Monthly Archives: June 2016
Cagayan Chronicles: Calayan
Story & Photo by Lovel Aniag
Calayan is the main island of the Babuyan Group of Islands. Going to Calayan can be likened to a fairy tale - but not the princess kind; more like Hansel and Gretel, or Little Red Riding Hood. It’s a place far, far away, with an air of mysticism and sorcery and landscape and seascape that look unreal -- like everything is made by CG.
There are no big ferries that cross the Babuyan Channel from Cagayan to Calayan, just small outrigger boa...
Duterte, Robredo separate inaugurations, a first in recent history
By Macon Araneta | FilAm Star Correspondent
Rodrigo "Rody" Roa Duterte and Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo were sworn in last June 29 as the 16th President and 14th Vice-president, respectively, of the Republic of the Philippines, during separate ceremonies. For the first time in recent history the two highest elected officials took their oath separately.
Donning an ecru Barong Tagalog made from piña jusi fabric paired with beige pure cotton pants, Duterte took his oath of ...
Hybrid fuel-electric train launched to ease Metro-Manila traffic
By Lara Climaco | FilAm Star Correspondent
Eco-friendly trains developed by Philippine government engineers can be the once elusive solution to Metro Manila’s traffic mess. State-owned Philippine National Railways (PNR) launched the country’s first locally designed and fabricated hybrid electric train last June 25 at its main station in Manila. Outgoing Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Sec. Mario Montejo emphasized during the launch that with abundant engineerin...
Life, business as usual for Pinoys after Brexit – UK ambassador
By Macon Araneta | FilAm Star Correspondent
British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad assured that Britain’s exit or “Brexit” from the European Union will not have an impact on the 250,000 Filipinos working and living in the United Kingdom as they arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) under a “completely different immigration regime.”
Ahmad noted that the UK has an independent migration and visa policy, not being part of Schengen.
Schengen area includes EU member...
Ro Khanna leads Mike Honda in primaries
By Elpidio R. Estioko | FilAm Star Correspondent
MILPITAS – Ro Khanna, in his second attempt for U.S. Congress District 17 to unseat well-entrenched incumbent Mike Honda, won in the recent June 7 presidential primary election by 39,306 votes (38.87 percent) over Mike Honda’s 38,529 votes (38.10 percent).
When they first met four years ago, Honda had the upper hand by 51 percent of the votes over Khanna’s 49 percent. During the campaign, Honda vowed to champion the DREAM...
Demoralization in police ranks feared under new leadership; martial law in Jolo & B...
By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent
Outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Dir. Gen. Ricardo Marquez expressed fears of demoralization among senior police and Armed Forces officials because of the way the new administration appointed people to key PNP and AFP posts over the heads of those more qualified and next in line.
At the sidelines of a testimonial parade-and- review at Camp Aguinaldo in honor of outgoing President Aquino, Marquez said he was sadd...
Split decision on DACA & DAPA, ‘not the end’ for immigration reform
By Peter Schurmann | New America Media
SAN FRANCISCO, June 24 – Immigrant rights advocates say the Supreme Court ruling on two programs that would have granted temporary deportation relief for millions of undocumented immigrants is a setback. But, they insist, it is not the end of the road.
Shiu-Ming Cheer with the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) called the 4-4 split in the United States vs. Texas ruling a “non-decision decision.” With only eight justices on the ...
32 Silicon Valley care home workers to receive $718K in back wages, damages
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division investigators found the owners of two residential care enterprises in violation of the minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Specifically, the employers paid most workers a flat rate per day, ranging from $75 to $103, for working at least 12 hours per day, five to six days a week.
As a result, the employer violated minimum wage laws when the day rates failed t...
Aquino admin’s satisfaction rating declines but still ‘good’
By Corina Oliquino | FilAm Star Correspondent
MANILA – In the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, the public’s satisfaction with the Aquino administration declined, but managed to pull through a “good” rating.
In the March 30-April 02, 2016 survey, the net satisfaction rating of Aquino administration showed a 4-point decline from December 2015’s +39 (with 61 percent satisfied and 23 percent dissatisfied) to +35 in the April 2016 survey with 60 percent of adult ...
Lawyer Audie de Castro is San Diego’s Honorary Consul General
By Anna Ven Sobrevinas | FilAm Star Correspondent
SAN DIEGO -- Since 2014, a familiar face has been attending Filipino community events in the county. An important and very visible figure, lawyer Audie de Castro, is San Diego County’s Philippine Honorary Consul General.
Honorary Consulates are voluntary, official positions specializing in authenticating and notarizing documents. However, services such as passport renewals, dual citizenship applications and visas still n...