By Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services AMID the COVID-19 global pandemic, California has led the way in establishing a variety of supports to help people through a time of increased needs and reduced earnings. At a town-hall meeting hosted by the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA) and Ethnic Media Services on June 24,…
AN elderly Filipina American is among the hundreds of residents missing from the collapse of a condominium building block near Miami Beach in Florida on Thursday, June 24. Maricoy Obias-Bonnefoy, 70, and her husband, Claudio Bonnefoy, 85, who resided in unit 1001 on the 10th floor of the Champlain Towers South Condominium, are still unaccounted…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte was noticeably absent at the wake and funeral of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. The chief executive did not attend his predecessor’s wake at The Heritage Park in Taguig where Aquino’s remains were first brought for cremation on Thursday, June 24 nor at the public viewing at the Church of…
THE Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is strongly recommending that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in public places to prevent the circulation of the Delta variant of the coronavirus. As of June 12, the Delta variant comprised almost half of all variants sequenced in Los Angeles County, according…
WHILE the current pandemic has put on hold many people’s travel plans, take heart in knowing that Manila has something that is both unique and familiar in store for you when you get back. Through the initiative of the city government led by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and leading insurance company Allianz PNB Life,…
EMMA looked down at the busy huddle in the operating room. She was floating, hovering above the doctors and nurses in their blood spattered scrub suits while working on someone. They were desperately trying to bring a patient back to life. Emma took a closer look. “Why that’s me,” she thought. The doctors were trying…
PECHANGA Resort Casino announced it is aligning with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the State of California regarding the use of face masks. As of June 15, 2021, fully vaccinated guests will not be required to wear a face mask while at Pechanga Resort Casino. The resort/casino’s leadership asks non-vaccinated guests to continue…
DO COVID-19 vaccines work? More than 47 percent of the U.S. population have been fully vaccinated. More than half of Americans are not vaccinated, with almost 20 percent (60 million) refusing the vaccines, making them potential future carriers and spreaders of current and future (more severe) new strains of the virus. About 3 billion doses…
Kataluna Enriquez, a Filipina American transgender woman who was crowned Miss Nevada USA on Sunday, June 27, will become the first openly transgender woman to vie for the Miss USA title later this year. The 27-year-old took to social media to express her thanks for those who helped her in the journey after winning the…
Questions & Answers with Dr. Marc Concepcion, family physician California has now changed its mask requirements to match CDC’s guidelines, and this is what it means for everyone. •Vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most circumstances. •Unvaccinated people should wear masks in indoor, public settings. •Everyone should wear masks in public transit,…
BEING in debt and doing nothing about it can have more serious consequences than you think. First of all, it can impact your financial future. Uncontrolled debt can deprive you the opportunity to put money aside for emergencies, save money for a home or college for your children, or perhaps for retirement. Every day I…
THERE seems to be a misconception in the general public that you can only obtain a divorce in California if your spouse will sign the divorce papers. I get this question a lot from our family law clients. The fact is that California is a no fault state and you do not need your spouse’s…
Q: MY job title is “manager.” I work at least 10 hours per day, 6 to 7 days per week. While I supervise a few employees, I mostly do the same tasks they do. I cannot hire or fire anyone. My employer insists that since I am salaried and paid double the hourly minimum wage,…
HOW do you pick stocks to buy? Well, it depends on your overall strategy: short or long-term holding, value or growth, your aversion to risk, among other things. For now, let’s talk about the length of time you plan to hang on to your holdings — short or long term. Short-term traders hold stocks for one…
FILIPINO American organizations and officials are celebrating the approval to name a Delano park after Fil-Am labor organizer Larry Itliong, a pivotal, yet often forgotten figure of the American labor movement. The Delano City Council on Monday, June 21 unanimously approved the naming of “The Larry Itliong Unity Park” located next to the Eleventh Avenue…
The Los Angeles County Health Officer has issued an Extreme Heat Warning as high temperatures have been forecast for the following areas: Santa Clarita Valley – Saturday, June 26 through Tuesday, June 29 Antelope Valley – Saturday, June 26 through Tuesday, June 29 West San Fernando Valley – Sunday, June 27 through Tuesday, June 29…
DOES this sound right? It’s almost incredible, but it’s true. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1885 into law and it is the current law on homestead exemptions effective in 2021! This is monumental because the old law provided the following homestead exemptions: If single, $75,000. If below 65 with another family member in…
THE U.S. State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale of $2.43 billion (P118 billion) worth of fighter jets and military equipment to the Philippines. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Thursday, June 24, said that the Philippines requested to buy 10 F-16C Block 70/72 aircraft, two F-16D Block 70/72 aircraft, 24…
AMERICAN citizens in the Philippines with expired U.S. passports will be allowed to depart the country, according to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI). A memorandum issued by Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente directed all BI personnel assigned at the different ports to allow the departure of passengers whose American passports expired on or after January…
A San Jose father was with his son at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on Father’s Day when he claimed he was reportedly kicked out of the park for his arm tattoos that said “Pinoy Pride.” Mark Devera was recording his son on a ride when he said he was approached by park officials who…
FILIPINOS in America and around the world were shocked to hear about the passing of Former President Benigno Aquino III, better known as Noynoy or PNoy (President Noy). After all, the predecessor of President Rodrigo Duterte had been quiet and hardly seen in public since his term ended in 2016. The only son of the…
FORMER President Donald Trump has been blamed for sowing distrust in mainstream media by tagging them as purveyors of “fake news.” But the harsh fact is that the press, including the leading dailies in Manila, have been perfectly capable of gaining notoriety on their own, without the help of the Hyperbolero AKA the Lying King….
AS we all know, California has the perfect weather and scenery for those of us who enjoy riding bicycles. Besides using bicycling as a form of exercise, it is also environmentally friendly. California communities are leading the charge in promoting the use of bicycles for short trips rather than cars by creating bicycle-friendly streets and…
KALAYAAN Incorporated participated in the celebration of Dr. Jose Rizal’s 160th birth anniversary on Saturday, June 19 at the City of Carson’s International Sculpture Garden with a ceremonial wreath laying. Among the esteemed guests were Philippine Consul General Edgar B Badajos, Carson Mayor Lula-Davis Holmes, Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Dear, Assemblymember Mike Gipson of the 64th…
UNITED States President Joe Biden has extended his “deepest condolences” to the Philippines following the death of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. In a statement released by the White House on Thursday, June 24, Biden called Aquino a “valued friend and partner” to the U.S. “He will long be remembered for serving his country…
VARIOUS Filipino artists have banded together in support of a global campaign that aims to end hate and violence against Asians in the United States and other parts of the world. The campaign, called #StopAsianHate, was launched by the non-profit organization Asia Society in response to hate crimes against Asians in the U.S. The star-studded…
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. Ayon sa nakaraang survey na ginawa ng AARP, malaking bahagi ng Asian American at Pacific Islander seniors ang nagsasabi na sila o ang kanilang mga pamilya…
Church leaders discuss safely reopening for in-person worship With our community at much higher risk from the COVID-19 virus, Filipino faith leaders like me recently gathered for an online roundtable entitled “Vaccinating in Good Faith: Filipino Families & Frontline Workers” to hear from medical experts and to honor our many essential healthcare workers, while we…
