FILIPINA American Disney star and singer Olivia Rodrigo has returned with a follow-up to her debut smash hit “Drivers License.” Rodrigo on Thursday, April 1, released “Deja Vu” from her upcoming and highly-anticipated debut album out on May 21. In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the star of “The High School Musical: The…
by Michael Milan I was born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from the Philippines. My father served in the U.S. Navy and my mother was a registered nurse who traveled across the country and finally landed in California. After my parents divorced, my sister and I stayed with our mother who raised us as…
PHILIPPINE Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has condemned the recent brutal attack against an elderly Filipina American in New York City, saying it will influence the country’s foreign policy with the United States. “This is gravely noted and will influence Philippine foreign policy. I might as well say it, so no one on the other…
AS the COVID-19 pandemic continues, government agencies have issued guidance on how to reduce transmission of the illness. On March 4, 2021, California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) updated its guidelines regarding frequently asked questions (FAQs) on keeping workplaces safe while continuing to uphold civil and employment rights. Below are examples of FAQs…
IF Good Friday is here, can Easter be far behind? This is a rhetorical question that takes on a different meaning during these challenging times as we continue to fight the war against COVID-19, especially when we think about our loved ones in the Philippines. Every day, we read messages asking for urgent prayers as…
TWO instances of unprovoked attacks on elderly Asian women were featured on network TV in March — one in New York and the other incident, in San Francisco. The New York attack was so brutal. I’ve only seen that kind of cruelty in movies, inflicted by Nazis on prisoners of war (POWs). The 65-year-old Filipino…
HAS your income been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? If you are currently unemployed and have no resources to pay creditors, filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to wipe out your debts and start fresh may be the clear and only option. To file Chapter 7, you generally need to be able to show zero disposable…
Thieves’ new target: Mobile phones. People are vigilant in protecting their computers but not their cell phones; accordingly, scammers are feasting on mobile phones. The IRS FBI FTC have issued warnings about protecting phones especially when shopping. Make sure that your phones and tablets are just as secure as your computers. Federal and state agencies…
YOU and your spouse may have gone through a lengthy and contentious divorce proceeding. This is usually the most difficult period of a person’s life. Finally, time heals all pain. You and your spouse get tired of bickering and being mean to one another that you both decide to compromise on each other’s positions and…
On this Easter Sunday, I reaffirm our relentless spirit as Catholic Christians, which is evident in the ongoing worship and services worldwide amid the pandemic, whether in-person gathering or live-streamed. As I’ve always said, no pandemic or financial crisis could ever stop us from practicing and living our faith! We have a strong Church, built…
IS Chapter 7 better than Chapter 13? I would say generally speaking if you have accumulated debt that is too burdensome for you, Chapter 7 is better for you than Chapter 13 because, in Chapter 7, all your debts are wiped out, giving you a fresh start in life so you can be productive again….
FUN, fellowship, and friendship awaits all U.P. alumni in the 5th Annual Spring Fling get-together of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) scheduled on Saturday, April 24, 2021 from 2-5 p.m. PST via Zoom. Spring Fling is open to all U.P. alumni (UPAAGLA members and non-members) from Kern County…
FILIPINA singer Claire dela Fuente has passed away a week after testing positive for COVID-19. She was 62 years old. Her son, Gigo de Guzman, confirmed in an Instagram video that she died due to cardiac arrest on Tuesday, March 30, at around 7 a.m., adding that his mother had suffered from anxiety after contracting…
FILIPINA American sprinter Kristina Knott bagged the silver medal in the 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas, as she begins her qualifying bid for the Tokyo Olympics. The Fil-Am track star clocked in at 11.54 seconds, finishing behind Kiara Parker, who registered 11.20 seconds during the women’s 100-meter dash event held at the…
There’s an outpour of support for Vilma Kari, the 65-year-old Filipina immigrant who was violently attacked on her way to church in New York during the start of Holy Week. A GoFundMe page — started by Kari’s daughter Elizabeth days after the brutal incident in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood — has garnered over $85,000, as…
PHILIPPINE Senator and eight-division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is daring those committing violence against the Asian American community to challenge him instead. The 42-year-old people’s champ took to social media on Thursday, April 1, calling for an end to anti-Asian hate and racism by posting a photo of him in front of a collage of…
U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined bicameral legislation introduced by Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Representative Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) to address the rise of hate crimes and violence targeted at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act would assign a point person at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to…
A Filipino American U.S. Army veteran from San Francisco was recently subjected to a racist tirade and injured in a physical attack in what is being considered a hate crime. Ron Tuason — a 56-year-old longtime Bay Area resident who is of Filipino, Chinese and Spanish descent — was waiting for the bus after a…
Family alleges incident is a hate crime A FILIPINA American teen has been discharged from the hospital after getting shot in the face in San Francisco during an incident her family is calling a hate crime. Jessica Dimalanta, a 19-year-old from Vallejo, California, was reportedly attending car stunt shows with four friends in San Francisco…
MEET the new Filipino American chef creating waves in the culinary industry. His name is Denevin Miranda and his latest claim to fame? He was recently declared as the champion of the Food Network show “Chopped” with its new season focused on “Meat Fight,” a glorious, carnivorous throwdown for gastronomy lovers. The new episodes focus…
Journalist-diplomat, Elmer G. Cato, officially assumed as Consul General of the Republic of the Philippines in New York on Tuesday, March 30. A career diplomat with the rank of Chief of Mission Class II, Consul General Cato succeeds Consul General Petronila P. Garcia who retired in January. Consul General Cato arrived Tuesday afternoon from Libya…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte admitted he is struggling to address the pandemic in the country, particularly in securing vaccines against COVID-19. “I’m having a hard time. I’m grappling with the issue of COVID,” he said in a pre-recorded public address on Monday, March 29. “It takes most of my time actually. More than any other…
NEW York has lowered the threshold of vaccine eligibility starting Tuesday, March 30 as New Yorkers 30 years old and older will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine. This eligibility will expand further to include all adults 16 years and older starting April 6, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo. This, as the state of…
MORE changes are coming to Alameda County as it’s the latest area to move into the less restrictive orange tier in the state’s reopening plan. The county joins most of the Bay Area in the orange tier, except for Napa, Sonoma, Solano and Contra Costa counties. As of Wednesday, March 31, Alameda loosened its measures,…
STAR for All Seasons and current Congresswoman Vilma Santos-Recto’s name has cropped up in a list for nominees for National Artist, according to an article in Inquirer.net by columnist Dolly Anne Carvajal. Administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Order of National Artists is the highest national recognition given to Filipinos…
IN a previous article, I reported that on February 24, 2021, Pres. Biden revoked Trump’s immigration ban, which was set to expire at the end of March 2021. Because of that ban, most immigrant visa processing was suspended at the U.S. embassies around the world. That caused a lot of confusion, heartbreak, and sadness to…
