RAPPLER co-founder and veteran journalist Maria Ressa has made history as the first Filipino to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday, October 8, announced that Ressa and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for their “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.” “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided…
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”…
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…
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.”…
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…
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…
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….
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….
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…
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,”…
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-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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
