Quit smoking while staying at home For many of us, the coronavirus means staying at home for an extended period of time. While it may be disappointing to hear that events are being cancelled, these measures are necessary to help slow down the spread of the outbreak. At the same time, being at home gives us a chance to make some positive changes, whether it is starting an exercise routine, eating healthier, or resting more. If you smoke or vape, one of the most important an...

MANILA, Philippines, 27 May 2020 – Safe and Fair Philippines is launching “Kuwentong OFW: Mga Babaeng Biya(hero) sa Panahon ng COVID”, a series of Facebook Live discussions that will talk about the issues and experiences of Filipina migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted on the Safe and Fair: Babaeng Biya(hero) Facebook page, the first session will air on May 28 at 8PM. Each session brings together key government and non-government partners to discuss a varie...

LOS ANGELES - JoKoy, one of today’s premier comedians, announced that his third Netflix special, “In His Elements,” starts streaming on June 12, which also marks the annual celebration Philippine Independence Day. On his Instagram® account, JoKoy shared, “This is a very special moment for me. This is that one special where I said I need to go back home to the Philippines; I need to show people where my mom is from. I had this crazy idea of bringing a bunch of my friends th...

By Julian Do, Ethnic Media Services Los Angeles –  For generations, millions of Americans whose roots lie in the Middle East and North Africa — MENA — have essentially become invisible people because the Census Bureau has denied requests for their own racial category. “Legally, in America, I’m classified as white,” says Dr. Hamoud Salhi, associate dean of the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, CSU-Dominguez Hills. “I was born in Algeria, which is part of Africa, so...

By Jun Nucum  Renowned Philippine TV and movie director Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara fondly reminisced the bygone days of Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta with a tribute to her younger sister’s full life.     Tessie or Maria Teresa Aquino was born 75 years ago on June 28, the youngest of 11 children of Benigno Sr. (who died when Tessie was barely three years old) and Aurora (who also had Benigno Jr. or Ninoy, their 6thchild) and “became the center of attention, admiration and obei...

By William Casis Health Undersec. Maria Rosario Vergeire clarified that the daily testing capacity mentioned by presidential spokesperson Harry Roque refers to estimated maximum capacity of all the licensed laboratories in the country.  “The 32,000 (COVID-19 tests per day) is the estimated maximum capacity of all licensed labs in the country based on the number of machines, number of human resources and the operating hours per laboratory,” Vergeire said when asked by report...

By Corina Oliquino MANILA -- Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersec. Claro Arellano told a congressional hearing on May 22, that at least 302,216 overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) had been either displaced, distressed, stranded or infected by the global coronavirus pandemic. “An additional 200,000 would likely be added to the figure for the next 3 to 6 months,” Arellano said. The Philippine Star reported that the government should now prepare for at least ...

By Beting Laygo Dolor, Contributing Editor Tens of thousands of Filipinos who work in cruise ships and merchant marine fleets have been forced to head home due to the global Covid-19 pandemic and the Philippine government is scrambling to take care of their health needs, as well as their loss of income. The government admitted last week that an expected 42,000 returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) could overwhelm the limited quarantine facilities. The land- and sea...

By Daniel Llanto In preparation for the anticipated shift to a less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ) for June 1, the Department of Tourism (DoT) instructed anew hotels, resorts and other tourism establishments to observe health and safety protocols when they re-open for tourists. Memorandum Circular 2020-002 signed by Tourism Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat spells out the “New Normal Health and Safety Guidelines for Accommodation Establishments,” which cover gu...