Charles Erhart worked as an internal auditor for BofI Federal Bank in San Diego, California. The Bank is a federally chartered savings and loan association and its holding company is publicly traded (i.e. under SEC oversight). It provides financing for residential properties and small- to-medium size businesses. It also purchases “specialty finance receivables,” such as…
ARE you currently struggling with debt problems and don’t know what to do? To most people, finding themselves in that situation is pretty scary. They constantly worry about their finances and wonder whether they will ever be able to get out of the financial mess that is causing them a lot of stress. But what…
THERE is never the perfect time to think about who you would like to inherit from your estate in case you pass away or at least who among your closest friends (BFFs) and family members are even deserving of inheriting from your estate. In doing so, you should also think about which vehicle you plan…
THE husband is 65 and has just handed in his application for retirement from his job. He makes a gross of $5,000 a month with overtime. Upon retirement, he will net about $3,700 as pension. That’s not bad at all. In fact, that’s a lot better than social security benefits. If it were social security,…
Several options exist for a U.S. citizen to bring his/her foreign-national fiancé(e) to the United States. One popular option is to marry the fiancé(e) in the country in which he/she resides, and file an I-130 immigrant petition, with the fiancé(e) to undergo consular processing for an immigrant visa when the I-130 petition is approved. However,…
Book coach and author Mia Manansala burst into the literary scene last year with her smash debut Arsenic and Adobo, which would turn out to be the first installment of a quirky and fun series steeped in rich Filipino heritage and spiced with a generous helping of delicious Filipino food. She made it a quick one-two punch in…
RURU Madrid, who finished as one of the runners-up in the “Protégé: The Battle for the Big Artista Break” reality series on GMA Network, is extremely happy that viewers tuned in and watched the pilot episode of his adventure series “Lolong.” According to a story on PEP.ph, even Ruru’s co-star in the series, veteran actor…
By Marivir R. Montebon After a grueling day at school, Dr. Laura Garcia, a nurse educator, recharged herself through a short nap and had the energy to answer my interview questions in the wee hours of the night. She is a woman of accomplishments and of many titles in com-munity organizations in the Big Apple….
PORTLAND, OR – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, through its attached agencies, the Department of Tourism Office in San Francisco (PDOT-SF) and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Silicon Valley, launched the Filipino Food Month celebration in Oregon on June 27, 2022. Filipino American chef Carlo Lamagna prepared a six-hands dinner at Magna restaurant…
RONALD was petitioned as Joyce’s fiancé in 2006. While the K-1 petition was approved, his visa was denied after Ronald admitted to the doctors at St. Luke’s that he tried drugs many years ago. Because of that admission, he was banned for life. In 2008, Joyce and Ronald got married, hoping that this would get…
A NEW book written by a Filipino American has just been released and is now available online. “The Road to Cabalitian,” penned by Rodolfo I. Necesito of Stockton, California, is a nostalgic memoir that captures the events that framed the life of a young boy growing up in a bucolic village in post-World War II…
ROHNERT PARK – The summer breeze is blowing your way. Come to the all-round leisure and entertainment destination, Graton Resort & Casino, to win good fortune all summer long! On the last Friday of July there is the Big Ford Truck Giveaway, guaranteed to give out a Ford F-150 at 10 p.m. and cash prize…
WHILE newly sworn-in Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has full backing from his supporters here in the U.S., some Filipino Americans have expressed doubt in his ability to fulfill his promises of reshaping the country’s future in the next six years. Upon his inauguration last June 30, Marcos, who is fondly called BBM by…
ADELIO Angelito Cruz, a career diplomat whose previous role includes Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles, has a new post as the protocol chief in the Marcos administration. Cruz, who served as the former Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary after his assignment in LA, was recently sworn in as the chief of presidential protocol. He will…
By Mark Hedin/Ethnic Media Services “You might be done with COVID, but COVID is not done with you.” So said Denny Chan, directing attorney with Justice in Aging, at a press briefing co-hosted by the California Department of Aging on June 29 to address the high risks older adults still face from COVID-19 and what steps will protect them. Joining Chan…
By Sunita Sohrabji/Ethnic Media Services WASHINGTON DC — Approximately 15,000 people gathered June 25 at the National Mall here for the first-ever Unity March, organized to draw attention to the dramatic spike in hate crimes against the Asian American Pacific Islander Community. The enthusiastic young crowds gathered against the backdrop of the Capitol Building in…
Unless you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth, one of the crucial choices that anyone makes is how to make a living in the world. Will he choose a career in government service or work in the private sector? Should he go into business? Should he pursue the arts? An accurate assessment…
LOS Angeles County officials are reminding parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 as the virus continues to affect individuals under 18. To date, there have been 91,935 children under the age of 5, 260,389 children ages 5 to 11, and 255,187 children ages 12 to 17 confirmed with COVID-19. While most children experience…
AMID the rise in anti-Asian hate and discrimination across the United States, California reported a 177.5% increase in anti-Asian hate incidents from 2020 to 2022, according to Attorney General Rob Bonta. On Tuesday, June 28, Bonta’s office released the 2021 Hate Crime in California report which found a sharp increase in hate crimes — defined…
WORKERS in Los Angeles experienced a minimum wage increase on Friday, July 1. The city’s minimum wage increased from $15 per hour to $16.04 per hour for all covered employees. For unincorporated areas of LA County, the increase goes to $15.96. The increase applies to all businesses, regardless of size. Those experiencing an increase are…
Peter Albrecht worked as a psychiatric nurse for University of California Irvine (UCI) Medical Center. In 2007 Peter was seriously injured while restraining a violent patient. Because of his injuries, Peter was unable to work for three years and UCI approved this extended medical leave. He returned to work in October 2010. In 2011, Peter…
“It is the Lord Jesus whom we meet in the faces of our marginalized and discarded brothers, in the migrant who is despised, rejected, put in a cage, but also in the migrant journeying toward hope, toward a better life.” –Pope Francis, Dec. 4, 2021 As I write this, June 28, 2022, BBC reported on…
WE now have Fr. Ramon Reyes as our new associate pastor at Incarnation Church. He’s a 31 year old newly ordained priest. We welcome Fr. Ramon with love, joy, and peace. We pray that his first pastoral assignment will be fruitful and fulfilling. He’s the first to say that he has much to learn. But he…
Don’t let this happen to you! A client of mine said he never saw it coming. Everything he ever wanted in life, he always purchased on credit. The “pre-approved” credit cards just kept coming in the mail and he never said NO to any of them. Buy now and pay later, why not? As long…
