Maniolas

By Nimfa U. Rueda Lovelyn Marquez-Prueher awarded as California Teacher of the Year LOS ANGELES – When Filipino-American Lovelyn Marquez-Prueher was a young immigrant student struggling to learn English, her teacher thought she had a learning disability. She also got bullied by classmates because of her foreign accent. “Those challenges have made me a strong advocate for immigrant students who are English learners,” said Marquez-Prueher, the first Filipina to become a California Teacher of the Year. A 34-year-old English teacher at Dodson Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Marquez-Prueher has recently been selected as one of the top five among the nearly 300,000 public school teachers in the state. As a California Teacher of the Year, she serves as a standard-bearer for the teaching profession statewide. “This is not just an award but an opportunity to talk to students, parents and fellow teachers all over California about what it’s like to be an immigrant…and to be suspected of having a learning disability because of language needs,” she said. “This is about overcoming obstacles by working really hard and not settling for being average.” Cultural gap Marquez-Prueher, whose family is from Cavite, came to the United States when she was nine years old. As a newcomer, she had a tough time in the classroom, having to overcome not just the language barrier but also the cultural gap. When she was in third grade, her teacher asked which in the group didn’t belong in a drawing of a spoon, fork, knife Read More …

This writer’s family had the thrill of our lifetime when my sister, Marjorie D’Angelo pretended to invite my son, granddaughter and I to a “holiday dinner” to celebrate a “milestone” and the Filipino tradition of  “simbang gabi” (evening Mass heralding 9 days before Christmas) this week. Though it was a rainy day, the skies cleared up by sunset and through Margie’s relentless coordination with a gentleman named Roscoe Gray, the evening became an eventful “thrill of a lifetime” when we arrived at the Van Nuys Airport hangar of Elite Helicopter Tours, owned by Pilot/Entrepreneur Simon Davis. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Simon Davis was formerly a professional snowboarder who has travleled via helicopters through the backcoutries of Canada, Alaska and New Zealand.  Davis has long been intrigued by these helicopter rides and one day, when he was offered a free ride along with two of his buddies, he somehow developed a “bug” or an addiction to flying. This prompted him to enroll in flight school and was trained for a year. Subsequently he moved to California and settled in Malibu. What started as a hobby for him made him pursue his passion for flying by working as a flight instructor, but in 2006, when he received his FAA license, he bought his first helicopter, a Robinson R44 for personal use, but he discovered not only the business side of it but also a way to connect with people’s emotional side, by way of seeing their “smiles” when they “soar above LA” and tour its wondrous sights. The 45-minute Read More …

Reports said that Manny Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz (third from right) was responsible for his tax woes. The BIR has made it clear that if only Pacquiao could show that he paid his US taxes, he won’t be “double taxed” by the Philippine government. Photo: Chris Farina / Top Rank MANILA (Mabuhay) – A lawmaker is seeking to exempt Filipino boxers from paying tax out of the prize and other monetary benefits they receive from boxing competitions. Representative Emil L. Ong of the Second District of Northern Samar said his proposal, embodied in House Bill 5234 or the proposed “Filipino Boxers’ Benefits and Protection Act of 2014,” aims to support Filipino boxers who brought honor to the country despite risks to their lives. “The proposal is in line with the constitutional provision pertaining to the promotion of sports, and aims to enable Filipino boxers to enjoy their winnings by making those (winnings) tax-exempt,” said Ong in a statement. “The tax exemption is an incentive that must be given and enjoyed by our boxers, just like American boxers,” he added. Ong noted that boxers earn their income on a per-fight basis. “As distinguished from other tax payers, Filipino boxers only enjoy the prize of their winnings for a limited period of time,” he explained. “Hence, the remainder of their income from winnings after taxes is what is left for a lifetime of support for the boxer and his family.” Ong further explained that hosting a boxing event provides economic benefits to Read More …

Richard Poon and wife Maricar Reyes reveal their memorable Christmas.

Mark Herras says he has given up on making New Year’s resolution: “I tried, but I failed. Hindi ko rin nagawa.”