IN July, the 35th annual Lotus Festival will highlight the country of Mongolia for the first time, featuring live music, dances and entertainment from performers representing the country’s culture. “We need to prepare ourselves for the excitement four weeks from now,” said Leo Pandac, president of Los Angeles Lotus Festival Inc., a non-profit organization that…
A CEILING fan whirs quietly inside Rory Lacson’s Lakewood, Calif. home. In the early afternoon, Southern California can be scorching. But inside Lacson’s home, the temperature is cool and provides a welcoming and relaxing environment compared to the heat outdoors. The house was purchased by Lacson, 44, and his wife, Hilda, 33, a few years…
UNDER a budget deal announced Tuesday, June 18 by California Governor Jerry Brown and legislative leaders, an estimated 170,000 undocumented immigrant children aged 18 and younger could receive public health care coverage. The budget deal for the 2015-16 fiscal year marks another victory for advocates and lawmakers who have worked to make the state more…
Just to think what I might have missed…looking back how did I exist…I dreamed, still I never thought I’d come this far…but miracles come true…I know ‘cause here we are…” (an excerpt from Air Supply’s Two Less Lonely People In The World). The phenomenal tandem of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, collectively of the popular…
The Supreme Court recently ruled, in Kerry v. Din there is no constitutional “due process right” for the spouse of a US citizen to immigrate to America. The US citizen wife claimed the government did not provide an adequate explanation why her husband’s immigrant visa was refused and violated her constitutional right “to live in…
In a Facebook poll conducted by CNN, Filipino food was ranked No. 2 out of 10 when respondents were asked, “Which destination has the world’s best food?” The Philippines secured the second spot with 1,528 votes after Taiwan, which received 8,242 votes. “Filipino food isn’t as well known as the other cuisines on this list,…
A myriad of representation involving hundreds of community movers and shakers in the Filipino-American community were present last Friday, June 12, during the celebration of the 117th anniversary of Philippine Independence Day held at the San Francisco City Hall’s Rotunda and adjoining North Light Court. The elegant evening was led by San Francisco Mayor Edwin…
Will Filipino food finally have its moment to shine? It’s a question that many, including major publications, are asking. Back in 2012, Andrew Zimmern predicted that Filipino food would be “the next big thing.” Since then, there has been an ongoing fascination with the cuisine across the country, like in Los Angeles, New York, San…
ABS-CBN International’s The Filipino Channel (TFC) has added more reasons for us Filipinos in the United States to be proud. We can now compete in America and around the worldagainst big broadcasting corporations and mainstream media companies in America when it comes to excellence in reporting news and stories that matter. What makes these awards…
Words are mere grace notes. All my life I have dealt with words. They are adequate for many of our purposes, indispensable for most. They can be immeasurably beautiful and graceful. But they can’t do everything. The power of a photograph, with its vivid communication of reality, is a tapestry which tells a story, through…
DRUGSTORE operator CVS Health Corp will purchase Target’s pharmacy and clinic businesses in a $1.9-million deal, both companies announced Monday, June 15. Under the agreement, CVS would acquire Target’s more than 1,600 pharmacies in 47 states and its nearly 80 clinics. The drugstore chain would operate under the CVS brand name in Target stores, as…
THE Food and Drug Administration recently took a step forward in eliminating artificial trans-fat from the American diet. On Tuesday, June 16, the FDA ruled that trans-fat is not “generally recognized as safe” to be used in human food. The agency said it has made a “preliminary determination” that a major source of trans-fats are…
MORE than 100 of California’s most senior water rights holders will face sharp cutbacks amid a fourth year of drought, state officials announced Friday, June 12. The move is the first time since 1977 that regulators ordered those possessing such rights to reduce their water use. Officials said rights dating back to 1903 would be…
ACTOR Ernie Reyes Jr., best known for his role as Keno in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze,” is fighting for his life. The martial arts fighter and stunt actor took to GoFundMe for monetary donations to help with his kidney transplant procedure. The 43-year-old Filipino American from San Jose, Calif. was recently in…
CALIFORNIA voters passed the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, also called “Proposition 47,” in November 2014, allowing for opportunities and a second chance for convicted persons. Prop 47 allows some eligible low-level, non-violent smaller offenses and crimes to be charged as misdemeanors instead of felonies. By reducing the penalties of such petty crimes, Prop 47…
LA is largest US city with $15 min. wage AFTER a crucial vote on Saturday, June 13, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a measure gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, making LA the largest city in the US to mandate the new wage. “[The law is] a major victory for our…
LA is largest US city with $15 min. wage AFTER a crucial vote on Saturday, June 13, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a measure gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, making LA the largest city in the US to mandate the new wage. “[The law is] a major victory for our…
THE 117th anniversary of Philippine independence was celebrated by Filipinos in America from coast to coast, shouting out a new mission: Defend Philippine sovereignty against China’s bullying by protest actions and a global boycott of goods made in China, as well as of companies that sell products that are made in China. The Filipino Channel’s…
Senior needs chapter 13 to handle IRS and unsecured debt of $40K Client No. 1 CLIENT is 57. When he comes to see me, he tells me that he has just spent two years in jail and is now on probation for involuntary manslaughter, which means he was convicted of having killed someone by accident. He…
YOU have just lost an audit and have decided to bring your case before the appeals office of the IRS. You have learned the basics of the appeals process and how to prepare for the conference from previous articles. Let me now give you 10 strategies as you face the Appeals Officer: 1. Respect the…
CUSTOMERS give tips in appreciation for the service of waiters, bellboys, hotel maids, valets, drivers, and even performers who sing and dance. Can employers demand a share of these tips from their employees? Quincece Hills, a topless and nude dancer at the City of Industry nightclub, Paradise Showgirls, sued the nightclub and its owners, alleging…
MANY Pilipinos have misconceptions or are misinformed about family law here in the United States, specifically, in the State of California. They tend to not know their rights or the parameter of rights that deal with the area of family law. These include the areas of divorces, custody, child/spousal support, paternity actions, wills/trusts, property rights,…
QUESTION: I ran away from my country because my husband kept beating me. Is there anything that I can do? Answer: There were actually no way you could have claimed asylum just a couple years ago. However, times have changed and it is now possible to claim asylum based on different factors. In a case…
NO one ever wants face a debt crisis but at one time or another in your life, you may have to deal with one. Having debt problems does not make you a bad person although some people feel a sense of guilt as they feel responsible for the decision that they have made that led…
We have passionate adherents of the yearly Independence Grand Ball and precedents flash yearly increase of revelers from the Fil-Am Community…that represents, if not affects collective thoughts, ideas, in order to ensure the victory of any undertaking… Ms. Zeny P. Sabocor, president and chair of this year’s Independence Ball moved through the preparation like a…
MORE than $320 million that should have been rushed to aid parched California communities remains unspent over a year after lawmakers voted to use the funds to provide water, protect wells from contamination and upgrade outdated water systems. Weeks after declaring a state of emergency, Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration allocated $687 million to assist farmworkers…
THE White House announced on Wednesday, June 10 that President Barack Obama has approved sending up to 450 additional US troops to Iraq, to help fight the ongoing war against the Islamic State. The troops will be sent to help train, advise, and assist Iraqi security forces at Taqaddum military base in eastern Anbar province….
ASIAN American and Pacific Islanders are now the fastest-growing racial group in San Diego County, according to a new report by Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, the nation’s largest API legal and civil rights organization. The report, in collaboration with the Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC), is titled “A Community of Contrasts:…
IN one year, Asian-American buying power has increased by more than $50 billion. By 2018, that number is expected to reach $1 trillion, a consumer report says. In the third edition of Nielsen’s Asian-American consumer report, “Asian-Americans: Culturally Connected and Forging the Future,” the media research company examined the unique consumption behaviors of the fastest-growing…
ACCORDING to Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao each made more money in one night than any other athlete in the world over an entire year. The two boxers topped the list of highest-paid athletes from June 1, 2014 to June 1, 2015. Mayweather, 38, is the top-grossing…
