FEBRUARY 1 is a big day in US politics as it marks the beginning of the primary elections in the United States. This is when both the Democratic and Republican parties choose their nominees for president  in all the 50 states of America, the victors of which will be in the race for the General…

PRESIDENT Barack Obama delivered his final State of the Union (SOTU) to the American people last Tuesday, Jan. 12. According to a CNN/ORC instant poll of those who watched the speech, a majority of Americans — 53 percent — gave “very positive” feedback. This matched the highest rating of his presidency reached following his 2013…

THE historic two-term tenure of the first African-American president is almost over. On Tuesday, Jan. 12, President Barack Obama delivered his last State of the Union (SOTU) address. Deemed as his valedictory speech, the president reported to the American people what his administration has accomplished and set the road map to where he hopes the…

IN a rare display of emotion, President Barack Obama shed tears as he passionately spoke to the nation about the urgent need to cure the gun violence epidemic in America and save lives. He recalled the innocent first-grade kids massacred in Sandy Hook, among other victims whose lives were cut short because of these senseless…

Hope sure springs eternal among Filipinos, as revealed by the results of the Fourth Quarter 2015 Social Weather Survey. The SWS survey results showed that  92% of adult Filipinos entering the coming year with hope, and only 8% with fear. This would compare with 93% who entered the year 2015 with hope, and only 7%….

The battle starts in our minds I HOPE you all had the merriest Christmas with your loved ones. This happy holiday season also heralds the ending of the year, and the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. No matter how crazy and busy our schedules haven been in the last days of the…

FOLLOWING the San Bernardino massacre that claimed the lives of 14 people and injured 21 others, people ask: when will these senseless killings end? When will Congress pass sensible gun control laws to keep high-powered firearms out of the hands of people who are not fit to own guns? Republicans argue against this — contending…

Donald Trump once again shook the nation with yet another plan to purportedly keep America safe following the San Bernardino massacre that killed 14 people and injured 21 others. The Republican presidential frontrunner wants a total shutdown of all Muslims entering America — whether they are immigrants or tourists. While Trump’s fans cheered when he…

FOURTEEN people were killed and 21 others wounded when a couple opened fire in San Bernardino, California last Wednesday, Dec. 2. FBI Director James Comey said they uncovered “indications of radicalization” and possible “inspiration by foreign terrorist organizations.” Comey said the FBI does not have any clue that these killers are part of an organized…

Will this change with the new Duterte controversies? AFTER previous denials of his intent to join the race to Malacañang, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has finally declared his candidacy for the presidency His supporters who’ve been waiting for this moment rejoiced, saying “the eagle has landed” and pinning hopes that Duterte is the leader…

More than Christmas, Thanksgiving Day is perhaps the holiday that compels many families to come home and spend time with their folks. There is no pressure about giving gifts — just a pure bonding moment over food and family memories. During this special Thanksgiving weekend, let me share with you some of my favorite quotes…

AFTER the coordinated terrorist attacks consisting of mass shootings, suicide bombings, and hostage-taking in Paris that killed 130 people and injured 389 on November 13, people all over the world have been debating about the possible security threat posed by the Syrian refugee program being shared by progressive countries in Europe and North America for…

AT least 129 people were killed and 352 wounded after three groups of terrorists staged coordinated attacks at six locations throughout Paris, France late Friday, Nov. 13. ISIS, a jihadist organization that has declared a self-styled “caliphate” across parts of Iraq and Syria, has claimed responsibility for the massacre, and warned that the United States…

MANY victims of the alleged bullet planting scam (“laglag bala” or “tanim bala”) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have come forward to fight against airport personnel, including  Rhed de Guzman, the Fil-Am caregiver from Los Angeles, who went to the Philippine Consulate to file her affidavit about her experience at NAIA. American missionary Lane…

MY husband and I are visiting the Philippines this December, as many kababayans plan to do as well, but the excitement of this year’s trip is dampened by the “laglag bala” scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. This issue has become an international concern, having been reported by international media, and with…

YOU can see and feel the “paranoia” among travelers even in the terminals here in the United States. On flights coming from the Philippines, luggage is plastic wrapped and locked and have signs that say there are no bullets inside, so extorters better take their hands off. These are some of the ways kababayans are…

ONE of the things we Filipinos living abroad always look forward to and are excited about is the ability to travel back to the Philippines and feel “at home” in our Motherland, where we feel welcome, safe and taken care of. However, the recent headlines about the alleged “bullet planting” (laglag bala) scheme at the…

RODRIGO Duterte fans won’t stop believing, and they have reasons to press forward. Turns out the speculations about the “substitution” theory may indeed happen — popular Davao City mayor “may” substitute the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) candidate Martin Diño. Mayor Duterte has made it clear when he failed to file his certificate of…

PERHAPS a lot of us Filipinos living abroad would have a collective memory of how “Todos Los Santos” was observed in the Philippines where many of us grew up. This would be totally different from the “Halloween” culture of today’s generation — no costumes or Halloween parades and party for us. October 31 and November…

SOLID fans who adore not only the Pambansang Kamao in Manny Pacquiao but everything else about him will surely not like this question. But this is exactly what the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will have to determine and rule on after a certain Ferdinand Sevilla of Makati City, filed a petition case against Pacquiao, arguing…

IT is very heartwarming to see and hear how very engaged kababayans in America have increasingly been when it comes to what is going on in the Philippines. Despite the distance away from the Motherland, most of us — especially those who still have family living there — still care about what is going on…

SORRY, supporters of Rodrigo Duterte, but the man you think would be the best president the Philippines could ever have at this time will perhaps just be the best President the Philippines would never have. The tough Davao City Mayor did not file his certificate of candidacy (COC), and has reportedly decided to seek re-election…

CALIFORNIA has joined Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that legalizes assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. Beginning January 1, doctors can prescribe medication to end a patient’s life if two doctors agree the person has only six months to live and is mentally competent to make…

WHAT would you do if you are very sick, suffering from excruciating pain because of an illness that has no cure? What would you do if your days are numbered and you would just rely on  pain medication to manage the severe pain, which would just make you sleep…and sleep… and sleep…only to wake up…

THERE may only be three candidates who have officially declared that they are seeking the highest office in the Philippines, but as of press time, it may be (at least) a six-way fight for the position of vice president for the May 2016 Philippine Elections. The Liberal Party has found a co-pilot for Sec. Mar…

AFTER Senator Grace Poe formally announced her intent to run for president, The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” asked its viewers: If the Philippine Presidential Elections were to happen today, who would you vote for president? Sec. Mar Roxas topped the online poll with 56 percent;  Sen. Grace Poe placed second with 29 percent…

AS the election season in the Philippines heats up, we see possible tandems forming among those seeking the highest posts of government. Anticipation and excitement are growing, and Fil-Ams are very much in the loop about the political developments in the Motherland. As of press time, Sec. Mar Roxas still awaits Cong. Leni Robredo to…

JUST when many think America was fast becoming secularized, growing more detached from religion and/or its spirituality amid so many challenges that beset the nation, Pope Francis’s visit to the United States has revealed that the people of this country thirst for spiritual guidance and a reason to believe again. Thousands and thousands of people…

POPE Francis arrived in the United States on Tuesday, Sept. 22 for a six-day visit, exciting kababayans who wished they were in Manila when the Pontiff visited the Philippines last January. It is this excitement that compelled many Fil-Ams to travel to Washington DC, New York, or Philadelphia to see the Pope in person and…

After all the anticipation, suspense, and cliffhangers of teleseryes that mirror her personal narrative, Senator Grace Poe has finally made it official: She is running for President. This makes the Presidential Election in May 2016 a choice among the three candidates who have made their intent to run public and official: VP Jejomar Binay, Mar…