THE National Day of Prayer is neither a political rally nor a spiritual event. With the theme “One Nation in Prayer,” last Monday’s gathering went beyond political separation and religious beliefs. It called on Filipinos to pause for a moment of prayer for guidance and protection, regardless of religion. The National Day of Prayer’s intent…
WHEN Labor Rosalinda Baldoz announced on January 12 that the government is “liberalizing the labor market and allowing entry of foreign workers with the required skills so we can fill up those hard to fill occupations due to shortage,” netizens expressed their anger in social media. The need was based on a study conducted by…
BY definition, a good politician is someone who does a good job at being a leader and representing his people’s best interests. Through polls, not only are leaders’ performance projected through approval ratings. These numbers also represent the dynamics of Philippine politics, a gauge whether it is progressing or regressing. According to Pulse Asia’s latest…
AT THE vin d’ honnuer celebration for New Year’s in Malacañang, President Benigno S. Aquino III thanked the international community for inundating the Philippines with support and assistance, while the country was beset with a bevy of recent calamities. He also emphasized that these acts of kindness have strengthened the Philippines’ ties with other countries….
A PRAGMATIC approach is always the best solution to resolve any conflict. On January 17 last year, the US Navy minesweeper, USS Guardian ran aground the Tubbattaha Reef while on its way Puerto Princesa. The USS Guardian hit the Philippines’ largest marine protected area and caused damage to an estimated 2,345.67 square meters of coral…
FOR returning $300,000 to its rightful owner, Las Vegas-based and 55-year-old Filipino cab driver Gerardo Gamboa has made his kababayans in the US proud. Yet, despite being lauded and rewarded, Gamboa downplayed his act of honesty, saying that “he didn’t need a reward money,” and “that kind of feeling, knowing that he did something good…
AS 2013 comes to a close, Asian Journal would like to look back into the most significant events that have ensued in this Year of the Snake. 2013 had its share of highs and lows, with immigration reform still on top of mind. The recent request made by the Philippine government for Temporary Protected Status…
THE Philippines has the longest Christmas season in the world, beginning from December 16 (the start of the Simbang Gabi) until the first Sunday after New Year’s Day, also known as Three Kings’ Day. During these times, it is easy to get caught in the hoopla of advertisements on making this holiday more grand and…
WITH Christmas and the new year only a few days away, the overall mood should be festive and celebratory. But with the spate of killings involving journalists and most recently, Zamboanga Del Sur Mayor Ukol Talumpa and his family members, and the close-range shooting of Caroline Fortun (Atty. Raymond Fortun’s wife, who luckily survived the…
TWO vibrant democracies that are committed to each other in strength and prosperity. This is how US Secretary of State John Kerry described the immutable partnership between the United States and the Philippines. Kerry, who arrived in Manila on December 17, said that he sees a bright future in the US-PH bilateral relations. He vowed…
A DEVASTATING disaster can bring the best in humanity — and the worst in politics. After Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez’s tearful testimony before the congressional oversight committee on what he alleged was a lack of support from the national government, an 18-second “spliced” video of the Tacloban mayor’s meeting on November 14 with Department…
“IT is difficult to overstate the profoundly negative impact that corruption has on society. The abuse of entrusted power for private gain does violence to our values, our prosperity, and even our security, “ said US Secretary of State John Kerry on this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day. In his address, Kerry also urged his fellow…
MOST were amused and entertained, but there were others who were also disdained by the fiery exchanges made between Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile in their respective privilege speeches. The exchange of invectives and personal attacks has been called “unparliamentary” by Sen. “Serge” Osmeña III, saying that the senate “does…
AFTER almost a month of rescue and relief operations, uncertainty still looms in the Visayas region due to the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Since last week, multinational forces dispatched by their respective countries to aid the Philippines are gradually disengaging from relief efforts. Israeli forces have already pulled out, while the United Kingdom contingent…
AS Benjamin Franklin once said, there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. And no one, not even the great Manny Pacquiao, can escape these certainties. The gleam of Pacman’s victory over Brandon Rios quickly lost its sheen, after the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued a freeze order on two of…
WITH his explosive punches and dynamic movements, Manny Pacquiao has proven once again that when it comes to boxing, he is still one to beat. “I’m so happy,” Pacquiao said after winning against Brandon Rios in a 12-round bout for a welterweight boxing title in Macau. “This is still my time. My time is not…
IT HAS been four years since the massacre of 58 individuals (32 of whom were journalists) happened in Ampatuan, Maguindanao province in Mindanao. Yet, justice still has not been served. Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte has filed a resolution which seeks to direct executive agencies to accomplish two things: “speed up the prosecution and…
LOS ANGELES—In spite of being surrounded by many competing grocery chains in its area, the Little Tokyo Market Place proves to be the only place to find the best in premium Asian specialty items and organic products for your daily needs. According to store manager Steve Oh, the Market Place puts high priority in carrying…
WHEN there is despair, it is easy to dwell on the bad news. But from the rubble of tragedy, the best of humanity finds ways to bring back hope–especially for the people in need. On behalf of every Filipino, President Benigno S. Aquino III expresses his gratitude to every individual, organization and country who rallied…
SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) – As Filipinos here in San Diego wait to hear from their loved ones, many are helping to gather supplies to send to their devastated homeland. Danny Short is passionate about two things — his work and his family. Danny, who grew up in the Philippines, tried to reach is wife’s…
WHILE the typhoon victims are fighting the elements and struggling to survive, netizens are engaging in a “word war” on a bevy of topics related to Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda) in social media. From rants about the Philippine government’s inefficiency in implementing rescue and relief operations, to Korina Sanchez criticizing Anderson Cooper’s CNN coverage of…
MONDAY was met with a heavy heart, as the horrors of the tragedy that struck Central Visayas last Friday began to unfold. Whether firsthand experience at the site or at home through the media, Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike shared the same sentiments — that of shock and sadness for the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan…
THE outspoken senator strikes again. While Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago was busy grilling Janet Lim-Napoles at the senate hearing on Thursday, her quips were also trending in social media. Leaving her sickbed for the senate investigation on the P10-billion pork barrel scam, Santiago was merciless in her line of questioning, albeit in a more composed tone….
BATON ROUGE – Nerelyn Soreta, a Filipina teacher in Baton Rouge, LA charged with assaulting a wheel chair bound student, is now out on a $10,000 bail. According to a Balitang America report, Soreta was charged with simple battery of the infirm. If convicted, Soreta will be face six months of incarceration for the offense. Earlier this…
By Peter Schurmann & Video: Jacob Simas – New America Media Ed. Note: In September former secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano took over as president of the University of California, the first-ever woman to hold that position. She now heads a $24 billion system of 10 campuses, five medical centers and three national laboratories….
THE fault of one man should not be taken as the fault of an entire nation. This was the point reiterated by President Benigno S. Aquino III, in stating his position over the apology demanded by the Hong Kong government from the Philippines. “Our position is the act of one individual who is probably mentally…
ACCORDING to a report from Inquirer.net, President Benigno S. Aquino III’s speech on Wednesday left “more questions than answers,” when it was intended to provide “clarity and focus” on the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and the pork barrel system instead. The president’s televised speech centered on denying that he was “a thief,” “when observers…
WITH a number of high profile politicians entangled in controversies lately, political reform in the Philippines is hounded by higher public expectation. Because of such pressure, every vote (from 54 million registered Filipino voters) has become more precious than ever. Before we turn our attention to the 2016 presidential elections, let us focus on the…
THERE are two things we know for sure about the Filipino-American community in our nation’s largest state. And what we know tells us that the community is a sort of tale of two cities, at least politically speaking. The first fact is that Filipino-Americans, as of the 2010 census, are now the biggest Asian American…
AS Filipino-American Heritage Month comes to a close, now is the best time for Filipino-Americans to extend a helping hand to their kababayans back home, especially to the victims of the Bohol 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the Philippines, as well as to those displaced by the recent Zamboanga crisis. The Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF)…
