BUSINESS tycoon Manuel Villar is the only Filipino listed on Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world’s top 500 richest people. As of January 13, the self-made billionaire ranked 381st richest in the world based on the market value of his publicly-listed businesses. Villar’s businesses in real estate, retail, and utilities are estimated…
It’s a pandemic baby like no other. Coming out at a hefty 6 pounds, 7.6 ounces, “Through a Writer’s Lens” is a beautiful 12-by-14-inch 260-page hardbound compilation of photographs taken by award-winning Hollywood photojournalist Ruben V. Nepales. A true collector’s item, the coffee table book offers more than 1,000 photos of stars that Nepales himself…
COMEDIAN Rob Schneider on Tuesday, January 12, announced that his Filipina mother died over the weekend. In an Instagram post, the Fil-Am actor said that his mother, Pilar Monroe Schneider, “passed away peacefully after spending a perfect Sunday evening family dinner surrounded with loved ones at her side.” Schneider paid tribute to his mother by…
THE Greater Sacramento area has exited the regional stay-at-home order based on four-week intensive care projections. The region, which exited the order on Tuesday, January 12, has a current intensive care unit (ICU) capacity of 9.4%, but in coming weeks is seen to be at 19.1% capacity. “We’re starting to see some stabilization both in…
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS NEW Jersey Governor Phil Murphy aired his third State of the State Address from Trenton on Tuesday, Jan. 12, highlighting accomplishments from his first three years in office to reaffirm his commitment to leading New Jersey through the COVID-19 public health crisis and improving the lives of New Jersey’s families….
FAMAS, Metro Manila Film Festival and PMPC Star Awards best actress winner Ara Mina is now engaged to Philippine International Trading Corporation president and chief executive officer Dave Almarinez. According to an article in the Philippine Star, the engagement proposal, which was documented by Nice Print Photo, took place in San Pedro, Laguna. In her…
Pardon the mixed metaphor but I think that the situation we now face in the U.S. calls for it. “It ain’t over till it’s over!” is attributed to Yogi Berra, a legend not only in baseball but also for mangling the English language. “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings!” is credited to Dick…
ON December 31, 2020, Pres. Trump extended his “immigration ban” through March 31, 2021, just hours before it was set to expire. By way of background, and as I detailed in previous articles, in April 2020, Trump issued a proclamation (which he renewed and expanded in June 2020), banning the issuance of immigrant visas for…
The $150 billion-plus fastfood industry greatly impacts the health of the people in the United States and around the world. The concept of speed, convenience, practically hustle-free dining, reasonable pricing, and the “good” taste of the food items have all been most attractive to consumers globally. Not addicting in the strict sense, but comfort “gastronomic…
This year is another challenging year for the country as it moves toward economic recovery. Among the factors that will fuel economic recovery is infrastructure—the physical foundation of progress. While the country is under lockdown because of the pandemic, the Build, Build, Build Program of the government did not come to a halt. Proof of…
IN last week’s issue (Jan. 6, 2021), the Asian Journal editorial team shared some of the popular MDWK Magazine stories from the past year — such as commemorating the history of social justice during Filipino American History Month to influencer and entrepreneur Patrick Starrr’s mission to defy beauty standards. We continue this week with the…
AS the administration of President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take over the White House, fellow liberal lawmakers, activists and operatives excitedly await the new administration that has promised policies and public servants that represent the growingly diverse American public. Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), who comprise the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S., have…
SEVERAL Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) elected leaders and organizations are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint Assemblymember Rob Bonta as the state’s next attorney general. Current Attorney General Xavier Becerra has been tapped to join the Biden administration as the Health and Human Services secretary, creating a vacancy in his seat if…
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine rollout to start in February THE Philippine government is aiming to vaccinate 50 to 70 million Filipinos in 2021, with up to 200,000 individuals receiving jabs every day. “We are trying to vaccinate at least 100 to 200,000 people every day. Yun po ang gagawin natin para at least magkaroon tayo ng…
MORE than 22,000 Americans have lost their lives to COVID-19 last week, setting a record for the second week in a row. According to a Reuters analysis of state and county reports on Tuesday, January 12, California is the country’s hot spot with a death toll of 3,315 in the week ended Jan. 10, or…
Orange County opens ‘vaccine super site’ at Disneyland AS the coronavirus situation in Los Angeles County continues to aggravate hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs), officials issued a desperate plea for the public to “avoid, as much as possible,” contact with people outside the household. To date, there have been 944,319 positive cases of COVID-19…
by Aneri Pattani The nurses at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, declared on March 6 — by filing the official paperwork — that they were ready to vote on the prospect of joining a national union. At the time, they were motivated by the desire for more nurses and support staff, and to have…
by Angela Hart SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The coronavirus pandemic doomed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plans last year to combat homelessness, expand behavioral health services and create a state agency to control soaring health care costs. But even as the pandemic continues to rage, California’s Democratic governor said Friday he plans to push forward with those…
“It is a misconception that ‘once you file bankruptcy, you will automatically lose everything.’ The truth is that most people keep everything they have (homes, cars, bank accounts, retirement plans, etc.) and they lose nothing at all.” PEOPLE with overwhelming debt problems during this difficult time are asking a lot of questions. Are you scared…
THE Philippines has the worst traffic among six members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and is ranked the ninth-worst in the world, according to a new report. The 2020 traffic index by Numbeo — a global cost of living database — assessed 81 different countries using key metrics, such as average time…
“Social media should improve your life, NOT become your life!” – Patrick Driessen FOR good or ill, advances in communication technology have reshaped our lives drastically far more than we can imagine a decade or so ago. We email, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Instagram and think nothing of it. We write comments and post photos…
SHOULD President Donald Trump be removed from office with less than a week left in his presidency either by invoking the 25th Amendment or by impeachment? That is the big question all Americans should be thinking about, especially after the attack on our democracy on the fateful day of Wednesday, January 6, 2021 — just…
AFTER over a year of virtual classes, the University of California announced that it is planning to return to mainly in-person instruction starting in the fall semester. In an announcement on Monday, January 11, students will be welcomed back to the 10 UC campuses this fall as COVID-19 vaccines start to become available to students,…
A FILIPINO American priest in Utah has died after a short battle with the coronavirus. Father Reynato “Rene” Rodillas succumbed to COVID-19 at the age of 58, a few days after testing positive, Msgr. Colin F. Bircumshaw, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City announced on Friday, January 8. “Date of death has…
Chicago, Illinois – SelfSafe™ is excited to announce that it will be showcasing its new stylish and sporty USB emergency I.D. bracelet at CES 2021, January 11-14. This is the first time SelfSafe will unveil its first of its kind, password-protected and encrypted bracelet to the consumer technology industry. Everyone needs a safe, central place…
Even though I disagree with the outcome of the presidential election from the widespread voter fraud I saw speaking to voters impacted with irregularities here in Nevada, what happened on Capitol Hill does not represent the platform of putting America First. Trump supporters in D.C. and cities nationwide gathered together to protect their freedom of…
Other loyalists condemn violent mob IN a last-ditch effort to rally against and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, hundreds of rioters on Wednesday, January 6 stormed the U.S. Capitol grounds — and among the mob were several Filipino American Trump supporters. Amid the sea of American flags, MAGA hats, camouflage outfits, and…
HOW often have we heard from fellow Christians that this pandemic calls for repentance, for a change of heart? How often have we heard them asking us to examine our priorities, to look at what matters most in life? Many times, we would say. And we would even ask these questions to ourselves. But it is…
