Cebu Pacific Launches Melbourne-Manila Flight
MELBOURNE 21 September 2018 – Philippine Ambassador to Australia Minda Calaguian-Cruz, together with tourism officials of the Philippines and Victoria, sent off Cebu Pacific’s maiden Melbourne to Manila flight at the Melbourne Tullamarine Airport on 14 August 2018. The maiden flight signaled Cebu Pacific’s direct between Melbourne and Manila three times weekly. “This new travel…
Smoke-free Mid-Autumn Festival
Quit smoking helps you fully engage in friends and family gathering SAN DIEGO, 09-20-2018– The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival celebrated in Asia. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar with full moon at night, a symbol of reunion, it’s also known as reunion festival….
TIEZA Regulatory Office Seeks to Improve Service of Water Service Providers (WSPs) in Boracay
The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority Regulatory Office (TIEZA RO) eyes to work more closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the existing Water Service Providers (WSPs) in Boracay Island – the Boracay Tubi System Inc. (BTSI) and the Boracay Island Water Company, Inc. (BIWC), to institute more accountability and…
An aspirin a day can be risky for older people, finds new study
Taking aspirin has for a long time been believed to help stave off heart attack and strokes. But results from a new study says that taking a daily aspirin may actually bring some risks for some people. A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that rates of heart disease, disability,…
Warning: Date-rape drugs
In news reports on April 26, 2018 and on June 8, 2018, comedian Bill Cosby, now 81, admitted he gave the drug Quaaludes or even Benadryl to women without their knowledge to have sex with them. Cosby was found guilty on all 3 counts of sexual assault and faces up to 30 years in prison….
Fil-Am contributions take front and center during Filipino American History Month in October
DALY CITY, Calif., — October is celebrated as Filipino American History Month across the U.S. because the earliest documented Filipino presence in the U.S. was on October 18, 1587 in Morro Bay, California. It was the late Dr. Fred Cordova and his wife, Dr. Dorothy Laigo Cordova, founder of the Filipino American National Historical Society…
USCIS’s new “denial memo” is now in effect
STARTING on September 11, 2018, a new USCIS Policy Memorandum (PM) became effective, instructing officers on how to adjudicate (process and make decisions on) petitions, applications, extensions, etc., when the initial filing was incomplete or insufficient. The PM creates a dangerous minefield for people, because even if they make an innocent mistake or accidentally forget…
Petitioning children of your spouse from a previous marriage
A stepparent may file an immigrant petition for a stepchild even without the stepparent having to legally adopt the stepchild. However, before a stepparent may be able to file an immigrant petition for a stepchild, the stepparent – stepchild relationship should have been created before a stepchild turns 18 years old. This means that the…
Sotto suggests revision of Philippine National Anthem
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday, September 18, suggested a revision in the lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem. Sotto asked his colleagues to consider amending the last two lines of “Lupang Hinirang” during the Upper Chamber’s deliberations on the proposed amendment to Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the…
Gov’t official admits PH’s lack of preparedness for major disasters
Amid the vulnerability of the country to natural hazards, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS) director Renato Solidum Jr. admitted on Monday, September 17, that the nation remains unprepared for major catastrophes, one of which is the most recent, Typhoon Ompong. Solidum explained that the country still lacks the necessary precautions in dealing…
Emmy hosts call out Hollywood’s diversity problem: “Why no Filipino nurses on ER?”
We are living through the most impactful push towards minority representation in entertainment, so it’s not surprising that jabs at Hollywood’s lack of diversity made it to this year’s Emmy Awards monologue on Monday, Sept 17. During their monologue, co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che of Saturday Night Live made a point about the oddly…
Newly-installed “Floating Docks” in El Nido Now Ready for Tourists
The installation of modular floating docks in El Nido is a pioneering project of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) in El Nido, Palawan aimed at providing better and safer tourist experience. “We want tourists to be safe wherever they go and this is the start.” TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Pocholo Paragas said…
One long ride through history
The evolution of the automobile in the United States IF one would imagine a time when there were no cars to take people places, one would have to travel way back in time to be able to fully perceive what it is like. The invention of the automobile has been a game-changer throughout the course…
How to choose the right vehicle for you
BUYING a car is a huge decision. Next to a home, it’s probably the second most important purchase anyone can make. But with the influx of new car models and designs being constantly introduced on the market, how do you pick the right one? When choosing a car, the one you want isn’t necessarily the…
Haggling your way for the best car price
Tips and hacks on how to negotiate when buying a car ACQUIRING an automobile to take you places can be a necessity, luxury or privilege. It could even be all of the above. Through the years the automobile industry has been creating ways to provide convenience to transport people from one place to another. However,…
Divorce and legal separation as a form of asset protection from your spouse’s creditors
COUPLES have different spending habits and different philosophy in handling marital finances. Some spouses are conservative in managing their finances and stick with a budget while other spouses do not even set budgets. What is your exposure if your spouse is a shop-a-holic and runs though his/her credit card like there is no tomorrow? What…
The bucket list: Ask for help
”Don’t be shy about asking for help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, it only means you’re wise.” — Anonymous (15th of a series) WE live in the Age of Information. You could say it is both a blessing and a curse to live during what could very well be “the best of times, the…
Do you have enough withholding?
THE new tax law could have an impact on how much your employer should withhold from your paycheck. Too little withholding from your paycheck could mean large unexpected tax bill as you file your tax return in 2019 for Tax Year 2018. If you have not done so, it is time to have a paycheck…
Admiral John McCain and the unprecedented PH Dollar Remittance Program (Part 2)
(Part 2 of 3) Our original plan anticipated the exponential growth of the job market and the dollar remittances from overseas Filipinos. We tinkered with the formula and expanded its scope. We raised the national target to $300 million a year in remittances and sent then President Ferdinand Marcos an urgent memorandum explaining the ambitious…
Gov. Brown signs sidewalk vending bill
California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Monday, September 17 that prohibits criminal penalties for sidewalk vending and treating vendors like other businesses in the state. The Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (Senate Bill 946) — introduced by state Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) in February — allows municipalities to establish permit programs for vendors,…
Kavanaugh vote cancelled after sexual misconduct allegations emerge
Senate postpones Kavanaugh vote after Palo Alto University professor alleges Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school Trigger warning: this story contains mild details of an alleged attempted rape. On Sunday, Sept. 16, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University Christine Blasey Ford went public with her allegation that Brett Kavanaugh, a nominee…
LA County Sheriff highlights department reform transparency in re-election campaign
Up for re-election as LA County Sheriff, McDonnell shares achievements in fighting human trafficking, ensuring public safety and public trust on immigration front In the decade of #BlackLivesMatter and zero-tolerance immigration policies under President Trump, trust in law enforcement has never been more contentious. Finding a balance between achieving public safety and ensuring public trust has…
Number of people in Philippines affected by Typhoon Ompong reaches over 800,000
THE number of people in the Philippines reported to be affected by the recent Typhoon Ompong — known internationally as Typhoon Mangkhut — has reached over 800,000, according to the latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) report released Tuesday morning, September 18. According to Philippine National Police numbers, the death toll reached…
