Hundreds of Filipino guestworkers lured to teach in Louisiana public schools were cheated out of tens of thousands of dollars and forced into exploitative contracts by an international trafficking ring run by labor contractors, according to a class action lawsuit filed on August 5th by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the American Federation of Teachers [...]
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Judge Cantil-Sakauye Selected as Chief Justice of Calif. Supreme Court
July 23rd, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on July 21st that the Honorable Tani Cantil-Sakauye was his choice for chief justice of the California Supreme Court. This makes her making her the first Asian American to lead the state’s judiciary and giving the California Supreme Court a female majority for the first time in its history. “Justice Tani [...]
Philippines Hopes to End Rice Imports
July 12th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
Did you know that Philippines is currently the world’s largest rice importer? Philippine farmers will even receive nutrient management advice tailored specifically to their rice crops delivered to their mobile phones. Recently, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala announced that the country hopes to be self-sufficient in the staple in three years. “Ending reliance on rice imports is the biggest [...]
Terminated for Speaking Tagalog
June 22nd, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
In Canada, it was because of a spoon and fork, now in the states, Filipinos are receiving unfair treatment at work for being Filipino. For four Filipina-American ex-staffers of a Baltimore City hospital, their termination still comes as a shock. In a recent reports, Corina Capunitan-Yap, Anna Rowena Rosales, Jazziel Granada and Natano were fired [...]
Another Filipina Arrested for Fraud in the U.S.
June 19th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
So there are new reports on another Filipina arrested for fraudulant activity in the states. Last summer, there were reports of 42 people accused in a California Medicaid scam that swindled the state out of nearly $4.6 million. The scam was despicable due to the fact that the victims were disabled patients and it was orchestrated by [...]
It was a Landslide Victory for Noy Noy, But Why?
June 7th, 2010 by
by Daniel Escurel Occeño I wrote the article, Why Should I Vote for Noy Noy Aquino? the day before the election. I do not know for sure if the article itself had an impact on whether Senator Aquino won by a landslide. What I do know is most of the Sorsogon Province was not planning [...]
Still no Official President of the Philippines
May 22nd, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
I would love to do my overview of the 2010 Philippine elections, except that the country still does not have an official president. With all the news of Pacquiao winning his election to Congress, President-apparent, Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III has yet to take his official oath as leader of the Philippines. Please refer [...]
Ace Antonio’s Facebook Campaign
May 15th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
You often hear of the dangers of using Facebook or Twitter, but it was refreshing to hear how it helped a 19-year-old get elected into the Paramus Board of Education. Ace Antonio is freshman at William Patterson University, whose successful campaign strategy in Paramus, where the last recent graduate was elected to the board in [...]
What is the Deal with Wowowee?
May 15th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
Wowowee became the tv show to watch among Filipinos in the past few years with its “wholesome family entertainment” which includes half naked women parading around the stage and segments that help the poor, but to many of us they are just exploiting the poor. Wowowee first premiered on February 5, 2005, and airs live [...]
Immigration Fears of Fil-Am Army Family
May 11th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
Imagine that you are fighting and putting your life on the line for your country that doesn’t want your family on its soil. For Lt. Kenneth Tenebro, his wife’s well being is always on his mind. In an article by Julia Preston from the New York Times reports on how Tenebro’s tour of duty in Iraq [...]
Philippine Elections Headlines
May 10th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
There’s a lot going on in the Philippines during elections with their new system for voting, violence, and shocking victories. Also, Pacquiao in politics? I’ll have a full overview of the 2010 Philippine Elections after the results come out, but for now please refer to the links. Philippine Elections 2010 – COMELEC Website Servers Still [...]
WTF: President Arroyo Appoints Manicurist and Gardner to High Gov’t Positions!
April 27th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
Out of all the ridiculous things that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has done during her presidency, appointing her manicurist and gardner to high government positions takes the cake. Arroyo was previously criticized for having a lavish $20,000 dinner at an upscale French New York restaurant in August 2009. According to CBS News, barely three weeks before a [...]
Fil-Canadian Boy Wins Spoon and Fork Case
April 25th, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
Back in 2006, I read an article on a Filipino-Canadian boy by the name of Luc Cagadoc, who was reprimanded at his school for eating the Filipino way, using a spoon and fork. The article infuriated me back then and it was really gratifying for me to read the recent news on this case. A [...]
25 Nailed to Crosses in Pampanga on Good Friday
April 3rd, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
It’s that time of the year again when Philippines makes headlines for marking Easter with re-enactments of whippings and crucifixions. Dozens of devout Filipinos whipped themselves until blood flowed down their backs and others groaned while being nailed to crosses as Asia’s bastion of Catholicism marked Good Friday. About 25 people, including 34-year-old Mary-Jane Mamangun, [...]
First Webisode from Sex+Money
April 2nd, 2010 by Fil-Am Ako
As a part of my efforts to inform everyone on the issues of human trafficking and modern day slavery, I’ve decided to post the first webisode from Sex+Money. SEX + MONEY: A National Search for Human Worth is a feature length film that documents a group of students as they travel in an RV across [...]