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Ban alcohol ads on NYC trains and buses, urge advocates, residents
More than 50 community advocates, faith leaders, public health practitioners, and young people joined together at City Hall on June 29 to call for the removal of alcohol advertising from NYC public transit. This event – organized by the Building Alcohol Ad-Free Transit (BAAFT) campaign – kicked off a series of activities that BAAFT and […]
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PHL upgraded to Tier 1 with increased trafficking conviction, prosecution
The Philippines was upgraded to Tier 1 of the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report of 2016 released on June 30. Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Jr., who led the advocacy work for the Philippines’ anti-trafficking in persons campaign in the U.S. and who officially steps down today as the country’s top envoy to the […]
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Travel exec Joebert Opulencia ‘sad’ about Turkey bombing, warns tourism to ‘suffer’
By Cristina DC Pastor Travel agency executive Joebert Opulencia had just concluded a group tour of Turkey and on his way back to New York when three suicide bombers blew themselves up at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. News agencies are reporting at least 31 people dead and 60 wounded. “This is really sad,” Joebert, the president […]
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Peter Locsin charged in scheme to steal identities and engage in bank, credit card fraud
NEWARK, N.J. – A resident of the Philippines has been charged in connection with a large-scale and sophisticated identity theft scheme targeting high-profile victims, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced on June 24. Peter Locsin, 35, of Talisay City, Philippines, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of bank fraud conspiracy and […]
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NYC announces $1M grant to support training of community and ethnic journalists
Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Julie Menin and CUNY Graduate School of Journalism (J-School) Dean Sarah Bartlett announced on June 27 the grant of $1 million to the J-School to create new programs to help New York City’s community and ethnic media outlets stay competitive in the current media landscape. This funding […]
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Delle Sering Fojas: From party girl to tech company CEO
By Cristina DC Pastor When Adela ‘Delle’ Sering Fojas came to New York, she was a carefree 20-year-old, fresh from convent school in Manila. Coming from a prominent political family in Surigao, she was not all that serious at her job as a garments industry clerk. Not having the typical immigrant’s drive to succeed, she […]
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Ballin’ in the Bronx with teen cagers from the East Coast
By Aimee Ulep On Saturday, June 18, the World Basketball Ambassadors Club (WBAC) hosted its inaugural International Showcase tournament at St. Raymond’s Gym in the Bronx to promote global acceptance of cultures through basketball. Six countries — Philippines, Panama, Dominican Republic, China, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica — were invited to bring teams to compete for […]
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Brexit’s possible impact on the Filipino community in the UK: A view from a former Consul General in London
By Mario Lopez de Leon Jr. Consul General in New York SPECIAL TO ‘THE FILAM’ The result of the referendum on the exit of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union, or Brexit, has been described as historic, shocking, stunning and jolting. The resounding vote for Brexit over Remain last June 24 has been […]
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Bullied for ‘being different,’ young FilAm is now an aspiring journalist
By Rhea Panela I am a first-generation Filipino-American, who is entering my fourth and final year at the University of Washington in Seattle. Following my passion for storytelling, I veered away from the pre-nursing route my parents had envisioned for me and applied to the small but competitive major of journalism. I also picked up […]