Dissecting the classic Noche Buena spread
IF the long list of Christmas trends and traditions was any indication, Filipinos love celebrating the yuletide season. Be it decorating the house with lanterns and ornaments as early as…
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Fil-Am named deputy chief of Los Angeles Police Department
THE Los Angeles Police Department will have its first Filipino American deputy chief in its 152-year history. Commander Donald Graham becomes the first person of Filipino descent to hold such…
Mon David’s homecoming concert: The floodgates of his creative intelligence, unleashed
“Mon’s performance at Catalina was the alarm clock [that] my jazz spirit needed to wake from its catatonic dormancy throughout the pandemic! It was a great jolt of jazz as…
Philippine Airlines wins US court approval of recovery plan
Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York has approved its Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”). PAL filed a voluntary petition…
Mayor Garcetti signs directive to improve English learners’ access to LA city services
LOS Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently signed Executive Directive 32, which seeks to improve access to city information and services for English language learners. “Los Angeles is a place of…
Nurses in crisis over COVID dig in for better work conditions
NURSES and health care workers across the country are finding strength in numbers and with labor actions not seen in years. In California, which has a strong union tradition, Kaiser…
Kick It California is here to help Californians quit smoking — and improve their mental and physical health
California is once again emerging as a leader in the fight against Big Tobacco with the California Smokers’ Helpline, renamed Kick It California — the state’s official effort to help…
[COLUMN] Catch the first installment of Citizen Pinoy’s very first virtual Q&A on U.S. immigration — AXG: Abunda and Gurfinkel
Asia’s King of Talk, Boy Abunda, and leading U.S. immigration attorney, Michael J. Gurfinkel, lead the discussion in the first virtual forum where Atty. Gurfinkel provides answers and relevant information…
[COLUMN] On the record with Governor Gavin Newsom: California continues to lead the fight against COVID-19
By Governor Gavin Newsom Since the early days of the pandemic, California has led the nation’s fight against COVID-19 through robust vaccination efforts rooted in science and data. This has…
[COLUMN] How’s the housing market?
AS we come to the close of 2021, the data shows that the Southern California housing market has continued to appreciate for the past three years since 2019. As of…
[COLUMN] The January 2022 Priority Dates
Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment-based categories. A priority…
[OBITUARY] Ricardo Lim Roco, 75
October 6, 1946 – December 19, 2021 RICARDO Lim Roco passed away gracefully in his sleep on December 19, 2021 after a very rare, fast-paced progressive neuro-degenerative disorder. He was…
Take advantage of DMV services without visiting a DMV office
THE kids are back in school, businesses have reopened, and while COVID continues to be a threat, life is busier than ever. The days are getting shorter and the holidays…
[COLUMN] 4th COVID-19 shot?
OMICRON is super-contagious and skyrocketing across the nation, while the virus continues to replicate and mutate mostly in the bodies of those more than 50 million unvaccinated people in the…
[COLUMN] Remember the wonder
YEAR after year without fail at around this time, December days and nights seem to slip from our grasp like fine grains of sand. The hours seem to hurtle through…
3 Fil-Ams among commissioners to Biden’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
President Joe Biden on Monday, December 20 announced his intent to appoint three Filipino American leaders to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Amy Agbayani, Teresita…
Simbang Gabi: A revered Filipino Christmas tradition
Contributed by Manny V. Ilagan SIMBANG Gabi, which literally means “evening or night Mass,” is a Filipino Christmas tradition. As a devotional practice in the tradition of the novena, it…
Community leader Melissa Ramoso becomes first Filipina American mayor of Artesia, CA
THE city of Artesia, California now has its first Filipina American mayor. Melissa Ramoso ascended to the top post after the city council’s appointment during its meeting on Monday, December…
Staying safe for the holidays: California’s top health officer on celebrating the holidays responsibly amid COVID surge
IT’S no doubt that the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebration is the most highly anticipated holiday season in recent history. The coronavirus pandemic upended the last holiday season, which…
[OBITUARY] Epifanio ‘Jun’ Capistrano
It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Epifanio ‘Jun’ Capistrano on Sunday, December 12th, 2021 at the age of 69. Jun will be…
[COLUMN] Greetings!
WE’RE in the fourth week of Advent, and it will be Christmas next week! Are you prepared? Prepared to welcome the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus? As…
[COLUMN] Client files Chapter 13 for $400K unsecured debt
THIS is what I call a borderline Chapter 7 case with asset. Therefore, it is the better part of caution not to file Chapter 7 because the asset may be…
[COLUMN] Defending discriminated co-workers is protected activity
IN 2016, Robert Fernandez, then 70 years old and disabled due to diabetes, was hired by Puente Hills Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Even though he had trouble walking and standing…
[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…
[COLUMN] Read this before hiring a debt settlement company
ARE you thinking of hiring a debt settlement company to help you solve your debt problems? Before you do, maybe you should read this article as it could save you…
Daniel Corpuz finds the sweet scent of success after ‘School of Chocolate’
LIKE many others in the food and hospitality industry, Filipino American Daniel Joseph Corpuz lost his job as the global pandemic began to wreak havoc last year. “Inisip ko kung…
Filipino Americans in Northeast US gather in Jersey City for Leni Robredo
By Manny Caballero DRIVEN by a common and united desire to help make VP Leni Robredo the next president of their native country, Fil-Ams from around the East Coast trooped…
[COLUMN] Family petitioning family for employment-based green card
Many people believe the only way to bring a family member to the U.S. is through a family petition. Auntie Eva started as a caregiver when she first set foot…
[COLUMN] No interview required
ON December 13, 2021 the Department of State (DOS) published a temporary final rule (TFR) allowing consular officers the flexibility or discretion to waive the personal appearance (or interview) of…