New resistance-themed video tackles global social justice issues Madonna’s music video for her new single “I Rise” features footage of Maria Ressa, the fearless Rappler founder who has been jailed and faces several charges in the Philippines. Ressa, whose criticism of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte propelled her to international acclaim, is one of the several…
The California Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus led a Philippine Independence Day celebration at the state Capitol on Monday, June 24. The reception was attended by Assemblymember Rob Bonta — the first Filipino to be elected to the state’s Legislature — who delivered remarks, community leaders from across the state, and special guest,…
Philippine Expressions Bookshop — one of two bookstores in the United States dedicated to Filipino literature — is presenting another series of Book Talks on Saturday, June 29 with five Fil-Am scholars and authors as participants. The event will be held at their venue, 479 West Sixth St., Suite 105, at the Historic Arts District,…
DEAR Attorney Tan, I have an approved I-140 immigrant petition which was filed by Company A on my behalf. Company A would like to employ me as a bookkeeper. Based on that approved I-140 petition, I filed an application for green card (I-485 adjustment of status) in August 2014. Since that time, my green…
“Depending on your English ability and comfort level, you can either study on your own or take a class. “ THE naturalization interview is the last stage you need to embark on becoming a U.S. citizen. During your naturalization interview, a USCIS Officer will ask you questions about your application and background. You will also take…
THERE are times in life when we’re sometimes caught unprepared for what we have to do in order to deal with an ongoing problem that simply will not go away. The problem is there before you sleep at night and it’s still there when you wake up in the morning. One of these problems might…
THE client is 50, divorced, and used to own a business that had a commercial lease for retail space. He operated the business for 10 years. On the 11th year, sales started to plunge for an unknown reason such that the debtor could no longer pay the commercial lease of his retail space. He still…
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will reportedly begin immigration raids in 10 cities over the weekend, days after President Donald Trump pledged that there would be an operation to remove “millions” of people who have entered the United States illegally. On Friday, June 21, various reports showed that federal immigration officials would start conducting these…
Q: I recently applied for a job and I was asked to sign an arbitration agreement as a requirement to being hired. I heard arbitration agreements are not fair to employees. Is this true? A: Yes. Arbitration can be unfair to employees as well as consumers. Arbitration is a procedure to resolve disputes without…
FOR most families, their 401K retirement plan from work is the second largest asset an average family holds (second only to their family residence). How is this treated in a divorce proceeding in California which is a community property state? It depends on how it is characterized whether separate property, community property, or part separate…
ACCORDING to the Philippine National Police (PNP), a total of 6,600 suspected drug offenders have been killed in police operations since the start of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against drugs. The police data, which was released Tuesday, June 18, during a command conference of top police officials at Camp Crame, covered the incidents from July…
OTHER rules for real property depreciation: If placed in service after 2017, qualified improvement property, in addition to no longer qualifying for bonus depreciation and being newly eligible as section 179 property, has a 15-year depreciation period (rather than the usual 39 year period for non-residential buildings). Apartment buildings and other residential rental buildings placed…
OWNERS of land transportation hubs are now being required to provide free internet access and clean sanitary facilities to passengers. Republic Act 11311, which seeks to improve land transportation terminals, stations, stops, rest areas as well as roll-on roll-off (RORO) terminals, was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on April 17. A copy of it was…
NOONG isang linggo ay aking tinalakay ang I-601A Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver. Ito ay iba sa I-601 Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility na aking tatalakayin ngayon. Ang I-601A Waiver ay ginagamit para humingi ng provisional waiver para lamang sa ground of inadmissibility na unlawful presence sa U.S. Ang I-601 Waiver naman ay ginagamit para…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte defended his response to the Recto Bank situation by saying he’s not afraid of China, but rather the possibility of an armed conflict in the region. His explanation comes after critics have slammed him for not taking a harder stance on what he called “a little maritime incident” — during which…
THE Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO), the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside of the Philippines, will perform for the first time in the world-famous Walt Disney Concert Hall on Saturday, August 3, 7:00 p.m. FASO, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as a Fil-Am cultural institution, will have the honor of performing in the home…
BATANGAS Governor Hermilando “Dodong” Mandanas came swathed in a summer coat of understated elegance and a miscellaneous smile. No blush, no bluster, no braggadocio — only a beguiling mixture of dignity and daring replying to media questions in a sanctuary of calm almost sacrosanct values. He was extremely polite with an old school elan and…
PHILIPPINE Cinema has lost one of its greatest treasures. The man who has not only been an icon Philippine show business but was – more than anything – a great friend to many. The multi-awarded actor-director Eddie Garcia passed away on Thursday at 4:55 p.m. after suffering from a neck fracture while working on a…
Following sanitation report and public outcry, the city introduces more rigorous and effective cleanup and prevention efforts As the long-term homeless solutions continue to slowly take and keep homeless individuals off the streets, the City of Los Angeles this week announced new strategies in regards to street cleanups. At a press conference on Wednesday, June…
Bill limits the medical exemptions to avoid immunizing children before school enrollment Despite hundreds of parents’ emotional opposition to proposed changes to California’s immunization requirements in a five-hour hearing, a public health committee in the California Assembly passed a bill that would tighten those requirements on Thursday, June 20. The Assembly Health Committee passed the…
The sinking of a Filipino fishing boat in the West Philippine Sea by a Chinese vessel has created a sticky public relations situation for the government of President Rodrigo Duterte. The usual extremists have added fuel to an already incendiary situation. Duterte critics, who believe that he has become too subservient to the Chinese, have…
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP surprised even his own officials when he announced via Twitter on June 17 that his administration will deport “millions of illegal aliens” in the next weeks, less than 24 hours before his rally in Florida to “kickoff his 2020 re-election campaign.” Of course, we all know Trump has already started campaigning and…
AWARD-WINNING veteran actor Eddie Garcia passed away at the age of 90 on Thursday afternoon, June 20, according to a medical bulletin issued by the Makati Medical Center. Garcia had been in critical condition due to a severe cervical fracture after he tripped on a cable wire while taping for “Rosang Agimat,” his upcoming TV…
ALMOST exactly four years after his infamous speech announcing his bid for the White House, President Donald Trump on Tuesday, June 18 officially launched his 2020 presidential reelection campaign in a rally with his supporters in Orlando, Florida. When he walked on stage and officially kicked off his campaign, Trump — who unofficially sloganed his…
ONE of the iconic musicals of our time — both onstage and film — is the “Grease,” a story of Rydell High’s senior class of 1959. Many of us have been entertained by the Pink Ladies, “greasers” and the love story of good girl Sandy and bad boy Danny Zuko. Much more, the songs…
SACRAMENTO – A Filipino American community leader was recently elected as the new president of the California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists at its commissioners meeting in Southern California last June 13. Dr. Fel Amistad was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2015 and re-appointed in 2018. His mentors include Alice Bulos…
CASE example: I-751 applications. In her article entitled “Agency Delays Enact the Administration’s Immigration Agenda” Sandra Feist examines the processing delays currently plaguing one particular application: the Removal of Conditions on Permanent Residence. She begins with a brief history of how the “conditional permanent resident status” came about: “In 1986, as part of President Reagan’s…
San Francisco – The campaign to install a contextual plaque on the base of the Dewey Monument that would set the battle of Manila Bay in a more accurate historical context is coming to a happy ending. With the location where to install the Bronze Plaque agreed upon, the final approval from the San Francisco…
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 priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…
Our own poison collection We may not realize it, but in various places in our home, we have toxic chemicals which are hazardous to our health, especially for children. They are the cleaning solutions in our home, the most commonly found poisons in almost all homes today. When the label shows chemicals in them, it…
