The hazards of misreading the news
WHEN I read the post in social media that Senator-boxer Manny Pacquiao had proposed crucifixion as a method of imposing the death penalty, my automatic response was to suggest, “Crucify…
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Gratitude and giving back to Filipinos from the University of the Philippines’ ‘Mga Iskolar ng Bayan’
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…
Americans overwhelmingly support stricter gun control laws to avoid more mass shootings — and the youth are doing what Republicans won’t do
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…
Trump spreads ‘bug’ that makes people resistant to facts, compassion, and social responsibility on the world stage
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…
Protecting the vulnerable and environment: The legacy of Gina Lopez lives on
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….
The pains and joys of aging
“Now that I’m growing older, My pilot light is out; What used to be my sex appealIs now my water spout…” I WAS in my mid-20s, at the peak of…
Voting rights restoration is a step towards reintegration for the formerly incarcerated
Voting can be as quick as a pen stroke or as easy as a tap of a computer screen, yet the simple act is often taken for granted in America….
Will you be a ‘pabigat’ to America and be denied a green card? An attorney explains the Trump Administration’s expanded ‘public charge’ ruling
THE United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has defined “public charge” as an individual who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by…
Have you benefitted from publicly-funded services during your time of need? Your green card application may be in jeopardy
KABABAYAN, this information has nothing to do with President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown against illegal immigration. This piece is about his administration’s most aggressive effort yet to restrict LEGAL IMMIGRATION…
OP-ED: Public charge rule – inhumane for families
NO matter where you came from and the color of your skin, all parents want what is best for their children. Except those, it seems, in the Trump administration. Because…
Trump could heal wounds and win the trust of the American people after mass shootings — if he would do these things
LISTEN, MR. PRESIDENT. The people of the grieving communities of El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio are speaking up. For the first time just listen to their pleas instead of…
President Trump dishonors victims of mass shooting in El Paso and Dayton with his visit
PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump insisted on visiting El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio in the wake of the two mass shootings that happened last weekend. These two latest mass shootings,…
Facts reveal how Trump’s hateful rhetoric and Congress’ inaction have led to recent mass shootings
PUT YOURSELF in the shoes of the men and women who have just lost their son, daughter, mother, father, spouse, or best friend to the bullets coming from these senseless…
Revealing inside story of Gel Santos Relos’ 12 years as anchor of ‘Balitang America’ and 25 years as kapamilya at TFC
TWELVE YEARS ago, my family had just settled in California, coming from Minnesota where we lived for four years as my husband completed his training in surgery. I thought my…
ABANGAN: What is Gel Santos Relos up to with the new changes at The Filipino Channel?
THIS just in — after 12 years of delivering the daily news from the studios of The Filipino Channel (TFC) in California, “Balitang America” will be taping its daily newscast…
Dear Filipinos in America, again: Trump’s racist tweets were not about fighting illegal immigration but to “Make America White Again”
KABABAYANS, I hear you. Some of you say President Donald Trump’s tirades against the four women representatives in Congress were not racist. You contend that this is just part of…
Dear Filipino Americans: When are you going to call out President Trump for racism and discrimination?
MGA KABABAYAN, many of you are Republicans, holding onto conservative principles, especially those anchored on our Christian faith which is very important to us. This is one of the reasons…
Why Fil-Ams should care about the 2020 Elections
By Jason Tengco In 2016, only 50 percent of eligible Filipino American voters participated in the presidential election. Let me repeat: only half of us voted in 2016. As a…
Rep. Ted Lieu: Why we need Kamala Harris
Donald Trump’s election in 2016 was a turning point for our country. He has lowered our standing around the world, sought to divide us, and inflicted pain on too many…
66 years in media…and counting
MY very first newspaper column came out in Business World, the leading business daily in the Philippines, on September 21, 1988, almost 31 years ago. Headlined, “Ah, those good old…
The fox investigates raid on the chicken coop
We’ve probably all heard the tale of the fox who raided the chicken coop and had to be hunted down by the farmer. But have you heard about the farmer…
Elizabeth Warren: Building a brighter future for Asian American entrepreneurs
In an exclusive OP-ED for the Asian Journal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren bares a plan for investing in AAPI and minority-owned small businesses. By Elizabeth Warren America is built on two…
Possibilities for peace-making in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula
THERE are two most difficult, complex, but not impossible opportunities for peace-making in the Korean Peninsula and in the Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict on both sides of the Persian Gulf —…
Sad reactions
THE initial reactions of Foreign Secretary Teddyboy Locsin and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana were correct. The facts were not all in yet, but both Cabinet members were ready to give…
China invades the Philippines
The sinking of a Filipino fishing boat in the West Philippine Sea by a Chinese vessel has created a sticky public relations situation for the government of President Rodrigo Duterte….
Trump declares he will deport millions in the next few weeks: Know your rights if this happens to you
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP surprised even his own officials when he announced via Twitter on June 17 that his administration will deport “millions of illegal aliens” in the next weeks, less…
Journey to Phnom Penh, gains under Premier Hun Sen and excellent ties with royal family
We journeyed to Phnom Penh last week, June 4-8, where we conferred with Prime Minister Hun Sen on a major conference in the Cambodian capital scheduled for November and where…
Fox News poll: Trump trails Democratic candidates in the 2020 presidential elections
AN EPIPHANY is that moment in the story where a character achieves realization, awareness, or a feeling of knowledge, after which events are seen through the prism of this new…
Trump loses to Biden in polls, will do everything even if he breaks the law just to win, win, win
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP had again sank to a new low when he shocked America with an explosive statement in an interview with ABC News on Thursday, brazenly saying that if…
What we need to know about impeaching Trump
IMPEACHMENT, according to President Donald Trump, is a dirty word and it does not have anything to do with him. This, despite the growing clamor among Americans to remove Trump…