1 December 9-15, 2021
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EDITION
www.pnewstoday.com
THE PREMIER FILIPINO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN THE U.S. SINCE 1961
Vol. 61 No. 18 December 9-15, 2021
NEWS AND VIEWS YOU TRUST
WHO, DOH ALLAY FEARS ON OMICRON VARIANT Only causes mild Covid-19 symptoms; FilAms set for PHL cases drop; 2 from US catch Delta next week’s By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief
MANILA/GENEVA/WASHINGTON - Even as COVID-19 cases continue to drop in the Philippines to its lowest levels boosting prospects for a happier Christmas celebration by Filipinos, the World Health Organization, the United States and the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) allayed fears of possible more serious effects of the Omicron variant. Page 9
PH-born FilAms make history as South SF Mayor, Vice Mayor
BONGBONG-SARA CARAVAN. Presiden�al aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte inch their way in a caravan on Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City as thousands join them snarling traffic in By Cherie M. Querol Moreno the area for hours.
New disqualification cases, fake crowd photos hound Marcos camp By Be�ng Laygo Dolor, Editor MANILA – Another week, another set of roadblocks in his bid to return to Malacanang Two more disqualification cases from unexpected sources
were filed against presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. this week, even as his camp was found to have released doctored photos of a campaign rally to media that bloated the number of attendees. Page 10
California vaccine rollout for kids off to a good start By Jun Nucum
rollout of vaccines for California children 5-11 years old is runSAN FRANCISCO - With ning smoothly even as boosters almost 1.8 million doses re- are also now being advised to ceived and made available, the adults who earlier had Page 8
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Filipino pride radiated Tuesday, Dec. 7, when two Filipino Americans again made history in their city and for their community. Three years after they initially swore in as this city’s first-ever Council members of Philippine heritage, Mark Nagales and Flor Nicolas became Mayor and Vice Mayor of South San Francisco. The ceremony resembled a Philippine festival, with every member of the city’s governing body – from the 5-member City Council to the City Manager – all dressed in traditional Filipino formal, a gift from the incoming Vice Mayor. Erstwhile town chief Mark Ad-
SSF Mayor Mark Nagales and Vice Mayor Flor Nicolas promise to uphold safety, affordability and diversity. diego opened nominations for his successor and Council Member Nicolas nominated Nagales, till that moment the incumbent Vice Mayor, for the top seat. Page 11
three-day ‘Simbang Gabi’
By Rudy M. Viernes and Dan E. Nino SAN RAFAEL/LOS ANGELES - Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the United States, especially in California which hosts the largest population of Filipinos in North America, are ready for their dawn masses, popularly known to them as “Simbang Gabi.” In Marin County in Northern California, it will be a three-day “Simbang Gabi” masses on December 21 to 23 at the St. Isabella’s Church at One Trinity Way in San Rafael, California, an abbreviation of the nine-day novena of masses observed in the Philippines. Fr. Cyril O’Sullivan, parish priest of the San Rafael church, has agreed to host the Simbang Gabi at St. Isabella, the home of Simbang Gabi in the North Bay area from the beginning, according to the Filipino Americans in Northern California (FONA). In Los Angeles, the “Simbang Gabi” will be earlier, as it will begin on December 15 at 6:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Temple Street in Los Angeles. Page 8
LA passport renewal center for Filipinos up
Duterte accepts Biden invite to join summit VIEWS & COMMENTS
SHOWBIZ
SPORTS
Should you reaffirm a debt in bankruptcy?
Nora Aunor party-list group disqualified; Alden’s father gets nod
Mayweather to play basketball with Pacquiao, NBA in PHL
By A�y. Lozano
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$1.00= P50.37
P3
P7
PESO-DOLLAR RATE
as of December 9, 2021 1:50am
P26
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