Global Nation is INQ7.net's website for the global Filipino community. This user-driven site caters to the needs of Filipinos abroad, offering a wide range of services and providing a venue for exchanging their views.

Global Nation invites Filipinos from all over the world to take part in building this online community and making this site their virtual home away from home.

For comments and suggestions, e-mail the Global Nation editor at
joeyalarilla@gmail.com.

Living Asia Channel now
available via AsiaSat 3S

HONG Kong-based broadcast service provider and content distributor Pacific Century Matrix (HK) Limited, PCM, has announced that it has started airing a new 24-hour television channel on its AsiaSat 3S platform since Dec 1. Living Asia Channel, a brand of Philippine-based content producer CCI Asia Group, offers visually engaging and highly insightful Asian travel and lifestyle narratives. On PCM's AsiaSat 3S high-power broadcast service, the channel will now be available to viewers across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
read story

Fil-Am veteran living
hero at Smithsonian

WASHINGTON, DC--The Smithsonian National Museum of American History recently exhibited the photograph and statement of Guillermo Rumingan, 79, a disabled Philippine Scout from Arlington, Virginia.
read story

Help Luzon typhoon
victims, Fil-Ams urged

THE PHILIPPINE Consulate General in San Francisco has called on all Filipinos and Filipino-Americans to donate either in cash or in kind to the victims of the strong typhoons which recently hit the Philippines. These successive typhoons caused massive flooding and landslides in Luzon. Over 900 people are confirmed dead, many others are still missing, and tens of thousands have been rendered homeless. Others are starving, sick, and bereft of any clothing and other household utensils.
read story

5 Fil-Ams top Asian
Academy inductees

ALBUQUERQUE, NM--The Asian Leaders Association (ALA) and the Academy of Asian Leaders (AAL) inducted nine new members of the 2004 Asian Academy Hall of Fame during the Annual Fall conference held at the Hyatt Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Nov. 13.
read story

Online petition launched
for Filipino WWII vets

A PETITION for the US president to urge Congress to prioritize finding a remedy to the limited Veterans Affairs benefits granted to Filipino World War II veterans is now online at http://www.e-thepeople.org/petition/12527/view
read story

Hawaii candidate banks
on Filipino family ties

ALTHOUGH many people in the Filipino community in Hawaii know and support congressional candidate Mike Gabbard, few realize that Gabbard has family ties to the Filipino community.
read story

Free art classes offered
to talented US students

LOS ANGELES, Calfornia--The Ryman Program for Young Artists has been offering rigorous, college-level studio classes to talented and motivated high school students for over 10 years. The program is now accepting applications for the spring 2005 semester that begins February 5, 2005 and runs through May 7, 2005.
read story

Fil-Am Veterans Rondalla
featured in CBS 5 show

SAN JOSE, California--KPIX-CBS 5's Margaret Slattery recently announced the repeat television broadcast of an "Evening Magazine" segment featuring the Fil-Am Veterans Rondalla (FAVR), slated for the 7 p.m. time slot on Thursday, October 21 on CBS (Channel 5) in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. The segment was initially shown on May 13, 2004.
read story

Stanford to host
'Accelerating Change'

THE ACCELERATING Change 2004 conference will be held at Stanford University, California from November 5 to 7. The organizers have sent an invitation that includes a $50 discount for those who will quote the code at the end of this invitation on registration. The code must be written in all caps as it is case-sensitive.
read story

Filipinos urged to attend
3rd global convention

THE ORGANIZERS of the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention in Cebu are inviting medical and trade missions, as well as hometown and alumni reunion groups, who are visiting the Philippines in January 2005 to participate in this community gathering of overseas Filipinos.
read story

Filipino student reaps
academic success in US

A FILIPINO student of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has compiled an impressive string of academic achievements, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Civilization.
read story

Filvets to rally
at White House

WASHINGTON, DC--Filipino-American World War II veterans plan to be arrested at the White House fence after holding a wreath laying ceremony at 12 noon, Monday, September 20 at the Philippines Pillar at the National WWII Memorial in honor of their fallen comrades
read story

HR 677 supporters
gather more steam

LOS ANGELES, California--With the aggressive campaigns of Congressmen Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) and Bob Filner (D-CA), sponsor and main co-sponsor of HR 677, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act, the bipartisan supporters increased to 195 as of September 14, according to Paul Mazzeno, legislative assistant of Congressman Cunningham.
read story

Fil-Am to head Small
Business Commission

SAN FRANCISCO, California--Mayor Gavin Newsom has announced the appointment of Agnes Briones as director of the Small Business Commission. Briones was previously the director of Service Integration for the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, overseeing a number of public safety initiatives for the City including securing federal grants totaling $3.7 million over the next five years to implement quality of life, economic revitalization and public safety improvements in some of the most distressed neighborhoods in the city. As part of her efforts, Briones has worked extensively with small business and merchant organizations. She will become one of the highest-ranking Filipina-Americans in city government.
read story

Nat'l scholarship fund
receives $100,000

SAN FRANCISCO-- The Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) has announced it received 100,000 dollars from Wells Fargo to provide scholarships for college-bound students from underrepresented APIA communities interested in pursuing careers in banking and financial services. The donation represents the largest contribution received from a financial services institution and will provide dozens of scholarships to students who would otherwise be unable to attend a college or university.
read story

10 steps for absentee
US voters in RP

THE AMERICAN Coalition for Filipino Veterans Inc. (ACFV) is calling on Filipinos and Filipino-Americans to forward the following instructions from the Federal Voting Assistance Program (www.fvap.gov) for voting-by-mail to family members and friends in the Philippines who are US citizens. An estimated 130, 000 US citizens are living in the Philippines, according to the ACFV press statement.
read story

Chicago to host
Naffaa convention

WASHINGTON, D.C.--With a critical presidential election looming, Filipinos and Filipino-Americans representing various sectors of US society will gather in the Windy City's Radisson O'Hare Hotel from September 10-12 to determine what role they will play in America's future.
read story

FWN summit to mark
Fil-Am History Month

THE FILIPINA Women's Network (FWN) has announced an event that Filipina women can't afford to miss. Dubbed as "The FWN Summit: Power, Leadership and Influence for Filipina Women," this event is intended to create a nurturing environment for sharing strategies on leadership, power and influence.
read story

Free consultation for visually
impaired, special-needs kids

THE PARENT Advocates for Visually Impaired Children Inc. (PAVIC), a non-stock, non-profit organization, in cooperation with the Therapy Centers Movement Inc. (TCMI) and the UP College of Allied Medicine Professionals
(UP CAMP) will host a free consultation and evaluation for visually impaired and special-needs children. The event will be held on Sunday, August 22, 2004, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Level 5, Wellness Zone of Shangri-La Plaza in
Mandaluyong City.
read story

Pistahan draws huge Fil-Am crowd

OVER 50,000 Filipinos trooped to the 11th annual Pistahan Parade and Festival held August 14 and 15 in San Francisco. Popular teen heartthrobs Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa, fresh from their hit soap opera "Sana'y Wala Nang Wakas" were the big crowd drawers in the event.
read story

Artist reception
at Patrick's Café

GLENDALE, California--Patrick's Café and Flowers located at 6320 San Fernando Road in Glendale, California is proud to host an exhibition of new paintings by Filipino-American artist Rafael Maniago. The public is invited to a reception for the artist on Friday, August 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibition runs through August 31.
read story

Filipino lawyer to be
profiled in Who's Who

MANDY M. Dornagon, Esq., a former resident of Lagawe, Ifugao, Philippines, has been selected to be included in a biographical directory published by Marquis Who's Who, the leading biographical reference publisher of the highest achievers and contributors from across the country and around the world.
read story

2 million books donated during
World Congress on Reading'

TOURISM Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan has announced that a total of two million books -- for teachers and schoolchildren alike -- were donated by the international publisher Scholastic International during the "20th World Congress on Reading" held at the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel from July 26-29. Close to 1,500 participants from 45 countries attended the global gathering.
read story

Filipino business leaders
share secrets to success

PALO ALTO--The Filipino Business Alliance (FBA) announced the second seminar offering for 2004 in its continuing series, "Solid Foundations for Entrepreneurship." The latest seminar, "Building a Growth Business" will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Bank on 1435 Burlingame Avenue, Burlingame on Tuesday, August 17.
read story

AAMC auditions set
to hit major US cities

PRIME Image Media Group is looking for twelve artists to perform at the 2nd annual Asian American Music Conference (AAMC) on Saturday, November 13 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in San Francisco, California. The
conference will feature various networking opportunities as well as workshops, panels, and informational and commercial booths.

read story

Donations sought
for typhoon victims

IN THE BRIEF that it vented its fury over the Philippines, the 190-kph typhoon Igme left the Philippines in devastation with 31 deaths, 22 injuries and 11 missing persons. Maguindanao flashfloods took nine lives, while Mindanao floods took its toll on four others. Apart from the
tragedy of many lives lost, 1.09 billion pesos worth of agricultural crops (654.2 million pesos) and infrastructure (444.8 million pesos) that serve as livelihood for most Filipinos were also destroyed.
read story

Gov't agencies support
OFW-SME expo, confab

GOVERNMENT agencies concerned with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) are supporting the 3rd Pamilyang OFWs-SMEs Expo and the 1st Pamilyang OFWs-SMEs Congress, which are both slated on July 16-18 at the Megatrade Hall 2 of the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, it was announced Monday by the Pamilyang OFW-SME Network Foundation Inc. (POFW-SMENFI).
read story

Globe to showcase prepaid
solution at OFW-SME expo

GLOBE Telecom's leading cellular brands, Globe Handyphone and Touch Mobile, will be presenters in the "3rd Pamilyang Overseas Filipino Workers-Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Expo" and the "1st Pamilyang
OFWs-SMEs Congress" which are both slated on July 16-18 at the Megatrade Hall 2, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
read story

Tourism, global Filipino
convention tackled at meet

SAN FRANCISCO--In line with its goal of reaching out to members of the travel and tourism industry, business and community, the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco together with its attached government agencies, namely, the Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) and the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry, conducted a symposium at the Social Hall of the Philippine Center in San Francisco. The occasion gave an opportunity for the participants to be updated on various matters regarding passports, visas, tourism, trade, investments and the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention to be held in Cebu City on January 20-22, 2005.
read story

RP colors to light up
Empire State Building

NEW YORK--For the very first time on June 23 and 24, the Empire State Building will dazzle the Manhattan skyline with the colors of the Philippine flag. Yellow, blue and red lights will brightly illuminate the tower of the Empire State Building in honor of the Filipino community.
read story

Celebrate June 12
all over the world

WHEREVER they may be, Filipinos across the globe will join hands in celebrating the 106th anniversary of Philippine independence on June 12. As the virtual home away from home of the overseas Filipino community, Global Nation will continue its role of bringing together Filipinos in marking this joyous occasion.
read story

DoT to hold Japanese
language training course

THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DoT) through its Office of Tourism Standards has announced that it is now accepting applicants for the Basic Japanese Language Training program scheduled June 28 to August 20 at the DoT Training Room.
read story

Filipinas magazine honors
2004 achievement awardees

SAN FRANCISCO, California--Now on its seventh year, the Filipinas Magazine Achievement Awards recognizes the accomplishments of the advocates, role models, and movers and shakers in the Filipino-American community. Filipinas magazine, which recently celebrated its 12th anniversary, is the only nationally circulated Filipino-American monthly glossy.
read story

WOWFest showcases
Philippine attractions

DID you know that Manila's Basilica of San Sebastian is the only all-steel church in Asia? and that it was the second building in the world to be made of steel, next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris? Have you ever visited the Aglicay beach resort in the sleepy town of Alcantara on Tablas Island, Romblon? While it may not be as famous or as spectacular as Aklan's world-renowned Boracay, Aglicay offers its own set of quiet charms.
read story

Awards to honor
overseas Filipinos

SAN FRANCISCO--The Philippine Consulate General has announced that nominations for the 2004 Presidential Awards for Filipinos and Private Organizations Overseas are now being accepted. The awards will be conferred by the President of the Philippines on distinguished Filipino individuals and organizations overseas for their past and current work, and achievements in promoting the well-being of Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad. Filipino individuals, associations (both formal and informal), communities overseas and foreign private individuals and organizations abroad may be nominated to receive the Awards.
read story

Americans feel safer
in RP, says US officer

AMERICANS are safer from terrorist threats in the Philippines than anywhere else in the world, a US military officer recently said.
read story

Hila to perform piano
recital in San Francisco

HIYAS A. Hila will have a piano recital on April 2, 8 p.m. at Hellman Hall, San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM). Her repertoire will consist of Bach (Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue), Schubert (Sonata in A minor, Op. 42), Schumann (Novelletes 1 and 2), Albeniz (Evocation) and Granados (Allegro de Concierto).
read story

Search on for Aboitiz
foundation awardees

THE RAMON Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) is now accepting nominations for the 3rd Triennial Awards for the Visayas and Mindanao. These awards were established to give recognition to individuals and institutions who, "through their efforts, bring about hope and change for the better in the lives of the less privileged reflective of the philanthropic, humanitarian and holistic ideals of Don Ramon and Eduardo Aboitiz."
read story

RP ready for medical
tourism: DoT chief

HEALTHCARE with leisure. This is how the Department of Tourism (DoT) describes its new program, aimed at positioning the country as a competitive health vacation destination in Asia, targeting both the wellness/spa and medical tourist markets.
read story

OFW asks Cavite execs
to look into kin's death

A FILIPINO information technology worker based in Japan has issued an appeal to Cavite government and police officials to give justice to his sister Marife Cautivo, who was killed on the night of February 3 in a hit-and-run incident while crossing Emilio Aguinaldo Highway.
read story

THE PHILIPPINE music world mourned the passing of one of its unsung, unassuming giants, Manuel "Mahnee" Cabase. He succumbed to a lingering illness brought on by several strokes in the past few years. He was 82 years old. Close family and friends were at his bedside at the Saint Francis Memorial Hospital when he expired at 1:30 in the morning of December 22, 2003.
read story

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Human rights advocate Edward Logan and his wife Sue
Yoon-Logan, legal counsel of Jubilee Campaign USA, will represent the
United States delegation to the 5th Annual International Conference on North
Korean Human Rights and Refugees to be held February 29 to March 2 in
downtown Warsaw, Poland.
read story

WANTED: Five living Filipino heroes. To mark its 50th anniversary in the Philippines this year, Pfizer is launching the Heroes for Health Award, a joint project with the Department of Health (DoH) to honor five outstanding Filipinos who have undertaken or supported projects that have had a significant and sustainable impact on health care in the country, especially for the poor and underserved sectors.
read story

THE FOUNDATION for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE) of Japan is inviting all art enthusiasts between the ages of six and 15 years to participate in the 13th Competition of Paintings by Children on the Environment.
read story

THE MAKATI Business Club (MBC) recently named the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Department of Tourism (DoT) and the Department of Health (DoH) as the best performing government agencies for the second semester of 2003, besting 35 other agencies in all government branches in a January survey conducted among the country's top business executives.
read story

SAN FRANCISCO--Philippine Airlines (PAL) ushered in Ugnayan 2004 on the eve of the Chinese New Year at cocktails held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Union Square. On hand to present PAL's record of achievements and vision for 2004 and beyond was corporate president Avelino Zapanta.
read story

LIVINGSTON, New Jersey--More than a hundred Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country have mobilized to form Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Clark (AAPI for Clark), the group announced on January 21.
read story

SAN FRANCISCO, California--Plans are underway for the 2004 Asian American Music Conference (AAMC), scheduled for Saturday, November 6. The mission of the conference is to unify and strengthen the Asian American music industry through panels, workshops, informational and commercial booths, and various networking opportunities. The AAMC will have workshops on artist development, touring, promotions, music production, retail and distribution, radio, media, and more.
read story

WASHINGTON, D.C is abuzz over a book of short fiction called "The Right Place and Other Stories" by Filipino-American Rodney Dakita Garcia. Renowned Filipino leader Gloria Caoile -- referring to a musical Garcia had written earlier -- told the author, "once again you have broken the glass ceiling." Herminia Smith, member of the Philippine Arts and Letters Media, hailed the book as "a luminous literary achievement." Reader Emiliano Complean said, "Rod Garcia is a natural --
his dialogue, the style, it just flows so easily."
read story

CALIFORNIA legislation by State Senator Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) barring ephedra-containing dietary supplements from store shelves, four years in the making, took effect on January 1. Prompted by California's action and other overwhelming evidence that ephedra supplements are dangerous to public health, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will shortly propose a national ban on ephedra, stating that ephedra supplements pose an "unreasonable risk to public health" and are "conclusively linked" to serious health problems such as death, heart attack, stroke and other dangers. The national ban will take effect in approximately three months, according to the FDA.
read story