Two East Coast relatives die from COVID-19 two days apart
FE Olegario-Pakula, a former elementary school teacher from Mangatarem, Pangasinan, passed away on April 5 from coronavirus complications at a nursing home facility in New York City. Olegario-Pakula, 81, is survived by her husband Marian Pakula, a Polish-American, and her younger brother, Dr. Eddie Olegario, a retired physician now based in Atlantic City, New Jersey….
Pinay nurse, considered ‘Mother Hen’ at Kings County Hospital, dies from virus
MARIA Guia Cabillon, fondly called by many as Mama Guia, spent more than three decades of her life as a nurse. She was described as the “number one ally, caregiver and mom to the nurses and staunchly protected all the techs” and “a legend.” Cabillon was the Head Nurse at Kings County Department of Emergency…
Debunking COVID-19 myths
WITH novelty comes misinterpretation, misinformation, and myths rapidly disseminated via social media around the globe. This is what is happening with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV2 virus, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected more than 3 million and killed greater than 230,000 in 210 countries around the world – more than a million…
The Fork Initiative & Feed Our Warriors: Fil-Am groups in New York unite to feed the front-liners
For the past few weeks, we have seen small Filipino businesses and organizations come up with projects to send food and drinks to front-liners and first responders. Kabisera in the Lower East Side has its coffee runs, where they deliver caffeinated drinks to various hospitals. This week, they were able to log in their 30th…
Duterte offers P20M reward to any Filipino who develops respirator for COVID-19 patients
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is willing to give a P20 million reward to any Filipino who can develop a durable respirator that will be used to help patients who contracted the novel coronavirus, Malacañang said on Tuesday, April 28. According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the respirators should “outlast” the lives of the patients. “Nagbigay ng…
More than 1,300 PH health care workers infected with COVID-19
OVER 1,300 health care workers in the Philippines have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the Department of Health. The latest figures on Tuesday, April 28 show that 1,336 health care professionals have contracted COVID-19. Of the infected, 493 doctors, 507 nurses, 74 nursing assistants, 47 medical technologists, 28 radio technologists, 11 midwives…
UN calls out PH’s ‘highly militarized’ lockdown response
THE United Nations this week raised concern over the “toxic lockdown culture” that several countries have adopted as they fight the coronavirus pandemic, citing the Philippines’ “highly militarized response” to violators of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet on Monday, April 27 noted that 120,000 Filipinos have been arrested for violating…
One and only Philippine cinema Superstar Nora Aunor turns 67 on May 21
SUPERSTAR Nora Aunor, who now resides in the Philippines, will celebrate her 67th birthday on Thursday, May 21. La Aunor, internationally known as the one and only Superstar of the Philippine silver screen, was born in Iriga, Camarines Sur. She was the grand champion of the Darigold Jamboree Singing Contest and represented her province in…
The power of kindness
“Kind people are the best kind of people.” WHAT does it cost to be kind to others? We often think that being kind costs us something — whether it is time, money, connections or any of what we consider to be our personal resources becoming depleted. Being kind does not diminish us. On the contrary,…
Historic Filipina-owned Bay Area restaurant reopens for business
LOCATED along Bayshore Boulevard in Brisbane, California is a restaurant with a 162-year history that includes surviving the 1906 earthquake, the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak and the Great Depression in the 30s. 7 Mile House has been owned by Filipina American Vanessa Garcia since 2004, becoming a bustling popular dining and entertainment venue known for…
May 2020 priority dates
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…
Several Bay Area counties to ease certain rules as shelter-in-place orders extended
Orders in effect until May 31 SEVEN Bay Area jurisdictions announced this week that they will begin easing restrictions on certain activities, as shelter-in-place orders have been extended until 31. The counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara as well as the City of Berkeley, an independent public health…
Members of Congress detail legislative solutions to anti-Asian bigotry amid COVID-19 pandemic
Over 1,000 incidents of hate reported in LA and OC As hate crimes, harassment and other forms of bigotry against the Asian American community are on the rise due to the ballooning coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers, advocacy organizations and government agencies are working toward tangible solutions to support victims and prevent attacks. During a recent town…
Over 200 new cases of Filipinos positive with COVID-19 globally
MORE than 200 overseas Filipinos have tested positive for the novel coronavirus this week, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said. The latest numbers on Tuesday, April 28 revealed that there are 209 new cases of COVID-19 among Filipinos abroad, bringing the total to 1,604. The department noted that this is the largest single day…
DFA repatriates 302 OFWs from 5 countries
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs this week welcomed home 132 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Singapore and 121 from Algeria. According to the agency, the successful repatriation of the Filipinos on Monday, April 27 was made possible by the Philippine Embassies in Singapore and Tripoli in coordination with their respective employers who shouldered their…
Palace: Duterte not using virus to declare martial law
Malacañang denied rumors that President Rodrigo Duterte is taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to declare martial law in the Philippines. “Nakakatawa po ‘yan kasi hindi naman lang naman sa Pilipinas ang merong pandemic (That’s funny because it’s not only the Philippines experiencing the pandemic),” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in an online briefing on…
Former tourism chief behind successful ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ campaign dies at 64
Former Philippine Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez died on Monday, April 27, his family confirmed. He was 64. In a statement, current Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat offered her condolences to the loved ones of Jimenez on behalf of the Department of Tourism. “On behalf of the officials and employees of the Department of Tourism (DOT), I…
LA County hits 1,000 deaths related to COVID-19
Los Angeles County has reached 1,000 deaths related to the novel coronavirus as 59 additional fatalities were reported on Tuesday, April 28. Among the new fatalities reported by the LA County Department of Public Health, 36 individuals were over the age of 65 years old, 16 people who died were between the ages of 41…
LA County to send mail-in ballot to every registered voter
All 5.4 million registered voters in Los Angeles County will now receive a mail-in ballot in the midst of the uncertainty of whether the spread will be contained by the general election in November. The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday, April 28 to approve a proposal by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Sheila…
Trump issues executive order pausing certain green cards for 60 days
According to Trump, pausing immigration will help out unemployed Americans by allowing American workers to be first in line when the economy reopens. The COVID-19 Pandemic and the resulting shut down of the US economy has wreaked havoc to the employment landscapre of Americans. Unemployment rates spiked to levels higher than the great recession of…
Despite the pandemic, Fil-Am chef Ria Barbosa’s Petite Peso opens for service in downtown LA
WITH the city of Los Angeles’ stay-at-home order that took effect nearly two months ago, restaurants have been limited to take-out and delivery, or faced the decision to close. Opening a restaurant would seemingly be among the last things to do in this climate, but a new Filipino American takeaway spot has pushed ahead with…
Pope Francis warns of a deadlier virus spreading: selfish indifference
THE coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 213,824 people in the world, and has changed life as we knew it before its spread was initially reported in January 2020. In an effort to stop the spread of the virus, many governments around the world have enforced lockdowns, quarantines and shelter-in-place orders, forcing many businesses, schools,…
Father of Fil-Am actor Darren Criss passes away
FILIPINO American actor Darren Criss is mourning the loss of his father, Charles William “Bill” Criss Jr., who passed away from a rare heart condition on Monday, April 27. He was 78. The former “Glee” actor took to Instagram to confirm the news. “Bill Criss has left the building. After many years of coping with…
‘He was the ultimate father figure’: Fil-Am engineer, father of 2 dies from COVID-19 after 3 weeks in the hospital
Angelo and Marilou Cortes planned to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary with a trip to Europe in June. However, the coronavirus took Angelo’s life, and along with it, their travel plans. Cortes, a 58-year-old design engineer and father of two from La Habra, California, died on April 10 from complications related to COVID-19. “My dad…
Enhanced community quarantine extended in Metro Manila, ‘high risk’ areas until May 15
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and other “high risk” areas in Luzon until May 15, following the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. “The decision regarding the ECQ when May 1, 2020 comes: maintain the ECQ for…
Coronavirus beyond statistics: For each death, a family grieves, a dream is buried, the story of a generation ends
AMID the debate about continuing social distancing or re-opening the United States for business Amid the President of the United States Donald Trump undermining the advice of scientists and health officials on when will be the safe time to relax social distancing and stay-at-home safety measures; Amid the confusion brought about by the warning of…
DFA seeks to bring home 35,000 Filipinos
THE Philippine Department of foreign Affairs on Thursday, April 23, said it is expecting to bring home 35,000 overseas Filipino Workers amid the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe. “As we expect to bring home over 35,000 more OFWs, we appeal to our kababayan (countrymen) to strictly observe and comply with the quarantine procedures imposed…
Protecting employee whistleblowers in these COVID-19 times
LAST week, CNN reported that 10 nurses from Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California were placed on administrative leave for demanding N95 masks while treating COVID-19 patients. The nurses were suspended with pay for refusing to enter COVID-19 patient rooms without N95 masks. The hospital told the nurses that there were no…