THERE are some pronouncements from the Aquino administration that are sometimes so incongruous with each other. One concrete example is in the way it is handling the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam. “Daang matuwid” (Straight path) has been the campaign slogan of President Benigno Aquino III. It is the battle cry of his fight against…
MEMORIAL Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer for many of us in America. It is the time of the year when families start their summer travels, backyard barbecue cook-out, and many other fun adventures. My interview with one Filipino veteran on Balitang America on May 26 (Memorial Day) reminded me of the reason…
Traditional and social media was recently inundated by news stories regarding Meagan Aguilar’s rant (the “anak” of music icon Freddie Aguilar) against her own father. Meagan has been spewing scathing remarks and despicable stories about Freddie and his 17-year-old wife, after she, along with her partner and two kids, were reportedly kicked out of Freddie’s…
THE “list” of more government officials (who are allegedly part of the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam) has created even more questions, confusion and doubt in the minds of the Filipino people seeking the truth and justice. This controversial list was exposed by former Senator Panfilo Lacson, the anointed Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery…
WHAT is it about most people (and many Filipinos), who feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in acquiring things for free, which usually need to be paid for? Is it limited finances/budget which compel them to avail of such things? This is so very true in the case of music, film, television shows and…
(Part 2) RELEASED last week, The National Climate Assessment presented the most comprehensive scientific evidences of global warming. The findings were ominous, because rising temperatures are affecting the food chain, our livelihood, and our survival in this planet. This is the continuation of the overview that we all have to know about because this affects…
MOTHERS’ DAY this year is extra special for me. It is a milestone because this 2014, I have also became a grandmother with the birth of my first apo — Azshara Angelina Relos Reinheimer — last April 12. I have yet to see my granddaughter face-to-face, and will have to wait to finally hold her in…
SUPER Typhoon Yolanda. Heat waves, drought and wildfires. Torrential rains and flooding. Many of us have been asking why these calamities have been happening more frequently these days. Do we still doubt that these are symptoms of Mother Nature ailing, and that her deterioration is going at an alarming and ominous rate? People in a…
ONE controversial issue during the visit of President Barack Obama to the Philippines last April 28-29 highlights those instances when Fil-Ams, who have already been naturalized American citizens, have to confront two directly opposing perspectives and are challenged to make a stand. What do we value more: a deal that will be beneficial to America…
IT WAS, indeed, a very proud and fulfilling moment — becoming part of The Filipino Channel’s (TFC) celebration of its 20th year in using the airwaves to touch the lives of kababayans worldwide. TFC is the first and most successful Filipino content distribution company in the US. It has been helping Filipinos abroad to remain…
PRESIDENT Barack Obama will be visiting the Philippines for the first time, on April 28-29 — the last stop of his 4-Asia nations tour in the region. As news reports state, Obama hopes to strengthen ties with allies in the region, amid growing concern about China’s tactical “bullying” of smaller nations in Asia. On a lighter note,…
THIS year marks a very important milestone for ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, the media company that produces Balitang America — a daily newscast which delivers news about Filipinos and for Filipinos in North America. The Filipino Channel (TFC), the international division of ABS-CBN, is celebrating its 20th year of serving Filipinos worldwide. TFC is the first…
For Christians, Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the fulfillment of God’s promise for deliverance of man. But what precedes God’s rising again is his agony and death, which to me is also a poignant manifestation in His own life, the message delivered in John 12:24:…
DESPITE opposition from the mighty Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines, key provisions in the controversial Reproductive Health(RH) Bill have been upheld by the Philippine Supreme Court (SC) as constitutional on Tuesday, April 8. The long and bumpy road to the SC’s decision started almost 14 years ago. After several presidencies, senate and house representation…
Three senators believed to have been key players in the multi-billion pork barrel scam in the Philippines have already been charged with plunder. One of them, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, is in the United States for medical reasons. Estrada sat down with Balitang America’s LA Correspondent Steve Angeles for an exclusive interview, and talked about what…
On Saturday, April 12, my husband and I became a lolo and lola. It’s a milestone that we’ve been looking forward to, after our daughter Misty got married in 2012. When that day finally came, however, our excitement was eclipsed by fear and anxiety because it came too soon. Misty was only 24 weeks and…
A MAJORITY of the viewers (76 percent) of The Filipino Channel’s Balitang America, who voted in the online poll regarding the Philippines seeking the United Nations’ (UN) intervention in its standoff with China, believe that the UN’s involvement will help resolve the dispute faster and will strengthen the Philippines’ position in its territorial dispute against…
WHEN it comes to the territorial row, China does not want the United Nations (UN) to intervene and demands that the Philippines should resolve the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea dispute with China alone, through bilateral talks. Should the Philippines just go with what China wants? President Benigno S. Aquino III remains undaunted with the…
FILIPINOS in California are still in a state of shock and disbelief, after waking up to the news last Wednesday. After a series of raids in the Bay Area and Sacramento, California State Senator Leland Yee was arrested on March 26 for being implicated in an alleged corruption conspiracy, which involves arms trafficking and fraud…
“In Balitang America’s daily online poll Isyu Ngayon, 80 percent of viewers believe that Casquejo is a fool and that what he did was careless — a crime that could get him a year’s sentence in jail. On the other hand, 20 percent of the voters described Casquejo’s act as amazing. Not many people have…
NEW development! “US Secretary of State John Kerry has already made his review and recommendation regarding the request for TPS designation of the Philippines, and that recommendation has been sent to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS,)” TPS primary proponent Atty. Arnedo Valera enthusiastically reported to me, after he got another call on March…
SINCE its mysterious disappearance (after taking off from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing) Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has been reported on ceaselessly by the media, inviting all kinds of speculations and theories as to what really happened on March 8, 2014. Because of what happened in 9/11, it is understandable why theories of terrorism…
Many kababayans continue to send me messages and emails, inquiring about updates on the requested Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the Philippines. Four months after the Philippines was ravaged by Haiyan (Yolanda), there are those who have begun to wonder if TPS for the Philippines would be granted at all. If approved by the US government,…
MANY of us probably felt guilty, after reading this warning. We think that we are helping stimulate our kids’ mental faculty when we allow them to watch TV or videos and play games via electronic gadgets. We believe we are helping them learn their ABCs and 123s and new languages. It is true, though, that…
AS world leaders discuss options to de-escalate the growing tension between Russia and Ukraine, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made some controversial statements — comparing Putin’s recent move to issue Russian passports to Ukrainians with ties to Russia to Hitler’s efforts to resettle Germans in the late 1930s. “It’s what Hitler did back in…
WHEN news broke that Russia deployed troops to Ukraine, most Americans (including kababayans) cried “ENOUGH” to wars. They do not want the US to act us “Big Brother” or “Global Police” and help Ukraine. “Americans are more likely than not to say that the United States has no responsibility to get involved in Ukraine, even…
MANY Filipinos in America prefer to fly Philippine Airlines (PAL) when visiting the Motherland, not only because of the shorter travel time, but also because they feel at home flying the flag carrier of the Philippines. One kababayan felt so at home, he might just spend the next 20 years of his life in jail….
IT IS the 28th anniversary of the People Power Revolution — a proud moment in the history of the Filipino people. We commemorate how we toppled the Marcos dictatorship and reclaimed our fundamental rights to a democracy: freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of expression. Fast forward to 2012. Pres. “PNoy” Aquino…
THE Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines just upheld the constitutionality of most parts of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, including the contentious provision that punishes online libel. The execution of the law was suspended in October 2012 by a temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court, following criticisms and protests among the…
17-YEAR-old Michael Christian Martinez has put the Philippines in the spotlight during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia — ranking 19th in the figure skating competition during his Olympic debut. Michael was also the only figure skater who made it to the Top 5 most talked about Olympic athletes on Facebook during the first…
