Category: Features

“In him was vindicated the greatness of real goodness and the goodness of real greatness.” – Phillip Brooks ON July 29, President Barack Obama signed House Resolution 4899 or the Supplemental Appropriations Act – a law which includes a provision for the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Program, allocating $67 million (about P3.1 billion) “for all…

THE Filipinos here in the United States have something to be proud of again. Last July 21, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated Judge Tani Cantil-Sakauye to the California Supreme Court. If and when elected by voters in November, Judge Cantil-Sakauye will become the first Filipina-American chief justice in the State. Her confirmation would also give…

ON JULY 26, President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is scheduled to deliver his first State of the Nation Address before a joint Congress session. Before the watchful eyes of the Filipino and observing foreign countries, the president is expected to discuss his plans for the country—the promises he has made before and after he was…

FOR his upcoming State of the Nation Address on July 26, P-Noy promises a “no frills discussion” of the current problems his government has inherited from the previous administration and what measures they’re planning to take to solve them. “I stated before, syempre kailangan ng imbentaryo. Nasaan na tayo ngayon? Ano ba mga problemang hinaharap natin…

ON HIS first disaster management briefing last Wednesday, it was reported that P-Noy “berated” PAGASA (the country’s weather bureau) for “its failure to notify the public that Typhoon Basyang would directly hit Metro Manila.” “We rely on you to tell us where the problem is or where the potential problem areas are … this is…

IT IS typhoon season once again in the Philippines, and most are still reeling from the tragedies brought about by last year’s typhoons. Two months from now, it will be a year after “Ondoy” wreaked havoc in the country, with the death toll reaching 688 and the cost of inflicted damage amounting to an estimated…

PRESS freedom is being jeopardized as Filipino journalists are constantly subjected to threats and intimidations – mostly involving politics. As former Chief Justice Reynato Puno said, “Like water seeking its course, press freedom, no matter how suppressed, rises to give life to democracy,” the media holds a pivotal role in a country’s stance about freedom….

AND so it begins. Only a few days after the Aquino-Binay inauguration and already, a bevy of activities has ensued – the appointment of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. as the head of the “truth commission,” graft charges filed vs Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by militant groups, GMA and son filing for Charter Change, a…

LAST June 25, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that the tourist volume rose 5.4 percent to 3.65 million in the first five months of the year compared from the previous year, with foreign travelers driving the growth. The foreign visitors totaled 1.19 million in the five-month period, accounting for 32.5 percent of the total…

A DAY before his inauguration as the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines, President-elect Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III named the nearly 30 the official members of his cabinet – “a mixture of old and new faces.” “These are the people who I believe have committed to the philosophy that the problems in…

“DO not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Harold R. McAlindon On June 30, Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will step down from the highest position in the land to give way to President-elect Benigno Aquino III’s ascent as the 15th president of the…

Prop 16 would require a two-thirds voter approval before local government can spend or borrow taxpayer dollars to go into the retail electricity business.  Currently there is no public vote that is required to make this decision. The hefty government spending in California has created a 20 billion dollar deficit.  Our state and local government…

NORMA Sotio has every reason to grieve. Her husband, Gaudencio Sotio died on January 2010 without realizing a long-term dream – the promised monetary recognition made by the US government in February last year to Filipino WWII vets for their service and sacrifice. A lump sum of $9,000 or $15,000 will be paid to Filvets…

Finally, Filipinos will appear as a separate race category in the US 2010 national census. On November 28, during a partnership program between The National Federation of Filipino American Associations and the US Bureau of Census, it was announced that Filipinos in the United States have been generically labeled as “Asians” in the past. Indeed,…

IT’S a chapter in history that Filipinos would rather forget. The Philippines’ first experience of martial law came during President Jose P. Laurel’s term, under Proclamation No. 29, dated September 21, 1944 which became effective the next day. Proclamation No. 30 was issued the following day, declaring the existence of a state of war between…

FOR most Filipinos who have been away from home, the season brings loneliness, wanting to be with their families and friends, and missing the traditional Pinoy Pasko – the masses at dawn, the bibingka and puto bumbong, the festive Noche Buena and the constant echoes of songs by the carolers. This year, the Asian Journal Foundation and the first-ever Filipino-American Symphony Orchestra…

With the faltering economy and cash-strapped consumers, most are now wondering if the spirit of gift-giving will still be alive this holiday season. In fact, kids will probably be a little disappointed to find that ‘Santa’ didn’t give them the latest favorite (and expensive) toy under the tree. In a report by the New York Times,…

ACCORDING to the New York-based think tank, Global Source, resilient remittances and post-typhoon rebuilding efforts are sustaining the momentum for a rosier economy for the Philippines. The report also stated that the two leading presidential candidates, (based on the latest popularity polls) Sen. Noynoy Aquino and Sen. Manny Villar are both capable of managing the…

EVERYONE wants to get a piece of the action when Manny Pacquiao, RP’s pound-for-pound king goes into the ring with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on November 15. Therefore, it’s not surprising to know that Philippine House Speaker Prospero Nograles and his cohorts are going on a side trip to the WBO welterweight match after their…

LAST week, a certain blogger started a firestorm, reporting that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been allegedly hoarding imported relief goods. To pacify the picketing mob of militant urban poor and labor leaders, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral explained that “the distribution of relief goods to typhoon victims is done upon…

THE much-awaited $5.5 million funding from US Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) was fi nally bestowed to the Philippines, MCC’s “model partner.” The memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and the US was signed on Friday by Ambassador Willy Gaa and MCC acting VP Darius Teter. The funds will be utilized to complete benefi t analyses,…

THE aftermath of twin typhoons, Ondoy and Pepeng left the Philippines devastated, with hundreds of people dead and others, still missing. Millions of pesos have been spent for damages and most areas in Luzon will never be the same again. According to Finance Secretary Margarito B. Teves, damage caused by the storms may shave percentage…

CORRUPTION seems to be a fi xture in the headlines these days, and the numbers are increasing. Last February, the World Bank released a study that rated the Philippines as one of the worst among East Asia’s leading economies. It also placed the country at the bottom of the list of East Asia’s 10 largest…

TWO weeks ago, the Ombudsman cleared the Arroyos from any involvement with the $329-million NBN-ZTE contract, dismissing the evidence as “weak” and giving merit to Mike Arroyo’s counter-affidavit which states that complaints filed against him were fabricated. The first gentleman was earlier charged “with violation of the anti-graft law for allegedly brokering the National Broadband…

IT is not surprising to hear that the Philippines is in serious debt. During the post-Marcos era, it became very evident how the nation’s fi nances were mismanaged by the previous regime, and Filipinos felt the brunt. We, of course, tried to be hopeful – we all prayed that future leaders of our nation would…

THE Arroyos seem to be on a roll these days — in the hall of shame, that is. First were the lavish dinners in Le Cirque in New York and Bobby Van’s Steakhouse in Washington, DC which created quite a stir among their detractors, especially since the cost of dinners could’ve fed 180,000 hungry and…

“THE vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.” – Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson WITH only a few more days to go before the deadline to register for Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV), we would…

ACCORDING to an announcement made by the Department of Foreign Affairs, only 159,100 newabsentee voters have registered for the past six months for the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) registration which ends on August 31. That’s roughly about only 16 percent of the expected one million registrants overseas. Lawmakers have fi led a resolution that extends…

“I don’t have any formula for ousting a dictator or building democracy. All I can suggest is to forget about yourself and just think of your people. It’s always the people who make things happen.” – Corazon C. Aquino (1933-2009) The whole nation mourns the loss of an irreplaceable and most beloved leader. No words…

THE much-anticipated historic meeting between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and US President Barack Obama fi nally took place on July 30. Arroyo is the fi rst Southeast Asian leader to visit the White House since Obama was elected as president in November of last year. The ties between the two countries go a long way back…