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…
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…
“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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The Department of Foreign Affairs’ diplomatic protests against China for violating international law and Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea has gained support from Malacañang. “Yung filing of diplomatic protest, ginagawa po ‘yan basta kinakailangan gawin (The filing of the diplomatic protest, we will file them if they need to be filed),” said presidential spokesman…
PEACE! It’s one of the essential commodities that we need now. Unfortunately, it’s something that we cannot buy from the grocery stores or online. If we could buy it, it will run out fast like toilet paper! How do we obtain peace during these trying times? The Scripture Readings last Sunday on the Feast of…
WHEN the virus makes your income disappear overnight, it can be very frightening to realize that you can’t go very long without it because your bills don’t stop just because your income did. No one ever wants to file bankruptcy. But if you are one of the millions laid off and don’t even know whether…
DEAR Attorney, I am a permanent resident, and am planning to visit my loved ones in the Philippines during the holidays. I am planning to leave this week and stay in the Philippines until after the New Years. Will I face any problems coming back to the US after being outside the country for 60…
by Judith Graham Older adults with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, have several “atypical” symptoms, complicating efforts to ensure they get timely and appropriate treatment, according to physicians. COVID-19 is typically signaled by three symptoms: a fever, an insistent cough and shortness of breath. But older adults — the age group most at…
FILING a bankruptcy case creates a “bankruptcy estate.” The estate becomes the legal owner of all of the debtor’s property while the bankruptcy is going on. What does the estate consist of? It consists of all legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case. This includes property…
KINIKILALA ng USCUS na ang COVID-19 pandemic ay nakapagdulot na ng maraming immigration-related challenges. May mga dayuhan o nonimmigrants na walang balak na magtagal sa US o manatili sa US lampas ng petsa ng kanilang authorized period of stay. Ngunit hindi makaalis ang mga dayuhang ito dahil sa COVID-19. Ayon sa USCIS, kung ito ang…
