Health Tips
“COOKING” N95 masks N95 respirator mask has been the standard personal protective equipment (PPE) for COVID-19. Since this face covering is frequently in short supply and a bit pricey, sterilizing it for re-use is in demand. Some wash it with peroxide, others expose it to UV-C light, some even microwave it. A recent study from…
Federal court also bans US State Department’s 2018 public charge rule
IN A previous article, I wrote that on July 29, 2020, a federal court judge issued a nationwide injunction prohibiting USCIS from enforcing, applying, implementing, or treating as effective, President Trump’s new public charge rules as long as there is a national health emergency caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. On the same day, the judge…
[OPINION] Wannabe dictators?
HAS President Donald Trump been fantasizing about becoming a dictator like his idol Russia’s Vladimir Putin and his favorite presidents-for-life China’s Xi Jingping and North Korea’s Kim Jung Un? In History News Network, author John C. Waugh, wrote an article with the eyebrow-raising title, “Trump – A Wannabe Dictator in Training.” “In a view shared by many,…
Mojave Desert resort allegedly targeted California’s immigrant communities in a decades-long land sales promotion
By Emily Guerin and Gabriel Dunatov | KPCC/LAist For decades, salespeople at a remote resort in the Mojave Desert have allegedly used high pressure sales tactics to sell land to thousands of people throughout California, including many in Filipino, Chinese and Latino communities. Now, the California Department of Business Oversight has accused the company of…
Ramona Diaz’s new documentary ‘A Thousand Cuts’ offers an immersive look into Maria Ressa’s fight for press freedom in PH
Two years into Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, Filipina American filmmaker Ramona Diaz set out to make a documentary about the crackdown on illegal drugs that has drawn international attention. However, the strongman’s war on drugs has become the focus of many films, which led Diaz — whose previous work includes “Motherland,” “Don’t Stop Believin’:…
Drawing a more vibrant future: Fil-Am animators on their creative beginnings, the universality of Filipino narratives in animation
IN the inclusive rider era of Hollywood, it’s almost become a pedestrian party line to pledge support for diversity but the actual outturns thus far of that proclamation still leaves more to the imagination. But the world of animation — a space governed by entertainment bigwigs, Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks — is a space where…
Foreign spouses of Filipino citizens will now need visas to enter PH
The foreign spouses and dependents of Filipino citizens will need visas to enter the Philippines, the country’s Bureau of Immigration recently announced. The new requirement took effect on August 9. “Foreign spouses of Filipinos must now secure entry visas from our Consulates abroad before traveling to the Philippines. Otherwise, they will be denied entry by…
Duterte: Gov’t running out of funds amid coronavirus pandemic
The Philippine government has run out of funds to help those directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the country, President Rodrigo Duterte admitted on Monday, August 10. This comes after medical front-liners have called on the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until the end of the month. However, the president said the government would…
DFA: 47 Filipinos among injured during Beirut blast
FIVE more Filipinos injured during last week’s explosion in Beirut, Lebanon have been identified by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), bringing the tally to 47. “We are still thankful that the injuries sustained by our kababayans (countrymen) are not life-threatening. We also thank our Embassy personnel for taking prompt action,” said Undersecretary Sarah…
[COLUMN] Census 2020 will bring billions for health care services in the Inland Empire
Victoria S. Clamor is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine licensed to practice in California. A majority of her patients at Trinity Medical Clinic in Ontario are on health care programs, such as Medicaid, the need-based health insurance program for low-income people, and Medicare. Understanding that funding for these public health care services uses…
Amid pandemic chaos, California legislators fight for major health care bills
by Rachel Bluth California lawmakers are barreling toward an end-of-month deadline to pass or kill bills amid the biggest public health crisis the state has faced in a century. Yet even in a year consumed by sickness, they’re considering significant — sometimes controversial — health policy measures that aren’t directly related to COVID-19. Much of…
Small business grant program launched for LA’s 13th District
Small business owners in Los Angeles’ 13th council district can apply for a grant program starting this week. Led by Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell and the city’s Economic and Workforce Development Department, $1 million of discretionary funding has been allocated to help small businesses pay bills while the safer at home orders continue to be in…
How to defend yourself from COVID-19 (Part 1 of 2 installments)
“… Oh, to go back to the comforts of the past, pre- pandemic, To breathe freely, sans the mask… Back to the touchy feely hum of life Never again will I take it for granted …” —MAM OH 2020!!! I wish I saw you coming. But could we have taken evasive action? Could we have…
[OPINION] The Joe Biden-Kamala Harris tandem represents the diversity and the soul of the new generation of America
YES, BIDEN-HARRIS 2020! “I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate,” former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, announced on Twitter on Tuesday, August 11. This personally excited me…
Fil-Am leaders praise choice of Sen. Kamala Harris as Biden’s running mate
Harris becomes the first Black woman and Asian American person on a major party ticket SEVERAL Filipino American elected officials and community leaders on Tuesday, August 11 reacted to the selection of California Senator Kamala Harris as former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate. “Fierce, endlessly-talented, values-based, and Oakland-born, [Kamala] will not back down as…
US State Dept. issues travel advisory for PH
The United States is urging its citizens to reconsider traveling to the Philippines due to the coronavirus pandemic. The appeal came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a level 3 Travel Health Notice for the country. “Reconsider travel to the Philippines due to COVID-19. Additionally, exercise increased caution in the Philippines…
PAL to require passengers to wear face shields, masks
All passengers traveling on Philippine Airlines will be required to wear face shields, on top of the mandatory face masks, starting August 15. The new measure is in compliance with the latest guidelines that the Philippine Department of Transportation set for the public transport sector. “Passengers are required to wear masks and face shields during…
Filipino American History Month 2020 to celebrate the history of Fil-Am activism
In light of this year’s COVID-19 pandemic and movements addressing racial injustice in the United States, The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) in Seattle, Washington has announced the theme of this year’s Fil-Am History Month to be “The History of Filipino American Activism.” This October will be a reflection on how the Fil-Am community…
Fil-Am Susana Reyes elected vice president of LA Board of Water and Power Commissioners
SUSANA Reyes was recently elected to serve as vice president of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)’s board of commissioners. “This is a tremendous honor and responsibility and a boost for [Asian American and Pacific Islander] representation,” Reyes wrote in a Facebook post. Reyes, a 32-year veteran of the city, became the…
Jollibee to close 255 stores after suffering over $200 million loss in first half of 2020
PHILIPPINE fast food giant Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) is the latest brand to feel the impact of the coronavirus pandemic after it suffered financial losses due to enforced lockdowns in the country. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the fast-food giant reported a net loss of P10.171 billion from April to June, reversing…
US State Department lifts global health coronavirus travel advisory
After nearly five months, the U.S. State Department lifted its blanket global Level 4 Health Advisory that advised U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and returned to issuing its warnings to individual countries. “With health and safety conditions improving in some countries and potentially deteriorating in…
LAX now offers personal protective equipment via touch-free-pay vending machines
Those traveling out of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) now have access to personal protective equipment (PPE), such as hand sanitizer, face coverings and gloves via convenient vending machines located in the ticketing areas of most terminals. “Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is setting new standards for how the airport industry can help keep passengers…
Palace points to improved testing capacity as PH emerges as SE Asia’s COVID-19 hotspot
As the Philippines this week became the country in Southeast Asia with the most coronavirus cases, the government said the increased number is due to its ramped-up testing capacity. On Thursday, August 6, the country surpassed Indonesia’s 118,753 cases after the Department of Health recorded 3,561 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the national count to 119,460….
Locsin, Pompeo discuss US policy shift in the South China Sea, maritime cooperation
THE United States’ policy shift on maritime disputes in the South China Sea was recently discussed by the top diplomats of Manila and Washington during a phone call. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also talked about the “U.S. support for Southeast Asian coastal states upholding their…
Removal of conditions after divorce
NOONG isang linggo ay aking tinalakay ang Removal of Conditions on Green Card. Sinabi ko na kapag ang green card ay nakuha sa pamamagitan ng kasal sa isang U.S. citizen (USC) at ang kasal ay wala pang 2 taon noong naaprubahan ng USCIS ang green card, ang green card na makukuha ng dayuhan ay conditional…
Removing the conditions of your permanent residence without your petitioning spouse’s participation
A PERSON who obtains his/her green card via marriage to a U.S. citizen spouse, and who is married for less than 2 years has conditional permanent resident status. A conditional permanent resident has a green card that is valid for 2 years. In order to continue to have permanent resident status after 2 years, the…
Nine short tips on penalties for late tax filing & paying
1. THE failure-to-file penalty is generally more than the failure-to-pay penalty. If you cannot pay all the taxes you owe, file anyway to prevent the more costly failure-to-file penalty. 2. The failure-to-file penalty is 5% per month of the unpaid taxes, not to exceed 25%. 3. The failure-to-pay penalty is only ½% per month, not…