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Former Marcos estate on Long Island up for auction
By Cristina DC Pastor A mansion that belonged to Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos and converted into a bed-and-breakfast is up for auction, according to one of the participating brokers. The 8.2-acre waterfront property on 48 Sedgemere Road, Center Moriches in Long Island’s Suffolk County, has a spectacular view of the Moriches Bay, said Corazon Rivera […]
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For Donald Diehards, blurring the line between a lie and the truth
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko Ph.D. When it comes to lavishing praise and accolades for Donald Trump, Vice President Michael Pence, leads the pack. Media reports have been swift in catching the usual flattery that came from Pence in reference the well-known July 2018 Helsinki meeting between Donald Trump of the U.S. and Vladimir Putin of […]
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Manny Pacquiao looms large as Jersey City and GenSan become sister cities
By Cristina DC Pastor Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said he was looking forward to visiting General Santos City because he wanted to meet Senator Manny Pacquiao. The audience reacted with delight. It was a flippant comment remarked during the August 14 signing ceremony of the Sister Cities agreement between Jersey City and GenSan, but […]
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Jersey City and General Santos to promote commerce, culture as sister cities
By Cristina DC Pastor What do Jersey City in the U.S. and General Santos City in the Philippines have in common? Aside from both being highly urbanized cities, not much. In our search for some kind of a connection, we find out that J.C. is the birthplace of basketball great Shaquille O’Neal, and GenSan is […]
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ConGen Claro Cristobal on being a diplomat: ‘Looks like serendipity’
By Cristina DC Pastor The new Consul General in New York, Claro Cristobal, is the kind of storyteller you would want around a campfire or over a bottle of beer. His answers go around the moon and back, his responses to reporters’ question never direct. He loves to tell stories about his life and his […]
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Manila has no capability to ward off China: PHL national security chief
By Rene Pastor It was a candid focus group discussion between National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and members of the Filipino American community and the media. He indicated the Philippines is too weak to fend off China in their protracted feud over the West Philippine Sea and said Manila has no choice but to […]
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Cayetano and Pompeo meet, agree to ‘reinforce’ PHL-U.S. ties
By Rene Pastor Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met for the first time on June 21 where both agreed to work closely to reinforce the relationship between Manila and Washington. “Secretary Cayetano and Secretary Pompeo had an open and cordial interaction at the State Department. and […]
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What poverty looks like in the Philippines, according to VP Leni Robredo
By Cristina DC Pastor If poverty in the Philippines had a name, it would be Agutaya. An obscure island town in the northeastern part of Palawan, Agutaya has a population of more than 12K people spread across 10 barangays. To get to Agutaya, one travels 10 hours by boat from the larger and more tourist-friendly […]
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Social Security trust fund projected to start drying up in 2034
The Social Security Board of Trustees has released its annual report on the long-term financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined asset reserves of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds are projected to become depleted in 2034, the same as projected last year, with 79 percent of […]