LOS ANGELES – A Filipino-American teacher was recently honored by a local high school in Southern California for his exemplary work as an educator and mentor. Brian Ramirez, 39, was given the Teacher of the Year award at Cypress High School in Cypress, Calif. Ramirez, who teaches high school level biology and chemistry, was voted…
It is hard to believe that it is already time for many young people to renew their eligibility under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which grants relief from deportation/removal and work authorization in two-year increments. Hundreds of thousands of young people took advantage of this marvelous program when it was first introduced in August…
SUSAN ROCES, the original Queen of Philippine Movies, heads the list of personalities celebrating their birthday this month of July. “Inday,” as most of her family and close friends call Susan, will be turning 73 on July 28. Heading the celebration will be her daughter, Philippine Senator Grace Poe Llamanzares. Madam Roces is the widow…
Did you know that we could overdose not only on drugs but also on common food items we have in our kitchen? We are not talking about eating more than what we should and gaining excess weight. We are talking about a true condition of food overdose, resulting in medical complications. Tea Here’s a case…
TO address global challenges and ensure stability, nations have to embark on business meetings to assure prosperity for their people. Since World War II, Japan—being a staunch adherent of globalization—has always provided ways to help the Philippines gain its full potential. This bilateral relation was built by trust and support. With an aim to build…
SOCIAL media platforms have been burning with commentaries reflecting ordinary people’s sentiments from disbelief to disgust, about the stagecraft showcasing the surrender and detention of the most prominent public servants accused of and indicted for graft and plunder in the P10-billion pork barrel scam in the Philippines. Last Friday, June 20, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla…
CHAPTER 13 is normally used to save a house from foreclosure. But this is not the only situation where Chapter 13 is used. When a Chapter 13 petition is filed, just like any other chapter of the bankruptcy code, the automatic stay immediately stops foreclosure of the house. For instance, the foreclosure sale of the…
Summer time and the living is easy, says Gershwin. It is more mellow than autumn, more tender than spring and away from the inhospitable glare of winter. Summer has officially arrived and been felt. It’s that season when time stands still —when nothing bad can happen, when the mornings with the sun buttering the tree…
LOS ANGELES – According to Philippine Ambassador the the United States Jose Cuisia Jr., Filipino-Americans are the second top income earners among Asian Americans. Citing a 2010 US Census report, Cuisia said that the average annual income of Fil-Ams is pegged at around $75,000 – a much greater number than the average American’s income, which…
ON Thursday, June 19, the Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF) held its 8th Annual Giving for All Seasons Fundraising Gala at the Los Angeles Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles. At the event, the APCF renewed its commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector within Asian and Pacific Islander communities (API), and honored those who have…
Serious Issues Hampered Outreach to Limited-English Californians Berkeley, Calif. – Covered California, the state health insurance exchange created under the Affordable Care Act, deserves credit for strong enrollment numbers in its first year but must act to correct serious deficiencies in its outreach and enrollment efforts, a new report finds. The Greenlining Institute study, Covered California’s…
WHILE the passing of the comprehensive immigration bill gets stalled in Congress, undocumented immigrants in California may soon be able to get drivers’ licenses. As Balitang America’s LA Correspondent Steve Angeles reported, this may happen in less than six months, thanks to AB60 — a bill that was signed into law by Governor Gerry Brown…
ON JULY 21, 1982, former senator and former Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez was ambushed in his car in Quezon City. He took six bullets but miraculously survived. His driver was not as fortunate. At the emergency room of the hospital, Pelaez turned to Quezon City Police Chief Gen. Tomas Karingal who had rushed to his…
IF YOU have offshore bank accounts, should you report the accounts to the US government? Yes, if the aggregate balances exceed $10,000 at any time during the year. What if you had the accounts before you left for the US? Yes, you should. There are reasons why our government wants to know: combat money laundering,…
DAVID Bryant worked for 22 years for San Diego Gas and Electric as a bill collection clerk and then as a senior collector. For several years, he has reportedly complained about the company’s illegal bill collection practices that targeted the company’s poor customers who live in densely populated areas. The illegal practice was aimed at…
WITH House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s loss in a Virginia primary election last week to “Tea Party” challenger David Brat, the US House of Representatives looks even less likely to act on any immigration reform bills in 2014. The Senate’s Comprehensive Reform Bill, S. 744, passed last year, will likely remain stagnant as ideological retrenchment…
An Independence Grand Ball is like none other: nobody is there to have a good time. Everyone is there to do the room and get around. Image thinkers and label makers, who infest contemporary social life in the Fil-Am community here in Southern California, are quick to say that we have yet to see the…
THESE past weeks have been anxious times for me as I prepare to finish my term of 12 years as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. There are times when I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about my departure–how I would miss the people I’ve served for many years. After…
Compassion and resilience are just two of the many outstanding traits that distinctly embody a true-blooded physical therapist. Connately endowed with these enviable qualities plus being well-credentialed and ably experienced while being confidently competent, Elizabeth Bulosan Divinagracia has been on top of her career as a physical therapist for eighteen years doing nothing but honing…
The economic crisis of the past few years and changes in immigration legislation has made it more difficult to pursue certain traditional paths to obtaining permanent residency in the United States. Employment based immigration has been affected by long wait time in priority under the EB3 category. H1-b visas has been affected by the visa…
LOS ANGELES – The 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) has come and gone, and it was just like that line from The Fault In Our Stars—slowly, and then all at once. In the weeks leading to E3, rumor mills have been swirling with whispers and expectations on what we will see from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo….
DTLA Night Market is a new kind of night market produced by the team behind 626 Night Market, the original and largest Asian-themed night market in America. Coming to the heart of Downtown LA on June 21, DTLA Night Market will feature a more pan-LA selection of food entertainment, arts & culture, compared to previous…
ARE you setting weight loss goals? Great! Just remember to stay healthy—and that includes taking good care of your teeth while dieting. Connections between oral health and whole body health Our bodies are amazing. Sometimes we forget about the connections between each system. If you’re working to lose weight, be aware of how those diet…
In a long-awaited decision, the US Supreme Court recently ruled that the only aged-out children who can retain (and convert) their original priority date under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) are those who were petitioned by a lawful permanent resident (LPR) parent in the F-2A category (minor child of LPR), either as a direct…
IT was a night for independent films at the 37th Gawad Urian last June 17 at ABS-CBN’s Dolphy Theatre. The indies won most of the categories, including the major ones. Lav Diaz’s Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan took home four awards—Best Picture, Best Actress (Angeli Bayani) Best Screenplay (Lav Diaz and Rody Vera) and Best Cinematography…
Man’s natural instinct and normal automatic response to any possible harm is to protect itself, to ensure well-being and self-preservation. When we accidentally touch something hot, it is our instantaneous reflex to paull our hand away, without thinking, without conscious thought processes. While we, humans, have been endowed with intellect, abstract thinking, and the power…
THERE was never a better time to call this world a civilized society. Because of current laws existing, we are bound to live vicariously, based on respect for the sanctity of life, democracy and human rights. But, without proper enforcement, stringent national and international laws do little in promoting and protecting the right of every…
MY family had the privilege of spending a two-week vacation in the Philippines this early June, a travel I am thinking many kababayans would want to take at least every year. It had been three years since our last visit — a joyous celebration of my parents 50th golden wedding anniversary. I wrote about my…
IRONY of ironies. Noynoy Aquino appears to be facing the same predicament in dealing with the pork barrel and Malampaya scandals as Marcos did in the wake of the assassination of Ninoy. The Aquino government is experiencing the same erosion of credibility, the same cloud of suspicion and distrust, as the Marcos dictatorship. Thus, any…
THE last few years have been financially difficult for a lot of people. When the real estate marked crashed a few years ago, millions of people found themselves with a mortgage they could not afford. A lot of people simply walked away from their homes out of desperation in some cases, they were forced out…
