CHICAGO (jGLi) – The Manila Hostage Crisis a year ago devastated the Philippine tourism industry just as 9/11 caused inbound tourism in the United States to take a nosedive. But unlike the United States, which does not have a national tourism czar, the Philippines is one of the many developing countries, which elevated the duties of promoting the… Read More »
CHICAGO (jGLi) – A Filipino American, who owns two suburban home health care outfits, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly swindling Medicare of at least $20 million over five years in one of the state’s largest recipients of Medicare payments, according to a press release sent to this reporter by Randall Samborn, spokesman of… Read More »
And were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate to prefer the latter.—Thomas Jefferson, January 1787 CHICAGO (jGLi) – Philippine President Noynoy Aquino should be thick-skinned when it comes to criticisms that have no basis. Such criticisms will not make him vulnerable but… Read More »
CHICAGO (jGLi) – When Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal moved on Aug. 4th, 1964 the celebration of Philippine Independence Day from July 4th, 1946 to June 12, 1898, Filipinos in the Philippines did not mind because their celebration was always overshadowed by America’s celebration of its own Independence. But Macapagal’s moving the date of the Philippine Independence is like… Read More »
CHICAGO (jGLi) – Filipino Americans are picketing the consular offices of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) across the United States at noon on July 8 to protest the PRC government’s scheduled oil-rig drilling activities in the Spratly Islands which the Philippines claims as its own. Meanwhile, the Washington Post, in an editorial, urged President Barack Obama to… Read More »
CHICAGO (jGLi) – ABC News anchor John Quinones hosts an American television primetime newsmagazine, “What Would You Do?” The show is about setting up everyday scenarios that reflect on how people react, why they react, and when they decide to. The good thing about those committing injustices or illegal activities is that Quinones, who is video-taping the scenarios… Read More »
CHICAGO (jGLi) – In his diary, Philippine national hero Jose Rizal described Missouri River as twice the size of Pasig River in its widest part. Missouri is just the second largest tributary of the Mississippi, the largest river system in North America. In my youth, I considered Kawayan (spelled with a “k” since there is no “c” in… Read More »
CHICAGO (jGLi) – When China looks the other way when the Philippine government raises concerns over Chinese incursions into Spratlys Islands that the Philippines considers its own, the giant neighbor is nothing but a good-for-nothing bully who hungers for attention. So, what does the Philippines need to do? It should stand up like David and tell Goliath not… Read More »
CHICAGO (jGLi) – When I was covering the mayor’s offices of Rizal province in the Philippines in the seventies, I was pleasantly surprised to see a mayor of Antipolo in near tears when I told him politicians should pave the way for other aspirants when they had grown tired of their jobs or had run out of ideas… Read More »
CHICAGO (jGLi) — What started as a tourism come-on by President Marcos to lure overseas Filipinos to visit their homeland has grown into a full-blown commercial enterprise that could jeopardize not only the tourism and overseas banking industries but also defense industry. The Balikbayan (returning Filipino) program gives overseas Filipinos a chance to keep their ties with their… Read More »