UNITED States President Joe Biden signed a trio of executive orders on Tuesday, Feb. 2 that aim to undo former President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration policies, including addressing family separation at the U.S.-Mexico border, reforming the asylum program and reviewing the “barriers” that the Trump administration placed around legal immigration. “We are going to work…
Foreign visitors drop to 84% in 2020 due to travel restrictions PHILIPPINE tourism stakeholders believe that this year is crucial in rebuilding the country’s tourism industry battered by the global pandemic that hit in 2020. “I believe 2021 is a major transition year for all of us,” Tourism Promotions Board Chief Operating Officer Anthonette Velasco…
WEARING two face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is not necessary, according to a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO). In response to a question about the necessity of wearing two kinds of masks at the same time, Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, the health body’s representative to the Philippines, said: “It depends on…
THE Philippine Department of Finance has welcomed the United States’ decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. Reentering the international treaty on climate change was one of U.S. President Joe Biden’s first moves upon taking office in January. “This is a welcome development that comes on the heels of President Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated call on…
A WEEK after California lifted its stay-at-home order, the state is experiencing a steady decline in case numbers and hospitalizations. On Tuesday, February 2, 12,064 COVID-19 cases were confirmed, bringing the total cases since the pandemic started to 3,270,770. Meanwhile, 422 fatalities were reported, for a total of 41,330 deaths. In terms of hospitalizations, 14,221…
THE United States of America is back, reclaiming leadership in combatting and beating threats to the lives of the people and the planet. The coronavirus pandemic is the most urgent and fatal health emergency that has been the leading cause of death and disrupting the lives of people and the economy of nations for more…
Sen. Joseph McCarthy conducted the infamous U.S. Senate anti-Communist inquiries in the 1950s that besmirched the reputation of many prominent Americans, particularly those in show business and the labor sector, among them, Hollywood legends Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles and composer Leonard Bernstein. It took an official censure by the Senate, following a stinging rebuke…
The book will follow his best-selling 2018 memoir ‘Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen’ At a time when the world is working to undo traditionally destructive and exclusionary perspectives on racial identity, celebrated journalist and immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas is currently writing about an issue that many people of color in America face:…
A new kiosk COVID-19 walk-up testing site is now open at Cameron Community Center in West Covina, California. Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District, in partnership with the City of West Covina, the County’s Department of Health Services, and Fulgent Genetics, announced the opening of the…
MonteMaria sits on a plateau overlooking a serene ocean gateway where vessels large and small cruise to and from the southern tip of Luzon island in the Philippines. At 322 feet, MonteMaria is one of the grandest religious structures in the world. The Mother of All Asia Tower of Peace is a statue devoted to…
Arnis fighting sticks, Moro swords, wearing salakot (cone-shaped hats) — these are some of the touches of Filipino culture in “Raya and the Last Dragon,” Disney’s forthcoming animated film that will be the studio’s first with a Southeast Asian warrior princess. Southeast Asian nations from the Philippines to Vietnam come together to create the fantasy world of Kumandra, where…
“BIRDS of Prey” actress Ella Jay Basco has teamed up with Filipina American rapper Ruby Ibarra to release a song about brown skin despite society upholding colorism. Their latest collaboration titled “Gold” talks about accepting the color of your skin and being proud of it. View this post on Instagram A post shared…
WHEN California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Monday, Jan. 25 that the state would be lifting the stay-at-home order imposed in December, Californians everywhere were at best, confused and at worst, livid. The stay-at-home order was implemented in early December as a response to the critical low hospital capacity and the unprecedented surge in cases…
A veteran Filipino American police officer in Los Angeles is among the latest victims taken by the coronavirus pandemic. Los Angeles Police Department Officer Philip Sudario died of complications from COVID-19, Chief Michael Moore announced on Monday, January 25. Sudario served the city for 25 years, and was most recently assigned to the Southeast Community…
THE Philippines’ temporary ban on foreign travelers coming from countries where the new, more infectious COVID-19 variant has been detected will be lifted in February. The Philippines will not be extending its travel restrictions imposed on 36 countries with cases of B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 (UK variant), Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed on Friday, January 29. “The…
by Phil Galewitz Americans’ reluctance to get vaccinated for covid-19 is waning, according to a poll released Wednesday. Nearly half of adults surveyed in January said they have either already been vaccinated or want the vaccine as soon as they can, up from about a third of adults polled in December, according to the latest…
On the heels of an announcement by President Biden, Covered California said on Thursday, January 28 that it would establish a special-enrollment period to give people more opportunities to sign up for health care coverage as the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession. The move comes after the president established…
LOS Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti this week launched the Free Tax Prep L.A. (FTPLA) 2021 campaign, an initiative to provide working families with free tax preparation services and help them claim state and federal tax credits. Partnering with the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (HCID), L.A. County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs…
Come celebrate the Lunar New Year with our $100,000 EasyPlay and cash drawings AS the Lunar New Year 2021 approaches, Pechanga Resort Casino welcomes everyone to join in the celebration of the festival with a series of games and promotions this February. Lunar New Year $100K EasyPlay & Cash Drawing Come participate in our Lunar…
PHILIPPINE Consul General of Los Angeles Adelio Angelito S. Cruz has formally bid goodbye to the Filipino American communities in Southern California, Southern Nevada, and Arizona as he concludes his term at the end of January. “It is bittersweet news that I inform you about the conclusion of my tour of duty as your Consul…
Q: During the Stay-at-Home order in California, my employer has sent me home on a “work furlough” without pay because I am not an essential worker. It has been more than a month and I still have not been asked to go back to work. Is a work furlough a termination? What are my rights?…
SA ilalim ng U.S. Immigration Law, mayroon dalawang uri ng family-based immigrant visas: (1) Immediate Relative: asawa, dalaga o binatang anak [na wala pang 21 taon gulang], o magulang ng U.S. citizen [USC]; at (2) Family Preference: F1 – dalaga o binatang anak [na may 21 taon gulang na] ng USC; F2A – Asawa at…
DEAR Attorney Tan, I recently married a U.S. Citizen, who is my second husband. He has filed an immigrant visa petition and green card application for me. My husband recently received from USCIS a Notice of Intent to Deny the petition that he filed on my behalf. The Notice indicated that the immigrant visa petition…
“WHAT is happening here? It is a new kind of teaching–he gives orders even to unclean spirits, and they submit to him.” (Mark 1:21) Mark’s Gospel describes the scenes at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry by saying that people, including the scribes and Pharisees, were astounded at the power of Jesus’ words and actions. They…
WHAT is timing? In life, as we all know, there’s such a thing called timing. Like the timing is right. Or, the timing is wrong. If the timing is right, then good consequences flow from the decision made. If the timing is wrong, then bad consequences flow from the decision made. Let’s say you just…
President Biden announced the highlights of a plan to reform the U.S. immigration system. The anticipated bill is expected to feature a path to permanent residence and citizenship for qualifying undocumented foreign nationals and those holding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and H-2A status, mechanisms to clear extensive green card…
Housing slowed down during the early part of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the combination of ultra-low interest rates and desire for more space to ride out the virus storm has brought about a surprisingly strong rebound in the market. New home sales exceeded 1 million units, up more than 40% the year before. The National…
“WE hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words are from the second paragraph from the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. These words embody the…
