Filipino Advocates for Justice announced that on Thursday July 6th, the California Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee voted 5-2 in favor of AB 889. The bill – also known as the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, extends basic, humane labor protections to thousands of nannies, caregivers, and housecleaners and improves the quality of care for [...]
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Whatever Happened to Human Decency? Amid Rescue Efforts in Quake-hit Japan, Racist Comments are Rampant on the Web
March 14th, 2011 by Fil-Am Ako
I was amazed to see the support and concern the world had for Japan, but I was brought back to reality after seeing all the racist comments that followed. In a March 13 post, a blog promoting the need for a University of California, Santa Cruz Ethnic Studies Department posted a collection of racist status [...]
March 2011 is Women’s History Month
March 9th, 2011 by Fil-Am Ako
Did you know that International Women’s Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8th? For news from around the world on International Women’s Day 2011, click here. Events are scheduled to take place in more than 100 countries around the world to commemorate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. In the United [...]
Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2011
January 26th, 2011 by Fil-Am Ako
I fist read the news on the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2011 on BakitWhy.com this week. I know this news is kind of old, but I had to post it since I took a short break from blogging. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA, San Mateo/San Francisco District) had introduced a bill early this month in [...]
Matthew Libatique Nominated for his Achievement in Cinematography for Black Swan
January 25th, 2011 by Fil-Am Ako
This year’s Oscar nominations are looking great, especially with news of another Filipino-American up for a nomination. It was announced that Matthew Libatique got a nomination for his work on the critically acclaimed film Black Swan. I’ll definitely be tuning in for the Oscars this year. For those who aren’t familiar with Matthew Libatique, he is an American cinematographer [...]
Missing Boat with 5 Americans Lands in Philippines
January 24th, 2011 by Fil-Am Ako
Jim Gomez, Associated Press writes that five Americans stepped ashore in good health Monday in the central Philippines. This rescue follows an international search for their sailboat when it failed to arrive on time in its voyage from the Pacific island of Guam, officials said. The vessel, called the Pineapple, ran into bad weather after departing [...]
Dr. A. Gabriel Esteban, An Inspirational Filipino-American Leader in Education
January 20th, 2011 by Fil-Am Ako
This month, I saw nothing but sad and unfortunate news that led me to believe that 2011 was off to a bad start. That is why it was great to see news that Seton Hall University last Tuesday appointed its interim president to be its new leader. In naming the new president, A. Gabriel Esteban, the [...]
Kuliglig Protests Turn Violent
December 1st, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
At least 16 drivers of “kuliglig” (motorized pedicabs) face charges for Wednesday’s violent protest that injured 12 people. What were these people protesting about that it turned into a violent scene? Hundreds of kuligligs or 3-wheel motorized pedicabs wheeled their way from Lawton to the Supreme Court on Taft Ave. to protest a Manila City [...]
Filipino Mail-Order Grooms
December 1st, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
It’s often been used for a quick laugh in a comedy sketch on sitcoms or cartoons, but mail-order grooms do exist and it is no laughing matter. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) reported that they have recently been receiving complaints from male victims of the mail order bride scheme. According to CFO reports, they’ve [...]
U.S. Feds Probing Major Human Trafficking Case
October 14th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
U.S.federal authorities are investigating a major human trafficking case involving at least 11 overseas Filipino workers who have fled harsh working conditions from their hotel jobs in the resort city Biloxi, Mississippi and sought shelter at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles. Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and Department [...]
Philippine Activist Confronts Catholic Church
October 1st, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
Famed Manila tour guide and reproductive health advocate Carlos Celdran was detained by Manila police on Thursday for disrupting a mass at the Manila Cathedral, where he staged a protest action against the bishops’ opposition to the reproductive health bill. Dressed as Jose Rizal, Celdran stood in front of the Manila Cathedral altar during a [...]
9/11 Anniversary: A Day That Will Never Be Forgotten By Americans
September 13th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
“I thought it must seem some days the world has moved on to other things. I say to you today, that your loved ones endure in the heart of our nation now and forever.” This quote from President Obama’s speech this past weekend shows that September 11th will never be forgotten by Americans. At the [...]
New York: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Ends a Legacy of Discrimination
September 1st, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
On Tuesday, August 31st, housekeepers, nannies and caregivers celebrated the historic Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (A.1470B/S.2311E) bill signing in New York. This landmark legislation, the first of its kind in the nation, guarantees privately-employed nannies, housekeepers, and elderly caregivers in New York benefits such as paid leave, overtime and protection from discrimination. Bay Area [...]
Philippine SWAT: “Sorry, We Aren’t Trained”
August 23rd, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
According to Philippine authorities, they found nine bodies: eight Hong Kong tourists and the ex-policeman who had seized the bus to demand his job back. It was 10:15 a.m. Monday in Manila when Rolando Mendoza, 55 and married with three children, hitched a ride with the tourists as they visited historic sites in the city. [...]
Airport Workers Resolve Age Bias Case
August 17th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
Filipino Advocates for Justice just released an update on Oakland Airport Workers’ campaign against Delta Air Lines Global Services for discrimination and harassment of older workers.A year from the launching of the “Justice for Manong” campaign, Hector Arcangel and Alex Lugtu’s age discrimination case against Delta Airlines Global Services (DGS) has been resolved! Hector and Alex [...]