AS the world continues its fight against the deadly COVID-19 and its variants, we Filipinos in the United States must be grateful that as of April 7, 1 out of 4 adults in the country is now been fully vaccinated. Along with the accelerated vaccination effort and the rollback of safety measures and restrictions, the…
THE Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles welcomed a new head of post this week. Seasoned diplomat Edgar Barrairo Badajos will assume the Consul General role, presiding over Southern California, Southern Nevada and Arizona, where 1.2 million Filipinos live. “Los Angeles as a Foreign Service Post holds so much promise and potential for improving consular…
FILIPINO American coach Mike Magpayo is the recipient of the annual Joe B. Hall award given to the top first-year head coach in college basketball. Magpayo on Thursday, April 1, received the award from CollegeInsider.com after leading the University of California (UC) Riverside Highlanders to a historic campaign in the Big West Conference. “Dealing with…
FORMER Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada has reportedly been removed from ventilator support. In a Facebook post, his son, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, expressed happiness over the improvement of the family patriarch’s condition. “We are extremely happy to announce that my father has now been removed from ventilator support although he continues to require…
DEAR Attorney Tan, My U.S. Citizen mother filed an I-130 immigrant petition on my behalf, which has a priority date in February 2000 and which has been approved. She filed the I-130 petition after I came to the U.S. in 1999 as a tourist from the Philippines. Since my arrival, I have lived in the…
Sleepless nights… Stressed out… Worried about the future… Always broke no matter how hard they work…Feeling hopeless about their situation. This is what most people are going through when they are considering bankruptcy in their desperate attempt to get out of debt. The word “bankruptcy” often produces negative feelings because some people equate it with…
IN one case, the debtor borrowed $100,000 in credit cards, which he used to gamble. He then filed for Chapter 7 to wipe out the $100,000 of credit cards. The creditors objected on the grounds that he had no intent of repaying his debts because he used the money that he had borrowed to gamble….
THE latest Bloomberg news on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines seemed to me like a doomsday report. I was, frankly, rattled and found myself asking knowledgeable folks to give me the facts, “sans political spin.” But the facts can be as reassuring or as worrisome as one’s perspective – one either…
THIS is a common question among people contemplating divorce in California when the other spouse does not live in the state. The California Courts has the power to grant a divorce, annulment, or legal separation if either party is domiciled in the state. Domicile is where a person lives and intends to remain. However, there…
THE IRS expanded the Identity Protection PIN Opt-In Program to cover all taxpayers to include you. This Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit code known only to you and the IRS. It helps prevent identity thieves from filing fraudulent tax returns (and get your refunds) using your personal information. Here are key factors…
“It is the employer who directs the manner in which the employee is to present himself or herself for work – whether at the worksite or by phone. Either way, reporting time must be paid.” Michael Raziano worked in California as a truck driver for Albertsons, the second largest grocery chain in North America. He,…
DO you believe in God, the Creator of all? Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord, and Savior? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit that permeates our lives, the Church, and the world? Do you believe in the power of prayer, not only personal prayer but also communal prayer? That where…
Trigger warning: this story references real-life experiences with self-harm. THE recent incidents involving violence and harassment targeting Asian Americans have left the entire community on high alert. The Asian American community has experienced intensified discrimination, bullying, verbal harassment and physical harm over the past year. However, in the last few weeks, brutal violence and, in…
THOUGH no incidents of anti-Asian hate have been reported in Southern Nevada, members of the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community were joined by Governor Steve Sisolak at a recent rally denouncing the violence occurring around the country. A crowd of over 100 individuals, many of whom represent local organizations, gathered at…
SENATOR Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) visited a Filipino American-owned restaurant on Wednesday, April 7 to discuss how the American Rescue Plan and other relief measures are supporting Las Vegas’ small business community. The senator met with Truffles N Bacon Cafe owner Magnolia Magat and staff about the impact that COVID-19 has had on the business. “During…
PHILIPPINE lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the death of an alleged quarantine violator who was forced to do 300 rounds of squats as punishment. Bayan Muna Reps. Eufemia Cullamat, Carlos Zarate, and Ferdinand Gaite on Wednesday, April 7, filed House Resolution No. 1697, urging members of Congress to defend the human rights of…
THE United States is doubling down on its support for the Philippines amid the presence of Chinese ships at Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) in the West Philippine Sea. “We have reiterated our strong support for the Philippines and we have called on the PRC to abide by the 2016 arbitral tribunal award under the…
What are motions to reconsider and reopen? WHEN a person has been placed in deportation/removal proceedings, they would ordinarily receive a decision from the immigration judge (IJ), or, if they appeal, a decision from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). If the decision is unfavorable, they possibly could file either a motion to reconsider or…
SAN DIEGO – Continuing his efforts to protect vulnerable San Diego families affected by COVID-19, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria today encouraged families with low income whose children attend schools in the San Diego Unified School District to apply for help from the City of San Diego’s COVID-19 Housing Stability Assistance Program. Mayor Gloria was joined…
THE assault on 65-year-old Vilma Kari has caused widespread alarm in New York City as multiple rallies were held over the weekend to denounce the continuing spike of attacks on people of Asian descent. Brandon Elliot, the 38-year-old homeless man accused of brutally attacking Kari in broad daylight, was formally indicted on Monday, April 5…
SEVENTEEN Filipino tycoons have secured their spots on Forbes’ annual list of the wealthiest people in the world. Forbes on Tuesday, April 6, released its 2021 list of global billionaires, with this year’s roster having a record-breaking 2,755 billionaires, including 493 newcomers. “The number of billionaires on Forbes’ 35th annual list of the world’s wealthiest…
IT was the 2017 film “Kita Kita” which catapulted Empoy Marquez to the limelight, where he was paired with Alessandra de Rossi. The sleeper hit grossed Php320 million worldwide, and was made on a modest budget of Php10 million. It is considered one of the best romantic/comedy films in the past two decades, as well…
AS of Monday, April 5, 2021, there were 478,884 new cases of COVID-19, increasing the total to 132,432,231 cases worldwide and with 7,404 new deaths, making the total deaths to 2,873,411. In the U.S., there were 500 new deaths that day, bringing the total to 569,282 mortalities; the total COVID-19 cases rose to 31,496,976. Brazil…
By Normita Fenn The Directors Guild of America recently announced the nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in television, commercials and documentary for 2020. One of the nominees for outstanding achievement in variety/talk/news/sports — specials is Filipina American Stacey Angeles for her work as the director of “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents: Remembering RBG:…
A FILIPINO American teenager was reportedly the victim of an anti-Asian attack outside a San Francisco bar over the weekend. The victim’s mother, Sofia Enguillado, posted a TikTok video that showed images of her 18-year-old son, C.J, with a bruised and swollen face after allegedly getting punched outside of Gino and Carlo, a bar on…
