FOUR Filipino cadets have graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), bringing them closer to becoming commissioned officers of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). First-class Filipino cadets Genison Basilio, Eric Joseph Noble, Daisy Anne Atayan, and Dianne Shaira Basuel were among the 240 cadets to graduate from the USCGA Class of 2021 on…
A PERSON who obtains his/her green card via marriage to a U.S. citizen spouse, and who is married for less than two years has conditional permanent resident status. A conditional permanent resident has a green card that is valid for two years. In order to continue to have permanent resident status after two years, the…
WE can’t put the Holy Spirit in a box. Like the wind, he blows wherever he wishes. He uses people he wants to use, even those that we would never imagine. The conversion and the missionary life of St Paul are some of the amazing stories of the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul, as…
WIDOWS of U.S. citizens have many options of obtaining their greencard should their U.S. citizen spouse die. Under INA Section 201(b)(2)(A)(i), Widows are allowed to remain classified as immediate relatives and to continue to be eligible to immigrate if they file an I-360 selfpetition within two years of the death of the U.S. citizen or…
1. Failing to report some income Failing to report subcontract, interest, or dividend income are easy ways to attract an audit. I know that it’s tempting not to report income without W2s or 1099s but it’s not worth it. Many audits that I’ve handles even have 1099s but are lost or misfiled. IRS received copies…
GEICO has opened a new local office at 3522 W Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank, California. Melody Avecilla will lead a team of licensed agents at the new location. Avecilla has significant experience in the insurance industry. Before opening this GEICO local office, Avecilla gained years of extensive insurance experience while working in auto claims and…
Q: I WORK as a nurse at a facility that has a strict policy of no unapproved overtime. We don’t often ask for approval since we risk being written up for “too much overtime.” We just clock out and go back to work to finish our charts. Do we have remedies? A: Yes. You should…
THE highest-profile cases of bankruptcy filings are Walt Disney, Milton Hershey, Orange County, a certain Catholic diocese in the USA that was hit by the child molestation cases, the Trump companies during the 90s wiping out billions of debt, Toys “R” Us, and Hertz car rentals, among many others. A distinction can be made between…
CALIFORNIA Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday, May 21 announced charges against 15 individuals for allegedly conspiring to defraud at least 30 known victims out of their retirement savings through an international Ponzi scheme. Targeting elderly Filipino victims, who primarily lived in Sacramento and Stockton, California, the fraudulent scheme aimed to solicit millions in investments…
The Filipina American singer-songwriter releases her highly anticipated debut to rave reviews and an army of new fans IT’S the year of Olivia Rodrigo, and it’s best we all accept it. On Friday, May 21, the 18-year-old singer-songwriter released her highly anticipated debut album “SOUR,” an 11-track journey that expertly explains the unexplainable, uncomfortable matter…
LA airport responds that transfer is part of modernization plan PHILIPPINE Airlines (PAL) announced that it will be “forced” to move to a newly built facility at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on June 1, despite raising concerns for its passengers, who are predominantly elderly or those with disabilities. Following the recent mandate of…
Kollaboration will once again hold its conference, where aspiring Asian Americans in arts, entertainment and new media can learn from the community’s inspiring professionals. Taking place on May 22, “EMPOWERD 2021” will be a free virtual event consisting of notable artists, actors, writers, directors, community leaders and more gathering virtually to educate Asian American creative…
President Joe Biden signed legislation on Thursday, May 20 seeking to address anti-Asian hate crimes that have risen since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The signing came two days after the House of Representatives passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), in…
UNITED States Vice President Kamala Harris proclaimed that Asian Americans “have the right to be recognized as Americans, not as the other” and can turn the pain of the past year of racially motivated violence into action. Speaking at the virtual AAPI Unity Summit hosted by AAPI Victory Alliance on Wednesday, May 19, Harris condemned…
CLARK County is poised to return to pre-pandemic life on June 1 after the county commission voted to lift the local COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings and capacity limits. The move comes after the relaxation of federal and state guidelines on account of the nationwide distribution of the vaccines. “Clark County will delete in its…
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky’s announcement last week: “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing. The only exception to the rule is in certain crowded indoor spaces, such as buses, and planes, and in congregate settings, such as hospitals, homeless shelters…
A FILIPINO American teenager was shot and killed while reportedly protecting his girlfriend from a group of carjackers in San Mateo, California last week. Officers were dispatched to the San Mateo Adult School at 789 E Poplar Avenue at about 8:58 p.m. on Friday, May 14, according to the city’s police department. The victim was…
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday, May 17 the lifting of mask requirements in most public spaces for people vaccinated against COVID-19 in the state. The decision was reached after New York health officials reviewed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new and updated guidance. In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy said he would…
The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, legislation to address anti-Asian hate crimes that have risen since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), the bill passed in the lower chamber on Tuesday, May 18 in a 364-62 vote,…
Jimmy from Fyffe, Alabama is worried for his parents due to COVID, and would like to know if they can come to the U.S. using their multiple-entry tourist visas then adjust status in the U.S. once they arrive. Christian from Antioch, California asks if his friend, who is a green card holder, can still return…
ON May 14, 2021, President Biden revoked former President Trump’s proclamation of October 4, 2019, which would have barred the entry of immigrants unless they could prove they already had health insurance, could secure health insurance within 30 days of entry or had the financial capacity to cover their healthcare costs. I have already posted…
Stacie Gancayco-Adlao, a Filipina American filmmaker and actor, just scored the biggest win of her career so far. Her coming-of-age drama feature, ‘Clementine,’ won the Final Draft Big Break Grand Prize Feature. It is also an Athena Film Festival Screenwriting Lab Finalist, and Austin Film Festival Second Rounder. Final Draft received over 10,000 submissions from…
MALIA Vella, the current vice mayor of Alameda, California, is vying to be the first Filipina American elected to the state Legislature. A workers’ rights attorney and adjunct professor of practice at Mills College, Vella is now running in the special election for the 18th Assembly District seat, which became vacant after Rob Bonta assumed…
POPULAR acts Black Eyed Peas and Saweetie will be performing during a special event that will celebrate and support the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. “See Us Unite for Change,” set to air on Friday, May 21, will feature comedy and musical performances, speakers and short films, with appearances from various AAPI industry…
After establishing himself as a credible heartthrob for rom-coms, Henry Golding has embarked on a more adventurous role as he turns into an action star in his latest film Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins. In this reboot, Golding plays the lead role of a skilled martial artist recruited by a Japanese clan called the Arashikage…
From stay-at-home mom to Yamashiro’s first female executive chef UP until four years ago, Vallerie Castillo Archer was a stay-at-home mom of three, but had a burning desire to do something food-related. Following her formal culinary education, Archer landed her first job in 2019 in the industry at Yamashiro, the historic Hollywood Hills landmark that…
