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Leni Robredo invited to speak at NaFFAA conference in August
The U.S. presidential elections, civic engagement, climate change, arts and culture, entrepreneurial leadership, financial literacy, women and youth empowerment are among the issues Filipino Americans will address when they gather in Philadelphia for NaFFAA’s 12th National Empowerment Conference on August 4-7, 2016. Among those invited to give a keynote speech is Philippine Vice President-Elect Leni […]
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Transgender Rep. Geraldine Roman: ‘I had to deal with insults, people calling me names, saying I was immoral’
By Cristina DC Pastor The first transgender member of the Philippine Congress said she won for speaking her “truth,” and for fighting insults about her sexual orientation and allegations of “immorality.” Congresswoman-elect Geraldine Roman of Bataan also said she found it “quite paradoxical” that in the U.S., which is a strong advocate for gender rights […]
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Senator says family reunification long overdue, offers to assist veterans’ kin apply for parole
New York Senator Charles Schumer announced on June 9 that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will allow certain Filipino World War II veteran family members who are beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an opportunity to seek a discretionary grant of parole, on a case-by-case basis. According […]
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Remembering People Power at EDSA after 30 years
By Lindy Rosales At the recent commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, officials and students of the College of Mount Saint Vincent — where Cory Aquino is an esteemed alumna — and guests sang the “Lupang Hinirang” with fervor. Goosebumps ran down my spine because as I looked around the […]
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Military wife warns of ‘tensions’ as communist leaders assume power in the Duterte administration
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Twenty-four hours after the May 9th national elections, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte appeared on the scene as he sealed victory with the ballot count that placed him more than five (5) million votes ahead of his closest rival who had already conceded defeat to the Mindanao-based presidential candidate. As […]
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FilAms identifying more as Democrats: survey
The Filipino American Democratic Club of New York responded to poll results that show a record 30-point gain of FilAms who identify as Democrats since the last presidential election in 2012. “Now more than ever, Filipino Americans are identifying with the Democratic Party’s vision of equality and opportunity for all Americans, regardless of where they […]
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Memorial Day: A time to remember heroes of war, heroes of peace
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. For countless decades now, Memorial Day in this great nation has zeroed in on remembering all the women and men who lost their lives in battle. Thus, the populace has observed celebrations and similar commemorations that focused on the women and men of the military, they who responded to various […]
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The odds of an OFW nurse as Philippine First Lady? FilAm nurses weigh in
By Cristina DC Pastor The question of who should be First Lady to Philippine President-elect Rodrigo Duterte rakes up a lot of historic ‘firsts.’ It will be the first time a politician will be taking office as president separated from his wife. It is likely to be the first time he will be publicly seen […]
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How pop culture, social media played a role in Halalan 2016
By Joel David When it comes to popular culture trends, the Philippines appears to be mimicking its former colonizer, the US, in some ways, and leading it in other ways, usually by resisting or overturning the trends the latter sets. The recently concluded presidential election provides fertile ground to study these older possibilities as well […]