Young Filipino US soldier found dead near Texas Army base
Third reported soldier death near base within past month A young Filipino U.S. soldier was found dead last week near the Fort Hood Army base in Texas, marking the third soldier death in the area within the past month. Private Mejhor Morta, 26, was found unresponsive on July 17 in the vicinity of Stillhouse Lake,…
Fil-Am nurse who documented love for Disney on Instagram dies from COVID-19
This past spring, Joshua Obra and his younger sister Jasmine moved to Anaheim, California to be closer to Disneyland. The siblings considered the theme park their “second home,” as they would visit at least once a week since getting annual passes five years ago. As a family, the Obras experienced the six Disneylands around the…
Legal and housing experts predict a ‘tsunami of evictions’ as more Americans become unable to pay rent, housing costs
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on and continues to complicate nearly every system of bureaucracy, housing instability becomes an even greater threat to residents facing job and income loss and renters facing impending expirations on rent moratorium orders. At the pandemic’s beginning in March, most states enacted safer-at-home orders that sequester workers to their homes,…
Trump signs memorandum excluding undocumented immigrants from census count
Legal and civil rights organizations condemn Trump for blocking ‘undocumented immigrants from fair representation’ United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday, July 21 signed a memorandum that would exclude undocumented immigrants from census counts in what is the administration’s latest attempt to alter the way that populations are tallied and progress its stringent immigration plan….
BI: Only foreigners with long-term visas allowed to enter PH in August
ONLY foreigners with permanent or existing immigrant visas are allowed to enter the Philippines starting August, the country’s Bureau of Immigration clarified on Tuesday, July 21. The entry of foreign tourists, non-immigrant visa holders, and other categories of travelers are still prohibited. Anyone attempting to land in any of the Philippines’ ports of entry will…
Nine more overseas Filipinos contract COVID-19
NINE new cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported among Filipinos around the world, bringing the total number of infections to 9,145, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Tuesday, July 21. Meanwhile, the agency logged one new fatality, which brings the death toll to 645. Nine Filipinos have also recovered, raising…
SWS: Filipinos’ trust in US, Australia, China drops
A new survey by the Social Weather Stations revealed that the Filipinos’ trust in the United States, Australia, and China suffered a drop in the first half of the year. The U.S. earned a net trust rating of “good” +42, while Australia got “moderate” at +27. China, on the other hand, received a net trust…
[OPINION] I’m a Filipino American Republican, but I’m voting for Biden
By Nelson Garcia Having been born in Mandaluyong, and knowing the history of American influence in my country of birth, I have always felt an affinity and a deep appreciation to the United States for the opportunities given to me and my family. The success we had during the presidency of Ronald Reagan helped make…
Debt problems: Are you lost in a money fog?
MAYBE you’ve experienced this before. You’re driving down the road one cold, chilly day and before you know it, you find yourself surrounded by a thick white wall of dense fog. How did you react to the situation? If you’re like most people, perhaps you felt momentarily lost and confused or perhaps even panicked, not…
The bucket list: Get it down in writing
16th of a series “You can’t bring a U-Haul truck with you when you go to that wide blue yonder.” — Unknown BEFORE you begin checking off the fun, carefree and wonderful items of your personal bucket list, you have to put first things first. This means putting things down in writing. Yes, facing the…
[OPINION] ‘Res Ipsa Loquitur’: After killing ABS-CBN franchise, video call reveals Duterte’s minions now strategize to take over network and seize its assets
RES IPSA LOQUITUR. The thing speaks for itself. I remember learning a lot about legal terms in Latin on the legal talk, public service and drama radio program on DZMM with the late Philippine Senator Rene Cayetano, the good father of House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. The “Compañero ng Bayan”, as I fondly called him,…
Anti-terror law takes effect in the Philippines
The controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 took effect on Saturday, July 18 in the Philippines, despite the lack of implementing rules and regulations. “Considering that the law was published on July 3, it will take effect on July 18, which is the 15th day,” said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday, July 17. He added that…
57% of new cases of COVID-19 in LA County are in people under 41 years old
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 50 new deaths and 2,741 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, July 21. Of the latest positive cases, 57% occurred in people under the age of 41 years old. The numbers continue to confirm that younger people are driving new infections and the spread of COVID-19, the…
Jollibee’s expansion in the US continues, opens second Jersey City store amid the pandemic
Jollibee opened the doors of its second store in Jersey City last week, more than a month after the inauguration of its Edison store, in the midst of the pandemic that has been slowing global economic growth. The new stores are part of the brand’s plans to grow to 150 stores in the U.S. by…
US Department of Labor offers webinars in Tagalog for employers and employees about Families First Coronavirus Response Act
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced that it will offer a webinar on Tuesday, July 21 to help employers and employees in Southern California’s Filipino communities understand the benefits and protections provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The webinar will be offered in Tagalog. The webinars will…
Over 9,100 Filipinos abroad infected with COVID-19
More than 9,100 overseas Filipinos are now infected with the coronavirus, as the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday, July 20 reported 135 new cases. The additional cases bring the latest tally to 9,136. “At the start of this brand new week, the DFA reports that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among…
Poll: Majority Asian Americans believe race relations have worsened, feel unhopeful about COVID-19 recovery
The survey also found that the majority of Asian Americans support recent protests, police reform The coronavirus pandemic has been the singular, collective constant of 2020. The virus has been, not only an issue of public health and safety in a medical sense, but also in a cultural sense, dredging up familiar tones of anti-Asian,…
Trump administration must accept new DACA applications, judge orders
A federal judge on Friday, July 17, ordered the Trump administration to begin accepting new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program following growing complaints that new applications were being denied. This comes after a United States Supreme Court ruling last month upheld the program that protected young immigrants brought to the…
Sidewalk signs alert residents that Westlake, Pico Union are ‘high-risk’ neighborhoods for COVID-19
THIRTY sidewalk signs have been placed around Los Angeles’ Westlake and Pico Union neighborhoods, signaling residents that they live in areas that are at higher risk of COVID-19 transmission. Led by Councilmember Gil Cedillo, the signs in English and Spanish warn that the neighborhoods have been identified as a “high-risk area” and illustrates guidelines to…
PH to continue to ‘assert’ rights over disputed sea
Malacañang this week said that the Philippines will continue to “assert’’ its rights in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). “As we have said in previous occasions, the Philippine government continues to assert our rights over the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea in accordance with the 2016 Arbitral Ruling,” said Presidential Spokesperson…
Social media and US visa applicants
SA panahon ngayon ng pandemic at dahil sa madaming lockdown order sa buong mundo, marami ang nagtatrabaho mula sa bahay o WFH. Marami rin ang bumabaling sa social media upang magbahagi ng impormasyon, balita at kanilang mga damdamin. Dapat malaman ng U.S. visa applicants na sila ay kailangang mag-submit ng impormasyon tungkol sa social media…
Recent polls: A majority of Americans say they distrust what Trump says about COVID-19 and trust Dr. Fauci more
A GLIMMER of hope in the United States’ fight against the pandemic: Recent polls suggest that a majority of Americans do not trust the words coming out of President Donald Trump’s mouth, and they turn to the nation’s top epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci in handling the COVID-19 outbreak. The ABC News/Washington Post poll reveals that…
Korina Sanchez, Ces Drilon among high-profile names affected by ABS-CBN layoffs
VETERAN broadcast journalists Korina Sanchez-Roxas and Ces Oreña-Drilon are among the high-profile individuals who have been laid off by ABS-CBN, following the rejection of its franchise renewal bid. Sanchez-Roxas, the long-time host of “Rated K,” took to Instagram to confirm she was one of the first employees involved in the broadcast company’s “bloodbath.” “You’re hearing…
13 tips in pleading reasonable cause to penalty forgiveness
YOUR penalties may be abated (forgiven) if you can prove Reasonable Cause. Here are some tips for you: • You don’t have a background in finance or taxation • You exercised due diligence by going to a competent tax adviser. • You went to a tax professional. • You even hired a CPA (Certified Public…
The Philippines’ future floats in the West Philippine Sea
By: U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim THE waters of the South China Sea are home to a dizzying array of marine resources, ranging from vast oil and gas reserves deep beneath the surface to the complex and beautiful ecosystems capable of supporting international seafood markets and unraveling scientific mysteries. This is the patrimony…
The test of the human spirit
“GOOD things can come out of bad things,” I would tell others and myself. Take, for example, the effects of this coronavirus pandemic. Undoubtedly, it is s the worst tragedy that has happened to our generation in these times, and we’d rather not experience it. Who wouldn’t tremble at learning the death of thousands of…
K-1 fiancé(e) visa: Getting your significant other to the United States
SEVERAL options exist for a U.S. citizen to bring his/her foreign-national fiancé(e) to the United States. One popular option is to marry the fiancé(e) in the country in which he/she resides, and file an I-130 immigrant petition, with the fiancé(e) to undergo consular processing for an immigrant visa when the I-130 petition is approved. However,…
Are public employees’ off-duty sex activities ground for termination?
The right to privacy and intimate association JANELLE Perez was hired as a police officer in the Roseville Police Department. A few months into her probationary term, Janelle and a fellow officer, Shad Begley, began a romantic relationship. Both Janelle and Shad were separated from their respective spouses but remained married. Shad’s wife, Leah, filed…