My first encounter with a Fringe Festival was back in 2005 when a friend and I took a train from London to Edinburgh to spend a weekend in the Scottish capital. Little did we know then that their Fringe Festival was going on (this was around August). Fringe what? The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the…
A total of five Filipino and Filipino-American directors are showcasing their work in the upcoming 35th Asian American International Film Festival in New York City. Leading the pack is H.P. Mendoza, the man behind two successful musical films that were screened at AAIFF in previous years – Colma: The Musical and Fruitfly, This year, he…
Filipinos are a giving people. That is a statement that banker-turned-social entrepreneur Ayesha Vera-Yu strongly believes in. Indeed, it is not a question of why it is important to give back to the Philippines. Filipinos all over the world are already doing this – through remittances and other informal channels – we send money, clothing,…
Unless you have been living under a rock (with no internet access) for the past five years, chances are you have seen the viral video on YouTube of dancing inmates. With more than 51 million views and counting, they are among the website’s most-watched videos. Prison Dancer is an original interactive musical web series, was…
TWO weeks before Jose Antonio Vargas landed on the cover of TIME Magazine, I saw him at the UniPro (Pilipino American Unity for Progress) summit, where he was one of the keynote speakers. He had time to spare before it was his turn on the podium and he asked me if I wanted to grab…
The US Department of State estimates that there are approximately four million Filipino-Americans in the United States today. This means that there are also almost four million unique stories waiting to be told. Two Filipina writers early this year stepped up to tell these stories. Jenjen Dompor Furer wrote about what her family went through…
Activists, students and community members took a stand against labor trafficking after attending the community forum on the case of the Florida 15 workers last April 25 at Saint Peter’s College’s Pope Lecture Hall. The said forum was organized by Anakbayan New Jersey, National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) and the Saint Peter’s College Social…
Iliana Inocencio, a Filipina-Singaporean actress adds new dimension to role as she joins the cast of critically acclaimed, GOLIATH. Inocencio takes on the emotionally demanding role of Maria, the young wife of an enlisted soldier. After her husband is ripped from their new marriage, she is left to confront the trials and tribulations of what it…
Some 400 Couples for Christ (CFC)/ANCOP New Jersey members, supporters and friends attended the successful launch of 2012 ANCOP Global Walk held at Conlon Hall of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Bergenfield, NJ on April 28. CFC members from New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts came to lend their collective support. The…
The Philippine Consulate General in New York, presents “Immigration Rights: The Book Launch of Fil-Am Jen Furer, Author of ‘Out of Status,’ and a Discussion on The Legal Rights of Out of Status Individuals By The Filipino American Legal Defense & Education Fund (FALDEF)”, Friday, May 18 at the Philippine Center, Kalayaan Hall, 556 Fifth Avenue,…
The Philippine Consulate General in New York, presents “Immigration Rights: The Book Launch of Fil-Am Jen Furer, Author of ‘Out of Status,’ and a Discussion on The Legal Rights of Out of Status Individuals By The Filipino American Legal Defense & Education Fund (FALDEF)”, Friday, May 18 at the Philippine Center, Kalayaan Hall, 556 Fifth Avenue,…
NEW YORK-The Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) is inviting everyone to this year’s 114th Philippine Independence anniversary to be held at Madison Avenue on June 3. This event is the “largest one-day gathering of Filipinos outside of the Philippines,” said organizer Fe Martinez. Last year’s attendance was estimated to be 100,000 as reported by…
Washington, DC-The Philippine Embassy Consular Team was in Virginia Beach on Saturday, April 21, 2012, to conduct an outreach mission for the Filipinos in the area. At least 116 Filipinos applied for passport renewals, 18 former Filipinos reacquired Philippine citizenship, and 55 applicants came for other consular services throughout the day. The team was also able to…
Monday, May 7 is a red-letter day for Godspell star Anna Maria Perez de Tagle as she stages a benefit concert for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on board the Hornblower Hybrid. The cruise ship will be embarking at 7pm from Pier 40 in time for the show that features de Tagle’s Godspell costars Corbin…
Monday, May 7 is a red-letter day for Godspell star Anna Maria Perez de Tagle as she stages a benefit concert for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on board the Hornblower Hybrid. The cruise ship will be embarking at 7pm from Pier 40 in time for the show that features de Tagle’s Godspell costars Corbin…
NEW YORK-Arnel Pineda’s story is one for the history books. Having lived a mostly hand-to-mouth existence after his mother died when he was only 13 years old, Arnel’s life made a dramatic turn about five years ago when he was plucked from obscurity to become the lead singer of the quintessential American rock band Journey….
NEW YORK-Arnel Pineda’s story is one for the history books. Having lived a mostly hand-to-mouth existence after his mother died when he was only 13 years old, Arnel’s life made a dramatic turn about five years ago when he was plucked from obscurity to become the lead singer of the quintessential American rock band Journey….
THE true measure of a person’s success is not only based on his achievements in his chosen career, but on how he further extends his talents and skills to be able to help others. Catherine Buan Peterson is a perfect example of this, as she faces a new journey as the new PhilDev President. Born…
THE true measure of a person’s success is not only based on his achievements in his chosen career, but on how he further extends his talents and skills to be able to help others. Catherine Buan Peterson is a perfect example of this, as she faces a new journey as the new PhilDev President. Born…
As the holidays progress, the cities seem to be more and more crowded and nauseating to those who are not used to this much mass of humanity. It can be enervating—the stress and distress brought about by traffic, urban centers brimming with people, and there is urgency everywhere to buy this and that for loved…
2012 was generally a good year for Filipinos. Triumphs were made, losses were faced, and lessons were learned. Filipinos are starting the year right, looking forward to 2013 with hope. In its recent survey, Social Weather Station (SWS) revealed that nine out of ten Pinoys are hopeful rather that fearful in the new year. This…
WITH several mass killings in the past years, finally, the demand and push for solutions to solve gun violence in America has reached a tipping point. More than two weeks ago, twenty young innocent first graders and six school personnel were brutally slaughtered by a lone young gun man in Sandy Hook Elementary School in…
EVERY year, I write hundreds of articles for the press dealing, in general terms, with new immigration laws, regulations and interpretations impacting hundreds of thousands of immigrants both inside and outside the US. Rather than write an article regarding new changes in the law or changing interpretations as to what can be done, legally, for…
0 Comments and 0 Reactions In 2012, we saw a sharp contrast in the enforcement of immigration laws against different groups of aliens. The deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) program granted limited relief to qualified aliens who came to the US as children. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of the Chief Counsel…
When debts spiral out of control, bankruptcy can become an invaluable financial recovery tool in stemming the tide and getting you back on the right track. While it’s not for everyone, more than 1.5 million people every year find it to be their only hope of getting a fresh financial start. Debt problems can be…
IN 2012, some very important laws affecting employee rights took effect. These laws included the Wage Theft Prevention Act, increased penalties for willful misclassification of independent contractors, the prohibition of using credit reports for employment purposes, additional protection to pregnant employees on health coverage for maternity leave, and allowing employees to dress consistently with their…
1. FORGETTING to sign and date the return: An unsigned tax return is considered unfiled. 2. Missing or wrong Social Security Numbers: When entering SSNs for anyone listed on your tax return, be sure to enter them exactly as they appear on the Social Security cards. 3. Misspelled or wrong dependent’s last name: When entering…
IS THERE a difference between a bank loan officer and a mortgage broker? Nowadays, bank loan officers don’t have a generalize rates, meaning if you call a major bank loan officer in one branch for a loan quote, you could possibly shop the same bank but different branch and get a different price quote? Why…
NOT many people know that parents can transfer their retirement accounts such as 401k and IRA to their children tax free. For instance, you have a 401k of $150,000. At the age of 65, you transfer the 401k to your son and your son keeps the $150,000 as a 401k in your name in his…
CONSIDERED as one of the leading female Filipino poets of our time, Dr. Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo’s success did not come easy. If you read her biography, it seems as though awards and recognition sprinkle her like tiny drops of rain. For the past 30 years, Mabanglo has racked up awards from being the first…
