Philippine News Today

NEW YORK - A group of Filipino journalists who had gone to the US on a reporting tour which included working on a story on Asian hate became victims of Asian hate themselves.

To make matters worse, they became victims of racial slurs not just once, not just twice, but three times. On the same day.

The journalists were on a working visit to Washington D.C. and New York City when the fi rst incident occurred.

They had gone to the subway station when a white American woman screamed at them to

“Go to hell, you f#cking monkeys!”

A member of the group, Bernadette Tamayo of the Manila Times, wrote of their experience last week.

“Anti-Asian hate is real,” she wrote, adding that the group “experienced it fi rst hand.”

The incident at the subway occurred just two days after they had interviewed two FilAms “who were themselves victims of hate crime toward Asian or Asian Americans,” said Tamayo.

While the encounter with the screaming woman unnerved them, there was more

SAN FRANCISCO - “Ang hirap maging biktima lalo na kung ikaw ay nag-iisa.”

This is the lament aired to a Consulate official by a

HONOLULU - The Filipinos in Hawaii are firmly on the road to political empowerment with the November 8 victory of 11 Filipinos – the most number of winners in an election since Hawaii became a state.

Unfortunately, Filipinos did not win the governorship because there was no Filipino candidate in the general election. Vicky Cayetano, the wife of former Filipino governor Benjamin Cayetano, lost in the primary.

The Filipino winners include five State Senators, five State Representatives and a City Council member in Honolulu. No Filipino candidate lost, unless the candidate was fighting another Filipino.

Marcos appoints Arroyo’s daughter, 2 others as PHL envoys

including the only daughter of former President and now Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The interim appointment of Evangelina Lourdes “Luli” Arroyo Bernas was announced by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Bernas official designation is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Austria with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Croatia, Republic of Slovenia and Slovak Republic.

Arroyo Bernas replaced Maria Cleofe R. Natividad, who was appointed as the Philippine envoy to Austria in 2017 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte. Her nomination needs to be confirmed by the CA.

Prior to her diplomatic appointment, Arroyo Bernas served as chairperson of the National Museum Board of Trustees.

According to the CA’s notice, Marcos also appointed CNN’s former Beijing bureau chief Jaime Florcruz as Philippine ambassador to China and Consul General to Vancouver Maria Andrelita Austria as Philippine ambassador to Canada.

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QC scores highest tax collection of P22 B, readies big ticket projects

“In the entire 83 years of history of Quezon City, this more than P22 billion in tax collection was the highest and the hardest to achieve because of the challenges of the pandemic. Despite the hardship, this expression of the people’s trust is the most sobering assurance that the people can give to its city. The trust of the people enlivens us,” Belmonte said.

greenurbanspaces inMetroManila.

“We will also construct a modern, elevated green promenade that would connect the Quezon Memorial Circle to the adjoining Ninoy A uino arks and Wildlife. This has a budget of P140 million,” Belmonte said.

Makati cited for high marks in locally sourced revenues

MAKATI CITY-- Makati City received three awards from the Department of Finance s Bureau of Local Government Finance BLGF for being one of the topperforming local government units in the country in terms of revenue generation in 2021.

QUEZON CITY - The Quezon City government collected P22 billion in taxes during the calendar year 2020-2021, the highest inthe city’s history.

The big tax and other revenues collected will enable City Hall to expand its infrastructure, health and social services, an ecstatic Mayor Joy Belmonte said in her first State of the City Address for her secondterm as the city’s chief executive.

Belmonte said the city’s tax collection for the previous calendar year 2018-2019 reached only P15.2 billion, indicating that the city s tax collection efficiency improvedby66.3percent.

She assured Que on City residents of more “citizen-centric, honest, data-driven, inclusive and uninterruptive services” from the citygovernment.

Belmonte said among the big ticket projects to be undertaken are the rehabilitation of the Quezon City Memorial Circle (QMC) and the modernization of the Amoranto Sports Complex so that the city youth can have better training facilities and the city can host international, regional andnational competitions.

The lady mayor said the redevelopment of Quezon City Memorial Circle besides the QC City Hall will have a budget of million for its first phase which involves the creation of one of the largest

The QC government will also expand its facilities for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibition or MICE Center.

“This center was designed to become the city’s business and tourist promotion hub. It will have a 1,300-seating capacity auditorium and huge exhibition halls. To finish this project, we allocated million,” the mayor said.

“The MICE Center will be the new global display window for QC’s premium products andservices,” she added.

The Amoranto Sports Complex, meanwhile, will get an allocation of P734 million so that it could have a 3,500-seating capacity arena, a 10-lane Olympic size swimming pool, a multi-use indoor sports facility and a multi-level parking building.

NCR malls to open at 11 a.m., close at 11 p.m.

open at 11 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. starting November 14 to cope up with the expected traffic congestions during the Christmas holidays andsales at the malls.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority MMDA and the mall owners and operators in Metro Manila agreed to the new schedule during a consultative meeting at the new MMDA buildinginPasigCity.

Acting MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said they re uested to change mall operating hours to help alleviate heavier traffic jams expected during the Christmas season.

“Mall-wide sales will be onlyallowed during weekends. Also, deliveries will be from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. only. Exempted from the regulation are deliveries of perishable goods, restaurants serving breakfast, and groceries,” Artes said.

Makati was one of the Top 2 performing LGUs in the country and the Top performing city in Metro Manila based on the 2021 highest locally sourced revenues.

The city was also recognized as the Local Revenue Generation Hall of Famer based on the highest locally sourced revenues from 2018 to 2020.

Ayala Avenue lights up for Christmas season

MAKATI CITY - Makati is shining brightly once again as the annual ceremonial lighting of the Christmas decorations along Ayala Avenue were lighted last week.

Makati City officials and Ayala Land Inc. executives led the ceremonial lighting of the giant lanterns along the busy avenue signaling the start of the Christmas season.

NCR positivity rate down to 8.9%, lowest since July

MANILA – The positivity rate, or the number of persons testing positive for Covid-19, in the National Capital Region (NCR) went down to 8.9 percent, the lowest this year since July 4.

This was disclosed by OCTA Research Group fellow Dr. Guido David who said other Covid-19 numbers in the NCR also went down along with its positivity rate.

The seven-day average of cases in the region decreased to 210 per day; average daily attack rate, 1.46; reproduction number or number of persons a case could infect, 0.68; growth rate.

Kennon Road re-opens to 2-way traffic

BAGUIO CITY – Good news to those who want to visit BaguioCityduringthe holidays.

The Kennon Road, the shortest way to and from the summer capital, is now open to two-way traffic, according to the Department of Public Works and HighwaysCordillera Administrative Region(DPWH-CAR).

The department shared the advisory released by the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force Kennon that the road has beenopenedstarting Nov.7at 8a.m.

The opening of the major thoroughfare to two-way traffic was made possible due to the recent developments andmajor road improvements.

“This decision was agreed upon by the members of the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force Kennon after their discussion during their meeting last November 4, 2022,” it added.

At the same time, the task force reminded motorists of the following safety and closure protocols: drive

safely, strictly adhere to traffic and parking rules and safety signages), and follow speed limits as indicated in various signages along Kennon Road; vehicles/trucks exceeding the five tons gross tonnage limit shall be prohibitedtopass through KennonRoad.

Such load limit shall be controlled by the DPWHCAR through the Benguet 1st District Engineering Office and concerned local police authorities.

Also, road clearing and no parking policies along these national roads shall be strictly facilitated by concerned local government units (cities, municipalities and barangays) in coordination with local police authorities to avoid traffic slow-up and accidents.

In case of bad weather, imminent weather disturbance, or detected ground shaking/earthquake with or without aftershock/s which may trigger landslides or rockfalls, the DPWH-CAR through the Benguet 1st District Engineering Office in coordination with the Tuba

Graft court orders raps vs. ex-Bataan guv to proceed

BALANGA CITY,Bataan – The Sandiganbayan has ruled to continue with the trial of a former Bataan provincial governor facinggraft charges.

A resolution dated Nov. 3 written by Associate Justice Edgardo M. Caldona turned down a motion filed by Leonardo B. Roman, then Bataan provincial governor, who is accused of graft in the 2003 contract for the construction of a mini-theater at the Bataan State College in Abucay town which allegedly benefited a private contractor, VF Construction.

Roman had filed a “motion for leave to file a demurrer to evidence” last September which seeks the outright dismissal of a case based on the apparent insufficiency

of the prosecution’s evidence even without the defense givingits side.

“After a circumspect consideration of the arguments presented by the parties, the Court is of the considered view that the motion for leave to file demurrer to evidence filed by Roman is bereft of merit,” the court said inorderingthe case toproceed.

The construction contract had been ruled to be void and illegal as found by the Commission on Audit (COA) in its audit observation memorandum, which cited a lack of valid appropriation and noticed that there had been no stipulation on the period of performance or target completiondate.

Prisons chief Bantag charged in Percy Lapid, prisoner killings

MANILA — The Department of Justice DO has filed two murder charges against suspended Bureau of Corrections BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag and another prisons official tagged as the mastermind in the ambush-slay of broadcast commentator ercival “ ercy Lapid” Mabasa and the killing of a prisoner at the national penitentariary in Muntinlupa.

ustice Secretary esus Crispin Remulla and Secretary Benjamin Benhur Abalos r. of the Department of the Interior and Local Government announced the filing of several charges against Bantag and other in the presence of the hilippine National olice, and the National Bureau of Investigation.

Remulla and Abalos assured due process for Bantag and others who were charged with him in connection with the killings as they urged Bantag to answer the charges.

Roy Mabasa, former National ress Club president and younger brother of ercy Lapid, lauded the filing of the charges, but hinted that there could be “higher masterminds” in the conspiracy to kill his broadcaster-brother other than Bantag.

Meanwhile, retired Armed Forces chief Gregorio Catapang r., who took over the helm of the Bureau of Corrections BuCor following the suspension of Bantag, has ordered a cleanup in the National Bilibid risons and reportedly has been receiving death threats.

Aside from Bantag, also charged were BuCor Directorate for Security and Operations S Ricardo ulueta who reportedly had gone into hiding, and persons deprived of liberty DLs linked to the death of Lapid and the supposed middleman in the case earlier identified as un or Crisanto Villamor.

Along with Bantag and ulueta, four inmates who are gang commanders were also named as respondents for the killing of Lapid Denver Mayores, Alvin Labra, Aldrin Galicia and Alfie e aredonda who supposedly participated in the killing by “indispensible cooperation.

Other DLs facing murder complaints

were identified as Mario Alvare , oseph Georfo, Christam Ramac, Ricky Salgado, Ronnie Dela Cru , and oel Reyes.

Bantag, who has not surfaced since the filing of the charges, has denied he was behind Lapid s killing.

But informants reportedly revealed that Bantag was furious after Lapid had put out a video of his house in Laguna with several vehicles infront of the house. Lapid had reportedly accused Bantag of making money while he headed the Bureau of Corrections which has supervision over the national penitentiary or National Bilibid risons and other penal colonies in alawan, Mindoro and other areas and had asked him in his “Lapid Fire” radio-tv program to explain the deaths of several high profile prisons.

Secretary Remulla disclosed a key bit of information previously not revealed to the public that shows that Bantag may indeed be the mastermind of the Oct. killing of broadcaster ercy Lapid.

Remulla said on Wednesday, Nov. , that Lapid had gone to the Laguna property of Bucor director general Gerald Bantag on September to take pictures of what the broadcast journalist said was a mansion, along with 11 vehicles reportedly owned by him.

Remulla said Bantag was “livid” at the visit of the newsman to the point that he even missed what was considered an important event, the graduation ceremonies of inmates who had earned their degrees while inside the New Bilibid rison.

Speaking to media in a mix of English and ilipino, Remulla said Bantag “went back to Laguna and then he did not attend the graduation.”

The BuCor chief s absence was “very significant,” according to Remulla, “because graduation of the University of erpetual Help” had the board of trustees present.

It was a sign that “he was very mad, he was very, very livid about it,” said Remulla.

hotos of the house and the vehicles would be shown as proof that Bantag was living beyond his means, which Lapid had stated earlier in his show “Lapid Fire.”

“The principle that we adopted here in charging the mastermind is the totality of all the facts given to us by all the

witnesses and all the circumstances attendant to the killing. So it s a totality test,” Remulla said in a media briefing.

He added that “the totality of all the acts points out to the participation of and responsibility of those being charged.”

Remulla urged Bantag and ulueta to give themselves up and face the charges.

“I d like to ask ulueta and DG Bantag to surrender and face the charges. If they are innocent, the law will uphold them and if they are guilty then they have to face the conse uence,” the justice official said. Secretary Abalos made the same call.

Remulla ssaid he has already ordered a lookout bulletin against the two officials of BuCor.

Bantag was one of the 1 “persons of interest” in the Lapid case earlier identified by the N .

In a briefing to media announcing the filing of the charges, NBI lawyer Eugene avier said that witnesses statements showed there was a “clear and direct line of communication” from Bantag and ulueta to gang leaders who then communicated with Labra and later coordinated with Galicia.

It was Galicia who orchestrated and executed the killing of Lapid through his gang members and the latter s contacts outside the New Bilibid rison NB .

It was BC gang commander Labra and Sputnik Gang commander Galicia who talked to Villamor. Villamor then talked to B M inmate Christopher Bacoto who found Escorial.

Escorial had earlier confessed to the killing and claimed he received the order from Bilibid inmate Villamor, who offered , in exchange for the killing.

That money was later confirmed to have entered Escorial s bank account.

This, he said, led to the participation of the self-confessed gunman, oel Escorial, and his accomplices.

It was also found out in the investigation that Bantag had a clear motive to order the killing of Lapid because of the latter s continued expos against the former on his show, “Lapid Fire”.

And as for Villamor, “it was an attempt to cover up the murder of ercy Lapid.”

Lapid, a hard-hitting tabloid and radio commentator was gunned down on

Oct. in Las inas City.

In the timeline that the ustice department, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the hilippine National olice had created, Bantag had allegedly ordered the killing of Lapid – real name ercival Mabasa – to stop the expose.

Several gangleaders were involved in the plot, with one inmate identified as un Villamor acting as middleman in procuring the services of oel Escorial, who late confessed to the killing.

To insure that the trail would not lead to Bantag, Villamor was ordered killed, allegedly also upon the orders of the BuCor chief.

His fellow gang members took care of the deed by pinning Villamor down, and wrapping his head in a plastic bag, leading to his death by su ocation.

Villamor reportedly knew he was to be killed, which is why he sent a text message to his sister saying he would soon be gone and that Bantag was behind his death.

That text message was tantamount to a death bed confession, according to the ustice secretary.

Bantag s deputy security officer, Ricardo ulueta, was in on the plot to silence Lapid and later Villamor. He has since gone into hiding.

Remulla dared Bantag and ulueta to the face the murder complaint lodged against them “like a man.”

While he had not been seen in public since his suspension, Bantag had been talking to local media. Among others, he denied that the house he was building in Laguna was a mansion, and that most of the vehicles that Lapid saw outside his property belonged either to BuCor or to his security detail.

He said he had “nothing to gain” in ordering the killing of the popular broadcast journalist.

But Bantag also said that he preferred death over incarceration.

As far as Remulla is concerned, the case of the killing of ercy Lapid is closed. This despite the brother of the broadcaster, Roy Mabasa, saying that former president Rodrigo Duterte should be included in the ustice department s list of “persons of interest” potentially involved in the killing.

PAF operationalizes air defense missile system

BASA AIR BASE, ampanga – The hilippine Air Force s AF has made operational its newly ac uired groundbased air defense system GBADS to defend the country s so-called “center of gravity” and protect critical defense installations and assets, .

“The GBADS is projected not only to protect vital military installations and various ground and air assets but is also intended, when necessary, to secure our nation s centers of gravity, critical government utilities and other essential facilities and assets of national importance,” AF spokesperson Col. Ma.

Consuelo Castillo said.

“Center of gravity” may either refer to a country s densely populated areas or key political and business infrastructures.

She also said having the GBADS in the AF inventory gives the service a “layered defense” against intruding and hostile aircraft.

Castillo also said the GBAD batteries that are in service are the first modern surface-to-air missile defense system of the Armed Forces of the hilippines AF .

The GBADS will also be the primary

weapon of the AF s th Air and Missile Defense Group.

The AF formally accepted the GBADS during rites at the Basa Air Base, Floridablanca, ampanga, which was witnessed by resident Ferdinand R. Marcos r.

“The newly ac uired GBADS or specifically called S YDER hilippines Air Defense System S ADS is a mobile air and missile defense system designed to protect critical installations, landbased fixed assets, mobile platforms, and friendly forces from aerial threats, such as combat aircraft, attack helicop-

ters, unmanned air vehicles, incoming missiles, guided munition, and rockets. In certain cases, it may also be used to neutrali e surveillance threats,” Castillo said.

Also known as S ADS, it is classified as a “medium-range air defense missile system” and is capable of low-level, uick-reaction interception.

The GBADS is also the AF s “secondary air defense cover after manned fighter aircraft” with the role currently being undertaken by the Air Force s FAH eet.

PHL, US want 5 more joint military facilities under EDCA

Having more sites under the Enhanced Defense

Agreement or EDCA, according to the official, who spoke to visiting Filipino journalists at the entagon, would allow the US “to respond more uickly to a range of disasters or crisis that could happen in any number of areas as well as providing greater training” for both sides.

“There are five existing EDCA sites and five additional ones we are looking at,” the official said, adding consultations between Manila and Washington are ongoing.

“We would consult closely and look at the map for additional sites that could be added on to the EDCA in the future,” the official said.

‘Paeng’ agri, infra damage nears P9 billion

QUE ON CITY – The estimated cost of damage caused by Severe Tropical Storm aeng to the country s agriculture and infrastructure sectors has soared to billion, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council NDRRMC

In its situation report, the NDRRMC placed agriculture damage at . billion in Cagayan Valley, Central Lu on, Calabaron, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, amboanga eninsula, Northern Mindanao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao BARMM and the

Cordillera Administrative Region CAR .

A ected farmers and fisherfolk are placed at 1 , 8 .

Meanwhile, infrastructure damage was estimated at . billion in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Lu on, Calabar on, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Lu on, Northern Mindanao, BARMM and CAR.

A total of , houses were damaged by the tropical cyclone across the country, which includes 8, 8 “partially damaged” houses and , 81 “totally damaged” houses.

(From page 1)PHL... to come.

“We were the target of racist speech two more times on the same day,” she also said.

The second incident occurred on the Brooklyn Bridge, and the third misencounter took place as the group was on its way to Ground Zero or the 9-11 Memorial Site.

The four Filipino journalists were proceeding to the 5th Avenue subway station which was closest to the hotel where they were staying. That was when the fi rst “incident” took place.

As the foursome were walking towards the platform, they heard a woman screaming.

At fi rst they thought the woman was having an

argument but it soon became clear to them that they were the objects of her hate-fi lled rants.

The group was clearly the object of the woman’s tirades as there were no other people at the platform at that time, said the Manila Times reporter.

The group ignored her and were relieved when their train arrived.

On their way to the Brooklyn bridge, a street vendor who was described as a “person of color” kept saying “corona, corona” as they passed by him, clearly referring to the coronavirus.

The third encounter was when a member of the group got separated from the others, when she saw a Black man walking towards her and saying “F#ck you!” over and over, until she made her way back to

the other three.

They considered themselves lucky that no physical harm had happened to any of them, but they say that the experience left them wondering where all the hate was coming from.

Several Filipinos who had been to the US recently told Philippine News Today that they were shocked at all the hate thrown Asians and Asian-Americans’ way.

One surmised that the former president before Joe Biden was as much to blame as anyone, having coined such terms as “kung u,” and the “Chinese virus” in place of coronavirus.

It is not clear if and when Asian hate will end, but travelers from Asian countries are being already warned by airlines and travel agents to avoid walking (From page 1)

The most spectacular winner among Filipinos in Hawaii was Valerie Aquino Okimoto, a 40-something, very attractive mother of 2 young daughters. She won in Honolulu City Council District 8, which is predominantly Japanese and Filipino. She easily beat the career politician Ron Menor, an attorney and former Councilmember of Honolulu, a former State Senator and a former State Representative, thereby e ectively ending Menor’s career. Okimoto obtained 19,917 votes (53.3%) to Menor’s 15,225 votes (40.8%).

Menor, while a state Senator in April 2008, was arrested by police on suspicion of drunken driving although he claimed he was arrested only for driving too slowly on the freeway. He reportedly admitted drinking at most two glasses of wine during a meal. His 11-yearold son was his passenger. According to reports, Menor pleaded no contest and the court sentenced him to two days in jail and 8 fine. He was shown on television in a jailbird s outfit.

Valerie joins two other Filipinos in the Honolulu City Council: (1) Radiant Cordero, daughter of prominent realtor David Cordero and the beauteous Fil-Am Courier publisher Mary Llanos Cordero, and (2) Augusto “Augie” Tulba, a popular comedian who traces his roots to Siquijor.

The second most spectacular winner among Hawaii Filipinos was Rose Martinez who unsuccessfully ran 3 times for the position of state legislator in District 40, Ewa Beach, before winning on November 8. Her district is predominantly Filipino. Rose is a former teacher and a health care worker. She is from Urda-

neta, Pangasinan. She is the wife of popular radio host and announcer Florante Martinez of KNDI radio station, owned by Geronimo Malabed, the only Filipinoowned radio station in Hawaii.

The winning State Senators of Filipino descent were:

Lorraine Rodero Inouye, Dist. 1

Joy San Buenaventura, Dist. 2

Donna Mercado Kim, Dist. 14

Brandon Elefante, Dist. 16

Donovan de la Cruz, Dist. 17

The winning Filipino State Representatives were:

Della Au Belatti, Dist. 26

Ernesto Ganaden, Dist. 30

Rose Martinez, Dist. 40

David A. Alcos, Dist. 41

Diamond Garcia, Dist. 42

COUNCILMEMBER, HONOLULU (1 out of 3)

Valerie Aquino Okimoto, Dist. 8

GREEN WINS AS HAWAII GOVERNOR

Elected Governor of Hawaii was Josh Green, a prominent physician and current Lt. Governor. Green’s father had a construction business in the Philippines during the Marcos I years and he had lived there with his father. He is the only human being I know who answers my text messages in one minute, even when he was confined in the hospital for Covid-1 . Dr. Green said that he is “inspired by the hopes, challenges, and values of the families he cares for.” “Let’s Go Green,” was a campaign slogan I suggested to him.

Governor-elect Green is married to Jaime Kanani Ushiroda, a lawyer whom this writer has met, who is said to have some Filipino blood in her veins. They have a daughter Maia, 14 and a son Sam, 10.

MANILA — The Philippine government has formally signed two more contract packages on civil works related to the country s fi rst underground railway, the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP), from Valenzuela to Paranaque City which is expected to be completed by 2028.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of MMSP contract packages 102 and 103 at the Malacañang Palace by Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista and the contractors which involves the building of four subway stations in Quezon City.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte also witnessed the signing together with other offi cials Contract Package 102, a P21-

billion agreement with fi rms Nishimatsu Construction Co., Ltd. and D.M. Consunji Inc., involves the construction of the MMSP’s Quezon Avenue and East Avenue stations, including their connecting tunnels.

Contract Package 103, another P28-billion agreement with Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co., Ltd., will enable the construction of the MMSP’s Anonas and Camp Aguinaldo stations. The former is expected to connect with the current LRT-2 Anonas station.

In his speech, Marcos said that the MMSP, once completed, will reduce travel time from Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay to about 35 to 40 minutes.

The MMSP, he said, is aimed at addressing the “terrible stories”

about lack of quality time for many Filipinos due to traffi c congestion.

“We will reduce the terrible stories that we hear of people who no longer see their children because they come home at 1:30 in the morning and the children are asleep,” Marcos said.

“They have to wake up at 4:00 in the morning to get back on the bus to fi ght with the traffi c coming back to work. And that the subway and all our public transport systems will be able to help and to remedy,” he added.

Marcos said he hopes the MMSP will help “improve quality of life” in Metro Manila.

When completed in 2028, the MMSP is expected to carry at least 500,000 passengers daily from Valenzuela City in the north to Parañaque City in the south.

Newsom...

(From page 1)

In the same California election, Senator Alex Padilla made history by becoming the first Latino from the golden state to win a seat for the US Senate, continuing his short stint since he was appointed to the post by Governor Newsom to fill the vacancy left by US Senator, now Vice President, Kamala Harris.

Padilla, 49,defeated GOP attorney Mark Meuser to win a term to complete the term up to January 3 of VP Kamala Harris and thereafter for a full six-year term of his own. He snatched 62 percent of the votes as against Meuser’s 38 percencent

At his victory party at the Hollywood Palladium, Padilla pledged to prioritize job creation, climate change, immigration reform, reproductive rights and the protection of Social Security and Medicare and defense against threats to democracy.

Filipino American lawyer Rob Bonta, another appointee of Governor Newsom to the post of Attorney General of the state out of the California State Assembly, easily disposed of his rival in the polls to claim a full term as Attorney General.

Meanwhile, 11 Filipinos won in the Hawaii elections, five of them as State Senators and another five as State Representatives. (See related stories.) while a Filipino American, Steven Raga, scored a milestone by becoming the first Filipino to win a seat in the State Assembly of New York.

In Milpitas, lawyer Garry Barbadillo became the second FilAm to gain a seat in the City Council after Evelyn Quevedo Chua, as the city elected a new mayor to replace Vietnamese-American Richard Tranh whose term has expired.

Elsewhere in California and other states, more Filipinos either were reelected or elected to various posts. Some Filipinos, however, failed in their bids for some positions.

Just like in Hawaii, many Filipinos have been elected as mayor and to other posts in California, the US state with the second biggest population of Filipinos and Filipino Americans.

Close to Filipinos, Governor Newsom, who has a doctorate in public management from the amantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila LM , thanked his supporters, leaders and all voters during a Sacramento victory party.

In a brief remarks in which he also acknowledged the approval of the abortion rights initiative Proposition 1, Newsom said he wanted to be a unifier in his second term.

“The dream is predicated on all of us living and advancing together across every conceivable di erence,” Newsom said in a statement. “We all have a responsibility to do a little bit more to meet people where they are.”

In New York, Raga won the seat for District 30 in Queens, roundly defeating Republican challenger Sean Lally in the 2022 midterm elections with 58 percent of the vote.

Raga immediately thanked his sup-

porters via Instagram.

“We are on the edge of history, and as a kid from Queens who grew up with a single mother, working three jobs while pursuing my education, the overwhelming support from all corners of the district means a lot to me,” he said.

Bonta faced Republican Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor, in a campaign which focused on California’s crime rate.

Meanwhile, Dianne Feinstein has won another term as US Senator, adding to her almost 30 years already in the US Senate, becoming the longest serving woman in Senate history.

“It s an incredible honor,” said Feinstein in a statement the San Francisco Examiner. “I’m forever grateful to the people of California who sent me here to represent them. It has been a great pleasure to watch more and more women walk the halls of the Senate. ... We have seen tremendous progress, but we still have work to do.”

Feinstein was a San Francisco supervisor from 1970-78. She became mayor in 1978 after the assassination of Mayor George Moscone. She was elected to the Senate in 1992.

State treasurer Fiona was reelected to the post while Shirley Weber won as Secretary of State.

In the race for who will replace Congresswoman Jackie Speier to represent the 15th District in Washington, D.C., California Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Mullin beat out his opponent San Mateo County Supervisor David

Canepa to seal his place on the safe Democrat seat representingthe Peninsula.

In Washington, US President Joe Biden said he was happy with the results of midterm elections in which his fellow Democrats fared better than expected.

Election Day was good for democracy but the results showed that Americans remained frustrated, he added in a statement from the White House.

“It was a good day, I think, for democracy,” Biden said.

White House officials have expressed a sense of vindication that Democrats did better than expected after Biden focused his campaign pitch largely on preventing threats to US democracy, securing abortion rights and extolling his economic policies.

Republicans, however, made modest gains in the elections and are likely to take control of the House of Representatives, but control of the Senate still hangs as three races remained too close to call.

Biden said he was prepared to work with Republicans.

“The American people have made clear, I think, that they expect Republicans be prepared to work with me as well,” he said.

Biden said he would veto e orts to pass a national ban on abortion and opposed tax cuts for the wealthy, two policy proposals Republicans may pursue.

He said when he returns from a trip to Asia he would invite Democratic and Republican leaders to the White House to discuss priorities going forward.

ablo Villavicencio finally had his grievances heard recently at a meeting with hilippine Consulate General in San Francisco CGSF Deputy Consul General Ra uel Solano who is also in charge of assistance to Filipino nationals at CGSF at the Consulate.

Villavicencio shared that more than a year after a violent incident at an East Bay Bart station he is still feeling the trauma that remained with him and longed for the day when he would feel normal and safe again.

“I still have to constantly look around before he can feel seated comfortably inside a bus or train. The mere sight of black people, regardless whether they are male or female, young or old gives him the chills,” Villavicencio related. “I long for the day when he would feel normal and safe again.”

Villavicencio was looking forward to spending a happy Memorial Day weekend with his friends and relatives in Los Angeles as he took the BART train when at the West Oakland Station, a young twenty-five year old African American girl suddenly dashed in front of him carrying a piece of x wood and took a swing that targeted Villavicencio s head.

It was good that he had uick re exes, was able to duck a bit to his right protecting his head and the impact of the wood hit the backpack he had on his left shoulder instead. He didn t feel hurt then and was about to run after the girl who sprinted upstairs to the train platform.

It was good that the station agent advised him not to go after the girl as it was not safe for him to do so. Instead, Villavicencio was led into the station booth which then was safer place to be in.

The station agent then called up BART police to seek assistance and policemen, together with a medical team, arrived minutes later. They went up to take custody of the girl who Villavicencio and the station agent were

able to identify.

“I still cannot recover from my trauma. Whenever it is talked about, the psychological wounds and sad thoughts it left are still fresh in min mind,” Villavicencio remembered.

“When I posted it on social media and was subse uently reported on Filipino media outlets, I received a lot of sympathetic messages that asked among others how I am doing, am I still able to go out on my own, they are still asking if the hilippine government has helped me or at least gotten in touch with me.

I said no.as time went on I still carry the emotional and psychological hurt in me. It is very hard to be a victim of a hate crime especially when you live alone with all your loved ones are back in the hilippines. Ang hirap maging biktima lalo na kung ikaw ay nag-iisa.”

Villavicencio admitted that he felt very bad that even got to the point that he blamed the hilippine government for not even learning what happened to me although it was in the printed news and even online.

“Where are you when I needed you most A victim like me needs medical, legal, financial, shelter assistance, among others. Emotionally, he would need a psychiatrist or psychologist,” Villavicencio believes. ”He would also need spiritual guidance as I felt so alone I was also thinking of taking my own life because of mental torture and fear.”

These were part of what Villavicencio told Solano at their meeting where he also suggests that the Consulate has someone in charge because there many being victimi ed but many of the victims may not know where to turn to, go or call.

Villavicencio added that victims may not have enough courage to come out and report these things being at a loss on how he will get medical and legal assistance that can be taken care of by someone from the Consulate that supposedly his home away from home.

“We should always be monitored as we

also have a lot of things we need to do. Life does not stop when we get victimi ed,” Villavicencio stressed. “I want to reach out to you so I can tell you what are needed by victims like me. Now that I have told you and nothing has been done, only then can I blame you for doing nothing. You really need to look for Filipinos who have been victimi ed so you may know what else are needed by them.”

Solano, for her part, admitted that not every news on victims reaches the Consulate and was happy that she and the victim are having this conversation so the Consulate may know Villavicencio s thoughts and complaints.

“I am speaking out in the hope that this does not happen to anyone else, for anyone to fall victim and get hurt. I am thankful to God that nothing worse than this happened. To all who may have su ered like me, do not be silent. Don t su er in silence. Say something so this may no longer happen to anyone else,” Villavicencio advised.

Villavicencio s appeal was echoed by Solano who asked Filipino victims to report to them incidents such as what happened to him.

Victims of hate crimes and incidents are advised to first call law enforcement authorities for immediate response, inform the Consulate of what happened so appropriate assistance may be extended subject to evaluation by the Department of Foreign A airs. Victims can call 1 - or 1 - 8 888 to reach the CGSF .

Solano added that they are not being given information by the police that easily mainly due to privacy laws in California. Victims usually have to go through to public records route and had to undergo legal proceedings and that victims have to give consent before

Consulate officials have access to records.

“When it comes to the need of Filipinos we have a section here in the Consulate that attends to assistance to nationals that provides assistance based on a set of guidelines. We determine first if he is a Filipino national not American citi en , does he need financial or legal assistance and if he has the capacity pay considering the limited hilippine government resources so we can help those who really needed help . We have a process we follow. We evaluate what assistance are needed, is he ualified that the government help that may be extended. Only when the resources available within the community are exhausted will we endorse the re uest to avail of the assistance to national funds from the DFA that will determine and finally decide on the reuest,” Solano explained.

Solano promised to refer and endorse Villavicencio s re uest for the services available if asked and he will be informed of any development.

“In his case, the assistance that we may give him is legal assistance when there is sufficient basis to file a case. Then financial assistance if he does not have the capacity to support himself. On psycho social support, we can refer him to an entity for this,” Solano remarked.

Nat’l Press Club: Journos’ club Ilocanos with big dreams built GGCC hosts Soul Winners workshop in San Francisco

After two years of living in extended hibernation triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, my wife and I decided to leave our cocoon in Hercules, California and ew to Manila for reunions with relatives, friends and colleagues and, to get recharged and refreshed.

During this much needed vacation, I had the opportunity to attend the 70th anniversary celebration of the National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) at its historic and iconic building first earth uake-proof building in Manila) beside the Pasig river and Jones bridge and a stone’s throw from the centuries-old Walls of Intramuros.

Our Philippine News Today editor in chief Alfred G. Gabot, an honoree during the celebration being a former president and lifetime member, invited me to the NPC event knowing how a ‘bakasyonista’ would usually regard spending long hours at a formal event as boring and time-consuming. The ‘bakasyonita’ would rather use his limited time engaging with relatives, former classmates and teachers, and friends.

But not for this columnist. I certainly wanted to revisit the NPC, my old haunt, after decades of absence. During our time, Fridays were spectacular as NPC was always jampacked with journalists drawn by booze, exchanging stories and the Celebrity Night extravaganza.

Another Philippine News Today columnist, Atty. Emmanuel Tipon of Honolulu, Hawaii, who happened to be in Manila after a family reunion in Baguio City, was also with us and got in at the press club upon invitation of Fred, our editor in chief.

Apart from being an NPC president, Fred is a respected journalist having been a senior editor of the Manila Bulletin and the Daily Express for years, a book author and professor and had once served as Chairman of the Board of the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhlPost), Commissioner of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Regent of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, one of the country’s top universities, among others.

During Prof. Gabot’s tenure as president of NPC, the press club had unprecedented achievements never replicated in the history of the NPC up to today. One such achievement was putting the NPC Philippines on the level of the National Press Club of the United States in Washington D.C., the most powerful and in uential press club in the world, through a sister-club agreement on February 16, 1999 in the presence of Ambassador Raul Rabe and officers of the two clubs.

AS NPC President, Gabot also launched the NPC Philippines chapters in San Francisco led by George Nervez, Los Angeles led by Val Abelgas and Chicago headed by Bart Tubalinal. I learned that in the late 1980s he was also one of the founding members of the media club in San Francisco along with former NPC Philippines members like Lilia Andolong, wife of NPC president Nereo Andolong; and Willie Jurado, which later became known as the Philippine American Press Club.

I can write tons and tons of stories about our editor in chief Alfred Gabot considering his exploits and achievements in journalism, government and education. But let me focus on his inspirational speech about the history of the NPC that he delivered prior to his receiving an Award of Recognition from the N C officers led by first woman president Lydia Bueno and first woman vice president Kristina Maralit, as a former NPC president and lifetime NPC member.

Just like those in the full-packed Plaridel Hall where the event was held, I was startled in my seat to learn during the Gabot address that the NPC was literally founded (Continue onpage 27)

Doyou have friends and family members that you want to help to go to heaven?

Health & Wealth

Decongesting our prisons

If so, YOU are cordially invited to the upcoming SOUL WINNERS WORKHOP on Saturday, November 19, 2022 9:00am to 3:00pm at the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST (GGCC) Auditorium located at 701-8th Avenue (near Golden Gate Park), San Francisco, California 94118.

The workshop will be conducted by Evangelist Jon Rowe, Minister of the SOUTHWEST CHURCH OF CHRIST in Phoenix, Arizona, who is married to Razzle Rowe, Filipina registered nurse originally from Tayug, Pangasinan

The complete schedule of the workshop are as follows: PRINCIPLES OF PREPARATION. 9:00–9:50am; PERSONAL EVANGELISM IN JESUS’LIFE, 10:00-10:50am; GENERATING A GOSPEL DISCUSSION, 11:00am –11:50 am; LUNCH BREAK, 12-1:00pm; THE GOSPEL PRESENTATION PART 1, 1-1;50pm; THE GOSPEL PRESENTATION PART II, 2-3:00pm.

The WE CARE Approach in Gospel Presentation is the most friendly, non-threatening , very e ective and practical way of sharing the gospel in its purity and simplicity to our FRANCS(Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances, Neighbors, CoWorkers, Strangers) to encourage and help them go to heaven with us.

Since using the WE CARE Approach, Evangelist Jon Rowe has personally converted more than 1,500 precious souls. His home congregation at the SOUTHWEST CHURCH OF CHRIST in Phoenix, Arizona has on the average converted annually 60-70 precious souls who obeyed the gospel in baptism for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:3738)

GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST (GGCC)has a historic and long-term relationship with many congregations and brethren in the Philippines. The late brother Herman Trinidad, Jr. discovered providentially the old Records and Minutes of the GGCC Elders and Deacons Meetings in the late 40s and early 50s, few years before his death.

GGCC partially supported the late missionary Ralph Brashears and his wife when they started their mission work in the Philippines. They actually began their mission work in Tayug, Pangasinan where TAYUG CHURCH OF CHRIST(one of the earliest congregations) was established Due to the hot weather in the lowland, Ralph Brashears and his wife moved to Baguio City where they started the Philippine Bible College (PBC) and eventually established BAGUIO CHURCH OF CHRIST in Rimando Road, Baguio City, Philippines.

Together with sister congregations from Southern California, Texas, Oklahoma and other bible belt states the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST partially supported Ralph Brashears in raising funds for the Philippine Bible College (PBC)building and dormitories.

Though the years, hundreds and thousands of young men and women from all over the Philippines and nearby Asian countries like Thailand and Singapore finished Associate in Theology and Bachelor of Theology from the Philippine Bible College like my beloved wife Virginia Jimenez Madlaing and the late brother Herman Trinidad, Jr.

Many of these graduates are now serving as preachers, ministers, Bible and Christian colleges and universities professors, directors, presidents and elders of many congregations in the Philippines, United States, Canada, Hongkong, Singapore and other countries.

As book author, columnist active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST, I’ll be giving autographed copies of my latest books HISTORICITY OF JESUS subtitled “Facts and Evidences for Agnostics, Atheists, Believers and Christians” and “LIFESTYLE FOR LONGEVITY subtitled “How to be Healthy Emotionally, Financially, Physically, Sexually and SpirituallyJ” to attendees of the upcoming SOUL WINNERS WORKSHOP. RSVP: (650) 4383531 or (415) 584-7095 or email: artmadlaing@gmail.com

(ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#00635976) in California

Last month, the Bureau of Corrections freed 371 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) to coincide with the 65th birthday celebration of President BBM. The release, according to DOJ, would be followed by similar releases every month thereafter all the way to December. The e ect would be a decongestion, albeit slight, of our overcrowdedprisons.

Our prisons are one of the most overcrowded in this part of the region. The Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa has approximately 30,000 PDLs, way above the ideal capacity of only 6,500 or a congestion rate of 344 percent. A slightly lower congestion rate of 303 percent is reported in BUCOR’s six operating prisons and penal farms. One can only imagine the deplorable conditions su ered by DLs being packed in an ill-ventilated,smellyjail space designedfor one.

Thus, the proposed regular and timely release of PDLs is a welcome move. DLs should not be made to su er in prison one day longer than necessary. I propose digitizing prison records to speed up the process. Digitizing 30,000 prison records would be no sweat for a competent service provider. A PDL’s record (“carpeta”) would be programmed like a bank time deposit with a fixed maturity, computed minus the expected good conduct time allowance. On maturity date, the PDL is automaticallyreleased.

Another means to decongest the prisons has already been suggested by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. Add more regional prisons and penal farms to the current six. The proposal hits two birds with one stone. PDLs need not be uprooted away from their families. In Muntinlupa, cases abound of PDLs who have not been visited by loved ones during their entire confinement because of the distance and the cost involved. If I may add my two cents, well-to-do provinces should also be requested to upgrade their existing facilities or establish new ones.

*****

A front page photo recently of President BBM planting a bamboo tree in a former landfill in San Mateo, Ri al was enough to make reader Rody Pelayo ecstatic. “Kakampi na natin si President Bongbong sa ating bamboo advocacy.” A retired agricultural engineer, Pelayo heads a group called Bamboo Connect Philippines , which advocates the replanting of five million hectares of denuded areas with bamboo.

Why bamboo? “Bamboo is pro-environment as it absorbs more carbon dioxide than ordinary trees. It is sustainable because it multiplies exponentially even when harvested,” Pelayo said. “It can provide a bamboo farmer a steady income of approximately 1 , per hectare, starting the fifth year. Bamboo can be productive for at least 50 years.” And if I may kibitz,the bamboois alsoimpervious totyphoons.

A website “Guadua Bamboo”, enumerates the advantages of bambooover other trees,as follows:

Rapid Growth – Fastest growing plant on earth. Some species can grow more than 1 meter per day. No other plant grows faster.

Renewable Resource – provides an endless supply of timber.

Clean Air –Bambooproduces more oxygenthantrees.

CarbonSequestration- Mentionedabove

Water Conservation – Bamboo acts as a reservoir by collecting and storing large amounts of water in its rhizomes and stems during rainy reason, and returning water to the soil, rivers andstreams duringdroughts.

Soil Conservation – A great tool for soil protection due to its rapid growth, permanent canopy and huge network of roots andrhizomes.

Biodiversity Conservation – Bamboo is an important part of a biodiverse ecosystem. Many animals rely on bamboo for foodandshelter.

Bioenergy – Bamboo is a sustainable energy source that produces 1 KWH of electricity from 1.2 kg of bamboo. This is similar to the biomass requirements for wood products but outperforms other types of biomass sources.

Versatility – Bamboo can replace wood in almost any application, ranging from paper and pulp products, ooring, musical instruments,furniture andconstructionmaterials.

According to published reports, the DENR is targeting 11,631 hectares of enhanced

still

Considerthis an open letter to Senate President Migz Zubiri.

If anything should every happen to President Bongbong Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte – God forbid – Zubiri would be next in line to assume the presidency, correct?

How he ever made it to the Senate presidency, I’ll never know. But I can hazard a guess that he knows whose backs to slap, who to be ultracourteous to,andwhototreat like a long-lost best friend.

With the current composition of the upper chamber of the country’s bicameral Congress, he does not have to be close to a whole lot. A simple majority would do. Himself excluded, Zubiri would need the support of 12 of the 23 other senators to holdthe high andmightytitle of Senate president.

Since the last Senate president of the last Congress was a longtime comedian-cum-musician, Zubiri did not have to try too hard to win the support of the other lawmakers. All he had to do was crack some jokes, smile a lot, and call the other male senators ‘pare.’

To be fair, it appears that he did attend the senate sessions religiously and put in some work to at least make him worthy of the payandperks of his loftyposition.

Having said that, I have to say that he still does not seem to understand the reason for being of us boys and girls of Philippine media.

This week, he asked us media practitioners to help boost the image of the Philippines by showing the true, the good, andthe beautiful about the republic.

And yes, I borrowed that line from none other than Imelda Marcos.

Indeed, while she’s already what? In her 90s? Madame Marcos still cuts an impressive figure. Not unlike Ann-Margret who’s now inher early80s andstill attractive.

But I digress. The topic is not Imelda Marcos, but Migz Zubiri and his request for us media practitioners to show the world how grand and de-lovely the Philippines truly is. (I know there’s no such word, but there was a movie by that title, right? De-lovely. Which is another digression on my part. My apologies).

But Mr. Zubiri should know that there are people known as PR practitioner, that’s short for public relations. It is their job to do what he wants journalists to do. Which is to show one side of the coin, while pretending the other side does not exist.

There may be journalists who do lifestyle stories, and that’s all well and good. They write about “nice” things, attend endless cocktails and dinners and even get invited to local and foreign trips by companies, organizations, and even individuals who hope that their media guests write only fab things about them.

They re fine. But not fine are the envelopmental journalists coveringthe showbiz beat.

I suspect that Mr. Zubiri has met a lot of either the PR practitioners, or the newsmen and women who don’t mind being feted and partied and even given expensive gifts from time totime.

He has clearly not met the newsmen who put their lives onthe line bywritingthe objective truth,dayinanddayout.

And truth be told, Mr. Zubiri, the Republic of the Philippines is a troubledstate at this point.

I consider myself as a middle, middle class man, a working sti who tries to do a good job in order to earn a good wage. For the record, I am presently working at CNN hilippines as aneditor (although my fancytitle is consultant).

Working eight hours a day, five days a week, I get to see almost all the top stories of the day. I’ve always had an inclinationfor business reportingandwhat I see disturbs me noend.

In the span of a few months, the peso has lost more than 10 percent of its value. Just like that. I would look at the daily news andwonder why not enough people are panicking.

For now, the downward slide of the peso has stopped, but I fear only temporarily. I still expect the local currency to hit the 60 to 1 exchange rate vis-à-vis the dollar in the next few weeks.

The worst thing is that the slide can be expected to continue next year. This is not put down of the current dispensation. The negative direction

onpage 27)

Has Trump lost his mojo?

These last two US election cycles have come with counter-cycle political trends. Typically, in the midterm elections of the first term of a US resident, the opposite party gains seats, lots of legislative seats. The Republicans weren’t being creative with that prediction. There must be a political almanac somewhere that says that. Couple that with a visibly senile President, an energy policy that is at least partly responsible for the rise in oil and gasoline prices, a fiscal policy that has exacerbated the in ationary spiral we are now enduring and it just makes sense the Republicans would have taken both houses of Congress and a few more governorships.

Yet, they did not.

I’ve heard explanations and, certainly, this will be the puzzle to ponder among kindred souls over the next few weeks. Some have said that the Republicans have moved to R states so they just had less of an impact on the states where their results were anemic. Reasonable. One person said that the candidates were just so bad on the Republican side. That does not hold up. The Democrats have put up candidates that are so bad that one of them (running for congress in Pennsylvania) was already dead and still won. A special election has to be held to put someone living. Another Democrat from Pennsylvania, John Fetterman, the winning candidate for United States Senator, su ered a stroke during his campaign and was heavily impaired during his public appearances. It makes me wonder what kind of robot is the Pennsylvanian voter to overlook the vitality of their candidates (or lack thereof).

Maybe the woke media is right after all and voters have overlooked the ailing economy to prioritize a woman’s right to choose (I support this!) or vote in accordance with existential worries related to climate change (which should have ended the world ten years ago). But I can’t entirely trust what they say because all the talking heads seem to be saying the same thing using the same words in the same order.

I have a hope tied to all of this. My hope is that Donald . Trump s heavy hand in the field of Republican candidates has been judged by the public. The former president has tried and he has been found wanting by the general election voter. If that is the case, then all is right with the world. Trump tried. Trump was tested. The Trump e ect fell at, emitting a soft hissing sound reminiscent of a deating balloon. I have to admit, it was hard to be a Republican with him at the helm…so hard I had to stop. Could it be possible that politics could move on from Trump?

I have only one hope. That the House of Representative ips to Republican control so that the trillion-dollar spending boondoggles stop. In the meantime, the Republican party has a chance to rejuvenate itself, hopefully under new leadership, someone like Governor Ron DeSantis who has a little bit of experiencing running a large place with lots of problems, someone we can believe in.

Society of Philippine Surgeons in America celebrates golden anniversary

Happygolden anniversary to the members of SPSA (Society of Philippine Surgeons in America)! They held heir celebration just recently on October 21, 2022 at the Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

That was 50 years ago and I can just imagine my brother Dr. Manuel R. Estioko, MD, surgeon, cardiologist, and an active member of the association, rendering 50 years of service to the excellent continuing medical evaluation (CME) programs for their constituents. Also, while he never went to the Philippine missions, he was actively involved in giving lectures during the CMEs. Dr. Estioko was once the Editor of The Philippine Surgeon, the official publication of S SA.

Pointing out the vital services to the community, SPSA President Honorio M, Cruz said: “Welcome to an event that many thought would never come, yet here we are celebrating something we ought to be proud of, our golden anniversary. Fifty years of existence, a half century of providing quality surgical care across the American spectrum, from the citadels of the Healthcare Institutions to the more distant rural nooks of he country, we were there!”

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak and Las Vegas City Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman welcomed the surgeons during their convention.

“As Governor of the State of Nevada,” Sisolak said, “It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 50th Anniversary Golden Gala Night of the society of hilippine Surgeons in America (SPSA). I would like to thank the board and everyone from this great organization for choosing the fabulous city of Las Vegas and the great Silver State to host this special event.”

Mayor Goodman, on the other hand, said: “As Mayor, I am very pleased to welcome you to America’s most dynamic, entertaining and intriguing city! I am convinced that once you get a taste of what the city has to o er, you will never want to leave. Las Vegas continues to capture the world’s imagination as the city where anything is possible. With world-class hotels, award-winning restaurants, professional sports, luxurious spas, fantastic shopping, the finest golf courses, and spectacular entertainment, Las Vegas remains one of the most electrifying destinations in the world.”

Meanwhile, Herman M. Reyes, MD, FACS, Co-Founder and Founding resident of S SA said “Re ecting on the event surrounding our society from its lowly beginning fifty years ago to its current status as the pre-eminent surgical organization of immigrant Filipino American surgeons practicing in this country and Canada, the achievement of its members in creating a legacy of medical service of the highest order, their contribution to medical education and serving in hospital committees, medical societies and civic organizations, oftentimes in leadership roles, is unprecedented.”

Indeed, for busy people like the surgeons who spent time to help less fortunate countrymen, are highly commendable.

SPSA recognizes the fact that in the Philippines, most of the people specially those who are in far provinces, lack access to health services because they are either very far from the nearest hospital or health center, or there are not enough or ualified medical personnel to attend to them. erhaps, this was the rationale behind SPSA’s conducting medical missions in the Philippines. They need to reach out to these people!

World Health Organization (WHO) noted that in some Asian and acific countries, up to half of the people lack access to health services. This might be because health services are too far from their homes, or they lack ualified health workers, equipment or medications. This is unacceptable. Everyone, everywhere needs access to essential health services, the WHO noted.

WHO further noted that access to services isn’t the only issue. The poorest Filipinos spend around 60 percent of their family’s income on food. With over half of health care costs paid out-of-pocket, they simply cannot a ord to fall ill money that is meant for food will be diverted to health. This, too, is unacceptable!

“There are glaring gaps in access to health care,” WHO continued, “Whether people can t a ord to pay, live too far away from health facilities, lack knowledge, or su er from stigma or discrimination, we must

He

doesn’t get it, and he never will

How to appeal Marriage fraud charge

Isyour marriage case denied for inconsistencies during the interview, no sufficient documents submitted or some other reasons? Do not lose hope. There are many ways you can convince the government that you deserve an approval. If the reason for denial is inconsistencies during the interview, you can submit proof that the responses are consistent with respect to your case. This is called reconciliation of responses. If your case is denied because of lack of sufficient evidence, you can submit affidavits proving that your marriage is in good faith. If your case is denied because the government has been very unfair during the interview such as using threats of imprisonment or some coercive tactics during the interview, you need to seek a help from an immigration attorney to represent you on this matter because a simple mistake in analysis could be fatal. In legal language, you need to appeal on due process ground. Due process requires voluntariness in giving information of the part of the alien and the government adhering to the fair and just process in seeking responses. The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants aliens the right to due process.

Generally, “Immigration proceedings, although not subject to the full range of constitutional protections, must conform to the Fifth Amendment s re uirement of due process.” Salgado-Dia v. Gon ales, F. d 11 8, 11 th Cir. as amended “A full and fair hearing is one of the due process rights a orded to aliens in deportation proceedings. A court will grant a petition on due process grounds only if the proceeding was so fundamentally unfair that the alien was prevented from reasonably presenting his case.” Gutierre v. Holder, F. d 1 8 , 1 1 th Cir. 11 .

The court reviews de novo claims of due process violations. Grigoryan, F. d at 1 Liu v. Holder, F. d 18, th Cir. 11 as amended Ibarra-Flores v. Gon ales, F. d 1 , th Cir. . “The BIA s decision will be reversed on due process grounds if 1 the proceeding was so fundamentally unfair that the alien was prevented from reasonably presenting his case, and the alien demonstrates prejudice, which means that the outcome of the proceeding may have been a ected by the alleged violation.” Ibarra-Flores, F. d at – 1.

For those of you who received a denial because your rights are violated on due process ground you need to speak to an immigration attorney to discuss your individual situation.

Note: This is not a legal advice and presented for information purposes only. If you have immigration problems the Law Offices of Crispin C. Lo ano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation.

BREAKING NEWS

Stampless entry at SFO. S C and OAK ports E ective October 1, , the CB will adopt the stampless entry on all incoming travelers. If you want a stamp on your passport you should re uest the CB officer.

New Regulation will make it easier to immigrate

The Biden Administration will release a regulation by December , making it easier to immigrate for people who have taken public benefits. The public charge under Trump era will be revised significantly.

N- Application for Naturali ation

The USCIS is now giving priorities to application for naturali ation . The reason is obviously to allow ualified 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. Biden is encouraging all ualified to file for naturali ation. This is a rare opportunity that all ualified should take advantage of.

DACA reinstated res. Biden reiterated to renew the DACA processing as of August 1, Arrest and removal of undocumented is now up to the discretion of ICE officer

US Supreme Court did not allow res. Biden to overturn the immigration policy of Trump with regards to priority in arrest and removal. With increasing migrants at the border White House is now re uiring ICE to deport more migrants under political pressure. It is now a decision to be made by the ICE officer which could include arrest of anyone who is undocumented. It is time to work on your green card now.

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SUCCESS STORIES

For the month of October , we received approval from USCIS three naturali ation applications, one Fianc e visa petition, two removals of condition on residence and three 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 Law Offices of Crispin C. Lo ano can help you find a solution before your problem gets worse which could lead to deportation and family separation. You may re uest a free consultation at one of our offices in Hayward or Cerritos, CA, or by phone at 1-8 - - . www.crispinlo anolaw.com, email at info ccllaw.net

PHL gov’t debt rises to P13.52 trillion; experts propose new

MANILA - The hilippine national government s outstanding debt rose by .8 percent to record high of 1 . trillion as of the end of September, newly released data from the Bureau of Treasury showed.

The treasury bureau blamed the increase to the peso depreciation against the US dollar and pandemic-related financing.

The report prompted an economist to state that new fiscal reform measures are needed to help address the rise in government liabilities.

Ri al Commercial Banking Corporation RCBC chief economist Michael Ricafort attributed the jump in government debt partly to the issuance of around 118 billion worth of United States dollar-denominated bonds and the impact of weakening of the local currency against the greenback.

Ricafort said with the rise in government debt since due mainly to the pandemic, the current government “may still need to further intensify tax revenue collections based on existing tax laws, come up with new taxes tax reform measures, increase tax rates, among others, to further boost structural sources of government revenues.”

He said new taxes such as those for digital transactions “are based on principles of fairness.”

“New taxes and higher tax rates need to be fair, e uitable, and progressive, especially targeted to those that can a ord them or those from the higher income brackets or at least prevent adding burden to the poor, most vulnerable sectors, and or those hit hard by the pandemic,”

he added.

Aside from new measures that are targeted to increase government revenues, Ricafort said the administration also needs to “adopt more disciplined spending through fiscal reform measures such as right-si ing the government, anti-corruption anti-leakage anti-wastage measures” to help lessen the government s budget gap and address its liabilities.

He said the intensified tax collections from existing tax laws may not be enough and would inevitably re uire new tax fiscal reform measures to curb additional borrowings by the government.

“Thus, tax reform and other fiscal reform measures, alongside faster economic growth, for the coming months/ years would help ease the national government s debt-to-GD gross domestic product ratio to below the international threshold of percent in the coming years and would help maintain/support the country s relatively favorable credit ratings of 1- notched above the minimum investment grade rating,” he said.

Total outstanding debt as if September was . billion higher compared to August s 1 . trillion, the treasury bureausaidina statement.

“NG s total debt increased by . billion or .8 primarily due to peso depreciation against the US dollar and the net issuance of government securities to support the budget,” the bureau said.

Out of the total debt stock, 1. percent or . trillion were sourced externally while 8. percent or . trillion were domestic borrowings, government data showed.

cto er n at on c s faster to . to r se furt er -- B

QUE ON CITY – The country s in ation rate further increased to . percent in October, almost a 1 percent jump from . recorded in September, the hilippine Statistics Authority SA reported last week.

The SA said itt was the highest in ation rate since December 8.

The SA, however, said the rate of price increase of goods and services remained within the Bangko Sentral ng ilipinas BS projection of .1 to . percent for the previous month.

The Bangko Sentral, meanwhile, said the elevated in ation rate is seen to persist towards the end of the year due to upside risks but will likely decelerate in .

“In ation is projected to remain elevated for the rest of but will likely decelerate in due to easing global oil and non-oil prices, negative base e ects from transport fare adjustments in , and as the impact of BS s cumulative policy rate adjustments take hold on the economy,” BS said in a press statement.

The central bank said that although the projected outlook is that risks remain on the upside until next year, they “are seen to be broadly balanced for .”

“The continued uptrend of the October in ation was primarily due to the higher annual growth rate in the index for

food and non-alcoholic beverages at . percent, from . percent in September ,” SA said.

The average in ation from anuary to October this year settled at . percent.

The National Economic and Development Authority NEDA attributed the uptrend in in ation to external pressures, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the lockdowns in China that disrupted the global supply chain, and the lingering effects of recent typhoons including Karding that hit the country late September.

“Our immediate priority is to continue supporting the most vulnerable sectors of the economy, hence, the cash transfers and fuel discounts will continue. This will alleviate the e ects of the sustained increase in commodity prices as a result of global headwinds as well as the recent typhoons which damaged our domestic production and disrupted food supply,” Socioeconomic lanning Secretary and NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan said in a statement.

Balisacan added that part of the government s medium-term strategy is to invest in climate-smart agriculture technologies that will make the country s agriculture sector resilient to calamities, such as extreme weather conditions.

Khalil Ramos and Gabbi Garcia have the most cinematic photos from their US trip

Life through Khalil Ramos lens just hits di erent.

The Kapuso actor shared some sweet moments from the recent US trip with his girlfriend, Gabbi Garcia and reported by their mother studio GMA Network.

And like the true film bu that he is, Khalil s color grading gives o cinematic vibes and his captions are inspired by the screenplay format, GMA News’ Nika Roque reported.

“E T - Golden Gate ark – Day,” Khalil wrote alongside a photo of them eating hotdogs on a bench.

Showing a sweet moment on a Ferris wheel, Khalil said, “INT - Ferris Wheel – Day.” Gabbi said in the comments section, “miss thissss!!!! Ily!!”

In another photo in Napa Valley, Khalil said, “INT - Wine Train – Day”

ecently, the couple went on a trip to the US, their first long vacation together.

They spent three weeks there, around California, visitingtheir dream destinations.

In an interview on “Updated with Nelson Canlas,” Khalil said their relationship “leveled up” and that they realized they were truly compatible for each other.

FilAm TikTok star Bella Poarch confirms filing for divorce

Filipino-American TikTok sensation Bella oarch has confi rmed that she fi led for divorce, which shocked her fans as she did not say that she was married in the fi rst place.

Last week, US online tabloid TMZ reported that the -year-old internet star, who was a former resident of San Francisco and Texas, fi led divorce papers in the Los Angeles County to end her nearly four-year marriage to Tyler oarch. It also reported that she cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the divorce.

oarch broke her silence online days after the story blew up, CNN hilippines reported.

“I m sorry if everyone thinks I ve been keeping a secret. I will address my divorce when I am ready to speak about it. In the meantime, please respect mine and Tyler s privacy,” she wrote.

A US Navy veteran who served in Hawaii and apan, oarch, whose real name is Denarie Taylor, also said she is taking a break from social media.

Born to Filipino parents in San Fabian, angasinan, she is one of TikTok’s most popular personalities with 98 million followers after publishing her fi rst viral video in August .

Regine, Ogie celebrate son Nate’s 11th birthday in US

This, after they brought their son with them when they ew to California and eventually to Las Vegas for their performances in “ASA Natin To.”

As seen in the couple s social media updates and reported by their mother studio ABS-CBN, Regine and Ogie organized an elaborate dinner for Nate along with some of their friends and family in Beverly Hills, California.

The couple also enjoyed their vacation with Nate in the popular Disneyland Amusement ark in California, goingaroundandvisitingvarious features of the park.

Nate was also guest of Regine in the November 8 episode of “Magandang Buhay” on ABS-CBN which she co-hosts, During the show, Regine shared how she feels about Nate turning11.

“Ako siguro more of parang I feel grateful kay Lord for giving me such a wonderful son. He’s such a good boy, he’s very smart and he loves everyone. Hindi siya namimili ng taong kakausapin niya kahit anong age, kahit anong estado ng buhay mo, basta makikipag-usap siya. At siyempre mahal na mahal niya ang aming dalawang lola. ...So I m very proud of you sweetheart,” she said.

Ogie also gave his birthday message for his son through a pre-recorded video. He said “You have become really, really strong in mind and in heart and we are very proud of you. Your mom and I are very proud of you. You know, before you were born, mom and I prayed, God give us a son. He gave us you. That s why we called you Nathaniel -- a special gift from God. And you are gift, Nate.”

“I hope you continue to be the good person that you are, the humble person that you are, the loving person that you are. I know that you will go places. I know that

you will do everything so that you will please God and for that I’m very proud of you. I love you very much and I take pride in saying that you are my son,” Ogie added.

Nate is the only child of composer-singer Ogie Alcasid and singer-actress Regine Velas ue . Aside from his son, Alcasid has two other daughters, Leila and Sara, from his previous marriage.

On Ogie s Instagram account, the popular singersongwriter also shared funny moments between him andhis sonwhile shoppingat a mall inthe US.

Through the comments section, Nate also received well wishes from some of his parent’s good friends in the industry like Gary Valenciano, Erik Santos, Jolina Magdangal, ed Madela, Melai Francisco, Lani Misalucha, Christian Bautista, Gab Valenciano, Gian Magdangal,and TroyLaureta.

Alcasid and Velasquez tied the knot in Batangas in December 1 . The Asia s Songbird gave birth to their sonNate a year after their wedding.

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Pia Wurtzbach finishes New York City Marathon

Yes, Filipino beauty queen, actress and top inuencer ia Wurt bach has con uered the New York Marathon, her first marathon, just like Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former resident Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.

The Miss Universe 1 titleholder was one of the 1 runners from the hilippines who joined the New York City Marathon and finished it in on November . She was awarded a marathon medal after completing the race.

ia s accomplishment was publici ed on Instagram by her British boyfriend, eremy auncey, who did not participate in the race but supported, cheered and tracked her along the way.

There was no immediate report on the time of the other Filipino runners.

It was gathered eremy also joined “the last few miles” of the marathon with ia.

“She did it!” eremy wrote at the very end of his Instagram documentation. “COVID, work travel schedule, and she still achieved her goal.”

ia, who said joining the marathon was one of her “secret dreams,” and eremy ew to New York a week before the race after undergoing training since February.

Chelsea Clinton finished the race at . She also finished the marathon the previous year.

Aside from the -year- ld Filipino-German ia, who was number , other actors who finished the race were Ashton Kutcher, actor and entrepreneur, who completed the race at 1 actress Claire Holt, who finished it at 1 and Lauren Ridlo , actress from “The Walking Dead,” with a finish time of 8.

Ellie Kemper, actress from “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” also finished the race at 1 , the New York Times reported.

The marathon went back to pre-pandemic level as some , runners participated in the race.

The winner of the New York Marathon was Evans Chebet of Kenya with a time of hours, eight minutes and 1 seconds while Ethiopia s Shura Kitata was runner up at 8 and third placer was Abdi Negeeye of Netherlands with a time of 1 1.

In the women s division, Sharon Lokedi of Kenya was the champion with her time of while runner up was Lonah Chemptai Salpeter of Israel with time of and third Gotytom Gebresiase of Ethiopia with .

The wheelchair men winners were Marcel Hug of Swit erland with a time of 1 while American Daniel Romanchuck was runner up with 1 time while third placer was et e lat of Netherlands with a time of 1 .

The guaranteed pri e at the marathon was 8 , , according to organi ers.

Sharon Lokedi and Evans Chebet, the top finishers in the women s and men s races, will each receive 1 , each while Marcel Hug and Susannah Scaroni, the wheelchair champions, will receive , .

In his Instagram post, eremy auncey proclaimed “She did it! COVID, work, and travel schedule and she still achieved her goal.” He also shared a video of ia with her finisher medal on Instagram Stories and reported by ABS-CBN and

other media.

The former beauty ueen, for her part, said “I did it, I did it, I did it! My phone wallpaper is now a reality.”

Months earlier, ia disclosed that the idea to join a marathon competition came during the New Year when she had COVID and felt “just sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

“I felt like, Okay ia if you don t do it now, you ll never do it, ” she said in an In uirer interview. “So she took the chance to join the NYC marathon and “joined the registration not under a brand or org this time , made a donation and waited.”

Other famous runners who joined the -mile -kilometer race as reported by New York Times were Ellie Kemper of “The Office” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” T. . Holmes and Amy Robach of ABC s “Good Morning America” and former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber.

Actor AshtonKutcher, who completed the race, reportedly raised more than 1 million for Thorn, the nonprofit technology company he co-founded to help prevent sexual exploitation of children.

Other famous runners and their time were Matt ames, former lead of “The Bachelor”

Meghan Duggan, Olympic gold medalist in hockey

Ashton Kutcher, actor and entrepreneur 1

Claire Holt, actress 1

ac Clark, former “Bachelorette” contestant 8 1

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton

T. . Holmes, “Good Morning America” anchor 1

Ellie Kemper, actress from “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” 1

Tiki Barber, retired Giants running back 1

ia revealed last uly that she was joining her first marathon, the New York Marathon.

She has been using her social media platform to inspire people to try running as a way to stay strong and fit, among her other advocacies.

Last month on Insta-

SB19 makes first live US tv guesting before New York show

At)” ahead of its world tour.

Reports from US showed the performance marked SB1 s first-ever appearance on a US television show, the Good Day New York, where host Rosanna Scotto introduced the boy group as the “first and only Filipino act to enter three Billboard charts early in the career.”

SB1 s official Instagram page updated fans: “Surreal! Hope you didn’t miss our first live U.S. TV guesting earlier at fox5ny,” according to the reports.

The group were set for its first show at New York’s Palladium Times Square last November 5.

mission for Culture and the Arts’ Sentro Rizal and youth ambassadors.

In its official page, the group stated “SB1 is grateful to have met the wonderful people at Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Consulate General in New York.”

“As the Youth and Sentro Rizal Ambassadors of NCCA, we are committed to promoting Filipino genius and culture, especially music, on the global stage,” it added.

After several Billboard chart appearances, SB19 continues to gain global popularity!

Yes, the top Filipino band SB 19 has just achieved a new milestone.

On November 4, FOX 5 New York’s YouTube channel uploaded a video of the Flipino boy band performing its latest single “WYAT (Where You

During an interview, SB19 member Stell taught Rosanna the hand sign made popular by SB1 s hit song Go Up. It signified the group s collective ascent to greater heights.

Before the TV guesting, SB1 members also paid a visit to the Philippine Consulate in New York headed by Consul General Elmer Cato, as part of their responsibilities as the National Com-

The OPM boy group secured a sweet spot in the American fashion maga ine Teen Vogue, joining K-pop sensation BTS and the iconic British band The Beatles.

On uly 1 , , Teen Vogue published an article on their website titled “Our Favorite Boy Bands of All Time,” listing 34 global groups of various music genres and eras.

SB19 was the 18th band on the list.

Joining them are other iconic boy groups such as The Beatles, Boy II Men, One Direction, Backstreet Boys, Westlife, *NSYNC, Five Seconds of Summer, and The Jonas Brothers, among others.

Korean groups BTS, E O, SEVENTEEN, Big Bang, SHINee, Monsta , and Seo Taiji and the Boys also made it to the list.

Pia...

(From page 19)

gram, the former Miss Universe revealed how she struggled during training, both physically and mentally.

“I was worried I couldn t do the marathon anymore because I got sick twice and previously got COVID. I missed training days and some of those essential long runs so I was really worried,” she said. “My performance su ered, I couldn t get the mileage in, and I was slower than before. Mabagal na nga ako, bumagal pa lalo.”

“And nobody ever mentioned na mentally maa-a ect ka rin pala sa ganon. When you miss those long runs or you fail at reaching goals during training, you get so disappointed in yourself to the point of wanting to give up. Durog ang confidence mo, wala ka nang gana,” she added.

Pia said she was able to get back on track “with the right guidance, support, and a lot of determination.” especially from her coach who remained “confident I can finish the km.”

“If you ve ever wanted to try running, this is the sign you re looking for. Don t let excuses stop you! I started with ero training,” she said.

Sunday’s New York City Marathon unfolded under the warmest conditions on record since the race was moved to its traditional early November date in 1986, the New York Times reported.

The temperature in Central Park was 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) at 11 a.m., shortly before the elite runners crossed the finish line. The previous November record, as measured at the time the first runner finished, was degrees on Nov. 14, 1993, according to New York Road Runners, which organizes the marathon.

Carlos Yulo salvages silver and bronze medals in World Championships in UK

MANILA LIVER OOL After an eighth-place finish in the men s all-around final of the World Gymnastics Championship in Liverpool, Filipino gymnastics star Carlos Yulo salvaged a silver and a bronze medal on the last day of the competition in England.

Yulo bagged a silver and a bron e, respectively, in the men s vault and parallel bars at the end of the 1st FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at M S Bank Arena in Liverpool.

Earlier, in a heartbreaking finish, Yulo missed for the first time the podium with an eighth overall finish after garnering a total score of 8 . 8 across six events.

Yulo registered his highest points in the oor exercise and parallel bars with 1 .1 apiece but Olympic gold medalist Daiki Hashimoto of apan clinched the allaround title, while China s hang Boheng pocketed the silver and apan s Wataru Tanigawa bagged the bron e.

Yulo, who made history as the first Filipino to capture a world championship gold during the oor final in 1 , yielded his vault title by the slimmest of margins to top Armenian ualifier Arthur Davtyan, who banked on his strong and clean aerial skills and landings to wrest the gold with 1 . points, or just a one-tenth of a point ahead of Yulo.

After a short break, as ABS-CBN reported, Yulo later scored 1 . points for bron e in the high-scoring parallel bars won by reigning Tokyo Olympic champion ou ingyuan of China, who was untouchable in ruling the event for a third time at the worlds in scoring 1 .1 points. German Lukas Dauser bagged the silver medal 1 . .

Seeking to atone for earlier lapses in the men s all-

around and oor exercise finals, the pint-si ed Yulo, who was the third performer at the vault, brie y took the lead after he scored a solid 1 . points on his first run with a handspring pike double front half despite landing slightly out of bounds.

That proved to be a costly error meriting a .1 deduction that led to his downfall, following a score of 1 . on his second attempt, resulting in the 1 . average output of the two tries..

The second-to-the-last entry, Davtyan opened with a picture perfect dragulescu — front handspring, double front half out in scoring 1 . points, then sealing the deal in with a superb second vault in earning 1 .1 points with his pinpoint landing.

Sharing the podium with Davtyan and Yulo was bron e medalist Igor Radivilov 1 . from the wartorn country of Ukraine.

Yulo admitted later he still had not perfected the “ri se

gwang” a front handspring double pike one-and-a-half twist named after Rio Olympic games men s vault gold medalist Ri Se-gwang of North Korea that he executed on his first try.

“My first vault is not ready yet. It was a great challenge for me, and great preparation for next year. I m really happy that I made it, even though it s not gold in the end, it s still silver,” Yulo said in the ABS-CBN report.

“It s really di erent when you get gold, but it is what it is, and I accepted that,” he added with a shrug, adding that he was dissatisfied with his second vault.

“My second vault was not good. I really focused on my first vault. It was really stressful.”

Also the third entry in the parallel bars, Yulo again had a eeting spell in the lead after four of the eight finalists performed, but that position was eclipsed by Dauser, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, and ou in succession as they took their respective turns at the apparatus.

Yulo s stint was somewhat of a disappointment after declaring earlier that he had wanted a top- finish in the men s all-around event and a gold in the oor exercise, vault and parallel bars.

The Filipino bet placed 8th in the men s all-around and could only muster th place in the oor exercise, an event he won convincingly at the 1 world meet in Stuttgart, Germany.

Yulo, however, kept his record of winning at least a medal in his fourth straight outing at the world competition, beginning with a bron e medal in the oor exercise in his debut in the 18 edition in Doha, Qatar, followed up by his historic gold in the same event in Stuttgart, Germany a year later.

Market is on edge. Central banks are hiking interest rates to try to rein in in ation. Meaning Fed Chair want to slow down the economy before in ation prices go up any higher. By increasing interest rates, it will or it should slow down the economy. When the economy slows down, demand will slow down and that might be good for in ation. Less demand means we will need less supplies.

We are due for a major recession, Wall Street is staking out the more bearish position. Bank of America, in the still-grim-but-less-dire camp, said the mood in financial markets has been “recessionary.” Goldman Sachs is among the more optimistic of the big banks, but it s not exactly cheery The tight labor market has “raised the risk of recession meaningfully,” it said recently.

A person shops in the meat section of a grocery store on November 11, 1 in Los Angeles, California.

In ation, explained Why prices keep going up and who s to blame

Meanwhile, the Bank of England warned Thursday of double-digit in ation and a possible recession as it raised its key interest rate by a uarter percentage point. China s economy, the world s second largest, is stalling, threatening to drag down global growth. And Russia s war in Ukraine is sending energy and food prices through the roof in the EU and beyond.

If history is any indication, the recent run-up in in ation suggests we re due for a contraction. With one exception, every US recession since World War II has been preceded by broadly soaring prices, according to the Congressional Research Service.

So, what exactly is a recession, and how much do you need to worry about it Let s unpack it.

What is a recession

First, the textbook definition A recession is a prolonged period of economic decline, beginning when the economy peaks and ending when it bottoms out.

Recessions are typically marked by an economy shrinking in back-to-back uarters, measured by gross domestic product aka, how much are we collectively

buying and producing as a society . But there are exceptions to that rule, including the brief and exceedingly steep recession the United States entered during the early months of the pandemic. And that technical designation doesn t mean much to anyone who s not an economist or a politician someone who is e ually if not more interested in avoiding the “R” word than anyone on Wall Street .

The reality of a recession feels is broadly economically gloomy think rising unemployment, a stock market in decline, and stagnating or shrinking wages. eople often rein in spending as gloom sets in, giving recessions a psychological component that can be hard to shake.

For example Technically, the Great Recession that began in lasted just 18 months, but the impact of the crisis weighed on consumers far longer.

Economists call this lingering e ect, especially in the labor market, “hysteresis.” The recession itself was brief, but its mass layo s and furloughs, along with a rapid shift to working from home, shattered previous assumptions about the value and meaning of work. Around the world, workers

dissatisfaction with their employers has stirred a movement to seek something better, a phenomenon known as the “Great Resignation.”

What causes a recession

You could spend a career in economics researching and debating this very uestion. But let s focus on the most pressing risk right now The Federal Reserve s fight against in ation.

One of the uirks of the modern capitalist system we live in is that when the economy is going too strong, officials have to deliberately hurt it to keep it from going completely o the rails. That s precisely what the Federal Reserve is trying to do right now.

On Wednesday, the Fed raised its key interest rate a three uarter point, its most aggressive rate hike in years. Interest rates are the Fed s primary tool to control in ation, which is currently hovering at 8. the

highest it’s been since the early 1 8 s.

Mortgage rates rose above for a year loan. If you were hoping for a . loan on a , . loan, with todays rates your payment would have gone up about 1 . each month. That means your buying power will decrease by about of your supposedly approved purchase price.

The ideal outcome is known as a “soft landing,” in which consumer prices come down and economic growth carries on at a steady clip.

How should you prepare

First, don t panic Even if a recession is inevitable, there s no telling how severe it will be. But it never hurts to plan for the worst. Here are a few ways financial advisers say you can insulate your finances from a downturn.

Lock in a new job now With ultra-low unemployment and plenty of openings, it s a job seeker s market. That could change uickly in a recession.

Cash in on the housing boom If you ve been on the fence about selling your home, now may be the time to list. Home prices in the United States are up nearly year over year, but mortgage rates are also rising, which will eventually curb demand.

Set some cash aside It s always a good idea to have li uid assets cash, money market funds, etc to cover urgent needs or unexpected emergencies. CASH IS KING!

Thanks for your in uiries, please contact Ken Go of 1st Innovative Finance at - 8- 8

CADRE 1 1 NMLS 8

A Recession is here!

• Covered California’s 10th openenrollment period began Nov. 1 and marks the continuation of a decade of reducing the state’s uninsuredrate toa historic low.

• Open enrollment is the time of year when eligible consumers can sign up for health insurance.

• An estimated 1 million Californians do not have health insurance and are eligible to get covered at low-cost or no-cost through CoveredCalifornia or Medi-Cal.

• Consumers signing up this year will benefit from the continuation of increased and expanded federal financial help through the In ation Reduction Act that is lowering costs for people innearlyeveryincome bracket.

• In addition, middle-income consumers — both uninsured and those who purchase coverage directly from a health insurance company — may save thousands of dollars a year if they sign up through Covered California.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. Covered California brought its “10 Years Strong” campaign to the Bay Area on Wednesday, celebrating a decade of providing quality health insurance plans to people across the state. Over the past 10 years, Covered California has provided access to health insurance for millions of Californians and helped reduce the state’s uninsuredrate toa historic low.

“Covered California is ‘10 Years Strong,’ celebrating a decade of expanding access to uality, a ordable health care for millions of people throughout the state,” said Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California.

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“Open enrollment is here and now is the time to sign up for quality health insurance coverage through Covered California that will protect youandyour family.”

“Californians continue to benefit from the financial help and uality health coverage that Covered California o ers and now is the time for those who need health insurance coverage to sign up,” said Secretary of California Health & Human Services and Covered California Board Chair Dr. Mark Ghaly. “Together we are increasing access to care by making health insurance coverage more a ordable for Californians ineverycorner of our state.”

10 Years Strong

Covered California’s “10 Year’s Strong” campaign will highlight the progress made in expanding health care access by increasing the number of people with health insurance

in every region over the past decade. It will also showcase continuing e orts to reach into every community in the state to make sure all Californians have access to quality health care.

Since Covered California s first openenrollment period in 2013, federal data shows that California’s uninsured rate fell from 17.2 percent to a record low 7.0 percent in 2021. California s success exceeded e orts nationally, and is the largest percentage point drop over this time period among any state in the nationover period.

new data shows that there are more than 1 million uninsured Californians who are eligible for financial help to bring the cost of coverage within reach, including 57,000 people inthe Greater Bay Area.

Figure 1: California Drives the State’s Uninsured Rate to a Record Low

Since first o ering coverage, more than 5.2 million Californians have received health insurance coverage through Covered California for at least one month. Covered California’s has seen its overall enrollment grow by more than 40 percent, including a more than 30 percent increase in the number of people signed up in the Greater Bay Area (which includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo Santa Clara, SolanoandSonoma counties).

Table 1: Covered California’s Strong Enrollment Growth Throughout the State Counties June 2014 June 2022 Percentage Increase

Greater Bay Area 242,930 319,420 31%

Overall Enrollment 1,172,960 1,690,520 44%

“Covered California enters its 10th open enrollment with a proven history of being a critical resource for Californians, including more than 300,000 people in the Greater Bay Area,” Altman said. “We have opened the doors of quality health care to millions of Californians, but we still have more work to do–workthat is happeningnow.”

One Million Uninsured Californians are Eligible for Low-cost or No-cost Coverage

Covered California enters open enrollment with 1.7 million consumers. However,

Figure 1: One Million Uninsured Californians Are Eligible for Financial Help

Of the 1 million uninsured Californians, at least 55 percent – or about 568,000 people – could get quality coverage through Covered California or Medi-Cal at no cost. The remaining 471,000 uninsured Californians are eligible for significant financial help that will lower the cost of their monthly health insurance premiums.

Right now, percent of Covered California s enrollees ualify for financial help, and thanks to the increased and expanded financial help made available through the American Rescue lan and extended through the In ation Reduction Act, those consumers are saving an average of $475 per month, or an average of 80 percent of their monthly health insurance premium.

“Regardless of your income, if you need health insurance or if you’re covered directly through a health insurance company, come to Covered California to see if you can get financial help to make your insurance more a ordable,” Altman said. “The increased and expanded financial help that was extended by the In ation Reduction Act is changing lives by helping more Californians get covered and staycovered.”

Currently, two-thirds of Covered California’s consumers are eligible for comprehensive health insurance coverage at a cost of $10or less per month.

Signingup for Coverage is Easy

Consumers can discover their options by visiting CoveredCA.com, where they can easily find out if they ualify for financial help andsee the coverage options intheir area.

All they need to do is enter their household income, ZIP code, household size and the number of people who need coverage and their ages into the calculator on Covered California’s homepage.

Open enrollment began on Nov. 1 and is the one time of the year when eligible people cannot be turnedawayfrom coverage.

In addition to visiting CoveredCA.com, those interested in learning more about their coverage options canalso:

Get free and confidential assistance over the phone, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.

Have a certified enroller call them andhelp them for free.

• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.

About CoveredCalifornia

Covered California is the state’s health insurance marketplace, where Californians can find a ordable, high- uality insurance from top insurance companies. Covered California is the only place where individuals who ualify can get financial assistance on a sliding scale to reduce premium costs. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Depending on their income, some consumers may qualify for the low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal program.

Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the health insurance marketplace work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the governor and the legislature. For more information about Covered California, please visit www. CoveredCA.com.

Social Security is here to help millions of people secure their today and tomorrow by providing benefits and financial protection. We continue to protect the integrity of our disability programs by ensuring we make the correct decision on each claim. However, if you disagree with the decision on your claim, you can ask for your case to be reviewed by filing an appeal.

How can I appeal Social Security’s decision on my claim?

Generally, there are four appeal levels. If you are not satisfied with the decision at one level, you may appeal to the next.

The appeal levels are:

1. Reconsideration A reconsideration is a complete review of your claim by someone

who did not take part in the first decision. We look at all the evidence submitted in the original determination, and any new evidence.

2. Hearing: If you disagree with the decision at the reconsideration level, you may ask for a hearing. An administrative law judge, who had no part in the original decision or the reconsideration of your case, conducts the hearing.

. Appeals Council Review If you disagree with the hearing decision, you can request a review by Social Security’s Appeals Council. The Appeals Council looks at all requests for review. They will decide whether or not there is a reason to return your case to the judge for further review.

. Federal Court Review If you disagree with the Appeals Council’s decision, you can file a lawsuit in a federal district court as the last level in the appeals process.

Please visit our Appeal A Decision web-

page for more information at www.ssa.gov/ benefits disability appeal.html.

When should I file my appeal

If we denied your claim, you have 60 days from the date of the notice to file an appeal. The easiest and uickest way is to file your appeal re uest online at www.ssa.gov benefits disability/appeal.html. This is where you can submit associated documents electronically. You can also call your local Social Security office or 1-8 - -1 1 to obtain the forms. You can find your local office at www.ssa.gov locator.

Do I need a representative to file an appeal

A representative or attorney is not required to file an appeal. Whether you choose to appoint an attorney or authorized representative is completely up to you. You may choose to have someone help you with your appeal or represent you. Your representative may be a lawyer or other ualified person familiar with

you and the Social Security program. We will work with your representative just as we would work with you. They can act for you in most Social Security matters, and they will receive a copy of any decisions we make about your claim.

If you need us to review your case, please go online at www.ssa.gov benefits disability appeal.html or call 1-800-772-1213. Please share this information with your family and friends.

Fil-Am surgeons celebrates 50th at Caesar’s, Las Vegas

The Society of Philippine Surgeons in America (SPSA) and its Fellows from various cities in the United States and Canada, commemorated its golden gala at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, October 19-21, 2022. A 450-page Golden Yearbook and its 84page supplement Souvenir Journal chronicle the half-a-century of historic contributions of the SPSA to the US/Canada healthcare systems and the achievements of these surgeons, in academia as professors/department chairmen and in private practice, and as presidents chief sta s at various medical centers.

Besides its CME (Continuing Medical Education) Seminars, the SPSA was famous for holding annual medical missions to the Philippines and its Fellows, with their own teams, also ministering to the needy people around the world.

The number of physicians/surgeons from the Philippines in the United States is about 12,100 (4.7% of all immigrants), in Canada, around 10,300 (4%), and reg-

istered nurses 142,800 (29.3%), according to the 2018 American Community Survey.

An article in a newsmagazine a few years back stated, if all physicians, surgeons, and nurses from the Philippines practicing in the United States were to suddenly leave the country, the US healthcare system would practically collapse, admissions halted, surgeries cancelled, emergency patients endangered. Even casinos, cruise lines, and some restaurants, schools, engineering, internet services, etc. would be severely curtailed andstalled.

The re-structured surgical society, named Council of Past Presidents (SPSA 2.0), has, for its new pilot project, in partnership with the Philippine College of Surgeons in Metro Manila, the deployment of surgeons in rural towns where there is none. This humanitarian endeavor will be on top of its regular yearly medical/surgical missions.

SPSA 2.0 is chaired by original SPSA

Parks to People: Come and Enjoy, But Don’t Destroy

Nature, for all its majesty, is fragile. It can also be deeply healing. Which is why, during the Covid pandemic, millions ocked outdoors to escape prolonged lockdowns, with local habitats and the animals that call them home feelingthe brunt of the impact.

That is nowhere truer than in the 125,000 acres and 73 parks that make up the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) which at the height of the pandemic saw recordnumbers of visitors.

“As we bring ourselves to these parks, we need to understand the history and the sensitivity of these parks to our presence,” says Dee Rosario, the first Filipino American and first Asian American board member with EBRPD, the nation’s largest urban regional park district. “These are our lands. They belong to everyone. But with that ownership comes responsibility.”

Rosario was part of a panel of speakers during a me-

dia briefing co-hosted by EMS and EBR D on ways to encourage better stewardship of public parks.

His own affinity for nature followed a college visit to Humboldt in far northern California, where Rosario recalls the “awe” he felt at seeing the redwoods for the first time. Thirty-seven years later, Rosario is among a cohort of dedicated individuals at EBRPD working to strike a balance between rising demand for recreational use andthe “intricacies anddelicacy” of local habitats.

Dee Rosario is the first Filipino American and Asian American Board Member for the East Bay Regional ParkDistrict.

Data show a 400-fold increase along some of the more popular trails that crisscross EBRPD’s parks, with visitors fre uently venturing o trail to the detriment of nesting birds and other wildlife, including a number of endangered species or violating park regulations on things like drone ying. In one instance, a visitor crashed their drone into the nest of a bald eagle, destroying the nest and likely leading to the demise of the nestingchicks.

According to Rosario, the rise in visitors is accompanied by an increasing mix of people to the parks and changes in how parks are used. Whereas once people ocked to open spaces in search of solitude today many visitors come with family. “This is something parks have to recognize,” says Rosario. “How do we meet the needs of diverse cultures while balancing the needs of the environment.”

Becky Tuden is the Environmental Services Manager with EBRPD. She says climate change, along with a prolonged drought and increased fire risk, are among the stressors already taxing local habitats and threatening biodiversity. Many of EBRPDs parks also abut urban or semi-urban areas. Add to this the steep and sudden increase in the presence of people and it can lead to harmful outcomes for what are alreadyfragile ecosystems.

“Biodiversity is really important… and the added pressure of so many people aggravates the system’s incredible biodiversity.”

Among some of the more harmful activities Tuden and her colleagues have witnessed are increasing amounts of litter, as well as letting dogs o leash in areas where that is prohibited. A dog owner herself, she says individually it isn’t a problem. What dog owners don’t realize is that “there are 25 million other visitors, half of who own dogs.” The damage done by hundreds and

even thousands of our beloved canines romping through sensitive habitat is a major challenge,notes Tuden.

Despite the dire warnings, speakers were eager to stress that they welcome the park’s increased popularity while acknowledging “we need to go further” on public facingmessagingaroundhow tobetter care for these treasures.

“What we need is a way of communicating to people tohelp them better protect the parks,” Tudennoted.

The endangered western snowy plover has survived along the California coast for thousands of years. It is among a number of endangered species that depend on EBRPD lands.

The Western Snowy Plover weighs in at a whopping 1.5 oz. Yet despite its diminutive stature this slight bird has survived along California’s beaches for thousands of years. Today there are fewer than 3,000 in the wild, with loss of habitat a keydriver of their decline.

EBRPD Wildlife Program Manager Doug Bell says the plover is one of four critically endangered species that rely on EBRPD’s parklands as important breeding grounds. Signs warning visitors to steer clear of areas where plovers are known to congregate are routinely ignored, he explained. That can cause birds to avoid the areas entirely, further eroding what little habitat they have left.

“Just the mere act of hiking across the terrain can disturbthe wildlife,” says Bell,a Bay Area native.

The other critically endangered species include the ridgeways rail and least tern, as well as the salt-marsh harvest mouse, which can swim for over two hours and can drink water saltier than the ocean, among its other talents. Bell says most visi-

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Cecile Alvarez only Filipino honoree at Remake A World Gala in La MaMa Theatre

ment of the UN 2030 SDGs agenda.

La MaMa is marking its 61st Anniversary Season this year as a creative home for experimental artists. The Remake a World Gala is a celebration of La MaMa’s global community: the artists and audiences who have long been part of its “One World Vision”.

Among the artists nurtured at La MaMa have become big names in the industry like Diane Lane, Bette Midler, Sam Shepard, Philip Glass, Harvey Feirstein, and a lot more.

At the Remake A World Gala, Guidote-Alvarez’s co-honorees are as follows:

Belarus Free Theater from the landlocked country in Europe, the Republic of Belarus. BFT is being honored “for pioneering an award-winning global model of activism that unites artistic, geopolitical, environmental and human rights concerns, using theatre to build a movement for democracy, human rights and artistic freedoms. BFT is the only theatre in Europe banned by its government on political grounds.”

As founder of the Philippine Educational Theater Association and for her lifetime commitment as cultural caregiver, Cecile Guidote-Alvarez is among the seven outstanding honorees and the only Southeast Asian at the Remake a World Gala on November 10 at La MaMa Theatre in New York City.

Though she has long retired in PETA, nowadays Guidote-Alvarez continues to do theater through the Earthsavers Dreams Ensemble, whose members are the di erently-abled, street children and the indigenous youth.

The award cited her work for Earthsavers in providing free arts training to these often marginalized sectors of society.

The Earthsavers Dreams Ensemble has been consistently renewed as UNESCO Artist for Peace since the award was given in 2003.

Guidote-Alvarez also busies herself these days as president of the Global Social Change Network of International Theatre Institute. One of her recent accomplishments in relation to ITI happened in September this year when she presented to UNESCO in Paris the successful holding of the Manila SDGs ResiliArt Earthsaving events as the country’s techno arts modelling for lifelong learning to assist our country s fulfill-

Richard Lanier from the United States is being honored “for his commitment to forging connections through cultural exchange over the course of his career, and his invaluable contributions to the global dialogue as president emeritus of the Asian Cultural Council and a founding trustee of the Trust for Mutual Understanding.”

Colombia’s Alvaro Restrepo is an honoree “for his passions for contemporary dance and social justice, founding Cartagena’s The School of the Body, with a unique interdisciplinary focus on respect for the body that cultivates dances while at the same time addressing topics ranging from human rights to sexuality to drug addiction.”

Beka Vu o from The Balkans for “her work to support and encourage people to build a better, more just, and open democratic society in the Balkans and South Eastern Europe using arts, culture, and education through her organization My Balkans, and three decades of work with the Open Society Foundations.”

Duk Hyung Yoo from South Korea is being honored for his “significant contribution to the international understanding of Asian arts and his visionary commitment to using digital and emergent technologies to explore new forms of artmaking and cultural exchange

across distance, creating a global network of artists and communities; that was the seed for what would become CultureHub.”

Incidentally, Duk is Guidote-Alvarez’s contemporary at the Dallas Theatre Centre when she was student in the early 1960s, the same time La MaMa was established by Stewart.

Serhiy Zhadan from Ukraine is being honored “for his work as an internationally recognized poet and novelist, a theater maker, and a revolutionary through on-the-ground action and establishment of the Serhiy Zhadan Charitable Foundation to provide aid to the front-lines. Zhadan currently remains in Kharkiv to provide humanitarian aid in his hometown.”

Winter Storm Moves through Northern and Central California Bringing Rain and Snow; Hundreds of PG&E Personnel

Responding to Local Power Outages

Crews and Resources PositionedProactively to Restore Power Safely andas Quickly as Possible

OAKLAND, Calif. acific Gas and Electric Company G E crews are responding to local power outages from a storm system that is continuingtomove through its service territoryandis forecastedtolast until Wednesdaymorning.Since Mondaymorning, G E has restored more than , customers who lost power, with percent restored in six hours or fewer.

This cold,low pressure weather system entered across the service area Sundayeveningresultingin scatteredshowers,isolatedthunderstorms,heavy mountainsnow andbreezywinds.Shower activity is expectedtolinger through Wednesdaywith additional snow accumulationalongthe Sierra before drier conditions return Wednesdayevening.

PG&E Executing Its Response Plan

Inanticipationof widespreadwinter storm conditions, G E activated its Emergency Operations Center on Sunday, Nov. and has positioned personnel andequipment torespondtopotential weather-related outages safelyandas quicklyas possible.

G E has more than power restoration ground crews, including hundreds of troublemen, the first responders for customers wholose power. The companyhas alsostoreda large number of power poles, power lines,transformers andother electric equipment at yards throughout its service territorytohelp crews restore power as quicklyas possible.

Keeping Customers Informed

G E knows how important it is for customers

tohave the latest outage andrestorationinformation. Customers canview real-time outage informationonits website outage center and search by a specific address, bycityor bycounty. This site has beenupdatedto include in-language support for 1 languages.

G E recommends that customers stay informed by signing up for outage notifications by text, email or phone. G E will notify customers about the cause of anoutage,whencrews are ontheir way,the estimated restorationtime andwhenpower is restored.

Storm Safety Tips

Never touch downedwires: If yousee a downed power line,assume it is energizedandextremely dangerous.Donot touch or trytomove it—andkeep childrenandanimals away.Report downedpower lines immediately by calling 11 and by calling G E at 1-8 - - .

Use ashlights, not candles During a power outage, use battery-operated ashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire. If you must use candles, please keep them awayfrom drapes,lampshades andsmall children.Donot leave candles unattended.

Have a backup phone: If youhave a telephone system that requires electricitytowork,such as a cordless phone or answeringmachine,plantohave a standard telephone or cellular phone readyas a backup.

Have fresh drinkingwater,ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placedinyour refrigerator/freezer duringanoutage toprevent foods from spoiling.Blue Ice from your

‘Korean Kimchi Festival LA’ set in Hollywood

feature Kimchi makingdemonstrations,tastings of traditional andfusionKimchi signature dishes,drinks, as well as fun segments featuring well-known in uencers such as The Korean Vegan(3M Tik Tokfollowers NY Times Bestselling Author , The Crunch Bros . M Tik Tok followers , Chefboylee 8 K Tik Tok followers , Misspiggieeats K Instagram followers , Comedian Ryan Koo K Instagram followers , and Noona s Noonchi K Instagram followers .

picnic cooler alsoworks well inthe freezer.

Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators shouldmake sure theyare properly installedbya licensedelectricianina well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger tocustomers,as well as crews workingon power lines.If usingportable generators,be sure they are ina well-ventilatedarea.

Turn o appliances If you experience an outage, unplug or turn o all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire ha ards when power is restored.Simplyleave a single lamp onto alert youwhenpower returns. Turnyour appliances backonone at a time whenconditions returntonormal.

Safelycleanup: After the inclement weather has passed,be sure tosafelycleanup.Never touch downed wires andalways call 811or visit 811express.com at least twofull business days before diggingtohave all undergroundutilities safelymarked.

Other tips canbe foundat: pge.com/beprepared, Storm safety,safetyactioncenter

About PG&E

acific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of G E Corporation NYSE CG , is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 1 million people across 70,000square miles inNorthernand Central California.For more information,visit www. pge.com/ andhttp://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.

tors are likely to dismiss this adorable little super mouse with its tent of piledup twigs as just another “rodent.”

The salt-marsh harvest mouse can swim for over two hours and can drink water saltier than the ocean. It is amongseveral endangeredspecies withinthe EBRPD.

LOS ANGELES - In celebration of

Day,KACIE will host the ‘KoreanKimchi Festival LA on Saturday, November 1 from pm to pm in Hollywood.

NGELES

The KoreanKimchi Festival LA is beingheldas part of an e ort to globali e the Korean staple dish andpromote Korean culture.More importantly,it is to celebrate cultural diversityandinclusionwhile empowering Asian Americans andstrengtheningthe relationships betweenthe various communities of Los Angeles.

“This event is more thanjust a celebrationof our foodandculture.Foodbrings people together,and through this event,we are unitingpeople from all walks of life.Especiallywith the recent rise inhate incidents anddiscriminationagainst Asian Americans, there has never been a more important time tocome together as one,” said CindyShin,CEO of KACIE.

This free public event will be heldinthe Courtyard of Ovation Hollywood 8 1 Hollywood Blvd , home toHollywood’s most iconic landmarks such as the Hollywood Walkof Fame andDolby Theater.It will

Inadditiontothe free tastings,the festival will feature funsegments throughout the dayona variety of topics andactivities such as Kimchi-makingdemonstrations,stand-up comedy,beautyandskincare that standfor everyeye,lip,face,andpaw bye.l.f Cosmetics platinum sponsor , Kimchi probiotics by Biovista Nutraceuticals platinum sponsor , Kimchi Warrior animation/cosplay,interviews andmukbangfeaturing in uencers, children s story time and arts crafts, etc. The festival will alsobroadcast live onsocial media.

Last year,California lawmakers passeda resolution to declare November as Kimchi Day, becoming the first US state to celebrate this Korean national dish. The date 11- represents the 11 main ingredients in Kimchi and health benefits that this dish provides.

KACIE is a nonprofit organi ation with the specific purpose to Keep All Communities Informed and Engagedbypromotingculture,buildingpartnerships andcreatingculturallysensitive outreach programs for communityempowerment.

About Kimchi Day

In , November became a national holiday inKorea tocelebrate Kimchi,andlast year,California lawmakers passeda resolutiontodeclare this dayas Korea Kimchi Day, making it the first US state to celebrate this national dish.

And he adds that aside from the park’s increased number of visitors, the pandemic’s economic toll drove many families to abandon their pets, including a large number of cats that were let loose in the parks. That’s led to an “overpopulation of feral cats, threatening other endangeredspecies.”

Bell also echoes Rosario, noting that as more diverse communities engage with the parks some are bringing with them practices that can be detrimental to the health of the local ecology. That includes religious communities that traditionally release fish, turtles or other animals into local waterways to commemorate an individual’s passing.

Such practices can introduce invasive species, as well as harmful diseases or toxins that can cause significant die-o of native species, explained oe Sullivan, who manages the EBR D s 1 fishing reservoirs and four fishing piers.

“We want people to come out and enjoy these resources, but people release pets goldfish, turtles, etc. — and these have consequences,” he said, sharing a gruesome image of a river clogged with dead frogs to drive home his point.

Rainbow and steelhead trout along with the California red legged frog are among the federally endangered species that Sullivan and his team are working to protect.

“It is a delicate balance,” said Tuden of the e ort to protect habitat while welcoming the increase in recreational visitors. “Imagine you’re a guest,” she urged visitors,“follow the rules andtrytobe sensitive.”

Upside...

lic education presentation at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco. For the first time in the Filipino community, a survivor of intimate partner violence detailed her experience to over a hundred people in attendance as the highlight of the event. Every year since then, the community education team “gives a platform for survivors to share their stories,” said Vice Mayor Ray Buenaventura, said longtime supporter of the all-volunteer group.

“I cannot stress enough the importance of your organiation for giving survivors the courage to speak in public,” he said. “Hearing and watching them sends chills down my bones because their stories are real.”

ADA TED FROM ORIGINAL RE RINTED WITH ERSMISSION FROM INQUIRER.NET.

TO BE CONCLUDED

Offline

(From Page 13)

of the peso has been foretold and predicted even by senior government officials.

See, Mr. ubiri Telling the truth is better than ignoring it, or worse, lying about what is really happening.

No, I am not defending the administration that you are a part of, Mr. Senate resident.

My only wish for now is for more officials of the administration to spit out the truth, painful as it may be. It is only when one recogni es that a problem exists that a solution can be found.

The present regime had nothing to do with the UkraineRussia war. It did not cause climate change that has led to global warming. And it most certainly had nothing to do with the actions of the US Federal Reserve that has resulted in the weakeningof the peso.

But neither should anyone in government pretend that all is well, that all Filipinos can a ord decent homes, place sufficient food on the table, and send their kids to school wearing proper clothes and enough money in their pockets to buy snacks when they get hungry.

What you, Mr. Senate resident, really want is to whitewash the current situation in the hopes that the very serious problems we all face will miraculously disappear.

You really want us to spread lies.

And that, good sir, ain t gonna happen. Not on my watch. And not on the watch of the hundreds of decent newsmen and women who know that our job is simplicity itself.

We tell the truth as we see it.

Do a good job and we will make sure the world knows about it, sir. But do a mediocre job and expect most of us to be merciless.

Comprende, senor That s Spanish, by the way. You didn t think it was Greek, ersian, or Swahili now, did you Merry Christmas, Mr. Senate President.

As I See It

(From Page 12)

solve these problems. We must not tolerate those ine uities.”

Having all these in mind, As I See It, the S SA believes the medical missions have to go despite hardships and difficult times in reaching out to beneficiaries. One of the most unforgettable medical missions the association had was the AAN Medical Surgical Missions in San ablo City and Lucban, Que on when the Taal Volcano erupted and the corona virus started to become a pandemic.

In the Golden Gala Souvenir ournal commemorating the th anniversary of the association, resident Cru narrated their very challenging experiences in going to their destinations. “Taal Volcano started spewing ash on anuary 1 at pm as a level Volcano Alert, later on progressing to level hreatic eruption producing ash fall the way down to Metro Manila and close to San ablo City where we had one of our Medical Missions. Though it was the weakest classification of eruptions, it was enough to do much damage to the businesses near the volcano, re uiring closure of establishments, evacuation and health problems due to the ash fall. It was in the midst of this volcanic activity, while we were busy packing for the trip to the hilippines. When we became aware of the situation with phone calls, from our three sons, uite concerned about our ight and the missions being close to the Taal Volcano, advising us to cancel our trip. However, there was very little chance that we would cancel the Missions unless conditions were too severe to continue, or the health needs of the poor in those circumstances increased more disproportionately. We did buy the N face mask to filter the ash fall, if we needed them. They were running out of supplies in Metro Manila.

Despite the ight ban in the NAIA on anuary 1 , by the time we stopped over n Hong Kong on anjuary1 , the Flight Ban was already lifted, but the departure was delayed by hours due to “weather conditions”, more probably because of the backlog of planes ying to Manila. Arriving at the Airport in Manila, there was a chaotic scene, as the facility was swamped with plenty of passenger arrivals, causing a delay of two hours before we got out of the terminal, but good news, Manila air seemed to be OK, no need for a face mask, but plenty of people were still using it.”

“We later boarded the bus to San ablo City after days, minus a few volunteers who cancelled because of the Taal volcano eruption,” Dr. Cru continued. Upon arrival, the following day, they did the major surgery at the San ablo City District Hospital with the cases mostly thyroids, gall bladders, and hernia and medical services for many patients having complications due to the Taal eruption mostly upper respiratory and pulmonary diseases.

After another four days, the group proceeded to Kamay ni Hesus, a regular stopover for their missioners, which have grown and developed under the guidance of Father oey Faller, the healing priest.

The narration of facts by Dr. Cru simply showed that the medical mission in the hilippines is better said than done. They did encounter a lot of problems and challenging times to be able to accomplish their mission. But, S SA volunteers never gave up because they feel they need to fulfill their much-needed work to help our countrymen.

Mabuhay ang S SA! They deserve the best accolade on earth!

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

Health & Wealth

Breaking Through

by Ilocanos.

In fact, its first president in 1 , Luciano Millan, was an Ilocano from Asingan, angasinan. Millan, who initiated the ac uisition of a lot where the head uarters of the N C was to be built, became a congressman of angasinan after his two N C terms.

Millan was succeeded as congressman by lawyer and angasinan News publisher and editor Narciso Ramos, one of the original Ilocano members of N C and father of the late resident Fidel V. Ramos.

The other Ilocano incorporators of the N C were ose Aspiras who became N C president and a Cabinet member of resident Marcos Sr. and later, an ambassador Manuel Vijungco also of angasinan, Benjamin Osias of La Union, and Consuelo Abaya, among others. Two “Baguio boys” –Speaker Ramon Mitra r., also an incorporator, and Speaker Fernando Feliciano Belmonte r., perhaps the only surviving co-founder of N C today, were also N C originals.

According to Gabot, the N C will not be what it is today without the support of two Ilocano Presidents – President Elpidio Rivera Quirino of Caoayan and Vigan, Ilocos Sur and resident Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay of Iba and Castillejos, ambales.

Despite heavy criticisms from the press due to alleged corruption and his so-called “golden arinola,” resident Quirino gave the best gift ever to the N C – signing Republic Act No. on December , 1 which conveyed for one peso N C s prime property at the heart of Manila, more than half hectare lot, ,18 . s uare meters in all, which today makes the N C a veritable billionaire!

Quirino had just lost to Magsaysay, his defense secretary, in the presidential election when he signed the law! Congress reporters Antonio Alano of Manila Bulletin, ose Guevarra of the Manila Times, and ose Noble of the Manila Chronicle used their connections when they worked out in Congress the enactment of the law authori ing the sale of the lot for one peso to the N C. Alano was one of the incorporators of the N C like Speaker Mitra.

resident Magsaysay, on the other hand, upon the prodding of the N C then led by its president, Teodoro “Ka Doroy” Valencia of the Manila Times chain, gave the “go signal” for the then Republic Financing Corporation RFC , forerunner of the present-day Government Service Insurance System GSIS , to grant a loan of , to the N C for the construction of the four-storey N C building.

Harvard University-educated and multi-awarded architect Angel Nakpil designed the building and engineer Alberto T. Abaya built it starting in 1 . It was completed with facilities like an elevator with 1 , raised by Valencia thru a fund drive.

On December , 1 , resident Magsaysay came over to the N C to inaugurate it. Many hilippine presidents hence visited the N C building, including resident Fidel Ramos, who launched a co ee table book authored by journalist Melandrew T. Velasco, another hilippine News Today columnist, about FVR s lawyer-journalist-diplomat father Narciso Nachong Rueca Ramos, and resident Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was a habitue of the club during her college days and who was the guest speaker of the N C when its first ever founding anniversary celebration was held under the leadership of then N C resident Alfred Gabot.

(From Page 12)

since 1 81. He is founder of MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, FITNESS FOR HUMNITY aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST and ACA INOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST in San Francisco, California USA.

Speaking Out

(From Page 12)

national greening sites in – a paltry area compared to the scale envisioned by elayo. But we have to start somewhere.

Echoing the sentiment of other bamboo advocates, elayo said “the best time to plant bamboo was five years ago. The second best time to plant bamboo is today.”

According to rof. Gabot, the abandoned hilippine Long Distance Telephone Co. building and lot beside the N C building is owned by the N C. The press club allowed the LDT to construct its building on its lot on a long-term lease agreement with the N C, with the condition that at the end of the lease, the building becomes a property of N C. rof. Gabot rallied the current N C leadership to check on that building, rather than being “a big eyesore” next to the imposing and beautiful N C edifice.

rof. Gabot also suggested that resident Ferdinand Marcos r., also an Ilocano, could be another knight in shining armor to the N C like residents Quirino and Magsaysay in the past for N C to be able to pursue the vision for greatness by its founding fathers. This time resident Marcos could help in the recovery of the LDT building and the lot on which it stands, being part of the original lot conveyed to the N C through Republic Act No. signed by resident Quirino.

As an active journalist for many years, I would like to thank you, former N C resident Alfred Gabot and now our editor in chief, for your insights on our prestigious club s history, and for scoring unsurpassed achievements in the N C and once more re-igniting the vision for greatness of the N C founders.

Health must be front and center in the COP27 climate change negotiations: WHO

GENEVA, SHARM EL-SHEIKH – On the eve of the pivotal climate talks at CO , the World Health Organi ation issued a grim reminder that the climate crisis continues to make people sick and jeopardi es lives and that health must be at the core of these critical negotiations.

WHO said it believes the conference must conclude with progress on the four key goals of mitigation, adaptation, financingandcollaborationtotackle the climate crisis.

CO will be a crucial opportunity for the world to come together and re-commit to keeping the 1.5 °C Paris Agreement goal alive.

“We welcome journalists and CO participants to join WHO at a series of high-level events and spend time in an innovative health pavilionspace,” the agencystated.

“Our focus will be placing the health threat from the climate crisis and the huge health gains that would come from stronger climate action at the centre of discussions. Climate change is already a ecting people s health and will continue to do so at an accelerating rate unless urgent action is taken,” it added.

“Climate change is making millions of people sick or more vulnerable to disease all over the world and the increasing destructiveness of extreme weather events disproportionately a ects poor and marginali ed communities,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “It is crucial that leaders and decision makers come together at CO to

put health at the heart of the negotiations.”

He said health depends on the health of the ecosystems that surround us, and these ecosystems are now under threat from deforestation, agriculture and other changes in land use and rapid urban development. The encroachment ever further into animal habitats is increasing opportunities for viruses harmful to humans to make the transition from their animal host. Between and , climate change is expected to cause approximately additional deaths per year from malnutrition,malaria,diarrhoea andheat stress.

The direct damage costs to health (i.e., excluding costs in health-determining sectors such as agriculture and water and sanitation , is estimated to be between US – billion per year by .

The rise in global temperature that has already occurred is leading to extreme weather events that bring intense heatwaves and droughts, devastating oods and increasingly powerful hurricanes and tropical storms. The combination of these factors means the impact on human health is increasing and is likelytoaccelerate.

But there is room for hope, particularly if governments take action now to honour the pledges made at Glasgow in November 1 and to go further in resolving the climate crisis.

WHO is calling on governments to lead a just, equitable and fast phase out of fossil fuels and transition to a clean energy

future. There has also been encouraging progress on commitments to decarboni ation and WHO is calling for the creation of a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty that would see coal and other fossil fuels harmful to the atmosphere phased out in a just and equitable way. This would represent one of the most significant contributions to climate change mitigation.

Improvement in human health is something that all citiens can contribute to, whether through the promotion of more urban green spaces, which facilitate climate mitigation and adaptation while decreasing the exposure to air pollution, or campaigning for local traffic restrictions and the enhancement of local transport systems. Community engagement and participation on climate change is essential to building resilience and strengthening food and health systems, and this is particularly important for vulnerable communities and small island developing states (SIDS), who are bearing the brunt of extreme weather events.

Thirty-one million people in the greater Horn of Africa are facing acute hunger and 11 million children are facing acute malnutrition as the region faces one of the worst droughts in recent decades. Climate change already has an impact on food security and if current trends persist, it will only get worse. The oods in akistan are a result of climate change and have devasted vast swathes of the country. The impact will be felt for years to come. Over million people have been a ected and almost 1 health centres damaged.

Flurona - ComboVax

The predicted Tripledemic this fall and winter will bring us the Flu and Corona virus (Flurona) and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) a trifecta of infections. The Big Pharmas are working on vaccines for RSV and now, a combination vaccine for both the in uen a viruses (A&B) and the COVID-19 Omicron subvariants. The FC vaccines are two-in-one, a single jab for both the u and Covid-1 , annually.

Heart of Hope

Vaccine combos are not new; children’s vaccines, like MMR (Measles, 1963, Mumps, added in 1967, and Rubella, added in 1969); and DPT (Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus) since 1984, are multiple combo vaccines. And they have been working wonders for decades, saving millions upon millions of children’s lives.

The FC combo vaccines could be available for the next u season . fi er, Moderna, Novavax are working on this vaccine combo.

Hopefully, they would also develop a vaccine for RSV, and then make the FCR u-covid1 -rsv triple vaccine combo in the future. One needlestick for 3.

In the meantime, one can and should get the u shot and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time, one in each arm, with your physician’s Rx.

XBB – new Omicron!

Among the new Omicron subvariants, XBB is here, besides BQ.1.1, BQ.1. , and BQ. . . , thanks to the 1 million unvaccinated whose bodies are massive reservoir for the viruses, where they replicate and mutate to various variants and subvariants. They are evolving to evade antibody protection from vaccines and antiviral medications. They are evolving to be more deadly to us. That’s the nature of viruses. Without a warm body host, viruses self-destruct!

According to the WHO, it is monitoring sub lineages of these viruses. BB was first detected in India in August , and now in the United States and 1 other countries and is able to evade antibody protection exceeding BA.5 and the SARS-CoV1 (the famous “SARS”) level, which caused severe disease. Remember the first COVID-1 and the Delta variant, which killed millions, the XBB could be as vicious, and is being closely monitored. The vaccines (1 thru 5) against COVID-19 do not guarantee a fully vacci-

nated individual against getting infected by newer strains/ sub-strains, but the vaccines (especially booster #3, the new bivalent one will minimi e the symptoms, the risk for needing hospitali ation and the risk of death from the infection. As these viruses evolve, let us continue to be vigilant, masking up and social distancing (again) till we get national herd immunity, and this will happen ONLY when all the 1 million get infected and obtain immunity from COVID-19 infection or from the COVID-19 vaccines. As I have advocated in the past, let us treat these invisible potential killers with wisdom, humility, and respect, and not with arrogance and recklessness.

Flu+Bivalent Booster

The CDC is strongly recommending for everyone eligible to get the u shot and the COVID-1 bivalent booster # as soon as possible. For those who missed the first COVID-1 booster or both the first and second booster, they may obtain the bivalent booster (#3) instead. The new bivalent shot is a reformulated one, designed t target the omicron subvariants, including the new ones. And the clinical studies so far show they are safe and very e ective in minimi ing severity/hospital/and deaths. Many who have been infected, in spite of the vaccines, had minimal symptoms (like mild cough only, and maybe a low-grade temp for less than hours. For the vulnerable, axlovid pills tabs twice a day for days have been most efficacious, when given within days of the first symptom following a positive antigen test. Blood thinners and statin drugs must be stopped when taking Paxlovid. As always, consult with your physicians for any medical concerns.

CBD tea

While some sectors of the community, mainly the purveyors of cannabidiol compound found in cannabis plant, hail CBD teas as beneficial to health, there are actually no serious scientific studies to prove these claims. These marketing schemes are not supported by science. Not to mention the fact that they are expensive, that cannabis may negatively a ect male and female fertility, and that products containing trace amount of THC can produce positive drug test, which could be a potential problem with the Police. Hopefully, we shall have objective scientific clinical evaluation of the value, safety, dosing, efficacy, and side e ects complications of using these derivatives from cannabis plants. In the meantime, let us stick to FDA-vetted and proven medications, and to green tea, black tea, chamomile tea, etc. for a simpler healthy refreshing drink. And talking about drinks, soft drinks of any variety are toxic to the body. They increase the

risk for the development of metabolic syndrome, especially among children, but a lot of adults get it also. Stay away from this poison hiding behind its phosphoric acid fi . The acid chemical in these beverages could be used for cleaning carburetors and ushing blocked toilet bowls. hosphoric acid could induce kidney stone formation and increase in blood pressure even among young people. Google it, YouTube it, and find out yourself how soft drinks increase the risk for metabolic syndrome.

Experts say that it is safe for pregnant women to drink co ee of no more than mg ca eine. One 8-o cup contains about 1 -1 mg ca eine . However, here is a warning: While it is safe for the mother, a recent study shows that those mothers who consumed ca eine co ee or ca einated drinks) had children who were shorter in stature compared to those conceived by mothers who abstained from caffeine. Ca eine consumption during pregnancy impacts child growth and development. The same could be true with those breast-feeding their babies. For women (and men) in general co ee consumption confers some health benefits to brain function (cognition and reducing the risk for dementia).

Alcoholic drinks in general, when imbibed wisely and responsibly, have been found beneficial to health and longevity. The caveat is to drink in a disciplined manner: one drink maximum for women and two for men, per day. Unfair Sexist No. Why so Because studies have shown that this recommendation confers the best benefits to the body, with the least negative e ect for either sex, since their physiology di er somewhat. So, a glass of wine like inot Noir from Oregon, which has the highest resveratrol, a heart-protective compound from the grape skin), or a vodka or gin Martini (Beefeater’s gin dry Martini is my personal favorite), afterdinner drinks, any low sugar mixed drinks, or beer, have all been found to provide the same health benefits anti-stress, calming, happy-hormone stimulating, etc.) when taken as recommended above, one max for women and two max for men. Anything in excess is abuse and unhealthy. Adhering to the science when drinking, here’s to one and all: Cheers! A votre sante! To your health!

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, a Health Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888. com and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

The Divine and the Diabolic

ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

DEALING WITH LONELINESS AND ISOLATION

LET US PRAY THAT OUR LONELINESS MAY SPUR US INTO FINDING SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR, GREAT ENOUGH TO DIE FOR. Loneliness and isolation can leave us feeling empty and without hope sometimes. I have learned that when we feel stuck in our own thoughts and just want to be free of this pain, then all we have to do is look to God, the creator of the universe. He sent His son to overcome all of the pain of this world and He wants to help us overcome our pain as well. Loneliness doesn’t come from being alone: it comes from feeling that no one cares. We are meant to thrive in the community. It adds so much more to our lives and causes us to be happier. We all deserve happiness. I have learned that loneliness is the human condition that we can cultivate. It can allow our soul room to grow. LET US NEVER EXPECT TO OUTGROW LONELINESS; NEVER HOPE TO FIND PEOPLE WHO WILL UNDERSTAND US, SOMEONE TO FILL THAT SPACE, OTHERWISE, WE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED. The best we can do is to understand ourselves, know what we want and not let others stand in our way. Never lower your standards just because you’re lonely. It’s better to be by yourself than to be with the wrong person. You can’t be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with. Never let loneliness drives you back into the arms of someone you know you don’t belong with. Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone. WHY DO I WRITE? It is not that I want people to think that I am smart, or even that I am a good writer. I write because I want to learn from my loneliness, from the problems that life constantly brings and to inspire and encourage others to do the same. I have learned that if we try to really learn, sit with loneliness and embrace it for the gift that it is…and an opportunity to get to know ourselves; to learn how strong we really are; to depend on no one but ourselves for our happiness; we will realize that a little loneliness goes a long way in creating a richer, deeper, more vibrant and colorful self. There is absolutely no point in sitting around and feeling sorry for oneself. The great power we have is to let go… focus on what we have, and what we want and remove which ones that have been mean or unkind to us. Once we have mastered to do that, we will never be alone and lonely. Negative emotions like loneliness, envy and guilt have an important role to play in a happy life; they’re big, flashing signs that something needs to change – Gretchen Rubin.

Iwonder

Afl ame The Heart

if we ever give a thought about the badthings happeningaroundus; while alsothinkingabout the good things occurringthat inspire us.God causes the goodandall godlythings; and all those doingthe goodare instruments of God.Evil andbadthings are causedby the devil; we call all such things as diabolical.Surely,we wouldwant always to be onthe side of the good,with God.Indeed,must we be! However,this does not happenall the time.Badandevil things happen,because we choose anddothem. As toresults; whatever is divine,this gives us peace andsense of love,the beingable tolove andbe loved. With the divine,we experience the presence of God; we experience the sense of blessedness. We say, “I am blessed.” Meanwhile,whenever there is the diabolical,anexperience of evil; we feel sadandsense of anger or hated. Whenthere is the work of evil, we do not have peace there is con ict within oneself or in con ict with someone. Division and discord are the devil s masterpiece. God’s workunites. A divine workbrings intocommunionwith God,and communionamongst people.

What is the devil? InGreekit is “diabolos:” “dia –toset apart –bolos –tothrow;” hence,diabolos or devil,is one that throws apart.It causes confusion,discord,division,separation,animosity,andenmity.Contrarywith “synbolos:” “syn–together or a unity,bolos –tothrow,” so, tothrow tobe together,or tobringtogether,or tothrow intounity; and this is always what Goddoes,or the result of whatever gooddeeddone. We must have some fundamental grasp of this simple truth of the devil’s works inour midst andinour lives; sothat,we maynot fall intobeing the devil’s instruments bydoingwhat is evil andbad.Let us examine inour lives what are the things or deeds that are bad,evil or sinful,that we door we see constantlybeingdone aroundus. Trytoknow them and shunthese actions andthings. Whatever divine things happening,these we must be instruments of their promotion,andwe ourselves doingthem. Inthe Scriptures or byexperience; we know,the devil or the diabolic has in uenced people s lives in the worst ways. The person under diabolic inuences is in forms of sinfulness, in crime or violence or vices, in forms of lustful behavior, and many bad sorts. All or any evil deeds or in uences goagainst God,andinJesus Christ,such evil things will not stand. Christ Cross is powerful against all forms of evil andsin; so,we must love the cross or crosses in our life. Sacrifices and su ering are forms of the cross if we accept them and bear them in unity with Christ s su erings,we will not onlyatone for sins,but alsowe will be blessedabundantly. All temptations want us toshunanycross; andyet our LordJesus toldus; “Whoever does not carryhis cross…cannot be mydisciple (Lk. 14: 27).” Or refer tothe temptationof the LordJesus; it does not want Him to accept su ering and cross “Save yourself by coming down from the cross (Mk.15:30.”

If we are to fight against diabolic and demonic elements in life and inthe world,we must imitate Christ Jesus bychoosingandaccepting the Cross or crosses that come our way. The crosses,the forms of suffering and sacrifice, are important in our walk of faith and love of God. The Cross of Jesus Christ destroyedevil andsin; soalso,our acceptance of crosses in our life will lead us to fight against all forms of temptation andwinover them. The devil anddiabolic works will want us toshun anydivine work,especiallythe goodworks inimitationof Jesus Christ. Sanctification of life happens not without sacrifices and su ering done with love.Christ’s Cross has some connectiontoour dailycrosses that Godsends our way,andthe devil tempts us tonever take or accept them. Never listentothe devil’s words but rather always listens toChrist’s words.

Inour world,noone wouldlike totalkabout the devil or demons or the diabolic yet, their e ects, works, and in uence are clearly displayed. People donot want toacknowledge this; because,all,includingourselves,dear reader,we all like the moments of pleasure or of fame andbe inspotlight toplease our egoandpride,etc.However,the devil laughs loudlyat anyone of us fallingintoits trap. We must set our eyes onour LordJesus andlistentoHis voice.If we fall intosin,donot despair,ask for forgiveness and renew your life then, fight on the good fight of the faith until youhave put evil under your feet. Amen.

Recipe of the Week

Ingredients:

1 k. ox tripe innards

1 c. diluted ox bile

1 head whole garlic

1 thumb si e ginger, crushed thumb si e ginger, cut into strips

1 head garlic, chopped

2medium size onion,chopped

1 bundle spring onion, chopped

1 small packet, sampalok sinigang mix

- siling labuyo, chopped

1 c. patis salt and pepper

Cooking procedure:

Wash thoroughly ox innards, drain and cut into small slices, set aside liver. In a sauce pan put all innards, whole garlic and crushed ginger cover with water and boil for 1 minutes, drain and discard li uid. Rinse and add fresh water and boil for 1- hours or until innards are tender. Remove from pan separate broth and keep aside. In same sauce pan saut onion, garlic and ginger. Add innards including liver stir for - minutes, add patis and cook for another - minutes. our in broth and simmer for 1 -1 minutes, add siling labuyo, sinigang mix and goat bile half uantity at time and taste sourness and bitterness add more if re uired . Simmer for another - minutes. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with springonion.Serve hot.

Sagada opens new tourist hubs, relaxes entry rules

BAGUIO CITY – Sagada, a town in Mountain Province famous for its hanging coffins on high cli s and centuries old burial sites, has opened new places to visit for domestic and foreigntourists.

This was disclosed by Mayor Felicito Dula who said the new destinations are in the town’s southern zone composed of four villages -- Ankileng, Nacagan, Takkong and Suyo ANTS which launched what they called as the “Southern Sagada nature treat,tour andadventure.”

“Marami pang destination at kasama natin ang community sa pagbubukas at pag-welcome ng mga bisita para ma enjoy din nila ang iba pang magagandang lugar sa Sagada there are still other destinations and we are one with the community in opening them and welcoming the visitors to enjoy the other beautiful places in Sagada ,” Mayor Dula said in NA s Li a Agoot report.

tourist arrivals are on the rise.

“We have recorded a total of ,8

VISIT SAGADA. Sagada y has launched the southern Sagada nature treat, tour and adventure that formalizes tours and vi it to t e a anyon ater all t e Taccon tra i�onal burial grounds, Balangagan caves and the Pinumdeng skyline unri e a amon t e a�rac�on .

tourists who arrived from anuary 1 to September . There are also a small number of seminars and conferences already being held here,” the mayor said.

Pre-pandemic, Sagada averaged 1 , tourists per year.

Sagada, considered the Shangrila of the North, earlier relaxed entry rules that used to make visits to the town difficult and expensive for tourists.

The opening of additional tourist attractions in Sagada was earlier proposed to attract more tourists and put Sagada on the bucket list of local and international tourists.

Southern Sagada has the Obwa Canyon waterfalls, Takkong traditional burial grounds, Balangagan caves and the inumdeng skyline sunrise as among the attractions.

A camp site has been set up near the barangay hall of Suyo, which will have a tourist information center where coordination can be done and tour guides will be provided for the safety of the visitors aside from a Com AC Community olice Assistance Center .

Sagada, which has 1 villages, is divided into five ones -- central, southcentral, northern, eastern, and southern zones.

The eastern one, where the Marlboro Hills is located, is expected to be launched anytime.

Dula said most of the existing and popular tourist destinations are located in central and south central ones like the Echo-Valley, Hanging Coffins, pottery, Sagada weaving, Bokong Falls and the Kiltepan sunrise, same as the town proper or oblacion.

“They are ready to receive the tourists. The tour guides have been trained and accredited to bring the visitors and make them safe while in the village,” the mayor said.

Sagada has expressed confidence that its tourism industry will ourish anew, according to Mayor Dula, who said every weekend for about four weeks now,

Sagada has lifted all entry re uirements for tourists, including registration, Covid-1 test, and proof of full vaccination.

“We have decided to ease the restrictions because they prevent tourists from putting us on their list of areas to visit,” Dula said. “We had to move because tourism is the number one livelihood of the people in Sagada and making it difficult for tourists to enter our town will make it difficult also for our people to recover from the financial losses that resulted from the lockdowns.”

The mayor said locals own restaurants, inns, and souvenir shops while others are engaged in making processed items or serve as tour guides.

Based on a 1 survey, Sagada has 1 , residents who are directly engaged in tourism or related business activities

Culture preservation thru tourism

Councilor aime Dugao, the Indigenous eoples Mandatory Representative I MR of the town, said during the launching of the southern Sagada nature treat, tour and adventure that Sagada’s tourism is not just about the place but most especially about the people and the culture.

“In accepting visitors, we do not just show the beautiful place that we have, but our culture, the way we deal with people, our care for each member of our community that is why we want that the benefits from the industry that we reap be shared to the other villages in our town, to all our brother I-Sagada. We have our way of attending to our visitors, we will take it seriously and we will make sure that tourists will have no sad stories because it will destroy the whole of Sagada,” he added.