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…
MORE than half a million Filipinos have received the vaccine against COVID-19 since the Philippines kicked-off its national vaccination campaign in the beginning of March. Based on the data from the Philippine Department of Health and the National Task Force against COVID-19 released Wednesday, March 24, a total of 508,332 individuals have been vaccinated against…
THE Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is addressing growing safety concerns within the local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community following the recent violent attacks across the country. During a press conference on Thursday, March 18, LVMPD Spring Valley Area Command Capt. Nick Farese said: “In light of the many recent events that occurred…
Emily Higby, co-founder of the Asian Community Resource Center (ACRC), passed away on Monday, March 22. She spent her life in service to others, always giving her time and money when it came to meaningful causes. Her family, friends, and colleagues knew her as a kind soul who was both selfless and passionate. Emily’s commitment…
THE Sweetwater Unified High School District (SUHSD) is seeking assistance from the community for donations to its 2021 Karangalan Scholarship. The Karangalan Scholarship was established in the Spring of 2000, with a goal of honoring the academic achievements of the district’s Filipino-American seniors by giving at least one scholar from each of the 13 high…
The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) brings in 10 of the country’s leading manufacturers of world-class décor, furniture, homeware, and lighting in the first-ever digital edition of Philconstruct Virtual Expo (Philconstruct VX), happening from March 24 to 30, 2020. The 10 brands–Acento Colleccions, E. Murio, Enpekei International, Goltrio, Junk Not, La Galuche,…
Philippine brands hailing from the home, fashion, and lifestyle (HFL) sector were spotlighted during Maison & Objet and More (MOM) Digital Days. MOM Digital Days is an initiative of Maison & Objet that aims to expedite the sourcing process by curating brands and pieces that best embody a current design trend, mood, or movement. It…
BLACK and Filipina American hip-hop darling Saweetie is reclaiming her power after years of “dimming” her light. In her latest Cosmopolitan cover interview, the “Icy Girl” rapper shared that she finally became comfortable in her own skin last year after her ascent to viral stardom in the summer of 2017. “Last year was the year…
NEW confirmed cases continue to rise in New Jersey in the past few weeks, prompting Gov. Phil Murphy to pause the reopening of the state. Speaking on CNN, Gov. Murphy said Monday that the state battles a surge in COVID-19 variants. The governor, speaking on CNN, said any further reopenings or capacity increases are on…
FORMER California Governor Edmund Gerald “Jerry” Brown Jr., born on April 7, 1938, heads the list of prominent celebrities who will be celebrating their birthdays in the month of April. Brown served as Governor of California on two occasions (34th Gov. from 1975 to 1983 and 39th Gov. from 2011 to 2019). Prior to and…
IN a previous article, I discussed how Pres. Biden and the Democrats introduced the “U.S. CITIZENSHIP ACT” of 2021. It was a massive bill, covering a variety of immigration issues and reforms, including a pathway to U.S. citizenship for approximately 11 million undocumented noncitizens now in the U.S. Unfortunately, that bill has stalled in Congress,…
