IT will be a different Christmas and New Year’s celebration this year—one we never thought about in our generation. It will be Christmas and New Year without the crowds at churches, malls, and street corners. It will be Christmas and New Year without big family gatherings. The pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives….
Bankruptcy has always been a last resort for people who are struggling with debts that they can no longer pay. Most people would do what they can on their own and will only consider doing it once they know they have run out of options. Unfortunately, by the time they get to the point of…
CHRISTMAS is just a week from now. For many of us, the Christmas rush is decorating our homes for the holidays, shopping for presents and planning the noche buena spread to serve to our family while on lockdown because of the continued, yet escalated threat of COVID-19. However, there are many kababayans whose grave concerns…
VAL Corcuera Angeles joined his Creator on December 14, 2020 after an undisclosed illness. He was 54. Born on February 4, 1966 in Quezon City, Philippines, Val immigrated to the United States in 1993 to join his family where they settled in the San Fernando Valley area. A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduate of the…
Kayamanan Ng Lahi Philippine Folk Arts is putting Filipino cultural traditions on display during Los Angeles County’s 61st annual holiday celebration on Christmas Eve. The beloved holiday tradition, presented in conjunction with The Music Center, will be a three-hour virtual showcase of choirs, music ensembles and dance companies representing the diverse fabric of the city. Starting…
COVID-19 Disproportionately Affects the Poor COVID-19 infection rates are notably higher in communities with high poverty rates than in more affluent areas, according to an analysis of ZIP code and city data for California’s 12 most populous counties. Over the course of the pandemic, COVID-19 infections have battered high-poverty neighborhoods in California on a staggeringly…
PHILIPPINE Senator Panfilo Lacson has named Health Secretary Francisco Duque III as the Cabinet member who “dropped the ball” in securing 10 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as January for the country. “The negotiation between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and [Foreign Secretary] Teodoro Locsin Jr. as arranged by [Philippine Ambassador…
SUNRISE Travel, a longstanding travel agency serving the Filipino American community and beyond in Las Vegas, opened its new office along Maryland Parkway with a blessing on December 4 attended by a small group of family and friends. Eppie Cruz, owner and founder of Sunrise Travel, shares “I have been in the travel agency business…
NEVADA will continue to see restrictions until January 15, 2021 in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Governor Steve Sisolak said this week. Sisolak said the “statewide pause” will be extended for the next month into the new year to manage the surge of cases in the Silver State. “I know the…
Tourism attached Duty Free Philippines (DFP) today reveals new logo. This was initially developed as part of the planned corporate relaunch that was suspended due to the pandemic caused by COVID 19. The new logo was developed to complete the company’s rebranding. “Today we’re “softly” launching our new logo. The planned formal relaunch and rebranding…
AS California topped 1.6 million coronavirus cases this week, the state began to receive its first round of vaccines against COVID-19. Health care workers across the state were among the first to receive jabs of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as they have been fighting the pandemic and pleading with the general public to stay home…
NECESSARY adjustments in the proposed 2021 national budget have been made to prioritize the country’s procurement of vaccines against COVID-19, Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said on Wednesday, December 16. “We have made all the requisite adjustments, congressmen have made all the sacrifices to prioritize the vital needs of the nation, in terms of medical concerns…
PHILIPPINE Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, December 15, said the country was supposed to receive 10 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as January, but a government official bungled the deal. In a series of tweets, Locsin shared that he and Philippine Ambassador to the United State Jose “Babe” Romualdez facilitated a…
THE assessment of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutor on the Philippines’ war against drugs is “legally erroneous,” Malacañang said on Tuesday, December 15. “Obviously, we do not agree with her. It’s legally erroneous dahil mayroon po tayong minimum gravity na required. Hindi po lahat ng krimen ay nililitis sa ICC (because we have the…
‘A DAY WORTH CELEBRATING’ GOV. Phil Murphy and Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli marked the historic beginning of New Jersey’s vaccination effort on Tuesday morning, Dec. 15 at University Hospital in Newark, and witnessed the administration of the first COVID-19 vaccinations to the state’s frontline health care workers. Maritza Beniquez, an emergency room nurse, became the…
THE Filipino community in New York and the entire US Northeast officially started their Christmas celebration with the lighting of the colorful parols and the Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado (Night Mass) at the Philippine Center in New York City on 3 December 2020. Every year, the Philippine Center decorates its windows and lobby with parols (traditional Christmas lanterns) and handcrafted items…
ACTOR Richard Yap, who became widely recognized for his roles in primetime soaps, recently signed a management contract with GMA Artist Center, transitioning to become a Kapuso artist after spending the past decade as a Kapamilya, according to a story on PEP.ph. Known to fans as “Sir Chief” (Be Careful With My Heart) and “Papa…
COVID-19 Update Worldwide: nearly 74 million cases, with almost 1.7 million deaths; the Philippines: about 452,000 and 9,000 deaths; the United States: around 17 million cases and 310,000 deaths. Last Saturday, there were almost 200,000 cases, with about 1,400 deaths in one day in the U.S. The first-dose supply of the FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against…
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced “Operation Broken Promise,” targeting for arrest and removal/deportation those aliens who were in removal proceedings and promised to voluntarily leave the U.S. (instead of being ordered deported), but never left. So far, ICE has arrested hundreds of individuals who accepted voluntary departure but failed to depart. “Voluntary…
San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Napa and Solano face new restrictions A TOTAL of 47 California counties are now under the regional stay-at-home order that limits nonessential businesses and activities after the Bay Area’s intensive care capacity dropped to 12.9%. Under the state’s mandate announced earlier this month, a region will go under a stay-at-home order 24…
Multi-year program opens eligibility to small businesses owned by black, indigenous and people of color NEW YORK – Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) recently announced the first round of Comcast RISE award recipients — over 700 businesses will receive consulting, media and creative production services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, or technology upgrades from…
LOS Angeles County, which has been the epicenter of the coronavirus spread in California, received a glimmer of hope this week as vaccines against COVID-19 arrived. Five health care workers at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Los Angeles were among the first in the county and state on Monday, December 14 to receive doses of…
IT’S been over 10 months since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and the virus is still raging. The situation may not be as bleak as before, with the promise of two vaccines coming to provide some hope, but we’re still far from the “normal” life we were once used to. As it…
DEMOCRAT Joe Biden is the next president of the United States after the Electoral College formalized his victory over President Donald Trump this week. Voting 306 to 232, the members of the Electoral College met on Monday, December 14, to cast their ballots. The votes will be sent to Congress to be counted formally during…
NINETY SIX more Filipinos have contracted the coronavirus around the world, bringing the official tally to 12,446, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Tuesday, December 15. Of the total figure, 3,516 are currently undergoing treatment. The agency also recorded 37 new recoveries, which raises the official number of recovered and discharged patients…
