TWO female suicide bombers are behind the twin bombings in Jolo, Sulu that killed 15 and wounded 77 on Monday, August 24, the Philippine Army said. According to Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, the suicide bombers were “alias Nanah” and “alias Inda Nay.” Alias Nanah, a resident of Basilan, was the wife of the…
Tourism is one of the world’s largest industries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and every other country has seen the varying degrees of decimation to its tourism sector. Whether it is Italy, where tourism accounts for 6% of the country’s GDP or Palau where it generates almost 90% of all exports, countries are struggling…
Sandoval’s award-winning film Lingua Franca arrives on Netflix, signaling the permanence of diverse storytelling AS is the experience of so many Filipinos living in the United States, a woman named Olivia living in Brooklyn makes a call to her mother back in the Philippines to discuss money. It’s a relationship separated by time zones as…
Leading up to the conventions for both the Democratic and Republican parties, early data found that Asian Americans are leaning left with 54% saying they are inclined to vote for former Vice President Joe Biden. In preliminary data from the 2020 Asian American Voter survey — conducted by APIAVote, AAPIData, Asian Americans Advancing Justice |…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, August 25, said there is no “magic bullet” to solve the country’s problems related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. “This is an update again, a weekly (report on) what we are trying to do. We will also continue to respond to the rising challenges in our pandemic, recalibrating our…
IMMIGRATION officers at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other entry ports have been advised to tighten the screening of foreigners who claim they are married to Filipinos before allowing them to enter the country. The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) order was issued following reports that some foreign nationals managed to enter the…
TWENTY-FIVE more cases of COVID-19 have been reported among overseas Filipinos, bringing the official number of infections to 10,028. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, August 25 released the latest statistics, which included 15 recoveries, which raises the total tally of recovered patients to 6,029. The death toll, meanwhile, remained at 742…
As the campaign season ramps up ahead of the November election, one of President Donald Trump’s most trusted and longest-serving senior advisors Kellyanne Conway announced on Sunday, Aug. 23 that she is stepping down as White House counselor. Conway’s sudden announcement came minutes after her husband, the Filipino American attorney and vocal Trump opposer George…
by Julie Appleby STATE officials and federal agencies warn there’s a new phone scam circulating: Some callers posing as COVID-19 contact tracers try to pry credit card or bank account information from unsuspecting victims. The grifters apparently are taking advantage of a genuine public health intervention that’s crucial to stopping the spread of the novel…
“I owe, I owe. So off to work I go.” -Car bumper sticker WHEN we buy stuff, we think we own it. The truth is the stuff owns us. If we bought the stuff on credit, then we have contracted a set time in our future to pay for the stuff by working our tail…
THE Republican Party was once known as the party of Abraham Lincoln; the party of true statesmen fighting for true conservative values and in the service of the American people; the Grand Old Party. But it has been hijacked by this reality star named Donald Trump. He has taken over the party, while its members…
“What we do echoes through the generations…” —Former President Barack Obama in his 2020 Democratic National Convention Address On August 17, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill, AB 1460, that requires all California State University students to take an ethnic studies class, in order to graduate. The class must be focused on one of…
Despite the trend of Filipino Americans largely voting Democratic in recent decades, President Donald Trump continues to have a band of supporters among the segment in the community who identify as conservatives. Heading into November 3, Fil-Am Republicans across the country, who brand themselves as among the “silent majority,” are continuing to ride the red…
Asians could lose out on community resources for the next 10 years The census deadline is looming, and the Filipino community is in danger of not getting their fair share of resources over the next decade. There is only one month left to make an impact. Nationally, three out of 10 U.S. households have not…
The total number of novel coronavirus cases among Filipinos around the world has surpassed the 10,000 mark as the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recorded 19 new infections on Monday, August 24. As of this writing, there are now 10,003 overseas Filipinos infected with COVID-19. The agency also logged 61 new recoveries, bringing the…
PHILIPPINE Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. on Monday, August 24, announced that doctors have cleared him to go home as he continues to recover from COVID-19. “Great news po! The doctors have cleared me for discharge. I am so excited to go home,” he said in a Facebook post. “Hindi pa po tapos ang aking…
After a four-day virtual Democratic National Convention that ended with former Vice President Joe Biden officially accepting the party’s nomination, Filipino American Democrats across the country are ready to fight the “battle for the soul of the nation.” Speaking from the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware on Thursday night, August 20, Biden made his case…
DEAR Attorney Tan, I was driving home and was at a complete stop when another driver rear ended my car. I was not feeling well after the accident, as my back seemed very tight and stiff. I took some days off from work. After a week, I contacted the other driver’s insurance to report the…
Protecting consumers against sellers ANGELA Bolger bought a replacement laptop computer battery on Amazon.com, which was being sold by “E-Life,” a fictitious name used on Amazon by Lenoge Technology (HK) Ltd., a foreign corporation. Amazon charged Bolger for the purchase, retrieved the laptop battery from its location in an Amazon warehouse, prepared the battery for…
“It was almost like committing suicide for an African American to go to the courthouse in the Delta of Mississippi or the Black Belt of Alabama and declare his or her intention to register to vote. White organizers were risking their lives trying to register black Americans to vote. Segregationists saw the cameras of reporters,…
“Jesus knew that Peter would be humble to accept his weaknesses and turn to the Living God for wisdom and strength.” “AND I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail over it. I will give you the keys…
MANY people find themselves in the position of facing overwhelming debt, with constant calls from creditors and no obvious way out. For some, job loss sent them into a downward spiral, and they are now unable to pay their bills and meet their responsibilities. For others, a recent divorce or costly medical emergency drained their…
Health care workers bearing employment certificates (OEC) from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) have been given permission by the government to leave the country this week. This came following Malacañang’s announcement on Thursday, August 21 that gave the green light for healthcare workers with overseas employment contracts as of March 8 to pursue their…
THE first client is 75. Her husband passed four years ago and left her with $30,000 of credit card debt. She has been making minimum payments on their credit cards for the last 15 years as far as she can recall at the rate of $800 a month. So in one year, she pays about…
This election, California voters will be voting on a ballot measure that, if passed, would repeal a 1996 bill that prohibits affirmative action. Known as the California Civil Rights Initiative, Prop 209 prohibited state-sanctioned institutions, like the University of California system, from considering race, sex, ethnicity in the areas of hiring, public education admission and…
WIDOWS of U.S. citizens have many options of obtaining their greencard should their U.S. citizen spouse die. Under INA Section 201(b)(2)(A)(i), Widows are allowed to remain classified as immediate relatives and to continue to be eligible to immigrate if they file an I-360 selfpetition within two years of the death of the U.S. citizen or…
YOU have one shot in asking the IRS to abate (forgive) penalties that have been assessed for late filing, late payment, or audit adjustments. Make this opportunity count. Submit a compelling letter supported with convincing evidence as to why the IRS should abate your penalties. Here’s a list of records to submit to IRS: •…
TWO additional cases of the novel coronavirus among Filipinos abroad have been recorded by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday, August 21. This brings the official count of infections to 9,975. The agency did not record any new fatalities or recoveries. As of this writing, the death toll stands at 733 while…
