THE Philippine Commission on Elections on Friday, May 17, said that the proclamation of winners for the senatorial and party-list races will be done at the same time. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said that the plan to announce them simultaneously is seen as “more efficient [and] better for everyone.” “One of the directions we’re going…
The Philippine midterm elections drew in some surprising results as longstanding political figures and dynasties were defeated. Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile expressed his gratitude to supporters as he conceded after ranking 22nd in the partial and unofficial results of the Senate race with 5,269,115 votes. “Maraming salamat sa lahat ng nagpakita ng suporta…
(Excerpt from my commencement speech to the graduates of St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo, CA on May 14, 2019) What words of advice should I leave you, my dear graduates and seminarians? First, believe! Believe in yourself and all the gifts that God has given you. Don’t listen to the voices of negativity that tell you…
Estate and gift tax exemption: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) increased exemptions (nice) for estates and gifts to $11.2 million ($22.4 million for married couples). Before tax reform, few estates were subject to the estate tax, which applies to the transfer of property after someone dies. Now, even fewer people have to deal…
HAVING four seasons in a year is an idea that is quite foreign to Filipinos who grew up in the Philippines. Back there, we only have dry (summer) and wet (rainy) season. Then there are those, like me, who migrated outside the Philippines to a place that has more than two seasons. This change also…
THIS might as well be a story for the birds — light, gay and cheery. I can’t recall any other welcome in my whole life as I had in Alan Abellanosa’s home, the birdman on Woodland Street. His living room was a busy presence, active and acrobatics; with birds of every color, size and shape…
This year’s Filipino Restaurant Week is up and running, and this year’s incarnation is bigger than ever, expanding to seven states with 23 restaurants participating. “Last year, we expanded to Philadelphia. This year, I am happy to announce that our Filipino Restaurant Week is happening in seven states in the east coast,” Deputy Consul General…
Cayetano, Bato, Doc Willie top PCGNY results AS the members of the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) continue to process the election results which as of writing is at 53.29 percent, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) planned to announce the winners this week. COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez said that they finished canvassing 89 Certificate of…
Looking for activities in LA this weekend? Consider WE RISE LA, a 10-day pop-up immersive experience featuring performances, an art exhibition, and workshops around mental wellbeing, in time for May as Mental Health Awareness Month. The festival, which runs from Saturday, May 18 to Monday, May 27 in Downtown LA’s Art District, will bring together…
SENATORIAL candidates endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte maintained their lead in the partial and unofficial election results as of 10:44 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, with 96.54 percent of the votes tallied. The top five spots include Cynthia Villar (NP), who maintained her position with 24,840,806 votes, followed by Grace Poe (Independent) with 21,701,988 votes,…
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg was the latest Democratic presidential contender to meet with Las Vegas’ Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Buttigieg on Saturday, May 11 joined the AAPI Democratic Caucus’ (AAPIDC) community dinner, which was attended by over 150 community members. Eleven-year-old student Cevan Louie introduced the mayor before his remarks,…
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday, May 14, said President Rodrigo Duterte and his drug war won as administration-backed senatorial candidates led the race in the 2019 election polls. “The Senatorial elections were not a referendum in favor of Charter Change either, the death penalty, and jailing minors. The elections were a referendum on…
Environmental watchdog EcoWaste Coalition implored candidates as well as the public to help clean up the remnants of the campaign season days after the 2019 Philippine midterm elections. Aileen Lucero, the national coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition, said: “Regardless of the outcome of your election bid, we appeal to all candidates and parties to take down…
Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Batangas and Kalanggaman along with United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Bertholf on Tuesday, May 14, spotted two Chinese coast guard vessels seemingly monitoring the exercises. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said that the two Chinese Coast Guard vessels were seen near Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal during…
RECENTLY, I was reminded that our law firm will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary this May 2019. Though I joined this amazing band of legal warriors only in 2012, I have witnessed first hand what good lawyering is as it’s supposed to be. Here in San Diego where I am based, the county seal bears…
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…
COLONIALISM is defined as a system in which “one country creates an empire by taking over other lands and making them into colonies.” As such, colonies don’t have the power over themselves, as the colonizing country takes over resources and money. The Philippines has a long history of being colonized. Majority was (and longest) by…
by Ana B. Ibarra / Kaiser Health News CALIFORNIA will ban the use of a widely used pesticide in the face of “mounting evidence” that it causes developmental problems in children, state officials announced on Wednesday, May 8. Several studies have linked prenatal exposure of chlorpyrifos to lower birth weights, lower IQs, attention deficit hyperactivity…
Wednesday last week, while waiting at O’Hare Airport in Chicago for our flight to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to attend the graduation of our granddaughter, Sydney, my wife, Farida, and I saw a cute, cheerful, very active toddler, who reminded us fondly of our five children and ten grandchildren at that age. As a pediatrician, Farida…
A new report released by Nielsen on Thursday, May 9 said that Asian Americans spent $1 trillion last year — a testament to the demographic’s growing spending power and influence in mainstream U.S. culture. Linking the correlation between the growing population number and high spending, the report — titled “Informed Influencers and Powerful Purchasers: The…
‘Yellow Rose’ is an honest, visceral exploration on the complicated definition of ‘American’ THE much-anticipated feature film “Yellow Rose” by Filipina American filmmaker Diane Paragas premiered at the opening night of the 35th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) on Thursday, May 2. “Yellow Rose” takes place in East Texas and tells the…
CAN two individuals fall in love in a day? Does destiny exist? These are some of the questions put forth by “The Sun is Also a Star,” an upcoming movie based on the young adult novel of the same name by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Nicola Yoon. The story revolves around Natasha Kingsley…
ANY hopes for a smooth sailing election process were dashed as various issues involving vote-counting machines (VCMs) marred the 2019 midterm elections on Monday, May 13. Of the 85,000 VCMs stationed in precincts across the Philippines, 400 to 600 experienced glitches, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman James Jimenez. He noted that the problem…
AFTER fixing a technical issue in its transparency server, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was able to release the partial unofficial results for the 2019 national elections. As of 9:51 p.m. Tuesday, May 14 (Manila time), the Comelec media server showed 95.47% of precincts reporting. The majority of the senatorial candidates included in the “Magic…
PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Monday, May 13 signed an executive order to advance the “economic empowerment” of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The order, which comes during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, is intended “to empower Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to improve the quality of their lives, raise the standard of living of…
THE right place at the right time bodes good things for the right endeavor. PNB puts itself right smack dab in the heart of the Filipino American community. This is wonderful news. It is, by and large, a terrific calculated business move to be closer and be accessible to the people that PNB serves. PNB’s…
