A COMMUNITY pantry is definitely NOT the “Communist Party.” Some people with ill intentions are linking the grassroots initiative to “communism” and creating fear and doubt among people instead of hailing the community spirit among Filipinos, that even people in other countries are now talking about. As a Bloomberg report stated: “Dozens of makeshift stalls…
FILIPINA American Vilma Kari is on the path of recovery nearly a month after she was brutally attacked in New York City. In an interview with ABC7 New York, 65-year-old Kari talked about the incident that left her with serious injuries, including a fractured pelvis and forehead contusions. “It’s so surreal watching that incident and…
ON Tuesday, April 20, when the guilty verdict was called in the case of George Floyd’s murder by former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin, millions of Americans cheered for what many believed was a long-awaited serving of justice in cases involving police brutality against unarmed individuals. The jury in the highly publicized case found Chauvin guilty…
A new, walk-up mobile COVID-19 clinic launched this week to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to underserved communities in Los Angeles, presented by Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas in partnership with CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (CHA HPMC) and the Southern California Eye Institute (SCEI). The clinic provided free Pfizer vaccines to those who meet eligibility criteria per…
WITH the current rise of anti-Asian hate and discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic, over 30% of Asian adults say they have feared being threatened or physically attacked, according to a recent survey by nonpartisan think tank Pew Research Center. The research firm on Wednesday, April 21, released the study highlighting the negative experiences of U.S….
IT was an idea that became a reality just as the pandemic was hammering the world last year. This is the story of Mercado Vicente, a story about Filipinos coming together to help each other out. The premise was simple, and it began as a response to the rising anti-Asian sentiment early last year and…
IT’S official: California now has its first Filipino American attorney general. The state Legislature on Thursday, April 22 confirmed Assemblymember Rob Bonta as the next chief law enforcement officer, a month after he was nominated by Governor Gavin Newsom. The 48-year-old progressive Democrat received 29-6 votes in the Senate and 62-0 in the Assembly, where…
Plan would go into effect on May 1 BUSINESSES in the Las Vegas area are set to increase their capacity to 80% at the beginning of May. Starting May 1, establishments — such as restaurants, bars and gyms — can expand from 50% to 80% capacity, following the Clark County Commissioners’ approval of the mitigation…
Majority of countries on ‘Do Not Travel’ list THE United States is urging its citizens to “avoid all travel” to the Philippines due to the ongoing risk of COVID-19 transmission and other safety threats. The State Department on Tuesday, April 20, factoring in the assessment of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said…
CHEF Reina Montenegro is ready to continue her reign as the queen of vegan Filipino comfort food. Montenegro — a restaurateur who formerly operated three Nick’s locations in the San Francisco Peninsula — has opened a brick-and-mortar under her own brand, Chef Reina, along Visitacion Avenue in Brisbane, California. At the new storefront, which held…
THE recent uptick in discrimination and hate against Asian Americans in the United States has made the entire community wary. And while countless leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, denounced the anti-Asian violence and harassment, little has changed. In this current social climate, just being outside can become a harrowing experience for an Asian American….
MORE than 5,800 individuals who have been fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV2 (corona) virus were infected with COVID-19 anyway (“breakthrough infections”), according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC). Of those, 396 required hospitalization and 74 of them died. The effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNT (95 percent), Moderna (91 percent), and Johnson…
UNDER the Biden Administration, words matter. Using incorrect or offensive terminology could affect people’s feelings and self-esteem. With that in mind, on April 19, 2021, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a memo on “Updated Terminology for CBP Communications and Materials.” That memo provides a list of “preferred use of immigration terminology within…
LEADING U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) provides the latest immigration developments, as featured on his YouTube channel, “US Immigration TV.” This Sunday, he also answers questions centered around family. Priscila from Denver, Colorado (top right) is worried that her eldest grandson might not be able to join the rest of the family when…
TO vac or not to vac, that is the question Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of coronavirus Or to give arms to vaccination And with the serum, end it. With apologies to William Shakespeare for my paraphrasing of Hamlet, this should be a no-brainer for desperate folks in…
THE Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to two more COVID-19 vaccines. FDA director general Eric Domingo on Tuesday, April 20, confirmed that Johnson & Johnson and India’s Bharat Biotech have secured a EUA for their vaccines. “Our experts have evaluated their applications and decided that the benefits outweigh…
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is announcing that this week, everyone living or working in L.A. County 16 and older can receive the vaccine at the new Palmdale and Lancaster vaccination sites without setting up an appointment ahead of time. Registration for COVID-19 appointments will be completed on-site. Vaccination sites accepting walk-ups…
Half of all U.S. adults have received at least one dose, CDC confirms ALTHOUGH the coronavirus pandemic is far from over and normal life has yet to fully resume, more residents aged 16 and older are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 in cities and counties across California. On Saturday, April 10 the City of Los Angeles…
THE jury has reached a verdict: Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on Tuesday, April 20 has been found GUILTY on all counts he faced over the death of George Floyd. As the National Public Radio reported, “The trial has been one of the most closely watched cases in recent memory, setting off a national reckoning…
LOS Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti delivered his annual State of the City address on Monday, April 19, in which he proposed a slew of programs that tackle recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the continuous calls for racial justice. Speaking from the Griffith Observatory on Monday night, the mayor’s speech comes as the city seeks…
THE Philippines is “falling short” of protecting its frontline healthcare workers against COVID-19, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said Monday, April 19. In a Laging Handa public briefing, WHO representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe noted that only 63% of the country’s health care workers have been immunized under the government’s COVID-19 vaccination…
THE U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has started accepting applications for its funeral assistance program, which will reimburse families who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA has earmarked $2 billion to reimburse individuals and…
By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez MORE than 120 million Americans have joined arguably the most sought-after club on Earth: those immunized against the coronavirus. Fully vaccinated people were given the green light in March by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to gather with other fully vaccinated people or with low-risk unvaccinated people from one other…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has made it “very clear” that the country’s friendship with China has limitations, according to Malacañang. “He made it very clear ‘Kaibigan tayo, makikipagkaibigan ako (We are friends, I will make friends with you), but there is a limit to our friendship,’” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday, April 20. “Pagdating…
FOREIGN travelers who were given entry exemption documents prior to the implementation of the travel ban in March may now enter the Philippines, according to the country’s Bureau of Immigration (BI). BI Commissioner Jaime Morente updated the advisory that non-Filipino citizens with entry exemption documents issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) before March…
