Maniolas

Philippine Daily Inquirer 9:34 am | Saturday, September 6th, 2014 MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday ordered Immigration authorities to prepare for a more challenging 2015 with several international events expected to make the bureau’s work “more crucial as well as more difficult.” Two important events—the Pope’s visit in January and the hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in November—are expected to boost the country’s profile on the international stage. “Not to mention other cultural and sports events that are part and parcel of the declaration by the Department of Tourism that 2015 shall be Visit the Philippines Year,” De Lima said in her speech during the Bureau of Immigration’s 74th anniversary celebration. “With the proliferation of cross-border or transnational crimes, and the tireless efforts of criminal elements to evade our powers of detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes, we can only imagine that the work of the Bureau of Immigration will only become more crucial, more difficult,” she added. Tina G. Santos Follow Us Other Stories: Filipino nurse tests negative for MERS Body of Filipino MERS victim buried ‘7 hours of fighting enemy is cowardice?’ Heroes’ welcome awaits PH peacekeepers Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Short URL: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/?p=110694 Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Read More …

FEARLESS CHINESE President Aquino applauds 2014 Ramon Magsaysay awardee investigative journalist Hu Shuli of China during ceremonies at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City on Sunday. AP MANILA, Philippines–Whoever said journalists can’t do a good job in China clearly hasn’t met Hu Shuli and the growing number of her colleagues dedicated to “shedding light on the unseen and lending a voice to the unheard.” Being dubbed the “most dangerous woman in China” is a badge the 61-year-old Hu proudly wears, which she has earned for her pursuit of truth and accountability in a nation known for media censorship and ranked 167th out of 173 countries in the press freedom global index. For her commitment to truth and promotion of transparency and change, Hu was bestowed the Ramon Magsaysay Award for investigative journalism, which she considers an affirmation of her belief that Chinese journalists can and continue to do a good job. The Magsaysay Foundation board of trustees recognized Hu as a trailblazer for professional and independent-minded journalists in China, where being a “news worker” is politically risky and socially challenging. As founder and editor of the Beijing-based business magazine Caijing (literally Finance and Economics magazine), the publication of well-researched investigative reports and uncompromising journalism has led to the ousting of corrupt public officials and the prosecution of unscrupulous corporate heads, the foundation said. The Caijing reports also reformed business practices and lifted the veil of secrecy on incidents that China’s department of central propaganda would consider taboo Read More …

• Affordable Care Act now ‘mainstream’ in state • Ethnic voters are law’s biggest supporters SAN FRANCISCO, California — Opposition to the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare is waning among California Republicans, and just over half of the state’s voters support extending Medi-Cal coverage to undocumented immigrants, according to survey findings released recently. The poll found that Republican opposition to the law is beginning to flag. Last year, Republicans opposed the ACA by more than 4 to 1; that’s now dipped to greater than 3 to 1. “Now that we’ve actually experienced the full implementation of the law, for some Republicans and for some who were opposed in the Central Valley and the inland areas, I think the fears they had about the law are not really bearing out. So some voters are actually now changing their minds,” says Mark DiCamillo, director of The Field Poll, which conducted the survey. Backed by ethnic voters Ethnic voters are chief among the supporters of expanding Medi-Cal (the state’s health care program for low-income children and adults) to the undocumented – some 73 percent of Latinos, 62 percent of African Americans, and 57 percent of Asian-Pacific Islander Americans – tipping the scales in favor of a statewide program (51 percent overall). Moreover, close to 2 out of 3 voters agree that Medi-Cal is important to either themselves or their family members; three years ago, just over half of voters said this. “That the safety net is an important component is now striking home for more Read More …

New York FANHS delegates at San Diego conference FACEBOOK PHOTO SAN DIEGO, California–Some 500 Filipino American history buffs, activists and academics convened July 31 to August 2 at the Kona Kai Hotel and Resort in Shelter Island for the Filipino American National Historical Society’s 2014 conference. Of special attention was the Wednesday evening memorial tribute to FANHS co-founder “Uncle” Fred Cordova who passed away peacefully at 82 on December 21, 2013. The conference theme was KAPWA: Moving Forward in Unity, with kapwa, meaning “togetherness,” as the “core construct” of Filipino psychology. Kapwa refers to community; not doing things alone. Plenary Keynote speakers and programs,= included, Dr. Leny Strobel, Ret. Army Major General Antonio Taguba, Dr. Connie Mariano, and the screening of “Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the UFW” with filmmaker Marissa Aroy, Assemblyman Rob Bonta and Johnny Itliong. A cross-generational spread of participants and topics was apparent in the panels, workshops and roundtables, all reflecting the Filipino experience in America, from the first Filipino American organization founded in New Orleans to the “Empire of Funk: Hip Hop Representation in Filipina/o America.” Remie Estepa Brown, a founding member of the first Filipino American student organization (1971) at San Diego State University, MATAPANG, a first time FANHS conference attendee felt that it was so important to be able to disseminate the history of Filipinos. She recalled the role of MATAPANG in visiting the UFW manongs in Agbayani Village, starting the community based San Diego Project Bayanihan and an early 1970s controversial  “Miss Read More …