THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Dr. Jun Ynares The past week was definitely a “first quarter storm.” News reports confirmed our fear that we are headed for another surge, perhaps more deadly than the previous spikes in COVID-19 daily infection rates. Amid this January “storm,” an American-Filipino...
OFW Forum President Duterte’s signing on Dec. 29 of a law that created the Department of Migrant Workers brought lots of joy and hope to advocates of the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers, notably Eli Mua in Saudi Arabia. Hope that after more than 50 years of deploying workers to...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Dr. Jun Ynares No matter how hard life becomes, life will always get better. That appears to be one of the best lessons taught to us by our experiences in 2021. This past year, we emerged from the dark period marked by rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus in the country and the...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Dr. Jun Ynares Why does adversity strike at a time so close to Christmas? This must be the question in the mind of many of our countrymen, particularly those living in the provinces in Visayas and Mindanao that stood in the path of a raging Typhoon Odette. Images of destruction...
OFW FORUM Much to his credit, Saudi Arabia-based Eli Mua is unrelenting and tireless in his single-minded crusade for the proposed Department of Overseas Filipino Workers (DOFW) to be established before President Rodrigo Duterte bows out of office in June next year. A Mindanaoan like Duterte, Mua...
“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” stars Kim Seon-ho and Shin Min-a, and “Squid Game” lead Lee Jung-jae have been chosen as the Korean TV actors who shined in 2021. Gallup Korea released its year-end poll on the Person of the Year in each field including entertainment and sports. The Korean TV actors...
Korean drama “Jirisan,” starring Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon, aired its 16th and last episode on Dec. 12 on top of the ratings. The finale of the drama, which aired on tvN in Korea and iQiyi globally, garnered a nationwide rating of 9.225 percent (with a peak rating of 10.6 percent) in South...
OFW FORUM Much to his credit, Saudi Arabia-based Eli Mua staunchly pushes and promotes thousands of miles away from home the government’s establishment of a Department of Overseas Filipino Workers (DOFW) which he believes will address and resolve the seemingly endless constant physical,...
THE VIEW FROM RIZAL Dr. Jun Ynares Several aspirants for national elective positions visited Antipolo City and Rizal Province these past few weeks. We had taken the opportunity to suggest to them that they include the continuing empowerment of local government units in their campaign agenda. That...
Filmmakers Perci Intalan and Jun Lana have ended their marriage after eight years. Jun took to Twitter to announce their separation, Friday. He wrote: "Hi guys. Perci and I have decided to part ways amicably. "We wish each other well and will continue to be active co-parents for our children &...
The Jun Ji-hyun-Ju Ji-hoon Korean drama “Jirisan” will air its final two episodes on Dec. 11 and 12 on iQiyi. “Jirisan” premiered last Oct. 23 and has maintained its No. 1 status in the ratings, according to Nielsen Korea figures. Korean drama "Jirisan" (iQiyi) In episodes 13 and 14, Jun...
OFW FORUM The Philippine government can’t seem to make up its mind on how best to use temporary bans on deployments of Filipino workers to Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East. On Dec. 2, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello ordered new OFW deployments to Saudi Arabia suspended after the...
