A priest flew thousands of miles to spent a month with the community of Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. He was in a stage of discernment for God’s further purpose in his priestly life. On the first morning that he met Mother Teresa, the pious nun asked him, “What do you want me to pray…
Handsome actor and singer Jericho Rosales has a lot to smile out these days. Of course, aside from the fact that he has been making it in the international scene with him winning Best Actor/Outstanding Acting Achievement award at the recent Newport Beach Film Fest for the film Alagwa (Breakaway), Echo is now engaged to…
Recently, the Department of State (DOS) issued a cable, providing guidance to the embassies around the world on how to handle immigration cases involving same-sex couples. This means that US embassies must follow the DOS’s cable or guidance. Among the matters discussed in that cable are that, “Beginning immediately, consular officers should review visa applications…
Some years ago, when Manny Pacquiao was just beginning to make waves in the boxing world, he starred in a full length Tagalog movie. A special screening of the film was held in San Francisco, to which I was invited. After the screening, I was among those asked for our opinion on Pacquiao’s acting. My…
A WOMAN’S breasts have always been regarded very precious, a symbol of femininity, sexiness, sensuality, and during the child-bearing age, the wonderful breasts of a mother have yet to be equaled, even with today’s great advances in science and technology, in their ability to naturally produce, not only life-sustaining milk for the baby, but one…
What a noble trade, being a street sweeper. It’s about sweeping the filth we produce, of making our existence less infected. Mindless and ungrateful are those who use the word “sweeper” in a disparaging way — who do not understand how extraordinary and how precious sweepers are. We would die of stench, shame and plague…
Discrimination and racist laws from the US Congress Dear Editor, We write you this letter in light of some new developments in the US Senate last week. In a final act of insult, your newspaper reported the sad news that the US Senate marked up the Heller Bill, recycled it to be called Sanders’ Bill…
Joseph Estrada. Ramon Revilla. John F. Kennedy. Bill Clinton. These are powerful men in the political arena, who are also known for philandering. Additionally, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner also engage in the same behavior. The question is: should this disqualify them from…
NATIONAL security is of paramount importance to any country and to everyone. One terrorist act/attack, no matter how small or localized, is enough to incite fear into the hearts and minds of an entire nation. Over the weekend, the US State Department issued a worldwide travel alert, following a recent al-Qaida threat. “Current information suggests…
You need to be aware that if foreclosing proceedings have begun and your application has been denied, you may not have enough time to submit a new application andre-apply especially if a trustee sale date has been scheduled. According to a recent government report, nearly 50 percent of loan modifications approved under HAMP are back in…
Even viewed in its best light, AB 1159 interferes with the attorney-client relationship and redundantly ‘prohibits’ conduct that is already condemned as unethical under the State Bar rules and the California Code of Professional Responsibility. In anticipation of the US Congress passing some sort of Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) later this year, the California State…
THE megalopolis region of the Philippines is composed of 16 cities and a town, and is home to almost eleven million people. Despite having several different districts, each city depicts a unique disposition that sets them apart from each other. However the country’s capital city, Manila, is highly recognized as one of the world’s treasures….
LOS ANGELES — The K.W. Lee Center for Leadership is a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles that offers students the opportunity to improve and enrich the quality of life in their communities. Through the Korean American Youth Leaders in Training (KAYLT) Program, program participants research critical issues and develop a project that benefits the…
LOS ANGELES – The extradition hearing for Grace Grande (ex-mistress of a Philippine congressman) has been put on hold, according to a Filipino-American woman’s rights groups. US government prosecutors and a legal defense team representing Grande, who is accused of theft, have agreed to adjourn the extradition proceedings against her, while alternative resolutions to the…
Councilman Mitch O’Farrell (13th Council District) and City Clerk June Lagmay, inducting official and LAFACE adviser, center, pose with newly inducted officers of the Los Angeles Filipino Association of City Employees at the LAPD headquarters building on 1st Street, on July 26. From left: Graphics Designer Norlito Medrano, Auditor Veronica Salumbides, Recording Secretary Joan Alexandria Tagle, Asst….
At the heart of every presscon is a message told well, transformed into some meaningful and productive experience. It becomes a story. On a recent Thursday, the spotlight was on VG Wellness and on its brilliant co-founders: Dr. Michael Cruz, who is a surgeon, a colonel in the US Army and a former Senator from…
Nothing remains unreachable when one extends his hands far and no dream remains a dream when one decrees with tremendous effort to have it realized. Attaining one’s magnificent obsession while using his potentials to the fullest makes him not only a goal chaser but a dream catcher, as well. Such is upcoming tenor Jared Martin…
“I DON’T have any formula for ousting a dictator or building democracy. All I can suggest is to forget about yourself and just think of your people. It’s always the people who make things happen.” – Corazon C. Aquino (1933-2009) On August 1, Pres. Noynoy “PNoy” Aquino commemorated the 4th death anniversary of his mother,…
A FILIPINO advertising agency found an innovative solution to the perennial problem faced by elementary school kids in the Philippines: carrying heavy textbooks. Elementary school kids in the Philippines have become susceptible to scoliosis or other physical ailments related to carrying such heavy books to school on a day to day. The solution? Old analog…
WHAT is it with Filipinos and beauty pageants? I experienced firsthand the Pinoys’ love affair with beauty pageants, when I was invited to be among the esteemed panel of judges in the first ever Binibining Pilipinas-USA. The pageant was held on July 27 at the Centinela Valley Performing Arts Auditorium in Lawndale, Los Angeles. Nineteen…
MOST people have heard of Noah and his ark. But why did God, the God of Moses and Israel, my God, whose only Son Jesus Christ, willingly became incarnate through the Blessed Virgin Mary, and died on the cross to redeem man from the consequences of sin, so that we may have eternal life with…
THE IRS is back. In full force. Leaner. Stronger. After reeling from congressional hearings and keeping a low profile for many years, the IRS reorganized and is back. Their mission then was to protect taxpayers. The mission now: go raise revenues. It is time to prepare for audits again. Let’s learn how agents evaluate evidence…
“ An employer shall not require the employee to sign a release of the employee’s right to any wages that are due and earned by the employee, unless those wages have been paid. Some employers hold their employee’s final paycheck “hostage” until the employee signs a release or some type of termination form. This conduct…
GETTING a home mortgage now is a challenge; the gray area qualifying method of lenders and broker back in the mid 2000s’ to help qualify homebuyers has diminished. Therefore the lending have gotten to a point of easily approving or disapproving a borrower based on debt to income ratios, credit, fund reserves, employment history etc. …
LOS ANGELES – Two Filipino students recently took part in a Summer Youth Leadership Institute, a youth camp organized by LA-based advocacy group Peace Over Violence (POV). They took part in four weeks of training and workshops to master skills needed for effective violence prevention. Kristina Rebullar and Jose Meneses (both from Benjamin Franklin High…
LOS ANGELES – The Asia Pacific Community Fund (APCF), headed by executive director Debra Fong, recently held its 7th Annual Giving for All Seasons Gala at the posh Los Angeles Music Center in Downtown LA, where APCF honored an individual and three organizations for their contributions and long-term commitment to the Asian American Pacific Islander…
LOS ANGELES – Asian American Advancing Justice – Los Angeles (Advancing Justice – LA, formerly known as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center or APALC) announced on Tuesday that they will be holding family reunification clinics that will help immigrant families to petition for binational siblings, adult married children, and same-sex spouses. This announcement came…
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City District 13 Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell recently filed a motion which seeks to start a process that will determine appropriate building heights in downtown Echo Park. According to a spokesperson for the councilmember, the intention behind the motion is to “preserve the integrity and character” of the neighborhood. In a…
For inducing illegal immigration, mail fraud; Denies charges SAN JOSE – A Filipino-American immigration consultant convicted of encouraging illegal immigration for private financial gain and mail fraud denies the charges against her, and plans to seek a re-trial. A federal jury on Tuesday, July 30 found Evelyn Sineneng-Smith, 66, guilty of three counts each of…
“VANITY of vanities. All things are vanities!” Some thinkers say that these words from the Book of Ecclesiastes are the harshest words of the Old Testament Bible and yet the most Christian ones. It’s because they prepare us for the words of Christ in the Gospel. They expose us to the ruthlessness of life and…
