The Columbia Journalism School in New York City awarded Rappler Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Editor Maria Ressa with the 2019 Columbia Journalism Award on Thursday, May 23 for her “singular journalistic performance in the public interest.” Ressa along with Rappler and its reporters received a total of 11 cases filed by the administration…
WE congratulate Indonesian President Joko Widodo for his reelection as President of the world’s third largest democracy and hope he would reach out to his defeated rival Probowo Subianto, a retired general who has ran a second-time against him. Observers note a record 245,000 candidates ran for public office, from the presidency and parliamentary seats…
ON April 6, 2019 a big fire hit Sitio Ibaba in Barangay Santa Clara, Batangas City and destroyed 150 houses belonging to 490 families consisting of 1,790 individuals. The evacuees are currently housed in four evacuation centers, Colegio ng Lungsod ng Batangas, Livelihood Center-Batangas Port, Barangay Hall at Barangay Santa Clara and Santa Clara Elementary…
Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, May 29, slammed the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for allowing the public auction of P1 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, calling the officials of the agencies “corrupt” and “incompetent.” In his privilege speech titled “What a Mess: A Dumping Ground of Garbage…
Nickelodeon released the first video this week teasing the reboot of popular children’s show “Blue’s Clues,” which will star Filipino American Joshua Dela Cruz. The updated Nick Jr. classic, now named “Blue’s Clues & You,” is set to debut this November with 20 slated episodes. The video features Dela Cruz introducing himself and his puppy…
THERE are only two bookstores dedicated to Filipino literature in the United States, both in California: Philippine Expressions Bookshop in San Pedro and Arkipelago Books in San Francisco. Named after the Philippines’ group of islands, Arkipelago Books sits inside the Bayanihan Community Center in the heart of the South of Market (SOMA) Pilipinas, the 10-block…
TOKYO, JAPAN – In a parallel event to the 14th Philippine Business Mission (PBM) for tourism held in Japan, President Rodrigo Duterte met with leaders of the Japanese travel industry and invited them to invest in the Philippines, stating that now is the best time. The tourism and travel sector stand to benefit from the…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, May 28, flew out to Tokyo for a visit aimed at deepening the Philippines’ political and economic ties with Japan — one of the country’s regional allies that the president had described as “closer than a brother.” For Duterte’s third visit to the Land of the Rising Sun, he is…
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr on Tuesday, May 28, announced in a Twitter post that the garbage from Canada is set to leave the Philippines on May 30. “All containers containing garbage cleaned and ready to go. Waiting for a couple of documents and routine permission from China for transshipment…
Police use of force, housing, worker rights, data privacy, and healthcare rates among considerations THE California Legislature has until Friday, May 31, to decide whether to pass or reject bills that originated in either the Assembly and Senate. Closely watched are bills having to do with addressing the state’s housing issues, use of force by…
IN the United States, colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and the rectum) is the second leading causes of cancer deaths. This year, 2019, the projected number of new cases: colon cancer —-101,420, and rectal cancer — 44,180. Colorectal cancer is the third leading malignancies in the Philippines, 8000 cases projected to afflict Filipinos. About…
“…You have changed my mourning into dancing, O Lord, and have girded me with joy, alleluia…” —Psalm 30 (Conclusion of 3 parts) (Continued from last week’s issue …) There is news of suicide that hits you harder because you personally know the person who took his own life. By all accounts, he has led a…
Davao del Norte First District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez revealed on Monday, May 28, that two House speaker aspirants were offering money in exchange for the legislators’ votes for the speakership post. “My colleagues told me that someone offered P500,000 per congressman and then this was countered by another with P1 million per congressman,” Alvarez said…
ON May 23, 2019, Pres. Trump issued a memorandum to strictly enforce obligations under affidavits of support (Form I-864), including: • Seeking reimbursement from sponsors when the sponsored alien receives certain forms of “means – tested public benefits,” such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and •…
THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, May 28, clarified that while “burnout” remains an “occupational phenomenon” that could lead someone to seek care, it is not a medical condition. This was after the WHO mistakenly said it had listed burnout in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for the first time. The latest catalogue…
FILIPINO cuisine isn’t the only aspect of the culture grabbing attention in Los Angeles. This time, art, design and fashion from Filipino artisans, including industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue and contemporary artist Leeroy New who have been recognized by Hollywood celebrities, have drawn crowds to spaces in downtown. Filipino exhibition series Pulo Project — a “passion…
The growing global trend of “anti-vaxxers” a main factor, CDC says THE United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Monday, May 27 reported 60 new cases of measles, making the total reported cases of the preventable-disease this year to 940 across 26 states. This is the worst outbreak of measles since 1994 (which had…
I WAS in line at the grocery store the other day and noticed the man in front of me smiling and looking at me as if he wanted to say something. I only had a couple of items in my hands so he proceeded and asked: “Do you want to go ahead of me?” I…
THE client is 48, married and has a good job paying him $100,000 gross a year. A family emergency has caused him some financial hardship because money meant to pay for the house and credit cards were used instead for the medical expenses of his brother abroad. His brother is only 35 and single and…
Kelly’s 2018 Newbery Award-winning novel will be adapted by fellow Fil-Am writer Michael Golamco “HELLO, Universe,” the 2018 Newbery Award winner and New York Times bestseller by Filipina American writer Erin Entrada Kelly is about to be adapted into a family film on Netflix, the streaming service announced on Wednesday, May 22. “Hello, Universe” tells…
“It is more proper that law should govern than any one of its citizens.” – Aristotle On Feb. 21, 2019, “The Rachel Maddow Show” team uncovered a telegram sent by then-Vice President Spiro Agnew seeking Saudi Millions to fight the ‘Zionists’. Agnew had then pled guilty to tax evasion charges, paid a $10,000 fine and…
THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS in the Philippines have just concluded with the official announcement of the winners of the national senatorial race. How did the Fil-Am vote’s list of Top 12 senators compare with the overall winners in the Philippines? Despite protests among Fil-Am activists, community leaders and ordinary dual citizens and Filipino nationals living in…
Following the proclamation of winners, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to face a Senate investigation on the technical glitches reported during the recent midterm polls. Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas said on Thursday, May 23, that the commission will have a post-election assessment in preparation for the Senate investigation. However, he maintained that the…
“The first step is to make sure that any injuries that you have suffered in the accident are examined and treated. You can recover treatment costs since they are considered “economic damages” that you suffered due to the accident. You can also recover for time away from work as “economic damages,” even if you used…
Off-the-clock and “Unapproved” Work Hours are Still Compensable Q: I work as a nurse at a hospital that has a strict policy of no unapproved overtime. We don’t ask for approval since we risk being written up for “too much overtime.” We just clock out and go back to work to finish our charts. We…
