FOR the second year in a row, we are still in calvary, carrying the load of our cross brought by the escalating threat of the coronavirus pandemic. We thought it would be over by now. Some died still in denial that the pandemic even existed. But no matter how much we cry, complain or despair…
MANILA, 31 March 2021 – The Government of Japan pledged additional PhP190m to UNICEF strengthening its support to the Philippine Government’s COVID-19 immunization response. The pledge is part of the Japanese Government’s assistance to 25 countries in the Southeast and Southwest Asian and Pacific Island region amounting to a total of US$41 million. The funding…
The Philippines and the Department of Tourism (DOT) secure positions as nominees to the 2021 World Travel Awards (WTA), one of the most prestigious and comprehensive global recognition bodies that aims to “acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.” “I am very excited to share with…
“The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy.” —Alfred North Whitehead (Continued from last week’s issue…) Daedalus took off flapping his wings faster and faster to get vertical lift-off and escape gravity. Icarus followed suit and took off shortly after. As they flew, the people on the ground in Crete watched…
ARE you seriously in debt and don’t know what to do about your situation? Are you afraid that unless you do something about it, thing will just continue to get worse every day? When people are going through financial difficulty and are unable to pay their bills, their first reaction is often to ignore their…
The White House on Tuesday, March 30 announced several actions in response to the latest string of anti-Asian violence and racism in the United States. The move comes two weeks since the Atlanta mass shooting that left eight individuals dead, six of whom were Asian women, and as nearly 3,800 hate incidents have been reported…
Archbishop José H. Gomez will celebrate an outdoor Prayer Vigil for Racial Acceptance on Holy Wednesday, March 31 at 7 p.m. at Incarnation Parish in Glendale (1001 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale 91202) in solidarity with the Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, in light of the rising violence against that community. During the vigil, the faithful…
THE United States maintained that it “stands” with the Philippines amid the presence of Chinese ships at Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) in the West Philippine Sea. “The United States stands with our ally, the Philippines, in the face of the PRC’s maritime militia amassing at WhitsunReef,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in…
ATTACKS on Asian Americans continue to happen unabated in New York City. This week alone, the New York City Police Department’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating a few of these hate incidents, one a brawl inside the J train going to Brooklyn, an Asian female was struck by a male who made anti-Asian statements,…
We have asked Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr, the chief implementor of the country’s Covid-19 vaccination program, to widen the vaccination priority list for frontline workers of the tourism industry to include tour guides, operators and other accredited workers and service providers. The frontline nature of the jobs of these workers requires face-to-face interaction with individuals…
The Department of Tourism has issued strict new guidelines for the operation of DOT-accredited hotels and other accommodation establishments during the Holy Week in the light of a new surge of Covid-19 cases in the country. The interim operational guidelines issued on Sunday by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat came in the wake of the imposition…
AS the City of Los Angeles moves towards excavating the homeless encampments at Echo Park Lake this week, hundreds of homeless residents and advocates continue to push back on the decision, leading to two nights of demonstrations and calls into concern the issue of extreme force by police. This week, LA City officials — including…
WHEN California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Assemblymember Rob Bonta as his pick for attorney general, Filipino American leaders and community members across the state joined in applauding the move. On Wednesday, March 24, Bonta was revealed as the choice to succeed outgoing Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead…
Jun Reodica was sentenced to 10 years for $64 million scam Eminiano “Jun” Reodica Jr., a native of the Philippines incarcerated for bank fraud, passed away on March 17, 2021 in Texas, sources confirmed with the Asian Journal. He was 76 years old. Reodica was serving his 10-year sentence in federal prison for a bank…
CALIFORNIANS over the age of 16 will get their shot at receiving a COVID-19 vaccine by April. Starting April 1, individuals aged 50 and over will be eligible to make an appointment, and individuals over 16 will be eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated starting on April 15. “With vaccine supply increasing and…
RUSSIA is looking at the Philippines to become Asia’s vaccine production hub for its Sputnik V vaccine. In a recent interview with “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s OneNews and TV5, Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev said they are in the final stage of negotiation with producers to manufacture Sputnik V vaccines in the…
A FILIPINO scientist has made history as one of the first two human beings to reach Emden Deep, the third deepest spot on Earth. Dr. Deo Florence Onda, a microbial oceanographer from the Marine Science Institute (MSI) of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, on Tuesday, March 23, waved the Philippine flag 34,100 feet…
FOR Staff Sergeant Maria Monica Suarez, joining the U.S. Army was a shot at opportunities not just for herself, but her family. “I wanted to have a steady, brighter future, career-wise,” Suarez said. “I joined the Army basically for my family.” The 28-year-old Filipina, who was born in Angeles City in the province of Pampanga,…
Jie Wang owns three rental properties in Oakland. Her whole family relies on income from tenants paying their rent. Many have lost their jobs during the pandemic. Eviction moratoriums protect tenants who can’t pay part or all of their rent. But small housing providers like Wang still have mortgages, utilities and other expenses. A lack…
Kapag ang green card ay nakuha sa pamamagitan ng kasal sa isang U.S. citizen (USC) at ang kasal ay wala pang 2 taon noong naaprubahan ng USCIS ang green card application, ang green card na makukuha ng dayuhan ay conditional green card na may bisa na 2 taon. Ang layunin ng conditional green card ay…
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…
DEAR Attorney Tan, I entered the U.S. in 1998 as a crewman. I have recently married a U.S. citizen and would like to get a green card. However, I have heard that since I entered as a crewman, I cannot adjust my status to a permanent resident. Is this true? — Lost on Land Dear…
Feb. 1, 2021: Employers to mail out W-2 Forms to their employees; businesses to furnish 1099 Forms reporting non-employee compensation, bank interest, dividends, and distributions from a retirement plan. Feb. 1, 2021: Financial institutions to mail out Form 1099-B relating to sales of stock, bonds, or mutual funds through a brokerage account, Form 1099-S relating to real estate transactions; and Form…
Last year, private employers with 500 or more employees were required to provide California employees with paid sick time for COVID-19-related absences. That law, AB 1867, aimed to close the gaps left open by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) by expanding coverage to healthcare providers or emergency responders and food sector workers. AB…
FIRST of all, let’s have a moment of silence for the 10 innocent victims of the shooting massacre in Boulder, Colorado earlier this week. This was another senseless killing of innocent people for no reason at all. Remember, this massacre was preceded only a week ago by the anti-Asian hate crime in Atlanta that murdered…
Part 2 of 2 “I see, above all, the pressing need to strengthen institutions, which are a vital reserve of moral energy and civic love. The hyperinflation of the individual goes along with the weakness of the state. Once people lose a sense of the common good, history shows that we are left with anarchy…
PALM Sunday is the solemn beginning of Holy Week. We raise not just our palms but our hearts and minds to the Lord—that in good times and in bad times, amid tragedies and crisis, we can still say, “Hosanna to my King and my Lord!” We commemorate the entrance of Jesus in the city of…
ONE silver lining during this period in our history when the violent physical and verbal attacks against Asian Americans have again escalated is the appointment of Rob Bonta, a 48-year-old Filipino American who is on track to be California’s next Attorney General. Governor Gavin Newsom this week appointed Bonta to fill the remaining term of…
