CALIFORNIA Governor Gavin Newsom signed a suite of bills on September 24 expanding the state’s humane immigration policies by providing protections and support for immigrants, including a new law to replace the outdated and derogatory term “alien” used to describe non-citizens in the state code. “As the nation’s most diverse state, we are stronger and…
(Conclusion 1 of 2 parts) (Continued from last week …) You hope that a smattering of beautiful memories, yours as well as of those you leave behind, are indelibly marked in a few hearts and minds for a generation or two — strong enough to move them to bring you flowers on your gravesite long…
IF you are searching for debt reduction solutions, no doubt you’ve been inundated with advertisements for various debt management programs, companies and solutions. The choices seem confusing to the average consumer. The truth is that every situation is different and what may work perfectly for others is not necessarily going to work the same way…
THE ongoing debate of real estate is — “Should you buy or rent?” The right answer is: it depends. It depends on your situation and the factors in your lifestyle, your short-term goals, and long-term goals. The real estate market is hyperlocal, meaning that the market is based on your local market, as specific as…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the vaccination of the general population against COVID-19 in October, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday, September 28, said that the chief executive gave his approval to the recommendation of National Task Force Against COVID-19 and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to start vaccinating the general…
THE Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) is still considering its next move on the case against a former American embassy official who allegedly engaged in sexual activity with a minor while posted in the country. In a statement, DOJ Undersecretary and spokesperson Emmeline Villar said that the agency is assessing whether to request for extradition…
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…
By SSG Paolo Salonga / US Army AS a Filipino American, I am familiar with the similar struggles and sacrifices our loved ones endure migrating to America. My mother sacrificed and worked hard to be able to bring our family over for a brighter future. It sounds like the typical “American Dream,” but it was…
ON September 20, 2021, the Biden Administration announced that it is rescinding/canceling the Trump era COVID-19 travel bans, and, starting in November 2021, will instead require all international travelers to the U.S. to provide proof of vaccination before being allowed to board a flight to the U.S., as well as proof of a negative COVID-19…
Los Angeles County is now administering Pfizer booster third doses after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle P. Walensky endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in several population groups. The CDC also recommended a booster dose for those…
MILLIONS of older and vulnerable Americans will now be able to receive a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to increase their protection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, September 24 signed off on booster doses for a broad group of people who are at high risk for infection….
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has formally signed a Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA), affirming him as the official vice presidential candidate of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in the 2022 national elections. Party President and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Thursday, September 23, released photos of Duterte signing the PDP-Laban’s CONA on…
ON October 2 at 8 a.m. Manila time (or October 1, 5 p.m., California time), alumnus of Advertising & Marketing Associates (AMA), the advertising agency where I worked for a total of 26 years – 13 of them as President and CEO – will pay tribute to co-workers, from our late Chairman Antonio R. de…
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…
Biden tax plan series WHAT is the Social Security tax? Social Security tax is levied on both employers and employees to fund the Social Security program. It’s collected through payroll taxes mandated by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) or a self-employment tax mandated by the Self-Employed Contributions Act (SECA). The Social Security tax pays for the retirement, disability, and survivorship benefits…
William Maner worked for decades as a biomedical design engineer in the laboratory of employer, Dr. Robert Garfield. Garfield’s laboratory initially operated in Texas. Maner’s coworkers were Dr. Yuan Dong, a male researcher, and Dr. Leili Shi, a female researcher. Maner learned shortly after joining the lab that Garfield and Shi were engaged in a…
SENIOR no. 1 and senior no. 2 are in the same boat. They each have car repossession deficiencies of over $100,000 and business credit card debt of $50,000. Just by looking at these figures, you know there’s something not right. At their age, why should they each have several car repo deficiencies of over $100,000?…
“AT times, not only are we hard on ourselves,” I told a group of friends, “We also treat others harder than Jesus would do to them.” They kept quiet for a while, thinking about what I just said. Then it brought about a discussion on self-righteousness and judgmentalism. Jesus disdains judgmental behaviors and attitudes like…
WITHIN a day of testing positive for COVID-19 in June, Miranda Kelly was sick enough to be scared. At 44, with diabetes and high blood pressure, Kelly, a certified nursing assistant, was having trouble breathing, symptoms serious enough to send her to the emergency room. When her husband, Joe, 46, fell ill with the virus,…
By Jenny Manrique/Ethnic Media Services After surviving five shots in the head, dodging bullets and running bloodied to ask her neighbors for help, Pauletta Perez wondered several times why the person she trusted the most, her husband, wanted to kill her. Very soon after getting married, Perez had become a victim of domestic abuse on…
By Cora Mopera, Branch Manager, Chase Managing your money can be overwhelming but it doesn’t need to be. Understanding things like budgeting, saving, paying your bills, and even building your credit score are skills that can help you at any stage of your life. Even in these difficult times with the pandemic when so many…
Gerry Apolinario (right) was outside the U.S. too many times during the five years before filing his application for naturalization, and he missed the minimum physical presence requirement by a mere 15 days. USCIS then denied his application. Find out how leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (left) was able to turn that denied…
Milan-based designer Chona Bacaoco turned emotional after a successful fashion show at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City’s Lower East Side last week in celebration of New York Fashion Week. While it is her third time to showcase her designs in the Big Apple, Bacaoco recalled how she was bullied early on in…
THE Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco is urging Filipinos and Filipino Americans who are dual citizens to register for overseas voting for the 2022 Philippine national elections. The registration for overseas voting, which started on December 16, 2019, will run until September 30, 2021. The Consulate is open for overseas voting registration and related…
GERALD Anderson, one of the most handsome male stars in the Philippines, is in Austria right now filming his latest project. According to a story on PEP.ph, the Kapamilya actor is in the European nation known for The Alps, classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, skiing and foods/products like Red Bull, Wiener Schnitzel and Sachertorte. Anderson…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is no longer requiring the use of face shields outdoors. In his pre-taped public address, the chief executive said that he approved the recommendation of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the Department of Health and medical experts to limit the use of face shields in places that fall under the…
