EVEN when he was still at Bad Saint, James Beard award-winning chef Tom Cunanan has been dreaming of coming up with a group of Filipino American chefs in the Washington, DC area for a gastronomic event. Because they don’t get to cook together, he looked at it as an opportunity to be able to collaborate…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, November 12, invoked the country’s arbitral victory against China over the South China Sea at the start of a virtual regional summit. During the virtual plenary session of the 37th ASEAN Summit, Duterte stressed that no country, no matter how powerful it is, can ignore the ruling. “The Philippine…
THE Embassy of the United States in Manila on Thursday, November 12, welcomed the Philippines’ decision to suspend anew the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between Manila and Washington. “We welcome the Government of the Philippines’ November 11 decision to suspend termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) for another six months,” it…
As of 11:48 AM EST, November 10, 2020, there were almost 51.5 million cases and about 1.3 million deaths from COVID-19 worldwide, with the United States on the top-five list with almost 10.5 million cases, about 245,000 deaths, and 15,753 new cases that day, followed by India, Brazil, Russia, and France. The Philippines had around…
JERSEY CITY - Gov. Phil Murphy announced new restrictions early this week as COVID-19 cases have spiked across the state, recording 5,000 new cases over the weekend, and hitting the daily 3,000 case level for the first time since April. “The numbers are proving that the second wave is here, this is our reality,” Murphy said…
NEVADA Governor Steve Sisolak is pleading residents to limit nonessential activities for the next two weeks as COVID-19 cases continue to climb across the state. Dubbed “Stay at Home 2.0,” Nevadans are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible, only leaving their homes when necessary, and to limit exposure to individuals outside of…
FILIPINO AMERICAN Remy Martin on Wednesday, November 11, was one of six players named to the Associated Press’ 2020-21 preseason All-America team. Martin is the second player from Arizona State to receive AP preseason All-American honors after Ike Diogu in 2003-04. He will be joined by Luka Garza of Iowa, Jared Butler of Baylor, Ayo…
THE Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in the United States are actively taking steps to meet the surge in demand for dual citizenship, passport, and visa services amid prevailing uncertainties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on the local conditions and state restrictions in each Post, these steps may include increasing the number of appointment…
PHILIPPINE Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday, November 11, announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the suspension of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) termination. “My President, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, has instructed me to convey with the appropriate formality his decision to extend the suspension of the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement…
FILIPINA-IRISH Kim Layne of Idaho on Tuesday, November 10 won 1st runner-up in the Miss USA 2020 beauty pageant. Layne, 26, placed second to Asya Branch of Mississippi, who was crowned Miss USA and will represent the United States in the upcoming Miss Universe 2020 beauty pageant. Layne was born and raised in the state…
BAKERSFIELD, California now has its first Filipino American councilmember. Eric Arias, a 24-year-old who was born and raised in the Kern County city, was elected to its council to represent Ward I during the special general election on November 3. Arias, a Democrat, received 76.22% of the vote (4,118 votes) versus his opponent, Gilberto De…
A steep increase of COVID-19 cases in San Francisco is forcing San Francisco restaurants to close their indoor dining rooms starting Friday, November 13. Mayor London Breed announced that starting Friday at 11:59 p.m., restaurants will have to cease indoor operations as the city has observed a 250% increase in cases since early October. “The…
A bill declaring child marriage illegal in the Philippines has been passed on its third and final reading. Senate Bill No. 1371, also known as the “Girls Not Brides Act,” was unanimously approved by Senators on Monday, November 9. The measure was principally authored and sponsored by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee…
JOE Biden has been declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election. He promises a radical change from Trump’s strict enforcement policies to a policy emphasizing compassion, leniency, and possibly even amnesty, as spelled out in the Democrat party’s platform. As stated on their website, “Immigrants are essential to our society and our economy. Immigrants…
CHARO Santos-Concio said in a recent interview that the shutdown of media giant ABS-CBN was traumatic for her, akin to losing a child. “I couldn’t describe the pain when ABS-CBN was shut down. I felt so much pain and extreme sadness. That was very traumatic for me, as well, even if I am retired from…
Leading the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporting essential workers. Addressing racial inequalities. Tackling the climate crisis. Creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents. These are some of the priorities Filipino American supporters are pushing under President-elect Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office. The former vice president’s win comes as the United States…
The Trump administration lodges several lawsuits alleging voter fraud, insufficient ballot count operations in key states ALTHOUGH mainstream media across the world reported President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election on Saturday, Nov. 7, the Trump campaign has lodged several legal suits alleging voter irregularities, suggesting a premature call of the results. It’s…
WHILE Malacañang expects no major changes in the United States’ foreign policy under President-elect Joe Biden, it hopes for a shift in the U.S. immigration policy that will treat Filipino immigrants better. “Sa tingin ko ang Amerika din naman ay consistent sa foreign policy, so walang rin major changes yan (I think America is consistent…
JUST 10 days after hitting 9 million cases of the novel coronavirus, the United States surpassed 10 million confirmed infections this week. The milestone happened on Monday, November 9, after Johns Hopkins University recorded more than 100,000 new cases. Its death toll, meanwhile, passed 237,000. The U.S., with about 4% of the world’s population, accounts…
THE Philippines is among the countries projected to see likely increases in extreme poverty due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to American research group Brookings. In an article studying the impact of COVID-19 on global extreme poverty, Brookings compared the changes in poverty before and during the pandemic, noting that a total…
TWO Filipino Americans came out victorious during the 2020 general election as they won re-election for their respective positions in Southern California. Corey Calaycay was re-elected to his fifth term as a member of the Claremont City Council, representing the first district. “As the only candidate who possesses institutional memory and the only candidate who…
In an attempt to challenge the cultural stigma associated with lung cancer, change expectations, and empower the lung cancer and Asian American communities, a panel of cancer experts gathered at a virtual webcast on October 29 as part of AstraZeneca’s “It’s Okay To Ask” educational lung cancer program. The “It’s Okay To Ask” program was…
Dr. Veronico “Ver” C. Agatep is the incoming board president of the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA), based in Historic Filipinotown. FACLA was originally established in 1945, making it one of the earliest civic groups in the city to serve the Filipino immigrant community. The current building, named the Filipino American Cultural Center, was constructed as…
Filipina American Ki’ilani Arruda has been crowned as Miss Teen USA 2020. Arruda, 18, bested 50 other candidates for the crown on Saturday, November 7 in Memphis, Tennessee. During the Q&A portion of the pageant, Arruda was asked, “What has experiencing a global pandemic taught you about life?” The Fil-Am teen, in response, said: “Well,…
ARE you sick and tired of being in debt and having bad credit? Do you want to start over but simply don’t know where to begin? Is filing bankruptcy an option for you, or are other options available? As we go move towards the end of 2020, this is a good time to look at…
ON NOVEMBER 7, 2020, Democratic nominee Joe Biden became President-elect after surpassing the 270-victory mark for electoral votes, and winning the greatest number of popular votes in the history of the United States. The historic turnout, among Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and even from those with no party affiliation, is a testament to the urgency of…
