Demanding equal access to the internet as a human right
The Internet has become so integral to modern life that access to it is a necessity. Broadband access is an integral part of infrastructure negotiations and in the United Nations, that access is considered a human right. At a panel convened by Ethnic Media Services on July 23, representatives of national and California nonprofits, joined…
Several Bay Area counties to require indoor masks again
EIGHT Bay Area counties are requiring residents to wear masks in public indoor settings anew. The mandate requires all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 amid a surge in cases and the Delta variant. Health officers representing the counties of…
Duterte admits US vaccine donations helped save VFA
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has revealed that the COVID-19 vaccine donations from the United States led him to recall the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). “Give and take lang tayo, so pasalamat tayo sa kanila at may naibigay naman ako sa kanila na (we thank them, and I also gave them a) concession,”…
[COLUMN] ‘Physical abuse’ not required for VAWA green card
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I married a U.S. citizen for love, hoping we would live “happily ever after.” Unfortunately, soon after marriage, he changed. He drank a lot, gambled, took drugs, called me names, said he would never petition me and would try to get me deported. He gets very angry when I laugh and speak…
Humanitarian revalidation or survivor law: This Sunday, Aug. 8 on Citizen Pinoy
HUMANITARIAN REVALIDATION OR SURVIVOR LAW: THIS SUNDAY ON CITIZEN PINOY. Allain (left) was petitioned by his mother in 1997. He came to the U.S. as a tourist with his wife, Laarnie (center), in 2002 and overstayed. His mother passed away in 2006, which, at that point, Allain thought his mother’s petition for him was gone….
August 2021 priority dates explained by Citizen Pinoy host Atty. Gurfinkel
LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (and host of Citizen Pinoy) explains the August 2021 priority dates on his YouTube channel: US Immigration TV. This video is a “must see” for anyone under petition by a family member or employer. Atty. Gurfinkel discusses the August 2021 priority dates and answers such questions as: What…
‘No vaccine, no entry’: NYC to require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms starting Aug. 16
NEW York City is set to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for customers who want to dine indoors or go to the gym, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio who made the announcement on Tuesday, Aug. 3. “It’s time for people to see vaccination as literally necessary to living a good and full and healthy…
[COLUMN] Maine Mendoza learns new skills for #MaineGoals
ACTRESS Maine Mendoza revealed in a recent article in the Philippine Star that she had enjoyed learning new skills during shooting of her new show, “#MaineGoals,” that will air soon. Mendoza mentioned her farming experience and training a dolphin as among the experiences she enjoyed. In fact, she enjoyed the farming experience where she got…
Debunking claims that CDC’s PCR test can’t tell COVID from flu
Posts circulating on Facebook and Instagram claim the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will stop using its covid-19 test because it cannot differentiate between the covid virus and flu viruses. “CDC has just announced they will revoke the emergency use authorization of the RT-PCR tests first introduced in 2/20,” reads a July 25…
[COLUMN] I received a notice of default / pre-foreclosure notice. What should I do?
A Notice of Default (NOD), also known as a Pre-Foreclosure Notice, is a notice sent to a homeowner when they have defaulted on their mortgage payment at least 3 months consecutively. If a homeowner does not cure the payments in arrears, they are at serious risk of losing the property by the lender. The lender…
Vegetables take center stage at Jewel, a Los Angeles restaurant helmed by Filipina entrepreneur Sharky McGee
Coconut meat tacos, carrot lox toast, a spicy fried “chicken” sandwich made from tofu — these are some of the standout items at Jewel, a Los Angeles restaurant where vegetables are the main ingredients. Behind the three-year-old restaurant in the heart of LA’s Virgil Village is Filipina American Sharky McGee, who is welcoming back customers…
US senators urge Biden administration to address abuses in the Philippines
SEVERAL Democratic senators from the United States are urging President Joe Biden to condemn human rights abuses in the Philippines under the Duterte administration. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week, 11 senators raised concerns over the reported human rights situation in the Philippines and asked the Biden administration to address…
LAUSD to require testing for students, staff regardless of vaccination status
THE United States’ second-largest school district will require all students and employees returning for in-person learning to get tested for COVID-19 weekly regardless of vaccination status. The Los Angeles United School District announced the move ahead of the school year starting on August 16. Interim Superintendent Megan K. Reilly said the requirement is part of…
LA County COVID-19 hospitalizations nearly quadruple as Delta variant rages
More businesses requiring patrons to provide proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test ONCE again, Los Angeles County finds itself in hot water as the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to spread across the county, forcing officials, business owners and community leaders to institute stricter measures to mitigate the spread. As of Monday, Aug. 2, COVID-19-related…
[OPINION] Cuomo has to go: President Biden publicly calls on NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign following investigation confirming sexual harassment of multiple women
DISAPPOINTED. Betrayed. Angry. These are a few of the emotions that I feel as a woman, as an American citizen, and as a registered Democrat. When the news about sexual harassment allegations against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo hit the headlines early this year, I thought it could have been politically motivated especially because Cuomo…
Introducing FilAm Arts’ new leadership
INTRODUCING FILAM ARTS’ NEW LEADERSHIP. Photo shows (L-R) Executive Director Giselle Tongi-Walters, FilAm Arts Board of Directors: Theresa Calimag (Chair), Alvin Catacutan (Vice-Chair) , Maurus Dumalaog, Keanu Valibia, Mic Diaz and Marcie Taylor (Secretary)at the Steelcraft Summer Culture Series AAPI Event in Garden Grove. Not in photo: Claire Van Holland (Treasurer). | Photo by Janna…
Consul General Edgar Badajos inducts new set of officers of U.P. Alumni Association
PHILIPPINE Consul General Edgar Badajos, a proud University of the Philippines alumni himself, recently inducted the 2021 to 2023 officers and directors of the University of the Philippine Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles or UPAAGLA in an intimate, hybrid (in-person and Zoom) affair. Attended by around 50 in-person guests, newly-inducted President Evelyn Adamo expressed…
[COLUMN] The bucket list: Whip up your signature dish
5th of a series [SELECT a handful of those things in your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time frame. In tech speak, it means before your life’s energy goes into ‘ low batt mode’ and life has run out of sockets to plug into.] Ever wonder how…
Q3 Medicare Tip #7: 10 common Medicare mistakes to avoid
Ito ay serye ng Medicare Tips hatid ng Clever Care Health Plan, isang nangungunang tagapagbigay ng East meets West Medicare services na sensitibo sa kultura ng kanilang mga miyembro. Para sa malapit nang mag-65, maraming desisyon na kailangang gawin para sa inyong healthcare coverage. Importante ang maintindihan ng lahat ang Medicare para masulit ang paggamit…
As food insecurity rises, millions missing out on LA County food support programs
By Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services MORE than a million LA County residents are missing out on easily accessible programs that would them keep their families well-nourished and healthy. At a July 26 “call to action” news briefing hosted by the Los Angeles County Joint Information Center on COVID, Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, Chair of the…
Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio wins Olympic silver
NESTHY Petecio is now the first Filipina to bring home a medal in boxing after she claimed silver in the Tokyo Olympics. The 29-year-old Davao native garnered the Philippines’ first silver medal in the Tokyo Games after she bowed to Sena Irie of Japan via unanimous decision in the women’s featherweight final on Tuesday, August…
Filipina-Chinese senior citizen attacked at San Francisco home
A Filipina Chinese senior citizen was attacked in her own home in the Oceanview neighborhood of San Francisco during an attempted robbery earlier in July. In an exclusive interview with ABC7 News’ Dion Lim, 71-year-old Remia Reyes said she is considering moving out of the city after being placed in a chokehold and carried by…
Philippines restores VFA with US
AFTER moves to cancel the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has backtracked from his decision and will continue to uphold the defense pact with the United States. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday, July 30, announced the reversal, saying the chief executive is seeking to sustain the country’s “strategic core interests.” “PRRD’s…
Duterte pledges P3M, house and lot to Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has extended his congratulations to Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz with several incentives. To reward the Filipina weightlifter for claiming the country’s first-ever Olympic gold, the chief executive pledged a money incentive worth P3 million as well as a “fully-furnished” house and lot in Zamboanga City. The cash grant from Duterte…
Metro Manila, surrounding areas to revert to enhanced community quarantine on Aug. 6
METRO Manila will go back to the most restrictive enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on August 6 to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Friday, July 30, announced that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the…
Understanding the upcoming California gubernatorial recall election in September
Election to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom scheduled for Sept. 14 IN less than two months, Californians will have the chance to either re-elect Gov. Gavin Newsom or elect a new state leader among a pool of mostly conservatives who have criticized the current leader over, among many things, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and…