00:02A delightful Wednesday evening to all of you. This is Patrick DeSuz who's pleased to bring you PTV News Now.
00:09And we kick off tonight's top stories.
00:12About 55,000 public utility Jimi drivers are set to receive assistance under the government's Tupad Tuloy Pasada program,
00:20helping them make ends meet amid rising fuel costs.
00:24The program, with an initial P1.2 billion allocation, will roll out in phases across regions in coordination with the
00:33LTFRB to keep the wheels turning in public transport.
00:37Authorities will monitor beneficiaries closely to ensure operations stay on track while drivers continue plying their regular routes.
00:47The government also plans to lend a hand to other vulnerable transport workers, including tricycle drivers and boatmen.
00:58The Philippine Coast Guard or PCG delivered food packs and logistical supplies to Puerto Pencesa, Palawan through the BRP Melchora
01:08Aquino as part of its humanitarian mission.
01:11The operation aims to extend a helping hand to residents in remote areas, in line with the administration's commitment to
01:20public service.
01:21A total of 20 tons of food packs, along with tents, solar lanterns, and other donated goods, was distributed with
01:31support from various agencies and organizations.
01:34The supplies were formally turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development to help communities weather the storm
01:43and recover.
01:46Houston, there is no problem with, excuse me, Sucru Chief Jim Lovell, the Apollo 13 astronauts, and NASA's Mission Control
01:56Center located right smack in Energy City of the Lone Star State,
02:01where just about everything is bigger, from monster trucks to 10-gallon hats and barbecue cookouts.
02:09And in each town, more and more tourists and immigrants come to visit and settle in because of the multicultural
02:17fixtures,
02:18especially the culinary treats from all over the world and the wide array of jobs up for grabs.
02:25As VOA's Elizabeth Lee narrates in this feature.
02:30Amy Sassidy and her family brought the aromas of Laos and Northeastern Thailand to Houston, Texas,
02:38a city that surprised her.
02:40I bet everyone thinks of Texas as cowboy and cattles and ranches.
02:46That's what I thought, at least.
02:47Sassidy, who hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, found Houston to be a city of immigrants.
02:53Sassidy and her brother helped run a restaurant owned by their mother, Chomsi Saisan,
02:58who specializes in food from Laos and the Isan region of Northeastern Thailand, places where she grew up.
03:06During the Vietnam War at the time, we stayed in Laos until 1979, and finally we moved to Thailand.
03:18And then to the U.S. with her husband.
03:20She remembers how it felt.
03:22Oh, my God, I have no idea.
03:25It's going to different war, different country, different life.
03:29It's like you have to start all over again.
03:32Maybe they don't have rice to eat.
03:34I say, oh, my God, I have to take my sticky rice or something, you know, to cook.
03:39After living in a few U.S. states, Saisan found her way to Houston, where Asian ingredients are abundant.
03:47Some people who live here say the city's diverse food is its biggest attraction.
03:52If you're coming to a strange country, you want to come someplace that has people that speak your language
04:00and places that you can buy your food, and Houston has all of that.
04:05Also drawing immigrants to Houston are the low cost of living and wide variety of jobs
04:11in fields ranging from the energy sector to the medical field.
04:15The personal finance site WalletHub analyzed government data and named Houston
04:20as the most diverse large city in the U.S. in 2024.
04:25And it ranks high in a number of diversity-related metrics, including educational diversity,
04:3329th, linguistic diversity, industry diversity, religious diversity.
04:39Saisan says the city has changed a lot since she arrived in 1985.
04:44Only we have, like, two temples at that time, Thai temple, a Lao temple, and not too many choy.
04:51Now we have more.
04:52Like many immigrants, Saisan opened a restaurant.
04:55Her family helps run it.
04:57Her son, Alan Ortiz, remembers his mother's cooking has always been a part of his childhood.
05:03She would feed me sticky rice, Lao's food.
05:06Her love language was to food.
05:08Now she feeds anyone who wants to try her family's home cooking, which in turn supports relatives in Southeast Asia.
05:15While running a restaurant with family hasn't always been easy.
05:19At the end of the day, we love each other.
05:20You know, we wouldn't do, we wouldn't work anywhere else besides with her because we have fun.
05:24Having fun adding to the diversity of dishes and culture to the city.
05:29Elizabeth Lee, VOA News, Houston.
05:35So that's a wrap for tonight's show.
05:38Join us anew tomorrow night for another round of stories here and abroad, breaking at the hour.
05:44And remember to always stay connected by catching the news right here.
05:49I'm Patrick De Jesus, wishing you all a restful night ahead.
05:53And thank you for watching PTV News Now.
Comments