The Filipino Press: April 8-14, 2022

Gov’t has concrete plans for economic recovery: Palace

This, after the Social Weather Stations (SWS), in its Dec. 12 to 16, 2021 survey, found that 51 percent of adult Filipinos were optimistic that the Philippine economy will improve in the next 12 months.

Some 30 percent were convinced that the country’s economy will remain the same, while only seven percent believed it will worsen.

The poll results yielded a net economic optimism of “excellent” +44, the “highest since the ‘excellent’ +44 in September 2016,” SWS noted.

“The December 2021 Net Economic Optimism was a continuing recovery from the mediocre -9 in July 2020, mediocre -5 in September 2020, and high +24 in November 2020,” the private polling firm said.

Reacting to the results of SWS survey, acting Presidential Spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said this proves that the government’s policy on economic recovery is gaining ground.

“This indeed demonstrates that government has concrete plans to sustain our economic rebound,” Andanar said in a press statement.

The Palace, Andanar said, viewed the latest net economic optimism as a “clear indication of how effective our calibrated strategy of shifting to Alert Level System to further reopen the economy.”

Andanar said the adoption of the 10-point policy agenda for the country’s economic recovery would help spur economic growth.

He added that President Rodrigo Duterte had likewise ordered the adoption of a whole-of-government approach to align all economic recovery programs and measures of

the national government.

“More businesses are operating and more Filipinos are able to go to work while ramping our Covid-19 vaccination drive,” he said. “Our

LOS ANGELES, CA -- From tapping into the power of Kpop to embracing the possibilities of the metaverse, 2021 was a year of extraordinary firsts for IW Group, a leading creative agency specializing in engaging diverse audiences, and its clients. As the pandemic continued to limit in-person activities and onset production, the firm explored new creative approaches that not only yielded award-winning campaigns for clients McDonald’s and Jack Daniel’s but also an unprecedented expansion into new consumer segments -including LGBTQ+, Hispanic and Indigenous -- for the traditionally AAPI-focused agency.

Characterized by a renewed emphasis on innovation, transformation and purpose, IW Group’s landmark 2021 has culminated with being named

Ad Age’s 2022 Multicultural Agency of the Year. One of the marketing industry’s highest honors, it is part of the trade organization’s prestigious A-List & Creativity Awards, which recognizes the best forward-thinking leaders, top agencies and creative innovators of today.

“It’s an absolute honor to be recognized by one of the industry’s foremost authorities in creative excellence,” said Bill Imada, IW Group’s Founder and Chief Connectivity Officer. “These past few years haven’t been easy but they’ve also brought forth extraordinary opportunities from both new and existing clients. Their faith in our agency and our team’s passion for innovation is what enables us to produce significant work, which leads to significant awards.”

Bolstered by diverse young talent and guided by veteran leadership, IW Group scored new clients in 2021 across a broad range of industries including consumer, entertainment and healthcare. Upskilling agency personnel has also been a key priority, with internal training courses on emerging tech and digital trends (e.g., metaverse, NFTs and VR) offered regularly to staff. With an eye towards the future, the firm also recently opened an office in the metaverse, which will be utilized for virtual events, client presentations and staff meetings.

“As brands continue to double down on their commitment to multicultural youth, agency partners who are both culturally and digitally fluent will be imperative,” said Nita Song, IW Group President and Chief Momentum Officer. “Our team’s diverse backgrounds -- both personally and professionally -- and our talent development programs have aligned us with the zeitgeist and are preparing us for the future.”

For the year ahead, IW Group will pursue agency growth; with plans to expand its award-winning entertainment practice, scale up its content department and formalize its burgeoning metaverse marketing capabilities. Additionally, the firm is exploring new client opportunities with overseas brands seeking to enter the US market.

“Our non-traditional approach to tradition and the opportunity to introduce new representations of culture not only fuels our creativity but also drives our purpose as an organization,” said Telly Wong, IW

By AdA m Beh A r

SAN DIEGO, CA -- “The news was as bad as we thought.”

That's Hei-ock Kim (Hay-o), executive director of the nonprofit Kim Center, speaking about the severity of COVID’s impact on San Diego County’s women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.

Perhaps elected officials, policy makers, and business leaders knew intuitively, or heard anecdotally, that the pandemic hit women and women business owners disproportionately hard.

But if they lacked local, specific data, it’s hard to diagnose the problem, much less fix it.

The good news, Kim explains, is that, because of a research project conducted by her organization and Rise San Diego, local policy makers now have hard evidence, what she calls “actionable data,” from their survey of almost 500 local residents.

Among the report’s most shocking findings is that only 5 percent of local businesses that received financial assistance were owned by women.

Why the Inequity?

Why did women in the workforce fare so badly during COVID? It’s mostly attributable to social and cultural expectations, norms, and biases that have been long ingrained in the system, says Kim.

Modern women are accustomed to multi-tasking but during the pandemic the expectations imposed on them were beyond anything many had ever seen. In fact, 50 percent of the survey’s respondents reported spending three to five hours daily on care-giving, in addition to everything else expected of them.

The survey also revealed that only 25 percent of women applied for relief

funds, a tragically low number. Some women had language barriers while others reported not knowing financial support was even available.

Of course, unconscious (and conscious) racism or discrimination is also a factor. Kim describes it as an institutional, systemic, cultural, and attitudinal bias that negatively impacts women.

“Women owned businesses happen to be concentrated in sectors that are dominated by women,” Kim says, citing personal services, housekeeping and nail salons as examples. By contrast, “the sectors that did the best in terms of surviving and getting access to capital were in construction and utilities and energy,” industries that tend to be malecentered. “Male business owners had more access to resources for survival,” she adds.

Many people, she insists, have internalized the belief, whether they’re aware of it or not, that women have less value. She points to the historical discrimination of people of color in the lending and housing markets, known as redlining, and the fact that women get less money from venture capitalists today – even

people have more reasons to feel confident about the future.”

On March 21, Duterte inked Executive Order (EO) 166 directing all government departments and offices to adopt the 10-point policy agenda to fast-track the recovery of the Philippine economy from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under EO 166, all state departments, bureaus, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations and state universities and colleges, are mandated to ensure that all related policies, measures, and programs are aligned with the adopted policy agenda.

win in the upcoming May elections should ensure food sustainability in the country by having a stable supply of basic food items like rice, livestock, poultry, corn, and net fisheries.

“Lahat sa mundo ngayon (Everyone in the world), international organization, talagang worried na worried sila sa (are very worried for) food security, at pino-project nila na (they are projecting) magde-decline ang global productivity ng (by) more than 1 percent kasi napakamahal ng fertilizer (because fertilizers are very expensive). So kailangan talagang bigyang prayoridad ng susunod na administrasyon ang agriculture (the

though they provide greater return on investment.

Why Should We Care?

Besides the moral outrage that social and economic inequity stir up in many people, there’s also the economic argument. Kim says strengthening the position of women in the workforce and at home is in the County’s economic interest.

“San Diego has a pivotal opportunity to electrify its business ecosystem and social prosperity by maximizing this valuable resource,” she says, “establishing the region as an economic powerhouse on the national scale.”

Creating Change

The Kim Center COVID report is a catalyst, a call to action. Now the issue moves to the next stage –bringing key regional stakeholders together through the San Diego LEAPS Alliance and transferring the data into meaningful action.

“Widespread cultural transformation requires focused regional effort,” says Kim. The Kim Center’s LEAPS Program, a 3-year initiative designed to elevate the status and success of women in the workplace, is being used as a framework for the effort.

Partners and Supporters

The COVID project was led by Tina Ngo Bartel and Dr. Alan Gin, economist and associate professor at the University of San Diego, and funded by the County of San Diego. “We worked with the offices of Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and Supervisor Greg Cox, who had the foresight to understand that this was important,” says Kim.

The project wouldn't have succeeded, she says, without their partner Rise San Diego, and Union

Refreshing Watermelon Recipes

Friends, I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed a safe and joyful holiday weekend!

Summer is in full swing. ‘Tis the season to BEAT THE HEAT!!!

This week I’m sharing some of my favorite, refreshing (and super easy!) watermelon recipes that help accomplish exactly that! You’ll only need a few ingredients. Enjoy! #kayantinto

Watermelon Cucumber Limeade

1. Blend watermelon chunks and cucumber slices with lime juice.

2. Pour through a sieve, on to ice.

3. Sweeten with agave to taste.

4. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Watermelon Pops

1. Make a simple syrup infused with mint by mixing equal parts sugar and water and mixing, allowing to gently boil and develop into a syrup. When the sugar has fully dissolved, remove the mint leaves.

2. Blend watermelon and lime juice.

3. Combine fruit mixture with simple syrup, and pour into molds.

4. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until fully hardened.

Watermelon, Cucumber, Basil and Feta Salad

1. Cut watermelon and cucumber into bite-sized pieces and combine in a large bowl.

2. Add crumbles of feta cheese and torn basil leaves.

3. Toss with lime juice and a light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy Watermelon Treats

1. Slice watermelon.

2. Squeeze lime over watermelon slices.

3. Drizzle honey over watermelon slices.

4. Sprinkle Tajin (or your choice of chili pepper) on the tip of each slice.

Watermelon, Pineapple and Blueberry Smoothie

1. Freeze chopped fruit.

2. Blend fruit with a splash of orange juice and a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt.

3. Optional—add chia seeds, greens and honey to taste.

Continue to have fun, stay safe, and keep cool this summer, my friends! Can’t wait til it’s safe for us to all reunite! Ingat po lagi. Love, Francine(reprint of an earlier article)

JOB FAIR

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2022

10am to 1pm

Over 50 Employers

Industries: Transportation, Health Care, State Agencies, Retail, Hospitality, maritime and Many more! at Southwestern College National City Campus 880 National City, Ca 91950

https://www.nationalcityjobs.org

Paradise Valley Hospital Emergency Department Accredited for Specialized Geriatric Care

NATIONAL CITY, CA --

Paradise Valley Hospital takes senior emergency care to the next level by announcing recently that they are now accredited as a Geriatric Emergency Department by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

The Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program is the culmination of years of progress in emergency care of older adults. In 2014, ACEP along with Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurses Association, and American Geriatrics Society, developed and released geriatric ED guidelines, recommending measures ranging from adding geriatric-friendly equipment to specialized staff to more routine screening for delirium, dementia, and fall risk, among other vulnerabilities.

“Prime Healthcare is focused on ensuring seniors have the best experience possible when coming to our hospitals, including shorter wait times when visiting our emergency department, so GEDA was the logical next step for Paradise Valley,” said Anne Xenos, Corporate Director of Senior Care for Prime Healthcare. “We are committed to being leaders in the healthcare community with our senior focused service line, which provides tailored, well-coordinated care for older adults who visit our Emergency Department.

The voluntary GEDA program provides specific criteria and goals for emergency clinicians and administrators to target. To receive accreditation, an emergency department must incorporate a number of best practices for geriatric care, along with interdisciplinary geriatric education, and have geriatric appropriate equipment and supplies available.

This accreditation demonstrates the hospital’s commitment in the delivery of excellent care for our aging adults,” said Paradise Valley Hospital CEO, Neerav Jadeja. “As an Accredited Geriatric Emergency

Department, our approach to geriatric care allows us to provide tailored care for seniors who visit our emergency room. Senior adults can be assured that we have the necessary expertise, equipment and personnel in place to provide superior, age-appropriate care.”

Some of the best practices embraced by the geriatric emergency departments include:

• Ensuring geriatric-focused education and interdisciplinary staffing

• Providing standardized approaches to care that address common geriatric issues Ensuring optimal transitions of care from the ED to other settings (inpatient, home, community-based care, rehabilitation, long-term care)

• Promoting geriatricfocused quality improvement and enhancements of the physical environment and supplies “More and more of the patients

we are seeing are seniors and older adults,” noted Jennifer Saunders, Paradise Valley Hospital Director of Emergency Services. “Having specifically trained doctors and nurses, and facilities and equipment appropriate for geriatric care, just makes sense. This allows all of us to do our jobs better, and that’s what’s best for the people we take care of.”

In addition to GEDA, Paradise Valley Hospital is a nine-time recipient of the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award and placing the hospital among the top 10% in the Nation for Patient Safety for nine years in a row.

Paradise Valley also holds a “Grade A” for patient safety excellence from The Leapfrog Group, and has been certified by the American Heart Association and The Joint Commission as a Primary Stroke Center. Paradise Valley Hospital is

conveniently located at 2400 E. 8th Street, National City, Ca 91950, with phone number (619)4704321.

About Paradise Valley Hospital: For more than 100 years, Paradise Valley Hospital, a member of Prime Healthcare, has served San Diego and we are proud of our heritage of providing programs and services to meet the changing needs of our community. Today, our 291-bed, acute care hospital is the only San Diego hospital to be named a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures five years in a row. We have been given the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award nine years in a row (2014-2022).

And Paradise Valley Hospital is home to the San Diego Spine & Joint Center, offering the latest technology and procedures for spine and joint patients. In addition, the hospital offers emergency services, wound healing and hyperbaric medicine, acute rehabilitation, behavioral health, community wellness programs, and senior services. For more information, visit ParadisevalleyHospital.com

5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LUMPIA CLUB LUNCHEON

The Lumpia Club is the premiere Filipino American group of professionals that represents diverse segments in the San Diego community. The Lumpia Club mirrors the networking luncheon like the Catfish Club established for the African American Community and Albondigas for the Latino community. The Lumpia Club was established 5 years ago on March 2017 to provide a venue for elected officials, community stakeholders and leaders to have the opportunity to network with San Diego County's 2nd largest ethnic group according to the U.S. Census Bureau; the Filipino community. The recent event was held at Legend Condominium Skyview Lounge, 325 7th Ave., 7th floor, San Diego, 92101. The purpose of the monthly luncheon meeting is to provide a venue for Filipinos APIs to network and an opportunity to discuss regional issues with decision makers . The main agenda in recent meeting was the upcoming Special Election for CA 80th District and what the Registrar of Voters is doing to prepare for the April 5th election day, the impact of redistricting throughout San Diego County and the Choice Voting Act. Guest Speaker is Cynthia Paes, San Diego County Registrar of Voters. Michael Vu, former ROV, has presented to the Lumpia Club. Contact: JoAnn Fields, Founder, Lumpia Club, at (619) 884-9886 cell for upcoming meeting agenda, special guest/s and more.

IATF allows use of antigen test as entry requirement to PH

MANILA -- Travelers can now enter the Philippines just by presenting an antigen test performed by healthcare professionals, Malacañang said Wednesday.

This, after members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) agreed on Wednesday night to allow the use of rapid antigen test taken by healthcare professionals as an entry requirement for travelers.

In a press statement, Acting Presidential Spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the antigen test must be “administered and certified by a healthcare professional in a healthcare facility, laboratory, clinic, pharmacy, or other similar establishments from the country of origin of the traveler.”

Under the existing IATF-EID Resolution 165, foreign travelers can enter the country, on conditions that they are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and have acceptable proof of vaccination.

Foreigners are also required to present a negative reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test taken within 48 hours or a negative laboratory-based antigen test taken within 24 hours prior to their arrival to the country.

Vaccination certificates

Andanar said the IATF-EID, in its meeting held Wednesday night, also approved the acceptance and recognition of the national Covid-19 vaccination certificates of Bangladesh, Mexico, Panama and Slovak Republic, for purposes of arrival quarantine protocols, as well as for interzonal or intrazonal movement.

“This is in addition to other countries/territories/jurisdictions whose proofs of vaccination the IATF has already approved for recognition in the Philippines, and without prejudice to such other proofs of vaccination approved by the IATF for all inbound travelers,” he said.

Andanar said the Bureau of Quarantine, the Department of Transportation’s One-Stop-Shop, and the Bureau of Immigration have been directed to recognize only the proofs of vaccination thus, approved by the IATF. According to Resolution 165 issued by the IATF-EID, the other acceptable proofs of Covid-19 vaccination include the World Health Organization International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis, VaxCertPH, national or state digital certificate of foreign country accepting VaxCertPH, and other proof of vaccination permitted by the IATFEID.

The government has already allowed foreign travelers to visit the country without an entry exemption document (EED), so long as they comply with the applicable visa requirements and immigration entry and departure formalities.

Foreign travelers must have passports valid for a period of at least six months at the time of their arrival as well as valid tickets for their return journey to the port of origin or next port of destination not later than 30 days from date of arrival.

Prior to their arrival in the Philippines, they must obtain travel insurance for the Covid-19 treatment costs from reputable insurance providers, with a minimum coverage

of USD35,000 for the duration of their stay in the country.

Foreigners who fail to fully comply with the conditions and requisites set by the IATF-EID shall be denied admission into the country and shall be subject to the appropriate exclusion proceedings.

PH Genome Center can detect Omicron XE -- expert The Philippine Genome Center (PGC) has the capability to detect recombinant variant Omicron XE in case it enters the country, an infectious disease expert said Wednesday.

Omicron XE is a combination of two Omicron sub-variants – BA.1 and BA.2.

In a televised public briefing, Department of Health – Technical Advisory Group member Dr. Edsel Salvaña said the PGC continues the surveillance of samples from sentinel sites and incoming travellers who test positive for Covid-19. “Sa ngayon, mino-monitor ito ng WHO [World Health Organization] mukhang may survival advantage, 10 percent increased transmissibility but there’s no evidence it is deadlier or can cause more severe disease,” Salvaña said.

Current data show that Omicron XE does not have increased breakthrough infections and its response to vaccines remains the same as that of BA.1 and BA.2.

Omicron XE cases are still few, and its symptoms are not different from the symptoms of the other sub-lineages of Omicron. “’Yung na-describe sa (The one described in) Thailand, my understanding is mild lang ang case na ‘yon. We’re monitoring, in fact, XE is not yet called variant under monitoring or variant of concern,” Salvaña said.

The best protection against Omicron XE and for any other variant of the coronavirus would be vaccination paired with booster shots and wearing of face masks, he added.

As of April 4, a total of 66,230,305 Filipinos are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Some 12,208,931 fully vaccinated individuals have received their booster shots.

Don't mix in-person classes, COVID-19 vaccination in schools: Briones

Schools holding limited inperson classes should not be used simultaneously as COVID-19 vaccination sites, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said Wednesday. Briones made the statement as more schools across the country have resumed physical classes, albeit with reduced class sizes as a precaution against the continued spread of COVID-19.

"Sa paningin ko, 'yong vaccination sites should be separate from where the classes are being held dahil kailangan, we need to make sure na 'yong level of exposure [ng mga estudyante] will be minimized," Briones said at the Laging Handa public briefing.

The Philippines has used schools, malls, covered courts and other areas as vaccination sites since government kicked off its COVID-19 inoculation program in March 2021.

Briones did not say how many schools are currently being used as vaccination sites.

"Ayaw kong ihalo 'yong iba't ibang klaseng activities," Briones said, noting how schools have also been used as COVID-19 isolation facilities

and evacuation centers during calamities.

On Tuesday, the Department of Education reported that 17,524 public and private schools have begun holding limited face-to-face classes, equivalent to 30 percent of the total number of schools nationwide.

DepEd officials bared the figure at the launch of the "BIDA Kid" campaign, which it organized with the Department of Health and United States Agency for International Development.

The campaign highlights 3Bs: Bakuna (Vaccination), Bayanihan (Cooperation), and BIDA or "Best friend natin ang mask, Ingatan at hugasan ang kamay, Dumistansiya upang makaiwas sa sakit, Airflow ay panatilihin" (Wear masks, wash hands properly, observe distancing to avoid illnesses, and maintain airflow).

At the launch, Briones said the campaign aims to encourage more schools to reopen for face-to-face instruction and secure the confidence of parents to allow their children to attend physical classes.

Covid-19 vax program exempted from Comelec ban -- Dizon

The country’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination program will continue during elections, said Presidential Adviser on Covid-19 response, Secretary Vince Dizon.

During the pre-recorded Talk to the People of President Rodrigo Duterte aired Tuesday night, Dizon said the local government units (LGUs) have understood the need to continue the massive vaccination program while the election campaign period is ongoing.

Thus, National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III requested the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to exempt all the vaccination efforts and other vaccination-related activities from the poll ban.

“Puwede pong tuloy-tuloy ang bakuna kahit na po nagsimula na ang local campaign sa ating mga probinsiya, sa atin pong mga cities and municipalities. Very important po ‘yun, Mayor, para po kahit na nangangampanya ang ating mga opisyales ay hindi po dapat huminto ang pagbabakuna (The vaccination may continue even is the local campaign in our provinces, in our cities and municipalities, have started. It is very important Mayor so that even our officials are campaigning, the vaccination should not be hampered),” Dizon told Duterte.

Dizon said the NTF and health authorities are exerting all efforts to increase the country’s vaccination coverage nationwide, particularly in areas that are still lagging behind their target population.

“Sa ngayon po (So far), most of the key cities in the country have already achieved the targets of 70 percent of the target population, fully vaccinated, and 70 percent of the elderly, ‘yun pong mga senior citizens natin ay fully vaccinated (70 percent of our senior citizens are now fully vaccinated),” he added.

The government is now focusing the vaccination efforts in the island provinces of the Bicol region, and other areas in the provinces of Palawan, Marinduque, Romblon, Mindoro Oriental, and Mindoro Occidental. (MNS)

WHY THE U.S., PHILIPPINES ARE STAGING LARGE-SCALE MILITARY TRAINING: I SAY WORKING TOGETHER IS THE 37th BALIKATAN (SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER) EXERCISE’ MOST IMPORTANT LESSON

SAN DIEGO, CA -- What is the Balikatan military exercise?

An unusually large joint military maneuvers being held by the United States and the Philippines answers what Manila regards as a growing threat from China, according to some analysts.

U.S. military personnel joined troops from our beloved old homeland – the Philippines – on Monday, March 28 – for scheduled training called “Balikatan,” meaning “shoulder to shoulder.”

An American defense official called it the largest ever with 3,800 Philippine participants and 5,100 from the United States.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has pivoted toward the United States over the past two years after attempting a friendship with China.

China offered billions of dollars in development aid to the primarily considered a newly industrialized Southeast Asian country, but it used its military, the world’s third largest, to keep up pressure on disputed islets and contested tracts of sea between the two nations.

This year’s Balikatan shores up a Philippine-U.S. military alliance that began with a mutual defense treaty in 1951 and grew with a visiting forces agreement inked in 1999. Duterte had threatened to scrap the accord as he grew closer to Beijing but agreed last year to keep the deal in place.

“The U.S. consistently valued and embraced the relationship, and so I think that also had some effect on Duterte’s thinking,” stated Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, in Hawaii. He called the Philippines a “swing state in the Indo-Pacific” and said it’s swaying toward the U.S. side to ensure access to the South China Sea, a source of fish and energy reserves.

In March and April of 2021, Manila fumed when more than 220 Chinese boats moored off a South China Sea reef that’s disputed by the two countries. It protested, too, against a Chinese research vessel that stayed for three days earlier this year in the Sulu Sea near the Philippines.

Chinese and Philippine officials exchanged competing claims of sovereignty this week over the South China Sea’s fishery-rich Scarborough Shoal after Manila cited a “violation” by a passing coast guard ship.

Chinese officials point to historic records as support for their contention to about 90% of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea, while the Philippines cites a United Nations convention. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and

Vietnam claim all or parts of the maritime, which is valued for fisheries, fossil fuel reserves and marine shipping lanes.

The 2022 Balikatan exercise are scheduled to cover amphibious landings, airstrikes and ship movements at two locations before ending April 8, the Armed Forces of Philippines announced via Facebook. Humanitarian work is also on the agenda. Balikatan “enhances crisis action planning and crisis response capability,” the U.S. defense official noted.

The training exercises are especially crucial if China plans to push the Philippines away from Scarborough Shoal, said Ramon Casiple, an independent political analyst based in Metro Manila. China had taken control of the South China Sea feature in 2012 after a two-month standoff.

“If the U.S. is going back to the region and making it an important affair, the Philippines will have something to stand on in the contested area,” Casiple remarked. “The Philippines never conceded Scarborough Shoal to the Chinese.”

The U.S. government has counted the Philippines as one in a chain of Asia-Pacific allies and asked for Beijing to keep the South China Sea open for international use.

Balikatan is going on per schedule but comes at a time when both Manila and Washington have things to prove, observed Aaron Rabena, research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation in Metro Manila.

“These things, they’re for…I think, territorial posturing, and it coincides

Western democracies look at Filipino Catholicism as imbued with idolatry and fanaticism. Such observation is anchored primarily on Filipinos’ veneration of saints that can be viewed as over the top. Apologetics of the Filipino brand of Catholicism explains that theirs is just as legitimate but culturally Filipino. Centuries of Spanish colonial rule did not “purify” the local’s practice of the faith. On the contrary, inadequate missionary resources denied formal catechisms to prospective converts which allowed locals to foster their veneration of anitos and superstitious beliefs while substituting with the “miraculous” images the Spanish clergy brought and introduced. Overtime, these practices were normalized and legitimized as they evolved into accepted traditions.

For a devout Catholic, this is probably something difficult to understand especially if it perceives it as “cheapening” such practice. But, nothing is further from the truth with the way we practice Catholicism then and now. For

years we were told to obey, obey, and obey. Questioning our faith or traditions then (and even now) was akin to heresy and for the most part, were even anathematized worthy of excommunication.

Now that we have the maturity in our Catholic belief, it would be instructive to look at veneration of saints to gain an understanding as to why we’re doing certain things in a particular way. Veneration of saints include use of religious images and performing arts (music, dances) in the practice of the devotion.

To personalize or localize the concept based on my familiarity, I will use devotion to my hometown patron saint in Tinambac, Camarines Sur, San Pascual Baylon, as an example to make my point. The devotional concept is really applicable to any saint like Our Lady of Peñafrancia (Patroness of Bicolandia) or Santo Entierro (Dead Christ, Hinulid) and the point would still apply.

In the first part of these two parts essay, I’ve explained that conversion from paganism (or other religion) requires a transition

with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Rabena commented.

American officials oppose Russia’s war in Ukraine and kept a wary eye on China as a Russian ally.

Chinese state-monitored media outlet The Global Times said Sunday that the U.S. and Philippine armed forces were conducting “extensive drills with new tactics” to “contain China” against the rapid development of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

In point of fact, Filipinos are watching their relations with the United States ahead of a May 9 presidential election, Casiple postulated. Indeed, Duterte must step down because of term limits.

Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., son of ex-President Ferdinand Marcos, is leading other candidates, according to a February survey by the polling agency Pulse Asia. He has called China a “friend” and domestic media report that he has advocated setting aside a 2016 world arbitration court decision that rejects the legal basis for Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea.

Filipinos don’t normally select presidential candidates based on foreign statements, and Marcos has not said he would reject the United States in favor of China, even if he pursues friendly relations with Beijing Shifting the narrative, I say learning to work together in difficult times is the most significant lesson American and Filipino troops can learn from the annual “Balikatan” exercise.

“What is the most significant lesson we get from these exercises is that we learned to work and

cooperate with our friends, specifically military-to-military because whenever there is a disaster or any crisis it is the military who is always called upon to address them – typhoon, earthquake whatever you call it and now because the Americans have the same disaster and calamities in their own area so exchange, (we) exchange knowledge and expertise,” Philippines’ Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana declared in an interview after the closing ceremony of last year’s Balikatan exercises at Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City back in the old homeland of ours.

Lorenzana also stressed that the Balikatan has become one of the premier military training exercises in the region.

The knowledge gained, however, has been mainly used for humanitarian assistance and disaster response, which Lorenzana said is indicative of how the Philippines intend to contribute to preserving international order.

“We have been doing this for the past 36 years, these military exercises. But we never had, even once, used our acquired knowledge to fight another country. But for disaster and humanitarian purposes, we have done this many, many, times,” he reiterated. Lorenzana’s views were shared by then US Embassy charge d’affaires John Law who said that regardless of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

“I agree with the Secretary (Lorenzana) and I would also point out that, I think it’s extraordinarily significant that despite all of the

Jesse T. Reyes Filipino Potpourri

immense disruption over the past year, despite the extraordinary challenges that the pandemic poses to having people come together and work together, we did it, they did it, they did it extraordinarily well,” he added in the same interview.

As it was mentioned above, the current 37th Balikatan exercise kicked off on March 28 and will end on April 8 at training sites in Luzon, the Philippines’ main island.

With the pandemic waning, and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) back on track, treaty allies the United States and the Philippines said that the some 9,000 troops involved will focus on training in maritime security, amphibious operations, live-fire and counterterrorism exercises.

“During the Balikatan, the U.S. military and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) will train together to expand and advance share tactics, techniques and procedures that strengthen our response capabilities and readiness for real-world challenges,” emphasized U.S. Maj.

Gen. Jay Bargeron, commanding officer of the 3rd Marine Division.

“The friendship and trust between our forces will enable us to accomplish any mission across the spectrum of military operations,” he added.

Balikatan’s humanitarian work already began with the renovation of four elementary schools ahead of the training component.

This year’s Balikatan will definitely be “the largest one to be held in the past six years,” according to the Filipino military.

No doubt about it, the maneuvers had taken a back seat after President Rodrigo Duterte – who finishes his six-year term in office in late June of this year, following the May 9 general election – distanced himself from Washington in favor of closer ties with China, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Philippine president threatened to scrap a Visiting Forces Agreement with the U.S., but later decided to keep it. He said he agreed in 2021 to keep the deal in gratitude for U.S. vaccine donations, and acknowledged the intelligence assistance that was crucial in defeating Islamic Statelinked militants who had seized Mindanao’s southern city of Marawi

in 2017.

In addition, Duterte failed to challenge China after an international arbitration court nullified its expansive claims in the South China Sea region and instead sought to appease Beijing in exchange for millions of dollars in economic aid. If you will all recall, the ruling came just weeks after Duterte took office in 2016.

That changed beginning in March 2021 – as I’ve indicated earlier above - after about 220 Chinese ships were spotted around the Spratly Islands, leading Manila to file a series of protests against Beijing over its presence within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Earlier this month, the Department of Foreign Affairs summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian to explain what it called an “illegal” incursion by a Chinese Navy reconnaissance vessel in the Sulu Sea.

The first Balikatan training conducted during the Duterte administration in 2017 mixed up 5,400 troops on both sides while the Balikatan 2018 and Balikatan 2019 involved 8,000 and 7,600 troops, respectively. The pandemic forced the 2020 exercise to be canceled and limited the number of participants to less than 1,000 in 2021.

The largest Balikatan exercise occurred in 2015 when 5,000 Philippine troops welcomed 6,500 U.S. counterparts.

Maj. Gen. Charlton Sean Gaerlan, the exercise director on the Philippine side, said Balikatan “is a testament to the strength of the Philippines and United States.”

“The experience gained in the exercise complements our security cooperation endeavors and will help to enhance existing mutual security efforts,” Gaerlan added.

The exercise includes a command post or tabletop training that tests the AFP and U.S. forces’ ability to plan, command and communicate with each other in a simulated environment. This drill is envisioned to bolster the “defensive capabilities of the alliance,” both sides insisted.

For my two cents, I say the Philippines current foreign policy plays both sides…China or US? - So

501 Years of Christianity: A Lenten Reflection, Part 2

for a prospect who is considering conversion to Christianity (Catholicism). Particularly during the Lenten season, it requires one to unlock the mystery of Jesus’ life, crucifixion, and Resurrection also known as the Paschal Mystery.

Venerating saints turn a religious person to a devotee. As a devotee, one can be a voyador or other roles played during the devotion. From a secular perspective, going from a religious to a devotee seems like an easy exercise. You just do it. For a voyador, the men transitions from being a devotee to undergoing a “rite of passage.” For that matter, a religious person also goes through a rite of passage to become a devotee.

Going from point A (religious) to point B (devotee) is also a rite of passage. Such a rite can be short or long depending on the level of understanding of the individual.

During the feast of San Pascual Baylon, several activities (religious and social) are normally planned. For example, daily novenas for nine consecutive days leading to the feast day. From my experience back then, many of the prayer leaders were women. Following the novena booklet, devotees were able to join the novenas and privately make their intentions or petitions for such novenas. The prevailing wisdom was that for a devotee’s wish to be

granted, he/she must complete nine days of prayer. During the novena, the “Gozos” (Joys) of San Pascual are recited or sung. For a time, the novenas and Gozos were in Latin until they were translated into Bicol. Listening to them was idiomatic - like Greek to me. Still, we recited or sung them with fervor.

The sakay (fluvial procession) that was held the day before the fiesta (bisperas) involved men of all ages. It started with a short land procession before going to the gareta launching. The procession then sails through the Lupi River and out to San Miguel Bay. It then turns around and proceeds to the western beach (baybayon) of the Poblacion, disembarks and goes on to complete the land procession on the major thoroughfares of the town. The “ukay-ukay” market that the town allowed on La Purisima and San Vicente Streets had caused tension between the church and the local government for blocking the route.Some of the voyador who lifted the andas were visibly inebriated and were chanting in loud voices, “Viva San Pascual Baylon!” “Viva!” with all the fervor their hearts can muster. There was chaos, laughter, haggling over voyador t-shirts and bandanas, and some pushing, jostling. They were

mild compared to the Peñafrancia processions in Naga. When the procession arrived at the church proper, the church bells went nuts. Some of the voyadores stayed outside after having sat the andas on its proper place near the altar while the others stayed in the back. The church pews would be mostly full by the time si Ama (San Pascual) arrives. The voyadores have done their job, so they just fade away in the background.

I’m trying to understand the rites of passage involved from a religious, to a devotee, then a voyador. A rite of passage from point A to point B involves three distinct phases. From a pagan to a Catholic requires transformation by separating from the familiar old “pagan” self at Point A. The part alone involves a deliberate decision to shed your old beliefs. If you were a hardcore pagan before, that separation could be difficult. Then, the transition in between the two points, before arriving at the final destination (point B). This trip involves straddling between the two points while testing the waters, if you will, learning, and hopefully maturing in faith or devotion. If the “instruction manual” was not available, then we wing it, hoping it gets fixed along the way. This transition is one of the

critical aspects of such a rite. The person in the process of conversion (from paganism to Christianity) goes through a state called liminality. The concept of liminality involves ambiguity and disorientation. The person is in limbo. Thus, Catechism at this point is truly crucial. The change creates a tension or unease created by the physical liminal space because one has to make such a decision of “all in” or “all out,” from birth to death through the sacraments.

Without proper guidance at this point will allow the person in limbo to follow the path of least resistance (old ways) by his or her inability to truly rationalize the intent and reason for the journey (they said I’m a pagan and would need conversion to Catholicism for my salvation).

Critical thinking would have given rise to questions and sought answers to “Am I really a bad person being a pagan?” “My Bathala before was okay with it, why not now?” “I was only worried about the 10 Commandments before now I’ll be subject to more sinful categories – do I want to subject myself to that and other forbidden things or practices?” “How about my harem (like Humabon) and killer instincts with my personal bolo (binasbad)?” (To be continued)

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JESSE REYES

Continued from page 5

to speak.

The Philippines, an old U.S. ally and as indicated above – a more recent friend of China – is awkwardly bouncing one superpower off the other on its way to a neutral foreign policy that will give the Southeast Asian country benefits from both sides as numerous specialists perceive.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin told the Philippine-based ANC News Channel last week “we need the U.S. presence” in Asia. That remark follows years of anti-American thundering by President Duterte, who has also sought friendship with China since he took office in 2016.

Like Asian neighbors such as Indonesia and Vietnam, the strategically located Philippines intend eventually to keep equal relations with both world powers, analysts believe. Asian countries with a neutral stance often get development aid and investment from China along with military support – to resist China – from the United States.

For that reason, scholars say, officials in Manila make statements that outsiders find conflicting.

“It’s something like, when you say something bad against China you have to compensate it,” asserted Eduardo Araral, associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s public policy school.

“It’s an ongoing show, I would say, so I would have to take (Locsin’s) pronouncements in that bigger context of this balancing game,” he noted.

The Philippines which has an economy transitioning from one based on agriculture to one leaning more on services and manufacturing sees Beijing as a source of investment and development aid despite a decades-old dispute over sovereignty in the South China Sea.

It is a given that Duterte resents U.S. presence in the country.

However, the Filipino president’s military and much of the Philippine public want the country to keep close ties with the United States especially as China gets stronger just offshore in waters claimed by Manila.

“Duterte may still be extremely popular with Filipinos, but Beijing decidedly is not,” Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in a February study. The Philippine defense community remains “extremely worried,” he reckoned.

For Washington, the Philippines represents part of a Western Pacific island chain of political allies that work together as needed to stop Chinese maritime expansion. I reiterate that the United States and the Philippines have lived by a mutual defense treaty since 1951. I believe China hopes strong ties with the Philippines will reduce American clout in the South China Sea dispute, where the People’s Liberation Army has

a lead over neighboring states. U.S. officials periodically warn Beijing to leave the South China Sea open for international use. Washington doesn’t claim the sea but intermittently sends naval ships over to show that the waterway is still open.

As it happens, in 2016, China pledged $24 billion in aid and investment to the old country of ours. A neutral foreign policy in the Philippines will come in hot and cold spurts aimed at both superpowers, scholars say.

Duterte indicated in early August of last year, that he would avoid joining military exercises with the United States in the sea that his government disputes with China.

In July and August, though, the Philippine Navy participated in the multi-country “Rim of the Pacific” (RIMPAC) exercises that the American government hosts every two years.

Duterte notified Washington in February of his intention to terminate the 21-year-old Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, a pact that lets American troops fluidly move in and out of the Philippines.

Manila suspended that plan in June.

The Philippines should eventually formulate a “more dignified” foreign policy so China and the United States know what to expect, said Enrico Cau, Southeast Asia specialist with the Taiwan Strategy Research Association.

Manila need not worry about losing the support of either side, he pointed out. China wants stronger

relations in Southeast Asia, he indicated, while the U.S. hopes to keep its military toehold. Neither superpower has cut ties with a smaller country over strong ties with the other.

“You take just an equidistant standing, which is constant, and that actually improves relations with everybody – also allows China and the United States to know what to expect,” Cau reasoned out.

A cementing of foreign policy will wait after the U.S. mid-term elections in November, said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Metro Manila-based advocacy group Institute for Political and Electoral Reform. The Philippines is not “moving in either direction” today, he reiterated.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has stepped up military support for the five Asian governments that oppose Beijing’s expansion in the South China Sea over the past decade. It’s unclear whether the current President Joe Biden would continue in that direction.

Truly, I can’t fathom why there is still a lot of local opposition to these Balikatan exercises. But I can’t blame them; everyone has his/her own opinions. I have stated mine now I rest my case.

Undoubtedly, the Philippines’ foreign policy plays both side; China or US?

Meanwhile, I say working together is Balikatan’s most important lesson for all concerned. Mabuhay!

Spiritual Life

The Imperatives of Love

It is a practice in my church that children attend Sunday school. The main reference and content is based on the Holy Bible. I went through Sunday school since I was a child and I remember that the first verse that I memorized and recited in class was “God is love”. Then as I grew up and started to study the bible in earnest, I found out that this is just a phrase of a longer verse which says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”(1 John 4:78). Then another verse says, “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world, we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God, yet hate his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command:

Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 15-21).

The most popular verses about love is found in 1 Corinthians 13: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight

in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

Love by its very nature should serve as the basis of all our actions. What a beautiful world it would be if we practice love the way, God sees it.

Almighty and ever-loving God, we thank you for the love that you have shown us in many ways. May we be able to follow your commandments to love you with all our hearts, with all our minds and with all our soul and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. May we be able to demonstrate our love to others by doing your Will in our lives. Amen.

Summer is the perfect time to look upward

The Lord gives strength to those who are weary. Even young people get tired, then stumble and fall. But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired. (Isaiah 40:31)

Summer has arrived. BBQ smoke is waffling from yard to yard and open windows are letting in the sound of birds singing and neighbors chatting. This is usually the time of year for some much needed R&R. But due to circumstances, this may not fit into your schedule. As co-workers stand around the water cooler and talk about their getaways, you may be burdened with financial obligations and a work schedule that make it impossible to pack your suitcase.

Isaiah understood how weariness drains our soul and physical being. The Israelites were weary and worn out. Ten of the tribes had been captured by the Assyrian Empire. It was not vacation time. Isaiah helped them to re-focus and take pause. I can imagine standing beside Isaiah encouraging me to tilt

next administration needs to prioritize agriculture),” he said.

Adriano said based on expert projection, the effects of the UkraineRussia conflict on food security are expected to be felt from May to August this year, with a significant decline in wheat supply, creating a ripple effect on fertilizer, oil, and other productions.

“‘Yun ang harvest season, na wala na tayong mabibiling trigo, mahihirapan tayo at ‘yung mais, kasi sila ‘yung mga major producers, and ‘yung countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia na dependent sa trigo nila sa pagkain, ay mahihirapan at baka yung iba dun bumili ng bigas, kaya magtatighten ‘yung supply natin (That’s during harvest season, we might be unable to buy wheat, it will be difficult for us, even corn, they are the major producers, countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia which are dependent on their wheat for food might have a hard time, some might resort to buying rice, our supply will tighten),” he explained. He said they will come up with recommendations for the next administration to take into careful consideration.

Moreover, Adriano noted that food security deserved to receive a huge

Danny Hernaez From Whom All Blessings Flow

my head and look upward, "Do you see that eagle? Who gave it wings? Who's wind is it riding? You need not strive. Rest in the grace and power of your Creator."

Summer is the perfect time to look upward. When we get weary and tired, a getaway may not be feasible, but we can look up to refresh our spirit. As we gaze trustingly at God, He will renew our strength like the eagles.

Spending time in God's word, admiring His amazing creation, and taking moments to listen to His voice always brings me back to a place of renewed strength. Whatever your summer holds, take time to look upward and ask God to renew your soul.

Jesus didn't come as a king, but as a helpless infant (Luke

investment from the state to ensure long-term growth, citing several other countries like South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, which are enjoying stability amid the global challenges.

“Bakit nila kayang gawin ‘yun, kasi binigyan ng prayoridad ng gobyerno nila ‘yung agriculture (Why are they able to do it? Because their government prioritized agriculture). It is the basis of a sound development process. Prioritizing agricultural development is the anchor towards the sustainable development process,” he said.

Duterte: E-sabong money needed as COVID-19 depleted intel, contingency funds

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday defended e-sabong, saying that the government needs the revenues generated by online cockfighting operations.

In his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony for the OFW Center in Daang Hari, Las Piñas City, Duterte said that he has allowed e-sabong to continue because the pandemic has depleted other funds.

“You know in e-sabong—baka magduda kayo, I don’t know anybody there—it is a transaction by PAGCOR [Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation]. I have the ultimate word on it because it gives us P640 million a month,” Duterte said.

“Kailangan ko ang pera for those

Today we celebrate Passion Sunday. In the past this Sunday was popularly known as Palm Sunday, focusing on the celebration of the triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem with all the people gladly welcoming him, chanting Hosanna to the Son of David. We still commemorate this triumphal entry of Jesus and his disciples even today. However, the reading of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ during this Eucharistic celebration shifts our attention to a more focused immediate preparation for the celebration of the paschal triduum.

The reading of the Passion of Our Lord on this Sunday would greatly help every Christian who desires to make the Holy Week a period of intense preparation for the celebration of the Easter Triduum which begins with the celebration of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday afternoon. Let us read and reread in a very prayerful way the presentation of the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the gospel of St. Luke not only individually but also as a family gathered together in order to relive the sufferings of the Son of God who, in loving obedience to his Father, gave his life totally for no other purpose but to concretely offer salvation to all humanity.

This Sunday liturgy also leads us to celebrate meaningfully the Paschal Triduum, three days of immediate preparation for Easter. It begins with the Holy Thursday celebration where the church recalls and relives two sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ before he went through his passion. These were the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders. During the Holy Thursday liturgical celebration where the washing of the

feet of selected representatives of the parish is done, the commandment of service by Jesus is also remembered as the foundation of the ministry that members of the church is expected to do. This symbolic act of the priests, bishops and even the Pope himself marks the true nature of the church mission of serving as an authentic expression of the Love that Jesus mandated with His words “a new commandment I give you, ‘love one another as I love you.’ It is during this celebration that we pray for our clergy, whose lives are expected to be lived for the service of the flock through the sacrament of the Eucharist.

In places, where it would be possible, the celebration of the Eucharist where the “holy oils” are blessed known as the “Chrism Mass” is also done in the morning of Holy Thursday. In San Diego due to the immense area of its territory, Chrism mass is celebrated one week before Holy Week. This year on April 6, at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church with the participation of all the bishops and the priests of the whole diocese.

The second day of the Paschal Triduum is the remembrance of the Passion and Death of Jesus during

Good Friday. On this day, parishes do the public devotion of the walking through the Stations of the Cross prior to the liturgical celebration that is composed of the veneration of the cross, the reading of the Passion narrative, the universal prayers for the church and the world and reception of Holy Communion. This liturgy marks the remembrance and reliving of the passion, crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who, in obedience to His Father, gave His own life for the love of humanity and the salvation of humankind.

The final day of the Paschal Triduum is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday which begins with the Easter Vigil. During the mass of the Easter Vigil the congregations of the churches listen the signing of the “Exultet,” a beautiful liturgical hymn that remembers and praises the saving powers of Jesus who suffering death affirms the divine power brought about through his death and resurrection, the reading of both the Old and New Testament selected chapters of certain books that prepare the faithful to understand the saving acts of God in history that would lead to the final affirmation that the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is truly the final diving act of the saving mystery for which the season of Lent of celebrated the Church. Within the mass the baptism and confirmation of new members of the church are also done.

As we, therefore, begin Holy Week, let us all together open our hearts and minds to the mystery of God’s love celebrated through the beautiful liturgy of the Catholic Church.

2). Although he was perfectly God and perfectly human at the same time (John 1:14), he lived his life as a humble laborer.

After he began his ministry, he demonstrated humble service to others in the miracles he performed, as well as in his instruction to his disciples. When the time came for him to die, he submitted to his Father's divine will (Mark 14:36). And now, seated in power at the right hand of God, he intercedes on our behalf (Acts 5:29-32). As the perfect model for godly leadership, Jesus set the perfect example of humility. Ask God to help you follow Jesus' example as you seek to demonstrate the kind of humility that will cause others to see Jesus in you.

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expenses na wala sa budget, hindi mo makuha sa budget, so you need money from the outside sources. Ngayon at the end of the year if I have the billions—at P640 million a month 'yun ang maitulong ko agad [dahil ang] pandemic naubos ang contingency fund ko, pati yung intelligence fund, binigyan ko lang yung pulis, pati yung military. Ang sabi ko you just have to work on it,” he added.

Duterte also reiterated that he may suspend e-sabong if its ill effects on the public are proven.

“Saan ako maghanap ng P640 million a month, so I allowed it. Ang problema ganito. I have heard itong mga ito nagpupusta lahat, nagsasangla na para magpusta, 'yun ang sabi ng taga-labas. If it is true, hihintuin ko 'yan, masigurado ninyo. Before I go I will stop it kung totoo, but I have to sacrifice I said the billions that you would have earned kung nandyan 'yan,” Duterte said.

“So it’s a police work. Magtrabaho kayo, solve the crime, kahit sino man diyan you have mentioned so many personalities there and all are capable of doing it because they have criminal mind,” he added.

Duterte earlier said that the disappearance of persons involved in e-sabong should not be blamed on online cockfighting operations but on "evil men doing something wrong.” (MNS)

MANILA -- The heads of the country's vaccine expert panel (VEP) and the Philippine College of Physicians on Thursday urged government to set a period of validity for COVID-19 vaccination cards and replace them with booster cards. Vaccination cards should be only be valid for a year for mobility protocols, asserted Dr. Nina Gloriani, head of the VEP. “Kung may expiration ang bakuna, may expiration ang ating vaccine cards. Hindi pwedeng sobra na siyang luma… Wala pong forever sa bakuna,” she said in a press conference. “Maganda na klaro na ang mga tao ay may primary vaccination and then mayroon ding booster. Kasi ‘yung

separate na vaccine card for booster emphasizes importance ng pagkuha ng booster shots,” PCP president Dr. Maricar Limpin added.

Antibodies from the primary COVID vaccine series wane over time and protection from it is reduced with the emergence of new COVID variants, Gloriani said. Studies showed that a booster shot increases antibodies, which protects an individual against severe COVID symptoms.

“All the vaccines we have monitored so far, showed the importance of third dose or booster dose to restore, ibalik ‘yung protection against COVID-19 at kasama doon sa data nila ‘yung protection na better (and their data include better protection) against severe form of COVID and against the variants of concern,” Gloriani said. (MNS)

Journey at Pechanga Host sa ika-5 CM Pro-Am sa Abril 4 at 5

TEMECULA, CA -- Ang Journey sa Pechanga ay host sa ika-15 Taunang Pro-Golf na Torneo ng Character Media sa Abril 4 at 5, 2022. Ito ang marka ng ika-9 na taong pagtatakda ng kursong pang-kampyon sa gitna ng Temecula rolling hills na nag host sa torneo bilang opisyal na isponsor. Ang Journey sa Pechanga ang premyadong kampeon para sa kursong golf ng Pechanga Resort Casino, higit na kilala ng mga Asyanong golfers. Ngayong taon, ang tees off ng torneo na may 30 bihasang LPGA na golfers at VIP na mga bisita ay isasailalim ng patuloy na kalusugan at seguridad bilang protokol ng

Pechanga. Lahat ng mga dadalo kabilang ang manlalaro at mga bisita ay bibigyan ng agarang pagsusuri bago makapasok. Ang CM 2022 Pro-Am ay naghahatid ng maraming natatanging LPGA na propesyunal ng golfers

kabilang sina Megan Khang, Angel

Yin, Na Rin An, Alison Lee, Chella

Choi, at Mi Hyang Lee. Si Megan King ay isang Laotian American na propesyunal golfer na nagmamalaki sa kanyang total na $3.17M kita są trabahong ito. Kasalukuyang may ranggong ika36 sa Rolex Rankings, si Megan ay nanalo ng kanyang unang LPGA Tour torneo noong 2016 sa edad na 14.

Habang is Angel Yin naman ay sumapi sa LPGA Tour noong 2015 bilang super rookie. Siya’y may ranggong ika-85 sa Rolex Rankings at nakapagtala ng $1.75M total na kinita sa kasalukuyan.

Samantala, si Na Rin An ang isa sa mga inaasahang magiging rookie ng taon. Dalawang beses nanalo sa LPGA Tour sa Korea, si An ay gumagawa ng kanyang U.S. Women’s Open upang mag debut ngayong taon. Kasalukuyang may ranggong ika-56 sa Rolex Rankings. Si Chella Choi, may Rolex Rankings na 115, ay natnalo ng pinakamahusay sa panahong iyon sa T17 resulta sa Cambria Portland Classic. Siya ay isa sa mga 12 manlalaro na nakapagtala ng pinakamataas sa Tour ng 2020. Siya sa ngayon, ay may pinakamataas na kita sa larangang ito ng $6.23M sa lahat ng mga kalahok na manlalaro. Ang mga sumusunod na LPGA na superstars ay lalahok rin sa laro: Annie

Park, Kelly Tan, Robynn Ree, Jennifer Chang, Jillian Hollis, Yae Eun Hong, Sarah Jane Smith, Mo Martin, Jiwon Jeon, Roberta Liti, Sydnee Michaels, Brianna Do, Vicky Hurst, Ilhee Lee, Greta Voelker, Rebecca Lee-Bentham,

napakasiglang kurso, kasama ng kanilang mga tagahanga at partners sa golf. Sa kahabaan ng torneo, ang tee sponsors ay makapag-swing rin ng kanilang clubs kasabay ng mga

ng maikling komperensiya sa press para sa mga manlalaro. Ang mga manlalaro ay makikipagtunggali sa isang 18-hole na ibat-ibang torneo at ang grupo na may mababang iskor ay mananalo ng pinag-aagawang CM

Pro-Am Cup. Ang pinakamataas na naitalang iskor na pinayagan ay siyang itatampok.

Patungkol sa Journey at Pechanga Ang Journey sa Pechanga ay pangkampeon na kurso sa golf, isa sa mga natatanging amenidad sa Pechanga Resort Casino, ay patuloy na may rata bilang mataas na pampublikong kurso sa California. Kapag pinag partner ng golfers ang kanilang laro sa isang luxurious

University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America (UPAAA) launches music-focused community outreach Spring events showcase Filipino choral, folk and pop music

SAN FRANCISCO—The University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America (UPAAA) proudly announces two Spring concerts that will showcase Filipino choral, folk and pop music, while raising funds for its scholarship programs. The concerts are Tempus, a hybrid recital at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana on April 28, and Alay Kay

Inay (translation: A Gift to Mother), a virtual pre-Mother's Day celebration on May 6.

"Music is our shared language across cultures, to paraphrase (Henry Wadsworth) Longfellow," notes UPAAA President Jose M. David, Jr, MD. He adds, "Food is also something we all share. Filipino cuisine is now part of the mainstream in many parts of the country, centuries after the first Filipino landed in Morro Bay in 1587. And we hope that UPAAA's efforts will help bring Filipino music and Filipino musical talent to even more US audiences."

Featuring a performance of Chichester Palms by Leonard Bernstein, and the world-premier of Pastol, a choral devotion based on Psalm 23 by Filipino contemporary composer Eudenice V. Palaruan, Tempus is the final recital of Filipino conductor Emmanuel de Leon, Jr, a Doctor of Music Arts candidate at University of Notre Dame. Like Palaruan, de Leon, Jr is an alumnus of the University of the Philippines, and the 2021 recipient of the UPAAA International Student Assistance Grant (ISAG). De Leon, Jr acknowledges, "I am a UP alumnus studying in the US, and the funds helped me continue my research, music encoding and video editing. I am grateful to UPAAA."

UPAAA is spearheading a fundraising campaign for Tempus. Among the donors is UP alumnus Dr. Francisco S. Sy, a professor of Public Health and chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health in the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He states, "I cannot imagine

a world without music. It is an essential element of life."

Beyond choral music, the playlist for UPAAA’s annual fundraiser Alay Kay Inay will feature music across various genres—from folk and Spanish-influenced to jazz, OPM (Original Pilipino Music) and US pop. UPAAA Community Outreach and Advocacy Committee chair Joy Pasamonte Henry observes, "Filipino music reflects a rich history, including the influence of American pop music."

This year’s Alay Kay Inay performers include: Sounds of Manila, the premier OPM band in the US; the Awit Award-winning music icon

Jun Polistico; emerging talent Kayla Tejero; and UP Alumni and Friends Rondalla of New Jersey, beloved music ambassadors (rondalla refers to a string instrument ensemble that originated in medieval Spain). Three musical acts from the San Francisco Bay Area will also perform, including tenor and long-time choir director Leon Palad; singer Tiffany Carandang who performs solo, and as part of the band, The Aura; and vocalist Jacqui Naylor with multiinstrumentalist Art Khu, who are known for “acousting smashing”, an arranging technique that combines the lyrics and melody of a jazz song

over the groove of a rock song, or vice versa.

UPAAA Ways & Means Committee chair Minnie Corpuz-Castillo, RN heads the all-volunteer team that is putting together Alay Kay Inay. She says, "This UPAAA signature event is our most heart-warming one. Mom plus music equals a combination that's hard to resist, and we look forward to seeing our regulars in the audience, and welcoming new attendees."

ATTENDANCE: Tempus is a free event, and open to the public. Tickets are required for inperson attendance and can be obtained by emailing info@upaainamerica.org. For further information, including the option to attend by livestream, visit the Sacred Music at Notre Dame website here.

Alay Kay Inay is a virtual event,

and open to the public. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. In addition, song and video dedications are available for $25 and $50 respectively.

Corporate sponsorship and patron opportunities are available. Contact Joy S. Celo, MD at info@ upaainamerica.org.

For media inquiries, contact either Lisa Boquiren or Joe Santos at press@ upaainamerica.org.

About UPAAA @UPAAAofficialpage @UPAlumniAssociationinAmerica

The University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America is a duly registered 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1981 in New Jersey by a group of graduates of the University of the Philippines led by Dr. Arsenio Talingdan. We are a strong broad-based organization of alumni of the University of the