KAKAMMPI News

NEW YORK - Two Filipina US Army members were among the three individuals who lost their lives after their vehicle plunged into a 400-foot ravine at Devil's Slide on Highway 1 in California on July 26. The victims have been identified as Brylyn Aroma, 36, Angelica Gacho, 28, and Mohammad Noory, 29, from Afghanistan. Aroma, a native of Cavite, was a nurse and a highly decorated US Army combat medic specialist. She studied at Emilio Aguinaldo College in Manila and De La Salle University. Among the awards Aroma received from the US Army are the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. Gacho, also a Filipina US Army member and a communication and water treatment specialist, had received various awards, including two Army Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. She graduated from Taguig City University. The United States Army expressed its cond...

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Saturday said Filipinos in Bangladesh were safe amid the ongoing civil unrest in the South Asian country. “So far, safe and sound mga around 700 Filipinos. Some of them are in the hotel sector. They are safe and sound at this stage, and we hope it stays that way,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said at the Saturday News Forum. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) placed Bangladesh under Crisis Alert Level 1 (Precautionary Phase) following the recent political demonstrations and civil unrest, noting that the security situation can deteriorate without warning. Cacdac said that the DMW was in close contact with the Philippine Embassy in Bangladesh. “Next stage is now getting the pulse of the Filipino community in Bangladesh, in Dhaka, and finding out whether there is a wish for them or some of them to come home, and that can be arranged definitely in partnership with the DFA,” he said. The Migrant Workers Secretary said no Fil...

The China Coast Guard (CCG) shadowed a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) that was providing assistance to Filipino fishermen in the highly-contested West Philippine Sea. At a distance of about 150 kilometers from Palawan, this was one of the closest times the CCG followed a BFAR ship, according to the report of Raffy Tima on 24 Oras on Wednesday. The CCG 21551 trailed the BRP Datu Pagbuaya from Escoda Shoal to Lawak and Patag Islands. The Chinese vessel did not stop there as it tailed on the Filipino vessel from Iroquois Reef to Recto Bank where the Datu Pagbuaya distributed fuel to Pinoy fishermen. The CCG even went near the BRP Datu Pagbuaya to record and take photos of its activities. The Recto Bank, which supposedly has oil deposits that are two to three times larger than the Malampaya natural gas field, is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Despite this, the CCG continued its surveillance on the BFAR vessel even as it conclude...

The Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom advised overseas Filipinos to be cautious amid the ongoing riots in the various British cities. “Filipinos in the United Kingdom are urged to remain vigilant, exercise due caution, follow the latest updates and guidance issued by UK authorities, and avoid areas of mass gathering where there may be disruption or violence,” the embassy said in an advisory on Tuesday. According to Reuters, the violent protests erupted after three girls were killed in a knife attack at a children’s dance class in Southport in northwest England last July 30. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned what he described as “far-right thuggery” following days of protests that have spread through cities including Liverpool, Bristol, and Manchester. The protests have also resulted in injured cops and several arrests as establishments were vandalized and looted.—Vince Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News

The three Filipino seafarers in custody of Houthi rebels who were stricken with malaria have already recovered from the disease, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday. Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, DFA Assistant Secretary Robert Ferrer said they got the information from the wife of one of the seafarers. “First of all, nagpapasalamat kami sa Panginoon dahil ‘yung tatlong nagka-malaria ay magaling na at lumabas [we thank the Lord because the three who had malaria are now well and have gotten out] from the hospital. So, that is the good news,” Ferrer said. He said they are continuously asking the Houthis through Yemen's Sana'a government to release the Filipino seafarers who had malaria. “We ask the Houthi rebels na baka naman pwedeng i-release na ninyo ‘yung tatlo [if they can release the three seafarers] on humanitarian grounds. After all, there is a doctrine in Islam about mercy and love and caring also,” Ferrrer said. “So, ginagawa namin ‘yung appeal...

RED DEER, Alberta — A total of 350 Filipinos were evacuated from Canada’s alpine resort town of Jasper following the start of a wildfire in late July that threatened to burn down one of Canada’s national parks. Half of the number were temporary foreign workers working in the hospitality sector from the Jasper township and surrounding areas in the Jasper National Park, according to Calgary Consul General Emma Sarne, in an email interview with GMA News Online. The affected town residents immediately fled to neighboring towns of Hinton and Valemount in the province of British Columbia. World famous Jasper is second home to Filipino permanent resident Maru Manugo, 37, who has lived in this tourist town since 2020 with her family. The town serves as the commercial center for Jasper National Park, famous for its snow-capped Canadian Rockies, glacier fed-lakes and picturesque environment. “For us, Jasper is a wonderful town to raise kids, we can pretty much go anywhere by foot and w...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — It takes a village to raise a child. Or help the cancer-stricken survive. Such has been the story of 48-year-old Jeanelyn Jarder, who after being diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, received an outpouring of support from friends and strangers alike to help her get through her darkest hour. “I am lucky to be a product of our Bayanihan spirit, where our friends helped us. People from different communities came together to ensure that I finish my six chemotherapy sessions. Our peers did not abandon us. Good karma, I must say,” said Jarder, who holds a degree in interior designing from La Consolacion College – Bacolod, and is a celebrated visual artist here. Support came in various ways – from random acts, to offers of footing the bill on some of the expenses. Hot meal that Jarder prepared and sold to help raise money, spread around, bought by her friends and then her friends’ friends and finally, by strangers. Jarder recalled a moment when she wa...