The Mail RSS Feed.
Subscribe Now

NEW YORK - A top award-winning investigative journalist from the Philippines - Ms Sheila S. Coronel — has started her new job as inaugural director and faculty chair of the newly-established Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University's graduate school of journalism. David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker, introduced Coronel during the opening ceremony of the Stabile Center here Sept. 26. Coronel is a well-known investigative reporter in Manila who won awards for her coverage of the Philippine government.

WASHINGTON D.C.-Instead of immigration reforms that included the possibility of citizenship for some 11 million illegal aliens, the Senate approved the House measure that would build a fence in the border to Mexico. The measure was sent to President bush who had earlier promised to sign a comprehensive immigration reform measure. He is expected to approve fence measure, dealing a final blow this year to the comprehensive immigration reform measure that was passed by the Senate several months ago.

HONOLULU, Hawaii-Vowing to find the necessary resources in order to revitalize the nine-year old organization as the voice of Filipino Americans, Alma Quintans Kern of Seattle, WA. was elected Sept. 30 as national chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA). She takes over from Loida Nicolas Lewis who stepped down after four years. Rozita Lee of Las Vegas, Nevada was chosen as national vice chair, while JoAnn Fields of San Diego, Calif. was elected national youth chair. All three served as regional chairs of states with significant Filipino populations.

WASHINGTON D.C. - Tens of thousands of nurses, including Filipino Americans, are considered by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) as ‘supervisors’ and therefore not eligible to be represented by labor unions.

WASHINGTON D.C.-The highest ranking Filipino American serving in the White House resigned Oct. 5 after her name was mentioned in a bipartisan House report of contacts made by convicted super lobbyist Jack Abramoff with officials in the White House. In resigning, Susan Bonson Ralston, top aide of presidential adviser Karl Rove, said she did not want to be a distraction to the White House at this important time. Her resignation brought a stop to investigations whether or not she had violated White House ethics rules by receiving ‘freebies’ from Abramoff from 2001 to 2005.

WASHINGTON D.C.-The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) has issued applications for its 2007 undergraduate Summer Internship Program. The application form is available at www.apaics.org. The deadline is January 31, 2007.

CHICAGO, Illinois (JGL)-United States District Court Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leavitt extended until Nov. 1, 2006 the status hearing for the extradition of Charlie Atong T. Ang, according to Natalie Collins, public affairs specialist of the US Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas, Nevada.

MANILA-The Commission on Appointments (CA), in its regular plenary session presided over by its chairman, Senate President Manuel Villar, Oct. 4 confirmed the appointments Ambassador Willy C. Gaa as ambassador to the United States, four other ambassadors and 27 other diplomats ranging from chiefs of missions to foreign service officers. The 25-member commission also confirmed the appointment of Amado Dimayuga for his fourth four- year term as a member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) representing the academe.

SILVER SPRING, Maryland-A Filipino American parent has accused the Philippine Festival Committee and its mother organization, the American Foundation for Charities for not giving out the promised prizes to children who participated in the Jose Rizal awards in June.

MANILA-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Oct. 2 she will play pool against Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah during his official visit here next month. The friendly game takes place three days after the 2006 World Pool Championship in Manila from Nov. 4 to 12, Mrs. Arroyo announced after awarding pool champions Efren Reyes the Order of Lakandula Champion for Life and Francisco Bustamante the Presidential Medal of Merit

MANILA-Finance Secretary Margarito Teves has attributed the strong peso value in the market to the additional money sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to their families who were affected by typhoon Milenyo. The peso finished at 49.88 to the dollar, its strongest for the day and best since May 23, 2000 when it hit 49.84.

MANILA – “Life has been good to me,” Mr. Gokongwei told over the 1,000 guests who packed the Gokongwei-owned Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ortigas Center. “I want to give back the blessings that I have received.” A strong believer in “sharing and giving back”, one of the 7 billionaires in the Philippines, Mr. John L. Gokongwei Jr. celebrated his 80th birthday last August 11, 2006 with surprises worth in several billion pesos. “He stands tall, as no other Filipino Taipan has done this much for the Filipinos,” quoted by one observer.

MANILA-The death toll from Typhoon Milenyo rose to 197 on Tuesday, with at least 22 other people still reported missing, rescue workers said. The industrial belt south of Metro Manila bore the brunt of the storm, at least 154 people were killed in five provinces, the Office of Civil Defense and other government agencies said.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Philippine Navy Chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga recently paid a courtesy call on his US counterpart, Admiral Michael Mullen, Chief of Naval Operations of the US Navy and discussed maritime security issues focusing on terrorism, transnational crimes, and other threats to the free flow of trade and commerce among nations.