California to ease coronavirus restrictions from Friday

LOS ANGELES - Some retailers in California, including bookstores, flower shops and clothing stores, will be allowed to reopen for business at the end of the week, the state's governor announced on Monday.

"Millions of Californians answered the call to stay home and thanks to them, we are in a position to begin moving into our next stage of modifying our stay at home order," Governor Gavin Newsom said. "But make no mistake -- this virus isn't gone. It's still dangerous and poses a significant public health risk."

His announcement came following protests across the state last week to demand the lifting of restrictions that have kept the majority of Californians at home and crippled the state's economy, one of the largest in the world.

Under the second phase of the reopening process outlined by the governor, some retail stores can open on Friday for pickup only, while manufacturing and logistics businesses will also be able to get back to work.

Newsom said other sectors that fall into this second phase, such as offices and dine-in restaurants, will open at a later date.

The Democratic governor said that some counties can move quickly through Stage 2, but they must first prove that they meet the state's readiness criteria for hospital beds, testing kits and contact tracing.

Other counties in the Bay Area, which were the first in the country to order lockdowns and which have experienced a high rate of infection, will likely start lifting restrictions at a later date, Newsom said.

He said Stage 3 of lifting restrictions would begin in months and include the reopening of hair salons, nail bars, gyms and sports competitions without fans. The final stage would amount to the lifting of all restrictions and allow for the opening of movie theaters and sporting events.

That stage, however, is not expected before a vaccine is discovered and made widely available.

California as of Monday had recorded nearly 55,000 cases of COVID-19 and 2,211 deaths.

Los Angeles County alone has recorded nearly 26,000 cases and 1,229 deaths.

Agence France-Presse

Pinoys in Alameda, California face eviction from homes

ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA - Filipino families are among the many tenants facing eviction from their homes at the Bayview Apartments in Alameda.

This is the reason why they stand in front of the Alameda City Hall to send a message to the council that they will not stand for what they call unjust evictions in their city.

Around 30 families received eviction notices last year when San Jose-based Sridhar Equities Incorported purchased the property. Since then, the tenants and their advocates have sought protection from the city council.

This month, the council voted 3-2 to have two rent-related initiatives on the November ballot. One of those measures would expand rent control and eviction protections for tenants.

Pinoy resident of Bayview Rommel Laguardia said he expected more help from the city.

"After going through meetings with the council, asking them, begging them for protection, they never cared for us. There was no sympathy at all," he said.

Some residents claim they faced daily harassment from the apartment manager and staff.

"Since they started doing construction and the renovation, like we would remove our shoes, leave them outside, we don't look at it, and it's gone," said Austin Durano.

"I asked the manager, and he just laughed at me," he said.

The tenants and their advocated say that as more families are forced out of the San Francisco Bay area because of rising prices and gentrification, they are taking a stand.

"If they stand together, they can hurt the pocketbook of that landlord because he's gonna find it very expensive and you want to break him, you want to make trouble for him," said Emil De Guzman, a tenant advocate.

"I can give up, I can say I can go, but no; that'd just prove to them that they can do whatever they want to do, so I'll give them a fight," said Laguardia.

The tenants say they will be protected because they put their faith in the voters.

"Come November, I have no doubt we will win the ballot, and from there on, we go forward," said Laguardia.

Balitang America tried to contact Sridhar, but no one was available for comment.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bartender finds $20 bill, wins $1 million California lottery with it

A Bay Area man who found a $20 bill on a street outside San Francisco International Airport used it to play the California lottery and won $1 million, a lottery spokesman said on Monday.

Hubert Tang used the lucky bill to buy two scratcher tickets at a store near the airport on Wednesday and won the top prize with one of them, lottery spokesman Greg Parashak said.

"I scratched the ticket outside of the store. I told my friend who I was with that I didn't know if it was real but, 'I think I just won a million dollars,'" Tang said, according to Parashak.

Tang, a bartender at the airport, had not played the lottery in about a decade before using the found money to buy two tickets, Parashak said.

Tang said he did not yet have plans for the money, but joked that he might use it to place $20 bills in random places for other lucky players to find, according to the lottery.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pinoys in Napa clean up damage after strong quake

NAPA, California - Clean-up in the Bay Area has started after Sunday's 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck near the cities of Napa and American Canyon.

PG&E is also continuing to search for more gas leaks while power has been restored to nearly all the 75,000 customers who lost electricity.

Over 200 injuries were reported. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.

While support shelters are set up, no Filipinos were found there.

Most Filipinos affected by the quake have turned to their families and fellow kababayans for shelter.

Filipino businesses like 3-J's Oriental Store in American Canyon was open for business after being forced to close their doors while recovering from the damage of the quake.

"We were affected because in the front of the store a lot of things fell and a lot of glasses broke. A lot of the things we sell here fell and the ceiling came down," said cashier Elvira Baltazar.

Baltazar hopes they will be better prepared in the future.

"Always be prepared with things like this because we don't know what will come and what to expect," she said.

Meanwhile in Napa, Filipino couple Fides Enriquez and her husband are going over the damage to their home.

"There is some structural damage to our house. One side it's like the house shifted so there's this little buckling on the base and I understand the house needs to be lifted and we need to replace the wood and bolt it back down. I don't even know how much that's going to be," said Enriquez.

Broken glass and damaged belongings are among the wreckage. But Enriquez said that isn't their big problem.

"We still don't have water. I mean from what I read in the news there's about 600 residents who don't have water service yet because of all the leaks so it's a little tricky. Some of our neighbors who do have water have been great. They've offered us to let us use their bathrooms," Enriquez said.

Napa Public Works said it could take up to a week to get the water system back to normal. But officials say the running water is safe to drink.

Enriquez is already preparing a new earthquake kit in case of more powerful aftershocks or future quakes.

"I experienced the '89 earthquake so after that everyone was all oh you need to have your kit, you have to have this and that and sometimes you remember for a moment there and you're prepared but afterwards you forget and it lapses so I would definitely build up my kit again," said Enriquez.

While the damage is great they are thankful for family members who came across the Bay Area to help make the recovery easier.

"Family is our best resource. If it wasn't for my sisters and my brother or my dad, my cousin who just came in and picked up a broom and helped us clean and just brought us water and food I don't think we would have faired well. We would have been a total wreck," Enriquez added.

Read more from Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

TFC flagship store now open for business

GLENDALE, California - ABS-CBN now has a home among the most Filipino populated region, as The Filipino Channel celebrates its 20th year in the US.

The ABS-CBN Southern California Office-TFC Flagship Store Is now open for business in downtown Glendale.

"It's a sign that TFC will continue to be here to serve the Filipinos all over the United States. Our headquarters is in the Bay Area, but we do know that more than half of our market and audience is here in Southern California. We do a lot of business here so it does make sense to be here," said Managing Director Olivia De Jesus.

Surprising the first batch of visitors from the press is vacationing actor, Piolo Pascual. The star of "Starting Over Again" is enjoying the movie premier's success and has family in the area.

"I'm excited, of course. I want to welcome all my friends in Southern California. We have an office finally and it's nice to be home. It's my second home," Pascual said.

Census statistics show that over half a million Filipinos live in Southern California.

Community leaders, the Philippine consulate, and Glendale Mayor Dave Weaver, whose wife of 46 years, Linda, is Filipino, joined the opening ceremonies, presenting the company with a certificate of commendation.

"I'm happy to have the Filipino cable flagship station here in Glendale. We have about 12, 13,000 Filipinos living in Glendale," Weaver said.

The office, located at 225 West Broadway, is open to the public from Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm.

The TFC flagship store serves as a retail center for TFC My Remit.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com