Being Filipino American in the GOP
Dr. Jose Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines, placed a high value on civic involvement wherever he was, whether it be the Philippines or travelling around the world. He…
Category: Opinion & Editorial Columnists
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Insights from a small town politician
ON my recent visit to the Philippines, I found myself sharing a case of beer with the vice-mayor of a small provincial town, along with some of his ward leaders….
Fil-Ams can help decide who will be the next Philippine president
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…
Chosen one
AFTER the five-day filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs), from October 12-16, the Commission on Election (Comelec) reportedly received 130 applications from Filipino presidential aspirants. As granted by the law,…
With certificate of candidacies filed, who is your presidential pick: Binay, Roxas, Poe or Santiago?
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…
Roxas II spends P257 million on TV ads to boost ratings
Presidential candidate Manuel A. Roxas II spent P257 million on television ads from Aug. 15 to Sept. 15 to push up his ratings in the presidential preference polls undertaken by…
Philippine politics, the movie
WE probably won’t live long enough to see it, but there could yet be a feature film on Philippine politics, in the tradition that has apparently been established by the…
Kababayans react to law allowing physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients
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…
Do you support the law that allows a terminally ill patient to have the option of physician-assisted suicide?
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…
Heneral Luna, the movie
I HAD a chance to watch the movie Heneral Luna with my wife and family members and I was truly impressed with the crowd that it pulled. The lines at SM BF…
Who is your VP pick: Robredo, Escudero, Cayetano, Marcos, Trillanes or Honasan?
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)…
Royal rumble
TURNING out to be an even more exciting race than the presidency in next year’s elections is the competition for the second most powerful seat in the country between some…
Kababayans’ reactions to Balitang America’s early Philippine Presidential election polls
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…
Early poll results: Fil-Ams choose Roxas over Poe and Binay
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…
Pope Francis’s visit awakens America’s faith
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…
How would Imelda Marcos have handled Metro Manila’s woes?
IN the face of the anarchy in the streets of Metro Manila, the paralysis that follows every heavy downpour, and the inability – nay, the unwillingness – of local officials…
The ‘Pope Francis Effect’ hits Kababayans in America
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…
Shouting match at the Palace, a warning from the generals
Malacañang sources have revealed that a nasty shouting match transpired between President B.S. Aquino 3rd and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad after the Supreme Court ordered the Ombudsman to have…
Again, the making of a myth: Erap’s last hurrah
Senator Grace P. Llamanzares’ speech the other day “offering” herself as our next President was unexpectedly quite impressive. Her oratory would be the final nail on Manuel Roxas II political…
Who will you now vote for: Grace Poe, Mar Roxas, or Jejomar Binay?
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…
A LAW EACH DAY(Keeps Trouble Away)
There is no more doubt that the present administration under Aquino III is the No. 1 enemy of the masses. It is a government against the Filipino people instead of…
Title II threatens minority populations, small businesses
Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines to reclassify Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as public utilities and to regulate the Internet under outdated Title II…
Where has Sen. Grace Poe Llamanzares’ sense of honor and shame gone?
THIS question has to be asked in light of Mrs. Llamanzares’s completely crass effort to promote herself as a possible presidential candidate, despite the clear language of the Constitution that…
Filipinos in America overwhelmingly support Pope Francis’ move to make marriage annulment faster, cheaper
POPE Francis received overwhelming support among Filipinos in America on the reforms he will implement in the Catholic Church to make marriage annulment faster and cheaper for Catholics. 100 percent…
Are we masochistic or stupid?
As an overseas Filipino who loves his homeland, I am puzzled, sad, and disenchanted to see our beloved Philippines hopelessly entrenched in a quagmire and culture of graft and corruption…
Is Aquino corrupt?
“But he himself is not corrupt, right?” That is a common refrain in conversations with Filipinos concerned about rising sleaze under President Benigno Aquino 3rd. Ironically, the same thing was…
The INC protest rallies, best and worst case scenarios
THANKFULLY, the protest rallies of the Iglesia ni Cristo at EDSA have been called off. INC’s leaders have declared that they have reached an “agreement” with the government – without…