Father of Fil-Am actor Darren Criss passes away
FILIPINO American actor Darren Criss is mourning the loss of his father, Charles William “Bill” Criss Jr., who passed away from a rare heart condition on Monday, April 27. He was 78. The former “Glee” actor took to Instagram to confirm the news. “Bill Criss has left the building. After many years of coping with…
‘He was the ultimate father figure’: Fil-Am engineer, father of 2 dies from COVID-19 after 3 weeks in the hospital
Angelo and Marilou Cortes planned to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary with a trip to Europe in June. However, the coronavirus took Angelo’s life, and along with it, their travel plans. Cortes, a 58-year-old design engineer and father of two from La Habra, California, died on April 10 from complications related to COVID-19. “My dad…
Enhanced community quarantine extended in Metro Manila, ‘high risk’ areas until May 15
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and other “high risk” areas in Luzon until May 15, following the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. “The decision regarding the ECQ when May 1, 2020 comes: maintain the ECQ for…
Coronavirus beyond statistics: For each death, a family grieves, a dream is buried, the story of a generation ends
AMID the debate about continuing social distancing or re-opening the United States for business Amid the President of the United States Donald Trump undermining the advice of scientists and health officials on when will be the safe time to relax social distancing and stay-at-home safety measures; Amid the confusion brought about by the warning of…
DFA seeks to bring home 35,000 Filipinos
THE Philippine Department of foreign Affairs on Thursday, April 23, said it is expecting to bring home 35,000 overseas Filipino Workers amid the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe. “As we expect to bring home over 35,000 more OFWs, we appeal to our kababayan (countrymen) to strictly observe and comply with the quarantine procedures imposed…
Protecting employee whistleblowers in these COVID-19 times
LAST week, CNN reported that 10 nurses from Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California were placed on administrative leave for demanding N95 masks while treating COVID-19 patients. The nurses were suspended with pay for refusing to enter COVID-19 patient rooms without N95 masks. The hospital told the nurses that there were no…
Palace backs filing of diplomatic protests vs China
The Department of Foreign Affairs’ diplomatic protests against China for violating international law and Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea has gained support from Malacañang. “Yung filing of diplomatic protest, ginagawa po ‘yan basta kinakailangan gawin (The filing of the diplomatic protest, we will file them if they need to be filed),” said presidential spokesman…
Our need for peace
PEACE! It’s one of the essential commodities that we need now. Unfortunately, it’s something that we cannot buy from the grocery stores or online. If we could buy it, it will run out fast like toilet paper! How do we obtain peace during these trying times? The Scripture Readings last Sunday on the Feast of…
Should you file bankruptcy now?
WHEN the virus makes your income disappear overnight, it can be very frightening to realize that you can’t go very long without it because your bills don’t stop just because your income did. No one ever wants to file bankruptcy. But if you are one of the millions laid off and don’t even know whether…
Preventing abandonment of your green card due to travel abroad
DEAR Attorney, I am a permanent resident, and am planning to visit my loved ones in the Philippines during the holidays. I am planning to leave this week and stay in the Philippines until after the New Years. Will I face any problems coming back to the US after being outside the country for 60…
Seniors with COVID-19 show unusual symptoms, doctors say
by Judith Graham Older adults with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, have several “atypical” symptoms, complicating efforts to ensure they get timely and appropriate treatment, according to physicians. COVID-19 is typically signaled by three symptoms: a fever, an insistent cough and shortness of breath. But older adults — the age group most at…
Exempt property vs. property not part of the bankruptcy estate
FILING a bankruptcy case creates a “bankruptcy estate.” The estate becomes the legal owner of all of the debtor’s property while the bankruptcy is going on. What does the estate consist of? It consists of all legal or equitable interests of the debtor in property as of the commencement of the case. This includes property…
Extension of status due to COVID-19
KINIKILALA ng USCUS na ang COVID-19 pandemic ay nakapagdulot na ng maraming immigration-related challenges. May mga dayuhan o nonimmigrants na walang balak na magtagal sa US o manatili sa US lampas ng petsa ng kanilang authorized period of stay. Ngunit hindi makaalis ang mga dayuhang ito dahil sa COVID-19. Ayon sa USCIS, kung ito ang…
Trump issues executive order pausing certain green cards for 60 days
THE COVID-19 Pandemic and the resulting shut down of the US economy has wreaked havoc to the employment landscapre of Americans. Unemployment rates spiked to levels higher than the great recession of 2008. In response, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday April 21, 2020 that he will be placing a 60-day pause on the issuance of…
California insurance commissioner orders auto insurance refunds, discusses workers comp for immigrants during pandemic
When the coronavirus pandemic turned daily life on its head, it caught Americans off-guard with little time to sort out finances. As the number of cases and deaths continues to mount, the likelihood of lockdown measures lifting and the return to normal life gets further and further away. But community leaders, local and state lawmakers…
Q&A: Coronavirus pandemic simplified update (Part 2 of 2)
WHAT should I do to receive the stimulus check? None. You don’t need to do anything. The IRS will calculate and automatically send your economic impact payment. How will the IRS know my information? If you have already filed your 2019 tax returns, the IRS will use this information to calculate your payment. If you…
Trump administration announces suspension of entry of immigrants
by: Atty. Richard M. Loew and Atty. Allison Aquino-Silva ON April 22, 2020, President Trump issued a Proclamation that prevents certain individuals with immigrant visas from entering the United States beginning April 24, 2020. The proclamation is valid for 60 days, or June 23, 2020. The proclamation targets both employment-based and family-based immigrant visas. The…
The flowers of spring
SPRING has sprung. It is upon us in a scent that grows deeper, dizzying, and improbable. It is too heady and too provocative to be diminished. Seeping through open windows, under doors, as you slip out of a doorway or slide out of a car. There it is—a scent that dominates the air, your bed…
PNB waives remittance charges
THE Philippines’ fifth largest lender, Philippine National Bank (PSE: PNB), is waiving the remittance fees for various channels through May 8, 2020. The waiver applies to money transfers that will be credited to personal deposit accounts with PNB in the Philippines. PNB President and CEO Wick Veloso said the bank is committed to make remittance…
Protect yourself from COVID-19: Stop smoking and vaping now
By Elisa Tong, MD, MS, Associate professor of internal medicine, University of California, Davis DOCTORS like me and many other health professionals are working to treat sick patients for the COVID-19 virus. The best ways for you to help are to stay home, wash your hands, and not smoke or vape. Here are three good…
A generation of crisis and opportunities
In his book, “The Greatest Generation,” journalist Tom Brokaw extolled those born in the 1900s and up to the 1920s, relating how they survived the Great Depression, fought and won World War II, helped Europe and Japan get back on their feet and powered America to economic, military and industrial greatness. That generation also fathered…
Las Vegas’ essential workers deserve a living wage
By Evelyn Rafael Seeing the insensitive article recently published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal took me back to my childhood and watching my mother struggle to feed our family of three on a minimum wage job. The circumstances surrounding her having to stop being a stay at home mom to having to go stock shelves…
Experts: Actual COVID-19 cases in the PH around 9,000
Researchers from the University of the Philippines are claiming that the actual number of novel coronavirus cases in the country is higher than the current official tally reported by the Department of Health. In a study published on Wednesday, April 22, the U.P. Team found that there is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 infection…
US to provide $5.3-M to PH’s fight vs coronavirus
THE United States government is slated to provide an additional $5.3-million (P269-million) in health assistance to the Philippines as it continues to grapple with the spread of the novel coronavirus. The U.S. Embassy in Manila said on Wednesday, April 22 that the aid builds on the previous $4 million the country has provided to the…
PH files 2 diplomatic protests vs China
Two diplomatic protests have been filed against China for violating international law and Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday, April 22. The actions come after China pointed a radar gun at a Philippine Navy ship near Rizal Reef in the Kalayaan Island Group and…
Governor Sisolak announces framework to reopen Nevada
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak this week announced the framework the state will use as it begins to roll back restrictions and re-open. The governor laid out the plans on Tuesday, April 21 during a press conference where he was joined by state officials and experts. “Before we get to the first phase of our reopening…
The front line against COVID-19 in the US: APA and Filipino nurses
Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) doctors, nurses, and health care workers alike are now at the front line against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The rapidly growing number of COVID-19 cases continue affect the most vulnerable populations, as the U.S. faces a shortage of health care professionals, especially nurses. If you were…
Trump’s executive order suspending green cards exempts immigrants already in US
Asian American groups condemn the new immigration restrictions SOME 48 hours after tweeting that he would temporarily curb United States immigration during the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump on Wednesday, April 22 signed an executive order suspending the issuance of green cards, the diversity visa lottery and certain family reunification programs. The executive order was…