Police serves warrant at Chula Vista, CA home of missing Fil-Am mother
A SEARCH warrant has been served at the home of a Filipina American mother in Chula Vista, California who has been reported missing since the beginning of January. The Chula Vista Police Department said the goal of the warrant is to obtain any evidence and clues into May “Maya” Millete’s current whereabouts. “The Chula Vista…
PH gov’t issues new testing protocols for inbound travelers
TRAVELERS entering the Philippines are now required to undergo a COVID-19 test five days after their arrival in the country. The new protocol adopted by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) says travelers will take a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test on the fifth day, instead of immediately…
Newsom honors Fil-Am officer with Medal of Valor
A Filipino American California Highway Patrol officer was honored this week after risking his life to recover a slain police officer in Sacramento. Officer Michael Panlilio was one of eight law enforcement personnel awarded a Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor by Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a virtual ceremony on…
Court blocks Biden’s 100-day deportation freeze
Immediately after President Biden issued an executive order for a 100-day pause on most deportations, Texas sued, and obtained a temporary restraining order blocking that order from going into effect, with the court stating that immigration law requires DHS to remove all people with removal orders within 90 days. What does this ruling mean for…
Biden signs executive order denouncing anti-Asian racism, hate amid COVID
PRESIDENT Joe Biden signed four executive orders on Tuesday, January 26 aimed at pushing racial equity, including one to combat xenophobia and racism against Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), which has heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I firmly believe the nation is ready to change but government has to change as well. We need…
Biden admin appoints Fil-Ams to key roles
SHORTLY after taking his oath of office on January 20, President Joe Biden appointed acting heads of federal and development agencies, and among them is Gloria Steele who will serve as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). At the Department of Interior, Camille Calimlim Touton was named Deputy Commissioner of the…
Fil-Am father, daughter electrocuted by downed power lines in Panorama City, CA
A Filipino American father and adult daughter were found electrocuted to death early Monday, January 25 in Panorama City, California. Firefighters were called to the 14700 block of Tupper Street, near Cedros Avenue, just before 3 a.m. where a man and a woman were found dead in a shed outside their home, according to CBS…
Godinez316 Cebu Style Chorizo now available at Seafood City
FILIPINO cuisine is no stranger to sausages, more commonly known in the Philippines as “longganisa.” Derived from the Spanish term “longaniza,” the country offers several interpretations of the dish from different regions. Most kinds of local longganisa fall under two categories: “recado,” which refers to a more savory, salty kind of sausage; and “hamonado,” which…
‘They’re more unified by what they’re against than what they’re actually for’: Breaking down the growing influence of QAnon, far-right conspiracies
FOLLOWING the violent insurrection at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, concern over the impact of far-right and radical groups on American democracy became an urgent issue. Hundreds of rioters donning support for former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the Electoral College vote count in Congress. Widely spread…
Duterte revokes IATF decision easing age restrictions
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte this week revoked the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) decision to allow minors who are at least 10 years old to go outside. The chief executive on Monday, January 25, reversed the new rule amid the threat of the new, more contagious COVID-19 variant in…
US imposes travel restrictions on several countries with virus variant
UNITED STATES President Joe Biden has reinstated travel restrictions on most non-U.S. citizens who have been in Britain, Brazil, Ireland and much of Europe to slow the transmission of the new COVID-19 variant. Biden on Monday, January 25, also expanded the restrictions to include travelers who have recently been to South Africa, where a new…
17 new COVID-19 variant cases recorded in PH
SIXTEEN additional cases of the new, more infectious COVID-19 variant have been reported by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH). This brings the total number of B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 (UK variant) cases in the country to 17, following the first confirmed case detected on January 13. “Following strengthened biosurveillance activities amid the detection of the first…
Palace urges nations not to worsen tensions in South China Sea
Malacañang has called on countries involved in the South China Sea issue to refrain from worsening tensions after China adopted a law allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels entering disputed territories and demolish foreign structures. “Sana po walang gagawin ang kahit na anong bansa dito sa usaping West Philippine Sea na magpapalala…
Did you apply for a mortgage forbearance during the pandemic?
IF you are a homeowner struggling with mortgage payments during this pandemic, you are not alone. A mortgage forbearance can provide temporary relief by allowing you to make either reduced payments or no payments at all, for a specific period of time. Usually, it is not automatic, and you will need to call your lender…
Starting the new year fresh with a divorce
TO many people, the New Year signifies a chance to have a fresh beginning. This is also the time of the year many people realize when a marriage is not working out and it may be time to start a new life as a single person whether or not you have children. You can decide…
The power of kindness
“Kind people are the best kind of people.” -Anonymous WHAT does it cost to be kind to others? We often think that being kind costs us something — whether it is time, money, connections or any of what we consider to be our personal resources becoming depleted. But have we ever thought at all about…
[OPINION] Full speed ahead: America is finally winning the war against COVID, rebuilding our nation
FINALLY! We have an administration that tells us the truth about our enemies — visible and invisible — implementing a comprehensive national strategy and leading us in defeating them using a full arsenal and all tools available to win this war and save lives. One week since taking office, President Joe Biden has now accelerated…
Vaccine ramp-up squeezes COVID testing and tracing
By Bernard Wolfson / California Healthline California Gov. Gavin Newsom, under growing pressure to jump-start a faltering COVID-19 vaccine rollout, jetted to Los Angeles on Jan. 15 to unveil a massive new vaccination site at Dodger Stadium that is expected eventually to inoculate 12,000 people a day. The city-run venue had been the biggest COVID testing…
Fil-Am author Erin Entrada Kelly garners second Newbery honor
THREE years after being awarded the highest honor in children’s literature, Filipina American author Erin Entrada Kelly has received another accolade for her latest middle-grade novel, “We Dream of Space.” The author’s sixth novel, released last May, was named one of five Newbery Honor books, the American Library Association announced on Monday, January 25. “I…
[WATCH] ABS-CBN’s popular Filipino TV series ’On The Wings of Love’ to premiere on digital platforms on Jan. 27
A REIMAGINED version of the Filipino romantic dramedy television series “On The Wings of Love” will premiere on linear and digital platforms on Wednesday, January 27. The newly edited 24-episode series will be available on the MYX linear network & Twitch digital subscription channel, followed by Amazon Prime Video & iTunes in weeks to come,…
FVR AND RSA: A TALE OF TWO VISIONARY ENGINEERS
Filipinos who traverse EDSA are in awe with the improvement in traffic along the historic highway. Thanks to the opening of the Skyway Stage 3 recently which is a game-changing project that will have significant impact on the day-to-day lives of our fellow Filipinos living in Metro Manila. It is to the credit of the…
Fil-Am appointed White House liaison for Office of Personnel Management
FILIPINO American millennial Jason Tengco has been tapped to be the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s White House liaison, the Biden-Harris administration announced on Monday, January 25. The OPM serves as the chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the federal government. Tengco previously served as the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)…
Fil-Am restaurant The Park’s Finest launches limited-edition collaboration with Vans
HISTORIC Filipinotown restaurant The Park’s Finest has unveiled limited-edition merchandise as part of the Vans “Foot the Bill” initiative to support small businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The Park’s Finest — a family business along Temple Street that serves American cuts of BBQ with a Filipino flavor — partnered with Mabuhay Massive to design…
California lifts regional stay-at-home order, counties return to tier system
LA County to allow certain activities, outdoor dining again CALIFORNIA lifted the regional stay-at-home order across the state amid “positive signs” of a slower spread of COVID-19, officials announced this week, paving the way for activities like outdoor dining and personal care services to reopen once again with modifications. On Monday, January 25, all counties…
Immigration reform among Pres. Biden’s first directives
The word ‘alien’ to be removed from immigration laws, Congress directed to provide pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients AFTER the historic inauguration on Jan. 20, President Joe Biden followed through with promises to begin work on dismantling the stringent policies and measures of former President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump’s immigration policy, in particular, was…
[OPINION] The daunting task of uniting the ‘divided states of America’ is upon us: Are we brave enough to see, be the light?
A NEW CHAPTER in America’s history has begun. From out of Donald Trump’s legacy of dividing America and sowing hatred and mistrust among our people comes the most difficult task of realizing the dream to unite us once again so we can all work together to build our country back better. The 45th president of…
Los Angeles County expands COVID vaccine access — but biggest challenge is supply
By Mark Hedin / Ethnic Media Services As the COVID-19 pandemic death toll passed 400,000 in the United States, three Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials joined in a “virtual town hall” telebriefing to describe the county’s expansion of its vaccination program and address community concerns. The virtual town hall, moderated by Dr….