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DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 Serving San Diego Since 1987 • 16 Pages

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USA

DATELINE Melissa Ramoso appointed mayor pro tem of Artesia, CA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

A FILIPINA American community leader will serve as the mayor pro tem of Artesia, California for the coming year.  The Artesia City Council appointed Councilmember Melissa Ramoso as the city’s second-in-command during its virtual meeting on Monday, December 14, marking a series of firsts in the local leadership — as an Asian American and Pacific Islander and Filipina American woman and a millennial in the role.  Ramoso said she was “grateful and humbled” to be selected for the role by council colleagues.  “Being a Pinay in now an elevated position within my elected role means I need to make sure I am not the only one…I made

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California receives first batch of COVID-19 vaccines by Christina

M. Oriel

AJPress

AS California topped 1.6 million coronavirus cases this week, the state began to receive its first round of vaccines against COVID-19. Health care workers across the state were among the first to receive jabs of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as they have been fighting

the pandemic and pleading with the general public to stay home and follow public health protocols for the past nine months. About 82,000 San Diegans who work at acute health care settings will be the first to receive the vaccine, according to a report from the County of San Diego Communications Office on Wednesday, December 16. Seventy-two percent (72%) of the initial 28,000

doses will be allocated to the nearly 40,000 healthcare workers in acute care, psychiatric and correctional facility hospitals and which are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19. The second dose for initial recipients will be administered “when more of the Pfizer vaccine arrives in the region,” the report stated. After this group, additional doses coming into the

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Palace: PH won’t cooperate with ICC on drug war probe

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by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

Rachelle Arizmendi will serve another term as mayor of Sierra Madre, California. AJPress file photo by Ding Carreon

Rachelle Arizmendi to serve as Sierra Madre, CA mayor anew A FILIPINA American was sworn in at the beginning of December as the mayor of Sierra Madre, California. Rachelle Arizmendi, who has served on the City Council since 2014, is tasked with leading Sierra Madre in the top role for the next year after being appointed by fellow councilmembers.  “I am grateful for the support of the City Council and for the ongoing confidence of the voters in Sierra Madre. I look forward to continue representing the 11,000 residents of our Village of the Foothills,” said Arizmendi.

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List: What OFWs, non-OFWs must do prior to and upon arrival in PH MANILA, Philippines — Despite restrictions imposed in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the government is still expecting a huge number of arrivals this holiday season. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it has been preparing for the anticipated holiday rush with a reminder to returning overseas Filipinos that they have to follow processes before and upon arriving in the Philippine soil. Below are the procedures that all balikbayans should do prior to and at the time of

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COVID-19 VACCINE RECIPIENT IN SAN DIEGO.  Merope Duffin, an Emergency Department nurse at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego receives the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, December 16. “This vaccine means a lot. I know it may seem scary, but it’s for the benefit of everyone,” Duffin said, adding that the vaccine means seeing an end to the pandemic after a long and challenging year in the ER. Twitter photo (@KPSanDiego)

THE Philippines is under no obligation to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) should it launch a full-blown investigation into the war waged by President Rodrigo Duterte against illegal drugs, Malacañang said on Thursday, December 17. “When we withdrew our membership from the Rome Statute we also withdrew from the obligation to cooperate, so we are under no obligation to cooperate with the ICC,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque at a news conference. ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on Tuesday, December 15 released a report saying there is “reasonable basis to believe” that the Philippines committed crimes against humanity in its mission to eradicate its drug problem. The crimes, which took place between July 1, 2016

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Lorenzana: Ties between US and PH will not change THE relationship between the Philippines and the United States will stay the same under the administration of President-elect Joe Biden, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. In a Laging Handa public briefing on Friday, December 11, he maintained that the PH-U.S. ties would “generally be the same as always,” despite the possibility of “a few

changes.” However, Lorenzana said that he would have to wait for Biden to take office on Jan. 20, 2021 to know for sure “what his specific policies would be regarding their dealings with other countries, including the Philippines.” In the past, several national government

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Electoral College makes Joe Biden’s presidential win official DEMOCRAT Joe Biden is the next president of the United States after the Electoral College formalized his victory over President Donald Trump this week. Voting 306 to 232, the members of the Electoral College met on Monday, December 14, to cast their ballots. The votes will be sent to Congress to be counted formally during a joint session on January 6. Biden and his running mate, Vice President-elect Kamala VICTORY. U.S. President-elect Joseph R. Biden II and Vice President-elect Harris, will be inaugurated at Kamala Harris delivered victory speeches on Saturday night, November 7 noon on January 20, 2021.  at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware. They were joined by their “Our democracy — pushed, spouses, Dr. Jill Biden (right) and Douglas Emhoff (far left), who will be tested and threatened — proved the country’s first second gentleman. Photo courtesy of the Biden-Harris campaign

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Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

Philstar.com photo

Locsin: ‘Somebody dropped the ball’ on Pfizer vaccine deal by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

PHILIPPINE Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, December 15, said the country was supposed to receive 10 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as January, but a government official bungled the deal. In a series of tweets, Locsin shared that he and Philippine Ambassador to the United State

Jose “Babe” Romualdez facilitated a deal with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to secure Pfizer’s vaccine that has a 95% efficacy rate. The purchase was supposed to be financed by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. “That said my thanks just the same to US Sec of State Mike Pompeo we – Babe Romualdez and I – got 10 million doses of

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USA

High-poverty neighborhoods bear the brunt of COVID’s scourge

COVID-19 Disproportionately Affects the Poor COVID-19 infection rates are notably higher in communities with high poverty rates than in more affluent areas, according to an analysis of ZIP code and city data for California’s 12 most populous counties. Over the course of the pandemic, COVID-19 infections have battered high-poverty neighborhoods in California on a staggeringly different scale than more affluent areas, a trend that underscores the heightened risks for low-wage workers as the state endures a PUTO BUMBONG. A vendor takes out a freshly cooked puto bumbong at her stall at the Saint Joseph Parish in Las Pinas City on Wednesday deadly late-autumn surge. dawn, December 16 during the first day of Simbang Gabi. Puto Bumbong is a popular street food bought by churchgoers after Misa de Gallo. A California Healthline review PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan of local data from the state’s 12 most populous counties found that communities with relatively high poverty rates are experiencing confirmed COVID-19 infection rates two to three times versus that stale air of normalcy,” by next week. Pending approval PAGE 1 as high as rates in wealthier San Diego region will be used to Gov. Gavin Newsom said during from the Food and Drug Adminareas. By late November, the immunize healthcare workers in a press conference following the istration, the state could receive analysis found, about 49 of evacute healthcare settings, which vaccinations. “But nonetheless, 672,000 doses of the Moderna ery 1,000 residents in the state’s have been categorized into high as stated, we have to be sober vaccine by the end of December. poorest urban areas — defined risk, medium risk and low risk and mindful about the moment “We won’t be able to fully get as communities with poverty brackets. While each healthcare we are in, which is challenging the amount of doses to cover evrates higher than 30% — had system determines which per- and trying. Today, we received eryone until anywhere between tested positive for COVID-19. By sonnel gets the vaccine via Phase as many doses in the entire state next year in the spring even. We comparison, about 16 of every 1A-Tier1 guidelines, the Coun- of California as there were new still have some time where we 1,000 residents in comparatively ty, the report added, is still in cases.” have to go through this process affluent urban areas —commuthe process of determining how On Tuesday morning, Decem- and ask people to be patient and nities with poverty rates lower many people fall into this tier, ber 15, frontline health workers wear their mask,” Breed said in a than 10% — had tested positive. and how many San Diegans are at Zuckerberg San Francisco statement.  Epidemiologists say the findpart of Tiers 2 and 3. Vaccinate All 58 General Hospital were inocuings offer evidence of the outsize “Residents and employees of lated, becoming the first in San On Monday, Newsom also risk being shouldered by the skilled nursing facilities are also Francisco. The hospital received launched “Vaccinate All 58,” a millions of low-wage workers part of the first priority group. 2,000 doses this week.  campaign for safe, fair and equiwho live in those communities The majority will be vaccinated “This is a historic day for our table vaccine rollout in the state’s and do the jobs state and federal under federal contracts by staff city and, we hope, the start of a 58 counties.  officials have deemed essential from local CVS and Walgreens turning point in our response The vaccines will be adminin the pandemic. These are the pharmacies,” the report further to COVID-19,” Mayor London istered in phases by prioritizing grocery store clerks, gas station said. Breed said in a statement. “This groups according to risk and cashiers, home health aides, More information on the has been a really tough year, and level of exposure, with the initial warehouse packers, meat proCOVID-19 vaccine, vaccination this is good news for our city and doses going to essential health cessors, hospital janitors and phases and priority groups will for the fight against COVID.” care workers and those vulneramyriad other retail and service be shared by the County online The vaccination campaign ble in long-term care settings.  employees whose jobs keep the via https://www.sandiegocounty. comes as California reported With the shots as a remedy to rest of us comfortable, clothed gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/ 33,278 new cases and 77 addi- slow the spread of the pandemand fed. Those jobs cannot be phs/community_epidemiology/ tional deaths on Monday. The ic that persists across the state, done remotely. dc/2019-nCoV/vaccines.html. day after, another 32,326 cases Newsom conveyed that Califor“People are being forced to At Kaiser Permanente Medical and 142 deaths were reported. nians must remain cautious and go to work, possibly not able to Center in Los Angeles on Mon- To date, the state has1,723,362 continue to comply with public protect themselves adequateday morning, December 14, five confirmed infections and 21,860 health guidelines. ly,” said Dr. Christian Ramers, health care workers received the deaths. “There’s light at the end of the an infectious disease specialist vaccine in an event witnessed by The Golden State is slated tunnel and I am calling on all Calat Family Health Centers of San Newsom, state Health and Hu- to receive 327,000 doses of the ifornians to do our part to get us Diego. “If you are living payman Services Secretary Dr. Mark vaccine in the first batch, with through this – wear a mask, recheck to paycheck, it’s a very Ghaly, Los Angeles Mayor Eric 33,150 that arrived at four sites duce mixing, stay home, stop the hard decision for some people, Garcetti and LA County Supervi- across the state on Monday.  spread and save lives. Together if they feel OK, to not go to work sor Hilda Solis.  The governor added that Pfiz- we will get through this,” he said. or to even quarantine if they “It is a day where we can lay er plans to send an additional Southern California, San Joaknow that they were exposed, claim to the fresh air of progress, 393,900 vaccines to the state u PAGE 7 because they need to pay rent and they need to pay the bills.” To examine income and COVID infection rates, California Healthline obtained data showing the number of cases for each ZIP code in nine of the state’s 12 most populous counties: Alameda, Fresno, Kern, Orange, R iverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Clara. For three other counties that organize the data differently — Los Angeles, Contra Costa and San Bernardino — we obtained infection rates at the neighborhood and city level. We then cross-referenced those infection figures with U.S. census data showing poverty levels by community. Federal regulations set the poverty line for the 48 contiguous states at $26,200 in annual income for a family of four. Disparities Are Stark in California’s Largest Counties In California’s most populous counties, COVID infection rates have consistently been higher in areas with higher poverty levels. The analysis revealed a common pattern of COVID spread, in which neighborhoods within the same city, often just miles apart, had vastly different infection rates, with higher-poverty areas hit hardest. For example, in the 94621 ZIP code in southern Oakland, where nearly 30% of residents live below the poverty line, there were about 54 confirmed infections per 1,000 people as of late November. Several miles north, in the 94618 ZIP code — the Rockridge and Upper Rockridge neighborhoods, where about 5% of residents live below the poverty line — there were about four confirmed infections per 1,000 people as of late November. At Family Health Centers of San Diego, which operates dozens of primary care, dental and behavioral health clinics in San Diego County, more than 90% of patients qualify as low-income and nearly 30% don’t have insurance. Ramers said the recent surge in coronavirus cases has ripped through his patients’ communities at a quicker pace than in San Diego’s many affluent neighborhoods. “It’s southeast San Diego, it’s El Cajon and it’s all of the South Bay communities right by the [Mexican] border,” Ramers said. “They have the lowest socioeconomic status amongst other indicators, and that is exactly where we’re seeing the hardest-hit communities with COVID.”

California receives first batch of COVID-19...

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Note: Data as of Nov. 23. Data at ZIP code level for San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento, Fresno, Kern and San Francisco counties. Data at neighborhood level for Los Angeles County. Data at city level for Contra Costa and San Bernardino counties. Excludes ZIP codes, cities or neighborhoods with fewer than 5,000 people. Credit: Phillip Reese for California Healthline Source: County departments of public health

Notes: Data as of Nov. 23. Infection rates at the ZIP code level for all counties except Los Angeles and San Bernardino. Data at neighborhood and city level for Los Angeles County and at the city level for San Bernardino County. Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties are excluded from this chart because they do not have a large number of high-poverty areas. Credit: Phillip Reese for California Healthline Source: County departments of public health; U.S. Census Bureau

Notes: Based on poverty rates in San Diego County ZIP codes with over 20,000 people. Credit: Phillip Reese for California Healthline Source: San Diego Public Health Services | U.S. Census Bureau

Notes: Infection data as of Nov. 23. Excludes neighborhoods with fewer than 30,000 people. Credit: Phillip Reese for California Healthline Source: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; U.S. Census Bureau

A COVID Gap Between San Diego’s Wealthiest and Poorest More than 1 in 4 residents of San Diego’s 92113 and 92105 ZIP codes live in poverty. Fewer than 1 in 20 residents of San Diego’s 92131 and 92127 can say the same. Ramers said he recently treated a patient who works at a sandwich shop. She developed a fever and told her boss she had possible COVID symptoms. “He said, ‘No, you have to get to work,’” Ramers said. “I started asking about what kind of PPE [personal protective equipment] does she get? She is in a crowded kitchen making sandwiches for hundreds of people, probably, and I think she got one mask every couple of days.” Her employer ultimately gave her permission to miss work, but only after Ramers confirmed the COVID diagnosis and issued a formal doctor’s note saying she needed to stay home. Research indicates residents of low-income neighborhoods are curtailing outings and social gatherings as much as anyone else during the pandemic — with the key exception that, unlike many white-collar workers, they have to leave home to work. Jonathan Jay, assistant professor of community health sciences at Boston University, recently co-authored a study that used smartphone data to see whether people in low-income areas were maintaining physical distance as much as people in more affluent areas. “We didn’t find anything that would confirm the idea that lower-income people were unaware or unmotivated,” Jay said. “What we found was suggestive of their having the same level of awareness, the same level of motivation, and simply the only evidence we found to explain the difference in physical distancing was the work-related behaviors.” COVID Disparities Apparent in Los Angeles Areas with relatively high poverty rates in Los Angeles County have tended to see the highest rates of COVID-19 infection. Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco, noted that low-wage workers also tend to live in densely crowded households. In other words, she said, it is often hard to isolate yourself if you are poor. “If somebody has a positive test, I advise them that they should not be living with other people in their household; or, if they have to stay in the same household, that they separate to a separate room, a separate bathroom, ideally, and that peo-

ple wear masks in the house,” she said. “You can see that if their normal living environment is doubled up, tripled up, quadrupled up, that those strategies won’t work.” Bibbins-Domingo called on community and business leaders to embrace policies that ensure essential workers get paid time off if they contract COVID-19. Legislators at the federal and state level have passed laws intended to expand the ranks of employees guaranteed paid sick leave for COVID-19, but many small businesses are exempt. She said public agencies also should consider paying for hotel rooms so people who live in crowded households can quarantine. She praised California’s decision to tie COVID-related restrictions on activities in each county to a “health equity metric,” which ensures infection rates are low in all neighborhoods, not just wealthy ones. “What the failure has been is to recognize that poor communities always have higher transmission during a pandemic; that we sort of expect to happen,” she said. “Knowing that is going to happen, it’s the responsibility of policymakers to actually put protections in place, to help the communities with the least resources to address the needs in the pandemic.” Phillip Reese is a data reporting specialist and an assistant professor of journalism at California State University-Sacramento. Methodology Data for this article came from 12 county health departments and the U.S. Census Bureau’s five-year 2014-18 American Community Survey. The Census Bureau creates geographies called ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that are based on ZIP codes but may not exactly match ZIP code boundaries. For most counties, a ZIP code is the smallest geography available for infection data released online. Infection data was obtained from county websites on Nov. 23. All counties appear to update their ZIP code data frequently but some may lag more than others. When available, the analysis used confirmed infection rates and population data provided by counties; otherwise, census data was used to calculate infection rates. The analysis excluded ZIP codes, cities and neighborhoods with fewer than 5,000 residents. This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. (By Phillip Reese/KHN.org)

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 18-24, 2020

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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From The Front Page

Rachelle Arizmendi to serve as Sierra Madre... Locsin: ‘Somebody dropped the...

PAGE 1 t She was selected as mayor pro tem, the city’s second in command, in February, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.  Located at the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley and east of Pasadena, the Los Angeles County city has consistently ranked among the state’s safest cities.  Arizmendi vowed to continue carrying on her work from the last six years on the five-member council.  She also reassured the public that she will continue strengthening the financial health of Sierra Madre, supporting the progress in rebuilding the aging city infrastructure, sustaining the efforts in a strong public safety program, as well as preserving the character of the community.  Arizmendi was the first per-

son of color in Sierra Madre’s history to hold a council seat when she was elected in 2014. She served as mayor in 2017, becoming the first Asian American in the role, and was subsequently re-elected to office to serve another four-year term on the council in 2018. Before being elected, Arizmendi served on the city’s Community Services Commission for five years. “Running for office was not a consideration in my adult life. I simply became more involved in my community when my husband, dog, and I settled into our new home in a city where I knew no one. I thought joining the Community Services Commission would be a perfect place to meet new people and volunteer my talent. As I became more involved in the community, I was compelled to fight for the qualities of the

little village I fell in love with — that were possibly being challenged,” Arizmendi told the Asian Journal in a 2019 interview.  A California native, the Filipina American leader is the vice president and chief operating officer of the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE), a non-profit community development organization based in Los Angeles that serves over 40,000 people annually in the areas of job training and employment, business development and early childhood education, among others.  Her public service also includes serving as board president of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council and a member of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture after being appointed by former Governor Jerry Brown. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

List: What OFWs, non-OFWs must do... PAGE 1 t arrival at the airport: Register to E-CIF prior to departure from point of origin Passengers should fill up the E-CIF (Electronic Case Investigation Form), which is necessary when undergoing health protocols, ahead of the flight to the Philippines. According to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), this form is important “to minimize the spread of COVID-19 into the Philippines through our ports of entry, It also ensures that anyone arriving into the country will be tested for COVID-19.” At best, PRC suggests accomplishing the E-CIF at least three days prior to arrival in the country. Those who fail to fill out the form will be barred from passing through the immigration, it noted. The form for arriving Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) is available on the PRC website. DOTr Undersecretary Raul del Rosario said in an online forum on Wednesday that seabased OFWs can sign up for E-CIF by the First Aide Laboratory (https://ecif.firstaide. ph/#/). Non-OFWs, on the other hand, can get the E-CIF provided by Philippine Airlines (PAL). Thermal scan and declaration forms upon arrival PAL said arriving passengers shall undergo a temperature check and will also be asked to submit their Health Declaration Form upon deplaning or before proceeding to the designated waiting area. Segregation of passengers and briefing Del Rosario explained that once passengers enter the holding area, they will be segregated and briefed about the next steps they have to follow. “Hihiwa-hiwalayin natin ang land-based, sea-based, at ang mga non-OFW,” he said. (We will segregate them according to land-based, seabased, or non-OFWs.) Passenger information verification and swab testing According to Del Rosario, before going through the RT-PCR (Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test, passengers should first verify their complete information. “Ito po ay napaka-halaga para ma-check mabuti ang mga contact number at email addresses and mahahalagang information,” the DOTr official

The Philippine government has issued precautionary measures, mandatory protocols, and requirements for travelers arriving in Manila. File photo from DFA

said. (This is a very crucial step to thoroughly check the passengers’ contact numbers, email addresses, and other important information.) “Kung magkakamali tayo ng nakuhang information ng mga pasahero natin, magkakamali rin ang pagpapadala ng mga result nila at pakikipag-ugnayan sa kanila,” he added. (If we make an error in collecting their information, we will also have problems in delivering their RT-PCR test result.) Thereafter, passengers can proceed to have their swab test done. Bureau of Immigration counter Before getting their baggage, PAL said passengers will pass through the Bureau of Immigration counter to submit their Arrival Cards. Help desks All arriving passengers also need to go to the stationed help desks to receive additional information regarding the mandatory 14-day quarantine procedure that they have to comply. “Bago sila lumabas sa airport, dadaan sila sa mga help desk na nasa airport mismo. Dito po sila binibigyan ng mga kani-kanilang mga quarantine facility assignment,” said Del Rosario. (Before leaving the airport, they need to stop by the help desks inside the airport. There, they will be assigned with their own quarantine facility assignment.) Help desks of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will assist landbased passengers while the Maritime Industry Authority

will assist sea-based passengers. The Department of Tourism will handle non-OFWs. Transport to quarantine facility After all procedures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport are accomplished, OFW and non-OFW passengers will subsequently be transported to their assigned quarantine facilities via chartered transport facilities. Del Rosario said that only OWWA buses, taxis with accreditation from the Manila International Airport Authority, and authorized hotel shuttles can fetch passengers from the airport and drop them at quarantine areas. Release of RT-PCR test results and quarantine certificate Del Rosario noted that the passengers will receive their RT-PCR test results within 24 to 48 hours. “We can guarantee based on our past experiences na walang lumalabas na 48 hours sa ating turnaround time,” he said. (We can guarantee based on our experience that our turnaround time will not exceed 48 hours.) The quarantine certificate, meanwhile, given to passengers who has completed the 14-day quarantine. Travel to final destination Cleared OFWs and non-OFWs can finally go home or reach their destination through chartered flights and busses by OWWA. The free transportation service is part of the government’s Balik Probinsya Program. (By Cristina Eloisa Baclig/Inquirer. net)

PAGE 1 t Pfizer financed by World Bank and ADB to be shipped thru FEDEX to Clark in January. But somebody dropped the ball,” Locsin tweeted. The foreign chief also maintained that the Philippines was not slow to act, in response to former poll commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal’s tweet noting that the country “missed the bus.” “No. We did not miss the bus because we were slow to act. Babe and I were fast. Offers poured in. But there are none so slow as those who never had the intention to catch the bus,” said Locsin. Romualdez, meanwhile, clarified that the vaccine deal was not scrapped, only pushed back. “Only pushed back to later date of delivery possibly June next year because we did (not) act quick enough on the CDA (Confidential Disclosure Agreement). Other countries got ahead of us like Singapore,” he told CNN Philippines in a text message. “We are ‘work in progress’ with Pfizer & Moderna for supply of vaccines. If we commit soon, we can possibly get delivery by mid next year,” he added. Neither officials disclosed the name of the person responsible for the missed Pfizer vaccine purchase. Malacañang was also left in the dark on who Locsin’s referring to in his controversial tweets. “No. I have no idea who dropped the ball,” admitted presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in a press briefing. However, he insisted that the

government did its part in attempting to secure the vaccines for the country. “Malinaw na malinaw po na no less than our Secretary of Foreign Affairs negotiated with his counterpart in the U.S., Secretary Pompeo, para tayo po ay magkaroon ng supply ng Pfizer. So, hindi naman po tayo nagkulang diyan at mayroon talaga pong kasunduan na bibigyan tayo ng Pfizer (It’s very clear that no less than our Secretary of Foreign Affairs negotiated with his counterpart in the US, Secretary Pompeo, so we could have Pfizer’s supply. So, we weren’t lacking and there was an agreement that Pfizer would supply us),” Roque said. Lacson: It’s a Cabinet member Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, December 16 gave hints on who wasted Locsin and Romualdez’s efforts. “Cabinet syempre (of course). Captain ball at that,” he told Inquirer.net. “You can figure that out. He’s the captain ball. He keeps dropping the ball but he stays in the game. The coach refuses to replace him,” he added. Lacson shared that he had an SMS exchange with Romualdez and the envoy told him who the individual in question was. The senator also urged Locsin not to pass the ball to the Cabinet member when he arranges a deal again. “I wish you and Babes good luck in your next effort to intercept the ball,” Locsin said in a tweet. “Next time, don’t pass it to that doggone...teammate of yours. He keeps dropping the

ball. Our people need those vaccines,” he added. Ongoing negotiations Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, for his part, denied that someone mishandled the deal with Pfizer. “First of all, there is no such thing as dropping the ball. The negotiations are ongoing,” he insisted. Duque also said that he signed a CDA with the American vaccine developer in October. “Tuloy-tuloy lang kami sa mga reviews nung mga conditionalities/provisions and I just wanted to make sure na hindi onerous or disadvantageous to government yung mga provisions (We are just continuously going through the reviews of conditionalities/provisions and I just wanted to make sure that the provisions aren’t onerous or disadvantageous to government),” he said. “Our vaccine czar also signed a CDA with Pfizer last November. So, he would be in the best position to tell you or us at what stage that the negotiations we are in,” he added.  Earlier this year, Duque received flak for failing to immediately issue a directive stopping Chinese travelers from entering the Philippines after COVID-19 broke out in Wuhan in December last year.  He also received criticisms for failing to solve the corruption issue in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth). Several senators signed a resolution urging Duque to resign as Health, but President Rodrigo Duterte said Duque continues to enjoy his trust and confidence.

Lorenzana: Ties between US and... PAGE 1 t officials have insisted that the bilateral relations between the two countries will not see any change no matter who won the U.S. presidential election. “We trust that with close ties between the Philippines and the U.S., we will continue and even see better relations under President (Rodrigo) Duterte and President-elect Biden,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in November. Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez likewise echoed the sentiment. “The alliance between our two countries remains very strong and it doesn’t matter who the president of either country is,” he said on Nov. 17, as previously reported by the Asian Journal, “We feel that this relationship is so strong that it has withstood many wars and many conflicts

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana Philstar.com file photo

in the past worldwide, and perhaps even some issues we may not agree on, but at the end of the day, because of our special relationship, it has endured,” he added. Lorenzana also maintained that the defense articles that the Philippines received from the

U.S. has nothing to do with U.S. President Donald Trump’s departure from the White House. According to the defense chief, the military hardware “have long been programmed,” but only arrived this December.  The Philippines received $18 million worth of precision guided munitions and other weapons systems for use by the military when U.S. national security adviser Robert O’Brien visited the country on November 23. The country also attained a ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial System for the Philippine Navy, as well as P1.4 billion ($29.3 million) worth of defense articles, including sniper and anti-IED equipment, when U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett and Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller visited on separate occasions. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

Palace: PH won’t cooperate with ICC... PAGE 1 t and March 16, 2019, included murder, torture, infliction of serious physical injury and mental harm. “The office is satisfied that information available provides a reasonable basis to believe that the crimes against humanity of murder, torture, and the infliction of serious physical injury and mental harm as other inhumane acts were committed on the territory of the Philippines between at least July 1, 2016 and March 16, 2019 in connection to the WoD (war on drugs) campaign launched throughout the country,” she said in her report. The preliminary report focused on allegations that President Rodrigo Duterte and law enforcement officials “actively promoted

and encouraged the killing of suspected or purported drug users or dealers.” However, Bensouda said she has not yet decided whether she will move the phase to a formal investigation, attributing the delay to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  “The Office anticipates reaching a decision on whether to seek authorisation to open an investigation into the situation in the Philippines in the first half of 2021,” she said. Based on government data, a total of 5,903 suspects have been killed in anti-drug operations. Local and international rights advocates, on the other hand, argue that as many as 27,000 people have died in extrajudicial killings.

Limited investigations Bensouda, in her report, noted the “limited number of investigations and prosecutions” in the country. This is despite the creation of an inter-agency drug war panel by the Philippine Department of Justice in June. The panel was tasked to reinvestigate the more than 5,000 people killed in police operations. However, the DOJ missed its deadline to submit its report in November. “Open-source information indicates that a limited number of investigations and prosecutions have been initiated (and, in some cases, completed) at the national level in respect of direct perpetrators of certain criminal con-

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Dateline Philippines

Duterte certifies as urgent Electoral College makes Joe... overseas Filipinos dept bill by Javier Joe Ismael ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent the newest version of a bill providing for the creation of a Department of Overseas Filipinos (DOFil), the measure’s main proponent, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, said on Thursday, December 17. “I’d like to hurry up Congress in this. One of my proposals during the campaign period was the creation of Overseas Filipinos [department],” Duterte said during “Talk to the People” address on Wednesday night. Go, a former top aide of Dute-

rte, thanked the President for heeding the calls of overseas Filipinos and their families by certifying the measure as urgent and emphasized that the proposed department would ensure an efficient and more responsive government services to them. Go then urged his colleagues in the Senate to heed the call of the President and the millions of overseas Filipinos by immediately acting on the passage of the measure and continue the committee deliberations to see how the chamber can reach a viable solution. The Senate goes into Christmas recess today, Thursday, and will resume regular session on January 18.

Go filed on Monday, December 14, the third version of the bill which provides for the creation of the proposed DOFil which, he said was “the result of a series of consultations and meetings among the Executive agencies”, particularly those which would be affected by the restructuring as a result of the measure. As with its previous versions, Senate Bill 1949, also known as the “Department of Overseas Filipinos Act of 2020,” provides for the creation of the DOFil, defines its powers and functions, and rationalizes the organization and functions of government agencies related to overseas employment and migration.

Melissa Ramoso appointed mayor pro... PAGE 1 t sure that my family and my nieces and nephews were watching because I want them to know to dream big. A title is one thing, but what you do with it is another,” Ramoso told the Asian Journal in an email.  She will serve alongside Mayor Rene J. Trevino for a one-year term.  Artesia — a city in southeast Los Angeles County neighboring Cerritos and Norwalk — has a population of 16,758, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. About 17.9% of the population is of Filipino descent.  Among the current priorities the City Council will be faced with is managing the local response and economic impact of the ongoing pandemic.  Earlier this year, Ramoso initiated the council’s efforts to place moratoriums on rent and mortgage payments and an ordinance against price gouging.  “I plan on continuing my advocacy for the safety and well-being of our residents. To my knowledge, there have been no closures of small businesses in my city during this pandemic. I would like to keep it that way and have asked that any monies that we receive should be allocated back to our business-

Artesia Councilmember Melissa Ramoso was selected to serve as the city’s mayor pro tem during a virtual City Council meeting on Monday, December 14. Contributed photo

es. We have had no lay-offs of employees as well, so ensuring we have a balanced budget and finding ways to receive more revenue is at the top of my list,” Ramoso added.  Ramoso was elected to the council for a four-year term in 2018, becoming the city’s youngest councilmember. She had been the only woman serving on the council at the time until Monica Manalo was elected to the vacant seat this past November and was subsequently sworn in during Monday’s council meeting.  Prior to Ramoso’s election, FilAm Victor Manalo had served on the city council since 2007. He

ran for re-election in 2018, but failed to make it to the top three. Born in neighboring Downey, Ramoso has been a long-time Artesia resident and received her education from the ABC Unified School District’s Richard Gahr High School before going to the University of California, Irvine.  In a previous interview with the Asian Journal, the Pinay credited her family, who migrated from the Philippines, for her career in public service. Her late grandfather was a World War II veteran, while her mother is a retired registered nurse, and father a U.S. Army veteran and retired postal worker.  Outside of Artesia, Ramoso works as the district director to Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, who represents the state’s 66th assembly district, and serves as the state chair for the California Democratic Party’s Asian Pacific Islander Caucus.  While in-person events are shelved for now, Ramoso reminded constituents about her open-door policy.  “I plan to launch virtual coffees, ask that the city do virtual townhalls as well and continue to utilize social media. I have always stated my door is always open and have been accessible to all,” Ramoso said. (Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)

PAGE 1 t to be resilient, true, and strong,” Biden declared in a speech after the Electoral College formally confirmed his victory. He also condemned Trump’s accusations of a widespread voter fraud in the election, as well as his attempts to overturn the results. Trump, despite his clear loss during the November 3 election, continued to claim he was the real winner. His allies and supporters, meanwhile, filed lawsuits in several key states. “This legal maneuver was an effort by elected officials and one group of states to try to get the Supreme Court to wipe out the votes of more than 20 million Americans in other states and to hand the presidency to a candidate who lost the Electoral College, lost the popular vote and lost each and every one of the states whose votes they were trying to reverse,” Biden

pointed out. “It’s a position so extreme we’ve never seen it before. A position that refused to respect the will of the people, refused to respect the rule of law, and refused to honor our constitution,” he added. The U.S. Supreme Court, for its part, rejected the Republican appeal on Friday. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Biden for the first time after the Electoral College “has spoken.” “Many of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result,” McConnell said in a statement. “But our system of government has the processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20. The Electoral College has spoken.” He also congratulated Harris, saying “all Americans can take pride that our nation has a female vice president-elect for the

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very first time.” Biden further declared that “it’s time to turn the page.” “In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed,” he said. He added, “We the people voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact. And so, now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal.” Biden also brought focus to the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, recognizing there is “urgent work” ahead.  “Getting the pandemic under control to getting the nation vaccinated against this virus. Delivering immediate economic help so badly needed by so many Americans who are hurting today —  and then building our economy back better than it ever was,” the President-elect added. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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Opinion

The gift of health

Features Philstar.com photo

AS people plan holiday celebrations in the time of COVID, the World Health Organization is urging everyone to consider giving the most precious Christmas present in this pandemic: the gift of health. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued the reminder as people prepare to celebrate the most joyous event in Christendom, shopping for gifts and readying special meals for holiday get-togethers. Over the past weeks, Tedros reminded everyone, there has been a 60 percent increase in COVID cases worldwide. Even as countries begin rolling out the first vaccine against COVID, the pathogen continues its rampage across the globe, as virulent and deadly as ever. As COVID vaccination with the Pfizer shots got underway in the United Kingdom last week, the United States registered a record high number of deaths in a single day, with 3,124 Americans succumbing to COVID on Dec. 9. In the Philippines, experts are worried that the slowdown in COVID transmission in recent weeks could be reversed during the holidays, with cases already beginning to rise in the past days. Officials have urged people to temper Christmas and New

Year’s Eve celebrations, limiting family gatherings and observing health safety protocols while shopping for the holidays. Even the use of torotot or horn noisemakers is being discouraged during the New Year’s revelry. In recent days, shopping has been particularly problematic for enforcers of health protocols, as consumers crowd outdoor public markets. As people prepare to celebrate Christmas in this year of tragedy, it would be useful to heed the reminder from the WHO director general: “The festive season is a time to relax and celebrate but... celebration can very quickly turn to sadness if we fail to take the right precautions. As you prepare to celebrate over the coming weeks, please, please consider your plans carefully. If you live in an area with high transmission, please take every precaution to keep yourselves and others safe. That could be the best gift you could give – the gift of health.” (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Change is coming: Joe Biden is officially elected 46th US president with VP Kamala Harris

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel Santos-Relos FOLLOWING the rule of law as set forth by the Constitution, January 20, 2021 marks a new chapter in the history of the United States when President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in to lead the nation in building back better from the rubbles and ashes of the Trump presidency. The American people have spoken. Joe Biden won during the November 3 presidential elections, garnering the greatest number of popular votes in the history with 81,283,495 votes compared to outgoing President Donald Trump’s 74,223,753 — a solid 7,059,472 margin of victory. The Electoral College has spoken. Pursuant to election laws, Biden won the majority vote, surpassing the 270 electoral vote threshold, garnering 306 electoral votes or 51.4%, versus Trump’s 232, or 46.9%. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have certified the

election results, upon which the electors cast their votes and handed Biden the victory. Trump has desperately tried to hold onto power with all his brazen evil attempts to overturn the election results and trash the will of the American people with his baseless claims of massive election fraud and conspiracy theories that Biden and the Democrats — and basically the whole infrastructure of our democratic institutions and processes — stole the votes and the presidency from him.  But, the rule of law will and shall prevail. Biden won. Trump lost. The Judiciary has spoken. The Supreme Court and 86 judges, appointed and elected by Republicans and Democrats alike, ruled against Trump’s and his cohorts’ efforts to overturn the results of the election.  The Legislature has spoken. Our representatives in Congress have affirmed the will of the people. The day after the election and with Biden

already leading significantly, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote, “Joe Biden’s election will be historic, propelled by the votes of a record-shattering 70 million Americans—the most votes ever received by a presidential ticket in American history.” And she was right.  Meanwhile, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Joe Biden on Tuesday, December 15, saying, ”I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden. Many of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result, but our system of government has the processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20. The Electoral College has spoken.”  McConnell called Biden someone “who has devoted himself to public service for many years.” He also congratulated Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, saying “all Americans can take pride that our nation has a female vice president-elect for the very first

Trump’s plan A, B, C... and D?  Street Talk Greg B. Macabenta THE United States Supreme Court has twice denied the desperate efforts of Donald Trump to overturn the election of Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president, respectively.  Even before the elections, Trump had warned, without any basis, that the only way he could lose to Biden was if the Democrats cheated.  Thus, when the poll numbers in the battleground states trended inexorably in Biden’s favor, Trump began repeating the lie that he had been planting in the minds of his fanatic supporters. He was cheated. Dinaya! Despite the results of the popular vote and the electoral votes that gave the Biden-Harris team a clear victory, Trump continued to insist that he had won and would serve a second term. Trump was clearly in denial!  Trump then mustered a battery of lawyers, led by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, to file a flood of lawsuits in the courts of the battleground states to invalidate the results. Except

for two or three minor instances where the courts sided with the Trump legal team, over 40 dismissals and denials were slapped on Trump’s efforts to overturn Biden’s victory. But that may only have been Plan A. Giuliani revealed that the court filings were merely intended as leverage for a subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court. That, in effect, was Plan B. A few days ago, the High Court unanimously denied a Republican petition to invalidate the results of the Pennsylvania election. Inexplicably, Trump and his allies led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed another suit with the Supreme Court to invalidate the elections in three other battleground states of Michigan, Georgia, and Wisconsin in addition to Pennsylvania. It seemed to be a “long shot.” Texas had no business questioning the way the elections in the other states were conducted. Trump had made it known that he was counting on his three appointees to the High Court to support his protest. He had gone on network TV calling on the Justices to “have the courage” to rule in his favor. The Justices did display their courage — they decided against Trump. Much earlier, Attorney General Bill Barr also declared that he saw nothing in

the election that could warrant overturning Biden’s victory. Until then, Barr had been accused by detractors of acting more like Trump’s personal lawyer than the head of the Department of Justice. But the Supreme Court has sent Trump’s hopes crashing a second time. Denied!!! Was this the final nail on the coffin that buries Trump’s presidential fantasy? Not quite. Those who know how Trump’s mind works, are not underestimating his talent for translating a loss into a win. A LegalZoom article published on November 24, 2020 by Monica Sanders had the intriguing headline, “How Does Trump Repeatedly File For Bankruptcy And Still Stay On Top?” The article relates how he filed for several bankruptcies for his casinos, thereby avoiding his financial obligations, but how he arranged to retain control of the businesses, along with a fat salary. The bankruptcies were, in effect, a win-win for Trump. During the presidential campaign, Trump was asked about the bankruptcies, a fact that would ordinarily cast a cloud on his purported genius as a businessman. Trump gloated that he took advantage of what the laws of the land allowed, in order to stay ahead. While working on Plan A and Plan B, Trump has apparently

time.” The transition of executive power from the outgoing to the incoming administration has always been procedural and ceremonial, until Trump came along. Sadly those who value their own political survival chose to ignore the rule of law and the Constitution and instead vowed their adoring loyalty to Trump. Trump himself continues to urge his blind followers to continue fighting for him, spewing even more toxic lies, and milking his fans with money he needs for his legal woes and campaign debts.  While McConnell’s acknowledgment of Biden’s victory gave other Republicans the impetus to abandon the sinking Trump ship and support the incoming administration, others remain Trump fanatics despite all the challenges we are facing as a nation. Hence, the move of Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J), who has been outspoken against Republicans back-

ing Trump’s baseless allegations of voter fraud.  As USA Today reported, “Pascrell authored a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren arguing the 126 House Republicans who signed on to support a lawsuit, which asks the Supreme Court to invalidate election decisions in several key states in hopes of overturning Biden’s win over Trump, were attempting to ‘demolish democracy’ and steal the election.” The New Jersey Representative cited provisions in the Constitution outlining “that a person cannot serve in Congress if they have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against” the Constitution or the country and asks the leaders to ‘evaluate steps you can take’ in holding Republicans accountable.” Indeed, the chaos we are facing, the division and misplaced priorities can be linked to these government officials’ derelic-

tion of their oath to abide by and defend the Constitution and the American people. Their loyalty must be to the country and not the party nor Trump. On top of the list is no less than Trump himself, enemy No. 1 of democracy, the nation and the American people. Making them accountable will deter another Trump and his minions. This is our sacred duty as citizens of the United States of America. ***

already been activating Plan C. You see, by repeating the lie that the presidency was stolen from him, Trump intends to keep his voter base agitated and motivated all the way up to 2024 if he decides to run again for the presidency. At the same time, Trump will retain his stranglehold on the Republican Party. By means of his loyal voter base, Trump has succeeded in intimidating GOP leaders who are concerned about their political careers. Although many have privately expressed disdain for Trump’s ways, they don’t dare to admit it publicly. The “long shot” suit filed by Paxton may not have been as frivolous as one might think — neither was the support of 126 Republican legislators for the apparently baseless and hopeless Supreme Court filing. Paxton is currently under investigation by the FBI for allegations he abused his office to benefit a wealthy donor — a problem Trump could eliminate with a presidential pardon. On the other hand, GOP legislators may have simply been trying to remain in Trump’s good graces by reassuring Trump that they have his back. Since his loss to Biden, Trump has managed to raise over $207 million in contributions from supporters, ostensibly to cover his legal expenses. In fact, only a small portion of that amount has so far gone to legal costs. It is suspected that the rest — plus future contributions — will go to a political ac-

tion committee to fund a 2024 campaign. Trump’s enemies may be waiting to unleash criminal and civil cases against him, once he leaves the White House. While he has begun to wield his pardoning power to buy loyalty — he is reportedly planning to also pardon himself — this authority only covers federal crimes, and not indictments slapped on him by States like New York. The Southern District of New York is reportedly waiting to charge him for a number of violations of state law. That could mean a prison term for Trump. But would that disqualify him from running for president? Not at all. The U.S. Constitution allows convicted felons, even those behind bars, to run for public office. The 50 states have different laws governing those who can vote, but with respect to running for president, one only needs to be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and must have resided in the U.S. for 14 years. But can Trump win, even as a convicted felon? The odds would weigh heavily against him, of course. But no one can ever underestimate the loyalty of Trump’s voter base. Remember how he bragged that he could shoot someone in the middle of Manhattan and not lose a single vote? The 73 million Americans who voted for Trump could be persuaded to rally to his cause if he succeeds in portraying

himself as the victim of injustice — just like Nelson Mandela who spent decades in prison and emerged as the President of South Africa. It should now be clear what Trump’s Plan C is. He will repeat the lie about being a victim of “massive fraud” — over and over and over again until most Americans take it as gospel truth. That is already happening even now. Like a vampire, Trump has tasted blood and wants more of it. There are enough suckers among his voter base to feed on. Dinaya will be his mantra. That mantra will be in addition to the lies that he will tell about anyone who stands in his way — and that will include not just Democrats but also ambitious Republicans who may be eyeing the presidency — like Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Those who think that they can deal with Donald Trump in the usual orthodox or traditional manner will be in denial. Trump is loyal only to himself. Everyone else is fit for throwing under the bus. No one should be surprised if Trump is also activating Plan D. A dictatorship?

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

***

Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos. Relos.

*** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

***

gregmacabenta@hotmail.com

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Palace: PH won’t cooperate with ICC...

BAYANIHAN. Residents help each other scoop water from a creek to support firemen putting out the fire that hit a residential area in Zamora, Paco, Manila on Wednesday, December 16. Several houses were razed by the blaze. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

California receives first... PAGE 2 t quin Valley, Greater Sacramento and the Bay Area regions are under the state’s regional stayat-home order as their ICU levels dropped have below the 15% threshold. The order has shut down many non-essential businesses in those areas, such as restaurants (no indoor and outdoor dining; only takeout is allowed), bars, hair salons, gyms, personal care services and movie theaters. Retail stores and shopping centers are allowed to continue operations but at only 20% capacity, while standalone grocery stores can only operate at 35% capacity and without any drinking or eating inside. Entrance metering must be done at these establishments. Regions must remain under the order for at least three weeks and will be eligible to exit the order and return to the Blueprint for a Safer Economy only if ICU capacity projections for the following month are above or equal to 15%. As of this writing, Southern California’s ICU capacity dropped to 0%, San Joaquin Valley is at 0.7%, Greater Sacramento is at 11.3%, and the Bay Area is at 13.1%. Only the Northern California region, meanwhile, stayed out of the mandated regional stay-athome order, with its ICU capacity currently at 25.8%. National rollout As the Pfizer-BioNTech vac-

cine — which was approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday, December 11 — arrived in the United States, the country surpassed 16 million COVID-19 cases and 300,000 deaths this week. The number of dead, according to Associated Press, rivals the population of St. Louis or Pittsburgh. It is also more than five times the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War, and is equal to a 9/11 attack every day for more than 100 days. “The numbers are staggering — the most impactful respiratory pandemic that we have experienced in over 102 years, since the iconic 1918 Spanish flu,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. Sandra Lindsay, a critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, was the first person to receive the shot outside of a vaccine trial in the country on Monday morning. “I’m hopeful. I’m excited. I feel relieved,” Lindsay told the AP after the injection. In a separate interview with CNN, Lindsay, a Black woman, wants to inspire other people to get vaccinated, especially those in minority communities. “I understand the mistrust among the minority community. I don’t ask people to do anything that I would not do myself and so I was happy to volunteer to be

among the first,” said Lindsay. “I did not know that I would make history and that’s not why I did it. I wanted to do it to inspire people who may be skeptical about taking the vaccine and trust in the science,” she added. Fauci, for his part, stressed that the impacts of the vaccine won’t happen overnight. “It’s not going to be like turning a light switch on and off,” he said. “I don’t believe we’re going to be able to throw the masks away and forget about physical separation in congregate settings for a while, probably likely until we get into the late fall or early next winter,” he added. He also said that he may be vaccinated in the next week or so. “As soon as my turn comes up, which likely will be very soon, I’m going to be available to get vaccinated publicly so that people can see that I feel strongly that this is something we should do, and hopefully that will encourage many more people to get vaccinated,” Fauci told MSNBC. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the general public could start receiving the vaccine by late February and March. “It really, again, is going to be up to our nation’s governors, but with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine, we’ll have, as I said, as many as 100 (million) shots in arms by the end of February,” he said. (With reports by Ritchel Mendiola and Joseph Peralta/AJPress)

PAGE 4 t duct that allegedly took place in the context of, or connection to, the War on Drugs campaign,” said Bensouda. “The information available also indicates that criminal charges have been laid in the Philippines against a limited number of individuals – typically low-level, physical perpetrators – with respect to some drug-related killings,” she added. Bensouda promised that her office will “continue to closely monitor” the activities of the drug war review panel. ICC retains jurisdiction Roque on Tuesday maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the country. The Philippines withdrew from the ICC in February 2018 after Bensouda started a preliminary examination of the communication filed by lawyer Jude Sabio regarding the country’s drug war. “The ICC does not have jurisdiction over the Philippines after the country withdrew from the treaty that established ICC,” Roque said. He added, “The Philippines has quit the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction.” But according to Bensouda, the ICC retains its jurisdiction over crimes committed during the time the state was party to the statute. “The Court retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes that have occurred on the territory of the Philippines during the period when it was a State Party to the Statute, namely from 1 November 2011 up to and including 16 March 2019,” she said. ‘Grossly unfair’ In response to Bensouda’s findings, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said the report was “grossly unfair and one-sided.” “The report of the ICC that there is ‘reasonable basis’ to believe that crimes against humanity of murder, torture and the infliction of serious physical injury and mental harm as other inhumane acts were committed during the PH war on drugs campaign, was grossly unfair, unjustifiable and one-sided,” the PDEA said on Wednesday, December 16. “The [PDEA] remains skeptical on how the ICC came up with their findings solely on the basis of open-source information. Like all other well-founded reports, the ICC report should show proof

and undergo the standard validation and vetting process before arriving at any firm conclusions,” it added. The Philippine National Police (PNP) likewise demanded the ICC to show “pieces of evidence” to support its claims. “Kailangan naman po siguro na makita ho ano ba ‘yung mga pieces of evidence na nagsasabi na may (Perhaps, pieces of evidence must be presented to show that there is) violation of human rights,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said. According to PDEA, the ICC should have waited for the DOJ’s report before issuing any statement. “The ICC should have waited for the release of the report of an inter-agency panel created by the [DOJ] to investigate the apparent drug-related killings, rather than issuing general statements that are yet to be proven without the aid of a formal and local investigation,” the agency said. Acknowledge ICC findings The Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR), meanwhile, urged the government to address the ICC’s findings. “As the country’s national human rights institution, CHR urges the government to acknowledge and address the observations of the ICC, with regards to its findings, and calls for greater transparency and accountability from the government in the movement towards providing redress for cases of human rights violations,” it said on Wednesday. The CHR stressed that the primary responsibility to protect the human rights of individuals remains to be with the state. “Thus, the government is called upon to squarely address all the violations that have resulted from the campaign against illegal drugs,” it said. The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers also urged the government to take the report seriously. “Our government and law enforcers must take this seriously and get the message loud and clear,” Secretary General Edre Olalia said in a statement. “Finally, rays of hope have peeked out of the pitch-dark clouds of impunity. We hope real and effective redress can be achieved in time,” added

Olalia. Karapatan, for its part, welcomed the ICC report. “We welcome this significant development and its implications on what can only be described as a rapidly deteriorating human rights crisis in the Philippines,” said Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay. “As we await the decision of the Office of the Prosecutor, we press our calls for justice for the Duterte administration’s crimes against the Filipino people,” she added.

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of San Diego (City) is seeking to receive Electronic Bids for the below named Public Works project. The solicitation, including plans and specifications, may be obtained from the City’s website at: https://www. sandiego.gov/cip/bidopps Contractors intending to submit a Bid must be prequalified. Please refer to the solicitation for instructions. Project Name: North City Water Reclamation Plant Expansion and NCPWF Influent Pump Station and Pipeline Project Number: K-21-1861-DBB-3 Estimated Value: $208,660,000.00 Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting 1: 12/21/20 at 10:00 A.M. GoToMeetings Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting 2: 12/23/20 at 10:00 A.M. GoToMeetings Bid Open Date: 2/10/2021, at 2:00 P.M. License Requirement: A It is the policy of the City of San Diego to encourage equal opportunity in its Construction and Consultant contracts. Bids or proposals from local firms, small, minority-owned, disabled, veteran-owned, and women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged. Contractors are encouraged to subcontract with and/ or participate in joint ventures with these firms. The City is committed to equal opportunity and will not discriminate with regard to race, religion, color, ancestry, age, gender, disability, medical condition or place of birth; and will not do business with any firm that discriminates on any basis. Bids shall be received no later than the date and time noted above at: City of San Diego’s Electronic Biding Site PlanetBids at: https://www.planetbids.com/portal/ portal.cfm?CompanyID=17950 James Nagelvoort, Director Engineering & Captial Projects Department December 15, 2020 12/18/20 CNS-3425171# ASIAN JOURNAL

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

LEGAL NOTICE

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LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

CASE NUMBER:

CASE NUMBER:

37-2020-00041864-CU-PT-CTL

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

CASE NUMBER: 37-2020-00040018-CU-PT-CTL

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

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

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

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner ROSITA MARIA RODRIGUEZ filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: ROSITA MARIA RODRIGUEZ to ROSA MARIA COTA. 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: 01/12/2021 Tine: 8:30 AM Dept. 61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. C-61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: NOV. 25, 2020 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 681 DEC. 11, 18, 25, 2020, JAN. 01, 2021

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner OSAMA AL RAJABI filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: OSAMA AL RAJABI to OSAMA EARTHKING. 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: 01/21/2021 Tine: 8:30 AM Dept. C-61 Superior Court of California, County of San Diego 330 WEST BROADWAY DEPT. C-61 San Diego, CA 92101 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation printed in this county. Asian Journal: NOV. 25, 2020 NO HEARING WILL OCCUR ON ABOVE DATE: SEE ATTACHMENT Lorna Alksne Judge of the Superior Court AJ 683 DEC. 18, 25, 2020, JAN. 01, AND JAN. 08, 2021

AJSD 678

AJSD 680

AJSD 681

AJSD 683

37-2020-00033882-CU-PT-CTL

AJSD 677

CASE NUMBER: 37-2020-00045200-CU-PTCTL

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

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT NO. 2020-9019746 LAGI CONSTRUCTION located at 3742 HARDING AVENUE, SAN DIEGO, CA 92113. Registrant: BAC TRAN, 3742 HARDING AVENUE, SAN DIEGO, CA 92113. This business is conducted by INDIVIDUAL. REGISTRANT HAS BEGUN TO TRANSACT BUSINESS UNDER THE ABOVED NAME AS OF 01/17/2003. Signature BAC TRAN. Statement filed with Recorder/County Clerk of San Diego County on 12/03/2020. AJ682 12/11, 12/18, 12/25/2020, AND 01/01/2021.

AJSD 682

EMPLOYMENT

SERVICES

SERVICES

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 18-24, 2020

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SAN DIEGO

DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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JOURNAL

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D EC E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 2 0

SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER, NOT THE VIRUS:

How Filipinos around the world will celebrate the holiday  to.

by Ritchel

I

Mendiola  / AJPress

T’S been over nine months since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and the virus is still raging. The situation may not be as bleak as before, with the promise of two vaccines coming to provide some hope, but we’re still far from the “normal” life we were once used

As it stands, the world will be celebrating Christmas this year with a lot of restrictions. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly advises against traveling and going out during the holidays lest another wave of infections happen, and world leaders have echoed the sentiment. Large gatherings and Christmas parties are a no-go, as well — which has left a lot of people feeling disheartened.  “Celebrate with people in your household. If you have plans to travel, you have to think twice, three times before doing so. This is really not the time because it’s not just bad for you, but bad for the people you’re visiting because you don’t know what you’re bringing to them,” said

Dr. Jasmine Eugenio, a Filipina American pediatrics specialist at Martin Luther King, Jr. Outpatient Center in Los Angeles. For many, Christmas was seen as a reprieve from the monotony that the pandemic has afforded. No one wants to be alone during the holidays, not when we’ve been isolated for more than half a year already.  “Reach out to family members through Zoom or other means. Call your lolo and lola, but you don’t have to visit them. They say Christmas only comes once a year, but there will be other Christmases,” Eugenio added. Still, many are willing to make the necessary adjustments, especially Filipinos, who have always been big on family-oriented celebrations. Around the world

they’re prepared to comply with the safety measures imposed by their governments, welcoming Christmas Day with as much warmth and conviviality as they can in their situations. “Here, gatherings are restricted especially in public. But if you’re staying at home, you’re allowed to celebrate provided that there won’t be any guests. Same with work, we can only celebrate by ourselves since there is a huge penalty if you invite someone from outside,” said Zeny Martin, from Abu Dhabi. Greg Villar, who resides in Los Angeles, California, is also holding off on inviting his extended family for the holidays.  “My daughter and I will be celebrating Christmas at my house. We usually have cake, ham,

AJPress Illustrations by Godwin Gasacao

lechon kawali, and leche flan,” he said. “Back when my wife was alive, we used to host a Christmas party and invite her siblings and relatives alongside mine, and though my daughter and I still do that after she passed away two years ago, we won’t be inviting anyone this year because of COVID-19,” he added. Meanwhile, Beth Cruz is finding ways to connect and celebrate with her loved ones in Dubai.  “Every year, we celebrate Christmas with our family, friends and relatives at home. However, due to the situation and restrictions, we will celebrate Christmas Eve with our family at home and organize small gatherings separately with friends and relatives at the park or restaurants,” she said. According to her, the pandemic won’t deter her from celebrating Christmas, but stressed that she’s going to exercise caution while doing it.  “This pandemic will not keep us from celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus, we just have to practice precautionary measures for the safety of all our loved ones,” said Beth. Likewise, Minda Lesaca from Toronto, Canada refuses to let the pandemic dampen her Christmas spirit. “Christmas will continue despite the pandemic, however, there are many restrictions due to health protocols. We can’t invite relatives or neighbors, and we also can’t go outside to celebrate with others. There’s a limit in the number of people celebrating,” she said. Lesaca lamented the restric-

tions in doing normal holiday celebrations, but reasoned that they’re needed for the sake of everyone’s lives. According to her, being considerate is important during these unprecedented times. “It’s sad to think about, but we really can’t do anything but comply with the rules to avoid getting infected or infecting others. We need to obey to protect not only our family but also everyone

else,” Minda said. “We really need to keep others in mind. We can still celebrate Christmas without any grandiose plans, anyway,” she added. “Christmas won’t be gone. It’s still the most important occasion because it’s the birth of Jesus Christ.” To date, COVID-19 has infected around 69 million people worldwide and has taken more than a million lives.

For Sunshine, age is nothing but a number as she stays youthful and fit by Gerald

Dizon Philstar.com

MUCH like the shifting of the seasons and all the changes that come with it, life too offers up its own myriad of surprises as we age. Through the years, we become more and more aware of different aspects of ourselves, especially our bodies. While everyone deals with aging differently, 43-year-old actress Sunshine Cruz is here to inspire us that age is nothing but a number. Yes, it comes with a different set of challenges but she faces this head-on, always improving herself in the process. Today she shares with us her habits and the wisdom that lets her stay healthy and youthful even through crisis. Accepting change As a working, single mom, Sunshine shares that it had been hard to stay healthy at first, what with the community

Jackie Forster with husband Michel and their kids Caleigh, Jared and Yohan. Sunshine Cruz, now 43, is here to inspire us that age is nothing but a number. Yes, it comes with a different set of challenges but she faces this head-on, always improving herself in the process. Photo from Instagram/@sunshinecruz718

quarantine necessitating strict iting things she used to do. “It was quite a challenge. Bestay-at-home measures and liming in my 40s, I’ve noticed that it is easier for me to get tired and gain weight,” she admits. But soon as the instinct for self-care kicked in, she’s learned to adjust and stay healthy even when indoors. She’s chosen to look at the brighter side of things, and focus even more on her girls. Putting in the work Because of the current health crisis, it’s natural that this mom of three worries. This is why she’s taken the necessary precautions together with her children. For one, exercising had become a must for boosting the immune system. She goes on to say that the long-drawn quarantine has made her realize that an exercise regime doesn’t need to be fancy nor should her gym equipment be pricey to get results. “There are so many ways to

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Photo from Instagram/@jackie_forster

Jackie opens up on struggles of moving out during a pandemic by Alex

Brosas Inquirer.net

ACTRESS Jackie Forster is once again moving out to a new home — and in between she is reminded that everything happens for a reason. Posting a few photos of boxed furniture and items, Forster articulated the pains of moving out as she spoke about her decision to leave her home as per her Instagram post on Wednesday, Dec. 16. She did not mention where she and her family would be moving to next, though they have lived in various cities around the world because of her husband Michel Franken’s job in a multinational company. “What’s more exhausting than moving out of and into a house? Moving out of town… what’s more exhausting than that? Moving in the midst of

a pandemic. As my own plans and dreams of what would be fade into the background,” she said in her post. Moving out is a choice, Forster believes and she is reminded “YET AGAIN that God is always in control”. “He ultimately has our best interests at heart. We can only listen intently and trust in the answers we receive and pray we chose the right path,” she said. The pandemic has ultimately made plans change for the actress and she and her family have received signs that they have to move out. “COVID changed everything for our plans to be here for a longer period but with all the answers we received it was clear that this next step is the right choice,” she mused. “As difficult as the last few months have been with all the

uncertainty and now surrendering all thoughts of all that could have been, I trust what He sent us here to do was done,” she said, adding that the “price we pay for being obedient is nothing compared to the blessings He gives us in return.” As it is two weeks shy of 2021, Forster admits she has become an “emotional wreck,” what with the various “errands, paperwork, packing, car sale, house turn over and house hunting.” “I just felt like I needed to take this time to remind everyone reading this… that we can’t let our fears and selfish wants dictate our future. Learn to surrender in faith and in [love],” she said. Believing that God has our back, she is sending big virtual hugs to all who are weary. Giving encouragement, she said, “We got this.”

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Warning: Grapefruit

Health@Heart Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS COVID-19 Update Worldwide: nearly 74 million cases, with almost 1.7 million deaths; the Philippines: about 452,000 and 9,000 deaths; the United States: around 17 million cases and 310,000 deaths. Last Saturday, there were almost 200,000 cases, with about 1,400 deaths in one day in the U.S. The first-dose supply of the FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against the SARS-CoV2 virus of COVID-19 was delivered to 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Priority recipients are healthcare workers and first responders, to be followed by seniors with health issues. The rest of the population will be getting the vaccine early to middle of next year. Even after getting the vaccine, people will still have to wear mask properly (covering nose and mouth) in public and do social distancing (with a healthy dose of paranoia and medical vigilance) until we know more about the effectiveness, length of protection it confers, side-effects, and whether some of those vaccinated could still get COVID-19 and transmit it. Letting the guard down after receiving the vaccine is a serious mistake. We will have more vital clinical data by 2022. The reason COVID-19 has spread like wildfire, infecting 74 million and killing almost 2 million, is because more than 50 percent of the people refuse to follow COVID-19 guidelines. The more compliant we all are, the sooner this pandemic will end. Does coffee raise our blood pressure? Yes, most definitely. A cup of regular coffee or two can abruptly blood raise blood pressure (8 mm in systolic and 6 mm in diastolic) even among those not predisposed to hypertension. For those who suffer from high blood pressure, drinking coffee, even only a cup a day, makes the blood pressure shoot up for at least four

hours, but not to a dangerous level, especially among treated persons. The BP is no longer affected by coffee among those chronic drinkers who are on BP meds. Healthy lifestyle, regular medical check-up, taking prescription medications and moderation are the keys to health. Does condom protect one from AIDS? Only complete abstinence from sexual activity and from needle sharing (especially among addicts) can guarantee protection from AIDS. The use of condom, in general and to a great extent, may lessen the transmission of AIDs, but this is not a guarantee. A significant number of condoms come from the factory – defective, or with tiny holes, or weak spots. There are more than 17 million people in the world who are HIV-infected. Don’t be one of these statistics. Is durian an aphrodisiac? Durian, a popular Asian fruit that has the distinct reputation for its “bad smell but heavenly taste” (for some people) has been bantered around as one that increases sexual libido. There is no scientific evidence durian is an aphrodisiac. If anything at all, the smell alone might turn off some lovers, or excite those who love its taste. Is wine really good for our heart? Yes, more specifically red wine. It is not the alcohol in it that is good for our heart. The ingredient in red wine called resveratrol has been found to be cardio-protective. This comes from the skin of the Pinot Noir grapes used to make red wine. Pinot Noir has the highest resveratrol content among red wines. Somehow, white wine does not confer the same significant health benefit. Neither do beer nor most liquor, which do not contain this special ingredient. Does grapefruit affect some medications? Yes, there are several medications that should not be taken with grapefruit or grapefruit juice. This fruit or its juice inhibit a group of enzymes in our body (CYP3A4), resulting in higher level of the medications getting out of our intestines into our blood stream and the entire body. So, this can lead to overdose. One glass of grapefruit juice can inactivate these enzymes for half a day to 36

Features

hours. Some of the groups of medications affected include certain calcium channel blockers, hormones, chemotherapeutic agents, sedatives and tranquilizers, some cholesterol lowering drugs, some psychiatric drugs, and the antiarrhythmic heart medication called Amiodarone. The most prudent thing to do if you are on any medications and love grapefruit or grapefruit juice is to discuss this with your physician. Is self-medication safe? Buying over-the-counter medications on your own, or following advice from friends or relatives who may be taking such drugs as prescribed by their physician, is dangerous. Allergies and some deadly complications have been reported in medical literature, even with the ingestion of socalled “common and simple” household pills like aspirin. There is no drug which has no possible side effects. None. All medications, including prescription meds, have possible adverse effects among some people – some mild, others severe or even fatal. Each person reacts differently to specific drugs. What is good and effective for one may be harmful to others. About 25 years ago, I did open heart surgery on a patient in Hobart, Indiana. She was recovering very well but complained of her gout. On the fourth day after surgery, her internist ordered a pill for her gout. She had a violent reaction to the medication and rapidly went on to develop kidney, liver, and general organ failure, and subsequently died within four days from taking the medication. Always consult a physician before taking any medication you have not taken before. Is taking antibiotics often dangerous? Yes, it is not only expensive but very dangerous. In our body, there are so-called “good bacteria” which help in the normal metabolism and function of our body, and are thus essential to our health. The bacteria we want to kill with antibiotics are the “bad bacteria” that cause us diseases. If we have an infection that is properly diagnosed by a physician, he/she will prescribe the specific antibiotic that is effective for a particular bug or groups of bugs causing the malady. Not all germs are killed by the same antibiotics. If

SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 18-24, 2020

Filipino Canadian voice actor is Bugs Bunny in ‘Space Jam 2’

11

By Ian

Biong Inquirer.net

FILIPINO Canadian voice actor Eric Bauza will be lending his voice as the iconic Bugs Bunny in the upcoming “Space Jam” sequel next year. Bauza, 41, will be voicing everyone’s favorite rabbit alongside NBA star LeBron James in “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” as per Global News on Dec. 9. The voice actor from Ontario, Canada emphasized that amid the pandemic, in this “2020 world, the only thing we have is nostalgia to keep our spirits up.” Prior to landing the role for the much-awaited sequel of the hit 1996 film, Bauza has been voicing Bugs Bunny in the Warner Bros. Animation-produced “Looney Tunes Cartoons” on HBO Max. “To know that I grew up on this stuff, something that’s widely received as Space Jam, to be able to contribute to the next version of it is something else — another Willy Wonka golden ticket for me,” Bauza was quoted as saying. “Some kid from Scarborough is the voice of Bugs Bunny? What the heck is going on? Now I know it’s the end of the world,” he joked. Bauza, who noted that these cartoons are being made for kids, admitted that he is “a big kid” and since he has a 4-yearold child, “it’s all for him now.” Back in March, Bauza gave the public a glimpse of his one takes antibiotics indiscriminately, the “good bacteria” in our body will die and fungus infection will emerge because the normal (protective) balance is disrupted. Also, if antibiotics are used often, the “bad bacteria” will get used to them and become resistant to the antibiotics, making them ineffective in fighting infection. Is dental flossing necessary? Brushing our teeth thoroughly after each meal is an excellent idea, but it is not enough. Using the toothpick is not enough. Brushing does not remove all food trapped in between our teeth. While toothpick helps get rid of the bigger particles,

Filipino Canadian voice actor Eric Bauza

Photo from Instagram/@bauzilla

Bugs Bunny voice in a public service announcement concerning COVID-19, where he reminded kids to always wash their hands and listen to their parents. Aside from the classic carrot-loving character, Bauza also previously voiced childhood favorites such as Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck and Tweety, among others. In his younger years, Bau-

za was known as a prankster and a wisecracker among his peers, as per Toronto Star also on Dec. 13. Using his talent for mimicking different voices and comedy, Bauza used to deliver announcements using the voices of Homer Simpson, Ace Ventura and many more at the Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, where he graduated as valedictorian.

the smaller pieces caught in between the tighter spaces between our teeth can only be removed by dental flossing. If not removed, the trapped food particles decay, much like a rotten piece of dead meat, causing severe halitosis (bad breath). Using mouthwash (with stabilized chlorine dioxide) should also be a part of the daily routine because this kills germs that cause bad breath. Chewing gums (sugarless) helps. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis,

recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

Why Vhong and wife not keen on having a baby by Allan

Policarpio

Inquirer.net

VHONG Navarro admitted that he and his wife, Tanya Bautista, are a little unsure about having a baby because of their age. He’s 43; she’s 37. “It’s not that we’re scared … we’re also thinking about our age. She feels that it may be too late, at this point in our lives, to try for a baby,” Vhong related in a recent virtual conference for the comedy movie “Mang Kepweng: Ang Lihim ng Bandanang Itim,” which is an entry in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). “It also had us thinking, ‘We would be at a certain age and our child would still be too young,’” added the television host-actor, who has two kids, age 24 and 22, from his previous marriage. “And she (Tanya) sees that [I have grown-ups now].” The COVID-19 pandemic adds another question mark. “Nagkahalu-halo na. You may think that you’re already established or that your career is going smoothly. But as it turned out, it can all vanish in the blink of an eye,” he said. Moreover, the couple both work for the beleaguered ABSCBN—Vhong as a talent; Tanya as a screenwriter. “You can’t really tell what the future holds,” he said. “Nothing is firmly in our grasp. Those are some of the things that crossed our minds during the pandemic.” In this second installment of this “Kepweng” remake, Vhong reprises his role as the titular protagonist—the funny faith healer popularized by the iconic comedian Chiquito in 1979. “He’s one of my idols … I watched his movies and based my portrayal on how he did it,” Vhong said.

Vhong Navarro with wife Tanya Bautista

Directed by Topel Lee and produced by Cineko Productions and Star Cinema, the movie also stars Joross Gamboa, Jaclyn Jose, Ritz Azul, Barbie Imperial, Fumiya Sankai and Yamyam Gucong. Unlike the first “Kepweng” movie he starred in 2017, the sequel will be more action and adventure-oriented, and will follow the characters in their quest to stop the main villain, Maximus Tolonges (Joross), who wields the power of the black bandana—the evil counterpart of Mang Kepweng’s red polka dot bandana. “Fame turned Mang Kepweng arrogant. He thought he could do everything without his friends and loved ones. His worsening attitude led to the loss of his bandana’s powers,” Vhong related. While the cast and crew were able to finish shooting before the pandemic and lockdowns, Vhong said the message of the movie could still be relevant to what’s

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Richard officially transfers to GMA by Ian

Biong Inquirer.net

EVERYONE’S favorite “Ser Chief” Richard Yap is now officially the newest Kapuso artist. The GMA Artist Center took to Twitter just earlier today, Dec. 16, to tease the announcement of the actor’s addition to its roster of talents. Although Yap’s image was blurred in the announcement, fans were still able to figure out the identity of the actor as his features were still distinguishable. Further confirming the transfer, Yap actually tweeted “Thank you” to one fan who replied to GMA’s announcement, saying, “Yes! Sir Chief in The House!!” Yap is most famously known for his role as Richard “Sir Chief” Lim, the leading man Photo from Instagram/@vhongx44 to Jodi Sta. Maria’s Maya dela Rosa in ABS-CBN’s hit 2012 sehappening today. “It’s about ries “Be Careful with My Heart.” camaraderie and perseverance He is also well known for … And fame and fortune don’t starring in the 2011 TV series matter if there’s no one there for “My Binondo Girl” alongside you.” Kim Chiu. Yap last appeared in This year’s MMFF is bitter- ABS-CBN’s “Kadenang Ginto” sweet for Vhong. He’s happy that his movie made the cut. But he’s also sad that the festival isn’t the same. Because cinemas are still closed, the festival—for the first time—will be streamed digitally from Dec. 25 to Jan. 8. “The best thing about the MMFF is watching movies in cinby Ian Biong emas with the whole family and Inquirer.net your barkada. But that’s not to be this year because of the proSHARON Cuneta had nothing tocols,” he said. “But this is a but loving words for her daughnew and different experience for ter Frankie “Kakie” Pangilinan everyone. Perhaps the younger as the latter turned 20 years old fans can teach their elders how on Wednesday, Dec. 16. streaming works.” The Megastar had nothing Competition is also far from but gratitude to Pangilinan for Vhong’s concerns. “We’re just being a good child, noting that happy we got in. We’re just here she is “one of God’s most preto do our work —to entertain and cious gifts whom I will be etermake people happy,” he said. nally grateful for,” as seen on Cuneta’s Instagram. “Happy 20th (Whaaaa..?!!!!) Birthday, Kakie! I CANNOT… Oh.Em.Gee. TWENTY already?!!! I love you so much She complements her fit- my Baba. I thank God for your ness activities with a low-carb, love and constant presence in high-protein diet that she had my life without even any horror adopted since 2013. She con- stories when you were in your fesses she still eats what she teens,” the doting mother said. Cuneta’s greeting came with wants though, albeit in moderation. Fruits, veggies are regular a photo collage of her and Panin her diet, but she especially gilinan, which includes throwhighlights milk as a major play- back pictures of the birthday er in her arsenal for good nutri- girl when she was just a baby. “Sana (I hope) you never tion. change, except for the better. Thank you my Kakie – for being such a good, loving and understanding Ate to Yellie and Gugie, for being a good exam-

Richard Yap

in 2018, alongside Dimples Romana and Beauty Gonzalez. Aside from acting, Yap also regularly posts vlogging content via his YouTube channel, simply called Richard Yap.

GMA photo

Just last October, actor Khalil Ramos also transferred from ABS-CBN to GMA, joining his girlfriend Gabbi Garcia among the network’s roster of young actors.

Sharon to Frankie turning 20: ‘You deserve nothing less’

For Sunshine, age is nothing but a...

PAGE 10t incorporate movement even if we are just at home, like playing or walking the dogs, doing household chores and emulating simple workouts on YouTube, or copying TikTok videos with the kids—all of these can be a good exercise and actually double down as bonding time with the kids,” she shares.

Loving oneself “We always have to remember to love ourselves enough to stay fit and healthy,” she reiterates. Dedicating a fraction of her time to doing self-care is never time wasted. It’s all part of the discipline that makes her stronger, not just in body but also in mind.

Sharon Cuneta with daughter Frankie Pangilinan Photo from Instagram/@reallysharoncuneta

ple to them – and most of all for loving me the way you do, and making me feel like I am the best mother in the world in spite of my imperfections,” Cuneta stressed. “May God give you everything

your heart desires, my #2 baby. You deserve nothing less. I soooo love you,” she added. Pangilinan, Cuneta’s second eldest daughter, is the Megastar’s first child with husband Sen. Kiko Pangilinan.

Kim’s ‘Bawal Lumabas’ now a web series By Iza Iglesias ManilaTimes.net

TV and social media star Kim Chiu made a definitive triumph over her merciless bashers following her infamously baffling “Bawal Lumabas” analogy at the height of the ABS-CBN’s shutdown controversy. Her Facebook Live video where she aired her sentiments over the franchise controversy back in May spawned countless memes and parodies of her unintentional faux pax, which she admitted to be “one of the lowest points” of her life. Shortly after, the 30-year-old actress humbly took the road of self-deprecation and successfully turned the tables on her detractors when she released a feel-good single titled, “Bawal Lumabas (The Classroom Song).” Gathering more than 9 million hits on YouTube and counting, Chiu has since made the most of her big blunder, next selling spinoff merchandise whose proceeds went to marginalized families amid the pandemic, and at exactly 6 p.m. on December 14, dropped the first episode of “Bawal Lumabas: The Series,” over the ABS-CBN streaming service iWantTFC. “Nag-flashback sa akin lahat nung nangayari dahil sa ‘Bawal Lumabas.’ I now realize that one mistake won’t define you as a person. When you make a mistake, go back to it but don’t look back too long. Learn from it and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed but the future is yet in your power,” Chiu said at the pre-premiere media conference of the series on Zoom. Produced by Dreamscape Entertainment and directed by Benedict Mique, viewers will surely relate to the story of Emerald (Chiu), an overseas worker who’s been employed in various countries to support her family. Because her parents had already passed away, Eme has to work extra hard to make their dreams come true for her siblings.

The actress happily shares the news that she is one of Forbes Asia’s 100 Digital Stars of 2020. Photo from Instagram/@chinitaprincess

When her latest employment contract expires, Eme comes home and is reunited with her siblings — Onyx (Paulo Angeles), Ruby (Trina Legaspi), and Jade (Francine Diaz) — for the holidays. What hits her hard, though, is the sad reality that she and her siblings had already grown apart. Disheartened but still determined, Eme goes back to school to become classmates with her rebellious sister, ready to rebuild their bond, only to see her plan backfiring and complicated by the fact that her ex- boyfriend (Rafael Rosell) is class teacher. Also starring Kyle Echarri as Jade’s suitor, Onyx, Bawal Lumabas: The Series is comprised of six episodes with daily drops on IWantTFC at 6 p.m. until December 19. And by the way, as if a series isn’t the best way to cap her “Bawal Lumabas” year, Chiu learned on December 8 that she made it to Forbes magazine’s list of “Asia’s 100 Digital Stars.” The list recognizes film, music, and TV personalities across the Asia Pacific region “who have maintained their relevance and popularity in this challenging period by leveraging on the power of social media… and used their influence to support worthy causes, especially those

with a Covid-19 focus.” The magazine says of the Filipina celebrity, “Chiu used a viral video gaffe during a live stream in May as the basis for ‘The Classroom Song.’ A live performance of the hit has over 9 million views on YouTube. Chiu then sold ‘The Classroom Song’ branded T-shirts to raise money for pandemic relief.” Asked to react to this major vindication of sorts, Chiu only points to her Instagram account, where she wrote, “Totoo nga! OMG! OMG! No words! I am a part of Asia Pacific’s Most Influential Celebrities On Social Media! No words! Forbes! Sorry capital letters lahat! Para intense, yun yung nararamdaman ko now! LIKE WOW.” To wrap up, the official Asian influential celebrity said, “I am just thankful for everything God has been giving me. My faith has been tested this year but I never gave up on trusting His will. All in His Glory! All for you Father God! Thank you, Forbes for this recognition. There is truly love and light.” Besides Chiu, other Filipino personalities who made the list were Marian Rivera, Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Kathryn Bernardo, Angel Locsin and Sarah Geronimo.

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Community

Vogue says Heart is rumored to join ‘Crazy Rich Asians 2’ cast

By Kata

Dayanghirang Philstar.com

WHAT are the chances that Heart Evangelista will bag the role of Colette Bing in the sequel to the mega-hit 2018 “Crazy Rich Asians”? Heart is among the rumored to play the spoiled brat fashion blogger who is a daughter to mega-billionaire Bao Gaoling in the sequel “China Rich Girlfriend.”  Production has yet to start and if the sequel follows the said second book in the popular series penned by Kevin Kwan, then Colette is a fitting character to play for Heart.  But she has to contend with her closest competition for the role — Netflix darling Lana Condor, the star of the two movies in the “To All The Boys I’ve Love Before” movie adaptations.  Kwan shared the Vogue Australia  article that mentioned the rumors about Condor, Heart and Taiwanese-Australian actress Hannah Quinlivan on his Facebook page on December 4.  “A fun bit of speculation from our friends at Vogue,” he wrote and shared the link to the article.  Kwan himself met with Heart and he tagged her as “The Real Crazy Rich Asian” in the Harper’s Bazaar YouTube clip.  Colette is an important character because she will affect the story of the two main char-

Milo Severo Philstar.com

VIVA Artists Agency (VAA) filed a complaint at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court last December 11 against actress Nadine Lustre, claiming that the actress allegedly violated the contract that she signed with the company. In a statement released by Viva, the talent agency said that Nadine should be exclusively working with the company, according to her contract, but she has been allegedly “contracting independently with advertisers, promoters,

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

Recipe Corner

Pancit Canton (Serves 10-12)

Heart Evangelista

Photo from Instagram_@iamhearte

acters of the books and movie adaptations, Nick Young and Rachel Chu.  If there will be a third movie to the movies and it will also be based on the books, Colette will see a major character development after her “fall” in the second book. In the third book, “Rich People Problems,” Colette will see good character

development and a noble title to boot.  Now, does Colette Bing seem tailor-fit to be Heart Evangelista’s first international role after being rumored, too, of supposedly playing the role of Cho Chang in the “Harry Potter” series? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Nadine unfazed by Viva’s new lawsuit By Jan

SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 18-24, 2020

and third parties.” Viva claimed that it was the one that “developed, built, and nurtured Nadine’s career to make her one of the most sought after artists in the entertainment industry.” The agency said Nadine last renewed her contract with them last 2015, with an effectivity until June 29, 2029. “Despite her continued success as an exclusive artist of VAA for almost a decade, Nadine still chose to violate and disregard her contract with VAA,” Viva said. Nadine’s lawyer Lorna Kapunan said that the truth will

come out and she is ready to defend the actress.  “The contract is an Agency contract and Nadine is the Principal — and it is the right of the Principal to terminate the Agent when it is not performing its commitments under the Agency Agreement,” Kapunan told ABS-CBN in an interview.  “We are prepared to prove VAA’s material breach of the contract. We are likewise prepared to show that VAA is guilty of tortious third party interference by its threatening/ pressuring third parties dealing with Nadine in good faith

NOODLES will always be a part of Filipino feasts because they symbolize long life (especially for birthdays) and because they provide ample volume of food to satisfy many guests. Bihon is rice vermicelli, the name reflecting its Chinese ancestry. It’s the kind of noodle that easily absorbs flavors mixed with it. Ingredients: 1 pack PAMANA Pancit Bihon 1 pack PAMANA Mix Bihon 2 tbsp PAMANA Soy Sauce 4 tbsp Kikkoman Oyster Sauce Red 3 tbsp Crisco Vegetable Oil ½ large onion, julienned 4 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 cup carrots, julienned 4 pcs chicken breast skinless, sliced into strips 2 cups sliced cabbage 3 cups chicken broth 1 stick celery, cut into small pieces ½ pack PAMANA Black Fungus 1 bunch cauliflower, cut into cubes ½ snow peas 1 pc red bell pepper ½ large onion, julienned Calamansi (optional)

Directions 1. Cook chicken breast in a medium pan. Cut into strips. Set aside. 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in vegetable oil then celery, snow peas and carrot. Stir and cook for 1 minute. 3. Add in the cauliflower, cabbage and PAMANA Black Fungus. 4. Add chicken broth, PAMANA Soy Sauce and Oyster Sauce. Cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are cooked. 5. Add PAMANA Pancit Bihon and cook for 3-5 minutes or until noodles are cooked, stir. Add PAMANA Mix Bihon. 6. Mix well and serve with calamansi (optional).

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

u PAGE 14

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Community

Santa doesn’t need your Social Security number

Kati Daffan (left), Assistant Director, Legal Services Collaboration and Every Community Initiative, Division of Marketing Practices, FTC; Rhonda Perkins (right), Attorney, Every Community Initiative, Division of Marketing Practices, FTC

FTC’s ‘Operation Income Illusion’ targets get-rich-quick scams IN the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, criminals are brazenly floating “get-richquick” schemes to fleece unsuspecting people seeking financial security for themselves and their families. Speaking at a mid-December ethnic media conference call, the Federal Trade Commission issued urgent warnings that people need to be on their guard to avoid being robbed. Kati Daffan and Rhonda Perkins, two lawyers in the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, spotlighted a variety of scams promoted in advertisements online or in TV, radio and newspapers and even within religious communities. In a year’s time, Daffan said, there was a 70% increase in this kind of crime. “In the first nine months of 2020 alone,” she said, “people reported losing at least $50 million.” And those victims are just the ones who came forward. Most people don’t, Daffan said, so “it’s a tiny fraction of what’s going on in the marketplace.” To combat the scams, the FTC has launched “Operation Income Illusion.” Both speakers urged everyone to contact the FTC with any suspicions. You can do so at www.ReportFraud.ftc.gov, or www.ReporteFraude.ftc.gov or by phone at (877) 382-4357. The FTC receives thousands of reports every week, Perkins said, making individual responses difficult to guarantee, but the reporting is a key driver of both domestic and interna-

tional enforcement efforts. “It’s a real public service for people to let us know what they’re seeing,” she said. Besides alerting ethnic media directly, the FTC has posted examples of criminal schemes and tips about how to protect yourself from being victimized on its website in more than a dozen languages (www.ftc.gov/ languages), including English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Amharic, Arabic, Dari, French, Russian, Haitian Creole, and Somali. New in 2020 are COVID-related schemes. The FTC has seen phony cures, phony vaccinations, phony home test kits, and phony research schemes seeking people’s personal information. Now, with real vaccinations starting to become available, the FTC expects new scams (https://tinyurl.com/ FTCvaccinescams) and is warning people not to pay out of pocket, put their names on lists, pay for early access, or provide a caller with Social Security or bank account numbers to get a vaccine. Some scammers mimic traditions from specific communities. One type of rip-off Operation Income Illusion is fighting are savings clubs (https://tinyurl.com/FTCfakeclubs), modeled after West African and Caribbean “sou sous,” in which people who know each other will pool their money and take turns getting a payout. In the Filipino community, the name is “paluwagan.” Another is phony coaching

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deals (https://tinyurl.com/FTCcoachingscams), where victims pay for things like real estate seminars, or help in making money on the stock market or online selling. Investment scams (https:// tinyurl.com/FTCinvestmentscams) have been the most costly, but the most common are the work-from-home propositions (https://tinyurl.com/FTCsellingandpyramids), which sometimes include the victim getting a check in the mail. In these, the fraud is only revealed some time later, after the victim has sent a portion of that money back, or bought and distributed products or gift cards, only to find that the check to pay for them ultimately bounced. “It’s incredibly important to watch out for any kind of money-making opportunity that involves putting money in and recruiting other people to join. Those people are likely to get hurt,” Daffan said. Many scams are targeted to specific ethnic communities, such as Moda Latina, which advertised that you could make big money working from home selling jewelry and other luxury products. Victims were sometimes threatened that if they didn’t have a money order ready when a delivery driver showed up with the merchandise, they could be reported and face severe consequences. But when the boxes were opened, the contents were far from luxurious: shoddy, not fit to be re-sold, not even worth the cost of the initial purchase.

THIS year, during the pandemic, your holidays might be moving a bit online. On the 10th day of Consumer Protection, maybe you’re planning to send e-cards to family and friends. Or maybe your kids are writing their letter to Santa online, using a site that promises a customized letter back from Santa. Before you share your personal information — and certainly before you pay: • Check out the website. Do a quick online search for the site or company name, plus the words “complaint,” “review,” or “scam.” What do people say about them? (Knowing, of

course, that those glowing reviews could be fakes…) • Share only what you need to share. Does the site really need your home address, your age, or access to your contacts? And none of these companies needs your bank account or Social Security number. (Frankly, Santa probably already knows, so why would he ask?) • Don’t click links in unexpected texts or emails. Nothing good comes of that. Instead, check them out first, and then type in the URL yourself so you know where you’re headed. • Ignore calls for immediate action. Scammers try to get

you to act before you have time to think. Take your time. Legit offers will still be there. If you decide to move forward with your card or Santa letter, pay with a credit card to get the best protections. But only pay if the site’s URL starts with “https.” That means your transaction will be encrypted — but that, alone, doesn’t mean the site is legit. If you spot a scammy e-mail, text, or website, tell your friends and family so they can avoid it, too. Then tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. (Jim Kreidler/Consumer Education Specialist, FTC)

Nadine unfazed by Viva’s new...

PAGE 13t and scaring them with potential court cases,” she added.  Last January, Kapunan & Castillo Law Offices announced in a statement that Nadine is now self-managed and bookings and inquiries may be directly addressed to her. “For the information of the public, Nadine Lustre is no longer a talent of Viva Artists Agency. Consistent with her rights under the Civil Code of the Philippines, specifically Article 1920, she has decided to terminate her agency contract with Viva,” the law office said. “As of now, Nadine is self-managed and will continue to be so indefinitely. She shall directly manage her affairs from now on, and booking and inquiries may be directly addressed to her,” the statement added. Last December, Nadine signed a contract with Careless Music, a recording label founded by her former boyfriend Nadine Lustre James Reid. Some con artists set their sights on specific groups, such as the “Raging Bull” investment scam that targeted seniors, or MOBE, a scam in 2018 that robbed students and veterans of $300 million before it was shut down. Then there are “pyramid schemes” (https://tinyurl.com/ FTCsellingandpyramids). The FTC has identified a few by name, such as: “The Circle

Game,” “Blessing Loom” and “Money Board.” The FTC works with numerous law enforcement agencies in pursuing scam thieves, both domestically and internationally. In some cases, it can recover some of the money victims have lost, but Rhonda Perkins advised that the better strategy is to avoid being scammed (https://tinyurl.com/FTCavoidandreport) in the first place.

Photo from Instagram/@nadine

If you’re concerned about the wisdom of making a deal someone is offering you, she said, do some research on the company, its reputation, a record of complaints against it. “Do your research, check out that company’s reputation and talk to other people, people you trust in your community,” Perkins said. (Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services)

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SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 18-24, 2020

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DECEMBER 18-24, 2020 • SAN DIEGO ASIAN JOURNAL

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