Filipino talents across the diaspora have graced the stage of NBC’s America’s Got Talent (AGT). Marcelito Pomoy wowed the judges and the audience for AGT: The Champions last season and Angelica Hale made history as the first contestant to earn Golden Buzzer wins in the two seasons she joined. The all-male hip-hop dance group called…
Sebastian Reid, born and raised in Manila, is the youngest child of award-winning actress Hilda Koronel. He is the man behind Sébre Studio. Reid went to Xavier School in San Juan and moved to the South Bay in California at the age of 14. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Game Art from Full Sail University…
MONTHS into the quarantine, Angeline Quinto has found herself musing about her journey, going back to how she was when she started in showbiz, and bonding with her Mama Bob, her adoptive mom. “My goal back then was simple: I just wanted to have a regular job, so I could help Mama Bob and provide…
MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, September 2, admitted that there is wisdom behind Senator Panfilo Lacson’s bill authorizing “designated survivors,” should the top four leaders of the Philippine government perish in any occasion wherein they’re all present. “Well, you know, I think it’s based on a TV series ‘Designated Survivor.’ And while the series is based on fiction…
WATER is life. Without it, there would be no life on Planet Earth. The normal lean adult body is made up of about 70% water (50% intracellular, 15% interstitial, and 5% in the blood plasma) and only 30% solid mass. This is an amazing fact which many of us don’t realize. Drinking at least 8…
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel, I was petitioned by my sister in 1990, and immigrated to the U.S. in 2013. Unfortunately, I had to leave behind my eldest child because she had aged out. I have been hoping and praying something could be done for her. Could she be covered by the Child Status Protection Act? Is…
MULTI-AWARDED broadcast journalist Ted Failon on Monday, August 31, made his final appearance on ABS-CBN’s shows “TV Patrol” and “Failon Ngayon sa TeleRadyo.” The network on Sunday, Aug. 30, confirmed that the journalist was leaving after working there for 30 years. “The closure of ABS-CBN’s radio broadcast operations led to his painful decision and we…
FIVE years ago, Celeste Perez launched Well Fed, a design studio that has celebrity restaurateurs and hospitality groups among its clientele. The downsides of a bustling business for Perez, however, were heart palpitations, being unable to sleep at night, and developing poor eating habits. The effects of burnout caught up to her as it eventually…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, August 31, paid tribute to Filipino front-line workers fighting against the novel coronavirus pandemic as the country commemorated National Heroes’ Day. “Today, we honor not only the valor of our forebears who fought for our mother land’s freedom, but also the heroism of those who risked their lives, fighting…
Fondly called “Mama Teng,” Maria Teresa Banson was revered as a mother figure to students and colleagues. Before migrating to Southern California in April 2005, she taught computer science and other subjects at St. Paul University, Iloilo City, Philippines. “Mama extended her motherly figure to her students at St Paul. She would guide and inspire…
With less than 30 days until the 2020 census response deadline, an upcoming event in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown neighborhood is part of the final push to have community members counted in the decennial enumeration. A drive-thru/walk-up census event will be held on Saturday, September 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at LA Downtown…
“Don’t look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack.” —John C. Bogle Founder, Vanguard YEARS ago, I was searching for something to place a small amount of money that can yield a little growth if left alone for some time. A bank certificate of deposit, perhaps, I thought. But the yield was…
COMMUNITIES across California are still urged to fill out their 2020 U.S. Census forms as the deadline approaches at the end of September. The decennial count, which can be done by phone, online or mail, enumerates where individuals live as of April 1. “Fundamentally, our message is clear: time is running out to make an impact on…
METRO Manila will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) for the entire month of September, President Rodrigo Duterte announced Monday, August 31. The provinces of Bulacan and Batangas, as well as the cities of Tacloban and Bacolod, will also be under GCQ until Sept. 30. Iligan City will be under the stricter modified enhanced community…
In a previous essay, I wrote that the passage of AB 1460 and its signing into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom provided a measure of protection against certain forms of censorship, such as the statewide ban in Arizona schools against ethnic studies classes. There are actually more nuanced forms of censorship in California’s public…
AMID the public’s frustration over lockdown measures, Los Angeles County officials are advising the public against Labor Day weekend celebrations outside of the home in order to avoid another increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the county has recorded 242,521 positive cases and 5,829 deaths as of Tuesday, Aug….
DOOMSDAY in America is what President Donald Trump has been scaring people about in his campaign. He warns that if his opponent, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, wins in November, then people will not be safe with all the chaos, violence, and killing happening in the country. He claims only he can fix this and…
PHILIPPINE Interior Secretary Eduardo Año announced on Tuesday, September 1, that Lt. Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan has been appointed as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) by President Rodrigo Duterte. “Lt. Gen. Cascolan is the new Chief PNP, PRRD signed the paper of appointment,” he told the Philippine News Agency. “That’s the…
The route known as Skyline Boulevard will bear the name of community leader and activist Alice Pena Bulos A portion of California State Highway 35 in Daly City will be named after the late Filipina American activist and community leader Alice Pena Bulos, according to a resolution passed in the state Legislature on Friday, August…
Black Filipina American R&B artist H.E.R. won the Video For Good award for her song “I Can’t Breathe” at the MTV Video Music Awards 2020 on Sunday, August 30. “I Can’t Breathe” is a song highlighting the recent police killings of unarmed Black individuals, such as Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and the ongoing protests…
AMID the scaled-down Republican National Convention, a group of supporters from across the country, dubbed “Filipino Americans for Trump,” met virtually to discuss why they’re continuing to support the president and what their priorities are to get out the vote until November 3. “This is no ordinary election. This is a decision that we have…
A Filipino American transgender nursing assistant has been missing for almost a year, and while her family is terribly desperate about the slow process of the search, they remain hopeful that they will be able to be reunited with her someday. Paula del Mundo, 59, went missing on September 14, 2019 at the Dallas Fort…
The project is expected to be completed by early 2022 A new chapter for a long-standing organization in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown is underway. Nonprofit organization Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) on Thursday, Aug. 27 announced it began rebuilding its new headquarters in the neighborhood that will incorporate affordable housing units. The project, named…
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has been named among the world’s top 10 safest airlines during the current coronavirus pandemic, according to a newly released database that looks at COVID-19 traveler health and safety protocols. Of the over 150 airlines evaluated by Safe Travel Barometer, PAL was listed as the ninth safest for both travelers as of…
OVER 60 human rights groups are calling on the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish an independent international investigation into the extrajudicial killings and other rights violations in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte. In a letter addressed to the UN body on Thursday, August 27, 62 human rights and civil society groups expressed their…
PHILIPPINE Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. on Friday, August 28, said local contracts with any Chinese companies involved in island-building activities in the West Philippine Sea should be terminated following the United States’ move to blacklist firms that took part in the militarization activities in the disputed waters. “If I find that any of…
By Martin Santiago PENDING home sales, which measure signed contracts to purchase existing homes, increased 5.9% in August compared with July, according to the National Association of Realtors. The usual summer slowdown in the housing market is not happening this year. Buyers continue to show strong demand, spurred by the new stay-at-home world of the coronavirus and…
