DHS announces final rule on Public Charge ground of inadmissibility
ON August 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule governing the public charge grounds of inadmissibility under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The rule is set…
LA-based Filipino artist unveils mural on Sacramento State campus depicting Fil-Am identity, migration
A Los Angeles-based Filipino artist recently completed a new mural in the California State University, Sacramento campus. Eliseo Silva’s “Magkasama Tayo Aangat (Together We Rise),” unveiled on Sunday, August 18,…
September 2019 priority dates
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A…
Voting rights restoration is a step towards reintegration for the formerly incarcerated
Voting can be as quick as a pen stroke or as easy as a tap of a computer screen, yet the simple act is often taken for granted in America….
New dangerous painkiller approved
Einstein wrote “the force from gravity is not instantaneous, as it travels the same speed as light, so light from the sun would still be upon the earth momentarily. Therefore,…
Hail to the ordinary
“ There are definitely some enemies in my life I definitely would wish celebrity on…” — Gary Coleman Star of the sitcom, ‘Diff’rent Strokes,’ who suffered a reversal of fortune…
Celebrating the beautiful and memorable life of Gina Lopez
TO say that Gina Lopez led a colorful life would be a severe understatement. The former environment and natural resources secretary passed away on Monday, August 19, due to multiple…
Gina Lopez’s legacy: Social-impact environmentalist for Pasig River’s revival
[EDITOR’S Note: A full version of this article was previously published in Balikbayan Magazine’s October-November 2011 issue] “Water is a great teacher that shows us how to move through the…
DILG: Duterte is different from Marcos
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday, August 19, defended its proposal to restore the law against subversion. According to DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya,…
Lacson pushes treaty to help Filipino convicts abroad
‘Transfer of Sentenced Persons’ to give convicts option to serve time in their home country Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday, August 19, called for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)…
Locsin orders diplomatic protest vs Chinese ships spotted in Sibutu Strait
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday, August 19, ordered the filing of a diplomatic protest against China over the passage of its warships in Philippine waters. In a…
Will you be a ‘pabigat’ to America and be denied a green card? An attorney explains the Trump Administration’s expanded ‘public charge’ ruling
THE United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has defined “public charge” as an individual who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by…
Trump administration hits brakes on law to curb unneeded Medicare CT scans, MRIs
by Phil Galewitz Five years after Congress passed a law to reduce unnecessary MRIs, CT scans and other expensive diagnostic imaging tests that could harm patients and waste money, federal…
Grand Central Market’s Filipino stall Sari Sari Store to feature bao pop-up
One of Asia’s best female chefs is headed to Los Angeles with a two-day pop-up at Grand Central Market’s Filipino stall, Sari Sari Store. Hong Kong-based May Chow, who was…
Good is brewing: McCafé It Forward launches to reward good people with good coffee
Inspired by the way customers demonstrate simple acts of kindness on a daily basis at McDonald’s restaurants, McCafé announced on Tuesday, August 20 it is rewarding good people with a…
States, organizations file lawsuits against Trump admin’s ‘public charge’ rule that would affect immigrants
States and organizations around the country are reacting to the public charge rule released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier this week, which would affect immigrants who have…
National Asian group celebrates housing settlement victory at California capitol
National advocacy organizations that sought the return of $331 million to a fund for struggling homeowners attended a victory rally in Sacramento on Wednesday, August 14. The National Asian American…
Latest Philippine police numbers claim 6,847 killed in drug war
At least 6,847 suspected drug offenders have been killed in alleged shootouts in association with President Rodrigo Duterte’s three-year crackdown on illegal drugs, according to the latest count by the…
PH, US to establish counterterrorism training center in Cavite
The United States and the Philippines on Thursday, August 15 signed an agreement to establish a P520-million center in the latter country to combat counterterrorism. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief…
Embracing the loss of youth
YOU want to be young? But you can’t be — older is what we all get. Getting old is a natural thing and we must not be afraid of the…
In conversation: Tulsi Gabbard wants to restore America as a model for diplomacy, equality
The U.S. congresswoman and 2020 Democratic candidate on what the Trump administration is getting wrong on foreign affairs AMONG the pool of Democrats vying for the White House, U.S. Rep….
Silicon Valley elementary school named after Filipino Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, immigration activist
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.— After seeing two schools close down in the city over the past 19 years, an elementary school named after a Filipino Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and immigration activist was…
‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’: Not just another OFW movie
THE trailer of the movie “Hello, Love, Goodbye” says it all. Or so I thought. I’ve seen countless local and foreign films “dressed” as a love story but they are…
Petition denied based on petitioner’s prior fixed marriage
MANY people believe that once they obtain a green card through marriage, they are “home free” as far as their legal status is concerned. They are now green card holders….
Underarm botox is the best gift you can give yourself before summer ends
YOU would think that there is nothing worse than getting baked under the Southern California sun with its record-breaking heatwave, gusty winds, hot air and low humidity but there is!…
Recto urges MMDA to prioritize hiring of more ‘round-the-clock’ traffic personnel
PHILIPPINE Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Friday, August 16, said that employing more traffic management personnel is a top priority to alleviate the worsening traffic situation in Metro…
Have you benefitted from publicly-funded services during your time of need? Your green card application may be in jeopardy
KABABAYAN, this information has nothing to do with President Donald Trump’s intensified crackdown against illegal immigration. This piece is about his administration’s most aggressive effort yet to restrict LEGAL IMMIGRATION…