State of California recognition will give City of San Diego an advantage in competing for housing funding
SAN DIEGO – Mayor Todd Gloria’s commitment to housing action that provides more homes for people in all communities has earned the City of San Diego a “prohousing designation” from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). This was awarded based on policies adopted by the city that prioritize and expand new home…
Want to buy now but pay later? Read this first
PLANNING to buy things like new clothes or electronics for the holidays, but want to pay later? Some businesses offer “buy now, pay later” plans, which let you get your purchase right away and pay for it over a few weeks or months, sometimes without paying interest. Here’s what to know before you decide if…
Fil-Am personalities spread Christmas joy during HiFi Holiday Festival
CHRISTMAS came early this year during the 2nd annual HiFi Holiday Festival attended by Fil-Am celebrities and community members. Organized by Filipinos Advancing Creative Education (F.A.C.E.), the HiFi Holiday Festival held at Rideback Ranch in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown spread Christmas joy through live entertainment, free meals, family-friendly activities and a toy distribution for children…
SoCal Fil-Ams celebrate Simbang Gabi at LA Cathedral
THOUSANDS of Filipino American Catholics gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, December 15 for the annual Simbang Gabi Mass. This year’s celebration, with principal celebrant Archbishop José H. Gomez, was spearheaded by the San Gabriel Pastoral Region of the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of…
Reginald F. Lewis Foundation gives $5M grant to Barack Obama Foundation
The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation (RFLF), one of the oldest African American and Asian private foundations in the world, is pleased to announce a milestone $5 million grant to the Barack Obama Foundation (https://www.obama.org) to support their mission to inspire, empower, and connect the next generation of leaders. The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation’s grant will…
California at forefront of protecting older adults from pandemic
Once called the pandemic of the unvaccinated, COVID-19 is increasingly referred to as the pandemic of older adults because of its disproportionate impact on seniors and people with disabilities. The COVID mortality figures from the CDC show people over 50 are dying from COVID 25 times more often than young adults 18-29. The risk is…
Many families with unaffordable employer coverage now eligible for Covered California subsidies
If having the family on your employer-sponsored health plan has been a financial hardship, or outright impossible to afford, help may be on the way. The federal government recently fixed a controversial Treasury Department rule tied to the Affordable Care Act that denied assistance to many families whose workplace coverage busted their budgets. Because of…
[COLUMN] Employers must provide timely, uninterrupted and duty-free meal and rest breaks
Q: MY co-workers and I are having problems not getting our meal breaks at work. We work 12-hour shifts, and the handbook says we’re supposed to get 2 meal breaks. The employer had each of us sign a waiver giving up one of our meal breaks when we were hired. But it’s hard to even…
[COLUMN] Unusual Christmas for all this week
SUNDAY is Christmas Day. The whole Christian world celebrates the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, 2020 years ago. Christians also celebrate the fact that God the Father, Yahweh, “I am who am,” who preceded all creation and who created everything chose a mere human, the Blessed Mother Mary, to be the mother…
City of San Diego’s Storefront Improvement Program aims to help revitalize small businesses
Thousands of dollars available to improve curb appeal for businesses seeking a face lift SAN DIEGO – Small business owners who are looking for a way to refresh their business might have a solution with the City of San Diego’s Storefront Improvement Program which offers free professional design and financial assistance to improve the curb appeal of…
Bivalent COVID boosters approved, available for 6 months and older
BIVALENT COVID-19 vaccination boosters are now approved and available in San Diego County for children as young as six months of age. The County Health and Human Services Agency is urging parents to protect their children, and themselves, by getting vaccinated with the new booster. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the emergency use…
[COLUMN] Atty. Gurfinkel answers more immigration questions from Kapamilya on Citizen Pinoy’s Christmas episode
THE second part of Citizen Pinoy’s “Your Tanong, My Sagot” brings more immigration questions from Kapamilya shoppers at the family-owned Arko Foods International in Glendale, California. In this episode, leading U.S. Immigration Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel provides answers and helpful information to the following inquiries: Marites’ friend secretly married her boyfriend who was petitioned as…
Road repair projects underway in the City of San Diego
Slurry seal project S2124 is set to resurface streets in Balboa Park, College Area and Otay Mesa neighborhoods SAN DIEGO – The City of San Diego continues to repair and resurface roads through its slurry seal program. Over the next few weeks, resurfacing is scheduled for streets in and around Balboa Park and North Park, along…
[COLUMN] Weight loss ‘cures’ diabetes
OBESITY has been known to be a major risk for the development of diabetes mellitus Type2 (DMT2) for decades. Being overweight not only increases the risk for diabetes but also for high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, and it also elevates one’s risk for cancer. Worldwide, there are about 463 million adults with DMT2….
Sri Sai Krish Institute: Creating nurses that care
Success is something that can be earned by anyone and everyone in our diverse world. This is achieved not just by hard work, but by having heart and passion towards whatever you choose to do. Sri Sai Krish Institute (SSKI), a nursing school located in Orange County, is a place that compassionately fosters this type…
[COLUMN] D3 and the brain
STUDIES have shown that the body relies on vitamin D to stave off heart disease, inflammation and even cancer. People with deficient vitamin D in their body are associated with a higher risk of dying prematurely and vice versa. Lack of vitamin D also results in poor cognitive function and increases the risk for dementia….
[COLUMN] When debt problems threaten your financial security
Most people who are struggling with debt problems for the first time are often confused and don’t know what to do. They’ve never been in this situation before. They have always paid their bills on time. For the first time in their life, they are finding it difficult to fulfill their debt obligations. Bill collectors…
Fil-Am sworn in as Los Angeles County Superior Court judge
A Filipino American lawyer is now a sitting judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Adrian Gidaya Roxas, 43, was sworn in on Friday, Dec. 16 during an enrobing ceremony in Downtown Los Angeles attended by county judges and members of legal organizations and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. California Governor…
Medicare pay cuts will hurt seniors’ care, doctors argue
Doctors are urging Congress to call off cuts scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1 in the reimbursements they receive from Medicare. In what has become an almost yearly ritual, physician groups are arguing that patients will have greater difficulty finding doctors who accept Medicare if lawmakers allow the pay cuts to happen. A more…
[COLUMN] Christ is the reason
One of the things that make living in this land exciting is coming to an appreciation of the culture, the language and the origins of certain phrases that are repeated like a refrain year after year when Christmas comes. I have often wondered who Virginia was and what was the reason Francis Church made famous…
[COLUMN] Can I enforce a form I-864 affidavit of support in divorce proceedings?
The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 requires that U.S. Citizens sponsoring an alien for legal permanent residency execute an immigration form I-864 Affidavit of Support. This is an agreement between the U.S. Government and the Sponsor to promise to support the immigrant beneficiary seeking admission to the U.S. at a level…
Here’s where to get free COVID tests
WITH the reopening of the federal government program to order no-cost COVID-19 tests, there are more options to get free tests this year. But how do you know what’s legit and what’s a scam? Read on. To steer clear of scams, know that there are four ways to get FREE at-home tests: Visit COVID.gov/tests to order four…
LA Mayor Bass signs directive to address affordable housing
IN one of her first moves leading Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass today issued an executive directive to accelerate and lower the cost of building affordable housing and temporary housing. This comes as the city continues to grapple with a homelessness crisis. For affordable housing built under Executive Directive 1, the City must complete the…