MASKS and distancing do not work While there were limited data early this year about the effectiveness of personal hygiene, frequent handwashing, and wearing a mask and social distancing when in public to avoid getting infected with the COVID-19 infection, today, 7 months later, after the pandemic started in Wuhan, China, evidence-based data have confirmed…
TV and movie action star Richard Gutierrez has been identified as the “Richard G” referred to in teasers for the resumption of the popular ABS-CBN series FPJ’s “Ang Probinsiyano” which now airs in the Kapamilya Channel. This was revealed by my good friend Ricky Lo in a recent Funfare column in The Philippine Star. Richard…
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. There is also great news, because USCIS announced it will abide by this…
Existing recommendations include avoiding contact and interaction with folks outside their households If you were planning on hosting a house party sometime soon, it might be a good idea to cancel it now; if not for the volume of data proving large gatherings increase the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission, do it to avoid getting fined…
TWO Filipinos were among the people killed in a massive explosion in Lebanon’s capital Beirut, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday, August 5. “Our hearts go out to the Lebanese people. And I hope material and medical help as well. DFA will try to extend as much help as it can out…
COVID-19 in the United States has killed over 158,000 and has infected more than 4.8 million, claiming the lives of at least 1,000 Americans each day in a widespread outbreak throughout the nation, from the densely populated cities to the rural areas. These are real people who died because of the coronavirus pandemic, with real…
Education experts and leaders discuss the drawbacks of the U.S. response to COVID-19 and how best to provide for underserved students Public education advocates for years have been promoting the reality that the future of the United States hinges on today’s kids receiving quality and affordable education. But when the COVID-19 pandemic is here to…
The cost to become a naturalized United States citizen will increase by over $500, effective October 2, according to a rule change recently published in the Federal Register. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will raise the application fee to become a naturalized citizen from $640 to $1,170, the final rule on Friday,…
THE Philippine economy will not be able to withstand a prolonged modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Mega Manila, Malacañang said on Tuesday, August 4. “Tatapatin ko po kayo, hindi na po kaya ng ekonomiya ang mas matagalan pang lockdown (I will be blunt, the economy cannot withstand a longer lockdown),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque…
TEN overseas Filipinos have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of infected individuals to 9,607, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Tuesday, August 4. “On day one of modified ECQ in Manila and other parts of Luzon, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad passes the 9,600 mark…
FIFTY-SEVEN new deaths and 1,901 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Friday, August 7. The State has determined under reporting of COVID-19 cases due to technology issues with the electronic laboratory system (ELR). Public Health learned of new issues with the State ELR feed…
Newly-appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay wants to regulate social media use through the recently signed Anti-Terrorism Law. According to him, terrorists are reportedly using social media to radicalize and recruit younger members. “We’ll be providing some inputs on countering violent extremism and likewise, maybe regulating, even regulating social…
“But take heart. This too, shall pass. God is in heaven. All is right with the world.” THE world seems to be at a standstill these days. Blame it on the pandemic. But now it has become apparent that the pandemic crisis is being stretched by powers-that-be to a full-blown political “scamdemic” using fudged numbers…
Contributed by Nicole Dumaguindin, Bobby Halili and Naida Castro / NEFFCON-IE Filipinos/Filipino-Americans/Pilipinx make up the largest Asian population (33%) in the Inland Empire, numbering close to 118,000 as of Census 2010. Based on the 2017 Pew Research “Filipinos and in the U.S. Fact Sheet,” Filipinos living in the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino are…
Since childhood, Bryan Juan-Carlos Baltierra had set his sights on a military career and enlisted a month after graduating from high school. On Wednesday, July 29, the 18-year-old private first class marked his one-year anniversary of being sworn into the United States Marine Corps. A day later, he was one of nine service members killed…
Four white men recently opened a wine bar along U Street in Washington, D.C. named “Barkada Wine Bar,” a nod to the Filipino word for a closely-knit group of friends. The name was the only Filipino part of it; they did not announce plans to serve Filipino food or drinks nor is it an establishment…
RESPONDING to the ardent plea from healthcare workers, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has relegated the country’s capital and its nearby provinces under a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) beginning August 4 until August 18. Duterte approved the Cabinet’s recommendation to return to a more stringent lockdown in response to the medical community’s plea for a…
FILIPINA American Victoria “Vicki” Manalo-Draves was honored with a Google Doodle on Monday, August 3, on the 72nd anniversary of her winning moment at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. Draves bagged gold medals for both the 10-meter platform and 3-meter springboard diving events, making her the first Asian American woman to win a medal…
Undergraduate students of the California State University system — the largest public university system in the United States — will be required to take an ethnic studies or social justice class in order to graduate. The new “Ethnic Studies and Social Justice” requirement comes as the university’s Board of Trustees voted on Wednesday, July 22,…
by Antonio Moya, MD, MPH, Melanie Sabado-Liwag, PhD, MPH, and Yey Coronel LOS ANGELES – Essential workers of the Filipino Community in Los Angeles recently received a bit of the bayanihan spirit through the form of care packages. The Filipino American Service Group Inc. (FASGI) implemented the first phase of its “BalikBAHAY” Project on July…
Republicans on the Hill remain doubtful of the proposal’s feasibility As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to complicate and frustrate existing systems of bureaucracy, Washington lawmakers and election experts have suggested requiring mail-in ballots for all voters to prevent disease transmission at voting polls on Election Day. But President Donald Trump has not shied away from…
The City of Los Angeles may begin issuing fines to people who disobey mask mandate After a month of record highs in cases and deaths associated with the coronavirus in Los Angeles County, the county closed out July with another significant jump in deaths on Friday, July 31. The county reported 69 new deaths on…
Kids over 9 years old can also transmit virus, Fauci says in separate interview People are recommended to wear eye protection in addition to masks to better prevent contracting COVID-19, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and one of the nation’s top infectious disease experts…
PATRICIA Samson worked as a portfolio manager for Wells Fargo Bank. On October 28, 2014, Patricia informed her supervisors that she would take a medical leave of absence to recover from chronic endometriosis. The next day, Gwin, her supervisor, sent a meeting invitation entitled “Patricia Displacement Conversation” to his boss, Stender Sweeney. In the message,…
AS our tax laws become more complex, we find it more difficult to comply. The COVID-19 pandemic makes compliance even more challenging. As we fail to comply in filing or paying required taxes, the IRS hits us with certain penalties. The source of these penalties is the Internal Revenue Code which imposes various civil penalties…
IF Jesus were here on earth today, he would be much concerned about the thousands of people suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. And if he were here in Los Angeles, he would most likely go to the low-income neighborhoods of Central Los Angeles, which has some of the highest death rates from COVID-19. There, he…
WHAT are friends for? Friends, of course, like to help each other. But to what extent and what favors can you ask from a friend? The client’s friend wanted to set up a restaurant. The friend was a chef who had just graduated from culinary school. His idea was to serve street food from his…
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 application, ang green card na makukuha ng dayuhan ay conditional green card na may bisa na 2 taon. Ang layunin ng conditional green card ay…
