CLASS OF 2020: Fil-Am students across the country share what it’s like to graduate during a pandemic
Graduation season is upon us but it’s not what students had anticipated. For graduates of the Class of 2020, this step in their academic journey is unprecedented as the pandemic forced them to shift their last semester online and leave campus abruptly without proper closure and spending the final weeks counting down with their peers….
DFA: No new fatalities among overseas Filipinos infected with COVID-19
THE Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, May 26, announced that there were no new fatalities related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, recorded among Filipinos abroad. The death toll remained at 328. “Today, the DFA confirms no new fatalities due to COVID-19 reported by our foreign service posts among Filipinos…
Newsom sets strict rules as California churches, places of worship reopen
Hair salons, barbershops and some in-store shopping also reopen with strict guidelines AS the collective anxiety over the inconveniences brought forth from shelter-in-place measures skyrockets across the Golden State, California is now moving forward in reopening churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship. Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, May 25 gave churches and other…
LA County opens largest virus testing site at Dodger Stadium
MORE Los Angeles County residents can get checked for the coronavirus as the area’s largest testing site opened on Tuesday, May 26 at Dodger Stadium. Up to 6,000 people are now able to go through the drive-thru process on a daily basis, allowing the county to test more individuals than it has in the past…
What’s the difference between an annulment and a divorce
WHAT is the difference between a divorce and an annulment? Many people think these concepts are the same and interchangeable. There are many differences between the two concepts. A divorce ends a valid existing marriage. In a nullity, a determination is made about the validity of the marriage itself. When a marriage is annulled, it…
Should you wait to file bankruptcy until later?
A LOT of people in debt often already know what they need to do once they realize that bankruptcy is their only way out. But they usually delay the decision to file because they try their best to avoid it if at all possible and will only rush to act when they face an immediate…
Christian leaders call out Trump for putting politics over public health: We don’t need to open churches to practice our faith. We will wait.
WITHOUT the constitutional authority to do so, President Donald Trump on Friday, May 22 “ordered” state leaders to allow churches and places of worship to open immediately, starting last Sunday. This came after asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to hold off the publication of guidelines that will help them safely re-open….
Lawmaker: New franchise for ABS-CBN instead of renewal
THE Philippine House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 26, began its hearing on the franchise renewal of broadcast giant ABS-CBN. During the hearing, Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez pushed for a new 25-year franchise instead of a franchise renewal for ABS-CBN. “The 11 bills that were filed, which were on renewal,…
DFA: 94 new COVID-19 cases among Filipinos abroad
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday, May 24, reported 94 new cases COVID-19 among overseas Filipinos, bringing the total number of infected individuals to 2,617. “With 94 new confirmed cases reported today by our Foreign Service Posts mostly in the Americas, the total number COVID-19 infection involving Filipinos abroad breached the 2,600 mark,”…
Report: Asian Americans lead use of digital alternatives to traditional TV viewing
Asian Americans are the leading consumer segment in the United States in favor of digital devices and streaming platforms as alternatives to traditional television consumption, according to a new report released by Nielsen this week. The report entitled, “Engaging Asian American Consumers at the Dawn of a New Decade,” found that Asian Americans are spending…
Anti-Asian racism and COVID-19: How to be an ally
Community orgs offer bystander trainings to prepare individuals for encounters of anti-Asian harassment On May 14, a young Asian woman in Wisconsin was minding her own business and walking down the aisle of a grocery store. A white man stopped her and started hurling racial epithets at her; later, a police report stated that multiple…
Chinese POGO workers, tenants tested for COVID-19 after raid of illegal hospital in Clark
NEARLY 500 Chinese citizens working and residing at a resort situated at the Clark Freeport Zone north of Manila have been tested for COVID-19, following the discovery of an illegal makeshift hospital. A total of 490 Chinese nationals underwent testing at Fontana Leisure Park, according to the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group…
Human rights group to US: Don’t sell attack helicopters to PH
An international human rights watchdog is urging U.S. Congress to “block or delay sales” of attack helicopters worth almost $2 billion to the Philippines. In a post on Friday, May 22, Human Rights Watch gave its recommendation to Congress after the Trump administration last month announced two possible Foreign Military Sales by the U.S. military…
Los Angeles County reaches over 2,000 coronavirus cases as more restrictions ease
LOS ANGELES County is easing more restrictions ahead of the long weekend, despite reaching over 2,000 coronavirus deaths earlier this week. The county Department of Public Health confirmed 35 new deaths and 1,072 additional cases of COVID-19 on Friday, May 22, bringing the totals to 2,049 deaths and 43,052 positive cases. Of the latest deaths,…
12 states that don’t tax retirement income (Part 1 of 2)
ALASKA •Retirement income: No state tax on your 401(k), IRA or pension income. • Social security benefits: No state income tax on your Social Security benefits. • Income tax: No state income tax. • Inheritance and Estate taxes: No state inheritance tax or an estate tax. Florida • Retirement income: No state tax on your…
Officials, orgs concerned about decrease in domestic violence calls in LA
Resources and services still available during pandemic With safer-at-home orders in place for the past two months in Los Angeles County, officials are expressing concern over the decrease in domestic violence calls. “We had expected to see an increase and weren’t seeing that. We were instead seeing a drop and our concern was that survivors…
Termination of F1 student status
ANG F1 international student ay kailangang mag-maintain ng kanyang student status sa pamamagitan ng full-time enrollment. Kapag ang F1 international student ay hindi nakapag-maintain ng kanyang status at ang Designated School Official (DSO) ay nagterminate ng kanyang SEVIS Record (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System Record), ang F1 student ay kailangang umalis kaagad ng US…
UC system eliminates SAT, ACT for eligibility requirements until fall 2024
In a historic move to accommodate changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, the University of California (UC) Board of Regents on Thursday, May 21 eliminated SAT and ACT scores from its admissions requirements until fall 2024. In its unanimous ruling, the board’s decision to eliminate the requirement for in-coming freshmen until 2024. This decision was…
Where one’s Christian faith rests on
THEY were five strong Catholic women who shared with me their faith via conference. They prayed the Rosary fervently and revealed the boldness, tenacity, and joy of their faith. One of them remarked, “I feel that this difficult time has even made my faith in Jesus stronger. I feel a stirring joy in my heart…
Are you harmed if your paystubs are incomplete?
Why employees should look at their paystubs JULIE Gunther started working as a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines in 2015. In 2017, she sued her employer in a class action, claiming that Alaska Airlines did not provide her with accurate itemized paystubs. This led her to question whether she was in fact paid properly for…
Senior passes away right after Chapter 13 plan confirmation
AT 90 years old, this senior was my oldest client. Everything came crashing down on him during his golden years unfortunately. He had a business, which looked like it never made money but he kept on doing the business just because it gave him something to do every day. So, he had $34,000 in credit…
K-1 fiancé(e) visa: Getting your significant other to the United States
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,…
What is the difference between an annulment and a divorce?
WHAT is the difference between a divorce and an annulment? Many people think these concepts are the same and interchangeable. There are many differences between the two concepts. A divorce ends a valid existing marriage. In a nullity, a determination is made about the validity of the marriage itself. When a marriage is annulled, it…
Study finds PH now a ‘global hotspot’ for online child abuse
The Philippines has become the world’s largest known source of online child sexual exploitation, according to a new report released this week. The study from the International Justice Mission on Thursday, May 21 found that underage abuses are worsening with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as the victims have been forced to go on lockdown with…
Glorious moments of grandmothering
“If you want to civilize a man, begin with his grandmother.” -Victor Hugo SO, one moment you’re just a mother, and before you can blink and think you can relax and take it easy, having escaped the ties of children, their troubles and their demands, you feel a little tug. In the next moment, you’re…
Angel Locsin, Anne Curtis raise funds for COVID-19 mass testing
ABS-CBN actresses Angel Locsin and Anne Curtis on Monday, May 18, revived an old fundraising project to purchase test kits for COVID-19. “Shop and Share” was launched in 2009 to help those who were affected by Typhoon Ondoy. Actors, singers, and even basketball players donated personal items ranging from designer bags, clothes, jerseys, and jewelry,…
Immigrant Neighbor Fund provides financial grant to those ineligible for government relief
Unauthorized workers make up 10% of California’s workforce with many of them working in essential sectors like the healthcare, agriculture, food, and service industry. Yet, despite being at the forefront of the current COVID-19 pandemic, they — and those living with them — were left out of the recent federal coronavirus relief package. While some…