I thought I have forgotten what the real Christmases were like, but, I remembered. Christmas comes but once a year, made up of equal parts of love, good cheers, gentleness and humor. The Yuletide feast that descends with the full gamut of holiday moods — from tender reminiscences to rollicking jollity, to new thrills of…
The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on Wednesday, December 18, said it is ready to cooperate with the Senate after Senate Blue Ribbon committee chairman Richard Gordon announced he would initiate a probe into PCGG’s failure to recover the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family. “The PCGG welcomes Senator Gordon’s pronouncement that he…
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…
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday, December 17, said that the public might cast doubts on martial law and its atrocities following the Sandiganbayan’s recent dismissal of a P200-billion forfeiture case filed against the Marcos family. On Monday, December 16, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division dismissed Civil Case No. 0002 filed by the Presidential Commission…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, December 17, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced her co-sponsorship of a bipartisan resolution, introduced by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), recognizing the importance of the upcoming 2020 Census, and encouraging individuals, families, and households across the United States to participate to ensure an accurate count. “With…
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) announced last November 4 that its Board of Directors has approved a $1.7 billion estimated dividend payout in 2020 to eligible participating policyowners and members. While dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid policyowner dividends every year since 1869. With the 2020 estimated payout, the company will have paid…
LAS VEGAS — The Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) and UNLV Raising Our Asian Rights (ROAR) hosted the GraduAsian Fall 2019 ceremony at the Foundations Building at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), honoring graduating Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) students from UNLV, College of Southern Nevada, and Nevada State College. It’s the…
“MY brother’s neighbor’s girlfriend’s uncle had the same exact case and it got approved and they did not use an attorney.” I’ve heard this many times to have developed a well-curated response: Nothing. A person who has set out to hear only what s/he wants to hear can hear nothing else but what s/he wants…
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a consortium of various progressive lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible asthma), and emphysema, characterized by increasing shortness of breath. About 24 million people in the United States have COPD and its ranks third as most common cause of death. COPD is an increasing health threat across the…
A NEW poll released on Monday, December 16, showed that no presidential candidate is a clear favorite yet among likely voters in California. The results come days before a scheduled Democratic debate in Los Angeles, and a few months before California primary elections take place in March. The Change Research poll was conducted for public…
NEW technology gadgets were on display at the latest CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas – wall TVs, Virtual Reality and smart phones, but the most fun to watch were robots – robots that walk, talk, pour coffee, play Ping-Pong, and even follow you as a suitcase. Our personal favorite robot was a therapy…
92ND Street Y’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact announced last week the 2020 class of Women inPower, a fellowship program to help senior-level women advance to the highest levels of leadership across sectors. Among the fellows selected is Leezel Tanglao, a New York-based Fil-Am journalist and media consultant and a current Filipino Young…
SAMANTHA Santos, a 14-year-old Filipina American from Fountain Valley, California, is one of three Claras in Festival Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker,” a beloved holiday classic. Festival Ballet Theatre is Orange County’s premier professional ballet company and is affiliated with Southland Ballet Academy, where Santos has been taking ballet lessons since she was little. …
A Filipino American educator will serve as the president of Anaheim, California’s Elementary School District Board of Education for the coming year. Jose Paolo Magcalas, an ethnic studies and United States history teacher at Loara High School, was elected to lead the school district’s board during its annual organizational meeting on Wednesday, December 11. He…
CERTAIN aliens are barred from adjusting to legal permanent residents by virtue of having entered the United States under the following conditions: Entering the US as an alien crewman (C-1 visa/ jumpship) Accepting unauthorized employment Entering the US without inspection (No I-94 or crossing the border without a visa) Remaining in the US past the…
“As he told the story of that wondrous night to Luke, Joshua carefully removed himself from the narrative. It was to be between him and God alone.” JOSHUA was excited with his new job at the inn. It sure beats having to herd sheep this time of the year when the…
THE client is 42 and is going through a divorce after a short two-year marriage. He has moved out of the marital home and now lives by himself. He has a toddler who is with his wife, so he expects to pay child support. There is not alimony because the marriage has not lasted 10…
While Simbang Gabi (night mass) has been held four times at the Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, it was the first time that it was led by Pope Francis on Sunday, December 15. In his homily, the Pope acknowledged the role of Filipino migrant workers in the growth of Catholicism, saying that while the…
MALIGAYANG PASKO. This Christmas will be bittersweet for our family as we just lost one very important pillar on my husband’s side of the family. My father-in-law was called back to heaven on December 5 — just when Advent has just started. He was 86. I know many of you who have mourned the passing…
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday, December 16, said he has not received a confirmation from the U.S. Embassy about his visa being cancelled due to his key role in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs. “I have heard rumors about it, but I have not received any official confirmation [from the U.S….
EVER since the Disney movie “Frozen” came out in 2013, everyone has sung along and learned the words to songs like “Let it Go” or “Do You Want To Build a Snowman?” Six years later, one may assume that we’d collectively be tired of these tunes. The Broadway production of “Frozen” has made its way…
Malacañang on Friday, December 13, renewed its call for the passage of a Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, saying it is needed for transparency in the government. “Freedom of Information… must be implemented across the bureaucracy: the executive, legislature, judiciary, including the local government units. I still remain hopeful that our lawmakers will finally heed…
WATER rates may increase by over 100% after the cancellation of Maynilad and Manila Water’s concession agreement extensions since President Rodrigo Duterte has all the legal options at his disposal, Malacañang reminded on Friday, December 13. The water firms’ agreements with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) was supposed to end in 2037, but…
Rappler founder and CEO Maria Ressa was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people of 2019. Ressa joins notable international personalities like U.S. President Donald Trump, former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, and musicians Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. According to Time magazine Editor-in-Chief and…
