Washington state names Fil-Am as head of health care response team
GOVERNOR Jay Inslee has named retired Navy Vice Admiral Raquel Cruz Bono as Washington state director for COVID-19 Health System Response Management. As the former chief executive officer and director for the Defense Health Agency, Bono led a joint, integrated support agency that enabled all branches of the U.S. military medical services to provide health…
SoCal-based Pinay pastry chef wins Food Network’s ‘Chopped Sweets’
A Filipina American pastry chef and entrepreneur from Southern California won a recent episode of Food Network’s “Chopped Sweets.” Ginger Lim-Dimapasok, the owner of ube-centric bakery Café 86, triumphed during the Monday, March 16 episode of “Chopped Sweets” entitled “Carnival Crunch Time.” “Chopped Sweets,” a spinoff of the network’s popular show “Chopped,” features four bold…
99 Ranch Market makes public announcement
99 RANCH Market, via a public announcement signed by CEO Alice Chen, recently shared a public announcement on how the company and its stores are addressing shoppers’ needs during the coronavirus crisis. Here’s the announcement in full: To our valued customers and the 99 Ranch Market community: As we continue to monitor the novel coronavirus…
Duterte signs law granting himself special powers vs virus
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, March 25, signed a bill that grants him special powers to address the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) threat in the country. Under the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act (Senate Bill 1418), the president is authorized to adopt several “temporary emergency measures” to contain COVID-19 as well as to mobilize…
COVID-19 and its effects on immigration
WITH the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, along with “stay-at-home,” “shelter in place,” quarantines, travel bans, etc., there has been a profound effect on immigration. Here are some of the restrictions, limitations, changes at the present time. This is not an exhaustive list, and is subject to change literally on a daily basis: 1. The…
COVID-19 cases in PH jump to 636
THE Philippines has 84 additional cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total count to 636, the Department of Health reported on Wednesday, March 25. The department also recorded three additional deaths, bringing the official death toll to 38. The fatalities include a 56-year-old male Filipino resident of Quezon City with no travel history…
249 coronavirus cases, 6 deaths in Clark County
Gov. Sisolak restricts malaria drugs for treatment, gatherings of more than 10 CLARK County now has 249 coronavirus cases as of Tuesday, March 24, a week after Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced a statewide shutdown of nonessential businesses in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Of the cases reported, 43% are between…
COVID-19 also kills the young
THE younger generation is also vulnerable to get COVID-19! It is a deadly misconception that they are not, a fake news that puts the elderly at even greater risk. Irresponsible people of any age could make this pandemic worse than the virus itself, by being arrogant and inconsiderate, not cooperating with the health authorities. Some…
From registered nurse to first Fil-Am co-owner of a US hospital: How Vicki Rollins transformed a struggling medical center into a five-star rated hospital
ONLY two hospitals in the city of Los Angeles received the highest five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this past January — and one of them is in the heart of Historic Filipinotown and is run by a Filipina American. Formerly known as the Silver Lake Medical Center, the Los…
Money, fear and racism: Navigating the complex relationship between health and hysteria
As the world continues to fight the new coronavirus, the global Asian and Pacific Islander community pushes back on hate, discrimination There are fewer global phenomena that make a bigger impact than a viral pandemic. As told by history, the emergence of a new, deadly pathogen — especially one for which there is no known…
Fil-Am lawyer David Lat remains in critical condition, given ‘experimental’ drug therapy
New York continues to grapple with skyrocketing coronavirus cases and because of the spiking numbers, the state launched earlier this week a clinical trial for an experimental drug treatment to heal those who are critically ill. One of those patients in critical condition is Filipino American lawyer David Lat, who has been intubated on a…
PAL cancels international flights from March 26 to April 14
Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Tuesday, March 24, announced that it is temporarily suspending international flights from March 26 to April 14 as more people around the world become infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19). The airline said in a statement that it “could no longer sustain even a limited number of international flights” as more…
#RacismIsAVirus: Fil-Am Broadway stars rally against coronavirus anti-Asian racism through social media campaign
Like industries across the country, Broadway has closed the curtain and joined the millions of Americans in self-isolation amid the current outbreak of the new coronavirus. The Broadway community — which includes many notable Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) actors, singers and artists — has always prided itself as an inclusive space that celebrates…
Why not news about those who get well from the coronavirus?
Chris Cuomo, the host of the CNN news-commentary program, “Cuomo Prime Time,” had good news about someone who had been found positive for the strain of coronavirus, known as COVID-19. The good news was that the patient was recovering. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the COVID-19 mortality rate at 3.4%. That’s the bad news….
Los Angeles County coronavirus cases surge to 660
11 deaths reported, including the first fatality under 18 years old In the past 48 hours, 256 new coronavirus cases have been identified in Los Angeles County, bringing the total number to 662 cases, the county Department of Public Health confirmed on Tuesday, March 24. Public health officials also reported three additional deaths as of…
Bucket list No. 10: Let the music move you
“… And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” — Ascribed to Friedrich Nietzsche CARE to dance? Most people have rhythm embedded in their DNA. Music moves them emotionally and physically. Music is a powerful gravity-defying force that can speak to the soul. Watch…
Is bankruptcy the answer to your debt problems?
A LOT of people who are contemplating bankruptcy as a solution to their debt problems often wonder if it can be avoided at all. They fear that they might be making the biggest mistake of their lives. If you are struggling with debt problems and are starting to feel hopeless about your situation because you…
What is more important to you: The survival of your family and public health or Trump’s call for the US economy to open by Easter?
“THE cure is worse than the problem,” President Donald Trump has been echoing Fox News in his unbelievable call to scale down drastic efforts toward the containment of the coronavirus pandemic and open the U.S. for business by April 12. This cure, prescribed by Trump, is indeed worse than the problem because he will have…
As COVID-19 escalates, officials warn public of fake test kits, scam remedies
Panic-buying, school closures and, of course, contracting the novel coronavirus itself are not the only things to watch out for as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in the United States. According to separate warnings from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the public ought to watch out for scammers…
LA public schools to remain closed until May 1
Public schools in Los Angeles, which serve over 700,000 students, will stay closed until May 1 in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Austin Beutner on Monday, March 23 announced that the district-wide closures will be extended for another two months. “I wish I could…
Palace assures lawful use of special powers vs virus
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will not abuse the special powers granted to him by Congress to address the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, Malacañang said on Tuesday, March 24. According to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, the president would use the special powers in accordance with the 1987 Constitution. “The Filipino people are assured that…
Coronavirus cases in PH jump to 552
There are now 552 coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Tuesday, March 24. It also reported two additional deaths, bringing the death toll to 35. Meanwhile, the number of recoveries is now at 20. According to health authorities, they are expecting the number of confirmed cases in the…
‘He died alone’: Filipino father among New Jersey’s coronavirus victims
A Filipino father from Edison, New Jersey died on March 19 from the coronavirus, his son confirmed over the weekend. Peter Dario died from COVID-19 two days prior and was “alone because the hospital restricted all visitors in order to contain the outbreak,” his son Peter John Dario posted on Twitter on March 21. The…
House committee passes bill granting Duterte ‘emergency powers’ in coronavirus outbreak
A bill granting President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Philippines has been approved in a House of Representatives committee. The committee passed House Bill No. 6616 or the “Bayanihan Act of 2020” on Monday, March 23, seeking to declare a national emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The…
Kabilang ang mga Batang Wala Pang 5 Taong Gulang sa Pinakahindi Nabilang nang Tumpak sa Nakalipas na Senso
Tauhan ng America Counts – Nobyembre 13, 2019 Isang pagsubok ang pagbilang sa bawat taong nasa Estados Unidos sa isang senso na ginagawa bawat 10 taon. Ngunit ang pagbilang sa bawat sanggol at batang nagsisimulang maglakad sa bansa ay maaaring isa sa pinakamahirap na bahagi ng trabaho. Madalas na hindi napapagtanto ng mga magulang at adult na…
59 new cases of COVID-19, 2 deaths reported in LA County
Two additional deaths and 59 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Health confirmed on Saturday, March 21. The individuals who died were both older than 65 with underlying health conditions; one person lived in Miracle Mile and the other individual resided in Del…
WATCH: New teleseryes-inspired online campaign launched to increase 2020 Census participation
The Filipino Voter Empowerment Project (FVEP), as part of its efforts to increase Census 2020 participation in the Filipino American community, has released a series of short videos produced as a send-up of teleseryes (the popular Filipino soap opera format, similar to telenovelas). The videos feature well known Filipino American actors including Dante Basco (Hook,…
Fil-Ams reminded of new US State Dept. advisory restricting int’l travel
Filipino Americans are reminded to follow the U.S. State Department’s latest advisory on avoiding all international travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles said on Thursday, March 19. This comes after the State Department on Thursday issued a Level 4 travel advisory — the highest possible level — urging…