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Steven Raga: ‘Young FilAms more politically aware than politically conscious’
By Maricar CP Hampton and Cristina DC Pastor Steven Raga, with his trademark aviator shades perched on his head, has seen it all with youth organizing. One of the founders of UniPro – or the Pilipino American Unity for Progress – the Queens-born activist was there for the birth of many youth organizations and witnessed […]
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Queens parents demand air-conditioned buses for special needs children
On Monday August 5, a dozen parents, grandparents, children and neighbors demanded the right to air conditioning for riders and workers on the school bus in hot weather. The target was the Ozone Park bus yard of companies known by several different names (eg. Little Richie, Lorinda, Little Linda) but apparently run by the same […]
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Parents rue that for some FilAm youth, education is no longer a priority
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. The aforementioned comment appeared heavy on the minds of some half-a-dozen Filipino American parents. No, they did not hesitate to inquire whether some from their ethnicity, parents like themselves, are going through similar experiences on how their daughters and sons are faring with respect to their outlook on education. One […]
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Mother fights City Hall for air-conditioned buses for special-needs children
By Cheryl Ocampo My daughter Zariah, like thousands of children with disabilities, attends the summer school program of District 75 in New York City Public Schools. Each year for the past five years since my daughter has been in grade school, I have filed numerous complaints with the New York City Department of Education, Office […]
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Calamansi juice goes mainstream, now sold in Wal-Mart, Cost Plus stores
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5joe7jl8QFg&feature=youtu.be It takes a village to raise a child or grow an idea. Nothing can be farther from the truth for Victor Elizaga, founder and CEO of Pacific Fruit and Beverage of California. It was the Filipino community’s support for his All-Natural Calamansi juice drinks that got them on the shelves of major retailers, including […]
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Time to ‘unfreeze’ the law and make Reproductive Health available to women
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. July 9 is the first day the Philippine Supreme Court will begin to hear oral arguments on Law 10354, also known as the Reproductive Health law. The High Tribunal, voting 10-5, issued a temporary restraining order on the implementation of the law. Recalling what has taken place since the RH […]
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Enlisting overseas Filipinos in the fight against poverty
By Justin Garrido As a Filipino American, I moved back to the Philippines to pursue this venture with my former MBA classmate, who is Filipino Australian. Yes, I live in Manila now. I’m in the U.S. for a couple of months promoting our projects as well as building partnerships with like-minded groups with a heart […]
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Organization holds packed charity event for orphan Filipino children
On Tuesday, June 11th Maya’s Hope held a charity event and exclusive screening of Todd Kellstein’s documentary “Buffalo Girls,” depicting the lives of two 8-year-old professional Muay Thai fighters in Thailand. The event, organized by FilAm-Ukrainian Maya Rowencak, raised awareness about the struggles of children abroad. She founded Maya’s Hope, a non-profit organization that helps […]
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When women called the shots, first thing they did was junk Pilipino Time
By Maricar CP Hampton & Cristina DC Pastor “Having an all-women team has definitely changed the face of UniPro,” said Rachelle Ocampo, current president of the nonprofit Pilipino American Unity for Progress. “We look especially cute in pictures.” Ocampo was kidding, of course, but she was also setting the tone for what the current leadership […]