Malacañang on Thursday, June 21 said that the Philippines may not be ready yet for same-sex marriage despite the start of oral arguments before the Supreme Court (SC) for a petition to legalize it in the country. In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque believed that “there is a right time for these kind[s]…
These days, Maria Lourdes Baltazar — more often referred to as “Girlie” — spends a good amount of her time working at the Philippines’ presidential Malacañang Palace. However, she did not grow up having political ambitions, despite being surrounded by it for a good part of her life. “It’s a lot of phone calls…
FLOTUS visits Texas detention center, sparks outrage over “insensitive” jacket choice AFTER President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week to seize separating families seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, there is reportedly widespread uncertainty among federal agencies on how to enact the measure. As previously reported by the Asian Journal, the president signed…
More allies of former Philippine President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III should face charges in connection with the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), Malacañang said on Thursday, June 21. The statement was made by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque a day after the Ombudsman ordered the filing of charges against Aquino for usurping Congress’ budgetary powers…
“A lot of traditional Filipino food has sour and bitter notes, which are very unfamiliar to American palates of a few years ago. American palates have changed drastically. I think there’s a really bright future.” – Anthony Bourdain Before his tragic demise a few weeks ago, world-renowned top chef Anthony Bourdain has prophesied the future of…
(Part 2 of 3) In my previous column, we had part one of resetting your life. Now here are the other tips on how to do it. Ready? Now let’s start RESETTING YOUR LIFE. First, we talked about breathing. Proper breathing will CLEAR your MIND. It will relax and slow you down a bit. When…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the long awaited Philippine Mental Health Law, which would equip Filipinos with accessible and affordable mental health services. “Help is finally here,” posted Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday, June 21. “Everyday, seven Filipinos turn to suicide. One in five Filipino adults also suffer from a form of mental disorder.”…
“The Oprah Winfrey Show” on Channel 7, KABC was the last television show I developed an attachment for, which lasted 25 years. On her shows, she had a way of looking at her guests’ eyes, to which she would describe “lighting up,” when she would bring up something dear to their hearts or in tears,…
President Rodrigo Duterte slammed Senator Leila de Lima for criticizing his gesture of kissing a married overseas Filipino worker (OFW) during his recent visit to Seoul, South Korea. De Lima called it “sickening” — to which Duterte responded by threatening to release her alleged sex video. “There’s a lady nakakulong, sabi niya na bastos daw…
Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu is optimistic of an initial judgment this year for the 2009 Maguindanao massacre as wished by President Rodrigo Duterte. “We look forward to that. We fought this battle the legal way because we believe that the court is the only venue where we can seek redress,” he said on Thursday, June…
Despite President Rodrigo Duterte voicing out his opinions against the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on multiple occasions, Malacañang announced that the Philippines will not be following the move made by the United States to withdraw from the body. In a press briefing on Thursday, June 21, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the…
In an interview with London-based newspaper Financial Times, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. expressed his desire to run for presidency and return to Malacañang after President Rodrigo Duterte’s term ends. “My career is politics, and, in fact, you aspire to as excessive a stature inside your chosen area as you can possibly obtain—and that might be…
Inabrao, pinapaitan, tupig. Dinardaraan, igado, dinakdakan. These are just a few of the distinctly Ilocano dishes that guests sampled and devoured at the Ilocano Food Tasting event held last week at the Philippine Center. Sponsored by the Ilocano American Association, Inc., the event aimed to spotlight cuisine from the northern part of the Philippines along…
When he was a young boy growing up in the Philippines, Ariel Layug would look at his school’s atlas and collection of encyclopedias and wonder in general about life in other parts of the globe. “I never really thought back then that I would leave the Philippines, that I would travel the world. And now,…
THE persistent feeling of wretchedness, despondency, and loss of interest in regular activities are indubitably alarming signs of depressive mood and unusual behavioral pattern that are unquestionably signs of depression. “Major Depressive Disorder” or “Major Depression” is characterized by a combination of both symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat,…
ILOILO CITY—President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday, June 20, assured that funds for public projects are equally distributed across the nation under his administration. The President also assured that he is continuing the projects started by his predecessors. “In the scheme of things now, if you are just worried about the distribution of the wealth…
President reverses highly criticized practice in his ‘zero-tolerance policy’ AFTER weeks of heart-rendering coverage of children being separated from their parents at the border, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday, June 20 to remove that practice from standard border protection procedure. Trump previously argued that he had no authority to stop the…
The decision to hold the 120th Philippine Independence Day celebration at the Trump International Hotel was defended by the Philippine embassy in Washington on Tuesday, June 19. In a statement, the embassy said, “Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez deemed it fitting to hold the Philippine Embassy’s 120th Philippine Independence Day celebration at the Trump International Hotel,…
President Rodrigo Duterte, on Tuesday, June 19, insisted that peace talks should be in the Philippines despite exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison saying that talks would be doomed if they would be held in Manila. “Why should I talk outside? I’m talking about our country, my country, their…
President Rodrigo Duterte’s “anti-tambay” order will not lead to a declaration of nationwide martial law, Malacañang assured on Tuesday, June 19. At a press briefing in Cotabato City, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said, “the president’s statement [was] very clear that ‘martial law in the entire Philippines [would] become very complicated.’” Roque also added that “He…
The controversy about the increased risk of brain cancer and other health concerns among avid users of cellular phone is upon us once again. The Internet is flooded with claims and counterclaims, and some misinformation. In this column in May 2000, we wrote about the “possible” adverse health effects of the frequent and prolonged use…
In a recent ruling, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ruled that women who were victims of domestic violence, and people fleeing gang violence in their home country, are not eligible for asylum in the U.S. This ruling is now binding on both immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). This decision could also have…
I just moved to California last month, and I’d like to file for divorce. Can I file now? To file for divorce in the State of California, the person filing (called the “Petitioner”) must first meet the jurisdictional requirements: (i) residence in the state of California from the past 6 months; and (ii) residence in…
