WHEN his boss Ravi DeRossi told chef Raj Abat last September to come up with an idea for a Filipino vegan restaurant, he was a little hesitant. Growing up in La Union, Philippines, he knew for a fact that Filipinos love and adore their meats and seafood. He took it as a challenge though and…
DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I just received a denial from USCIS, giving me 33 days to file an appeal. I truly think I was eligible, but am so heartbroken. Would you advise I file an appeal? Very truly yours, RD Dear RD: The decision on whether to appeal a denial is not always simple and straightforward….
ISLAND Pacific Supermarket, a Filipino grocery chain with 16 locations in California and Nevada, recently launched its private label program known as “Island Pacific Select.” This week, Island Pacific Select Glazed Banana Thins made its way to store shelves. “We are extremely excited to introduce Island Pacific Select Glazed Banana Thins. The manufacturer of this…
THE worst of the novel coronavirus crisis in the Philippines is over, Malacañang insisted on Wednesday, September 16. “Naintindihan po natin yung pessimism ng ating kababayan dahil napakahirap po talaga nitong pandemiya na dinulot nito. Pero ang masasabi ko lang po (I understand the pessimism of our citizens because the situation is really difficult now….
Commentary by John C. Yang IF you could do something in ten minutes or less that would make sure we have translated materials for limited English proficient members in our Asian American community, local grocery stores that carry Asian-related products, or tell Asian-owned businesses where to build new stores, would you do it? Right now,…
CYNTHIA Alcantara Barker, the first Filipina mayor in England, has passed away “following a bout of serious illness.” She was 58 years old. Her death was confirmed on Tuesday, September 15, by her brother, Gene Alcantara. “It is with extreme sadness that we announce the passing of The Worshipful Hertsmere Mayor Councilor Cynthia Barker following…
NEW JERSEY Governor Phil Murphy has signed a bill allowing the approximately 500,000 undocumented immigrants who live in the state to be able to apply for professional licenses. “This eliminates a roadblock. There have been many that have been put up against our immigrant families and communities,” Murphy said. According to Migration Policy Institute numbers,…
PHILIPPINE Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, September 15, said his office will push to have a representative observing the court martial proceedings of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton. “We might have an observer present in the court martial. That’s not a bad idea… if they will allow us, because that…
Growing up, Vanessa Lee would sneak off with her mother’s copies of Glamour and Cosmopolitan to read about the latest beauty trends and do-it-yourself tutorials. Channeling her lola’s background as a beautician back in Abulug, Philippines, Lee would then take what she learned — from applying cut crease eyeliner to using available ingredients in her…
WITH less than two months until the November 3 general election, California’s Secretary of State is assuring voters that casting their ballots during the pandemic will be secure and safe. “This is an unprecedented year between the political climate we find ourselves in and the COVID-19 pandemic,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a…
Recent fires, heatwave may have hindered testing, leading to lower positivity rates As California faces a trio of disasters — wildfires, dangerous air quality and, of course, a global pandemic — this week’s statewide briefings provided a silver lining. As of Tuesday, Sept. 15, the COVID-19 test positivity rate in the Golden State is 3.5%,…
Prop 16, a measure that seeks to reverse statewide ban on affirmative action, will appear on November ballot California is historically one of the most diverse states in the country. Despite its deep roots in the Latino, Asian, Black and Indigenous cultures, diversity is also one of the most politicized and contentious topics in the…
In an effort to prevent a “twindemic” of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is urging Californians to get vaccinated against the flu now to protect yourself and your loved ones. “Flu will be hitting your community soon, and in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in California, getting…
(Part 1 of 3) Remember the story of the three little pigs? Everyone does. But we relegate the story to children’s lit and condescendingly forget that these cute little porkers bring home an important point about the choices we make when we embark on building something worthwhile — like choosing the foundation on which we…
MOST people don’t talk about their credit card debt because they find it embarrassing. They can talk to their friends and family about everything else but when it comes to the subject of how much debt they are carrying, most people would not divulge any information. It makes them very uncomfortable. So, what happens is…
Nine days ago, our beloved 77-year-old sister-in-law Ma. Azucena Vera-Perez Maceda, wife of the late Senate President Ernesto Maceda and eldest sister of our wife former Congresswoman Gina de Venecia, succumbed after battling heart and kidney ailments for several months. She was the eldest among seven Vera-Perez siblings, whose family owned the famed Sampaguita Pictures,…
United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday, September 14, raised concerns over the continued drug-related deaths in the Philippines amid the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking before the 45th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Bachelet stressed the need to revoke policies and rhetoric that lead to human rights violations…
VIRAL. Breaking News. Facebook Live. Before the advent of social media, we received our news and information from newspapers, radio and television news programs — each with editorial boards that meet every day to discuss the news events of the day, confirm the veracity of the news, and answer the what, who, where, when, why…
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, September 15, logged 15 additional cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the official tally of infections to 10,329. It also recorded 17 new recoveries, pushing the total number of recovered and discharged patients to 6,571. Meanwhile, only one fatality was reported by the agency, which raised…
President Rodrigo Duterte is likely to extend the declaration of a state of calamity in the Philippines due to the ongoing pandemic, Malacañang said this week. According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday, September 14, Duterte will likely renew or extend Proclamation 929 issued in March because of the lack of vaccine against COVID-19…
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton has been deported from the Philippines, less than a week after being pardoned by President Rodrigo Duterte. The marine, who was convicted of killing transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude, flew out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Sunday, September 13, onboard an American military aircraft bound for the U.S….
By: Governor Gavin Newsom Better schools. Safer roads. Healthier neighborhoods. All Californians can help their communities secure these resources and more by participating in the 2020 Census before September 30. It’s as simple as answering nine easy questions online or on the phone. As we continue to address the double pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic…
A three-judge court in New York unanimously blocked an order by President Donald Trump that looked to exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2020 Census for the purpose of apportioning representatives. Federal statute governing the decennial census and apportionment requires the commerce secretary to report a single “tabulation of total population by States” to the president,…
Come and celebrate festival with peace of mind! WIN a Share of Our $100,000 Giveaway Join us at Pechanga Resort Casino in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival with our $50,000 Harvest Moon Drawing on Saturday, September 26. There will be a total of 105 winners of EasyPlay and cash prizes. An additional $50,000 Harvest Moon Drawing will also be…
AS the beloved holiday that embraces the horrific unusual, it’s fitting that Halloween will be celebrated against the norm this year. The Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health on Wed., Sept. 9 warned the public once again that massive holiday gatherings could bring about another surge in positive cases of the COVID-19 virus, the…
PHILIPPINE Senator Manny Pacquiao, the eight-division boxing world champion, is launching PacPay, a digital payment platform for global influencers, brands and fans. The boxer-senator’s technology startup, Pac Technologies, on Friday, September 11, announced that it has forged a “strategic partnership” with fintech remittance firm Remsea to further both companies’ initiatives in the fintech space in…
TWO months after a Philippine House of Representatives panel rejected ABS-CBN’s application for a new 25-year franchise, the media giant received another blow as the National Telecommunications Commission recalled the frequencies assigned to the network. “Respondent has no valid franchise to continue operating television and radio broadcasting stations nationwide,” the NTC said in an eight-page…
The Philippine Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday, September 11, turned over U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for deportation. Pemberton will remain in the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group detention facility in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City while the BI implements its 2015 deportation order. The turnover of…
HOW often should we forgive someone who has wronged us? Peter asked Jesus this age-old question in the Gospel this Sunday. “Oh, Peter,” Jesus responded, “not just seven times but seventy-seven times.” While Peter saw a limit to the number of times we have to forgive, Jesus taught “bottomless” forgiveness to anyone who offended us. …
Q: I read about severe cases of COVID-19 infections requiring several weeks of recovery. Can the employer fire me while being on leave due to this illness? Do I have remedies? A: The California Family Rights Act (CFRA) protects employees’ rights to take a leave of absence due to the serious health condition of the…
