Philippine News Today

Imee gripes, Sandro firm on support; SSS, GSIS pensions out amid protests

MANILA – A government initiative for the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund, called Maharlika Wealth Fund, with initial investments of at least P250 billion from government financial institutions and pension funds, to be able to raise more funds for government projects and services, have gained support but at the same time many oppositors, thus initially dividing even the Marcoses and the big sectors of the nation.

SAN RAFAEL, CaliforniaFilipino-Americans in the United States, especially in California, which hold the largest population of Filipinos in North America, are ready for their dawn masses, popularly known as “Simbang Gabi.”

In Marin County in Northern California, it will be a threeday “Simbang Gabi” masses on Dec. 16 to 18 at the St. Isabella’s church at One Trinity Way in San Rafael, California, an abbreviated nine-day masses observed in the Philippines. There were no masses in 2020 because of the

pandemic.

In California, where there are sizable Filipino congregations, Simbang Gabi is celebrated in various cities, like Daly City, Vallejo, El Cerrito, Concord and other parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and Oakland.

In the home country Simbang Gabi is a series of 9-day early morning masses that start on December 16 and culminate on Christmas eve. It is when Catholic churches, especially in the inner towns and barrios, start to open their doors

Opposition to wealth fund grows

MANILA - The Marcos administration is eyeing to push through with its planned offering of retail dollar bonds (RDBs) by the first quarter of next year,according to Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

Diokno made the disclosure during a forum, saying the tenor of the planned issuance would be at least five years. The offering could be around $3 billion or more which, he said, would depend on demand.

Asian couple in NYC subway are latest hate crime victims

NEW YORK - The nationwide epidemic of hate crimes committed against Asian Americans continues, and a couple riding on the New York City subway last week were the latest victims.

An Asian male and his female companion were at the receiving end of an unprovoked attack after they refused to give up their seats to a trio of thugs,

First Lady launches presidential library at Nat’l Library

MANILA Several book collections from Malacañan’s Presidential Museum and Library can now be accessed at the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) building at the Rizal Park on T. M. Kalaw st. in Ermita, Manila.

This, after First Lady Louise “Liza” AranetaMarcos led the launching of the Presidential Library at the second oor me anine of the NLP building.

Araneta-Marcos thanked the NLP for ensuring the success of the establishment of the Presidential Library.

“When my husband (President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) assumed office last une, we noticed that there were piles and piles of books on Philippine culture and heritage in Malacañan Palace. There were also hundreds of law books, some of them were first editions, priceless that many law students would have lusted after,” she said.

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Manilans to get 700,000 Christmas gift boxes

MANILA The Manila city government has so far distributed some 200,000 Christmas food boxes to residents out of 700,000 targetted food boxes.

As of December 2, Mayor Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan, Congressmen, and members of the City Council, finished the first round of distribution of the Christmas food boxes in all six districts of Manila for this year’s PaskongManileño2022 celebration, City Hall said in a statement.

Some 227 barangays were included in the first batch of distribution.

City Hall will be distributing close to 700,000 boxes.

The City of anila is expected to finish distributing the almost 700,000 boxes by December 12, 2022,” it added.

Each box contains assorted canned goods for “noche buena” (Christmas Eve dinner) such as corned beef, fruit cocktails, spaghetti sauce and noodles, milk and cheese.

Cops beefed up around Metro Manila for Yuletide season

CAMP BAGONG DIWA, Taguig City round , police o cers have been deployed in Metro Manila to ensure a peaceful and orderly celebration of the Yuletide season.

COVID-19 cases rise in Metro Manila, Nueva

Ecija, 11 other Luzon provinces

higher percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19.

MANILA Metro Manila’s positivity rate for COVID-19 continues to rise as more provinces in Luzon have seen a

At press time, Metro Manila’s positivity rate climbed to 12.4% from 11.1%, according to the independent OCTA Re-

search group.

This prompted experts from the Department of Health (DOH) to forecast that the country’s daily COVID-19 case count could reach as high as 3,172 this month if compliance to minimum public health standards, such as the proper wearing of face mask, physical distancing, and hand hygiene, declines.

n December , the D confirmed 1,173 new infections nationwide, with the overall case tally reaching 4,041,023. Over 3.95 million of the total have been tagged as recovered while 64,725 died, bringing the number of active cases to 18,256.

Data shared by OCTA fellow Guido David showed at least 12 Luzon areas, apart from Metro Manila, recorded an increase in their COVID-19 positivity rates from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3 up from the nine provinces listed a week before.

Of the 12, Nueva Ecija had the highest percentage at 39.1% as of Saturday, from the 32.9% as of Nov. 26.

Lt. Col. Dexter Versola, National Capital Region olice ce CR spokesman, said Brig. Gen. Jonnel C. Estomo, NCRPO director, ordered that aside from the deployment of the cops around the metropolis, they will be monitoring activities during the forthcoming Christmas period leading to the New Year holidays.

They will also monitor all law enforcement and public safety operations by PNP units down to police stations, particularly the situation in churches and other places of convergence during the traditional Simbang Gabi (night masses) and Misa de Gallo.

The five police district directors under the NCRPO’s command have been instructed to conduct security assessments in their respective areas to determine crime-prone areas and plan their deployment of foot and mobile patrols accordingly,” he said.

The CR covers five districts -- the Manila Police District (MPD), Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Northern Police District (NPD), Southern Police District (SPD) and Eastern Police District (EPD).

Versola said the police deployment and other public safety operations during the Yuletide season are also meant to sustain the anti-criminality campaign of the NCRPO under Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo that has resulted in the gradual decline in index crimes in Metro Manila.

45 World War vets in NegOr honored with US Congressional Gold Medal

D T CIT orty five orld ar II ilipino veterans in egros riental have been awarded the nited tates Congressional old edal in ceremonies at the iliman niversity in Dumaguete City. enior ndersecretary ose austino r. of the Department of ational Defense D D led the presentation of the replica of the Congressional old edical together with mbassy o cials. austino lauded the nited tates government for giving recognition to ilipino war heroes, noting the sacrifices that they made for the sake of the country and the world.

The former rmed orces chief of staff said the award of the medal was long overdue, adding it was but fitting to pay them tribute as they set a good example of bravery, courage, and sacrifice to the younger generations. f the awardees, only four are still alive. The were given the medals posthumously to their relatives, said in a report by ary udaline artlow. This is a very proud moment for the veterans, they

Baguio unveils Christmas treats for tourists

I CIT oing to aguio City ere s good news.

ocals and tourists here will be treated to a whole month of full-packed fun as the city has lined up new Christmas attractions and events designed for public enoyment.

ngr. loysius apalo, city tourism o cer assured this as the city has opened the aguio otanical arden s spectacular nighttime Christmas round the orld and the nchanting Christmas decoration at the central business district where the public can pose for photos. This is aside from business establishments expected to oin in the merry-making with decorations in white

and yellow, with snow akes, especially along the city s main road, i a goot reported for .

The aguio Country Club riental Christmas decoration at the annual Christmas village has earlier opened to the public followed by the ma estic-theme Christmas decorations at the anor otel inside Camp ohn ay. apalo said these will further boost the tourists to visit the city, especially with events held every weekend of December, like the Cool Christmas at the Rose arden featuring a Christmas-themed food truck showcase, Christmas installations, goodies, open mic street busking and artists street performances that opened last Dec. .

are a part of our history and they give us inspiration in that whatever peace we are experiencing right now, whatever we want to hand over to the next generations, we have to backtrack and relive their bravery and heroism, austino said.

US Senate staff members visit De Lima at PNP Custodial Center

C CR , ue on City taff members of an American senator last week visited former Senator Leila de Lima in her quarters at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center.

De Lima, who a person under PNP custody, was visited by Chris Homan, senior adviser on national security and foreign policy of US Democrat Senator Dick Durbin, and three others assisted by US Embassy personnel last Thursday.

The visit was allowed by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branches 204 and 256 and was coordinated by the US Embassy in Manila with the PNP. acting chief of directorial staff a . Gen. Michael John Dubria approved the visit upon compliance with all the requirements and necessary security protocols.

The Americans were briefed by Lt. Col. Larry Gabion, Chief of Custodial Center, y on the ad usted security measures at the facility following the botched escape attempt by three detained members

of the Abu Sayyaf Group that threatened de Lima’s life last Oct. 9.

Homan was informed that de Lima’s health condition is regularly monitored by PNP doctors.

The team was also briefed on de Lima’s personal decision to remain at the facility despite offers of transfer to a detention facility.

De ima is confined in separate living quarters where she has her own basic furniture and fixtures.

De Lima has been detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City since February 2017.

She is facing drug-related charges for her alleged role in drug proliferation inside the national penitentiary when she was ustice secretary during the term of the late President Benigno Aquino III.

De Lima was acquitted in one of her three drug cases in February last year, while two others are pending before the courts.

PHL envoys urged to promote country’s interests, forge partnerships with foreign gov’ts, investors

MANILA President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.has called on Filipino diplomats to promote and protect the Philippine interests in the respective countries where they will be assigned.

Marcos made the call as the country’s dignitaries paid him a visit at Malacañan Palace in Manila.

Those who visited President Marcos were Ambassadors Grace Tolentino Cruz-Fabella (Argentina), Jaime Victor Badillo Leda (Belgium), Joseph Gerard Bacani Angeles (Brazil), Eduardo Martin Ramos Meñez (Czech Republic), Gina Alagon Jamoralin (Indonesia), Pedro Ramirez Laylo Jr. (Israel), Nathaniel Garcia Imperial (Italy), Mylene De Joya Garcia-Albano (Japan) and Wilfredo Cunanan Santos (Jordan).

Other envoys who met with Marcos were Ambassadors Lilybeth Rodriguez Deapera (United Mexican States), Lilibeth Velasco Pono (Qatar), Medardo Antonio Gonzales Macaraig (Singapore) and Alfonso Ferdinand Agbayani Ver (United Arab Emirates).

As he acknowledged the vital role of newly-appointed and confi rmed ambassadors as the Philippines’ representatives in various countries, the President reminded them to keep good ties with its foreign partners and allies while upholding the country’s independent foreign policy and interests.

Seek partnerships and build good relations with receiving states and foreign investors, Marcos Jr. told the new and confi rmed hilippine ambassadors.

“And whether or not they are allies, whether or not they are friendly, nonetheless, it is very important that we continue to communicate, that we continue to engage, that we continue to have a way to explain what the Philippines is trying to do, how the Philippines sees its role in the community of nations,” he said during the meeting.

As the world grapples with multiple challenges, Marcos said the ambassadors have a key role to play when it comes to advancing the national interests of the country.

He advised them to adapt to chang-

es, given their diff erent mission of representing the Philippines to other countries.

arcos urged the o cials to exhaust all eff orts to attain his administration s goal of bringing progress and development to the country.

They were also asked to help the administration to boost the country’s economic growth so Filipinos would have a better life.

“The Chief Executive reminds the Philippine Ambassadors to continue the eff orts of the government in communicating and promoting the interest

of the Philippines, as well as to maximize available resources and opportunities for partnerships with other nations in order to help the Philippine economy and make life better for the Filipino people around the world, the ce of the President said.

The resident rea rmed his commitment to upholding the nation’s independent foreign policy and assured the diplomats of his administration’s unwavering support as he sent them off to their respective countries of assignment,” the OP statement added.

VP Sara to spend Xmas holiday in Davao City, eyes more school visits with BBM

PASIG CITY Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte disclosed she would spend her Christmas holiday with family in Davao City.

“Yes, we will do that with my children and my family, and my mother as well,” she said.

She said her team is still waiting for the schedule of President Ferdinand R. arcos r. to finali e plans for the Department of Education (DepEd) visitation.

“In fact, totoong plano talaga namin is that I move in early. Inaantay lang namin makita kung ano po ‘yung schedule ni Pangulong Marcos, so that we can do our rounds dito sa (here in) Mindanao for Department of Education, kasi kailangan din kausapin ‘yung regional of-

fices namin because we need to talk to our regional o ces , she said.

Duterte explained the importance of personally visiting schools in the region to come up with an on-the-ground assessment.

She said she has noticed a “disconnection between the central o ce, where orders are coming from, and the regional o ces, down to schools.

“Na-notice ko na there’s quite a disconnect between sa central o ce and dun sa field operations namin. omething that we did for the Department of ducation, binaba ko yung secs undersecretaries)], Asecs (assistant secretaries namin, binaba ko sila doon sa regions, I brought them on-the-ground, down to the regions),” she said.

Duterte was referring to DepEd’s officials meeting with regional and school

PMS chief Angping resigns? Marcos grants ‘time off’

MANILA President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the request of residential anagement taff Secretary Maria Zenaida “Naida” Angping for personal time off to attend to

family matters.

There are reports, however, that Angping, a former Miss Caltex and threeterm congresswoman of Manila’s third district, may eventually resign following reports that her husband, former congressman Harry Angping, was arrested in a hotel in Bangkok for alleged sexual harassment

If ngping o cially resign, she will be the fourth ranking o cial to leave the Cabinet since r. arcos assumed o ce on une , after xecutive ecretary ictor Rodrigue , ress ecretary Trixie Cru ngeles and Commission on Audit Chairman Jose Calida.

There are rumors that a fifth Cabinet member may yet go.

Harry Angping reportedly made unwanted sexual advances on a female housekeeping staff at the arriott arquis ueens otel, before the arrival of President Marcos and delegation there for the sia acific conomic Cooperation C summit from ovember to .

It was gathered that the PMS chief re-

portedly was not allowed to y to angkok after Malacanang learned of the incident involving her husband.

The Angping couple has not reacted to the reports on the Bangkok incident. The incident, however, was denied by

the ce of the ress ecretary. ndersecretary Cheloy arafil, o cer in charge of the ce of the ress ecretary (OPS), denied the PMS chief was allegedly o oaded from the presidential plane while in Manila.

shortly before the break of dawn to welcome the faithful to attend masses. It is also known in Spanish as “Misa de Gallo,” or “Mass of the Rooster,” so-called because it is in the early morning when the fowl starts to crow, and some farmers, like my father, start to work in the fields. It is also known as Misa de Aguinaldo, “Mass of the Gift,” who is Jesus Christ himself, God’s gift to humanity.

Simbang Gabi was introduced in St. Isabella in 2009 by Fr. Feliciano Mofan as a deep-rooted Filipino tradition. The Latinos have their posadas, the Western countries have their Santa Clauses, and the Filipinos have their Simbang Gabis.

The imbang abi was first introduced by the panish

Friars in the Philippines in the 16th century. It manifested the devotional heritage of the Friars to Christianize the Philippines. It was a pagan country when Magellan, a Portuguese navigator under the employ of Spanish royalty, landed on its shores in 1521.

In the United States, or elsewhere in the world where there are colonies of Filipinos, Simbang Gabi is celebrated in the evening in order to accommodate the needs of members of the community who have different work schedules. No matter how and when this celebration is held the Simbang Gabi provides an indication of the depth of the Catholic faith among Filipinos who constituted 85% of the 105 million global population. It is also an expression of sacrifice and dedication for it takes an amount of will and discipline to get out of bed so early in the morning to go to church in a dire wish to obtain special favors.

The Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, which includes Marin County, headed by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, acknowledges the ever presence

Asian...

two males and a female.

The trio shouted racist slurs at the couple, with one calling the Asian man an “Asian pig.”

Like Los Angeles and San Francisco, in California, New York is one of the most culturally-diverse metropolitans in the US. The big cities, however, have also become the sites of frequent attacks, both verbal and physical, against Asians and Asian Americans.

Last week’s hate crime occurred on the subway car traveling to Times Square from the Grand Central Station.

The 42-year-old Asian man and his 41-year-old companion were already on the train when the thugs got on the subway car. The trio demanded that the Asians vacate their seats, but the couple ignored their bullying tactics.

While continuing to respond to the verbal provocations, one of the trio began physically assaulting the Asian man, who would require several stitches on his head due to the injuries caused by the attack.

Witnesses said they trio continued to hurl racist expletives at the pair while the assault continued. They were called “Asian pig” and “Asian pigs” by the thugs.

The assault stopped when the train reached the Times

(From page 1) Opposition...

This offering is to make sure that our overseas ilipino workers get to save part of their income, Diokno said.

Diokno earlier said the RDBs would push through before the year ends, but due to the busy holiday season, the government opted to launch it in the first quarter of 2023.

In October last year, the Philippine government raised $1.593 billion, or around P80.83 billion, through the country s first-ever onshore RD offering.

The said RD s are the first onshore dollar-denominated bonds to be issued by the Bureau of the Treasury in amounts of as low as $300.

Earlier this quarter, the Philippine government successfully returned to the international capital markets for the third time this year, its first under the arcos administration, raising $2 billion from its US dollardenominated bond offering.

In the same event, Diokno expressed support for the proposed measure that seeks to put up a sovereign wealth fund.

Diokno said the proposed Maharlika Wealth Fund is intended for future generations of Filipinos and will come up with the necessary safeguards. ust make sure that it is not identified with the president, such as that whoever is the president, he cannot meddle with the use of the fund. You really have to have a governing council that is totally out of government,” Diokno said.

“We want to create a fund that will take care of future generations of Filipinos. We really have to set aside

of Filipinos in church services. Filipinos are vital cogs of parish activities especially during the Christmas season. Church activities are vibrant and alive because of Filipino parishioners who bring with them their deeply rooted Catholic faith. They are avid altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, choir members, collectors, greeters.

Fr. Mark Reburiano, after 11 years as pastor of St. Isabella, now the parish priest of St. Gregory Church in San Mateo, CA, recommended to St. Isabella parishioners to request the Archbishop to continue Simbang Gabi as an annual event. The new pastor Fr. Cyril O’Sullivan has agreed to allow Simbang Gabi to continue. It is spearheaded by the Filipino- Americans of Northern California Organization, FANCO.

The Simbang Gabi mass at St. Isabella starts at pm preceded by a Rosary and confessions. After the mass on Dec.18, there will be a fellowship at the church’s lobby. Come and celebrate and be one in welcoming Christ through these 3-day masses during Christmas season.

quare station. The three suspects immediately ed. nd while they could not be identified immediately, stills and video screenshots taken by several witnesses were released to the NYPD.

The police described the suspects as younger, either in their twenties or thirties.

The sian man also suffered in uries in other parts of his body, besides the stitches he needed. The man and his companion, however, refused further medical attention.

All sorts of crimes have been taking place in the city’s subway system, and the hate crimes such as the one that took place last week has been acknowledged by the overnor s o ce, the ayor s o ce, and the D leadership.

The latest hate crime is believed to have a good chance of being solved due to the videos and stills provided by witnesses, which have been widely disseminated. The NYPD also asked anyone with information on the suspects to contact them, specifically the hate-crime task force in the Department known as CrimeStopper.

While the witnesses to the latest incident were too stunned to take action, some did have the presence of mind to take videos, which should prove helpful in identifying, apprehending, and charging the suspects with a hate crime, now considered a federal offense.

for the future,” he added.

House Bill No. 6398 proposes to establish the said fund, which would draw resources primarily from contributions from the Government Service Insurance System I , ocial ecurity ystem , and ank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines.

Wealth...

(From page 1)

Sen. Imelda Imee Marcos, elder sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has expressed apprehension about the plan as crafted by some o cials along with other senators while her nephew and president’s son, Rep. Sandro Marcos, along with former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and many lawmakers insisted on the importance of the wealth fund.

Other groups have also opposed the fund as crafted amid qualms raised by several sectors over the possible depletion of pension funds of the Government Servince Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS) and amid the bad experience of Malaysia of its own version of the fund which resulted in the indictment of its former Prime Minister for alleged corruption in connection with the Malaysian sovereign fund.

While the GSIS and SSS chiefs aired initial support to the sovereign fund proposal with some amendments, Speaker Martin Romuladez has instructed lawmakers to remove GSIS and SSS from initial investors to the fund.

Aside from from the GSIS investment of P125 billion; SSS P50 billion, Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) was supposed to invest P50 billion in the fund and the Development Bank

of the Philippines (DBP), P25 billion.

Meanwhile, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said she was supporting the creation of the sovereign wealth fud.

Arroyo stressed that sovereign wealth funds are not new, citing Singapore’s Temasek Holdings that has been in existence since 1974, and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation that is in operation since 1981.

This developed as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his vow to spend government funds on programs and projects that will improve the lives of Filipinos.

He made this promise during the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) presentation of banknotes bearing his signature and new coin series in a ceremony at Malacañan Palace.

“Be assured that it is the policy of this administration to ensure that every peso and every centavo that the government spends in its programs and pro ects will be to the benefit of all Filipinos,” he said in his speech.

Marcos called on the BSP and other concerned agencies to intensify efforts against counterfeiting and other illegal activities, ensure price stability, enrich banking reforms and sharpen strategies to guarantee that public interest remains at the heart of the government’s priorities.

He encouraged government agencies and the Filipino people to come up with sustainable and smart solutions that will uplift lives and lessen the burden on the people.

Marcos also renewed his pitch for unity to improve the safety and eciency of the hilippine financial system.

He conveyed his full support to all of our o cials and their employees, saying he had complete confidence in their capability, competence and integrity.

Meanwhile, Marcos welcomed the issuance of the new polymer banknote which he described as “smarter, cleaner, stronger” amid safety concerns due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the new banknotes also

promote environmental sustainability and celebrate the country’s rich natural and national heritage.

Marcos echoed calls to raise more awareness on the proper handling of polymer banknotes as the country transitions to using plastic money.

The plastic money features complex security features such as sampaguita clear window, serial numbers, shadow thread, vertical clear window, metallic features, blue iridescent figure, polymer substrate, tactile dots, embossed print, ying eagle and enhanced value panel.

The polymer banknotes are less susceptible to viral and bacterial transmission and can be sanitized with less risk of being damaged, according to the BSP.

Plant more trees, support DENR, Million Trees Foundation urges

CIT - s the country observed lobal arming and Climate Change Consciousness eek, the illion Trees oundation, Inc. T I urged all stakeholders to support the priority programs of the Department of nvironment and atural Resources D R to ensure an integrated approach to the problem of climate change.

In a statement, T I resident and xecutive Director elandrew T. elasco said mitigating the effects of climate change needs the cooperation of all stakeholders. e cited that among the government priority programs, T I is committed to continue its support to the reforestation program and programs to ensure water security and resilience in high water-stressed areas.

ur goal is to plant more trees and grow them. T I s ob ective is really to grow trees in critical watersheds and continue the gains of the nnual illion Tree

Challenge, elasco said.

e make sure the tree species we plant are compatible with the type of soil, he said, adding, this contributes to the success in reforestation. T I targets to plant million more tress by . It has succeeded in pla ting . million trees in seven critical watersheds in ngat, Ipo, a esa, miray, aguna ake, aliwa and pper arikina that supply potable water to etro anila and its environs from to through the nnual illion Trees Challenge TC of the etropolitan aterworks and ewerage ystem .

ccording to elasco, reforesting the watersheds contributes to water security. or his part, T I Chairman meritus en. Reynaldo . elasco said it is our obligation to care for our environment.

Trees capture carbon dioxide and intensifying tree-planting means more trees to absorb carbon emissions, he added.

T I has partnered with various orga-

ni ations and the business sector to pursue its reforestation program.

ne of its partners is an iguel Corporation, one of the country s leading conglomerates. oltsering its climate action initiatives, C power subsidiary C

lobal ower oldings Corp. C reported the successful planting and growing of over five million new trees and mangroves from to date, under its multiyear, nationwide forestation and carbon capture program.

DICT’s Uy, DOST’s Solidum, others secure Commission on Appointments’ nod

PASAY CITY The Commission on ppointments C confirmed the appointments of three more Cabinet ocials.

Department ecretaries Ivan ohn y of Information and Communications Technology DICT , Raphael otilla nergy or D and ecretary Renato olidum r. cience and Technology or

D T have secured their confirmation a week before Congress holds its Christmas break.

side from three Cabinet secretaries who were confirmed by the C , foreign service positions under the Department of oreign ffairs D , including former D ecretary and hilippine mbassador to the nited ingdom

Teodoro ocsin and uli rroyo- ernas, the daughter of former resident loria acapagal- rroyo, as the hilippine mbassador to ustria have also secured their appointments.

During the deliberation on his appointment, y told the body that he shares the vision of resident erdinand R. arcos r. in the digitali ation of the country.

hen I had a discussion with is xcellency resident erdinand R. arcos r. about his vision on how digitali ation can bring about our economic development, we did share a lot of things, y said.

e cited connectivity, access, e-governance, and cybersecurity as the priorities of the DICT under his leadership.

EDITORIAL

Trump wants to do what??

The answer to this question borders on the insane. And we suspect that if he receives negative flak for saying so, he will say it was just a joke.

But earlier this week, former president Donald Trump said it was time to terminate the Constitution.

Let that seep in for a minute.

Political analysts say he was just doing what he usually does, which is to call attention to himself and his wild thoughts. It is quite possible that he is totally clueless that what he suggests is the most idiotic statement yet from a former president since the US was founded.

It not only borders on sedition, but is an outright assault on democracy.

The sad thing is that he still has enough followers who would take his “suggestion” seriously. This, of course, can mean that he can appoint himself as president, or goad his less-than-completely-sane followers to take the law in their own hands and remove from office all elected Democrats and even Republicans whose beliefs contradict his own.

Indeed, it is only his extremist followers who will believe in the soundness of his suggestion.

We have to wonder if he is following the Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping playbook, citing the basic law of the land as little more than a scrap of paper that may be followed only if it suits their whims.

Sadly, there are a number of GOP leaders who have not contradicted Trump. Their silence says it all. They have become acolytes of the worst kind, who see the 45th president as a godsend and savior of these United States of America.

We can hazard a guess that Trump made the insane suggestion because his announced bid to run for president for a third time has received little traction. He has lost the charisma that was his in the run up to the 2016 elections.

His oft repeated lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him has gotten so boring that the general electorate soundly rejected almost all his bets who still parroted that line.

What bothers him even more is the undeniable fact that new leaders have emerged within the Republican Party, any one of whom could stand a chance of winning in 2024. Ron DeSantis, anyone?

By comparison, Trump’s chances are as close to zero as can be imagined.

He may still hold sway over a fairly large plurality of US voters, perhaps even a majority of GOP voters.

It is for this reason that his endorsement is still precious to some candidates in traditionally red states. If everything falls into place, those Trump diehards can win. But only local posts.

But imagine for a minute that Trump was serious, and he really does want to scrap the Constitution. Or terminate it, to use his preferred word.

What then? Would he declare himself president for life, and anoint his junior to succeed him when the time comes?

That, ladies and gentlemen, is neither the Russian nor the Chinese scenario, but of North Korea.

He once called North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un “rocket man.” He even said he “fell in love” with Kim.

From the looks of things, Kim is who Trump really wants to be a mad dictator.

Pink butterflies on our tree

Ours was more than a Christmas tree, with its giant pink silk butter ies nesting on twinkling branches. y beloved mom sent us those butter ies handcrafted in my birthland.

utter ies do not represent Christmas, someone would always think they know better to remind me upon beholding the inescapable 7-footer in our living room. They metamorphose in their cocoons and don t utter out in the winter, certainly not to perch on icy lea ess twigs, they d declare. And pink, why?

Neither do evergreen bloom with grow red, green or gold balls, I could have shot back. Nor do angels magically land on treetops to protect the hillock of presents from hands that can’t wait till the precise time to know if they’d been naughty or nice. Allegedly.

It’s all about symbols, silly, I’d reply.

The late hilippine enator Tessie quino - reta, whose butter y-bedecked tree in her pre-People Power home in exile in South San Francisco, inspired my family’s treein-diaspora. aturally the reta butter ies were yellow.

Tessie was kind enough to share the source of her butter ies. daughter, if memory serves, of Senator Lorenzo Tanada, the human and civil rights champion, a foe of the dictatorship. Luckily a son of Ka Tanny was married to the sister of one of my sistersin-law, a common connection in Manila, where our family paths intersected.

My newspaper columnist father’s values paralleled Tanada’s. When Dad passed on Dec. 16, 1989, mom joined my family in Daly City, becoming our only son Juan Miguel’s best friend. She told him of holidays in the ancestral homeland the nine dawn masses or Simbang Gabi, the fragrant bibingka (rice cake) and ensaimadas or briochelike pastries awaiting afterward.

Because mom was the eldest of six siblings, our Manila home became reunion central, especially during the holidays. My parents made sure everyone received a present, even after the newspaper publishing his column was shut down by the repressive government for challenging the dictatorship. Mom stood by Dad through his crusade, even if her closest relatives were diehard allies of the dictator.

We traveled to Antipolo to choose our tree from a friend’s farm, but as newcomers in California we merely picked from the garden center of a department store. Every year our tree with pink butter ies perfumed our home and brought back memories of the loving family we missed so dearly. Until 2008, when my mother passed away, and I lost the will to decorate for the holidays. very year I wonder if ike and I would get a tree again, liberate the pink butter ies hibernating in the garage. Maybe soon, now that Juan and Crystel have Joaquin, 8, and Matias, 6, to listen our stories of their brave and resilient ancestors.

***

SMC optimism amid challenging times in the power sector Longevity Tips at Amazon; Atsi Lyda’s 80th birthday

Areport quoting Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla that the country’s power supply situation in 2023 is likely to be di cult reminds me of former President Fidel V. Ramos who said “Let us make sure the lights never go off in the Philippines again!”

For it was during the latter part of President Cory Aquino’s administration and the early years of FVR’s administration when the country suffered intense power outages and I pray we will not go back to those dark and bleak months in our country’s history. To FVR’s credit however, the problem was addressed enabling the government to pursue its economic development goals.

There is no argument that reliable and affordable energy is needed to spur the growth of industries, improve transportation, modernize agriculture, and provide a comfortable living condition to people.

But our energy sources still remain to be fully harnessed and much still has to be done to improve our energy infrastructure.

Meralco, the largest private sector electric distribution utility company in the country, accounts for 55% of the country’s electricity output. Its coverage includes 36 cities and 75 municipalities. The electricity it distributes is provided by independent power producers.

It has power supply agreements with San Miguel Corporation Global Power Holdings through South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC) and San Miguel Energy Corp. (SMEC), independent power producers (IPP) of the 1,200-megawatt (MW) Ilijan power plant and the 1,200 MW Sual power plant.

The existing agreements are regulated by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), a quasi-judicial regulatory body created pursuant to the Republic Act No. 9136, the EPIRA Law. It is “tasked to promote competition, encourage market development, ensure customer choice and penalize abuse of market power in the electricity industry.”

ERC is now headed by lawyer Monalisa Dimalanta who earlier served as chairperson of the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) from 2019 to 2021. An alumna of the University of the Philippines, Dimalanta was former chief legal counsel and compliance o cer of the boiti ower Corporation, one of the leading suppliers in the Philippines.

As consumers of electricity, we have witnessed how our electric bills vary. It is di cult to peg the price of electricity because it is affected by several factors, among these the cost of generation. An increase in the cost of generation in turn necessitates a hike in the rate charged by independent power producers for their business to remain viable.

To date, SMC has incurred losses in its operation of the two power plants in Batangas and Pangasinan. A rate adjustment would help SMC recover its losses over time. This would be a win-win solution for all stakeholders. Terminating the power supply agreements and entering into a new one with a different player could be more costly.

petition for a rate ad ustment filed by C s subsidiaries with the ERC however was rejected. The regulatory body stressed that the fixed price nature of the sub ect is meant precisely to protect consumers from market volatilities, such risks being assumed by the supplier.” But to discerning groups and individuals, that’s not what it seems to be since business or power politics seems to be raring its ugly head in the power sector that might lead us again to the dark ages.

It is lamentable that the ERC “chose to look the other way” when it ruled against the petition for a temporary relief to recover part of the P15 billion in losses incurred by the units of SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. (SMCGP), the power arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC).

In a statement, SMCGP was made aware of the looming power rate hikes. It was also duly informed of how it can ensure that the public gets the lowest possible rate while energy players continue to supply power viably amid rising geopolitical risks beyond anybody’s control.

As if on cue, on November 24, the Court of Appeals issued a TRO suspending the implementation of the power supply agreement of the SMC subsidiary SPPC with Meralco.

To compound the matter on the looming energy crisis, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (Continue on page 27)

As book author, columnist and active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California, I am delighted to announce that LONGEVITY TIPS subtitled “Secrets” You Can Discover and Do for Good Health and Longevity is now available through Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback and E-Book.

Health & Wealth

The newly-released bestseller from Amazon lays out your roadmap and “secrets” for good health and longevity. The Foreword was written by Dr. Yvonne P. Bulong , M.D. from Baguio City, Philippines.

The back cover included the author’s group picture with boxing icon and former Philippine Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao together with the WE CARE Ministries Team during a courtesy call inside his mansion in General Santos City, Sarangani, Philippines last February 19, 2016. Those who joined the courtesy call and prayer meeting with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao included Larry West, founder of WE CARE Ministries; Cole Robertson with the popular Duck Dynasty TV Show; Steven Prine, Director of WE CARE Philippines; and Erben Gonzales, Evangelist and Minister, CALASIAO CHURCH OF CHRIST in Cabilocaan, Calasiao, Pangasinan, Philippines.

Boxing legend and former Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao is now doing most of the “secrets” for good health and longevity as discussed in the new bestseller.

LONGEVITY TIPS is a lasting gift you can give to your FRANC (Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, CoWorkers) during Christmas, Anniversaries, Birthdays, Graduation and other occasions. It’s a timeless book you can add to your personal library. Get your E-book copy today through Amazon for only $5.95. Here are some comments and reviews on the newly-released bestseller.

“As a nursing educator and practicing nurse, I commend Art Gabot Madlaing, founde4r of FITESS FOR HUMANITY, for writing this timeless book. It is a must reading for everybody,” wrote, DEBORAH QUINIONES MARCOS, Registered Nurse with KAISER PERANENTE, San Francisco, California, USA.

“I commend and salute Art Madlaing for writing his latest book LONGEVITY TIPS. Every Christian couple and family must read, discover and do the FREE “secrets” fro good health and longevity,” echoed FELIX L. OLIDAN, JR. Evangelist and Minister, WANCHAI CHURCH OF CHRIST, Wanchai, Hongkong.

“Kudos to Art Gabot Madlaing, founder of FITNESS FOR HUMANITY, for writing this timeless book on good health and longevity. Every library in the Philippines and other countries must have copies of this important book for the reading public,” explained CORAZON M. NERA, Former Chair, Regulatory Board of Librarians; Director of Libraries, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Manila, Philippines.

“This latest book of Art Madlaing, LONGEVITY TIPS is a must reading for anyone interested to have good health and longevity in life,” wrote HENRY T. BRAVO, Elder, SURREY CHURCH OF CHRIST, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

“I am delighted to recommend this latest book of Art Madlaing, founder of FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST). This is the best and lasting gift you can give to your children and grandchildren,” said MILDRED WARD, Children’s Bible Class Teacher, GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST, San Francisco, California USA.

“LONGEVITY TIPS, a new bestseller, is the best and lasting gift for Christmas, graduation and other occasions. I highly recommend this timeless book to everybody especially to our students and Chinese friends,” echoed KEVIN KIM COLLADO, Academics Dean Chinese Language Professor, Asian Christian University, Bugallon, Pangasinan, Philippines.

“I am excited to recommend and share LONGEVITY TIPS, another bestseller, to my classmates, friends and fellow millennials,” wrote, KENNETH WILSON, Young Evangelist Speaker, “VOICE OF THE MILLENIALS” segment of the global MY ANGEL RADIOP SAN FRANCISCO, every Saturday, 1-3pm (PST).

The deaf don’t have to be mute

Recently, I had a scary experience of becoming temporarily but totally deaf and unable to make myself heard. I almost panicked because I was about to chair a zoom meeting. I noticed that I could not hear the participants. Neither could they hear me. Fortunately, the problem was only technical which was solved by switching to a standby laptop.

Now, I can more fully understand the handicap experienced by many Filipinos who are born profoundly deaf, who under normal circumstances are also mute. For many, there is no standby laptop.

Fortunately, we now have the Philippine Institute for the Deaf, the first oral chool recogni ed by the Department of Education. PID believes that the deaf don’t have to be mute. Thus, PID teaches the profoundly deaf to lip read, to speak and to succeed.

ID is non-profit school established in by xecutive Director Julie G. Esguerra under the umbrella of the Sergia Esguerra Memorial Foundation.

As Executive Director Esguerra explains: “Whenever a deaf child comes to us, we’re challenged, because he or she shouldn’t be mute. This child has a voice, and all we need is to look for that voice.. and listen!”

t the ID, a deaf child enrollee first undergoes hearing and aptitude evaluation. Then there is the regular 3 times a week one-on-one speech therapy session. The training is supplemented by the K-12 curricular programs and activities designed to encourage the students to express themselves.

These programs include basic computer skills, home economics, physical education and sports, dance and theater arts, painting, gardening, crafts, cooking and baking.

PID believes in a holistic approach so, pre-pandemic, it also conducted workshops for parents, siblings, and yayas so everyone will know how to teach and motivate the deaf children at home and in their social activities.

Some tips when you meet a deaf person:

-Face the person while you are speaking, don’t turn away.

-Speak clearly without shouting.

-Repeat yourself if necessary.

-If the person doesn’t understand you, don’t give up.

- Write it down or draw a picture.

-Speak one at a time, don’t talk over each other.

-Keep your mouth visible.

-Smile and relax.

-Don’t speak too quickly or too slowly.

PID’s forerunner, the Julie Esguerra Speech Clinic, commenced operation in in a rented -bedroom bungalow along cout Tua on, ue on City. In , the ergia sguerra Memorial Foundation was incorporated, with PID as its agship pro ect. The foundation is duly accredited by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and all donations to the foundation are fully tax-deductible.

In 1992, President Fidel V. Ramos, became PID’s number one supporter. Having been convinced of the value of PID’s alternative mode of training for the hearing impaired, President Ramos provided PID with a two-storey school building located inside the Presidential Security Guard Compound beside Nagtahan Bridge via a 25-year lease at P1/year.

Thanks to various corporate and individual donors, the compound is now a fenced secured campus furnished with 16 classrooms, one-on-one speech cubicles, an occupational room, a library and seminar room, a home economics room, a science laboratory, a computer library, a technical-vocational room, a guidance room, a multi-purpose gym with stage, and a small campus for sports activities.

PID has many beautiful and heartwarming stories to tell. There’s Ramizza Reyeg, who hopes to become a nurse someday. Christian Vega who is on track to becoming a physical education teacher. 37-year-old Karla, one of the pioneer students of PID, who completed a course in interior design in Mapua. 42-year-old Chrissy Camello, now living in Australia, married with chidren, who finished patisserie and retail baking.

There’s 31-year old Janno Lim, now in Canada, where he finished a bachelor s degree in geography. anno currently works as project coordinator

Why Maharlika is such a hard sell

The bi-cameral Congress may be preparing to railroad the so-called Maharlika Investment Fund into law, but will have to live with one undeniable fact it does not have the public support they thought it would get.

There are many reasons for this lack of support, some valid some not.

For one, the very word ‘Maharlika’ has always been identified with the father of the current president, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who even toyed with the idea of renaming the Republic of the Philippines into the Republic of Maharlika, or some variant thereof.

Another reason is that the country’s next door neighbor, Malaysia, had its own such fund, and it most certainly did not end well for countless Malaysians, who lost part or even all of their pension funds. The proponents may pay lip service to doing better than Malaysia, but few are buying it.

That this Maharlika fund will be launched with funding coming from the Government Service Insurance Corporation and the Social Security System without approval of the members of the country’s two biggest pension funds is also most disturbing.

As a retired Supreme Court senior justice pointed out, the SSS and the GSIS are owned by its members and all of the profits of both should go back to the members in the form of pensions and loans.

No one, but no one, is allowed to touch the SSS and GSIS funds except the members themselves. That’s an absolute. Yet here come proponents saying that they only plan to take the profits of both pension funds with the intention of investing them wisely.

If they believe the members will take their claim hook, line, and sinker, then they have another thing coming.

One more reason is the awful timing. As former senator Bam Aquino said, he had submitted a bill creating just such a fund in the past. Fellow senator JV Ejercito did the same thing, too. But their proposed bills never became law.

s quino said, the time when he filed his bill was when the Philippine economy was soaring. The country was considered as a rising tiger economy. Global investors were eager to plunk their funds into the country.

Not so, this time. The Philippine economy is still in a lame state. It’s recovering, they say, but even this claim is questionable.

Besides, the Marcos administration said that many investors were eager to place their funds in the Philippines, especially after the president visited the US earlier this year, when he had the chance to meet with some big players.

The Palace claimed that hundreds of millions of dollars would soon be coming in.

So why put up a mega fund which has the same purpose of investing in such things as infrastructure and large real estate projects?

Unsurprisingly, the likes of the Makati Business Club arguably the country’s biggest business organization was cool to the idea also.

One more key person whose support was barely lukewarm is the current Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor, Felipe Medalla, who said he was uncomfortable with the thought of an investment fund taking control of the country’s dollar reserves.

I have listened to the arguments of the fund’s proponents, and some seem quite valid, even solid. But there remains a nagging suspicion that something can go very, very wrong.

As one opponent said, the initial executives who will handle the fund may be the best and the brightest in the business, but what about what happens down the road? What if a future president pads its board with his or her cronies? What then?

There have been previous cases of pension funds all but disappearing because of financial mismanagement. ne big example that comes to mind is the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ pension fund, that went nearly belly up because the wise generals handling it believed they could dip their fingers on the fund owned by the men and women in uniform without regard for the consequences.

It was, in fact, an earlier version of the failed Malaysian fund. But unlike the then Ma-

Superhighways shorten travel time, good for tourism

It’s good to know that our home country has it’s own share of extensive superhighways that’s shortening travelers’ journey time .

This should augur well for Philippine tourism. It should make Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco’s thrusts more achievable.

Breaking Through

In fact, I heard the DOT goal of 1.7 million tourist arrivals this year has already been attained two months ago.

I’ve used the NLEX along with my family in trips to the northern provinces and I tell you it’s been a pleasurable experience.

I was impressed that from the Balintawak (Quezon City) toll gate, we were already in Carmen (Pangasinan) in two hours. It used to be at least 3 hours via the Dau exit. That was before NLEX was extended further north.

Now, this superhighway goes up to and ends in Rosario, La Union. This part of NLEX is actually connected to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Express or SCTex then to what is called TPLEX, short for Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

The first extension that extends from the Dau section northward is known as SCTEX which means SubicClark- Tarlac Expressway.

I heard plans to prolong the freeway more up to Ilocos Sur, or maybe up to Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte, whose Boracay-like beaches are the North’s premier tourist drawer. In fact, this northernmost town of the Ilocos is known as the “Boracay of the North.”

President Bongbong Marcos may yet make this happen, considering his aggressive stance and support for the tourism industry.

I wish PBBM would complement this with a serious effort to spruce up and upgrade the region s local airports to meet international standards and, consequently, make them worthy for overseas ights. The same attention should be accorded to the rest of the country’s airports that aren t yet international ight-capable.

Previous administrations’ airport improvements in the provinces had been limited.

It’s time to open up and regularize all local airports for international ights if we want to attract hordes and more hordes of tourists to our beautiful islands.

Let’s face it but we haven’t reached yet our full potential in the revenue-making tourism industry. The complaint is that visitors waste much time going to and from, and, between places they want to see especially where there are no superhighways.

Tourists have limited time and they make sure their allotted stay would allow them to literally cover as much ground as possible.This is not possible if they travel long hours.

They have a bucket list of places they want to see but long hours of travel discourage them. Other countries benefit from this, our own s handicap. *****

ERRATUM

Oops! There was an error in my previous column. The personality I wrote about is Pablito Sanidad, not Pablo Sanidad as was mistakenly stated in the printed edition of the newspaper. The same is corrected promptly in the online version through the Philippine News Today website, www. pnewstoday.com.

Sorry for the mistake dear readers especially Mayor Sanidad and his townmates in the United States who are regular readers of this paper. I sent the mayor the online edition which came out with his name spelled correctly. I’m thankful to our editor in chief for acting promptly.

Unless there is a surrender of either party or a graceful withdrawal from the Russia-Ukraine war, the war is going to be endless, perhaps even longer than the Vietnam War.

Russia can carry on the war in all levels (ground, air, sea) because of its super military arsenal and Ukraine likewise, with the continued support of its allies principally from the US, can also sustain the war for as long as it takes. So, how do we end the war?

As I See It, while Russian President Vladimir Putin withdrew his troops in the occupied territories recaptured by Ukraine forces, after a week of the withdrawal, Russia immediately engaged in missile strikes in Kyiv causing power outages in the villages. Well, people thought Putin has given up but no he became fiercer and more aggressive ust like a wounded animal do to defend itself. It’s like employing the military strategy (one step backward, two steps forward). I think he is no longer acting as the president of his country but already acting to boast his already bloated ego. The former KGB agent is an egomaniac.

We don’t know what he has in mind and won’t know his next step despite recent defeats in the battlegrounds and having domestic problems leading to domestic unrest. I think he thinks he is superior and won’t buckle down to small countries no matter how determined they are to continue with the war, just like Ukraine. His ego is as big as his head! So, when he is losing in ground warfare, which he acknowledged by withdrawing his forces, he resorted to other means such as air warfare, which he claims Russia have superior might.

According to Shannon Stapleton of Reuters, “People took shelter in a metro station from Russian missile attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday.

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Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine on Monday as Russia launched a barrage of missiles at multiple cities, including the capital, yiv, krainian o cials said.

In fact, Russia’s Defense Ministry boasted of carrying out a “massive strike” on military targets in Ukraine with “highprecision air and sea weapons basing,” in a statement posted Monday to Telegram. So, even his people are convinced to carry out what he wants them to do and they praise whatever actions they did.

They even accuse Ukraine of using drones to attack two military airfields in Russia one in the Rya an region and one in the aratov region and said its air defense forces had intercepted low- ying krainian drones, to ustify his actions.

Three Russian military personnel were killed no specific word where they were actually killed) and four injured soldiers were taken to medical facilities, the ministry said, and two aircraft were “slightly damaged.” Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the attack.

So, as a result of the air strikes, water supply and electric public transport were cut off also damaging two infrastructure sites, according krainian o cials.

This prompted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba calling for allies to send more weapons to Ukraine “to end Russian terror sooner.” Bridget Brink, U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, promised continued air defense support and energy assistance to Ukraine, while national security spokesman John Kirby called the latest strikes “another reminder of how Putin tries to bring people to their knees.”

What’s worse is neighboring Moldova also reported disruptions to its electricity system. Moldova, which is connected to kraine s power grid, has suffered blackouts from recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructures.

So, the European Union’s embargo on seaborne Russian crude and the roup of even s oil price cap went into effect, sending oil markets into uncharted territory as the West seeks to hit Russia’s oil revenue without creating price spikes. However, the Kremlin will still sell oil to countries that “will work with us on market conditions.”

In a separate development, Ukraine’s air force spokesman confirmed that Russia launched a

Putin, the unpredictable President of Russia, refuse to know the word “surrender”

Ways to prove good faith marriage

If you are applying for immigrant visa based on marriage to a U.S. citizen, it is a must that you discuss your case with an immigration attorney. Many people do it by themselves but later on find problems along the way. It could be in the long wait for adjudication, more evidence requested and legal issues they could not resolve. In proving good faith marriage the USCIS is governed by case law that we will discuss here.

Question: What is the main consideration to determine if the marriage is in good faith?

Answer: The central inquiry in determining whether a bona fide marriage exists is the I T T of the parties at the time they entered into the marriage; the parties must have had the intent to establish a life together. ee, ark v. I , . d , th Cir. , see also atter of c ee, I Dec. I . The conduct of the parties after the marriage is relevant to their intent at the time of their marriage. ee, atter of aureano, I Dec. I . There is no sham marriage where the petitioner and beneficiary I T T to establish a life together at the time they were married, ark v. I , . d th Cir. .

Question: What kind of evidence is needed for USCIS to determine is the marriage is a fraud?

nswer The I in atter of . ingh, I Dec. I , enumerated the following are the legal standards to follow:

The standard of proof necessary to bar the approval of a visa petition based on marriage fraud under section c of the Immigration and ationality ct, . .C. c , is substantial and probative evidence.

The degree of proof necessary to constitute substantial and probative evidence is more than a preponderance of evidence, but less than clear and convincing evidence; that is, the evidence has to be more than probably true that the marriage is fraudulent.

The nature, quality, quantity, and credibility of the evidence of marriage fraud contained in the record should be considered in its totality in determining if it is substantial and probative.

The application of the substantial and probative evidence standard requires the examination of all of the relevant evidence and a determination as to whether such evidence, when viewed in its totality, establishes, with su cient probability, that the marriage is fraudulent. oth direct and circumstantial evidence may be considered in determining whether there is substantial and probative evidence of marriage fraud under section c of the ct, and circumstantial evidence alone may be su cient to constitute substantial and probative evidence.

If your case has been long delayed, it probably is under investigation. Many marriage cases are now under investigation due to fraud. ven if the parties were able to get approved in their petition and ad ustment of status, there is the next hurdle which is the removal of condition on residence. In addition if you get your immigrant visa based on marriage, there is another hurdle coming which is when you apply for naturalization. Usually the USCIS opens up the file and further check if the applicant s marriage is in good faith. or those who get their green card through marriage, it is best to consult with an immigration lawyer before filing a orm I- removal of condition on residence and orm - application for aturali ation. Many cases are now being denied based on fraudulent marriage.

ote This is not a legal advice. ou need to speak to an Immigration ttorney to analy e your personal circumstances. e offer free consultation on immigration matters. If you have immigration problems the aw ces of Crispin C. o ano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation.

R I

T R D R - D

ou can still take advantage of the tax refunds for the self employed which include days of sick leave and days of family leave with a maximum refund of .

California Real ID extended to The deadline to implement the Real ID has been extended to ay , . That means riding in an airplane is still allowed for those without Real ID.

- pplication for aturali ation

The USCIS is now giving priorities to application for naturalization . The reason is obviously to allow qualified immigrants to vote in the coming midterm and presidential election. There are cases when the waiting time is only six months compared to prior years. res. iden is encouraging all qualified to file for naturali ation. This is a rare opportunity that all qualified should take advantage of.

C I R ID

e help our clients recover from employers unpaid minimum wage and overtime. ndocumented workers are qualified to apply.

C R CCID T

ur aw irm successfully settled a car accident for . .

I e also handle uncontested DI RC .

I C T R

We can help you if you are under IRS audit, need a representation with IRS, need to reduce your tax liability or need to offer a payment plan to IR ,

CC T RI

or the month of ovember, , we received approval from CI two naturali ation applications, one Fiancée visa petition, two removals of condition on residence and two adjustment of status applications.

Note: If you have immigration problems write us a letter and we will reply to you with no initial obligation. The aw ces of Crispin C. o ano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse, which could lead to deportation and family separation. ou may request a free consultation at one of our o ces in ayward or Cerritos, C , or by phone at - - - . www.crispinlo anolaw.com, email at info ccllaw.net

Villar to expand into casino resort complex in 2023

I CIT - illionaire anny illar is set to add another business to his empire that already includes property development, malls, water and memorial parks, among others.

This time illar, one of the wealthiest Filipinos and former Senate president, will go into as egas-style casino resort ust like nrique Ra on r. and the family of the late enry y. illar identified an -hectare property in the Las Piñas-Parañaque area as the site of the casino resort complex,

It s a big development. e will be launching next year, early next year, illar said.

illar said the pro ect, to be called the old Coast ntertainment City, would not only have gambling facilities but would eventually include hotels, condominiums, a mall, and a theme park to be constructed by illar roup s rime s-

set entures Inc.

illar noted that even before its launching, the casino has been gaining traction in the gaming space.

A foreign gaming company will be tapped to operate the casino resort, he said.

eanwhile, on housing giant ista and ifescapes Inc., illar said it would be more active next year, expressing optimism about the industry s performance as the Philippines shifts to the new normal.

e have been holding back for three years. While we remained active in the market, we did not pursue it as much, illar said.

e will return to developing more vertical projects because I want to preserve the land because land is getting to be more expensive. ext year we will have more vertical pro ects, he added.

Vista Land to ramp up residential projects next year

I CIT

omebuilder and integrated property developer ista and ifescapes Inc. will ramp up the launch of residential projects in to help curb the rising housing backlog as the situation improves with the reopening of the economy.

ista and chairman anuel illar r. said that the company remains optimistic with the industry amid the strong economic growth, coupled with sustained Filipino remittance.

e will be more active in housing. We have been holding back for three years due to the pandemic though we did not stop. While we remained active in the market, we did not pursue it as much, he said.

With the further reopening of the economy, illar said the firm will build more vertical housing pro ects next year compared to horizontal ones.

If these are vertical housing, you can preserve more land because land is getting to be more expensive, he said.

e added it already shifted back to building more vertical housing projects this year and expects to end with a - ratio of vertical to hori ontal housing projects.

illar said they will build both highrise and mid-rise condominiums to cater to various segments of the market.

ista and launched pro ects with an estimated value of about . billion as of the end of the third quarter of . The project value doubled the full year level.

‘Queen of Kundiman’ Sylvia La Torre dies in Los Angeles

singer, she studied music at the University of Santo Tomas’ Conservatory of Music as a scholar.

In the 1950s, she began recording, such as the folk songs “Sa Kabukiran,” “Mutya ng Pasig,” and “Waray Waray.” For this she was dubbed “Queen of Kundiman.”

Eventually, she was on radio and television, making her mark as the co-host of the TV show “Oras ng Ligaya” in the ‘60s, earning her the moniker “First Lady of Philippine Television.”

Saya” and “The Big Show.”

La Torre was also a famous radio talent via “Tuloy ang Ligaya.”

She recorded over 300 songs, including “Waray Waray,” “Maalala Mo Kaya,” “Sa Kabukiran,” “Galawgaw,” “Kalesa,” “Mutya ng Pasig,” and “Bituing Marikit.

Anna Perez De Tagle thanked her grandmother for passing on her love of music and for being her first inspiration” as a performer.

LOS ANGELES - Another Filipino showbiz icon has passed away.

She is actress, singer and radio star Sylvia Reyes La Torre, dubbed as the “Queen of Kundiman.” She died in Los Angeles, California at 89 on December 1.

a Torre s passing was confirmed in an Instagram post by her granddaughter, Broadway singer and former Disney star Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, best known for appearing in “Hannah Montana” and the “Camp Rock films.

Anna said the renowned artist “died peacefully in her sleep” at 7:02

a.m. of December 1 while surrounded by her husband of 68 years, Dr. Celso Perez de Tagle, and their children Artie, Bernie, and Che-Che.

“RIP (Rest in peace) to my grandmother, Ms. Sylvia La Torre Perez de Tagle. - First Lady of Philippine Television, Queen of Kundiman and Tandang Sora Awardee, devoted wife of Dr. Celso Perez de Tagle, loving mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother, caring auntie, and affectionate friend,” Anna Maria Perez De Tagle wrote in a social media post.

ellow showbi icons offered their condolences. They include theater legend Lea Salonga, stage actor Jon Jon Briones, Disney actress Christy Carlson Romano, and photographer Niccolo Cosme.

Born in Manila in 1933, Sylvia was the daughter of Filipino artist Leonora Reyes and director Olive La Torre.

Sylvia La Torre’s career in the entertainment industry spanned almost eight decades, as she started her singing career when she was only five years old and won a singing competition in Manila.

She appeared in her first film at seven years old, in 1941’s Ang Maestra, and made her stage debut two years later, soon becoming a regular performer at the Manila Grand Opera House.

While working as a

In her later years, she had been based in Southern California, where she continued to perform. In 2017, she performed with the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra, which gave her its first xcellence in Music Award.

She was a singer and actress who starred in several films like TangTarang-Tang” and “Oh Sendang” and television shows, including “Oras ng

y grandmother was my first inspiration when it came to singing and acting. he was my first vocal coach and taught me all of her kundimans. Thank you for passing on your love of music to me and I will surely continue your legacy,” Anna wrote.

“Gone too soon but always in our hearts. Your song has ended but your melody will linger on. Love you Mama Cita,” she added. (Claire Morales True)

Rachelle Ann Go expecting second child

Baby #2 is on the way for international theater star Rachelle Ann Go and husband Martin Spies.

The award-winning Filipino actress and singer posted on Instagram photos showing her baby bump while having a family moment on a beach.

“Hello December! Hello Baby #2,” she wrote.

Rachel’s post is a gallery of photos of her with the noticeable baby bump out on a beach in Cape Town, South Africa with her husband, Martin Spies, and their one-year-old son, Lukas Judah.

The photos were shot by CollectedPix, a duo of wedding and lifestyle photographers.

The London-based actress did

not mention her expected delivery date but only used the hashtag #babyspies2023.

Spies also showed more moments from their South Africa trip via his Instagram page.

“Another lekker [South Africa] trip in the books. Lots of family time and good memories. Until the next one with our [fourth] family member,” he stated.

The Pasig City-born Rachel, 36, married Spies in April 2018 and had their firstborn son Lukas in March 26, 2021.

She recently reprised the role of Fantine in the acclaimed musical “Les Mesirables” for its United Kingdom tour.

Don’t look now but actress Bea Alonzo and actor John Lloyd Cruz have confirmed that they are set to do a reunion movie.

But while Bea and John Lloyd have both transferred to GMA Network after years in ABS-CBN, their reunon movie will be made by Star Cinema, an ABS-CBN outfit.

ABS-CBN itself reported on the reunion movie featuring an interview with Bea Alonzo.

According to the network, the much-anticipated reunion movie will be directed by filmmaker Cathy Garcia-Molina and will be handled by the same team behind their hit 2007

movie “One More Chance.”

“It will be written by Carmi Raymundo and concept by Enrico Santos. So it’s going to be exciting,” Bea said in a recent media conference as she shared her future projects.

Aside from her movie with John Lloy Cruz, Bea is also set to do a new TV series, as well as a project with director Erik Matti.

Fans of Bea and John Lloyd last saw them together on February 14, 2020 when they brought to life the indie blockbuster “That Thing Called Tadhana” through a live script reading at an outdoor venue.

It also marked John Lloyd’s first major public appearance in a showbiz setting since his return from a two-year hiatus.

FilAm singer-nurse Carol Banawa holds benefit concert in US for children in PHL

Homegrown Kapamilya singer Carol Banawa turned professional nurse in the United States held a show in Tysons, Virginia for the benefit of children in the Philippines who dream of going to school.

Now a United States citizen, Banawa, 41, who is Carol Claire Aguilar Banawa-Crisostomo in real life, shared her talent to help nonprofit organization ANCOP provide aid to poor families especially children in the Philippines, her former network ABS-CBN reported.

Prior to the start of her show at The Vault at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia, Banawa expressed gratitude to the sponsor of the event and those who made sure to watch it.

“Thank you so much to all of our amazing sponsors and to everyone who bought tickets to watch the show. You will be helping so many children in the Philippines who only dream of going to school. Your support will CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER,” she said on social media and reported by ABS-CBN.

Banawa was joined in the show billed as

“A Night With Carol Banawa” was Diva Montelaba.

Banawa, known for her hits “Bakit ‘Di Totohanin” and “Iingatan Ka,” took a step back from the showbiz spotlight in favor of her homemaking duties and profession as a nurse.

Last July, netizens expressed concern for Banawa as the singer got real on social media saying she is “unhappy” with her health and looks at that time.

“I felt like I have ‘let go’ and have not really taken care of myself. I became too comfortable in my own skin and I have forgotten how it felt like to feel and look good,” Banawa shared then on Instagram as her former mother studio reported.

“Living here in the US and having to do everything yourself, doesn’t really give you the luxury of time to ‘fix yourself up.’ But I will try. Whenever I can. For me. So I can start loving and feeling happy about myself and my health again,” she wrote.

Roderick Paulate sentenced up to 62 years in jail for graft, falsification

QUEZON CITY - The country’s graft court Sandiganbayan has convicted actor, comedian, television host and former Quezon City councilor Roderick Paulate for graft and nine counts of falsification of documents in connection with the hiring of “ghost employees” in 2010.

The 7th Division of the Sandiganbayan, in its 130-page decision promulgated on November 25, sentenced Paulate and his driver and liaison o cer icente Bajamunde to six to eight years for graft and six months up to six years for each count of falsification or for a total of years imprisonment for falsifying public records of up to fictitious contractual workers assigned to his o ce.

The Sandiganbayan also ordered the perpetual disqualification of aulate from public o ce.

Paulate and Bajamunde were also ordered to pay a fine of . million which is the total amount of the payrolls prepared for the job contractors.

aulate was also fined , for each of the falsification cases or a total of P300,000.

aulate, , has not issued a statement on his conviction, but legal experts said

he could still appeal the decision.

It can be recalled that after he was elected councilor in 2010 in Quezon City’s second district, Paulate was suspended from o ce after his alleged hiring of ghost employees from July to November of the same year. He was able to finish his term and served for another term from to .

aulate ran for vice mayor in as the running mate of former 2nd district Representative Ismael Chuck Mathay but lost. In the May 2022 election, he ran for a city council seat in the 2nd district under the Malayang QC ticket of former congressman Michael Defensor, but was also unsuccessful.

The case against aulate was o cially filed by the ce of the mbudsman in 2018, which said the actor-politician falsified a ob rder Contract of ervice, including the signatures of fictitious contractors to oblige the city government to allocate funds for their salaries.

The court found Paulate acted with evident bad faith and caused undue injury to the government when he approved the hiring of fictitious persons as ob contractors.

“Accused made it appear that the 30 ob contractors rendered services as field

inspectors, o ce aides and district coordinators from July to December 2010 when there were no such job order personnel who worked and received salaries during said period because they are fictitious,” the Sandiganbayan 7th Division stated in its ruling.

The issues cited by the graft court included the lack of birth certificates of the job contractors. Paulate argued during trial that certification of no birth does not conclusively prove that a person is fictitious.

This may be rebutted by su cient contrary evidence, however, Paulate and Bajamunde have not presented any competent evidence to counter the negative certifications and certificates of no record,” the court said in the decision penned by Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses, with the concurrence of Division Chairperson Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta and Associate Justice Georgina Hidalgo.

“It bears noting that the job order contracts and general payrolls are deemed falsified documents because the ob contractors subject therein do not exist. Accused (Paulate) maintained their existence and thus, to overcome the prosecution’s claim, accused only need to prove that they exist. Unfortunately, he failed in this respect,” stated the decision penned by Associate Justice Zaldy . Trespeses.

The court noted that the job order employees have no record in the National Bureau of Investigation Clearance Database.

While all 30 employees are residents of Quezon City based on their personal data sheet (PDS), they could not be located during verifications conducted by the ce of the mbudsman as to their residences or schools attended, the ruling stated.

The court also took note that two of the job contractors appeared as “identical twins” based on their photos in their PDS and yet their personal details differed.

“These details may appear trivial, but they cast serious doubt on the genuine-

ness of the PDS and existence of the job contractors when taken with the other pieces of evidences presented by the prosecution,” the court decision stated.

Prosecution witnesses presented during the trial included state auditor Emilda avarro who testified, among others, that she had not seen any daily time records for the job order personnel.

Defense witness Hubert Fernandez who served as aulate s chief of staff from to stated in his testimony that their area coordinators were the ones who looked for 30 people from their pool of volunteers during the campaign period.

In his defense, aulate testified that the money in question went to the job order personnel and there were no complaints from the employees that they did not receive their salaries.

e also testified that the charges were politically motivated and the hired job contractors and their relatives just opted not to come out and talk about the issue for fear of reprisal.

The court, however, stressed in its ruling that Paulate cannot claim good faith and invoke the Arias doctrine to avoid criminal liability.

“Certainly, he failed to act in accordance with the demands of the responsibility that attaches to the o ce he was occupying,” the court stated.

The court said Paulate took advantage of his position and used the documents to obligate the funds and disburse them.

“..(I)t can safely be concluded that he was the author of the falsification or asked somebody else to prepare the falsified documents, the court stated.

“These are not just mere inaccuracies in the PDS entries that could be considered as innocuous but are indicative of an intent to introduce fictitious information. The defense even listed the job contractors as their witnesses during the pre-trial. However, as bolstered by the records, none of the job contractors were presented to testify and prove their existence,” the anti-graft court stated.

The Sandiganbayan also said the testimonies of de-

Ai Ai delas Alas, husband renew wedding vows

dahil stateside na kami renewal of vows ... boom!” Ai Ai wrote in one of her Instagram posts.

igh five to our year milestone.. To D be the glory .. Mama Mary thank you for taking care of us,” she shared in her most recent post.

The comedienne and her husband are set to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary on December .

Ai Ai and Sibayan tied the knot tied the knot in star-studded wedding ceremony at the Christ the King Parish in Greenmeadows, Quezon city in December , after three years of being a couple.

In a report on the wedding, ABS-CBN said Ai Ai was emotional during her bridal march as she was brought to the altar by her son Sancho.

Veteran

On social media, Ai Ai, who now works in

page 18)

fense witnesses were merely denials that the job order workers are fictitious and are unsubstantiated by any positive evidence as to their existence.

“It is well settled that testimonial evidence is easy to fabricate. Thus, in the weighing of evidence, documentary evidence prevails over testimonial evidence. Accused Paulate and all defense witnesses are consistent in their statements that they are not familiar with or have not met the job contractors and yet, they did not verify their existence during the submission of the D and until these cases have been filed, the andiganbayan stated.

“Only one thing comes to our mind: they know that there is nothing to verify because the job contractors do not exist. urther, assuming that there was an effort to locate the job contractors, the fact that not even one of them could be located only strengthens the prosecution’s claim that the D were fabricated and that these ob contractors are indeed fictitious, the andiganbayan added

aulate was elected as ue on City councilor in and was later accused of hiring ob order workers from uly to December . e issued certifications after every th and end of the month that the ob contractors rendered services for hours a week.

He also designated his then driver, co-accused Bajamunde, as liaison o cer and authori ed him to receive in bulk the wages of the job contractors.

During those months, aulate s o ce received , every payday, totaling . million. erifications made on entries in the personal data sheets of the hired job contractors later revealed that they have no birth records, NBI application, or school records and their addresses could not be located.

San Francisco, uploaded snaps taken from the ceremony, which, according to the actress, was planned by her daughter Sophia.

“Pagbabalik tanaw sa aming sinumpaan....

Among those were at the star-studded wedding were Vic Sotto, Pauleen Luna, Piolo Pascual, Rufa Mae Quinto, Marvin Agustin, ugene Domingo, ikki alde , ops ernande , and celebrity couples Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera and Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez.

Sharon Cuneta was the matron of honor in the wedding.

Gov’t eyes high-rise units for public housing

NAIC, Cavite - The country has a backlog of six million housing units and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has vowed to build at least one million houses each year to be able to fill the backlog during his six-yearm.

At the Parkstones Residences housing project in Naic, Cavite on December 5, Marcos renewed his commitment to address housing gaps in the Philippines as he led the ceremonial and simultaneous awarding of certifi cates of row houses and lot to indigent and informal settler benefi ciaries of the ational Housing Authority’s housing project in 12 regions, including Metro Manila, totalling 30,000 housing units.

“Ito ay isang kongkretong hakbang tungo sa pagkamit ng ating pangarap na mabigyan ng maayos na matitirahan ang ating mga kababayan. Ito ay malinaw na nagpapakita ng inyong dedikasyon sa inyong sinumpaang tungkulin,” Marcos said in his speech.

“Our goal to provide shelters to every Filipino family, especially to the less fortunate ones, remains,” he said.

The President said the government is considering building mid-rise or high-rise units instead of row houses under the present housing program for indigent families, similar to the BLISS housing project of his mother, then First Lady Imelda Marcos.

The President encouraged the NHA and other concerned agencies and stakeholders to continue providing the public with shelters as well as to give them opportunities for employment.

“Kasabay ng mga tirahang ibinabahagi natin, tiyakin natin na mabigyan din natin sila ng pagkakataon na makapag-hanapbuhay at magamit ang kanilang mga kakayahan at talino tungo sa kanilang tuloy-tuloy na pagunlad,” the President said.

Continue to strengthen your partnerships with other agencies and organizations. Let us ensure that the beneficiaries have constant support from the government, he said.

Under the Marcos administration, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development’s (DHSUD) Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino program aims to build one million housing units every year or a total of six million housing units within the six years of the present government.

Marcos, meanwhile, recalled the Bagong Lipunan Improvement of Sites and Services (BLISS) project of his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and said his administration would study building high-rise housing projects those of the BLISS.

If you recall BLISS, that started the mid-rise housing projects. It looks good and a number of people have availed this, he said.

“Ngunit ngayon dahil mahirap na, siguro baka pataasin pa natin. Baka puwede na nating itaas hanggang high-rise na. Ngunit pinag-aaralan natin ito siguro caseto-case ito,” he added.

Marcos said the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is mandated to ensure that government housing sites will be situated in areas with adequate facilities.

2023 Conforming Loan Limits for California

The 2023 Conforming loan limit in California is $726,200 and up to $1,089,300 in “high cost” counties like Orange County, Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County and San Mateo County.

On November 30, 2022, The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced they are raising the 2023 Conforming loan limits in California effective immediately which is good news for homeowners and homebuyers. A conforming loan is a mortgage that “conforms” to underwriting guidelines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

This allows some mortgage loans that were previously labeled “Jumbo” to now be placed in the Conforming loan limit category. Conforming loans in California generally come with better mortgage rates and easier underwriting requirements.

Riverside and San Bernadino loan limits RIVERSIDE: Conventional $726,200 and FHA max $644,000.

Read between the lines Mortgage Ads:

One of the most popular things in mortgage advertising is unscrupulous mortgage companies trying to make it seem like their advertised rate is a -year fixed-rate. It happens a lot and I wish it would stop because the average consumer can be easily tricked.

If you are working with a mortgage company that does this we suggest you find a new mortgage company. If they can’t be straightforward with what there advertising how can you expect them to be straightforward with providing you a low-rate mortgage?

Some of the wording you’ll see in these deceptive ads are:

“Low rate on a 30-year loan” ow fixed rate on a -year loan ock in a fixed rate on a -year loan

ll of the above may seem like a -year fixed-rate loan to someone who is not in the mortgage industry or someone with limited to no experience buying a home however to an experienced professional the wording is clearly designed to get the consumer to think they’re being offered a year fixed rate but what actually is being offered is an R with a fixed-rate period since all Conforming ARMs are based on 30 years). Avoid these companies when looking for quotes.

Requirements For Conforming Loan: January 1, 2022:

The minimum down payment for a purchase is 3% down and the minimum amount of equity in a home for a refinance is .

Generally speaking, you need above a 620 credit score to obtain a Conforming loan. nd getting qualified for scores below gets more di cult as you move further down.

The debt-to-income ratio should be 50% or lower.

Most Conforming loans do not need liquid asset reserves however some do. If you are purchasing a rental property or refinancing a rental property you ll need to show some liquid reserves. If you have a low credit score, a debt-to-income ratio above 45%, and are taking cash out you’ll need to show some liquid reserves.

Is A Conforming Loan A Conventional Loan?

As mentioned above; a Conforming loan is a Conventional loan however not all Conventional loans are Conforming loans.

Conforming Loans To Purchase A Home:

The Conforming loan program offers some great opportunities for those looking to purchase a home. From First Time Home Buyers to seasoned investors; conforming loans have low-interest rates at great terms.

You can put down as lit-

(Continue

Hidilyn Diaz seeks PHL’s first gold medal in world weightlifting contest in Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia- Don’t look now, but did you know that when the first ilipino lympic gold medalist idilyn Dia - aran o plunges into action in the International eightlifting ederation I orld Championships starting onday Tuesday, December , in anila , she will be seeking an end to the hilippines -year gold medal draught in the event nd that she will, too, be trying to improve on the three bron e medals she romped off during the edition of the world championship in ouston, Texas that earned for her a slot in the ames of the lympics where she gifted the country its first gold medal after waiting in vain for

years to reali e.

ell, Dia - aran o, as well as her eight teammates that make Team hilippines in this year s worlds in ogota, will be seeking to duplicate where another pint-si ed alvador del Rosario succeeded in the I th staging of the Championship held in hio tate niversity in Columbus, hio, on eptember , .

Del Rosario, in that edition of the world tourney, stashed away with top honors in the clean and erk discipline in the yweight division.

The young, barely -year-old nephew of Rodrigo del Rosario, who in the lympic ames ames in elsinki, equalled the ames standard in the press in ending up fourth in his sport.

The younger Del Rosario, son of Rodrigo s brother alentin, likewise, exceeded the existing sian record by kilograms in that gold medal

performance no other ilipino strongman was able to match in the succeeding staging of the worlds in the years that followed.

nd it looks like the only second ilipino athlete to have brought home multiple lympic medals in the quadrennial conclave outside of swimmer Teofilo ldefonso, has got what it takes to match, if not succeed in outshining alvador del Rosario s heroics in Columbus.

This after reports showed that she idilyn now is the top seed in the women s -kilogram discipline after the name of her co-favorite uilfiya Chinshanlo of a akhstan was nowhere to be found in the list of starters in the event. nd with the now-retired Chinese iao uiyun, who finished second to Dia aran o in the Tokyo ames, also absent, there s no more reasons why the ilipina could miss the gold medal this time.

This year s worlds is set December - . ther members of Team hilippines who left last riday for ogota are Rio de aneiro lympian estor Colonia kgs , ohn ebuar Ceni a kgs and Dave loyd acaldo kgs , who are entered in the men s competitions. lso in the team are sian champion and ames gold medalist anessa arno and outheast sian ames gold medalist ristel acrohon in the kgs class, orld uniors gold winner Rosegie Ramos and ovely Inan in the kgs category and lympian lreen nn ndo in the kgs event of the women side.

s. arno will compete in the kg division along with msse. acrohon, ndo in the kg section and s. Ramos in the kg class, the same division another local bet ovely Inan is competing.

The orld Championship will be idilyn Diaaran o and her teammates the first step towards earning a spot to the aris lympics as she spearheads the nine-strong hilippine team in ogota, Colombia.

amahang eightlifting ng ilipinas president and national team delegation head onico uentevella said the ogota tilt is the first of several tournaments where lympic qualifying points are at stake.

The other members of the hilippine ports Commission-funded delegation are coaches Ramon olis, Richard ep . gosto and oe atrick . Dia and s. Dia - aran o s husband ulius aran o with Dr. aren atrina . Trinidad as psychologist and eaneth . ro as team nutritionist.

Social Security Update

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM SOCIAL SECURITY

The holiday season brings us feelings of warmth and joy. At Social Security, we want you to know we share the same joy when it comes to serving you, whether it be in person, by telephone, or online. Our online services are available to help you do business with us in an easy, convenient, and secure way. It all starts with a personal my Social Security account. More than 70 million people have signed up for their personal account to conduct their business online!

You can create a personal my Social Security account to:

Apply for retirement, spouses, or disability benefits.

Apply for Medicare.

Check your application status.

If you receive benefits, you can use your personal my Social Security account to: Change your address. ocial ecurity ben-

efits only et up or change your direct deposit information. ocial ecurity benefits only Instantly get proof of benefits. rint your - .

If you do not receive ocial ecurity benefits, you can use a personal my Social Security account to:

et personali ed retirement benefit estimates.

Get your Social Security Statement. et estimates for spouse s benefits. Get instant proof that you do not receive benefits.

ou can use our services on-the-go or from the comfort of your home. Please visit www.ssa.gov/ myaccount to view the services available to you. We want you to have a safe, happy holiday season and know that we are here for you.

A Bill of Rights for Long-Term Care Residents

mid acute sta ng shortages made worse by Covid advocates for older adults say more needs to be done to protect the rights of residents in California s longterm care facilities.

Do residents of long-term care facilities have rights? The question gained new urgency for elder care advocates in the wake of the Covid pandemic, which led to prolonged quarantines and isolation for residents amidst soaring infection and fatality rates.

Today, advocates worry residents basic rights from proper health care to voting and even when and what to eat are not being met amid acute sta ng shortages.

“Every individual has rights that must be honored and protected,” says Blanca Castro, California s ong-Term Care mbudsman, a title Castro says originally comes from the Swedish word for “advocate.”

ust because you go into a long-term care facility, you are still the same person you were before you entered. You still have a name; you have a family… you still matter,” said Castro.

he spoke during a ov. media briefing organi ed by thnic edia ervices, in partnership with the California Department of Aging and the California Department of Health’s VaccinateAll58 campaign.

More than 400,000 people receive care in long-term care facilities in California annually. Their stays can be a short stint after a hip replacement or knee surgery or long-term advanced care for memory-related illnesses or other ailments.

Castro s o ce received more than 40,000 complaints last year, ranging from inappropriate discharges to medications not being given. Among the complaints,

many had to do with residents not being allowed to see visitors during Covid lockdowns.

‘Dignity independence’ for patients

“We are social animals,” said Castro. “We need voice, touch, contact. Facilities locked down during Covid, turning residents into prisoners… it did not have to be that way. n estimated , people died from Covid in California nursing facilities in . ocial isolation contributed to many of those deaths, she stated.

New laws put in place since the start of the pandemic now require care facilities to have infection control plans which dictate basic procedures like hand washing and mask wearing that Castro says can help ameliorate the isolation many residents experienced.

Castro, whose o ce is supported through taxpayer dollars, explained that while not an enforcement agency, one of the state s more than long-term care ombudsman along with related programs will come to communicate with the resident and their family and can refer cases to relevant departments that are tasked with enforcement when necessary.

Dignity and independence are priorities for her o ce, Castro adds. The main question we ask is: what do you want? What does resolution look like to you?”

The Nursing Home Reform Act agar Dickman, a staff attorney with the non-profit ustice in ging, said The Nursing Home Reform Act lays out the full range of rights to which long-term care residents are entitled. Under the Act, facilities are required to provide the highest level of care they are functionally capable of.

“Person centered care guided by what each resident needs and wants,” she said.

The ursing ome Reform ct, originally passed in , applies to facilities that accept both Medicare and Medicaid ediCal in California , which a ma ority

of facilities do. Among the rights it lays out are the right to consultation with residents and family in drafting healthcare plans. “Facilities cannot create care plans without discussing them with residents and their families first, explained Dickman.

Other rights revolve around daily and otherwise mundane activities that most people outside of care facilities take for granted: waking times, mealtimes, what kind of food one is offered. ll of these must be exible.

But enforcing these rights often falls first to residents and their families Dickman said they have to be aware that these rights exist. he also pointed to longstanding disparities in who is afforded these rights and who isn’t.

“Black Americans are three times more likely to reside in poor performing facilities,” she said, noting that her work as an advocate begins with that perspective of where the disparities are greatest and who is suffering most by being denied these fundamental rights.

Acute shortage of care workers till, while long-term care facilities came under intense scrutiny during the pandemic, Castro was quick to note the di culties of working in these settings, particularly for staff, many of whom come from communities of color and often receive subpar wages. “It is a challenging job… but people do it because they want to help.”

Castro said California is currently working to improve wages for care facility workers amid an increasingly severe shortage that was exacerbated by the pandemic.

ndersta ng in some of these settings worries me,” said Dr. Anna Chodos, associate professor of medicine at uckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. She pointed out that during the height of the Covid crisis, data showed that as nursing ratios increased, infections dropped.

That became especially apparent once vaccines became available. “We want to keep our eye on ensuring residents access to life saving vaccines.”

taff training was another issue that came up often during the one-hour briefing.

erry irouac is a long-term care ombudsman based in Redding, in northern California. “One of the biggest problems we have (in terms of ensuring residents’ rights is lack of facility knowledge. It is that training and the quality and consistency going into that training,” he said.

Kirouac spoke from a veterans’ care home in the largely rural city, located about hours north of San Francisco. He was joined by several residents of the home, including illy Thomas, and a Marine veteran, who said communication was a problem at the facility. “Concerns and complaints don t reach the administration,” he said.

Linda L., and a Navy veteran, said the center needed to work on con ict resolution, citing an experience with a fellow resident that she said, “got swept under the rug.” Billy Ball, 84, has always voted as a veteran and cares most about that right, which the Centers for edicare and Medicaid Patients stressed in an October memo that all facilities must ensure.

Speakers also urged residents and families to form councils, to work together to advocate for their rights. “There is power in numbers,” Dickman said.

Filipino Leaders Congratulate Rep. Jeffries as New Democratic Leader, Appeal for Filipino Amerasians

ew ork Dec. , -- ilipinomerican leaders applauded the election of Representative akeem effries of rooklyn as the first frican merican Democratic leader by his colleagues in the U.S. Congress.

e are thrilled about this historic event. e are hopeful that Rep. effries will revive next year the issue of thousands of merasian children abandoned in the hilippines, said oida icolas Lewis, a New York philanthropist and the national chair of the . . ilipinos for ood overnance advocacy organization.

e will urge effries to again take an active role to right a wrong and end an inhumane . . immigration policy on children left behind by merican servicemen in the hilippines. They are now adults and ma ority face discrimination and poverty,” Lewis added. (See ile hoto December , with Rep. effries nfortunately, under the merasian Immigration ct, ilipino chil-

dren of merican service members were excluded from preferential immigration status for children in sia fathered by . . service personnel in orea, ietnam, aos, ampuchea, and Thailand. ecause of the poor economic and social conditions experienced by merasians in their homelands, Congress passed the law.

ccording to ewis, their plan is to work with other coalition stakeholders to launch the ilipino- merasian bill campaign on alentines Day and hopefully pass in the ouse by uly th, Philippine-US Friendship Day and in the enate next year. They will be meeting with their congress members and staff to sensiti e them about the ilipino merasians condition of poverty.

or more details, contact us.filipinos. dc gmail.com

2 Pampanga giant lanterns light up Philippine Center in New York City

NEW YORK - Two mini-giant Pampanga lanterns lighted up again the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue, New York City.

The lighting of the “parol” on the ground oor of the center was made on December by hilippine Consul eneral lmer . Cato, a native of ampanga, and other o cials, including ayor smeralda ineda of my hometown ubao who represented overnor Dennis ineda.

The lanterns were donated by the ampanga provincial government led by overnor ineda and ice overnor ilia ineda to the ilipino community in ew York.

hile in ampanga, considered the country s lantern capital, Con en Cato met overnor ineda and made a representation for the donation of the two lanterns.

Dakal a salamat araming salamat overnor Dennis ineda for making a personal wish happen that of seeing the da ling colors of the giant Christmas lanterns of Pampanga light up the windows of the Philippine Center in ew ork, Con en Cato said in a acebook post.

I made that wish during my first Christmas in New York when I was assigned to the hilippine ission to the nited ations more than two decades ago. ast year, overnor ineda, who was then on a visit to New York, said he will make my wish come true, he added.

The lighting of the lanterns kicked off the Christmas season for the ilipino community in ew ork and nearby ar-

eas.

The ceremonial lighting of two minigiant lanterns that were expertly put together by ric uiwa and own all the way from Pampanga.

This is the first time mini-giant lanterns from Pampanga were put on display in the United States East Coast,” Cato added.

The two mini-giants consisted of one lantern measuring eight feet in diameter with close to a thousand light bulbs and another measuring six feet with more than light bulbs.

These are mini-giants because we would not be able to fit the giant lanterns that measure from to feet in diameter that come with , light bulbs in the hilippine Center s windows, Conen Cato said.

lso at the lighting ceremony were hilippine mbassador ntonio agdameo, the permanent representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, newly elected ew ork tate ssemblyman teven Raga, Consul eneral inanto di of Indonesia, Consul eneral bu assan of alaysia, Consul Christine Tay of ingapore, and Consul Renita oniaga of Indonesia, and Deputy Commissioner Dilip Chauhan of the ce of International ffairs of ew ork City, the representative of ew ork City ayor ric dams.

Close to ubilant ilipinos witnessed the lighting ceremony, including rwin alencia, lead physical therapist of the ew ork nicks, and grandson of former ampanga overnor rigido alencia.

peaking on behalf of his brother, overnor ineda, ubao ayor smeral-

da ineda said the provincial government sent the lanterns so that ilipinos could get a feel of what Christmas is like back home.”

“Paskong Pinoy, ika nga,” she added, expressing hope that the lanterns would renew their sense of being inoy and their sense of home.”

Con en Cato, for his part, said “with many Filipinos working in New York missing their families and friends in the Philippines, during the Christmas Season, we wanted to spread a little holiday cheer the Filipino way by having our parols light up the street outside the Philippine Center.”

e believe this is the perfect way for thousands of mericans and many others who walk across the Philippine Center to get a sense of how we Filipinos celebrate Christmas,” he added.

“The event would not have been possible without the sup-

port of Tourism ttach rancisco ardiabal of the Department of Tourism ruds arcia of ekeni ood Interntional lvira Chan of Dollar its Restaurant ose acani of Ihawan Restaurant and Rey and aritess Rances of ampangue a Restaurant,” Cato added.

LA County hate crimes report reveals highest level of hate crimes in 19 years

LOS ANGELES - Hate crimes in the Los Angeles county have grown 105% since hitting an all-time low in 2013.

This was disclosed by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR) in its newly released annual hate crime report for Los Angeles County in 2021.

The report also disclosed that the overall rate of violence increased from 68% to 74%, the highest rate in at least 20 years.

Transgender victims experienced the highest rate of violence (93%), followed by homophobic (89%), racial (78%), and religious crimes (53%), according to the commission’s report.

The commission said that the 23% increase in hate crime in the county was largely due to a 17% spike in racial crimes.

Crimes targeting African Americans, Latino/as, Asians and Middle Easterners all rose dramatically, the commission said.

Racist offenses constituted of all hate crimes, the commission added.

The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR), in its annual hate crime report for Los Angeles County in 2021, showed hate crimes have reached the highest level in 19 years.

Reported hate crimes in Los Angeles County grew 23% from 641 to 786 in 2021, according to the report. This is the largest number recorded since 2002.

Since 1980, LACCHR has compiled, analyzed, and produced this annual report of hate crime data submitted by over 100 law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, and community-based organizations in Los Angeles County.

“The rise in hate crimes across Los Angeles County is deeply distressing. Our most vulnerable neighbors are facing enough challenges, and now have to worry about a greater risk of being attacked or harassed because of who they are. That is unacceptable,” said Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “As Chair of the Board I’m looking forward to engaging with our partners across the County and with community groups to tackle these crimes. Hate has no place in LA County.”

ome of the other important findings in the report include data that showed Blacks being the most frequent targets of reported hate crimes in the County, anti-Asian hate crimes reaching the highest total ever, explicitly anti-immigrant hate crimes hitting a historic high and a growth in hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ, Jewish, and Muslim communities.

“The year 2021 began with a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol, led in part by white nationalist groups,” said Robin Toma, the Commission’s Executive Director. “The shocking revolt was evidence of not only growing political

polarization, but a country deeply divided along lines of race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender. Against this backdrop, hate crimes across the nation, including L.A. County, skyrocketed in 2021.”

Toma added, “While part of the growth in numbers may be due to increased reporting encouraged by L.A. vs. Hate, the fact that outside of LA County hate crimes also grew indicates a rise in bias-motivated crimes as well.”

“This report provides a yearly snapshot of what criminal bigotry looks like in our own backyard,” stated Commission President Ilan Davidson. “The fact that last year hate crimes targeting nearly all racial and ethnic groups, sexual minorities, and religions grew tells us that we must all come together with our countywide campaign LA vs Hate, united against hate.”

“There is no room for intolerance and hate against anyone in Los Angeles County. I am disappointed by the most recent statistics that show we are going in the opposite direction of being inclusive,” said Los Angeles County District ttorney eorge asc n. y o ce is committed to prosecuting those types of crimes that are motivated by hate and anger toward any group based on their race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender identity or sexual orientation. We need to recognize, respect, and celebrate our differences so we can build a stronger foundation of healthy and safe communities.”

The report s other significant findings include the following:

The 23% increase in hate crime was largely due to a 17% spike in racial crimes. Crimes targeting African Americans, Latino/as, Asians and Middle Easterners all rose dramatically. Racist offenses constituted of all hate crimes.

As in past years, Blacks were grossly over-represented. Although Blacks constitute only 9% of County residents, they comprised 46% of racial crime victims. Anti-Black crimes jumped 30% from 169 to 219.

Latino/as comprised 25% of racial victims and anti-Latino/a crimes rose 10% from 106 to 117. Latino/as were the most likely of the larger targeted groups to be targets of violent racially motivated crime. In 78% of these crimes, antiMexican slurs were used.

Crimes targeting Asians grew 67% from 46 to 77 and comprised 16% of racially motivated offenses. In of these crimes, the suspects blamed the victims for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crimes targeting persons of Middle Eastern descent rose 267% from 3 to 11.

Crimes in which suspects used specifically anti-immigrant slurs skyrocketed 48% from 56 to 83, the largest number ever recorded.

Sexual orientation attacks grew 15% from 124 to 142 and made up 17% of all hate crimes. ighty-five percent of these

crimes targeted gay men.

Religious-motivated offenses spiked 29% from 86 to 111 and made up 14% of all hate crimes. The rate of violence (53%) was the second highest on record* The Jewish community was targeted in 74% of these cases.

Anti-transgender hate crimes rose 24% from 33 to 41. This number nearly tied the largest number ever reported (42, in 2019).

The largest number of hate crimes took place in the Metro Service Planning Area, which stretches from West Hollywood to Boyle Heights, followed by the San Fernando Valley region. However, if one compares the populations of the areas to the numbers of reported hate crimes, the Metro region had the highest rate, followed by the Western region (which includes parts of West L.A., Beverly ills, Culver City, and several a uent beach communities).

Hate crimes committed by gang members increased 69%, from 32 to 54. Seventy-four percent were racial and the majority targeted African Americans.

In response to the rise in hate, the LA County Board of Supervisors directed LACCHR to build a campaign to prevent and respond to acts of hate in the County, which resulted in the LA vs

Hate initiative.

The initiative has three components: (1) a community-driven marketing campaign to encourage residents and organizations to unite against and report acts of hate the first government hotline (via 211) for reporting all acts of hate both incidents and crimes - and providing free assistance to all victims; and (3) a network of community agencies that provide rapid response, support, healing, advocacy, and hate prevention services.

Since launching in June 2020, LAvsHate.org website content has been viewed over 1 billion times and has been shared more than 180 million times.

Since September 2019, when L.A. vs. Hate and 211 began accepting calls, L.A. vs. Hate has received more than 1,900 reports. Approximately, 90% of those callers have requested assistance via case management.

To view the complete report, including hate crime maps, graphs, and tables, as well as specific race ethnicity data and examples, please visit https://hrc. lacounty.gov.

For more information on the L.A.vs Hate initiative, including shareable graphics ready-made for social media, please click here.

Simple Ways to Rein in Energy Expenses this Holiday Season

OAKLAND, Calif. As families begin decking the halls, acific as and lectric Company offers ways to make the holiday season more energy efficient.

hen combined with cold weather, shortened daylight hours and holiday lights, the demand for energy often increases this time of year. We are helping customers identify ways to be more energy e cient and save money on their monthly energy statement during the holiday season, said aron ugust, Vice President of Utility Partnerships and Innovation.

imple product substitutions and new

habits give customers the power to reduce costs without sacrificing holiday spirit. ere are easy ways to save energy this holiday season:

et thermostat for savings. ave of your heating bill for each degree the thermostat is lowered. If the turndown lasts a good part of the day or night . Turning down the thermostat from degrees to degrees, saves about .

Upgrade lighting. LEDs use at least less energy and can last up to holiday seasons. se a timer to turn off lights before going to bed.

Insulate electric water heater. The average household spends more than

per year on water heating. It s the second largest energy expense behind heating and cooling.

top drafts in their tracks. ave up to on annual energy bills by reducing drafts and saving energy by sealing holes around pipes, wiring, vents, or recessed lights with spray foam.

icrowave and save. Reheating leftovers in a microwave takes less time and uses up to less energy than a standard oven.

encourages customers to put these tips into action as winter approaches in hopes of forming life-long habits the entire family can keep year-round. To

find out how much energy goes to heating, hot water, appliances, and other uses take s -minute ome nergy Checkup. or more easy tips for cold weather savings, visit www.pge.com winter. About PG&E acific as and lectric Company, a subsidiary of Corporation C , is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than million people across , square miles in Northern and Central California. or more information, visit pge.com and pge.com news.

New Year’s Eve at Graton Casino!

vors, countdown, and more ll in ot avana tyle. et us welcome the arrival of together nd, there is , Tropical Riches iveaway on aturday December , drawings in every hour from - . The iant Jackpot is on Saturday December at anuary . or more information related to the promotions, please visit ratonResortCasino.com or call - - .

R RT R , Calif. raton Resort Casino

Come to the all-round leisure and entertainment destination - raton Resort Casino to celebrate the last month of n December , , , , , every Thursday, pm pm, h hat un lot Tournaments will be held. winners are guaranteed at each tournament. The top pri e is up to , cash Total pri e is up to , ll reward members get one free entry into each tournament.

In addition, come celebrate ew ear s ve at raton There will be live entertainment, complimentary party fa-

There are elegant comfortable rooms and luxurious suites, glamorous lobby and luxurious spa, more than table games, including Blackjack, Baccarat, ai ow oker and more at raton. It also offers slot machines, live poker, video poker and a large function space for different music concerts and special events. raton Resort Casino s , square feet non-smoking gaming area which offers slot machines and video poker is ust next to the casino valet. You can enjoy gaming in a non-smoking environment at raton Resort Casino And, there are delectable restaurants and

bars, that offer different cuisines in the casino, such as Twelve-time orld i a Champion Chef Tony emignani s Tony s f orth each, an- sian atery oathouse, a top-quality steakhouse ark teakhouse, and seats from the arketplace, offering casual and convenient eateries, for your selection, you will be sure to have a happy and unforgettable experience.

About Graton Resort & Casino

ocated in onoma County, raton Resort Casino has a commanding presence among the rolling hills of Northern California s wine country. wned and operated by the ederated Indians of raton Rancheria, raton Resort Casino features table games, the latest slot machines, upscale and casual dining, plus entertainment options for visitors and locals alike. For more information, please visit www.gratonresortcasino.com.

New York man gets 17 years for mauling Pinay in March

R man who has been convicted for the savage attack on a -year-old ilipino woman in onkers, ew ork on arch has been

sentenced to years and six months of imprisonment.

Tammel sco, , received his sentence from Westchester County Judge

nne inihan on ovember after pleading guilty to the crime of Attempted Murder and one count of Assault Under ate Crime aw.

sco, who was immediately arrested after the incident, had previous arrests and multiple convictions, police records showed.

The woman was entering her apartment building in onkers when she was attacked from behind by Esco. Security video showed the woman was punched times, stomped on seven more times and spat on. She sustained fractures and lacerations to the head and face as well as bleeding in the brain.

onkers o cials led by ayor ike Spano condemned the attack.

“Hate crimes are beyond intolerable in

our city. I applaud our Yonkers Police for swiftly apprehending this violent criminal and removing him from our streets, Mayor Spano said in a statement. “I expect the suspect to be charged to the fullest extent of the law for his heinous actions. I continue to keep the victim and her family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller agreed and called the hate crime despicable and one of the most appalling attacks he has ever seen.

Judge Minihan said, the reports added, it was a miracle that the woman survived the vicious attack.

The woman told the court that the incident traumati ed her and forced her and her family to move to a different area for their safety.

Offline

(From Page 13)

laysian prime minister who ended up in prison because he actively wasted the fund, the I for rmed orces and olice avings and oan ssociation, Inc. lost much of its value due to mismanagement, with no one landing behind bars.

The law creating the aharlika fund states that the resident of the hilippines will head its board of directors.

ow honestly, has there ever been a hilippine president who was not a politician

This leads to the next question, can any ilipino politician be trusted to handle billions of dollars of pensioners money nd can any of even the best investment minds guarantee that the aharlika fund will earn substantial returns year after year, decade after decade

I think not.

till, the peaker of the ouse a cousin of the president, no less has all but guaranteed that the aharlika Investment und will be passed into law by yearend.

e is, after all, one of its proponents, along with a certain congressman named andro arcos.

That s right, folks. The favorite son of the current president is one of the lawmakers behind the bill. This is the same congressman who suggested not too long ago that ilipino farmers should stop planting rice and switch to dragonfruit instead.

is reason Taiwan is a huge market for dragonfruit, which I love by the way. ut that s beside the point.

ince he became president, I ve tried my darndest to at least give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I want him to succeed if only because millions of ilipinos suffered and continue to suffer because of the after effects of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the vicious presidency of his predecessor.

The Republic of the hilippines is begging for a break. It needs the economy to recover soonest. It needs the serious problems that ongbong arcos inherited from Digong Duterte to disappear, or at least be minimi ed.

The aharlika Investment und or whatever it is that the proponents want to call it is not the solution the country is looking for.

ill it help

I cannot say that it won t. ut I do have this nagging suspicion that somewhere down the road, perhaps after the second arcos presidency is over, it will collapse like a house of cards, while the handful who mishandled it on purpose, most likely will be laughing all the way to hell with hundreds of millions of dollars in their wiss bank accounts.

o it s nothing personal. I ust believe in the advice of the non-believers who say this aharlika thing is an awful idea whose time is unfortunately now.

Ken Go

(From Page 20)

tle as 3% and the loan process for a Conforming loan is very e cient as it allows for - weeks closing periods if the buyer and seller are in a rush to close quickly. nother great aspect of the Conforming loan program is that you might get an appraisal waiver which helps save on costs and if granted really speeds up the process.

Conforming oans To Refinance Current ortgage hen it comes to refinancing a mortgage in California the Conforming loan program is perhaps the most popular. ike purchases, you can get an appraisal waiver and you can close fairly quickly due to every loan being underwritten by the of annie ae or reddie ac.

If you really want things to move quickly be sure to have your income documentation, mortgage statement, and homeowners insurance information ready to go before applying. Conforming loan limits in California have increased over the last twenty years and that is expected to continue.

ave a reat oliday, please call en o of st Innovative inance for your mortgage needs, or write to kennethgo veri on.net C R

capitali e on recent battlefield successes and prevent Russian troops from regrouping. military spokesman told krainian media that yiv is preparing troops and equipment for winter operations, equipping its forces with special clothing and ammunition.

ell, that s the ground battle but they also need to make aggressive plans on how to repel Russia s air strikes. They should learn from the air strike the Russians did earlier to be able to counter their moves and defend themselves.

The latest development may complicate the issue worldwide because China suggested it may still work with Russia to secure oil. sked if China would oin the oil price cap agreement, a spokesperson for the Chinese oreign ffairs inistry said China-Russia energy cooperation has always been and will continue to be carried out in the spirit of mutual respect, mutual benefit, and win-win, according to eiing Daily.

Rochester expert on war termination discussed, in the niversity of Rochester ews Center, massive consequences for urope, worst-case scenarios, the outlook for peace, and what makes utin so dangerous.

ein oemans, a professor of political science at the niversity of Rochester, is an expert on international conicts on how they begin and how they may end. This will shape the rest of the twenty-first century. If Russia loses, or it doesn t get what it wants, it will be a different Russia afterward, ein oemans tells the ew orker. If Russia wins, it will be a different urope afterward.

ltimately, oemans said, I think utin s trying to strengthen his bargaining position with the sham referenda and illegal annexations. If it had been a fair referendum under nited ations supervision that might have had an effect. ut not like this. I mean voting was held with guards with machine guns at the polling stations and we ve seen reports of men with guns at people s doors, forcing krainians to fill out ballots while being watched. That sends a clear message.

ar termination so the theory goes is about finding the thing what makes both sides agree to stop fighting. ow does that work ssentially, one side must get the other to change their mind and to convince them that striking a deal now is better than to continue fighting. It s the best explanation we have so far. ut it s not satisfying.

ow that both sides know the truth, which is a prerequisite for peace, they can now strike a deal. That s the theory, at least, but I ve come to see that intuitive kind of view as insu cient, oemans surmised.

oemans said, ccording to classic war-termination theory, three variables have to be considered information, credible commitment, and domestic politics. s long as both sides believe they can win, which clearly, they do, and their distrust for each other is growing think of the recently discovered mass graves and reports of torture by Russian soldiers there will be no peace ill utin adopt a graceful exit our guess is as good as mine

(ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and a multi-awarded journalist here in the US. For feedbacks, comments… please email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.)

Health & Wealth

tion at home in Daly City, California last riday, December , , hosted by the celebrant s husband Demetrio Tuliao and sons athaniel imene Tuliao and Dave imene Tuliao, his wife tephanie and their two sons. oining them in the th irthday Dinner celebration were Crustal, tephanie s mother, erdinand imene Relosimon his wife urora arayno Relosimon my beloved wife irginia imene adlaing and your s truly.

or tsi yda, December , , riday, was the fulfillment of a prophetic verses in the ook of salms.

The length of our days is seventy years or eighty, if we have the strength. salm I

eventy years are given us nd some may even live to eighty. salm , iving ible

e wish you a blessed and wonderful th irthday tsi yda.

(ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#00635976) in California since 1981. He is the founder of MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES. FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE4 CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA.)

The Outsider

(From Page 12)

said he was hoping that the Court of ppeals C would reconsider the unfortunate ruling of its th Division regarding a -day temporary restraining order TR in favor of outh remier ower Corporation C . The TR , in effect, suspended the implementation of C s power supply agreement with anila lectric Company eralco .

Consumer advocacy group Infrawatch commented, however, that the resident should allow full udicial proceedings to take its course, and that his views may ably be represented through RC lawyers and the olicitor eneral.

Despite the present challenges and all these concerns, C has remained steadfast to help the country in its economic recovery. ndoubtedly, since its establishment over a century ago, it has embarked on many pro ects that benefitted the ilipinos even as its leaders grew the business from a beer manufacturing company to become one of the country s most diversified conglomerates.

usinesses have always been agents of change and C is no exception. It has always been a partner of government in the pursuit of its goals, both for economic and social development.

t the high of the pandemic, C under the leadership of its resident and C , r. Ramon . ng, did not hesitate to give its all-out support to the government from providing relief goods to the most affected, personnel to man vaccination sites, to donating vaccines to augment dwindling supplies and even paying taxes in advance to ensure the treasury is not depleted.

It has also invested in big-ticket infrastructure pro ects like the ulacan ulk ater upply ro ect, ew anila International irport, kyway tage , and the asig River xpressway to name a few. In pursuing these pro ects, C conducted studies to ensure protection of the environment as the conglomerate is a leading advocate for sustainable development.

C undertook and successfully completed the rehabilitation of the Tullahan River and is on track with the rehabilitation of the asig River. Its reforestation program is also being pursued vigorously with C lobal ower oldings accounting for . million trees out of the total . million trees planted by the conglomerate.

Re ecting on what C has contributed to nation-building and how it has shown its malasakit to the ilipinos, the recognition bestowed upon R by Tatler as one of sia s ost In uential recently is merited.

(From Page 12)

IT TI , another bestseller, is a magnificent read for you to discover and do the R secrets for good health and longevity. I recommend it highly, echoed, R I D . I, R , uthor of the bestselling book urses otes on edical, urgical, and Critical Care ursing, acramento, California . or autographed ardcover and aperback copies at discounted price, write or contact C I R , adrid treet, an rancisco, California Tel.or - or email artmadlaing gmail.com

T I D T IRT D y beloved wife and I were blessed and fortunate to attend the th irthday celebration of my sister-in-law Trinidad imene Tuliao fondly called tsi yda in two days.

or two consecutive years, R is in the roster of accomplished individuals recogni ed by Tatler as one of sia s ost In uential

.

The list, according to website https tatlerasiagroup.com , brings together the region s most innovative change makers, industry titans and powerful individuals who are shaping the region through positive impact. urther, it defines in uential people as those who push for positive change and have relevance in their countries and beyond borders .

It is a fitting tribute to R who remains unbowed and confident that the government and the ilipino people will go beyond these challenging times.

What’s up Atty

for a non-profit organi ation for the deaf.

new missile attack onday. There were unconfirmed reports of explosions in the center, east and south of kraine, as well as in yiv. Two people were killed and two others were in ured in the town of ovosofiivska in apori h hia, according to a preliminary assessment shared by yrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of kraine s presidential o ce. The northeastern krainian region of umy was left without power as a result of the attack, the local provider said.

There are indications speculations that the krainian forces plan to stay on the offensive this winter in order to

The first one was advance th irthday unch at the Ichika ushi ouse Restaurant in risbane, California last ednesday, ovember , , when the three living sisters in orthern California had special bonding together namely erse erseveranda imene Trinidad from outh an rancisco yda Trinidad imene Tuliao, celebrant from Daly City and elen irginia imene adlaing from an rancisco, California . The three sisters were oined by lisa ubido imene , celebrant s sister-inlaw athaniel imene Tuliao celebrant s son tty. idelis . imene celebrant s nephew ngeles imene Cayabyab celebrant s niece and her grandson ucio Cayabyab.

The second one was the actual th irthday Dinner celebra-

nd finally, there s osh ater Raymundo, currently a librarian at the hilippine ational ibrary. ID provided osh not only with quality education but more importantly gave him the gift of speech. osh transitioned to a regular high school where he graduated with high honors. e later got a scholarship and graduated from the niversity of anto Tomas in with a degree in achelor of ibrary and information cience. e passed the board exams for librarians the same year.

Health inequities lead to early death in many persons with disabilities

- new report by the orld ealth rganiation shows evidence of a higher risk of premature death and illness among many persons with disabilities compared to others in the society.

The lobal report on health equity for persons with disabilities, published today, shows that because of the systemic and persistent health inequities, many persons with disabilities face the risk of dying much earlier even up to years earlier than persons without disabilities. They have an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, with up to double the risk of asthma, depression, diabetes, obesity, oral diseases, and stroke.

any of the differences in health outcomes cannot be explained by the underlying health condition or impairment, but by avoidable, unfair and un ust factors.

aunched ahead of the International Day of ersons with Disabilities, the report shows the number of people with significant disabilities worldwide has risen to . billion or one in six people . This number reinforces the importance of achieving full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society and embedding the principles of inclusion, accessibility and non-discrimination in the health sector.

nfair factors a key cause of disparities in health

The report stresses the need for urgent action to address the vast inequities in health caused by un ust and unfair factors within health systems. These factors which account for many of the differences in health outcomes between persons with and without disabilities could take the form of negative attitudes of healthcare providers, health information in formats that cannot be understood, or di culties accessing a health centre due to the physical environment, lack of transport or financial barriers. ealth systems should be alleviating the challenges that people with disabilities face, not adding to them, said Director- eneral, Dr Tedros dhanom hebreyesus. This report shines a light on the inequities that people with disabilities face in trying to access the care they need. is committed to supporting countries with the guidance and tools they need to ensure all people with disabilities have access to quality health services. ith an estimated of persons with disabilities living in low- and middle-income countries where health services are limited, addressing health inequities could be

challenging. et even with limited resources, much can be achieved.

pportunities for a disability-inclusive health sector Recogni ing that everyone has the same right to the highest attainable standard of health, the report provides important economic analysis of adopting a disability-inclusive approach. It shows investing in a disability-inclusive health sector is cost-effective.

calculates that governments could expect a return of about for every invested on disability-inclusive noncommunicable disease prevention and care. In addition, family planning and vaccination are cost effective when implemented in a disability-inclusive manner.

Targeted and comprehensive actions across the health sector

The report outlines actions across the health sector for governments to take, drawing on the latest evidence from academic studies as well as consultations with countries and civil society, including organi ations representing persons with disabilities. These actions vary by resource level and range from addressing physical infrastructure to training of health and care workers.

The California Surge

This is a warning, not only for Californians but for residents of other states where COVID-19 is still significant. The national 7-day daily average of cases, as of December , , are still more than 53,000 a day and greater than 260 deaths per day on average. any of these are unvaccinated and, sadly, many vaccine naysayers have died. accination must be updated with booster , the bivalent vaccines, because newer strains are mutating and evolving.

Heart of Hope

The surge of C ID- infections in California and the great burden it imposes on the state s healthcare system could be alleviated according to experts by bringing back masking and distancing, especially among children in school. nd the waves of lu and R Respiratory yncytial irus only complicate the picture of this tripledemic. R is especially dangerous for infants and super-seniors. Contrary to fake news, vaccines, masks, and distancing effectively mitigate transmission, infection, hospitali ation, and deaths. Those exposed to infected persons, or who are infected, should isolate themselves for days, and use a mask for days thereafter. C ID is more contagious than the lu or R . Those with infants young children at home should be extra careful and use masks in public. Infants and young children, and seniors, have died from R and the u, besides C ID- .

hether we like to acknowledge it or not, the anti-vaccines and anti-masks, who are unprotected, are one of the ma or reasons for the unending waves of CID- , not only in the nited tates but elsewhere around the world.

There is no shame in wearing a mask it shows wisdom and compassion for others around you. ou are also protecting them, besides yourself.

Clinical studies have found that in cities and towns where the rate of vaccination, masking, and distancing are lowest, the infection rate, hospitali ation, and deaths are highest. It does need an instein to figure this out. Common sense, which, unfortunately is uncommon, is all it takes to decipher and understand why.

The way our people behave, and the way the viruses behave, the C ID- pandemic is here to stay, as an endemic, like the u. This is our own doing, and we have to simply accept this and live with it.

et s follow science in protecting our health and life, and those of our loved ones. accines, hygiene, masks, and distancing all work effectively when it comes to mitigating a contagious disease, albeit not percent. ut so are bullet-proof vests, which have nonetheless saved countless lives the past century and eight, like masks since the s.

yocarditis in ammation of the heart and pericarditis in ammation of the covering around the heart have been observed after a week in some individuals around . per million who received the C ID- vaccines. new large international scale study showed the incidence of those two are very low, contrary to what was suspected before. ost cases were among male teens and young adults usually after the second dose of a primary series of either fi er or oderna vaccines. a ority of the patients recovered quickly percent required hospitali ation percent needed IC care. o deaths were reported. This study was published last week in ediatrics.

M

onoclonal antibody, given by I infusing as soon as a person tested positive for COVID-19, and proven to be most effective in curtailing the infection, is now ineffective against the new strains of R -Co , which are outsmarting our treatment strategy. Dealing with these viruses is a uid exercise in wisdom and patience. They replicate and mutate to a more contagious strain and a more severe one for them to survive. If everybody were protective by the vaccines, they would not have any warm bodies to enter to replicate and mutate, and they self-destruct. nfortunately, only percent of people in the nited tates are fully vaccinated. The percent million are still unvaccinated, whose bodies are being used by the viruses to replicate and mutate and evolve.

P

tudies have shown that when protein intake is low, the rest of the calories in a diet usually comes from carbohydrates, which is not a healthy situation. roteins are from red meat, poultry, fish, legumes, and nuts. These are the healthier food, unless eaten in excess. Carbohydrates, which includes sugars and sweets, bread, potatoes, on the other hand, are not healthy because they are in ammatory food items. The so-called ightshade vegetables are also in ammatory and oxidants, detrimental especially to those with arthritis. ightshades include potato, tomato, eggplant, peppers, go i berries, paprika, and red spices.

The recommendation is to have high protein diet especially fish, chicken, and minimal red meat, no processed meats and a lot of vegetables, oats, some chocolates, some fruits and nuts. Carbs like bread, rice, all forms of sugars, especially refined ones, sweets like desserts are to be consumed sparingly and occasionally. hile quality type of foods one eats is important, quantity amount is vital and essential to maintaining a healthy weight. In general, for those with normal weight, the recommended caloric intake is , calories a day for women and , for men. Those with diabetes will have their individual computed caloric requirement. nd so with those who are overweight and underweight.

entanyl has been in the news of late. It is a synthetic opioid that is times more potent than heroin and times stronger than morphine. It is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, including , in alone. any forms are available, some are multicolor like candies. It is responsible for countless fatal and non-fatal overdose in the . any victims are children who accidentally eat them. The open outhern border facilitate the entry of the cartel and these killer drugs, not to mention the criminal elements and CID-infected people. bout million people in the are recovering from opioid addiction.

ut there is now a newer and more vicious killer replacing fentanyl. It is called protonita ene, supposed to be even times stronger than fentanyl. This new drug has been found in Canada and the , where deaths have been reported in outh Carolina. It may even be resistant to antidote arcan.

ublic education, especially children s education, starting even in pre-school, is vital in preventing accidental deaths from these killer drugs.

There is basically no difference between taking cyanide suicide pills and fentanyl or protonita ene or other potent opioids, except perhaps a few minutes before dying after ingestion.

hilip . Chua, D, C , C , a Cardiac urgeon meritus based in orthwest Indiana and as egas, evada, is an international medical lecturer author, a ealth dvocate, Chairman of the ilipino nited etwork- , a c humanitarian foundation in the nited tates. e is a recipient of the Indiana agamore of the abash ward in , whose other awardees include resident arry Truman, resident eorge ush, stronaut us rissom, ohammad li, David etterman. ebsites com and philipchua.com mail scalpelpen gmail.com

As you get older you will understand more and more that it’s not about what you look like or what you own, it’s all about the person you’ve become. WE SHOULD BE MORE CONCERNED WITH OUR CHARACTER THAN OUR REPUTATION. Our character is what we really are, while our reputation is merely what others think we are. The content of our character is our choice. Day by day, what we choose, what we think and what we do, make us whom we become. We are all beautiful in our own way. rose can never be a sun ower and a sun ower can never be rose. e are similar but we are all different. person of wisdom and spirituality has beautiful manners that have grown from genuine respect and love for those around that person. It has nothing to do with neither culture nor education; it is simply a question of humility and decency. Successful people learn from the experience and knowledge accumulated by others. They have the ability to learn from others when they don’t know something. I have learned that when we watch our thoughts, they become our words; when we watch our words, they become our actions; our actions become our habits; our habits become our character; and when we watch our character, it becomes our destiny. Studies show that we are happiest when we make progress toward our goals and we have touched the lives of others. Kindness in words creates confidence, kindness in thinking creates profoundness and kindness in giving creates love. ne kind word and action from us can fill the present moment of another person with a sense of joy. Let us be careful with our thoughts, they control our destiny. If we think positive thoughts and take positive actions towards our goals, our destiny can be one of joyful and uplifting. We may fall and get a few bruises along the way, but if our habit is to get up one more than we fall, our destiny will be one of success. I have learned that what we think often comes out of our mouth and into someone else’s ears. Our words impact how we feel about ourselves and they can impact how others think and feel. Words are symbols that communicate what is going on inside our heads to us and others. We share our fears, our sorrow, our joy, our love and our dreams with our words. Our words create action. Our words can create intimacy or separation. With our words we can motivate ourselves to do things we never thought we could do, and our words can also move others to step forward into their own personal power so they can be of service to their community. Words can calm us or excite us. Words can actually change the direction of a nation. So let us watch what we think and be aware of the words that come from our thoughts, and the actions that follow our words.

Advent Season: Be Awake

In our day and age; we are familiar with the movement of awareness to the important issues in our society, especially in matters to racial and social issues; and this movement and awareness is called “woke,” being woke; a person who past from awake, he is a person who has active awareness and heightened motivation to do some impact, hopefully a positive and transformative one, to people’s lives and to the society. During Advent Season; the calling is similar; to be awake, to be vigilant, to be aware as good servants to always be ready for coming of the master. We are urged this season to be “woke” spiritually and morally: We must be able to have a heightened awareness and determination to see to it that the teachings of our faith are fully lived in our daily lives or that the Commandments of God are not transgressed but rather obeyed faithfully. It is to seeing to it that our lives are in constant vigilance of living out what it means to be a Christian.

Afl ame The Heart

What are your motivations, dear reader, for this Advent Season? What do you want to achieve this Advent journey of yours, dear reader? In what ways you are being vigilant, being awake, in your Christian daily existence?

I want us to learn or re-learn three notes about staying awake, being awake in our Christian life: First, being awake in our Christian life means walking in the light of Christ. When we are awake, we see the light, we are in the midst of the light; in like manner, we are to live in the teachings of the light. In other words, we are to be aware of what is right and wrong, of what is good and bad, of what is godly and ungodly. Therefore, if we are vigilant and awake, we are to have the determination to choose to do the right even if it can be di cult for doing what is right is living for Christ Jesus who is The Light. Other people may not like what I am doing as I am doing the deeds of the light, but I cannot do and associate myself of darkness and the deeds of darkness. Being awake is striving always to know and do the good and godly; and avoid ever doing the bad and the ungodly.

Second, being awake in our faith means we are aware and have the determination to walk in the right path. We know the straight and narrow path in Christ Jesus; He Himself told us, “I am The Way (Jn. 14:6)…” So, being awake is to walk with Christ, to follow Him and be faithful to Him. During this Advent Season and for the rest of our lives, we must be able to make choices that always will connect us to our Lord Jesus; decisions that breed our friendship with Him. Being awake in Christ means we are to make good and responsible decisions. Being awake is knowing our Path, our Way; so, we must always follow where it leads. We see the road itself, we are not sleeping, we not in darkness; hence, we are walking in the right path; that is why, in our daily life, we are to make good and right decisions; and we are to stay and walk in this straight path of righteousness in Christ; even if, it be narrow or demanding or di cult. or walking awake in this ay of Jesus Christ, we are walking with Him, we are living for Him, we are loving and serving Him.

Third and lastly, being awake in the faith is being aware for whom or to whom we are doing what we are doing. Being awake as Christians means we know that our life is not about ourself but about God, about Jesus Christ. Being awake means, we are aware that whatever we do God is watching and we are doing whatever we are doing for Him. That is why, we cannot be doing what is evil and sinful. We cannot be people of lawlessness rather law-abiding; not godless but godly. ur words and behavior must re ect that we are od-oriented people. We must destroy our self-oriented attitudes. We must cast out our ego-centered tendencies and behavior. We cannot let ourselves continue to live in lifestyles that focus on self-aggrandizement; rather, seeing to it that all of our being is for the greater honor and glory of God. May we not take for granted this call of vigilance; the call of being awake; so that, we are not only ready for the coming of the Lord, but also, always ready to serve and to love as The Master’s good and faithful servants. Amen.

Recipe of the Week

Lechon Macau

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork rasher, pork belly

2-3 pcs. star anise

1/2 head garlic, crushed 2-3 pcs.bay leaf

Chinese five spice powder salt and pepper

Cooking procedure:

In a pot place the pork and add water to cover the meat up to about 1”. Add the star anise, garlic and about 1 tbsp. of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 to minutes or until just tender. Remove from pot drain and let cool down. Using a fork prick the pork skin all the way down to the meat layer. The skin should be pricked as close as possible. Rub the skin with salt while the meat and sides rub with mixture off Chinese five spice powder and pepper powder. rrange the pork in a baking tray or aluminium tray, skin side up and enough space between the pork rashers. Let marinate with the salt and Chinese five spice rub for to minutes. re heat the oven at 250°C when the oven is hot place the baking tray at the center. Roast for 30 to minutes. Check periodically if is the skin changes color suddenly, reduce the oven temperature to 200°C. Let it roast till the pork skin is blistered and turned to golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest the meat for at least 8 to 10 minutes. When ready to serve chop in into serving pieces with your favorite dipping sauce.

Christmas village opens in Calasiao in Pangasinan

CALASIAO, Pangasinan The Calasiao, Pangasinan municipal government has turned the town plaza into a Dubai Miracle Garden-inspired Christmas village which is expected to boost tourist arrivals and generate income, as well as promote anew “puto” (native rice cake) delicacy.

Filled with a thousand colorful lights at night and scenery to behold by day, every corner of the plaza, the municipal hall and puto stalls is Instagrammable or picturesque, according to PNA’s Hilda Austria in a report.

Municipal administrator Patrick Agustin Caramat said they hope the Christmas village would draw more tourists from nearby towns and cities, and encourage economic activity in their town.

“We hope this will become a tourist spot and strengthen the puto industry here. This is one way to give vendors an opportunity to sell and expand their market. We wanted to enable our kababayans to enjoy and at the same promote our town and its one-town-one-product that is puto,” he said.

Vice Mayor Kevin Roy Macanlalay agreed, saying that Calasiao has no tourist spots or destinations except for St. Peter and Paul Parish Church, which is known as one of the oldest churches in the country.

The town’s Christmas village conceptualized by Couple Minds Events Studio was truly magical with Dubai’s Miracle Garden as the inspiration, especially with the designed heart-shaped arcs filled with different colors of decorative owers.

CHRISTMAS TREE. A giant Christmas tree stands inside the Christmas village in Calasiao town in Pangasinan. It is adorned with giant owers and Christmas balls that match the Dubai Miracle Garden-themed village.

The tall Christmas tree features huge decorative owers and Christmas balls while a fountain in the middle adds to the mesmeri ing effect.

said during the lighting ceremony she chose owers as the primary design in the village as she believes that owers in bloom can brighten one’s day.

“It is relaxing. I just want the residents to re ect while they are there to re ect or simply appreciate the goodness in God’s creation,” she said.

Caramat reminded the residents not to forget the true message of the season which is love, peace, joy, caring and unity.

“Jesus is the one true reason. Let us not be focused on the decorations instead, we should re ect on the nativity when Christ was born,” she said.

NATIVITY. The nativity scene inside the Christmas village in Calasiao town, Pangasinan. Mayor Mamilyn Agustin Caramat reminded the visitors not to forget that the birth of Jesus Christ is the real essence of Christmas.

The village also showcases the nativity scene. It also has characters, such as Elsa and Olaf from Disney’s Frozen, Spiderman, Batman, Transformers and of course, Santa Claus.

Caramat added admission to the Christmas village is free as it is her gift to the residents of Calasiao.

The funding for the village was from Caramat’s personal fund.

Executive Secretary Melvi Agustin said the village opened from Nov. 28 and will run until Feb. 14 next year.

“We will require vaccination cards from those who wanted to enter the Christmas village and we also have vaccinators in the area for those who are still not inoculated,” she said.

She added the visitors will be allowed to stay and take pictures inside the village for 15 to 20 minutes per batch.

The village will be open from a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Children below 12 years old will not be allowed to enter without their guardians with them.

Pets, food, drinks and vape are not allowed inside the village.