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PEORIA - WorldFest, an annual cultural event created by the Civic Center Authority’s Cultural Diversity Committee, was held here Sept. 15 featuring cultural displays, entertainment and food from a variety of cultures, from Lebanese to Korean to Latin American. Putting the German culture on the map will be four local Alpine horn players. Olive Enriquez of the Filipino American Association said several types of Filipino dances will be demonstrated at WorldFest, like Pandanggo Sa Ilaw, during which dancers balance votive candles on their heads and on the backs of each hand.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Oakland Raiders future appears to be much brighter for Filipino fans. In what could be considered a move to broaden their already international-based audience, the franchise has announced that the team website will be launching a Tagalog and Japanese version, to join the ones they already have in Chinese, Spanish and German. Amy Trask, the Raiders Chief Executive, in a July 19, 2007 statement posted on www.raiders.com, said that the organization would continue to be a leader in terms of “multicultural initiatives.”

NEW YORK - Last month, a group of domestic workers staged a demonstration in front of a residential apartment of an abusive employer in the usually quiet Upper Eastside Manhattan neighborhood on 96th street. The demonstrators, led by Damayan Migrant Workers Association, were chanting “Free, free domestic workers! End, end the slavery!” The more than 35 individuals were led by Damayan, a grassroots membership based organization primarily composed of Filipina domestic workers. Banners, placards and chants demanded justice for Imelda, a 42 year-old domestic worker who was abused by her former employers, Ira Ballen and Debbie Goldberg.

ATLANTA, Georgia – Despite doubts about his innocence, the Filipino-American community here staged on Sept. 13 a rally to mark the first anniversary of the incarceration of Dr. Noel Natividad Chua and drum up support for the Filam doctor. The rally was held at Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta and was attended by Filipino and non-Filipino supporters of Chua. Soli Nicolson, a community leader in Atlanta , coordinated the event with Marilyn Doromal, chairman of the Federation of Philippine American Organizations in Georgia (FPAOG).

NEW YORK – Families of those who perished in the attacks, including Filipino Americans, were allowed to enter the Ground Zero pit to pay their respects on the sixth anniversary of 9/11. Of the 2,750 WTC victims, 18 were Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. Three more Filipinos were killed in the hijacked planes that crashed in the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania field, the Filipino Reporter said. But Zuccotti Park, at Broadway and Liberty Street, is where the names of the victims were read on 9-11. Among the Filams in the rites were the kin of Hector Tamayo, project manager of Vanderbilt Group, Inc. and was on assignment on WTC when the suicide attacks took place.

HONOLULU – A US District Court in Honolulu, Hawaii sentenced a Filipino to 30 years in prison after he was convicted three months ago of stealing the identity and assets of his businessman friend who found dead in the Philippines last year, ABS-CBN reported. Henry Calucag Jr. alias Hank Jacinto sat quietly when the judge sentenced him early this month.

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Federal Bureau of Investigation is continuing the search in the United States for Yolanda Ricaforte, the fugitive accountant of former President Estrada. The Sandiganbayan Sept. 12 convicted Estrada of plunder yesterday for amassing P545 million in protection money from illegal gambling and collection of a P189.7-million commission from the sale of shares of real estate firm Belle Corp. Ricaforte, 56, is allegedly an accomplice of Estrada, who collected tens of millions of dollars in illegal gambling payoffs during his 31 months in office.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Statistics provided by the census bureau says one fourth of all foreign-born members of the US armed forces are from the Philippines. It said total Filipino immigrants in US in 2005 is 1.4 million with 85,000 illegals.

CHICAGO – A Filipina from San Carlos City in Pangasinan is now making waves as a song writer, singer and head of a famous country rock band under her name called “Anna Fermin’s Trigger Gospel” here. The band has been described by Greg Kof, a columnist of the Chicago Tribune, as “one of Chicago’s most treasured voices”.

SAN FRANCISCO – Filipino American practicing lawyer Rodel E. Rodis can sue two police officers for wrongful arrest after they accused him of trying to pass a fake $100 bill which turned out to be genuine in a Walgreens chain store in San Francisco in 2003, according to a ruling of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal in San Francisco Tuesday, Aug. 29.

NEW YORK - The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released in Geneva recently said. US citizens own 270 million of the world’s 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies. About 4.5 million of the 8 million new guns manufactured worldwide each year are purchased in the United States, it said.

SAN FRANCISCO – West Bay Pilipino Multi Service, Inc. a non-profit center is the recipient of three grants from the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness and the Hellman Family Foundation for the development of culturally appropriate and sustainable breast cancer support services. The first grant is for Filipina Breast Cancer Disparities; An ethnographic research into social support and social capital within the Filipino Community.

HONOLULU – Hawaii’s largest airline announced its plans for four nonstop flights a week between Honolulu and Manila. The airline said about 170,000 people traveled between Manila and Hawaii in the past year and that its new route will double the air capacity between Hawaii and the Philippines. Hawaiian’s primary competitor on the 5,300-mile route will be Manila-based Philippine Airlines.

SAN FRANCISCO – One of San Francisco’s most beloved community leaders Bill Sorro passed away on August 27th. Bill was a fierce activist in many labor, social justice, housing rights, and neighborhood struggles for many decades but is best known as a leader in the struggle to save and rebuild SF’s International Hotel (?I-Hotel.’) He was one of the warmest and most positive people I have ever met, who worked tirelessly nurturing younger activists like me and generations of others in our movements.

NEW YORK CITY - Nineteen bands from all over the US and Canada met in New York Aug. 31-Sept. 1 for pure rock music to celebrate the first anniversary of the premiere Filipino-American online music magazine, Poptimes www.poptimesmagazine.com).