2021 Fil-Am History Month: Learning from Filipino American youth activism
IN the United States, October is also known as Filipino American History Month, which is celebrated through various activities and events that recognizes the significant role Filipinos have played in American history. This year, the Filipino American National History Society (FANHS) chose the theme “50 Years Since the First Young Filipino People’s Far West Convention”…
Little Manila Block Party celebrates Filipino American history, culture
MORE than a dozen community organizations gathered on Saturday, Oct. 2 for a Little Manila Block Party and to celebrate Filipino American History Month. “As Filipinos, we believe in the bayanihan—a spirit of civic unity and cooperation among Filipinos. Filipino Americans would not have thrived without the aid of community groups whose far-reaching support has…
Bretman Rock makes Playboy history as first openly gay cover star
FILIPINO American internet star Bretman Rock has made history as the first-ever openly gay man to grace the cover of Playboy magazine. In an Instagram post on Friday, October 1, the YouTuber and influencer shared this month’s digital cover, saying: “I’m a BUNNY duh!! @Playboy to kick off spooky szn. All credits to the team.”…
[COLUMN] DHS issues new ‘guidelines for the enforcement of civil immigration law’
IN what has been described as “…a dramatic shift in U.S. immigration enforcement policy that will likely spare most undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years…,” on September 30, 2021, Alejandro Mayorkas, the Sec. of the Department of Homeland Security, issued new guidelines for the enforcement of civil immigration law, which are…
Bongbong Marcos enters presidential race
FORMER Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has formally launched his presidential bid in the 2022 Philippine national elections. Accompanied by his wife Louise and two sons, Marcos filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president on Wednesday, October 6, around 11 a.m. at the Harbor Garden Tent of Sofitel hotel in Pasay City. He filed…
‘The issues of visas and domicile,’ this Sunday, Oct. 10 on Citizen Pinoy
TO petition one’s family members to come to the U.S., the petitioner must prove they are living (or domiciled) in the U.S. In this episode, U.S. citizen father, Cesar, petitioned his daughters, Corinne (2nd from left) and Cathlene (extreme left). However, he was living in the Philippines when his daughters’ visas became available. The U.S….
Study in Hope: SPAA returns to Philippine Center with 2021 Exhibit
By Robert P. De Tagle THE Society of Philippine American Artists (SPAA) returns home to the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue, NYC, with an in-person exhibit from 4 to 15 October, featuring works of nineteen participants from New York, New Jersey and Vancouver. During this Filipino-American History Month, the exhibit can be viewed 9 a.m….
USCIS to continue Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program, accept new applications
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will continue a parole program that allows Filipino World War II veterans to be reunited with certain family members. The agency will accept new applications for the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program after the Department of Homeland Security reversed the Trump administration’s…
Biden marks Fil-Am History Month honoring frontline workers, community’s contributions to the US
PRESIDENT Joe Biden marked the start of October as Filipino American History Month by honoring the Fil-Am community’s contributions to the United States, especially amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Filipinos have continued to serve and sacrifice in one of the darkest years in our history, selflessly working on the widespread frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic,”…
Duterte announces retirement from politics: ‘I made the right decision’
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte was firm that he made the “right decision” to retire from politics after his term ends next year. He made the remark after the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that his satisfaction rating dropped from the +79 he got in November 2020 to a +62 in June 2021. “Thank…
COVID hospitalizations decline in LA County
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Los Angeles County dropped below 800 cases in Los Angeles County, according to new data. The LA County Department on Public Health on Monday, October 4 reported that 790 individuals remain hospitalized with COVID-19, marking the first time hospitalizations dropped under 800 since July. Also on Monday, the department confirmed 7 new…
[COLUMN] The bucket list: Divest early
YOU have become a collector over the years. Memories, good and bad, you have them, by the bucketful, stacked in yellowing photographs in frayed and tattered albums. You used to dutifully collect them, way back when printed photos were the norm. But now you have them in your phones, in your computers, in USB drives…
CGBanco: Not just changing lives, but also the world
GETTING a new business off the ground isn’t an easy feat. Growing and moving it in the right direction aren’t without challenges, too. In a global economy that’s ever-changing, businesses are expected to keep up with the market’s demands and prepare for further funding opportunities — and oftentimes, seeking out outside funding is the solution…
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians announces casino rebrand to Yaamava’ Resort Casino at San Manuel
Evolution for Southern California’s leading casino comes during major expansion project with hotel and resort to open in December 2021 Highland, Calif. – The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (“San Manuel” or the “Tribe”) and the San Manuel Entertainment Authority (“SMEA”) announced that San Manuel Casino is now Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San…
California becomes first state in nation to announce covid-19 vaccine requirements for schools
SAN FRANCISCO – At a school in San Francisco, Governor Newsom announced plans to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required to attend school in-person when the vaccine receives full approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for middle and high school grades, making California the first state in the nation…
DOT welcomes Siargao, Palawan and Boracay win in int’l travel mag awards
The inclusion of the Philippines’ top tourist destinations in the 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards of the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) magazine is a testament to the hard work of the tourist industry “to strengthen our position as a top-of-mind destination” for international travelers. The Department of Tourism (DOT) made this statement on Wednesday, October…
Filipino American History Month exhibit at Princeton featuring NExSE collective navigates postcolonialism and liminal spaces beyond
By Vina Orden IN early 2020, eight intergenerational, emerging and mid-career Filipino American artists from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—Julio Jose Austria, Jeho Bitancor, Mic Boekelmann, Francis Estrada, Ben Iluzada, Ged Merino, Eva Marie Solangon, and Maria Stabio—formed the collective NExSE (for Northeast U.S. by Southeast Asia). “I had felt isolated in Princeton,” Mic…
LAX lights up for Filipino American History Month
With October as Filipino American History Month, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) marked the occasion with colored lights inspired by the Philippine flag from September 30 to October 2. October is the annual celebration of Fil-Am History Month in the United States to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos who landed in what is…
[COLUMN] Homes for all of us
By San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria HOMEOWNERSHIP is the essence of the American Dream for many. It is the reward for years of hard work and responsible financial decisions. It means that you have made it. But what happens when you have worked hard, done everything right and yet still cannot afford to buy a…
Newsom signs bill named after Fil-Am Navy veteran who died in police custody
CALIFORNIA Governor Gavin Newsom has signed eight new bills into law that advocate police reform, including one that bans law enforcement from strangulation restraint tactics that cause asphyxia. Assembly Bill 490 or Angelo’s Law, authored by Chair of the Select Committee on Police Reform, Mike Gipson (D-Carson), was signed by Newsom on Thursday, September 30….
Pacquiao files certificate of candidacy for PH president
MANNY Pacquiao may have retired from boxing, but he’s entering a new fight — this time for president of the Philippines. Pacquiao formally filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president in the 2022 national elections on Friday, October 1. Accompanied by his wife Jinkee, Pacquiao was the first presidential aspirant to file his COC around…
‘A legacy of fights’: Unpacking ethnic communities’ impact on the California recall, future elections
Demographic surveys released over the last year continue to unanimously reveal a new reality: California is more diverse than ever, and that diversity continues to expand. This is particularly evident in the transformative voting patterns among the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Black and Latino voters, all of whom saw population increases in their…
Newsom makes first-in-the-nation commitment to vaccine mandate for schoolchildren
The mandate applies to all children attending school who are eligible for the vaccine, pending FDA approval Schoolchildren in California who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine will now be required to get their shots in order to attend in-person schools, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Friday, Oct. 1. Newsom’s announcement makes California the…
[COLUMN] Jubilee year
IT’S a jubilee year in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It’s because we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the first California mission, Mission San Gabriel. Archbishop Jose H. Gomez has called for a yearlong celebration of this jubilee and has marked it as an invitation “to make a new start” to…
[COLUMN] Required minimum distribution for retirement
Biden tax plan series WHAT is required minimum distribution (RMD)? A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the amount of money that you must withdraw from your traditional IRA, employer-sponsored retirement plan, SEP, or SIMPLE individual retirement account (IRA) when you reach retirement age. You must begin withdrawing from a retirement account by April 1 following the year you…
Pres. Duterte considers US trip to thank gov’t for vaccine donations
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is now considering a trip to the United States to thank its government for donating vaccines against COVID-19. He floated the idea on Thursday, September 30, after vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told him that the U.S. donated five million more vaccine doses. “Kasasabi lang…
[COLUMN] When does filing bankruptcy make sense?
NO one ever likes to talk about bankruptcy. However, it’s simply a fact of life. Things happen. Whether it’s losing your job, going through a divorce, having huge medical bills that you can’t pay — or sometimes simply making poor financial decisions — any of these can lead to bankruptcy. It’s a scary thing to…