HARRY Roque has stepped down from his posts as spokesperson of Malacañang and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases to pursue his senatorial bid. He announced his resignation on Monday, November 15, confirming that day’s Palace press briefing as his last. “Ito na po ang huling araw na makakasama niyo ako bilang…
THE Philippines has lifted its mandatory use of face shields in areas under Alert Level 1 to 3. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, November 15, approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to drop the face shield requirement in certain areas. “Ang decision ko is…
MARK your calendar. Next year Monday, May 9, 2022, eligible citizens of the Philippines will be heading to the polls to vote for their new President, Vice President, Senators, Representatives, as well as their local government public officials headed by the Governor, Vice Governor, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmen/Councilwomen. This should be a very important…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to run for senator is not related to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the killings linked to his anti-narcotics crackdown, according to Malacañang. “Wala namang kinalaman sa ICC case ‘yung decision ni Pangulong Duterte na tumakbo bilang senador (The ICC case has nothing to do with President Duterte’s…
Our state experienced the most devastating point of the pandemic last winter. More than 21,000 Californians were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the last week of December, and we lost 18,518 mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers to this deadly virus in January. The light at the end of the tunnel felt out of reach. Today, we…
Part 1 of 2 MANY years ago, on a visit to my father’s grave site on a quiet, lush, manicured patch of Forest Lawn Glendale, my husband, daughter and I trudged along several bronze memorial tablets of husbands and wives who lived in the 1850’s and died just before the mid-1900’s buried side by side….
IF you have an existing child support or spousal support obligation (court order) and you are laid off from your job causing a major loss of income, you may want to consider modifying your existing child and spousal support order. You are not automatically relieved from your obligation to pay a court ordered child and…
MANY people find themselves in the position of facing overwhelming debt, with constant calls from creditors and no apparent way out. For some, job loss sent them into a downward spiral, and they are now unable to pay their bills and meet their obligations. For others, a recent divorce or costly medical emergency drained their…
THE LA vs. Hate Coalition, led by the Los Angeles County Department of Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services (WDACS) and the LA County Human Relations Commission, announced LA vs. Hate United Against Hate Week 2021 from November 14-20. Through a unique, community-building blend of art, social media, and educational resources, the LA vs. Hate Coalition urges communities to reject…
CHILDREN as young as 5 years old in the United States can now get the COVID-19 vaccine as the country further expands its vaccination campaign. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, November 2, endorsed its advisory committee’s recommendation to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children ages 5 to 11. “We know…
Biden tax plan series WHAT Is an Estate Tax? An estate tax is a levy on estates whose value exceeds an exclusion limit. Only the amount that exceeds that minimum threshold is subject to tax. This tax is calculated based on the estate’s fair market value (FMV) at time of death, not what the deceased originally paid for its assets….
QUICHANG Zhu (72 years old) and her grandson, Jian Hao Kuang (6 years old), were using a crosswalk to cross a street in Sacramento, CA. The intersection has no traffic lights and the crosswalk was poorly marked. Because the intersection is near a school, the street is busy. As the grandmother and her grandson were…
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I have been a green card holder for over 5 years, paid my taxes, committed no crimes, and am eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. However, my spouse is out of status. (He entered as a tourist and overstayed). I reviewed the naturalization application, Form N-400, and there are many questions about…
THE Gospel Reading from Mark 13:24-32 this Sunday (November 14) provokes a sense of vigilance and urgency in us with the following words: Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know…
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…
WHEN I say client is young, I mean client is young, in her twenties. She is married and has a son, a toddler. Before becoming a mother, she was working full time and earning about $60K a year. That’s a good salary for a young person. So how did she rack up so much credit…
IF you have an existing child support or spousal support obligation (court order) and you are laid off from your job causing a major loss of income, you may want to consider modifying your existing child and spousal support order. You are not automatically relieved from your obligation to pay a court ordered child and…
WITH the holidays fast approaching, Disney has released its second Filipino-inspired Christmas advert focused on family togetherness and the power of storytelling. “The Stepdad” is a follow-up to last year’s viral hit “Lola,” which featured the Filipino tradition of parol-making as part of its 2020 festive campaign “From Our Family To Yours.” In “The Stepdad,”…
Hate crimes against AAPIs increased 76% from 2019 to 2020 IN 2020, reported hate crimes and incidents increased 20% in Los Angeles County, according to the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations (LACCHR) annual hate crime report released on Wednesday, Nov. 10. In terms of numbers, countywide hate crimes jumped from 530 reported incidents…
“Nelia,” a film produced by A and Q Productions Films, Inc., has made it as one of the official films in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival. Beauty queen Winwyn Marquez leads the all-star cast of the suspense-thriller movie. The star said she is grateful for the opportunity. “Mixed emotions talaga. Kabado, tuwa, takot etc…
PRESIDENT Joe Biden has made defeating COVID-19 his top priority to win the war against the coronavirus pandemic in order to save lives and rebuild our nation together. Despite pushback from Republicans and the unfortunate disinformation campaign from people and groups with different agenda, We, the People are winning the war with the choices we…
GOVERNOR Gavin Newsom has extended the state of emergency in California for the third time as a result of the threat COVID-19 poses. The executive order issued on Thursday, November 11, is set to run until the end of March 2022, at which time the emergency will have been in effect for more than two years. Earlier,…
SFIO has recently been named one of the “20 Promising Companies Everyone Should Know in 2021” by Global Business Leader Magazine. The joint venture project with Omnicor Industrial Estate & Realty Center Inc. has proven that it is worthy to be listed in one of the 20 promising companies. Omnicor Industrial Estate & Realty is…
I’VE been asked this question a few times lately, so I decided to write an article on it. If you have filed bankruptcy before, you may be wondering whether it’s possible to do it again. Generally, the answer is that you can file bankruptcy as often as needed BUT subject to some limitations such as…
Biden tax plan series WHAT are itemized deductions? Itemized deductions are expenses that can be deducted from your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) to reduce your taxable income. Such deductions permit you to pay less in taxes than if you take the standard deduction. Allowable itemized deductions include property taxes, mortgage interest, and charitable gifts. In summary: An itemized deduction is…
DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte has officially withdrawn her bid for reelection just days ahead of the deadline for the substitution of candidates for the 2022 elections. In a post on her official Facebook page, the mayor announced that she will be replaced by her brother, Davao City vice mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, in the…
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…
AN elderly Filipino man is recovering after a brutal attack outside a trolley station in El Cajon, California last week. Jose Serra, 71, was walking to a nearby manufacturing facility at the Arnele Avenue trolley stop around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, November 3, when he was attacked by a man with a 12” knife, as…
