The other day, I came upon a shocking news headline on FaceBook, “George W. Bush Arrested for Cocaine Possession.” It was datelined Dallas, Texas, July 24, 2014. Intrigued, I read on: “One of the most notorious Presidents in the history of The United States of America is back in the spotlight, but not because of…
IN most modern societies, politics depend on media for publicity, to encourage supporters and votes. On the other hand, journalists rely on politics to provide them with news to keep their industry alive. Both parties commit to such relationship because of a shared goal—to influence public opinion. But it is a complicated rapport. As observed…
ALL Saints’ and All Souls’ Days give us Christians the time to pause for a while, to be silent, and remember the people we love who have gone before us. This year included my beloved Daddy, who went back home to our Creator last July 27, 2014. In remembering my father’s life and legacy, I…
Do you look closely at your electricity bill? If you don’t, you might have missed something important. California’s policies to clean our air and combat climate change literally put money in the pockets of millions of families. In fact, they’ve already done it, but we worry that many in the Filipino community don’t know it’s…
JUST one week heading to the November 4 midterm elections, a new CNN/ORC international poll revealed that 70 percent of Americans are angry with the country’s direction, and 53 percent disapprove of President Barack Obama’s job performance. Despite this, however, it seems many Americans, including kababayans eligible to vote, do not feel compelled to cast…
In a few days, voters in California will exercise their democratic rights. This year, in addition to selecting political leaders, Californians will decide on no fewer than six statewide propositions and more than 100 local ballot measures. As a co-founder and board member of a California business group representing Asians and Pacific Islanders, I’m urging…
IN recent years, the Philippines has been enjoying a steady economic momentum. Last year, the Philippines finished with a 7.2 percent growth, just behind China’s 7.7 percent. Despite some hiccups caused by natural disasters, the Philippine economy remained as one of the fastest-growing in Asia and was even branded the next Asian tiger economy. According…
KABABAYANS from all over the world shared one common experience last Friday, October 24: watching the finale of “Ikaw Lamang,” as this top-rating teleserye of ABS-CBN came “full circle,” and ended with the opening scene from the March premiere. As ABS-CBN reported, Ikaw Lamang’s final episode emerged as the most watched TV program in the country. According…
THE profound flaw within the Philippine justice system resurfaces as people criticize the government’s response to the alleged murder of transgender Jennifer Laude by an American serviceman in Olongapo City. Military exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) brought US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, Jennifer Laude’s alleged killer, to the Philippines. Some described the murder…
THE brutal murder of transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude has galvanized protests among kababayans from coast to coast here in the United States on two fronts: against the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the United States and the Philippines; and the prejudices and violence against the gays, lesbians, transgenders in the Philippines. President Benigno Aquino III…
THE trouble with hiring “creative” advertising and PR geniuses for one’s political campaign is that they can get carried away by their creativity. Take the Liberal Party’s demolition strategy against Vice-President Jojo Binay code-named, “Oplan Stop Nognog 2016.” It sounds really clever until you realize the implications. In colonial times, ordinary Filipinos, belonging to the…
WHEN IT comes to travel and leisure, politicking should be set aside. Tourism is an ideal, if not obvious, source of growth for a country teeming with natural resources, renowned cultural heritage sites and human capital to attract and reward visitors. Fortunately for the Philippines, its tourism market remains unbridled despite tensions brewing inside (controversies…
THE murder of transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude in Olangapo City last October 11, allegedly by US Marine Joseph Pemberton, has added fuel to the fire of nationalist activists who continue to fight for the abolition of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and the scrapping of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed during President Barack…
WITH less than two weeks until the 2014-midterm elections, many races are still undecided. What many political leaders have failed to recognize is that there is a large, yet relatively silent, population that could be a key to some of these races. Despite being the fastest growing segment of the US population, with voters doubling…
“IF Vice President Jejomar Binay has nothing to hide, he shouldn’t be worried by the National Bureau of Investigation’s probe into allegations that he and his family have amassed ill-gotten wealth.” – Philippine Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and its investigating arm, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), recently announced…
IN any business, feedback is an essential tool in determining success. A good businessman would know that for his business to really succeed, he must know what his customer base thinks about his products and services. Since time immemorial, Pres. Benigno Aquino III has made “tuwid na daan” (straight path) as his leadership’s mantra. In…
BLESSINGS continue to pour in for The Filipino Channel’s 20th year celebration with the opportunity to give back to all our kapamilyas in North America. Just last Tuesday, TFC’s daily newscast Balitang America’s coverage of Typhoon Yolanda’s 24-hour telethon won the 2014 Cablefax Best Shows or Series News, beating Jorge Ramos Fusion Network’s “America”, E! Entertainment’s…
EVEN the United States, home of one of the best health cares system in the world, is not immune to the deadly Ebola virus, despite prior efforts to block the disease from entering the country. Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national who came to America to attend his son’s graduation, experienced symptoms of Ebola five…
MY San Francisco Bay Area colleague and dear friend, Rodel Rodis, has just written an opinion piece in the Philippine Daily Inquirer entitled, “A sometimes clueless president.” It bewails what, in effect, was the cold shoulder that Noynoy Aquino gave to Filipino-Americans on his recent trip to the US. The piece was the last thing…
LAND of the free, home of the brave and a nation of immigrants. In one of his Independence Day speeches, Pres. Barack Obama said that immigration makes America stronger. “Immigration makes us more prosperous. And immigration positions America to lead in the 21st century. No other nation in the world welcomes so many new arrivals….
Kababayans in Texas have been feeling scared and vulnerable when the news broke about 100 people in Dallas were exposed to Ebola patient Thomas Duncan. There are about 35,000 Filipinos living in Northern Texas. Fortunately, none of these 100 people who reportedly came in contact with Duncan was Filipino. This was the confirmation given by…
WITH the September Pulse Asia survey on presidential preferences already hitting the papers, the ABB (Anyone But Binay) Brigade must be giddy with joy. I was furnished a copy of an email from a member of US Pinoys for Good Governance (formerly US Pinoys for Noynoy-Mar) that was nothing short of ecstatic: “The latest survey…
FILIPINOS have expressed mixed reactions over new bills enacted into law in California that will help undocumented immigrants be able to work and live in America without fear of imminent deportation, and in their plight to get legal status. California Governor Jerry Brown just signed Senate Bill 1159, which prohibits licensing boards under the state’s…
AFTER weeks of ignoring reports of recruitment by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the southern part of the country, the Philippines has heightened its security in the area. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have deployed more troops in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi to monitor the alleged recruitment of…
IF Filipinos are to cast their votes on who will be their next president, Vice President Jejomar Binay will be the runaway winner, garnering 31 percent of the votes. Interior and Local Government Sec. Mar Roxas will be lagging behind with only 13 percent. Based on the recent Pulse Asia survey results, Binay still tops…
Gridlock in Congress may have stalled the passing of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill, but undocumented immigrants in California will now enjoy immigration benefits despite their status. This has been made possible when California Governor Jerry Brown signed three bills into law, which will help about three million undocumented immigrants — including many kababayans. California…
IN THE 2004 US presidential elections, the Republicans portrayed George W. Bush as a man of firm conviction, steadfast, decisive, the kind of leader America needed in fighting the war in Iraq. On the other hand, they branded Democratic standard bearer, John Kerry, as indecisive and prone to change his position on issues — a…
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Monday, Sept. 22 challenged his administration’s critics to file charges against his allies if they really believe that these officials have been corrupt. “The Ombudsman in particular is ready to investigate complaints, even those coming from anonymous individuals,” said Aquino in response to a question from a Harvard student about…
“HE was already there and he have time to visit a gun store to satisfy his hobby. He’s able to satisfy his stomach by going into [McDonalds] but the community was never given any sense to be with the president,” Dr. Orlando Cagampan of Los Angeles told Balitang America Correspondent Steve Angeles. This was a…
Throughout California’s history, including the last thirty years, there is not a state or federal regulator that does not deserve some, if not substantial, criticism. The collapse of the banking system, which caused five million California homeowners to be desperately underwater, was due to the deliberate lack of oversight by state banking authorities. This should…
