Preparations are underway for the 2018 University of Santo Tomas Alumni Homecoming and Thomasians USA’s 31st Anniversary Celebration. This year’s event will bring together alumni, family and friends, and alumni are full of excitement in anticipation of celebrating their beloved alma mater’s success. The Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas is recognized as one of the top 200 universities in Asia and one of the top 1000 universities in the world. In this year’s...

LONDON -- Melissa Villa, Filipino-American founder of Project PEARLS, was bestowed the Albert Schweitzer Award at the World Literacy Summit held at Oxford University last March 26. Villa received the World Literacy Summit’s newest top award from Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, who serves as UNESCO Special Envoy on Literacy for Development. The event was attended by a number of ambassadors, other dignitaries, and summit participants from over 50 countries. Philippin...

San Francisco, California – The San Francisco based United Pangasinanes of America, Inc. led by President Mario C. Panoringan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Dagupan City for the establishment of partnership between the two parties that aims to further advocate tourism and trade missions. Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez expressed her gratitude to the association on behalf of the city government for initiating the partnership. “To our dear kabaleyans (townmate...

According to major medical societies, the U.S. Surgeon General, and recent studies, Asian Americans increase their risk for diabetes by 30-40% for active smokers than nonsmokers. “Smoking is directly linked to lung, throat, and other types of cancer, but according to the 2014 Health Consequences of Smoking Report of the Surgeon General, there is now adequate evidence to infer that smoking causes diabetes, too,” said Dr. Caroline Chen, postdoctoral fellow in public health a...

More Californians are eligible for a state tax refund under the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), which was expanded for the 2017 tax year and beyond. Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, fought to expand the program through the state budget process last year. Research shows that EITCs are an effective anti-poverty tool for many struggling families. “When working families live paycheck to paycheck, they struggle t...

By Corina Oliquino | FilAm Star Correspondent MANILA -- According to a report by Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL Group, its parent company Cambridge Analytica, a London-based behavioral research and strategic communication company, helped ease Rodrigo Duterte into presidency in the May 2016 national elections. SCL Group says the London firm has helped portray Duterte as a “strong, no-nonsense man of action on social media,” a report from the South China Morni...

By Lara Climaco | FilAm Star Correspondent “For too many members of the Boracay community, life has gone from confusing to disappointing, to despairing,” Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI) lamented when it got wind of the national government’s decision to shut down Boracay Island starting April 26. “The reality is that the BFI is just as confused as everyone else because the pronouncement came too soon with no clear and specific guidelines presented to us,” BFI said in its A...

By Macon Araneta | FilAm Star Correspondent Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said they will file more charges against the officials of the previous administration implicated in the Dengvaxia vaccine scandal. She said the charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide might even include more respondents. “We are still waiting for the result and recommendation of the Senate blue ribbon committee headed by Sen. (Richard) Gordon as well as...

By Corina Oliquino | FilAm Star Correspondent HAINAN, CHINA -- Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana said last April 9 the official visit of President Rodrigo Duterte will likely pave the way for China and the Philippines to sign a deal that will hire more Filipino English teachers. In a report by GMA News, Sta. Roman said the deal will be one of those that will be signed while President Duterte is in the country to ““further deepen and broaden the economic r...