By Mark Hedin, Ethnic Media Services Calling this “the most dangerous time for LA county” since the pandemic began, county officials and a leader of a nonprofit law firm outlined a broad range of programs to assist small businesses and their employees at a Dec. 10 virtual conference for ethnic news media. Although the county…
AS the coronavirus pandemic persists, the Philippines is experiencing record levels of hunger, according to a recent report by Agence France-Presse (AFP). Due to COVID-19 restrictions and job losses, Filipinos have started relying on food handouts to survive. “Charities are struggling to meet the ever-growing demand for food as millions of families go hungry across…
Fast-food chain returns to Mira Mesa, CA Popular fast-food chain Jollibee has set its sights on 2021 and will add 28 stores to its North American network, 19 in the United States and nine in Canada. The 2021 expansion will mark Jollibee’s largest-ever addition to its North American store network in company history as it…
THIRTY-TWO years ago, a young Todd Gloria was a finalist in the Mayor For A Day essay contest in his hometown of San Diego. On Thursday morning, December 10, the 42-year-old third-generation San Diegan and son of hardworking parents who grew up in the Clairemont area, was officially sworn in as the 37th mayor of…
From Dec.14 through Dec. 24, the Golden Arches will offer daily deals from iconic holiday characters through the McDonald’s App CHICAGO – This year, goodies won’t just be found tucked under the tree. McDonald’s is tapping its elves to offer delicious daily in-app deals that feature the festive favorites of classic holiday characters – including…
ELIMINATING illegal drugs in the Philippines may not be achieved by 2022, the country’s Dangerous Drugs Board admitted this week. “Ang ginawa nating optimistic target doon sa ating campaign was to sana, magkaroon tayo ng drug-free communities by 2022. But realistically, mukhang hindi natin maa-attain ‘yan (Our optimistic target in our campaign was to hopefully…
THE World Bank expects the Philippine economy to start recovering in the next two years as the country eases quarantine restrictions, allowing more industries to resume operations. The multilateral lender on Tuesday, December 8, forecasted the Philippines an economic growth of 5.9% in 2021, and 6.0% in 2022. “With the steady decline in daily cases…
WITH California Attorney General Xavier Becerra tapped to join the incoming Biden administration, several Filipino American organizations are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint Assemblymember Rob Bonta to the high office. The impending vacancy comes as President-elect Joe Biden announced Becerra as his nominee for secretary of health and human services. Bonta — who…
Rep. TJ Cox has conceded in the race for the state’s 21st Congressional District, a month after the 2020 general election. Cox — who made history in 2018 as the first Filipino American from California elected to Congress — conceded to his challenger, Republican David Valadao on Friday, December 4 in a failed reelection bid…
THE Philippines has received an additional P1.4 billion ($29.3 million) worth of military equipment from the United States, demonstrating the longstanding and steadfast U.S. military commitment to the Philippines. Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller on Tuesday, December 8, met with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro…
Sacramento, San Joaquin Valley, Southern California trigger state’s regional order SEVERAL Bay Area counties this week began their stay-at-home orders in another effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. The order went into effect at 10 p.m. on Sunday, December 6 in Contra Costa, San Francisco and Santa Clara, while the city of Berkeley and…
DONALD Trump has often stated he wants to end “birthright citizenship” for children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents. He is obviously against “birth tourism,” where pregnant women, about to give birth, enter the U.S. solely for their child to be born in the U.S. and therefore be considered a U.S. citizen. He also…
KAPAMILYA actress Kim Chiu recently renewed her exclusive Star Magic contract with ABS-CBN which keeps her in the network which the actress has credited for her successes in life. In a video Kim posted, as reported by The Philippine Star, Kim screamed, “I’m so very happy! Sums up my emotions today! SALAMAT ABSCBN! Sasamahan ko…
SAN FRANCISCO – There’s no stopping Christmas! The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco and Sentro Rizal San Francisco invite the public to experience a different kind of Paskuhan this year amid the pandemic. “We have adapted to the times and translated our yearly Paskuhan into an online event. It consists of the traditional Simbang Gabi in honor of our Saviour,…
COVID-19 news: As of December 8, 2020, 12:48 GMT, worldwide, there were 68,057,474 cases with 1,553,408 deaths; USA, 15,371,268, with 290,649 deaths; and The Philippines, 442,785, with 8,670 deaths. In the USA, 42 States showed continued rise in COVID-19 cases. Only 8 appear (Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, North Dakota, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming)…
A Filipina nurse was part of history this week as she administered the first COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials to a 90-year-old woman in the United Kingdom. National Health Service (NHS) nurse May Parsons on Tuesday, December 8, administered the vaccine to Margaret Keenan, the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech…
Though the past year has been challenging, the holiday season is an opportunity to show support for small Filipino American businesses and restaurants in the community, as well as to deliver some joy to family, friends, coworkers and others on your shopping list. Purchasing a gift card to your favorite Fil-Am restaurant, which likely has…
JOE BIDEN has officially secured enough electors to become president. He accrued more than 270 electors when California certified its presidential election on Friday, December 4, and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Biden, officially handing him the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House. Biden now has 279 electors, which is…
TWO years before the end of the six-year term of President Rodrigo Duterte, social media networks have been ablaze with criticisms of Philippine presidential wannabes that people don’t like. And, in the U.S., a few weeks before President-elect Joe Biden assumes office, Trump fanatics are grieving over the loss of their “greatest president since Lincoln,”…
Continuing on the theme of supporting local and small ventures, here are several one-of-a-kind gift ideas that highlight Filipino/a talent — from scented candles to unique jewelry pieces. Statement jewelry handmade by Filipina artisans If you’re looking to gift a jewelry piece for someone on your list, check out MAAARI, a “uniquely Filipina” modern accessories…
THE damage done by the coronavirus pandemic on the Philippine economy will take a long time to repair, according to Oxford Economics. In its recent report entitled “Calibrating long-COVID vulnerabilities in 162 economies,” the UK-based research firm estimated overall long-term economic scarring will be slightly higher in emerging markets (EMs) than in advanced economies (AEs)….
OVERSEAS Filipinos may now register to vote online for the 2022 Philippine elections. The Philippine Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) iRehistro, which has been operational since December 1, is accepting applications for new registrants, transfer and reactivation of voter records, the change of name or correction of entries on record, and inclusion of records in the…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is prepared to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to assure the public it is safe and effective to use. “Ang Presidente po ay hindi na makapaghintay (The president can’t wait),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told reporters on Monday, December 7. “Gusto niyang turukan na siya nang mapakita sa buong bayan na ligtas…
EIGHTEEN additional cases of the coronavirus among overseas Filipinos were recorded by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday, December 7, bringing the total number of infections to 11,692. The agency also logged 12 new recoveries, raising the official number of recovered and discharged patients to 7,577. The death toll likewise increased with…
RAPPLER co-founder and veteran journalist Maria Ressa is among 2020’s Bloomberg 50, an annual list of influential leaders, icons, and innovators who helped define the year. She is only the second Filipino to land on the list, following Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp., who was honored in last year’s line-up. Ressa, a vocal critic…
NDE: Near Death Experience “ Unless a grain of wheat shall fall upon the ground and die, It remains but a single grain with no life.” — From a hymn composed by Bernadette Farrell EMMA looked down at the busy huddle in the operating room. She was floating, hovering above the doctors and nurses in…
