New York City Mayor says COVID-19 cases down, vaccinations up
NEW York City Mayor Eric Adams announced early this week some good news in the city’s fight against COVID-19. The mayor said that these multiple milestones include a massive decrease in COVID-19 cases, a landmark milestone met in vaccination rates, and free at-home delivery options of COVID-19 treatments. COVID-19 cases are down over 80 percent…
How to tell if someone is using your identity
TAKING steps to protect your personal information can help you minimize the risks of identity theft. But what if a thief gets your information anyway? Here are some of the ways thieves might use your stolen information and signs you can look out for from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): An identity thief could use…
[COLUMN] Rob Gomez gets the acting bug
GROWING up, it looked like Rob Gomez would bypass showbiz. Despite catching the showbiz bug back in high school where he appeared in “Walang Tulugan” and an episode for “Pidol’s Wonderland,” he was preoccupied with a number of things, including sports. Plus, his parents asked him to concentrate on his studies. “I was a football…
[COLUMN] Petition denied at embassy due to fraud for jumping ship on an all-new Citizen Pinoy this Sunday, Feb. 6
On Sunday, February 6, he also features another success story that is inspiring and hopeful. Jun (right) was a crewman who jumped ship and overstayed a few months in the U.S. in 2002. He returned to the Philippines in 2003, and in 2007, his mother petitioned him as single. After almost 16 years of waiting,…
CDC warns against travel to PH for ‘very high level’ of COVID-19
THE United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning individuals against traveling to the Philippines, citing the “very high level” of COVID-19 in the country. The CDC on Monday, January 31 updated its guidance for countries, with the Philippines listed in the Level 4 tier, the highest COVID-19 risk level. Travelers are…
‘The science and data continue to speak loud and clear’: California officials double down on vaccine efficacy, public safety measures
Most Covid-19 metrics trend downward as deaths continue to slightly increase across LA County Though California continues to be a leader in vaccinations per capita, state officials continue to express concern over the omicron variant and urge to the public to maintain public safety standards and to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. In Los Angeles…
Tax season is open! Here’s how to get your refund quickly
TAX season officially opened Jan. 24, but early birds will have to wait for refunds until March, as the Internal Revenue Service is barred from issuing payments before Feb. 15. “It is our intent that filing is as smooth and easy as possible. We want to make certain that consumers are getting all the credits…
Hope after the rain: An update on Gawad Kalinga’s Typhoon Odette relief operations
An operation walang iwanan: Typhoon Rai/ Odette update Last December 17, 2021, Gawad Kalinga Philippines (GK) activated Operation Walang Iwanan: Typhoon Rai: Odette (local name) in response to the calamity that struck thousands of Filipino families residing in Visayas and Mindanao. In the wake of such massive and widespread destruction reminiscent of the 2013 Typhoon…
Moderna vaccine receives full FDA authorization
Full FDA authorization allows for more physician flexibility when prescribing the vaccine Nearly two years after the earth-shattering coronavirus pandemic began, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has become the second major coronavirus vaccine to be permitted for full use, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Monday, Jan. 31. Previously, the Moderna vaccine — now…
[OPINION] Filter out the noise: Watch ‘PANATA SA BAYAN: The 2022 Presidential Candidates Forum’ on February 3 at 5 PM PST
February 3 at 5 pm PST/ Feb 4 at 9 am PHL Time STOP whatever it is you are doing on February 3, Thursday at 5 p.m. PT and watch “PANATA SA BAYAN: The 2022 Presidential Candidates Forum” to know who can and will possibly be the next President of the Philippines. This is especially…
[COLUMN] Are you a lighthouse?
A lighthouse is a standing sentinel on high ground, a guide to navigation for those out on the open sea heading in to port. As a very young girl, I learned that from my father, a ship captain in the merchant marine industry for decades. When the seas are rough and huge waves are tossing…
Lunar New Year 2022: How to usher in the Year of the Tiger
HAPPY Lunar New Year! Welcome the Year of the Water Tiger! Unlike the fixed new year of the Gregorian calendar commonly celebrated on January 1st, the date of the Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year) varies, determined by the appearance of the new moon — which is why it’s called the Lunar…
Lunar New Year Promotions at the Grove and The Americana at Brand!
Celebrating Year of The Tiger, great promotions from January 24 – February 6 The festive nature of the holidays continues with the 2022 Lunar New Year. The storied meaning, tradition and symbolism behind this celebration are all apparent in the dazzling décor seen throughout The Grove and The Americana at Brand. Celebrate the Year of…
[COLUMN] Is the integrity of the 2022 presidential election, disqualification case against Bongbong Marcos being compromised due to political pressure on Comelec?
THE Commission on Election’s (COMELEC) consequential decision on the disqualification case against Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (BBM) has been up in the air for a long time with just about three months before the May 9, 2022 presidential elections in the Philippines. Even BBM followers on different social media platforms have been asking…
Biden appoints Fil-Am community leader to regional role at Small Business Administration
PRESIDENT Joe Biden this week appointed a Filipina American community leader to a key regional leadership role at the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). Geri Sanchez Aglipay was named SBA regional administrator for region 5, according to the White House announcement on Thursday, January 27. The region covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and…
How to get free COVID-19 test kits in Los Angeles County
Need to get rapid tested for COVID-19? There are several ways Los Angeles County residents can receive a free at-home COVID-19 test. The LA County program is designed to increase and facilitate access to COVID-19 tests for LA County residents unable to obtain appointments. Residents can pick up a PCR test kit, perform the test and return…
Filipino-Chinese psychologist named president of Cal State University Channel Islands
The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Richard Yao, Ph.D., to serve as the fourth president of California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI). Yao, who identifies as a Chinese Filipino American, currently serves as interim president of CSUCI, a role he has held since January 2021. “This is such an exciting time at…
[COLUMN] Are PPP and other federal pandemic loans dischargeable in bankruptcy?
MANY self-employed individuals have relied on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other federal pandemic loans to rescue their businesses from going under. If you notice, many restaurants that we go to pre-pandemic have shuttered up permanently despite using up PPP and other loans. Sure the PPP loans helped a lot to keep employees employed,…
[COLUMN] I got my conditional green card through my US citizen spouse but we divorced. Now what?
A person who obtains his/her green card via marriage to a US citizen spouse, and who is married for less than 2 years has conditional permanent resident status. A conditional permanent resident has a green card that is valid for 2 years. In order to continue to have permanent resident status after 2 years, the…
[COLUMN] CA employees may have more paid sick leave due to COVID surge
Q: COVID continues to be problem for many and is hitting close to home with these new variants that are highly contagious (I know relatives and friends who are getting very sick!). I work for a company that gives 40 hours (5 days) of paid sick leave. If I ever need to take leave due…
[COLUMN] Why using your married child as a co-borrower to refinance your house is a bad idea
MANY parents who may have problems refinancing their house due to low income in retirement or due to low credit score sometimes resort to the idea of having their married child serve as a co-borrower to refinance their house As part of the refinancing process, the parents usually adds their adult children to the deed…
[COLUMN] God’s never-ending call
“The Lord’s call is not an intrusion of God in our freedom; it is not a ‘cage’ or a burden to be borne. On the contrary, it is the loving initiative whereby God encounters us and invites us to be part of a great undertaking. He opens before our eyes the horizon of a greater…
[COLUMN] Filing bankruptcy due to excessive credit card debt?
Are you seriously in debt and don’t know what to do? Individuals who have accumulated excessive debt are often left to ponder whether bankruptcy is their only realistic way to get out of debt. However, they hesitate to do so because of all the negative things they’ve heard about bankruptcy. Sometimes, these people feel that…
Filipina doctor runs a company that offers free COVID-19 tests in NYC
Filipino American doctor and businesswoman Jona Jane Tajonera lost her older sister Gina to COVID-19 in April 2020. Back then, coronavirus was well on its way to wreak havoc in New York City and make it the epicenter of the pandemic’s first wave. Tajonera felt helpless. As a public health advocate (she holds both a…
Gov. Murphy signs bills requiring New Jersey schools to teach Asian American history
Governor Phil Murphy signed a couple of bills last week that will ensure that the contributions, history, and heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are included in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Social Studies for students in kindergarten through Grade 12. S4021 will create an AAPI curriculum requirement for schools and…
From pandemic to endemic: Will we ever be there?
Even as COVID-19 hospitalization rates surge in some parts of the U.S., many public health experts are advising a shift from thinking of the crisis as a pandemic to an endemic, in which COVID will continue to be around for an unknown number of years, but at levels that are low and controllable. At a…