Manila a Center for World Soccer Scam?

Soccer is probably the world’s most popular sport, commanding billions-strong audiences from slums to palaces. It may also be the world’s most corrupt sport, with the epicenter of illegal gambling operation in Asia--including Manila, reports the International Herald Tribune, The biggest gambling houses each transacted $2 billion a week, all done with algorithms and machines, almost like any commodity house in the U.S. or London. European police said hundreds of matches, including some involving the World Cup, the European Championships and the Champions League, may have been fixed in a global betting scam largely centered in Singapore. If the brains are in Singapore, the three largest gambling houses in Asia, IBCBET, SBOBET and 188BET, are in Manila, Reuters reported. 

Filipinos Are the Largest Asian Group in California--New Study

Filipinos are the largest Asian minority group in California today.They also rank second only to Indians for having the least poor and least low-income community members among all Asians in the state. But they also have the lowest admission rates in the University of California system. These are some of the findings of a comprehensive new study of the Asian American community in California, A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, 2013 by the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, a coalition of several Asian American advocacy groups.

Overseas Voting Made Easier for Filipinos Abroad

MANILA--Immigrants and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will no longer be required to submit an affidavit of their intention to return to the Philippines in three years so they may be registered as overseas voters. They will also no longer be called  "Overseas Absentee Voters" but simply "Overseas Voters." The 15th Congress made these key amendments to the Overseas Voting Act before adjourning for the campaign period. Rep. Walden Bello (Akbayan), a principal author of the Lower House version of the bill, said the amendment “secures the right of all Filipino migrants to participate in elections, wherever they may be in the world.” 

Sinulog Brings Slice of Cebu to Dubai

More than 5,000 Filipino expatriates and their families in the United Arab Emirates gathered at Al Safa Stadium to bring a slice of their culture, through Sinulog festival, to the country, reports Khaleej Times. Many celebrants painted their faces and male and female Higantes — giant papier-mâché faces —were featured, both characteristics of the Philippine’s Sinulog Festival. United Cebuanos - UAE, a fast-growing civic organisation of Cebuanos residing and working in the UAE, organised Sinulog sa UAE for the first time to promote this festival, deeply rooted in Cebu, Central Philippines.

Filipino Nurses Warned of Job Offers in Norway

The Philippine embassy in Oslo is warning Filipino nurses and health care workers to be wary of misleading information circulating online that more jobs are available in Norway, reports Philstar.com. So-called “consultancy” firms peddle misleading information about the availability of nursing or healthcare jobs in Norway. It is not that easy. An international English test is not required only because English is not the primary language in Norway, the embassy said, but foreign nurses and health care practitioners wishing to work in Norway have to pass a much harder Norwegian language exam. According to embassy officials, consultancy firms charge applicants large fees for information and services that they can actually get for free.

New Jersey Governor to Fil-Am Doc--"Shut up"

New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie Wednesday blasted as a "hack" a former White House physician following her assessment on CNN that his weight may cause him to die in office. But Dr. Connie Mariano [a Filipino American] is standing her ground. Christie called her and "vented," according to the doctor, who served in the White House during the Clinton presidency. She stood by her statement and professed no regrets.

Filipinos in U.S. Sent Home $10B Last Year

World Bank data shows Filipino immigrants In the United States sent $10 billion to the Philippines last year last year, reports the U.K.'s Daliy Mail. More than $120 billion was sent by all immigrant workers to families abroad--making the U.S. the largest sender of remittances in the world. More than $23 billion went to Mexico, $13.45 billion to China, $10.84 billion to India and $10 billion to the Philippines, among other recipients. The amount of money being sent by migrants across the entire world reached $530 billion last year, making it a larger economy than Iran or Argentina, the data from the World Bank showed.

Filipina Becomes Qatar Millionaire

A Filipina healthcare specialist is the latest millionaire of Mashreq Qatar. The Gulf Times reported that Herminia Mescallado won the one million Qatari Riyals prize money from the savings program MashreqMillionaire last December. She received the cheque from Niranjan Mendonca, during a ceremony held at the bank's Gold Centre. The event was also attended by the OFW's family.