HAPPY NEW YEAR! We are just starting the new year 2020 and the new decade, and yet we already feel the heavyweight of what is going on in our life, in our country, in our world. Maybe you are battling sickness, or are mourning the death of someone dear to you. Perhaps you have a…
Experts warn of death toll could go up to 100,000-200,000 THE CORONAVIRUS pandemic the world is now fighting against is personal to me. My husband is a surgeon and is part of the pool of doctors called to assist in the care of coronavirus patients. My sister-in-law in Boston has just tested positive after taking…
CHRISTMAS, undoubtedly, is the Filipino people’s favorite holiday. It spans from September to January in the Philippines, and we take the same spirit with us even as many of us have already relocated to America and elsewhere around the world. As we find ourselves rushing to prepare for Christmas — the Christmas cards, the Christmas…
DEMOCRACY is alive in America! The 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has been impeached by the House of Representatives for abuse of power and obstruction of a co-equal branch of government pursuant to the mandate of the Constitution. Trump is the third of the 45 presidents to be impeached, and the…
MALIGAYANG PASKO. This Christmas will be bittersweet for our family as we just lost one very important pillar on my husband’s side of the family. My father-in-law was called back to heaven on December 5 — just when Advent has just started. He was 86. I know many of you who have mourned the passing…
“THANK you” may be the BEST prayer, the most powerful force that may change the way we look at the world, and consequently, our life. And yet for many, these two words may be among the hardest things to say after “I’m sorry,” and the most difficult credo to live by. As we prepare to…
THE impeachment trials to remove President Donald J. Trump from office already started this week in the House of Representatives, pursuant to the provision and mandate stipulated in the United States Constitution. Before we get lost in the seemingly parallel but divergent universe — the televised impeachment proceedings and the toxic attacks launched by Trump…
IDOL. LODI. I see these words a lot on social media especially in my engagement with kababayans all over the world. Usually they give reference to people in the entertainment industry that they admire, or people who sing very well to qualify and win in the “Global Pinoy Singing Idol” competition they watch on ABS-CBN’s The Filipino…
WIN. Win. Win. No matter what the cost. No matter what the laws are. No matter what the truth is. Just to win. Win. Win. This appears to be the motto of Donald Trump as a person, as a businessman, as a candidate for the most powerful position in the nation, and as president of…
PRESIDENT Donald Trump has threatened to cut off federal aid to California, home to the biggest population of Filipinos in the United States. Almost 100,000 acres of wildfires have been raging across the state since the last week of October alone, beginning with the Kincaid fire in Northern California. As the Independent reported, “more than…
PICTURES and videos of friends in costumes partying and kids trick or treating on Halloween flood my newsfeed on social media. I must admit, my husband and I never got to own this American Halloween tradition, never decorated our home to look spooky, and never went to Halloween parties in costume. Yes, for the sake…
BREAKING NEWS: PBS reported, “The U.S. House of Representatives plans to hold a formal vote Thursday, October 31, on the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump over his alleged abuses of power while in office.” “In a letter explaining the decision, Speaker Nancy Pelosi told House Democrats that she wanted to push back on claims…
ONE of the pillars of true public service who made his light shine upon others has been called back to heaven by our Creator. His life’s purpose has always been to serve and not be served, to sow a seed of honor, justice, faith and compassion in our lifetime so that the future generations may…
KABABAYANS who are loyal fans of President Donald J. Trump have been contending that the launching of an impeachment inquiry into him is doing the country a disservice because it takes away valuable time and resources from Congress that should otherwise be spent in writing legislation that will help the life of ordinary hardworking Americans….
LENI ROBREDO was sworn in as vice president of the Philippines after winning in the 2016 elections, defeating her political rival Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. by just 263,473 votes. This prompted the son of the deposed dictator to allege that he was “cheated” and therefore filed an electoral protest against her, the widow of the popular…
“HOAX” and “witch hunt” — that’s how President Donald Trump has always called any investigation into him. He has gone further by instructing officials and staff in his administration NOT to cooperate with and ignore subpoenas from the Constitution-mandated congressional impeachment inquiry/investigation. He has been attacking and accusing Democrats and the media of being behind…
IT HAS BEEN a part of the Filipino culture to think not only of one’s self, but what will be good for the family. This is also a very Asian value — that communal feeling and mindset that makes one’s personal dreams and desires take a back seat to the what is the consensus among…
DESPITE impeachment fatigue reflected in previous polls, it looks like the recent Ukraine scandal has pushed the American people to a tipping point. President Donald Trump effectively confessed to the scandal through his administration’s “transcript” memo and his own defense of his communications with the Ukrainian officials. According to the recent Washington Post-Schar School poll,…
AS NEWS HEADLINES banner the contentious dealings President Donald Trump had with foreign countries to dig dirt against his political opponents for his personal gains just to win elections and stay in power, a lot of our Kababayans are asking what the 45th president of the United States did to deserve the threats of impeachment….
NO ONE is above the law. Not even the president of the United States. The impeachment hearing that may lead to the ouster of Donald J. Trump will begin as early as this week, according to the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Chair, Rep. Adam Schiff. While this may sound like déjà vu of…
HISTORY has again and again documented how the youth has been the driving force of change in society through many generations in different parts of the world. The youth and young adults ignited the spirit of the French Revolution that overthrew the abusive monarchy and established a republic in France. The youth and young adults…
SEPTEMBER is National Suicide Prevention Month in the United States. In my effort to help spread awareness on this health crisis that is now the 10th cause of death in America and the second among teenagers and young adults, I wrote an article on the risk factors, warning signs and how to help people who…
SUICIDE — the act of taking one’s own life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2017, the 10th cause of death in the United States was suicide. Worse, suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents 10 to 19 years old. Suicide follows heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries,…
KABABAYANS are fired up after reading my article pushing for the government, in the Philippines and the United States, to bring back life skills subjects that have unfortunately been taken off the curriculum because of budget constraints. They strongly agree that subjects that used to be mandatory like home economics, practical/industrial arts/home repairs and gardening…
STUDENTS of today’s generation are so well trained and proficient in a lot of high-tech skills like computer and internet use, camera techniques, music mixing, editing, online publishing and social media distribution — skills that the older generation is just coming to terms and even struggling with. However, we notice that there seems to be…
TERRORISM, as defined by Britannica, is the systematic use of violence to create a general climate of fear in a population and thereby to bring about a particular political objective. The Federal Bureau of Investigation describes “domestic terrorism” as “perpetrated by individuals and/or groups inspired by or associated with primarily U.S.-based movements that espouse extremist…
I AM proud to be one of these scholars, having graduated cum laude from the UP College of Mass Communication in 1984, and continued on with my Master’s Degree in Communication, though I was not able to finish because my family immigrated to the United States. My husband was also “Iskolar ng Bayan,” having graduated…
ENOUGH of gun violence and mass shootings in America! This is the overwhelming sentiment of Americans as revealed in a new Quinnipiac Poll conducted on August 21-26, 2019. After the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio — added to the already troubling strings of massacre using guns in the United States —Americans…
Scientists from the University of Minnesota have discovered “a powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life”. The research “identifies a virulent strain of humans who are virtually immune to any form of verifiable knowledge, leaving scientists at a loss as to how to combat them.” “These…
I HAD the privilege of meeting Gina Lopez for the first time in the early 90s when her family welcomed her back after being away for a long long time. She was among the heirs of the late Eugenio (Geny) Lopez Jr. and Chita Lopez – owners of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation. You probably knew about…
