Maniolas

Olga (far left) with her three children. PHOTO BY VIJI SUNDARAM SAN PABLO, California – Without treatment to replace her failing kidneys, Olga knows she will die. The 37-year-old single mother is desperate to get a transplant so she can get well enough to nurture and provide for her three children again – something she hasn’t been able to do for the last couple of years. But her undocumented status disqualifies her from getting on the organ transplant list, endangering her life. Olga’s frail health forced her to stop working as a house cleaning woman and attendant at a San Francisco Bay Area car wash, something she did seven days a week to supplement the $800 monthly checks her children’s father sends her. Those were jobs she could do without revealing her unauthorized status. In 2010, she was abruptly forced to quit her job loading boxes at a UPS facility, when her employer one day asked for her Social Security number. Olga, who asked that her last name not be used, stopped working completely two years ago after her legs began to swell and she suffered persistent headaches. Her trips to the emergency room only gave her temporary relief. She tried going on disability with the help of an immigration attorney provided by a charitable organization, but was told she didn’t qualify. Needs kidney transplant The Mexico-born woman was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2001. In 2012, doctors told her she would require dialysis for the rest of her life Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle appealed to politicians on Tuesday not to use the papal visit as an opportunity to advance their political fortunes ahead of the 2016 elections. In a press briefing, Tagle said politicians and local community leaders may welcome Pope Francis with banners but they should not do it for personal gain. “I think there is nothing wrong with welcoming the Pope by displaying banners. But I hope the banners will not be used to promote oneself. When the banner says “Welcome, Pope” but it carries a picture of somebody else, that’s different,” Tagle said. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO He also urged those who wish to welcome the Pontiff with festive decorations to keep them simple in accordance with the Pope’s request. “Local communities may welcome the Pope in their own way. We Filipinos are [creative], we do it with bunting and other decorations. But whatever way we choose to welcome him, let’s not spend too much, let’s not make it too costly,” Tagle said. “We can always show hospitality by showing warmth and simplicity…. We should not use the visit for other motivations, for self-interest,” the prelate added, stressing that Pope Francis was known for his humility and simplicity in manner and lifestyle. Tagle also reminded the public to ensure that their decorations do not become a mountain of trash by the end of the visit, saying the Pope is also concerned with the environment. Pope Francis Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Good news for Filipinos expecting to receive balikbayan boxes filled with Christmas goodies from their relatives and friends abroad. The Bureau of Customs has launched an online tracking system that will enable recipients of these boxes to check on the status of their packages. Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla on Tuesday said it was the Department of Finance-attached agency’s “way of helping our kababayans find their balikbayan boxes when they encounter problems.” “We have received several complaints from families of overseas Filipino workers blaming the bureau for their lost boxes,” he said. Bureau of Customs. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO With the tracker, Sevilla said “the public will no longer be given the run-around by people responsible for delivering their balikbayan boxes.” According to the BOC head, the tracker “contains the list of all balikbayan box shipments lodged by local cargo forwarders with Customs, their countries of origin, ports of entry in the Philippines and their bills of lading with the number of the shipments.” “To access the balikbayan box tracker, just go to the Bureau of Customs website (http://customs.gov.ph) and click the “Balikbayan Box Tracker” banner,” he advised. The tracker also “contains the name of the foreign forwarder, name of the local forwarder or broker, entry date filed, date cleared, and the current status (of the shipment).” “Families expecting balikbayan boxes should know the name of the forwarder and the bill of lading number to be able to track the shipment where the box is included,” Sevilla explained. Read More …

President Benigno Aquino III. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–President Benigno Aquino III will lead the kick off ceremony of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2015 on Monday. Aquino, together with his Cabinet secretaries, will attend the launching ceremony at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati City on Monday evening. As the host of next year’s Apec CEO summit, the Philippine government is set to hold a series of meetings in preparation for the conference. Among the officials who will be present at the launch are Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. Domingo said local businessmen will also be present. “While the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has lined up several activities as the country chairs Apec in 2015 and hosts the 23rd Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting, we aim to spur greater private sector participation and generate new prospects for local and foreign businesses to flourish,” Domingo said in a statement. He said next year’s series of summits will offer opportunities for local enterprises. “In the country’s hosting next year, we seek to underscore the significance of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country’s economy, and their role and integration in global supply chains,” Domingo said. The Apec is a forum for 21 member economies with coastlines along the Pacific Ocean. It aims to promote free trade and economic cooperation in the region. The Philippines is among the founding members that acceded Read More …

SAN FRANCISCO — Following President Barack Obama’s November 20 announcement of his executive action shielding millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation, New America Media hosted a national telephonic press briefing for ethnic media reporters. The following speakers answered phoned-in questions: Marielena Hincapié of National Immigration Law Center, Marshall Fitz of Center for American Progress and Sally Kinoshita of Immigrant Legal Resource Center. More than 75 reporters from around the country called in to ask questions about the executive action’s impact on their communities. Here are the answers to some of their most frequently asked questions. Who will benefit from Obama’s executive action? There are three main groups that will benefit under Obama’s plan: parents of U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents; undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. before the age of 16; and spouses and children of Legal Permanent Residents. Parents: If you are a parent of a U.S. citizen or a parent of a Legal Permanent Resident and you have lived in the U.S. continuously since Jan. 1, 2010 and can pass a background check, you may be eligible to apply for Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) and a work permit. The program should be up and running by May 20, 2015. Those who arrived before age 16: Obama is removing the age cap from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), so if you were too old to qualify before, you may be able to qualify under the new DACA if you came to the U.S. before the Read More …