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Bipartisan bill seeks to expand coverage of veterans compensation
U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, introduced on February 15 the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2018. February 18 marks 72 years since Rescission Act stripped benefits promised to Filipino veterans. The bipartisan legislation would restore the U.S. government’s promise […]
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PIDCI blames ex-treasurer, reveals no one wants to be Grand Marshal because of lawsuit
By Cristina DC Pastor The Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. washed its hands off accusations it did not file tax returns for four years, stating its former treasurer, Violeta Manarang-McGough, had been delinquent in filing returns for the period from 2013 to 2016. In court papers filed January 2, 2017, PIDCI claimed it was actually […]
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Visiting the endangered Philippine Eagle
By Cristina DC Pastor DAVAO City –The Philippine Eagle named Pag-asa was the first eagle in captivity to be bred and hatched by Artificial Insemination. He came into the world in 1992 as Cory Aquino was winding down her presidency. He is now 25 years old. It took a while for me to process that […]
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Filipino veterans receive Congressional Gold Medal
“I have waited along with my Filipino and American soldiers for this moment to come.” With these words, World War II veteran Celestino Almeda, 100, received a Congressional Gold Medal honoring the services of Filipino veterans of World War II. Almeda, who lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland, traveled to Washington D.C. for the October 25 ceremony […]
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On NaFFAA’s 20th year, honoring its past and recognizing its legacy
This October, several events are being planned to celebrate this milestone, which coincides with the national observance of Filipino American History Month. They will culminate with NaFFAA’s 20th Anniversary Gala, to be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC on Saturday, October 21, 2017. “Our 20th anniversary is an exciting occasion to […]
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How colonial mentality became our Stockholm Syndrome
By Metty Vargas-Pellicer It’s always an ordeal to make a trip home to the Philippines. The 14-hour trans-Pacific flight and another four hours in the air if you’re coming from the U.S. East Coast seem interminable. I didn’t know why I was making this trip again after just two years. Alone on the beach with […]
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Mark Twain’s words echo loyalty to country not its leaders
By Julia Carreon-Lagoc I love Mark Twain! He was my favorite American author, delighting me early on in my elementary years, tickling my funny bone with his prodigious mind. And he still does to this octogenarian. Behind the spice of laughter are universal truths. As boldly embodied in his works, Mark Twain had the audacity […]
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Excellent history-as-entertainment drama in ‘Hidden Figures’
By Wendell Gaa This year’s Oscar season has reflected a commemoration of Black History Month with the Best Picture nominee “Hidden Figures,” the story of three African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in the development of the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA). Like many moviegoers, I was amazed at how “Hidden Figures” was […]
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Michael Purugganan on collecting PHL flags: ‘Think of the young people who fought for our independence’
Video and photos by Anuz Thapa By Cristina DC Pastor It was a walk-back to the past, my visit with NYU Dean for Science Michael Purugganan one Saturday morning at his Washington Square West apartment. Michael is an avid collector of Philippine artifacts. It is his collection of early Philippine flags, I came to see. […]