects the spine to the pelvis. There is precious little assistance from the government for families who need a home health aide, unless they are poor. The people working in these jobs are often woefully underpaid and unprepared to help a frail, older person with dementia bathe and use the bathroom, or to defuse an angry outburst. Usually, it is family that steps into the breach — grown children who cobble together a fragile chain of visitors to help an ailing father; a middle-aged daughter who returns to her childhood bedroom; a son-in-law working from home who keeps a watchful eye on a confused parent; a wife who can barely manage herself looking after a faltering husband. Frank Lee finally found two aides on his own, with no help from an agency. Using the proceeds from the sale of his stake in a group of restaurants, including the popular Charleston bistro Slightly North of Broad, he pays them the going rate of about $30 an hour. Between his wife’s care and medical expenses, he estimates he’s spending between $80,000 and $100,000 a year. “Who the hell can afford this?” he asked. “There’s no relief for families unless they have great wealth or see their wealth sucked away.” He worries that he will run out of money and be forced to sell their home of more than three decades. “Funds aren’t unlimited,” he said. Credited with emphasizing local ingredients and mentoring young chefs in Charleston, Lee retired in 2016, a few years after his wife’s diagnosis. In an interview at the time, he said, “My wife has given up her life to help me in my career, and now I need to pay attention to her.” In 2020, he contacted a halfdozen home care agencies. Some couldn’t fill the position. Others sent aides who were quickly overwhelmed by his wife’s behavior. Doctors told the family they believed she has frontotemporal dementia, which appeared to affect her language and how she behaved. One woman seemed promising, only to quit after a week or two. “We never saw her again,” Lee said. He tried a
friend of the family for a time, but she left when her grandmother developed liver cancer. “It was the whole year of going through different caregivers,” said son Jesse. Finally, Frank found two women to help. One of them, Ronnie Smalls, has more than a dozen years of experience and is trained in dementia care. She has developed a rapport with Robin, who seems reassured by a quick touch. “We have a really good bond,” Smalls said. “I know her language, her expression.” One day at the Lees’ cozy one-story house, decorated with furniture made by Robin, and with a yard overflowing with greenery, Smalls fed her lunch at the kitchen table with her husband and daughter. Robin seemed to enjoy the company, murmuring in response to the conversation. At other times, she seemed oblivious to the people around her. She can no longer walk on her own. Two people are often needed to help her get up from a chair or go to the bathroom, transitions she often finds upsetting. A day without an aide — out because of illness or a family emergency — frays the tenuous links that hold the couple’s life together. Lee said his wife barely resembles the woman he married, the one who loved hiking, skiing, and gardening, and who started a neighborhood preschool while raising their three children. A voracious reader, she is now largely silent, staring into space. The prognosis is bleak, with doctors offering little to hang onto. “What’s the end game look like?” Lee asks, wondering if it would be better if his wife had the right to die rather than slowly disappear before his eyes. “As she disintegrates, I disintegrate,” he said. She recently qualified for hospice care, which will involve weekly visits from a nurse and a certified nursing assistant paid under Medicare. Charleston is flush with retirees attracted by its low taxes and a warm climate, and it boasts of ways to care for them with large for-profit home health chains and a scattering of small agencies. But many families in Charleston and across the nation can’t find the help they need. And when they do, it’s often spotty and far more expensive than they can afford.
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Most Americans want to remain in their own homes, living independently, for as long as possible. They want to avoid nursing homes, which they see as providing poor care, polls have found. And the ranks of older people who need such help will grow. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be at least 65 as millions in the baby boomer generation retire. In dozens of interviews, families described a desperate and sometimes fruitless search for aides to help loved ones with simple tasks on a predictable schedule at an hourly rate they can afford. Roughly 8 million people 65 and older had dementia or needed help with two or more activities of basic daily life, like getting out of bed, according to an analysis of a federally funded survey of older Americans by KFF Health News and The New York Times. Only a million received paid help outside of a nursing home, and nearly 3 million had no help at all. Most families can’t afford what agencies charge — about $27 an hour, according to Genworth, a long-term care insurance company. So, many take their chances on untrained caregivers found through word-of-mouth, Craigslist, or other resources. A scarcity of workers One of the main obstacles to finding paid help is the chronic shortage of workers. Some 3.7 million people had jobs as aides in home health or personal care in 2022, with half of them earning less than $30,000 year, or $14.51 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of people needed is expected to increase by more than 20% over the next decade. But the working conditions are hard, the pay is usually bad, and the hours are inconsistent. About 3 million people are working in private homes, according to a 2023 analysis by PHI, a nonprofit that studies and acts as an advocate for the workforce, although official estimates may not count many workers paid off the books or hired outside of an agency by a family. Eighty-five percent of home care workers are women, two-thirds are people of color, and roughly a third are immigrants. The pay is often so low that more than half qualify for public assistance like food
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DECEMBER 8-14, 2023 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
Dateline USa
Desperate families search for affordable...
MERCURY RISING. Representatives of government agencies and environmental groups launch a five-year project funded by the Global Environment Facility on the reduction of unintended organic pollutants and mercury from health care wastes, at Park Inn by Radisson Hotel in Quezon City on Wednesday, Dec. 6. The project aims to strengthen the partnership between environment-advocate groups and the government to deliver long-term interventions in pursuing sustainable development goals. PNA photo by Ben Briones
LA-based Filipino convicted of setting... PAGE 1 and a fine of $250,000, said the statement released last week. Another Filipino based in LA, Marcialito Biol Benitez, 49, pleaded guilty last September 27. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper has scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2024. Benitez allegedly operated the fraud agency in the Koreatown district of Los Angeles. The agency allegedly charged
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fees of $20,000 to $30,000 paid in cash. It allegedly submitted fraudulent marriage and immigration documents, including false tax returns, and recruited U.S. citizens to marry the agency’s clients. Staged weddings The agency reportedly staged wedding ceremonies at chapels and parks, then submitted the photos to help authenticate marriage-based immigration
petitions to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the federal agency responsible for granting lawful permanent resident status. “For many clients, the agency would take photos of undocumented clients and citizen spouses in front of prop wedding decorations for later submission with immigration petitions,” prosecutors said. “Ulan coached the sham couples to provide the same, fabricated answers to questions posed during green card interviews and conceal the fraudulent nature of the marriages.” “Marriage fraud is a serious offense that undermines the foundation of our nation’s immigration system,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement. “Mr. Ulan and his coconspirators not only exploited our immigration system for personal gain, but also compromised the United States’ principles of welcoming immigrants and prospective citizens.” He added that the “swift and decisive enforcement action taken in this case reflects our commitment to preserving the integrity of the immigration process and upholding the values that have defined this nation.” (Nimfa U. Rueda/Inquirer.net) n
PAGE 3 stamps or Medicaid. Dawn Geisler, 53, has made only $10 an hour working as a home health aide in the Charleston area for the past four years, without ever getting a raise. She declined to name the agency that employs her because she doesn’t want to lose her job. Geisler discovered she liked the work after caring for her mother. Unlike an office job, “every day is just a little bit different,” she said. She now juggles two clients. She might accompany one to the doctor and keep the other one company. “I’m taking care of them like they were my own family,” she said. The agency provides no guarantee of work and doesn’t always tell her what to expect when she walks through the door, except to say someone has Alzheimer’s or is in a wheelchair. Her supervisors often fail to let her know if her client goes to the hospital, so families know to call her cellphone. She has waited weeks for a new assignment without getting paid a penny. She herself has no health insurance and sometimes relies on food banks to put meals on the table. “I’m not making enough to pay all the bills I have,” said Geisler, who joined an advocacy group called the Fight for $15, which is pushing to raise the minimum wage in South Carolina and across the country. When her car broke down, she couldn’t afford to get it fixed. Instead, she walked to work or borrowed her fiancé’s bicycle. Most home health agencies nationwide are for-profit and are often criticized for ignoring the needs of workers in favor of the bottom line. “The business models are based on cheap labor,” said Robyn Stone, senior vice president of research for LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit agencies. The industry has historically tolerated high turnover but now can’t attract enough workers in a strong, competitive job market. “I think there has been a rude awakening for a lot of these companies,” she said. Many agencies have also refused to pay overtime or travel costs between jobs, and many have been accused of wage theft in lawsuits filed by home care workers or have been sanctioned by state and federal agencies. Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health care for the poor, is supposed to provide home aides but faces shortages of workers at the rates it pays workers. At least 20 states pay less than $20 an hour for a personal care aide, according to a recent state survey by KFF. Aides are often paid less under Medicaid than if they care for someone paying privately. With low pay and few benefits, many people would rather work the checkout line in a supermarket or at a fast-food chain than take on the emotionally demanding job of caring for an older person, said Ashlee Pittmann, the chief executive of Interim HealthCare of Charleston, a home health agency. She said that she recently raised wages by $2 an hour and had had more success keeping employees, but that she still worried that “we may not be able to compete with some larger companies.” The Biden administration failed to obtain an additional $400 billion from Congress for homeand community-based services to shift emphasis away from institutional care. President Joe Biden signed an executive order this year to encourage
some reforms, and federal officials have proposed requiring home health agencies to spend 80 cents of every government dollar on paying workers under Medicaid. But so far, little has changed. Falling through the ‘doughnut hole‘ Long-term care coverage for most Americans is a yawning gap in government programs. And the chasm is widening as more Americans age into their 70s, 80s, and 90s. The government’s main program for people 65 and older is Medicare, but it pays for a home aide only when a medical condition, like recovery from a stroke, has made a person eligible for a nurse or therapist to come to the home. And the aide is usually short-term. Medicare doesn’t cover longterm care. Medicaid, which does pay for long-term care at home, is limited to serving the poor or those who can demonstrate they have hardly any assets. But, again, the worker shortage is so pervasive that waiting lists for aides are years long, leaving many people without any option except a nursing home. So millions of Americans keep trying to hang in and stay home as long as they can. They’re not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, but they can’t afford to hire someone privately. Many fall through what April Abel, a former home health nurse from Roper St. Francis Healthcare in Charleston, described as “the doughnut hole.” “I feel so bad for them because they don’t have the support system they need,” she said. She tried fruitlessly for months to find help for Joanne Ganaway, 79 and in poor health, from charities or state programs while she visited her at home. Ganaway had trouble seeing because of a tear in her retina and was often confused about her medications, but the small pension she had earned after working nearly 20 years as a state employee made her ineligible for Medicaid-sponsored home care. So Ganaway, who rarely leaves her house, relies on friends or family to get to the doctor or the store. She spends most of her day in a chair in the living room. “It has been difficult for me, to be honest,” she said. Turning to respite services With no hope of steady help, there is little left to offer overstretched wives, husbands, sons, and daughters other than a brief respite. The Biden administration has embraced the idea of respite services under Medicare, including a pilot program for the families of dementia patients that will begin in 2024. One nonprofit, Respite Care Charleston, provides weekday drop-off sessions for people with dementia for almost four hours a day. Lee’s wife went for a couple of years, and he still makes use of the center’s support groups, where caregivers talk about the strain of watching over a loved one’s decline. On any given morning, nearly a dozen people with dementia gather around a table. Two staff members and a few volunteers work with the group as they play word games, banter, bat balls around, or send a small plastic jumping frog across the table. Their visits cost $50 a session, including lunch, and the organization’s brief hours keep it under the minimum state requirements for licensing. “We’re not going to turn someone away,” Sara Perry, the group’s executive director, said.
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Dateline PhiliPPines
5
Accomplice in Percy Lapid murder case gets 2-8 years in prison by Ian LaquI Philstar.com
MANILA QUAKE. Students rush out of Emilio Aguinaldo College in Manila on Tuesday, Dec. 5 after an earthquake. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Lubang, Occidental Mindoro was the epicenter of the 5.9 earthquake at around 4:23 p.m., with Intensity IV (Moderately Strong) felt in Makati City, Quezon City, and Taguig City in Metro Manila. PNA photo by Yancy Lim
MANILA — The aide of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag, Denver Mayores, received a two to eight-year prison term for his role in broadcaster Percy Lapid’s murder, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday, December 7. In a statement by the Justice department, a Las Piñas court convicted Mayores, a person deprived of liberty (PDL), after he pleaded guilty for being an accessory to the crime and a co-conspirator with Bantag in the Lapid slaying. “The conviction of Mayores, who initially faced a murder complaint as a principal by indispensable cooperation, underscores the complex web of involvement in Lapid’s assassination,” the DOJ said
The court’s decision was first posted by Lapid’s brother, Roy Mabasa, on X (formerly Twitter). “Las Piñas RTC Judge Harold Huliganga sentenced inmate Denver Mayores to two-eight years imprisonment for being an accessory to the killing of broadcaster @lapidfire on Oct. 3, 2022. Mayores conspired with Bantag and Zulueta (former BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta) into committing the murder of Lapid. #JusticeForPercyLapid,” Mabasa said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on December 4. Lapid, a radio broadcaster whose real name is Percival Mabasa, was gunned down inside his vehicle at the gate of BF Resort Village in Talon Dos, Las Piñas on October 3. He is known to be a critic of
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former President Rodrigo Duterte. Ex-BuCor chief Bantag was pointed by the Philippine National Police to be the mastermind behind the killing which he denied. Joel Escorial, the suspected gunman in the Lapid murder case, has petitioned the court for a reduced sentence and a transfer to Abuyog Penitentiary in Leyte before entering a guilty plea. The DOJ is currently considering his request. “DOJ prosecutors are currently evaluating the potential impact of reducing Escorial’s charges from murder to homicide,” the Justice department said. Escorial’s case in Las Piñas court is scheduled for promulgation in February 2024.
The Justice Department said that this development follows the sentencing of three more leaders from the Bilibid gang, namely Aldrin Galicia, Alvin Labra and Alfie Penaredonda On June 23, they also pleaded guilty to being accessories in the Lapid murder case. The three were reportedly involved in the scheme leading to the death of Jun Villamor, a prisoner alleged to have instructed the shooter responsible for Lapid’s assassination. In a ruling last May, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the murder and administrative charges filed by Bantag against Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, BuCor officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr., and multiple inmates of the New Bilibid Prison linked to the killing of Lapid. n
House adopts reso condemning China’s illegal activities in WPS Senator seeks inquiry on PH’s MANILA – The House of Representatives on Wednesday, December 6 adopted a resolution strongly condemning China’s “illegal actions” in the West Philippine Sea. House Resolution 1494, which also urges the Philippine government to assert and protect the country’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, was approved during the plenary session. The resolution said that despite the country’s arbitration victory over China’s territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea, China has continued its harassment of Philippine vessels in Philippine territory. “The Philippines, being a firm believer and advocate of the Rule of Law, and despite the continued harassment of China, has resorted to diplomatic tools to address Chinese aggression, including the filing of over 400 diplomatic protests against the latter, the subject of which mostly include the illegal presence and illegal activities of Chinese fishing, maritime militia, law enforcement, and military vessels in the West Philippine Sea,” the resolution read. According to the resolution, among the illegal activities of China include harassment, shadowing, blocking, dangerous maneuvers, and radio challenges; unilateral imposition of a fishing moratorium; unauthorized conduct of marine scientific research activities; incessant and unlawful restriction of Filipino fishermen from conducting legitimate fishing activities in Bajo de Masinloc; and harassment of Philippine boats in Ayungin Shoal. It further noted that China’s actions against the Philippines’ routine and regular rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal have become “more dangerous”. These incidents include using military-grade laser lights at
preparedness vs. respiratory illnesses
MANILA – Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva announced on Thursday, December 7 that he has filed Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 874 seeking to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the preparedness of the country to detect, prevent, minimize, treat, and contain the reported global rise of respiratory illnesses, as well as the capacity of the healthcare system to handle a surge or outbreak of cases. This as the Department of Health (DOH) recently reported that the country logged close to 200,000 cases of influenzalike illness (ILI) so far this year. According to the DOH, overall ILI cases in the country stood at 182,721 from Jan. 1 to Nov. 11 this year, 51 percent higher than the 121,160 reported cases in the same period in 2022. Pneumonia cases are also up u PAGE 7
by 46 percent, with 158,762 pneumonia cases reported from January to October this year, from 108,982 infections recorded during the same period last year. “Handa po ba tayo sa respiratory illnesses na ito? Wala po bang dapat ikabahala ang ating mga kababayan (Are we prepared for these respiratory illnesses? Do our people need not to worry)” Villanueva asked. “We have seen how the COVID-19 pandemic shocked the world, and its impact was staggering. We don’t want a repeat of the Covid experience,” he added. Villanueva then urged the DOH and other concerned authorities “to enforce minimum public health standards and safety protocols to stem the rising number of cases and arrest any possibility of an outbreak.”
“There is also a need to ensure that there are adequate supplies of medicines and personal protective equipment,” the lawmaker said. “These should come with intensified health information, education, and communication programs on the prevention of communicable respiratory diseases, including vaccination drives against influenza, COVID-19, pneumonia and other vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases,” he added. Meanwhile, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Chairman Junie E. Cua urged the public to be “extra careful” to avoid illness. Cua said the public should continue practicing health protocols established during the pandemic to reduce the risk of getting ill, emphasizing that “prevention is better than
cure.” “Bagama’t lipas na ang pandemya, ang mga health protocols ay nagbibigay pa rin ng proteksyon laban sa mga virus na sanhi ng respiratory illness. Mas mabuti na pong umiwas dahil mahal magkasakit (Even if the pandemic has already passed, health protocols still provide protection from viruses that cause respiratory illness. It is better to avoid illness because treatment is expensive),” he said. He urged Filipinos to heed the DOH’s advice especially for children, the elderly, and other vulnerable sectors to observe protocols such as voluntary masking, regular handwashing, isolating when ill, ensuring adequate ventilation, and getting vaccinated. The PCSO also received requests related to the medical assistance program. (PNA) n
6
DECEMBER 8-14, 2023 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
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OpiniOn
No end to armed violence
Features
WHILE security forces confront renewed terrorist activities in Mindanao, armed violence continues to undermine other aspects of life in the country. Over a month since the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, killings related to BSKE political rivalries continue. In the first two days of December, two barangay captains have been shot dead, one in President Marcos’ home province Ilocos Norte and the other in Zamboanga del Sur. Helen Abrigado, who was reelected as captain of Barangay Ferdinand in Marcos town, had just attended a lantern parade on Dec. 1 and was on her way home with companions in a government van when they were waylaid by two men on a motorcycle. She died from multiple gunshot wounds. The next morning in Zamboanga del Sur, Jerry Olaier was walking in Guipos town, where he is the newly elected captain of Barangay Poblacion, when two men shot him. Relatives told probers that Olaier was planning to vie for the presidency of Poblacion’s association of barangay captains. After several postponements, the BSKE finally pushed through last October, thanks to the Supreme Court. While allowing the polls to push through on that date instead of much earlier, the SC cut short the term of the current BSK officials from three years to two.
People thought the shortened term would discourage BSK candidates from eliminating their rivals through murder. They thought wrong: deadly armed violence marred the BSKE long before the start of the official campaign period until past election day. Abrigado and Olaier were just the latest victims of violence believed related to village political rivalries. This can be established only with the arrest of the perpetrators – both the brains and the triggermen, who could be hired guns. The killings also highlight once again the need for tighter gun control. Even non-politicians are being murdered – in their homes, on the ManilaTimes.net photo streets and in public buses. Authorities must also draw up measures that can minimize the use of dead and his companion wounded by two men on disconnect the power line of a household whose motorcycles in criminal activities. On Dec. 1, an a motorcycle in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. Probers said unpaid bills had accumulated. Obviously, keeping employee of an electric cooperative was shot the two men were attacked as they were about to the public safe needs greater effort. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Cooperation with ICC
Sketches
ana MaRie PaMintuan SINCE Rodrigo Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the International Criminal Court without Senate concurrence, President Marcos can reverse it also without the Senate’s nod, according to proponents of the country’s return to the ICC. If Marcos is worried about sovereignty issues, will he at least allow some form of cooperation with the ICC? This is the suggestion in the resolution filed in the House of Representatives. For the Marcos administration, cooperation can take various forms, without looking like it is compromising national sovereignty. For example, it can facilitate contacts between ICC probers and witnesses including relatives of those killed. The witnesses can include law enforcers who directly participated in the police operations that left over 6,200 people dead. Justice officials said they have heard of such cops, and have encouraged them to come out. But so far, no one has done so, despite the promise of state protection. Perhaps such cops may be willing to talk with ICC prosecutors overseas.
The same is true for civilian witnesses. Cooperation can also involve allowing ICC probers to conduct interviews, obtain documents and gather other evidence in the Philippines, although not in an official legal setting; the ICC cannot operate like a separate court in this country. Last week, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said ICC probers could enter the Philippines to gather documents or interview persons, although a formal probe and “legal activities” cannot be conducted. Guevarra said that under the law, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and its mother agency the Department of Justice (DOJ) have the discretion to “admit or not admit a certain person who they may consider as undesirable.” * * * As of last Friday, December 1 the BI spokesperson said ICC probers were free to enter the Philippines, in the absence of an order from the courts or higher authorities to bar their entry. Vice President Sara Duterte has formally asked the DOJ not to cooperate in the ICC investigation of drug war killings that occurred during her father’s watch as president from July 2016 to March 16, 2019, and from 2011 to 2016 when he was mayor or vice mayor of Davao City.
As mayor when her father was vice mayor, the VP is reportedly included in the ICC probe of killings attributed to so-called death squads in the city, along with Duterte’s chief tokhang enforcer Ronald dela Rosa, now a senator. Dela Rosa said he raised the ICC issue with President Marcos during a dinner at Malacañang last week hosted by the First Couple for senators. It’s unclear if the ICC was the main course in the dinner agenda. Both the DOJ and BI are waiting for word from the top, as Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has indicated. President Marcos, who had previously said the country “is done talking” with the ICC, recently said the government is studying its options and the possibility of the country rejoining the court is “under study.” Remulla himself, who had initially taken a hardline stance against the ICC probe, said on Nov. 21 that the House resolution needed “serious study” since the Philippines has withdrawn from the Rome Statute. * * * House resolution 1477 was filed by the chair of the committee on human rights, Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante, and 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez. It
urges the government to extend “full cooperation” to the ICC in its probe of Rome Statute crimes. These include genocide and murder as a crime against humanity – the offense that the ICC believes was committed in Duterte’s bloody crackdown on drug suspects. The ICC maintains that it has jurisdiction over all offenses committed while a state was a party to the Rome Statute. Even after withdrawing as a member, a state must still cooperate with the ICC, according to Article 127 of the Rome Statute: “A State shall not be discharged, by reason of its withdrawal, from the obligations arising from this Statute while it was a Party to the Statute, including any financial obligations which may have accrued. Its withdrawal shall not affect any cooperation with the Court in connection with criminal investigations and proceedings in relation to which the withdrawing State had a duty to cooperate and which were commenced prior to the date on which the withdrawal became effective, nor shall it prejudice in any way the continued consideration of any matter which was already under consideration by the Court prior to the date on which the withdrawal became effective.” VP Sara has cited her father’s
argument that the ICC lost jurisdiction over the Philippines upon the effectivity of the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute on March 17, 2019, which preceded the start of the ICC’s investigation in 2021. It’s BBM’s call. It’s not lost on anyone that the administration had a change of heart on the issue amid the run-ins between VP Sara and Marcos’ cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez. Rodrigo Duterte came to his daughter’s defense, with his harangues ostensibly directed at the Speaker. But manure upon hitting the fan tends to fly in all directions, with some of it landing on President Marcos. * * * Now look at what’s in the crosshairs of the House: Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), home of Duterte’s TV talk show and current bully pulpit against the House and its speaker. Apart from the threat of the TV station suffering the fate of ABS-CBN, SMNI founder Apollo Quiboloy could finally find himself handed over by the Philippine government to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which lists him among its most wanted persons for sex trafficking including of children, fraud, coercion and bulk smuggling.
SMNI has long been the subject of complaints from persons and groups tagged on its shows as communists or sympathizers. Yet the station drew the House attention only after an anchor made a comment indicating that the speaker had incurred P1.8 billion in travel expenses. The anchor has since apologized and admitted that the information – denied by the House – was unverified. Unlike the print medium, broadcast franchises are covered by stringent rules, and journalists are held by ethical standards to avoid licentious exercise of press freedom. Still, the issue has raised concern over threats to freedom of expression through the abuse of the House power to issue broadcasting franchises. SMNI critics, on the other hand, see the controversy as an opportunity, in our dysfunctional democracy, to promote the responsible exercise of freedom of expression, and perhaps to give justice to victims of sex trafficking. A similar opportunity for justice is being seen in the move to cooperate with the ICC. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
The trial of Rodrigo Duterte
Horizons
RichaRd heydaRian HENRY Kissinger recently passed away just months after turning 100. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to exchange views with him along with a select group of Asian thought leaders. Overall, I found him incredibly engaged and intellectually inquisitive. By all measures, he was one of the most consequential figures of the past century. Born in Bavaria as Heinz Alfred Kissinger to a Jewish family, he grew up under the shadow of the Nazi regime. To avert an impending doom, his family eventually moved to New York City. At least 13 of his close relatives, however, fell victim to the Holocaust. At the age of 22, Kissinger would return to his country of birth as part of a liberating force. But this was also when he confronted “one of the most horrifying experiences of [his] life.” While serving in the American 84th Infantry Division as an army sergeant,
he encountered the survivors of a Nazi concentration camp in Ahlem. There, a horrified Kissinger witnessed “the empty faces, the dead eyes” of those who managed to just cling to life after years of inexplicable suffering. Over the next quartercentury, Kissinger worked his way up the American imperial bureaucracy. Intellectually, he was driven by the experience of postNapoleonic Europe, when a coterie of shrewd and pragmatic diplomats—most notably Viscount Castlereagh and Metternich—engineered a new, relatively stable order for almost half a century in one of the world’s most war-stricken continents. Though fashioning himself as a paragon of realpolitik, the reality was that Kissinger was fundamentally an idealist, albeit a tragic one. He was a man who believed that America had a special mission in the world built on the ashes of World War II. As the Nixon administration’s chief diplomat, he effectively invented “shuttle diplomacy,”
when in the course of five weeks he negotiated peace between Israel and leading Arab neighbors in the mid1970s. At the same time, he also negotiated the foundations of a long-lasting détente between the United States and China, which would transform the world for the next half-century. He eventually won a Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic work, but his legacy was far from uncontroversial. In one of his most influential works, the legendary writer Christopher Hitchens laid down the ground for the possible prosecution of Kissinger for alleged war crimes—most notoriously America’s support for the violent overthrow of a progressive regime in Chile and carpet-bombing of Cambodia, which claimed the lives of at least 150,000 civilians. “Kissinger symbolizes the pornography of power,” Hitchens wrote in his literary indictment of the legendary diplomat for “deliberate mass killings of civilian populations in Indochina, collusion in mass murder and assassination in Bangladesh, the personal
planning of the murder of General Schneider in Chile, involvement in a plan to murder Archbishop Makarios in Cyprus and the incitement and enabling of genocide in East Timor.” Thus, Hitchens argued, “[i]n the name of innumerable victims, it is time for justice to take a hand.” Kissinger’s last hurrah was a visit to Beijing as a special guest of President Xi Jinping. Just days earlier, guess who was also in town to pay his respects to old patrons in China? Unlike Hitchens’ Kissinger, former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte may eventually have his day in court, or, rather, courts! After all, here is a man who was not only subpoenaed by a Manila court for publicly threatening a current member of the House of Representatives but may also face an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on allegations of mass atrocities. As trauma reporter Patricia Evangelista methodically exposes in “Some People Need Killing,” the longtime Davao mayor’s human rights record is singularly atrocious, with few
Former President Rodrigo Duterte
parallels in the post-colonial world. But here is also a man, who was atrociously subservient to a foreign bully, when our fishermen faced violence and death in the West Philippine Sea. Here is also a man who promised to make Marawi “beautiful again” in late 2017 after disastrously failing to prevent a ragtag terrorist takeover of the whole city, but left the city in ruins way until the end of his term in office—thus,
Inquirer.net photo
laying down the foundation for a future return of extremism under conditions of utmost desperation. Notwithstanding his cult-like popularity, justice may finally catch up with the Philippines’ most notorious, if not most incompetent, president. (Inquirer.net) *** 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.
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Marcos study of Philippines Bello asks SC to declare libel, cyberlibel laws void rejoining ICC backed by CeCille Suerte Felipe Philstar.com
MANILA — Five years after the country’s withdrawal during the previous administration, Sen. Francis Escudero supported the decision of President Marcos to thoroughly study calls for the Philippines
to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC). Escudero agreed with the president that the government should look into the matter to ensure the country will not be at a disadvantage just like in some treaties. “For me, what the president said is correct, that it should
be carefully studied, because we have entered into treaties where we are the ones who always pay and we are the ones who suffer,” he said in Filipino in a radio interview over the weekend. Escudero cited as an example the Philippines’ accession
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Marcos tests positive for COVID-19
teleconference,” she added. The Palace official said that updates on his health will be provided as available. “During this holiday season, President Marcos MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has tested positive for COVID-19, Malacañang encourages the public to take precautions to safeguard their health, such as vaccinating and confirmed on Tuesday, December 5. Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy voluntary mask-wearing when entering crowded Garafil said Marcos will be in isolation for five days, places,” Garafil said. This is the third time the president has contracted but he will continue to conduct online meetings. “The president remains fit to carry out his duties COVID-19. He last tested positive for the disease in and will be continuing his scheduled meetings via July 2020. His first bout with COVID-19 was in March 2020 during the height of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Tuesday said senators who were diagnosed with COVID-19 can virtually attend Senate sessions and committee hearings. Zubiri made the statement amid reports of soaring respiratory cases in the country, and after Sen. Cynthia Villar admitted that she contracted COVID last week. “Under our rules, we have suspended the online session to go back to face-to-face [sessions], however, we agreed to exempt members with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. COVID,” the Senate chief said. n by Catherine S. Valente ManilaTimes.net
Photo from Bongbong Marcos Official Page
Desperate families search for affordable... PAGE 4 “We have some folks who pay nothing.” The service is a godsend, families say. Parkinson’s disease and a stroke have left Dottie Fulmer’s boyfriend, Martyn Howse, mentally and physically
incapacitated, but he enjoys the sessions. “Respite Care Charleston has been a real key to his keeping going,” she said, “to both of us, quite frankly, continuing to survive.” (Reed Abelson/KFF Health News)
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces indepth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
House adopts reso condemning... PAGE 5 the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel last February; using water cannons toward Philippine resupply ships last August; and the blocking of a RORE mission which led to a collision between Chinese Coast Guard Ship (CCG) and a contracted Filipino resupply boat last October. “The Philippines should continue to assert and fight for its rights in the West Philippine Sea and uphold and implement its hard-earned victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague,
the Netherlands,” the resolution said. It stressed that the Philippine government must strengthen its ability to patrol and protect the country’s maritime zones by building a selfreliant defense posture program and upgrading the capabilities of the PCG. “In order to have a credible defense posture and a capable PCG, the government must boost the funds allocated to our armed troops and our civilian maritime patrol forces,” the resolution added. (PNA) n
MANILA — Erstwhile vicepresidential candidate Walden Bello on Tuesday, December 5 filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) asking the tribunal to void the country’s laws on criminal cyberlibel. In his petition, the 76-yearold sociologist who was arrested in August last year following libel charges filed against him by a former senior aide of Vice President Sara Duterte, asked the high court to declare Art. 353 to 355 on libel under the Revised Penal Code unconstitutional as well as Sec. 4(c)(4) of RA 10175 on cyberlibel. Bello claims that these laws are unconstitutional and in violation of the Bill of Rights . “(T)he growing number of libel and cyberlibel cases aimed at persecuting perceived enemies of the state and suppressing dissent against the government or the powers-thatbe necessitate a reexamination of the validity of these libel
statues,” Bello said in his petition. The libel charges against Bello before the Davao regional trial court (RTC Br. 10) are linked to statements he allegedly made during the election campaign about a reported drug raid on a beach party in Davao province that was attended by Duterte’s former aide, Jefry Tupas. Tupas later filed libel and cyberlibel charges against Bello. Elements of cyberlibel, based on Section 4(c)(4) of R.A. 10175, in relation to Articles 353 and 355 of the Revised Penal Code: a. There must be an imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance. b. The imputation must be made publicly, which requires that at least one other person must have seen the libelous post, in addition to the author and the person defamed or alluded to in the post.
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c. The imputation must be malicious, which means that the author of the libelous post made such a post with knowledge that it was false, or with reckless disregard as to the truth or falsity thereof. (Yuchengco vs. The Manila Chronicle Publishing Corporation, G.R. No. 184315, 25 November 2009.) d. The imputation must be directed at a natural or juridical person, or one who is dead, which requires that the post must identify the person defamed, or at the very least, the person defamed is identifiable by a third person. e. The imputation must tend to cause the dishonor, discredit or contempt of the person defamed. (Reyes, Luis B., Revised Penal Code, Fifteenth Edition, 2001, page 932.) f. The imputation was done through the use of a computer system or any other similar means which may be devised in the future. (Sec. 4(c)(4) of R.A. 10175). (PNA) n
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DECEMBER 8-14, 2023 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588
Marcos study of Philippines... PAGE 7 to Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental organization that was established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering. “It’s just like the FATF, we joined that and that’s why we’re the ones being blacklisted. Malaysia did not join, so no matter what they do, they will not be blacklisted,” he said. As of 2022, the FATF has
retained the Philippines in its “gray list,” citing its alleged failure to resolve “strategic inadequacies in countering money laundering, terrorist and proliferation financing.” “So this ICC should also be studied by the president. What will our country benefit from if we rejoin?” Escudero said. He expressed hope that should the chief executive finally let the country rejoin the ICC, the basis will be a product of a well-studied decision that
will benefit the country, and not certain political interests. “I hope it’s not political, I hope the reason for our re-entering the ICC is not personal. That should be explained thoroughly by the executive branch,” Escudero said. In the event of the country’s return to the ICC, Escudero said the Senate may either issue a concurrence or a resolution supporting the move of President Marcos. n
ANNOUNCEMENT / LEGAL SERVICES
ENOUGH SUPPLY. Supplies of poultry, livestock, and eggs are sufficient for the holidays, the Department of Agriculture 11 (Davao Region) assured on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The department, however, is expecting a slight increase in the prices of basic commodities as the holidays approach. PNA photos by Robinson Niñal Jr.
ANNOUNCEMENT / LEGAL SERVICES SD#0284
Advertisement for Bids Notice is hereby given that the San Diego Unified School District, acting by and through its governing board, will electronically receive bids for the furnishing of all labor, materials, transportation, equipment, and services for: KITCHEN MODIFICATIONS GROUP 1 A mandatory site visit is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023, in front of the main office of Angier Elementary School, 8450 Hurlbut Street, San Diego, CA 92123. Upon completion, all contractors will proceed to Jones Elementary School, 2751 Greyling Drive, San Diego, CA 92123. Upon completion, all contractors will proceed to Bay Park Elementary School, 2433 Denver Street, San Diego, CA 92110. Upon completion, all contractors will proceed to Alcott Elementary School, 4680 Hidalgo Avenue, San Diego, CA 92117. Upon completion, all contractors will proceed to Hawthorne Elementary School, 4750 Lehrer Drive, San Diego, CA 92117. Contractors and subcontractors must preregister with the District prior to attending the site walk at sandiegounified.org/sitewalks. The Bid and Contract Documents may be downloaded free of charge at the District’s online Planroom at sandiegousdplans.com. All bids must be received electronically at or before 1:00 p.m. on JANUARY 11, 2024. Firms interested in submitting a bid package must go to tinyurl.com/SDUSD-PlanetBids then search under “Bid Opportunities” for “Invitation number” CP24-0576-52-00-00 Kitchen Modifications Group 1. For new vendors, please register under “New Vendor Registration.” The project estimate is between $730,000 and $885,000. This is not a PSA project and does not require prequalification. The District requires that Bidders possess any of the following classification(s) of California State Contractors License(s), valid and in good standing, at the time of bid opening and contract award: B, or other appropriate license, subject to District approval. SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, George A. Harris III, Director, Fiscal Controls and Information Systems, Facilities Planning and Construction CP24-0576-52-00-00 CASE NUMBER: 37-2023-00046513-CU-PT-CTL
TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Mark Thomas Hafen filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: a. Mark Thomas Hafen to Mark Thomas Lewis. 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: 12/19/2023 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. 61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. 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, 06, 2023 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Michael T. Smyth Judge of the Superior Court AJ 1287 11/17, 11/24, 12/01, and 12/08/2023 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120) NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120). If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner. To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, drivers license, passport, and other identification, a certificate copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issues the legal document that need to be changed to determine if a certificate copy is required. A certified copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC230) may be obtained form the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for information on obtaining certified copies. If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions. If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions. A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date. Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court. AJSD 1287
CASE NUMBER: 37-2023-00051220-CU-PT-CTL
TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Eric Arredondo-Garcia filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: a. Eric Arredondo-Garcia to Eric Arredondo. 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: 01/16/2024 Time: 8:30 AM Dept. 61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. 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. 28, 2023 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Michael T. Smyth Judge of the Superior Court AJ 1297 12/01, 12/08, 12/15, and 12/22/2023 ATTACHMENT TO ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME (JC Form #NC-120) NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THE ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE. The Court will review the documents filed as of the date specified on the Order to Show Cause for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-120). If all requirements for a name change have been met as of the date specified, and no timely written objection has been received (required at least two court days before the date specified), the Petition for Change of Name (JC Form #NC-100) will be granted without a hearing. One certified copy of the Order Granting Petition will be mailed to the petitioner. To change a name on a legal document, including a birth certificate, social security card, drivers license, passport, and other identification, a certificate copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC-230) may be required. Contact the agency(ies) who issues the legal document that need to be changed to determine if a certificate copy is required. A certified copy of Decree Changing Name (JC Form #NC-130) or Decree Changing Name and Order Recognizing Change of Gender and for Issuance of New Birth Certificate (JC Form #NC230) may be obtained form the Civil Business Office for a fee. Petitioners who are seeking a change of name under the Safe at Home program may contact the assigned department for information on obtaining certified copies. If all the requirements have not been met as of the date specified, the Court will mail the petitioner a written order with further directions. If timely objection is filed, the Court will set a hearing date and contact the parties by mail with further directions. A RESPONDENT OBJECTING TO THE NAME CHANGE, MUST FILE A WRITTEN OBJECTION AT LEAST TWO COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) BEFORE THE DATE SPECIFIED. Do not come to court on the specified date. The court will notify the parties by mail of a future hearing date. Any Petition for the name change of a minor, that is signed by only one parent, must have this Attachment served along with the Petition and Order to Show Cause, on the other, non-signing parent, and proof of service must be filed with the Court. AJSD 1297
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9022246
SD#0285
Advertisement for Bids Notice is hereby given that the San Diego Unified School District, acting by and through its governing board, will electronically receive bids for the furnishing of all labor, materials, transportation, equipment, and services to:
FURNISH AND INSTALL PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM AT CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL A mandatory site visit is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2023, in front of the main office of Central Elementary School, 3878 Orange Avenue, San Diego, CA 92105. Contractors and subcontractors must preregister with the District prior to attending the site walk at sandiegounified.org/sitewalks. The Bid and Contract Documents may be downloaded free of charge at the District’s online Planroom at sandiegousdplans.com. All bids must be received electronically at or before 1:00 p.m. on FEBRUARY 2, 2024. Firms interested in submitting a bid package must go to tinyurl.com/ SDUSD-PlanetBids then search under “Bid Opportunities” for “Invitation number” CC240678-24-00-00 Furnish and Install Photovoltaic System at Central Elementary School. For new vendors, please register under “New Vendor Registration.” The project estimate is between $1.8M and $2M. This is a PSA project and does require prequalification. The District requires that Bidders possess any of the following classification(s) of California State Contractors License(s), valid and in good standing, at the time of bid opening and contract award: B, C-46, or other appropriate license, subject to District approval. SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, George A. Harris III, Director, Fiscal Controls and Information Systems, Facilities Planning and Construction CC24-0678-24-00-00
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9023214
Power Real Estate Group located at 2390 E Orangewood Ave #400, Anaheim, CA 92806. Registrant: Jose Samano, 2390 E Orangewood Ave #400, Anaheim, CA 92806. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 05/01/2021. Signature: Jose Samano. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 10/31/2023. AJ 1286 11/17, 11/24, 12/01, and 12/08/2023. AJSD 1286
a. Minh Ky Restaurant located at 4644 El Cajon Blvd #101, San Diego, CA 92115. b. Mi Minh Ky located at 4644 El Cajon Blvd #101, San Diego, CA 92115. Registrant: 3T Family Kitchen LLC, 11304 Treyburn Way, San Diego, CA 92131. This business is conducted by Limited Liability Company. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 10/01/2023. Signature: Thinh Phan. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/16/2023. AJ 1288 11/24, 12/01, 12/08, and 12/15/2023. AJSD 1288
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9022902
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9023492
Nandri Indian Cafe located at 108 E 8th St, National City, CA 91950. Registrant: a. Isaac Carl Amirian, 245 Woodlawn Ave Apt C3, Chula Vista, CA 91910. b. Angel Kagitha Aseervadam, 245 Woodlawn Ave Apt C3, Chula Vista, CA 91910. This business is conducted by Married Couple. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 11/09/2023. Signature: Isaac Carl Amirian. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/09/2023. AJ 1291 11/24, 12/01, 12/08, and 12/15/2023.
Willys Handyman Service located at 3122 E 19th St, National City, CA 91950. Registrant: Guillermo Osuna, 3122 E 19th St, National City, CA 91950. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Guillermo Osuna. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/21/2023. AJ 1292 11/24, 12/01, 12/08, and 12/15/2023.
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9023634
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9023208
AJSD 1291
AJSD 1292
Seoul Mobile Dent Repair located at 688-A Sea Vale St, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Registrant: Joseph Jiovanni Kim, 688-A Sea Vale St, Chula Vista, CA 91910. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Joseph Jiovanni Kim. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/22/2023. AJ 1295 12/01, 12/08, 12/15, and 12/22/2023
Villa Zosaneli located at 9381 West Lilac Road, Escondido, CA 92026. Registrant: Zosa Ranch, 9381 West Lilac Road, Escondido, CA 92026. This business is conducted by Corporation. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Noli Zosa. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/16/2023. AJ 1298 12/08, 12/15, 12/22, and 12/29/2023
AJSD 1295
AJSD 1298
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9023162
Unleashed Designz located at 1421 Felspar St #1, San Diego, CA 92109. Registrant: Lea Gambuti, 1421 Felspar St #1, San Diego, CA 92109. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 11/15/2023. Signature: Lea Gambuti. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/15/2023. AJ 1289 11/24, 12/01, 12/08, and 12/15/2023. AJSD 1289
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9023556
Nina International Beauty located at 1105 E Plaza Blvd Suite B, National City, CA 91950. Registrant: She’s International LLC,1105 E Plaza Blvd Suite B, National City, CA 91950. This business is conducted by Limited Liability Company. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 11/16/2023. Signature: Nina Garner. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/21/2023. AJ 1293 11/24, 12/01, 12/08, and 12/15/2023.
AJSD 1293
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9023676
a. East West Trading Company located at 8455 Westmore Rd #102, San Diego, CA 92126. b. The Happy Nest located at 8455 Westmore Rd #102, San Diego, CA 92126. c. Saca Food located at 8455 Westmore Rd #102, San Diego, CA 92126. Registrant: Andy Ngoc Tran, 8455 Westmore Rd #102, San Diego, CA 92126. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT FIRST BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME(S) AS OF 02/13/2019. Signature: Andy Ngoc Tran. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/27/2023. AJ 1296 12/01, 12/08, 12/15, and 12/22/2023. AJSD 1296
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9023124
Eloquence Of Jade located at 1640 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 206, San Diego, CA 92108. Registrant: Lynnel Gonzales-Azurin, 6593 Plaza Ridge Rd, San Diego, CA 921114. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Lynnel Gonzales-Azurin. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/15/2023. AJ 1290 11/24, 12/01, 12/08, and 12/15/2023
AJSD 1290
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2023-9023452
MonteMar Property Management located at 4269 Sleeping Indian Rd, Fallbrook, CA 92028. Registrant: Imelda P. Cunniff, 4269 Sleeping Indian Rd, Fallbrook, CA 92028. This business is conducted by Individual. REGISTRANT HAS NOT BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME. Signature Imelda P. Cunniff. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 11/20/2023. AJ 1294 11/24, 12/01, 12/08, and 12/15/2023
AJSD 1294
SAN DIEGO
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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 8-14, 2023
JOURNAL
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D EC E M B E R 8 , 2 0 23
TASTE OF HOME
Visual feast: Amira Humes’ vibrant Filipino mural unveiled in Brooklyn by MoMar G. Visaya / AJPress
FILIPINO-THEMED mural is on display in Williamsburg, Brooklyn until December 12 as a A part of a multi-faceted campaign staged by Knorr called “Taste of Home,” meant to celebrate the rich food culture of diverse communities in North America. Before earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, Filipino-American illustrator Amira Humes had illustrated her mom’s sinigang recipe for a project, resulting in the artwork being featured in a Filipino grocery store in Nevada and online. The mural, a collaboration with Knorr, prominently features the tamarind soup mix product as Amira wanted to connect it to her family and Filipino culture, showcasing her mom’s sinigang dish. The central figure in the mural represents Amira’s mom, surrounded by the ingredients of the dish and other cultural nods such as sampaguita flowers, malunggay, and a traditional bahay kubo. The vibrant colors and bold lines reflect Amira’s style and the joyful feelings associated with Filipino food, and in this particular case, sinigang – which Amira says “always brings that nice, warm, happy and fuzzy feeling.” A Knorr representative told the Asian Journal that 15 million packets of the Knorr Sinigang Mix were sold in the U.S. and Canada last year, roughly translated to more than 41,000 packets sold per day. Journey to Brooklyn Amira’s artistic journey stems from her multicultural background— her mom is from Cagayan, Philippines, and her dad a black American who worked as a chef. Encouraged by her dad’s culinary influence, Amira saw art in food, eventually incorporating Filipino flavors into her illustrations. “They were both supportive but in different ways. My mom saw that it could be a hobby and my dad as ‘Maybe you can make this into something.’ So when I decided to go to art college, my mom still had a little bit of reservation about it, I think she was worried if I was going to make it,” Amira shared. Despite initial concerns from her mom about pursuing art, Amira’s success and recognition in the field have shifted her mom’s perspective. Through food illustration, Amira authored “The Very Asian Guide to Filipino Food,” a book highlighting Filipino culture’s main foods and flavors. “I wanted to just show how kids can interact with it, how people who are unfamiliar, can get familiar with it, and show that it’s a very strong community of people who just want to share the food and the flavor and enjoy their time together,” she said. Growing up in Saginaw, Michigan, Amira felt a lack of knowledge and representation of the Filipino community. Despite her mom having friends and engaging in potlucks and church activities, the broader media landscape lacked visibility for her culture. As Amira matured, she observed older individuals bringing attention to their heritage through art projects and college initiatives. Inspired by these examples, she aspired to become a source of inspiration herself. “I wanted to be someone that
From left to right: Filipino-American Artist Amira Humes (second from left) created the mural inspired by her mom who used to cook sinigang for her. Joining her at the launch of the mural in Brooklyn were (from left) Lan Trieu (Head of Marketing, Nutrition & Ice Cream - International Portfolio), Steven Raga (New York State Assemblymember of New York’s 30th Assembly District), Partha Guha (Head of Nutrition and Ice Cream Business, Unilever International North America), Tanya Mu (Chinese Canadian artist) and Faith Cao (Vietnamese-American Artist).
can inspire somebody else and use my artwork as a platform to shine a light on us and let people know who we are,” she said. Amira envisioned utilizing her artwork as a platform to illuminate the Filipino community, fostering awareness, and understanding of the culture. She had all these in mind as she envisioned what the mural would look like. She described her emotions when she saw the larger-thanlife mural for the first as “insane” and “surreal” and that landing a gig with a company like Knorr meant so much. The mural, initially created digitally on a small iPad, holds sentimental value for Amira as it symbolizes the intersection of her artistic vision and Filipino representation in a city setting. For Amira, the mural is more than a personal journey; it is also a means to inspire and bring attention to Filipino culture and representation. Beyond highlighting the tamarind soup mix, Amira also wanted to highlight how it is connected to her and her family. From the bright happy colors, the yellow and the red and a little bit of blue, almost reminiscent of the Filipino flag in a subtle way to little elements of Filipino culture like sampaguita flowers, malunggay leaves, calamansi and the bahay kubo that Amira envisioned her mom would have grown up in. The collaboration with Knorr, a renowned company, left Amira feeling proud and overwhelmed. “It felt unbelievable,” she quipped. “When I got the email, I was like ‘Wow, they know who I am,’ and that little me from a small town in Michigan was able to create a piece of artwork
that gained attention from a company as big as Knorr and for them to say that they wanted me to create something for them, it made me feel like all of the hard work and the effort and the support that’s been behind me since the beginning wasn’t for nothing.” The selection of the phrase “Kain Tayo” for the mural was deliberate, serving as a maternal invitation to savor a meal. Additionally, “Kain Tayo” holds a cultural significance as a traditional Filipino expression extended to visitors during meals, symbolizing an open invitation to share in whatever is on the table. Taste of Home As a global food brand since 1838, Knorr has been a pantry staple for many Americans and Canadians in their countries of origin. Here in the United States and Canada markets, Knorr’s portfolio also includes the best-selling products from many parts of the world such as Knorr Mexican Mi Arroz, Knorr Chinese Chicken Broth Mix, Knorr Filipino Sinigang Soup mixes, and many more. A survey conducted by the company among 220 Asian Americans whose countries of origin are China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam revealed that 90% of Asian Americans consume food from their countries of origin every week. “Our ‘Taste of Home’ campaign is not just about bringing global flavors into American and Canadian homes,” said Partha Guha, Head of Nutrition Business, Unilever International North America. “It’s about honoring the authenticity and culinary
For its Taste of Home campaign, Knorr collaborated with Asian American artists such as Amira Humes and her fellow artists Tanya Mu (Chinese Canadian) and Faith Cao (Vietnamese-American).
traditions that define and unite us, and celebrating the stories, memories, and connections that our products inspire.” Knorr collaborated with emerging Vietnamese-American artist Faith Cao (@caoculator) and Humes (@creative.amira) to create large-scale murals in Denver and Brooklyn. Through these murals, the artists were able to share their unique stories of how Knorr has played a pivotal role in connecting them with their personal narratives, cultural backgrounds, and deeply ingrained traditions. The installations serve as a visual representation of the profound impact that authentic flavors can have on an individual’s life, inspiring them to share their art and stories with the world. In Amira Humes’ colorful mural in Brooklyn, we see more than just a painting. We see the story of the artist who initially illustrated her mom’s sinigang recipe and now, it is on a wall in Williamsburg. It’s a work of art that shows everyone a slice of Filipino culture, one that says, “This is who we are, and this is our tasty tradition.” As you look at the mural, you realize that it’s an invitation. It says, “Kain Tayo” which means “Let’s eat and come join us.” The mural is like a big table with Filipino stories and flavors for everyone; it’s a warm welcome to taste and see the joy of Filipino culture. n
Steven Raga, New York State Assemblymember of New York’s 30th Assembly District) with the mural’s Filipino American artist Amira Humes. Assembly Member Raga is the first Filipino American elected to public office in the state of New York.
Amira Humes sat down with the Asian Journal to discuss her inspiration behind the mural in Brooklyn. She is an illustrator originally from Saginaw, Michigan but now calls Milwaukee, Wisconsin home. Amira holds a BFA in illustration with a minor in communication design from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. Throughout her creative exploration, she has embraced her identity as a Black Filipino American and used her background to inform her work.
10 DECEMBER 8-14, 2023 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
FACE returns for 3rd annual toy drive with holiday festival tour
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588
Filipinos Advancing Creative Education expands annual toy drive to first-ever FACE Holiday Festival Tour, spreading holiday cheer in Filipino cultural districts across US
LOS ANGELES — Filipinos Advancing Creative Education (FACE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting the next generation of Filipino American creatives, honors cultural roots and aims to bring the Filipino holiday spirit to the United States. The Philippines has the longest Christmas celebration in the world, lasting from September to December, also known as the “BER Months,” to celebrate and spread the true spirit of Christmas. FACE Holiday Festival Tour aims to bring that very same essence of joy and giving throughout the country during the month of December. The first toy drive, held two years ago, was the HiFi Holiday Festival in Los Angeles and has since expanded its reach beyond the borders of Historic Filipinotown to two other cultural districts in San Jose and New York during the last holiday season. In its 3rd year, FACE continues to bring visibility to Filipino cultural districts across the country by adding an additional two more markets for a total of 5 cities for the FACE Holiday Festival Tour, sponsored by AmazonMusic, PrimeVideo, Amazon Studios, AEG, and Funko. “The Holiday Festival is one of our favorite annual community engagement programs we offer
to serve those less fortunate during the holiday season. It’s an opportunity for some of the many talented Filipinos in entertainment to donate their time and talent to connect with the community and inspire others. This year we’re so excited to take the event to the next level and really show what the holidays are about during the Tour. This our reason to celebrate the season,” said FACE Executive Director and founder Lyle del Mundo.
FACE embodies holiday cheer, spreading the love from coast to coast, partnering with sister nonprofits such as: Project Barkada, Rideback Rise, Three Treasures, Filipinotown of Seattle, and FACT SJ. Festival activities include live holiday performances, a holiday bazaar powered by local nonprofits for last minute shopping needs, complimentary haircuts for children, meal distribution sponsored by Seafood City, and toy distribution sponsored by
Funko and Toys 4 Tots. Some of the past participants include Simu Liu, Saweetie, Bretman Rock, Bella Poarch, Patrick Starrr, Josh Dela Cruz, Arianny Celeste, Mike Becker, Paris Berelc, Vincent Rodriguez III, Roshon Fegan, Eric Bauza, Ruby Ibarra, The Filharmonic, Kiana V, AJ & Alyssa Rafael, The Basco Family, Mond Guiterrez, Tiana Kocher, Jules Aurora, Travis Atreo, and many others. Tour Dates Little Manila Holiday Festival Sunday, December 10th 11am-7pm 133-38 32nd Ave., Queens, NY 11354 HiFi Holiday Festival Saturday, December 16th 9am-1pm 1660 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 Manila Mesa Holiday Festival Sunday, December 17th 12pm-4pm 9450 Candida St., San Diego, CA 92126 Pinoytown Holiday Festival Saturday, December 23rd 9am-1pm Filipino Community Center 635 N. 6th St., San Jose, CA 95112 For more information, please contact Lyle del Mundo lyle@ facefwd.org or follow the FACE IG @facefwdorg for updates.
Filipino-Canadian artist Jordan Fall
Photo from Instagram/@jordanfall
Fil-Canadian artist Jordan Fall unveils new single ‘Truss’
FOLLOWING the success of his summer hit “Connections,” Filipino-Canadian artist Jordan Fall is set to mesmerize audiences once again with his latest release, “Truss.” Produced by the talented Damian Birdseye, the single introduces a dark, smooth, and hypnotizing hybrid of dance and R&B. Directed by The 97, known for his work with artists like Chris Brown and NAV, the accompanying video enhances the immersive experience, bringing Fall’s narrative to life. As Fall effortlessly croons over the futuristic production, he touches on a flaming romantic connection entangled with trust issues and insecurity. This single marks a significant sonic shift for Fall, embracing a fusion of deep house, rap, and R&B influences that have shaped his musical journey. Drawing inspiration from Toronto’s iconic sound, as popularized by global sensations Drake and The Weeknd, Fall’s unique twist adds a fresh perspective to the city’s musical landscape. As listeners embark on this sonic journey, “Truss” serves as a tantalizing preview of Fall’s forthcoming project, scheduled for release next year. The artist invites fans to join him on this evolving musical exploration, promising an innovative blend of sounds that reflect his diverse influences. “Truss” is now available on all major streaming platforms, offering a glimpse into the exciting future of Fall’s musical evolution. (ManilaTimes.net) n
City of San Diego announces 60 artists creating projects to increase awareness of urgent issues
Far South/Border North grant program brings jobs and public awareness campaigns to San Diego, Imperial counties SAN DIEGO – This month, residents in San Diego and Imperial Counties will begin seeing 60 artists and cultural practitioners in their neighborhoods, creating projects that aim to engage and bring awareness to urgent issues shaping our region. Recently, the City of San Diego announced these artists and cultural practitioners are starting to implement their public awareness campaigns as part of the Far South/ Border North: Artists and Cultural Practitioners in Community grant program. The program, which was announced in August 2022, creates jobs for these regional artists and will focus on issues including public health, civic engagement, climate mitigation and social justice. The campaigns will target communities ranked in the lowest quartile of the California Healthy Places Index, which looks at social conditions that drive health, like education, job opportunities, clean air and water. “Far South Border North aligns beautifully with the goals of the City of San Diego’s strategic plan,” said Jonathon Glus, Director of the City’s Arts and Culture. “Many of our region’s most civically-engaged artists and culture bearers are now partnering with agencies working to address some of the city’s highest priorities – homelessness, environmental justice and community health – all anchored in our equity framework. Ultimately, this effort is empowering artists to lead change at the communitybased level.” For the past six months, the artists and cultural practitioners participated in peer learning and group activities to foster cross-industry connections and community-building while also focusing on developing campaign designs. Between Nov. 2023 and May 2024, the artists and cultural practitioners will carry out their projects using diverse artistic and creative forms, ranging from performing arts, visual arts and literature to music, film and media. “We’re thrilled to be moving into the next phase of Far South/ Border North with the launch of artist and cultural practitionerled campaigns,” said Christine
E. Jones, Chief of Civic Art Strategies for the city’s Arts and Culture. “These campaigns will help bring people together, shift perspectives, challenge assumptions and catalyze intersectional work by artists that fuel positivity and contribute to health equity and new ways of working that build capacity and connect to larger movements for systems change in the region.” Campaigns include a mobile healing arts studio that will visit Santa Ysabel and Julian to promote mental health and social interaction. Another project in City Heights combines storytelling with community practice to create a unique performance experience. In north San Diego County, public interventions seek to raise awareness and support individuals experiencing homelessness. A podcast series in Imperial Valley features interviews with local activists, community organizers and individuals affected by social justice issues. Another project in Imperial County includes a documentary that highlights the ecological concerns surrounding the Salton Sea, impacting nearby communities. Additionally, a joint campaign in San Ysidro will focus on recording and highlighting elders’ stories through multimedia. “Our communities need the freedom of self-expression that artists and cultural practitioners represent to truly thrive,” said Megan Thomas, president and CEO at Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties. “This initiative not only empowers artists with resources and learning, but it provides a blueprint for how an ecosystem of philanthropy, public organizations, nonprofits, and individual people can strengthen communities.” The Far South/Border North initiative is funded by a $4.75 million California Creative Corps grant provided by the California Arts Council (CAC), a state agency, and $1.4 million from The Conrad Prebys Foundation. The City of San Diego is spearheading the program while implementation partners for Far South/Border North include Catalyst of San Diego
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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 8-14, 2023
City of San Diego receives an ‘A’ rating for climate action efforts
Carbon Disclosure Project bestowed the honor to only 119 cities worldwide SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego recently received global recognition for its ongoing climate action and sustainability efforts. The nonprofit Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) reviewed input from 939 cities across the world this year, and granted A-list status to 119, including San Diego. This is the city’s third time making the list, and it’s first A rating. San Diego is in good company, alongside other visionary cities including Barcelona, Toronto and Buenos Aires. “This recognition is a tremendous honor for San Diego, which underlines the significant efforts our city has successfully moved forward to address the ongoing challenges of climate change,” said Alyssa Muto,
Director of the Sustainability and Mobility Department. “We could not have achieved this status without the cooperation of our partners throughout the city – both internally and externally – all working together to achieve our climate action goals.” According to the CDP, the Cities A List celebrates cities that, through transparency, strong leadership and bold action to tackle climate change, are recognized as global environmental leaders. To score an A rating cities must, among other things, fill out an extensive questionnaire from the CDP, have a citywide emissions inventory and a published climate action plan. This year’s improved score was made possible by a citywide approach
to implementation of the city’s Climate Action Plan, updated and adopted in 2022. The plan establishes a goal of net-zero emissions by 2035, committing San Diego to an accelerated trajectory for greenhouse gas reductions with increased opportunities for green jobs and innovation. Achieving net-zero emissions will improve the air we breathe, the communities we live in and our overall quality of life. The city’s proven reduction of greenhouse gases, plus focused efforts centered around climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation helped San Diego earn this coveted international rating among the world’s most forward-thinking and innovative cities. (City of San Diego Release) n
County’s first park in Alpine takes shape
THE County approved the environmental review documents for Alpine Community Park on Wednesday, December 6, clearing the way toward hiring a contractor to begin phase one of Alpine’s first county-managed Park. The Board of Supervisors also approved a four-way crossing to support pedestrian and bicyclist safety near the park’s entrance. The Board’s actions bring the county one step closer to realizing the park that gained traction in 2019 with the purchase of a 98acre parcel from Wright’s Field Partnership, LLC. Since then, County Parks teams have worked with the community to design a park that will offer a variety of recreational activities. The county’s Park & Recreation office hosted five community meetings from 2021 to 2023 to gather input into the design of the park. The community asked for access to nature, playgrounds, mountain biking and restrooms, which is part of the park design. The park will consist of 25 acres for organized activities and 73 acres will be open to the public and used as an open space nature preserve. Access to the park will be
Mayor Gloria announces ‘Mayor for a Day’ contest for San Diego students Third annual contest invites city’s K-12 students to submit essays about how they would make San Diego a better place as mayor
SAN DIEGO – Mayor Todd Gloria announced the launch of his third annual “Mayor for a Day” contest for City of San Diego K-12 students. The winner will get to shadow Mayor Todd Gloria and other city leaders for a day, plus have a special role at the State of the City address in January of 2024. Students are invited to write an essay or submit a video about how they would make San Diego a better place to live if they were Mayor. The selected winner will be invited to City Hall and given the opportunity to attend meetings and events with the mayor. They will also learn about other city departments and lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the State of the City address in January. The “Mayor for a Day” contest aims to foster and encourage leadership in young people living in San Diego. At age 10, Mayor Gloria was runner-up in a “Mayor for a Day” contest at
San Diego City Mayor Todd Gloria hopes that “Mayor for a Day” contest gets kids interested in a career in public service. File photo/www.sandiego.gov
the City of San Diego. Thirtytwo years later, he was sworn in as San Diego’s 37th Mayor. “My hope is that the
experience will help get kids interested in a career in public service,” said Mayor Gloria. “A contest like this helped get me interested in leadership at a young age, so I brought it back to help inspire San Diego’s next generation of civic leaders.” Mayor Gloria launched the “Mayor for a Day” contest in 2022. The winner in 2022 was Aiella Niles, a third-grade student from Mira Mesa who wrote an essay about the importance of picking up litter and keeping San Diego clean. The winner in 2023 was Emma Smith, a fifth-grade student from Tierrasanta who wrote an essay about how she wanted to learn how to help her neighbors in need, repair San Diego’s streets and clean up parks and beaches. The deadline to submit applications is midnight Dec. 15. Students can apply online at https://sandiego.seamlessdocs. com/f/mayorforaday2024. (City of San Diego Release) n
City of San Diego announces 60...
File photo/www.countynewscenter.com
along the northern part of South Grade Road next to the county property. The park was also designed to reduce noise, traffic, wildlife and safety risks and have a view with few obstructions. This was in response to community feedback from over a dozen stakeholder meetings with Alpine community groups. The park involves two phases of construction. Phase one is on the northern part of the park. Valued at $11.4 million, this construction will include utilities,
northern trail connections, playgrounds, off-leash dog area, equestrian staging area, picnic areas, community garden, park office and restrooms, sports courts and parking. The first phase of the Alpine Park construction will begin in Spring 2024 with completion expected in Winter 2025. The Alpine Community Planning Group voted to support the project on April 6, 2021. (Shauni Lyles/County of San Diego Communications Office) n
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PAGE 10 & Imperial Counties, San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition and the San Diego Foundation. The team also consists of five nonprofit social sector organizations functioning as social impact hubs. These organizations – Alliance San Diego, A Reason to Survive (ARTS), Casa Familiar, Imperial County Food Bank, and RISE San Diego – offer crucial support to artists and cultural practitioners throughout their creative process. The City of San Diego advances and drives an equitable and inclusive creative economy and cultural ecosystem by investing in the work of artists and creatives and the institutions and systems that amplify creative work and experiences. To learn more, visit sandiego.gov/arts-culture. (City of San Diego Release) n
12 DECEMBER 8-14, 2023 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (619) 474-0588