“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…
Making a commitment and sticking to it takes a lot of hard work. The beginning of the year is generally the time when millions of Americans commit themselves to being healthy by losing weight, exercising more and eating fewer calories. Losing weight is a daunting challenge. Weight loss experts say that people who have support…
MARCH 27 has been delegated as the Community Call to Action Day by a coalition of Filipino-American groups, who have been advocating for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the Philippines since November 2013, after the extensive devastation brought to the country by Typhoon Haiyan. The designation of TPS for the Philippines will benefit hundreds of…
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…
“THE sea is the space where, since primordial times, humanity has carried out the greatest range of economic activities, which ensured the survival of those who engaged in them. It was by sea that links among peoples were established, cultures were founded, and affinities were created. All told, the sea was the essential element for…
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…
SPEAKING to students of the Hope Christian School on Thursday, Pres. Benigno “PNoy” S. Aquino III said that he seeks not only to run after corrupt government officials –he also wants more jobs and less poverty to become his legacy, which would be felt through “massive investments in agriculture and education,” as reported by Philstar.com….
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,…
MYSTERY still surrounds the case of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished into thin air (according to radar screens from ground control) while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing over the weekend. In a latest development, Malaysian authorities said the plane might have changed its course. The Malaysian military has radar data showing the…
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…
THE United States and the Philippines have expressed alarm over China’s recent move. On Wednesday, China announced a 12.2 percent increase in its military spending, amounting to $132 billion — “likely a considerable underestimate of actual spending, but still far less than the $600.4 billion the US spent last year,” reports the Associated Press. US…
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…
The US and President Obama should be key partners with the Philippines and President Aquino in demonstrating the benefits of democracy. With one exception, all the Arab nations that have moved towards democracy in the last three years have failed such as Egypt and Libya. Other Middle Eastern nations, with the exception of Israel, operate…
MARCH is International Women’s Month. It has been designated to acknowledge and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of women around the world. With the theme: “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment,” people are encouraged to examine the changing cultural perceptions of women in society, and to honor their contributions to all aspects of…
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…
OVER a week ago, Kit Tatad, in his column in Manila Standard Today, wrote about the newly launched program of Malacañang to repair the 2016 presidential bandwagon of Mar Roxas which had experienced engine trouble on Noynoy Aquino’s Daang Baku-Baku. According to Tatad, no less than Aquino himself is heading a special task force whose…
WHEN it comes to contending for world records in the Guinness Book of World Records, the Philippines is always game. Recently, the country (through the Polytechnic University of the Philippines or PUP) broke India’s record for the most number of organ donation pledges in an hour in a single site, the Department of Health (DOH)…
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….
THE principles behind international law are based upon universally accepted values and moral standards. Today, more and more aspects of regional relations are regulated by international legal norms. They involve issues such as security, trade, finance, the environment and communication. Quoting the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Aquino said that the country will protect…
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…
I sat through a streaming video coverage of the testimony of Ruby Tuason at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the pork barrel scam. I soon realized that the spectacle was less in aid of legislation than in aid of political vendetta and media posturing. In this regard, Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Miriam…
THIS year’s commemoration of EDSA People Power will be different from past celebrations. The tone will probably be less celebratory and grand. President Benigno S. Aquino III prefers to spend the 28th anniversary of EDSA 1 with the victims of calamities in the Visayas and has requested that the celebrations be held in Cebu, instead…
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…
SINCE its introduction to Filipinos in 1994, the Internet has provided boundless channels for people to exercise their right to know, express and be heard. Article III Section 4 of the Philippine Constitution states that “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of…
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…
IN the midst of debates about the Obama administration’s policy to grant federal benefits, protection and services to all married same-sex couples in America (equal to those accorded to their heterosexual counterparts), multi-talented actress and singer Aiza Seguerra just proposed marriage to the love of her life, model-actress Liza Diño in the Philippines. Filipinos are…
Michael Christian Martinez’s may not be bringing a medal home, but in the eyes of his kababayans, he has already achieved a milestone — being the first Filipino-born, the first Southeast Asian and the youngest figure skater to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics. The 17-year-old Martinez is nothing short of a miracle worker —…
THE world’s population didn’t hit the 1 billionth threshold until the 19th century. Today, the numbers have since been growing by giant, exponential leaps. The world population has already breached the 7 billionth mark. In the UN World Population Fund’s (UNFPA) list of the world’s most populous countries, the Philippines ranks 12th. The nation’s population…
Last Monday, US Attorney General Eric Holder released a memo which accords the same federal benefits, protection and services to all same-sex couples across the nation — even in the 34 states that have not yet legalized gay marriage. To clarify, the memo does NOT mandate that these states officiate or solemnize same-sex marriages, since…
I saw a movie the other night that reminded me of the Philippines. Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, is set in the year 2154. It’s about a man-made space station in which the very wealthy live. Gleaming buildings, lush parks, manicured lawns, beautiful homes and even more beautiful people populate the enclave. The…
