[COLUMN] A Christmas story: The Innkeeper’s untold tale
JOSHUA was excited with his new job at the inn. It sure beats having to herd sheep this time of the year when the cold nights chilled his bones on the hillside pasture where he tended his family’s small herd of sheep and cattle. The job fell to his younger brother this time. Jacob, the…
Experience a true Filipino Christmas: Celebrating the festive spirit of home with the joyful mini parols
In the Philippines, Christmas is always a reason for vibrant celebrations. This serves as the time of the year when people often come together to catch up and enjoy the festivities; grand meals are prepared, families and friends reunite, gifts are exchanged and memories are shared. An icon that is often recognizable is the Parol,…
[COLUMN] Remedies for employees fired due to whistleblowing retaliation
Teresa Brooke was hired by Aurora Santa Rosa Hospital as its Chief Nursing Officer in May 2016. The hospital provides in-patient care, partial hospitalization, and outpatient mental health care for patients ranging from teenagers to adults. Teresa has 30 years of experience in the field of nursing and hospital management. During her short tenure as…
[COLUMN] Filing bankruptcy to eliminate credit card debt
DO you have sleepless nights worrying about your credit card debts? Are you feeling hopelessly trapped with no way out? If you are up to your eyeballs in credit card debt and have no way of paying back what you had borrowed, a lot of things may be going through your mind at the moment….
[COLUMN] When is my prenuptial agreement not enforceable?
MANY people are of the perception that simply downloading a prenuptial agreement from the internet and signing it with their fiance offers them a bullet proof protection from a divorce. What many people do not know is that certain statutory requirements must be met in order for the prenuptial agreement to be valid and to…
[COLUMN] How we can be joyful
JOY! It’s the theme for this Third Sunday’s Advent Liturgy. As a matter of fact, the third Advent candle symbolizes hope. And so, this Sunday’s Scriptures speak loudly about it. In the First Reading (Zephaniah 3:14-18a), we find that Zephaniah invites Zion to rejoice even though most of his prophecies are about predictions of judgment. …
[COLUMN] New developments on embassy interviews
THE Department of State (DOS) recently announced a change in policy concerning scheduling of immigrant visa interviews. Previously, immigrant visa interviews were scheduled using a tiered approach to triage immigrant visa applications. The tiers, or order of priority were: Tier 1: immediate relative adoption visas, age out cases, special immigrant visas, and emergency cases; Tier…
[COLUMN] Maximizing recovery in personal injury cases
DEAR Attorney Tan, I was driving home and was at a complete stop when another driver rear ended my car. I was not feeling well after the accident, as my back seemed very tight and stiff. I took some days off from work. After a week, I contacted the other driver’s insurance to report the…
[COLUMN] Are you overburdened by debt?
Bankruptcy law has two basic purposes for individuals (as opposed to a business entity). The first is from the perspective of creditors. Bankruptcy law gives creditors a common venue to resolve collective action against an insolvent debtor. What does this mean? Imagine if you will, that you owe ten credit cards for a total of…
LA County COVID winter surge likely, officials say
CDC places county in its ‘high transmission’ category Los Angeles County, last year the region with one of the most deadly winter COVID-19 outbreaks, may once again experience another coronavirus surge this winter season, county public health officials said on Thursday, Dec. 9. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the…
Arleen Bocatija Rojas sworn in as the newly elected councilmember in City of Carson
CARSON, CA – On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, Arleen Bocatija Rojas was officially sworn in as the newest Councilmember in the City of Carson to serve District 4. According to L.A. County official results from the November 2, 2021 special election, Rojas led the race of five candidates with 34.76% of the votes in District…
Funeral set for Las Vegas Fil-Am student who died after boxing match
NATHAN Valencia, a Filipino American college student from Las Vegas, will be laid to rest during a memorial service and funeral mass nearly a month after he died during an amateur charity boxing match. Funeral services for the 20-year-old will be set for Sunday, December 19 at 7 p.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church (Bishop…
[COLUMN] Cruelty to our planet
IT does not take an Einstein to understand that clean air, pure water, and unpolluted environment are conducive to health and longevity. In certain parts of the world, like in the serene Okinawa to the verdant valleys of Ecuador to the unspoiled hills of the Himalayas, a significant number of people normally live to a…
[COLUMN] Tax benefits of Nevada corporations
Nevada has no state personal income tax. It has no corporate income or franchise tax tax either. On the other hand, neighboring California has the highest personal tax rates in the country. It also has one of the 10 highest corporate income tax rates. It’s no wonder that businesses and individuals leave the Golden State…
[COLUMN] How’s the housing market?
ENDING the month of November 2021, the Southern California housing market continued to appreciate in comparison to the prior year (Nov 2020) for single-family homes. Los Angeles County’s median sales price increased 10% to $880,000 and an average sales price of $1,305,876 (13%) for single-family homes. Orange County’s median sales price increased 22% to $1,125,000…
Should travelers cancel holiday flight plans? US tightens travel measures amid omicron
THE coronavirus omicron variant couldn’t have come at a worse time for travelers planning to hop on planes for the holiday season. The highly contagious COVID-19 variant has made its way to the United States, prompting the U.S. to implement yet another round of controversial restrictions and regulations. Last week, the White House announced new…
[EVENT] Get into the holiday spirit with a Pasko popup celebration in West Covina on Dec. 11
THIS Saturday, Dec. 11, celebrate the Filipino spirit of Christmas at Holiday Fest: Pasko popup celebration in West Covina, California hosted by Adobers, a Filipino tech startup highlighting Filipino businesses. Adobers, based in the San Gabriel Valley, is operating an online directory dedicated to connecting Filipino-owned businesses to the community and new markets. Founders Jv Libunao…
LA County documents first case of COVID omicron variant
Officials caution against possible surges, encourage unvaccinated residents to get their shots As the third year of coronavirus looms, the threat of the new omicron has been detected in Los Angeles County, public health officials confirmed on Thursday, Dec. 2. According to a county press release, a fully vaccinated individual returned to their residence in…
[COLUMN] Filing bankruptcy: Sooner or later?
I WAS in line at the grocery store the other day and noticed the man in front of me smiling and looking at me as if he wanted to say something. I only had a couple of items in my hands, so he proceeded and asked: “Do you want to go ahead of me?” I…
[COLUMN] Grounds for annulling a marriage
MOST couples that want out of a marriage in California usually file for Divorce. There are circumstances though that allow a couple to have their marriage “voided” rather than “dissolved.” There is a big difference between the two concepts. With a voided marriage, it restores the couple to status of unmarried person as if they…
US tightens travel restrictions over omicron variant
THE United States is going to require all air travellers entering the country to show a negative COVID-19 test performed within one day of departure in an attempt to slow the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the new one-day testing requirement would apply…
[COLUMN] Seniors need Chapter 7 relief for $50K various unsecured debt
THE client is 72. He still works his normal job and makes about $3K a month. He also receives social security of $1K. So, his total income right now is $4K. He tells me that he is tired of working. His wife doesn’t want him to work anymore. His wife retired ahead of him at…
[COLUMN] Employer’s duty to find suitable job for the disabled employee
Q: I WORKED at a company for more than 20 years. I was injured at work several months ago and I was forced to take a leave of absence so I can have surgery and recover. When my leave ended, I called my employer so I could return to work. My supervisor told me my…