The October 2020 priority dates provide great news for workers in the EB-3 (skilled/professional) and “other worker” (unskilled workers like caregivers). The priority dates for all countries (except India and China) are CURRENT! This includes the Philippines! This means visas are available, regardless of the person’s priority date. If a person is being petitioned by…
In the heat of the contest for the official Republican candidate for the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump boasted that he could shoot somebody in the middle of Manhattan and not lose a single vote. He subsequently went on to win in the Republican Party primary and then, the presidency. In almost four years of…
ANG Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) ay naging epektibo noong Agosto 2002. Ang CSPA ay isinabatas upang mapanatili ang “child status” ng ilang mga beneficiary na maaaring mag-”age out”. Ang isang beneficiary ay masasabing nag- “age out” kung siya ay naging 21 taon gulang na bago siya mabigyan ng immigrant visa, at ito ay dahil…
MY Tax Tips are usually written from your perspective. Let’s make this interesting a bit – turn things around and discuss this from the IRS agent’s perspective. This is how they (IRS agents) are trained to interview taxpayers. • Establish rapport with the taxpayer (you). • Maintain a friendly and professional demeanor. • Recognize that…
IN continuing efforts to protect workers and their families from COVID-19, California recently enacted the following legislation: Notice to employees of potential exposure and report of outbreaks Assembly Bill 685 requires employers who were notified of potential exposure to COVID-19 to notify all employees who were on the premises at the same worksite as the…
Car parades will take place on Oct. 4 in the greater Los Angeles, San Francisco areas AS the 2020 election enters its final, most crucial stage, Filipino American political leaders across California are ramping up last-ditch efforts to raise support for the presidential candidates. On Sunday, Oct. 4, Filipino American conservatives and supporters of President…
THE buzzword in entertainment is diversity, and has been for the last half-decade. The great fight for more ethnic and gender minority representation reached mainstream status in 2016 but when it coalesced with the election of President Donald Trump, diversity became much more than a matter of “feeling seen” by the characters of minority backgrounds….
by Sunita Sohrabji / Ethnic Media Services DESPITE overwhelming support for affirmative action, a large percentage of Asian Americans in California remain undecided on Proposition 16, a Nov. 3 ballot measure that would reinstate affirmative action in education, government hiring, and public contracting. The measure is sputtering with voters in the state: a poll released…
“Our nation has lost a justice of historic stature,” Chief Justice John Roberts said. “We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her, a tireless and resolute champion of justice.” Women like me and my daughters…
UNITED States residents who haven’t filled out their 2020 Census forms will have another month to do so after a federal judge stopped the decennial enumeration from ending on September 30. U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh of the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday, September 24 that said the U.S….
Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III has stepped down from his post as ABS-CBN Corporation’s chairman emeritus and director, the broadcast giant announced Thursday, September 24. “Mr. Eugenio ‘Gabby’ Lopez III, today, tendered his resignation for personal reasons as Chairman Emeritus and Director of ABS-CBN Corporation,” the network said in a statement on Thursday. Lopez, 68, also…
Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has recovered from the novel coronavirus, 13 days after he contracted the disease. The Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome on Wednesday, September 23, said Tagle’s recovery was “a great joy for the whole Church.” “God wants him to continue serving in the Vatican’s office for the Missions, to bring God’s…
SIX new cases of COVID-19 among overseas Filipinos have been recorded by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday, September 25, bringing the total number of infections to 10,430. Meanwhile, the death toll and the number of recoveries remained at 786 and 6,645, respectively as no new reports were received by the agency….
By Ditas Katague, Director, California Complete Count – Census 2020 Office 2020 has certainly been extraordinary, and what many are calling an unprecedented time. We’ve been hit with a worldwide pandemic, stopping the normal routine of our lives, in addition to facing social unrest due to racism and injustice. On top of that, our state…
by Gloria T. Caoile With countless local families and individuals suffering due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, community members put together a day of action. Dr. Noel R. Fajardo of Las Vegas Gastroenterology teamed up with area church groups and Filipino American organizations to orchestrate a large distribution of food bags to…
Community Perspective by Nora Formento For our family, our restaurant, Manila BBQ, is everything. It is a place where we work, gather, celebrate each other, and where we go to support our community. As immigrants who came over from the Philippines in 1990, owning and operating our own restaurant was our American Dream. We are…
A BILL seeking to suspend the United States’ aid to Philippine security forces due to the alleged human rights violations under the Duterte administration has been formally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Susan Wild, a Democrat who represents Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district, introduced House Resolution 8313, also known as the Philippine Human…
Malacañang on Thursday, September 24, commended President Rodrigo Duterte’s first-ever speech before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), calling it “excellent.” “The president’s speech in the UN General Assembly, I thought, was excellent. And I think halos lahat ng Pilipino ay kinilala po na talagang napakagaling at napaka-komprehensibo at malinaw ang naging talumpati ng ating…
By Kathay Feng I live in San Gabriel, CA, where more than half the people were born outside of the US. My neighbors include families who immigrated from Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and China. When my daughter went to elementary school, so many parents were newcomers – but not a single person in the front…
TWO Filipino American authors have been honored at the 20th annual Massachusetts Book Awards, the Massachusetts Center for the Book announced this month. Grace Talusan, author of “The Body Papers” who lives in Medford, was awarded with the Nonfiction Award. Her debut memoir, which was released in April 2019, explores a Filipino immigrant’s battle with…
DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I am a U.S. citizen, and filed a K-1 (fiancé) petition for my girlfriend in the Philippines. Unfortunately, the case was denied. I was told by friends it would help if we get married, as that would demonstrate we are truly in love and committed to each other. Would you advise that…
Meet Mia Mercado, a Filipina American millennial humorist who launched “Weird But Normal,” her debut collection of essays last May. The essays focus on various subjects, from gender roles, sexuality and beauty standards to racial identity, privilege and work dynamics. In the book, Mercado shares her insights about issues, some absurd, some beautiful and some…
OVER 100 fake accounts related to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s potential run in the 2022 presidential election were taken down by social media giant Facebook due to policy violations. According to Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s cybersecurity policy chief, the accounts were traced to individuals from the Fujian province…
THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Tuesday, September 22, said global airlines are pushing for airport COVID-19 tests for all departing international passengers to replace the quarantines that are allegedly exacerbating the travel slump. According to the head of IATA, rapid and affordable antigen tests that can be administered by non-medical staff are expected…
FILIPINO American Democrats across California and Nevada came together for a “weekend of action” to get their communities registered to vote and to make a plan to cast their ballots leading up to the 2020 presidential election this November. Speakers at the virtual event, spearheaded by the Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats (PALAD) on Saturday,…
AS the deadline to respond to the 2020 Census approaches on Wednesday, September 30, Filipino American community leaders are making a final push to ensure that Fil-Ams are all counted across California. Census partnership specialists and community-based organizations are staking out in front of supermarkets and other high foot traffic locations to remind members to…
Flora Arca Mata Elementary School honors the first Fil-Am teacher in California history THE closure of school campuses due to the pandemic has complicated the lives of students across California, but that doesn’t mean learning and inspiration have to stop. As such, on Tuesday, Sept. 22, a new elementary school in Stockton, California named after…
Residents in the San Gabriel Valley lament a disastrous fire season in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic AS of Tuesday, Sept. 22, the Bobcat Fire that was first sparked two weeks ago in the San Gabriel mountains has now scorched through more than 109,000 acres, becoming among the largest fires in Los Angeles County….
A palpable sense of loss overcame me upon hearing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s (RBG) passing last Friday, September 18. Like many others, I turned to the internet to get confirmation, and was struck by the outpouring of posts about her. This made my sense of loss even more palpable. It’s like what one feels,…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, September 23, addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for the first time since assuming office in 2016. “I am honored to address you today on behalf of the Filipino people on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. The invisible enemy that is COVID-19 has brought about an…
