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Trafficking survivors speak up at summit: ‘We are not slaves anymore’
By Irma Bajar and Zarah Vinola “The officer explained I was a victim of ‘human smuggling’. I said, ‘No sir.’ I did not know at this time that I was trafficked or that you can smuggle people like this.” One teacher, who would not offer her name in fear of retaliation from the recruiter against […]
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Many claimants to Imelda Marcos’s paintings; she could be one of them
By Cristina DC Pastor At least three entities have competing claims over Claude Monet’s water lily painting, believed to be owned by former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and the proceeds from its sale to a London gallery. There could be more, according to the District Attorney of New York (DA) in court documents obtained by […]
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Where is the Catholic Church’s humility in the RH law?
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Multiple Choice: Check the answers that would identify the Reproductive Health Law: _____ Measure took almost 16 years to become a law; _____ Was held in ‘deep freeze’ by the Supreme Court on March 13, 2013; _____ Law’s I.D. 10354; _____ President Aquino signed bill into law in 2012; _____ […]
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Town hall meeting on Lorna Sun, migrants workers’ rights on April 6
A town hall meeting will be held on Sunday, April 6, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church in Elmhurst to discuss the case of Lorna Sun, a domestic worker who died of cardiac arrest and who, according to Philippine Forum (PF), did not receive adequate assistance from the Philippine government. […]
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Ukraine’s problems are now ours
By Maya Rowencak The world’s problems flow through newsfeeds of digital propaganda. Instagram, Twitter, headlines and photos are filtered by our brains, and it is easy to become engaged, desensitized or to ignore them all entirely. Recently, Crimea, a region of Ukraine, has been all over the news. Despite months of Ukrainian protests in Kiev […]
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Mayor De Blasio, First Lady to ethnic media: ‘Your stories are a lifeline’
By Cristina DC Pastor Mayor Bill de Blasio took his place at a quadrangle table and smiled broadly at journalists of color waiting for him to speak. He began by holding up a plate showing Southern Italy, the hometown of his family. Next, he introduced First lady Chirlane McCray, whose family comes from St. Lucia […]
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White House engages Filipino American leaders
By Jason Tengco On March 14, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) and the White House Office of Public Engagement brought together 175 Filipino American leaders at the White House to discuss key issues of importance to the community. Participants came from diverse sectors of society – non-profits, businesses, government, […]
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Talking to a navigator, but my broker made more sense (PART 2)
By Jen Furer One day, I went on a live chat with a navigator at healthcare.gov, but apparently the easiest way to find out prices and coverage options for my family was to fill out a Marketplace application. The navigator informed me that by completing the application, I’ll receive a personalized report that tells me […]
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New Jersey mother tilting at Obamacare windmill; read her story and weep (PART 1)
By Jen Furer My husband and I have four children, ages 13 to 24. Since 1995, we have been paying for a family health insurance plan, and since we have our own business, we were eligible for the Small Business group plan. We’ve always had HMO Plus policy with no deductibles. Every year I took […]