OFFBEAT MAIL

The month of October should be remembered well as the time when the first wave of Filipinos  settled and worked across the United States. To reckon with,  it was in Oct. 17, 1587 when the first wave of Filipino seamen arrived in Morro Bay in California. Called "Indios Luzones", they were the first group of documented workers aboard a Spanish galleon ship named Nuestra Senora de Buena Esperanza, on orders of the Spanish king at that time to claim the land in California. However, it wasn't until 1763 when the Filipino immigrants established the first settlement in the bayous and marshes in the state of Louisiana. "As sailors and navigators on board Spanish galleons, Filipinos -- also known as "Manilamen" or Spanish-speaking Filipinos -- jumped ship to escape the brutality of their Spanish masters. They built houses on stilts along the gulf ports of New Orleans and were the first in the United States to introduce the sun-drying process of shrimp.," th...

As the deadline for the filing of Certificate of Candidacy (COC) is closing in, the Philippines Commission on Elections (Comelec) has been transformed into a chaotic arena where many celebrities scamper to run for public office. As if they are the ones who could alleviate the sad plights of the poor from poverty. Now, it is up to the people as to whether to vote for them or not. But can the popularity of these celebrities really push them to the edge of victory? This is a big question that could be gauged once the national elections in May 2012 come to reality. In Metro Manila alone and some cities in the suburbs like the Calabarzon area, scions of political kingpins have been launched into the political limelight, thinking that they are the cream of the crop whose extra political talents could solve the economic and social problems of their constituents. How come all this development is coming into the picture? Why the rush to join the political bandwagon when they are still yo...