AS we come to the close of 2021, the data shows that the Southern California housing market has continued to appreciate for the past three years since 2019. As of date, here are the average sales prices for single-family homes in Southern California in comparison to years 2020 and 2019. Los Angeles County’s average sales…
Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment-based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is…
October 6, 1946 – December 19, 2021 RICARDO Lim Roco passed away gracefully in his sleep on December 19, 2021 after a very rare, fast-paced progressive neuro-degenerative disorder. He was a beloved Home Depot Sales Associate with a legendary smile and quick wit, expert at re-keying and problem solving. He was an inventor and patented…
THE kids are back in school, businesses have reopened, and while COVID continues to be a threat, life is busier than ever. The days are getting shorter and the holidays are quickly approaching, giving us less time to complete many small but important tasks, such as registering your car or renewing your license. Fortunately, the…
OMICRON is super-contagious and skyrocketing across the nation, while the virus continues to replicate and mutate mostly in the bodies of those more than 50 million unvaccinated people in the U.S. who are “carriers/transmitters” causing the current massive surges (almost a million last week) in COVID-19 infections, 70,000 hospitalizations, and about 1,300 deaths daily. Indeed,…
YEAR after year without fail at around this time, December days and nights seem to slip from our grasp like fine grains of sand. The hours seem to hurtle through the day as we complete a year’s cycle and move on to the next. Many of us try in earnest to mesh the unusually heavy…
President Joe Biden on Monday, December 20 announced his intent to appoint three Filipino American leaders to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Amy Agbayani, Teresita Batayola and Luisa Blue are among the 23 community leaders who will be appointed to serve on the commission, the White House announced on Monday….
Contributed by Manny V. Ilagan SIMBANG Gabi, which literally means “evening or night Mass,” is a Filipino Christmas tradition. As a devotional practice in the tradition of the novena, it is a series of nine evening Masses usually celebrated during Advents from December 16-24, in preparation for Christmas Day. Simbang Gabi originated from the Missa…
THE city of Artesia, California now has its first Filipina American mayor. Melissa Ramoso ascended to the top post after the city council’s appointment during its meeting on Monday, December 13. Ramoso, a Fil-Am community leader working in state government, previously served as mayor pro tem. “It is incredible to think that there were people…
IT’S no doubt that the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebration is the most highly anticipated holiday season in recent history. The coronavirus pandemic upended the last holiday season, which largely consisted of Zoom parties, limited in-person gatherings, and generally truncated celebrations governed by the safety protocols at the time. But amid the beginnings of…
It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Epifanio ‘Jun’ Capistrano on Sunday, December 12th, 2021 at the age of 69. Jun will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 35 years, Marisa; and his children, Daryll, Charmaine, and Dale. He is the oldest of two brothers and two…
WE’RE in the fourth week of Advent, and it will be Christmas next week! Are you prepared? Prepared to welcome the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus? As I’ve said, the Advent liturgies have allowed us to see in greater depth the meaning of Christmas, the coming of Jesus, the Word-made flesh. For…
THIS is what I call a borderline Chapter 7 case with asset. Therefore, it is the better part of caution not to file Chapter 7 because the asset may be lost in Chapter 7, while Chapter 13 is safe enough because the Chapter 13 trustee, unlike the Chapter 7 trustee does not have the power…
IN 2016, Robert Fernandez, then 70 years old and disabled due to diabetes, was hired by Puente Hills Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Even though he had trouble walking and standing for long periods, his employer accommodated his disability. He excelled at his job and was a top producing assistant sales manager. In August 2018, the…
MANY parents who may have problems refinancing their house due to low income in retirement or due to low credit score sometimes resort to the idea of having their married child serve as a co-borrower to refinance their house As part of the refinancing process, the parents usually adds their adult children to the deed…
ARE you thinking of hiring a debt settlement company to help you solve your debt problems? Before you do, maybe you should read this article as it could save you a lot of money and frustration. One reason many consumers hire a debt settlement company is because their debt amounts have become simply unaffordable to…
LIKE many others in the food and hospitality industry, Filipino American Daniel Joseph Corpuz lost his job as the global pandemic began to wreak havoc last year. “Inisip ko kung ano ang puwede kong gawin, I can’t do nothing here at home,” the chocolatier and pastry chef told the Asian Journal. Corpuz played a lot…
By Manny Caballero DRIVEN by a common and united desire to help make VP Leni Robredo the next president of their native country, Fil-Ams from around the East Coast trooped to this city on Sunday, Dec. 12, and joined the much-anticipated Pink Caravan For Leni. Over 250 Pinoys rode in more than 100 cars decorated…
Many people believe the only way to bring a family member to the U.S. is through a family petition. Auntie Eva started as a caregiver when she first set foot on American soil. Through the years, she was able to put up her own six-bed facility, but desperately needed help. Eva’s niece, Russell, just finished…
ON December 13, 2021 the Department of State (DOS) published a temporary final rule (TFR) allowing consular officers the flexibility or discretion to waive the personal appearance (or interview) of certain repeat immigrant visa applicants: (a) who were previously approved for an immigrant visa in the same classification and on the same basis as their…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. and the Ayala Foundation Inc. extend partnership for another three years through Dec. 31, 2025. On Dec. 6, 2021, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez, President Louella Rose Cabalona, Ayala Foundation, Inc. (AFI) President Ruel Maranan and Senior…
NEW York Gov. Kathy Hochul defended her position to impose a new mask mandate in the state to curb a surge in new COVID cases and hospitalizations. “The objective is to protect the health of New Yorkers and protect the economy,” Gov. Hochul said. “It is a short term measure. Given that we are in…
U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) to introduce the bipartisan Streamlining EIDL Act to improve the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) application process for small businesses and combat programmatic fraud. The legislation will require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide timely and helpful responses to small business…
The Asian Community Development Council’s first inaugural InspirAsian Gala was held on Friday, December 3rd at the Champagne Ballroom at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The event honored local Las Vegas Asian American Pacific Islander trailblazers who have been instrumental in leading our community. They include: 1. Angela Castro, RTC 2. Cheryl…
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO – Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank Ferrer joined the Fil-Am Lions Club of San Francisco, the first Lions Club of Filipino ancestry in the United States, in their milestone 50th anniversary banquet and ball at the Elks Lodge in South San Francisco on November 19. In his remarks during the…
