SA panahon ngayon ng pandemic at dahil sa madaming lockdown order sa buong mundo, marami ang nagtatrabaho mula sa bahay o WFH. Marami rin ang bumabaling sa social media upang magbahagi ng impormasyon, balita at kanilang mga damdamin. Dapat malaman ng U.S. visa applicants na sila ay kailangang mag-submit ng impormasyon tungkol sa social media…
A GLIMMER of hope in the United States’ fight against the pandemic: Recent polls suggest that a majority of Americans do not trust the words coming out of President Donald Trump’s mouth, and they turn to the nation’s top epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci in handling the COVID-19 outbreak. The ABC News/Washington Post poll reveals that…
VETERAN broadcast journalists Korina Sanchez-Roxas and Ces Oreña-Drilon are among the high-profile individuals who have been laid off by ABS-CBN, following the rejection of its franchise renewal bid. Sanchez-Roxas, the long-time host of “Rated K,” took to Instagram to confirm she was one of the first employees involved in the broadcast company’s “bloodbath.” “You’re hearing…
YOUR penalties may be abated (forgiven) if you can prove Reasonable Cause. Here are some tips for you: • You don’t have a background in finance or taxation • You exercised due diligence by going to a competent tax adviser. • You went to a tax professional. • You even hired a CPA (Certified Public…
By: U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim THE waters of the South China Sea are home to a dizzying array of marine resources, ranging from vast oil and gas reserves deep beneath the surface to the complex and beautiful ecosystems capable of supporting international seafood markets and unraveling scientific mysteries. This is the patrimony…
“GOOD things can come out of bad things,” I would tell others and myself. Take, for example, the effects of this coronavirus pandemic. Undoubtedly, it is s the worst tragedy that has happened to our generation in these times, and we’d rather not experience it. Who wouldn’t tremble at learning the death of thousands of…
SEVERAL options exist for a U.S. citizen to bring his/her foreign-national fiancé(e) to the United States. One popular option is to marry the fiancé(e) in the country in which he/she resides, and file an I-130 immigrant petition, with the fiancé(e) to undergo consular processing for an immigrant visa when the I-130 petition is approved. However,…
The right to privacy and intimate association JANELLE Perez was hired as a police officer in the Roseville Police Department. A few months into her probationary term, Janelle and a fellow officer, Shad Begley, began a romantic relationship. Both Janelle and Shad were separated from their respective spouses but remained married. Shad’s wife, Leah, filed…
THE client is 71. Her husband died five years ago, so she lives with her unmarried son who does not have full time or steady employment. She has a large equity in her residence of about $400,000. For her age, the equity exemption for homestead is $175,000. She was a registered nurse when she was…
A POSTNUPTIAL agreement is a contract between you and your spouse entered into after you get married resolving issues in your marriage. It is similar to a prenuptial agreement except it occurs after your marriage. For couples that get married without a prenuptial agreement, it is not too late to have an agreement dealing with…
VETERAN singer Claire dela Fuente was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Philippine Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) after she was found guilty of tax evasion charges involving her bus company. The special court ruled that dela Fuente, whose real name is Clarita de Guzman, failed to make and file the income tax…
The Filipino American student who made headlines for being accepted to all eight Ivy League schools is now bound for Harvard University. Craig McFarland, a Filipino and Black teenager from Jacksonville, Florida, had previously committed to Yale University’s class of 2024, but he’ll be donning crimson gear instead. The switch to the prestigious institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts…
The global entertainment giant previously won production rights to the author’s romantic comedy “29 Dates” Melissa de la Cruz, the New York Times best-selling author known for her “Blue Bloods” series, has partnered up with Disney Publishing Worldwide to develop original content that will be featured across the company’s multiple platforms, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Melissa…
Members of Congress fear its ambiguity will be used against lawful protesters As the controversial anti-terror law in the Philippines continues to get international attention, 50 members of the United States Congress have called upon the Duterte administration to repeal the measure. U.S. Reps. Judy Chu (D-CA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) announced in a virtual…
ABS-CBN on Wednesday, July 15, announced that it will start laying off its workers on August 31, after the Philippine House of Representatives rejected the bills seeking to grant the network giant a fresh 25-year franchise. “With the non-renewal of its congressional franchise, ABS-CBN is now forced to cease the operations of some of its…
Malacañang on Wednesday, July 15, announced that Metro Manila will remain under general community quarantine (GCQ) until July 31. According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Duterte initially agreed with the recommendation of the University of the Philippines (UP) to place Metro Manila back under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). However, the president changed…
CLARK County on Thursday, July 16 reached a new record for additional coronavirus cases within a 24-hour period as 1,315 cases were announced. Thursday marked the highest one day uptick in reported COVID-19 cases since March, the Southern Nevada Health District said. The county has 26,926 total cases, and 507 deaths as five new fatalities…
Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, Filipino Americans across the country have shown their bayanihan spirit by supporting workers on the front lines of the pandemic and families in need. In the Bay Area, non-profit economic development and arts organization Kultivate Labs launched the #FilipinosFeedtheFrontLines campaign in April to raise…
FOREIGN nationals with long-term visas will be allowed entry into the Philippines starting August 1. Malacañang Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. made this announcement on Friday, July 17, saying that the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases reached this decision after its meeting on Thursday, July 16. This also applies to…
THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, July 15, registered 43 additional cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) among Filipinos abroad, bringing the official count to 8,915. Thirty-four new recoveries were also recorded by the agency, which raises the total number of recovered patients to 5,311. “With 43 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 34 new…
MOST Filipinos know VST & Company, and while V & T (brothers Vic and Tito Sotto) continue to bask in the limelight, S as in Spanky Rigor, decided to leave fame and fortune in the homeland for a more peaceful life in California. For almost 30 years now, Spanky has worked at the San Francisco…
After receiving backlash and pressure from universities, students, and technology companies, the Trump administration on Tuesday, July 14, reversed a policy that prohibited international university students from continuing their studies in the United States if their colleges went fully online. The directive — announced last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — made it…
California Governor Gavin Newsom this week announced another round of closures, from bars to indoor shopping malls, as positive cases and hospitalizations associated with the coronavirus continue to be reported across the state. The order, made in coordination with the California Department of Public Health on Monday, July 13, directed the closure of indoor operations…
By: Martin Santiago, Broker-Associate WHAT’S a jumbo loan? A jumbo loan is any loan that exceeds the loan limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are nicknames for the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLM), respectively. The median value of a home in California is more than double the median…
The $487.5 million Bond for the November 2020 ballot will fund essential City infrastructure and support San Franciscans’ mental and physical health with new investments in parks, open spaces, behavioral health facilities, and housing and shelter for the vulnerable SAN FRANCISCO – The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support the Health and Recovery General Obligation…
HOUSE Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Tuesday, July 14, filed a resolution proposing that the government temporarily use ABS-CBN’s former television and radio frequencies for effective distance learning. This came after the House of Representatives rejected the bills seeking to grant the network giant a fresh 25-year franchise. Voting 70 to 11, the House…
Supervisor David Canepa of San Mateo County reminded county residents to follow guidelines issued by state, county and city officials designed to combat the wide spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community in a July 2020 newsletter sent out by his office. Canepa, who represents District 5, said that the recent order by…
WHILE some celebrities have pursued other interests and hobbies (baking, cooking, painting, making TikTok videos, or posting self-help/do-it-yourself projects online) during the quarantine, others have decided to give physical and financial assistance to foundations, nonprofits and organizations geared for the less fortunate and front-liners. Wendell Ramos, though, has gone a different route. The Kapuso actor…
THE Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recently held that a person caught applying for a K-1 fiancée visa in a “fixed relationship” (meaning having no intention to have a life together), is subject to the same lifetime ban as a person caught in a fixed marriage. Therefore, whether you are applying for a green card…
