Monthly Archives: January 2020
PH dips 14 places in Transparency International’s Corruption Index
By Corina Oliquino
MANILA–Berlin-based watchdog Transparency International released last January 23 its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2019.
It ranked the Philippines 113th out of 180 countries, slipping to 34 from 36 previously and shared the same ranking with El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Eswatini and Zambia.
The group, in its latest Index, found that “majority of countries around the world are showing little to no improvement in addressing corruption.”
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PH ban on Chinese tourists urged as SARs-like corona-virus rages
By Daniel Llanto
The Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), a major organization of tourism stakeholders in the Philippines, urged the government to implement a strict travel ban on Chinese tourists while the deadly corona-virus continues to spread in mainland China.
A travel ban on Chinese tourists would cripple the burgeoning Philippine tourism industry since China is the country’s single largest source of foreign tourists but TCP President Jose Clemente III said ...
Bato’s cancelled US visa endangers US-PH defense pacts
By Daniel Llanto
Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana as chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces claimed that they have started the process of terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the US.
This came shortly after President Duterte threatened to scrap the VFA if Washington does not restore the US visa of his long-time ally Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa w...
Keep your 2020 Resolutions
It’s the perfect time to review our resolutions. If you have not made any resolutions yet, below are many personal habits that you can improve easily — and often free. They are examples from the basics such as exercising more and living healthier to finding easier ways to save money.
Make One Change at a Time
Please remember your resolution does not need to start on the first day of the year and you can start your New Year resolution even though the first day of the y...
Asian American Voters Show Widespread Support for Paid Family Leave Expansion
Sacramento, Calif. –– A new public opinion poll conducted by Change Research demonstrates that California voters strongly support the expansion of Paid Family Leave, which was recently proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in his 2020-21 state budget. The poll also reveals that despite strong awareness for the state’s 15-year-old Paid Family Leave program, Asian American voters in California do not access the benefits they pay for.
While the vast majority (81 percent) of Asian Am...
Immigration Raids Continue
By Atty. Johnson Lazaro
The government is continuing the crackdown. We continue to see frequent immigration raids. Almost every day, there are reports of large-scale enforcement actions by the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The main targets are usually the work places. Hundreds of undocumented aliens are being detained and processed for removal. Many families are being torn apart. However not all removals are legal. Governmen...
As I See It – Senate Impeachment: The Battle is on!
By Elpidio R. Estioko
The long-awaited battle or confrontation in the Senate impeachment trial began technically on Thursday, January 16, 2020, after Chief Justice John Roberts and the senators were sworn in to do “impartial justice”. Then… this Tuesday, House Lead Manager Adam Smith read the two articles of impeachment on the Senate floor. They started with the basic issue of approving the rules prepared by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell which was similar but not ...
What is “extreme hardship” for provisional waiver?
By Atty. Crispin Caday Lozano
The USCIS provided additional guidance on the definition of "extreme hardship." To be granted a provisional waiver, applicants must demonstrate that their absence from the United States would cause "extreme hardship" to a spouse or parent who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The statute does not define the term, and federal courts have not specifically defined it through case law.
USCIS identified the factors that are considere...
PerryScope: Pogos breed crime and prostitution
By Perry Diaz
Since Rodrigo Duterte took over the presidency of the Philippines, the influx of Chinese nationals has increased dramatically. As a result, gambling and prostitution have become a huge problem. Most of the Chinese nationals who have come to the Philippines are involved in a new gaming industry called Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (Pogos). Hundreds of Pogos are in operation right now, employing hundreds of thousands of Chinese from the mainland, man...
Street Talk: Big Brother is Watching
By Greg B. Macabenta
George Orwell’s novel, Nineteen Eighty Four told of a society whose citizens were under constant surveillance by the government, their daily activities monitored and their actuations and attitudes controlled, with sanctions imposed on those found guilty of independent thought. Thought Police made sure that the entire citizenry abided by government mandates and behaved accordingly.
In other words, Big Brother was watching.
Published in 1949, Orwell prob...