Ignoring debt problems now can be painful later
WHEN people are going through financial difficulty and are unable to pay their bills, their first reaction is often to ignore their debts and avoid contact with creditors. They think…
New dangerous painkiller approved
The U.S. FDA has recently approved a painkiller that is 10 times more potent than fentanyl and 1000 times more powerful than morphine, a faster killer when abused, a potentially…

What makes men interesting?
IF you were born a man, you wouldn’t worry about being unsafe, especially at night. You wouldn’t have to make use of a pretty face to hide your intelligence. You…
Is a $1-million SBA loan dischargeable?
THE client is 66. He purchased a business about 10 years ago for $2 million. He put in $500,000 of his own money and borrowed a $1.5 million small business…
Writ of Mandamus relief for unreasonable delay in pending immigration filings
A COMMON question that is asked by a person who has a pending immigration petition or application is “how much longer until USCIS makes a decision?” The question is understandable,…
Home health employees are entitled to overtime
Q: I am a registered nurse in the Philippines but I have not yet obtained a license in California. However, I am working as a ‘private nurse’ to a bed-ridden…

Protecting the vulnerable and environment: The legacy of Gina Lopez lives on
I HAD the privilege of meeting Gina Lopez for the first time in the early 90s when her family welcomed her back after being away for a long long time….

The pains and joys of aging
“Now that I’m growing older, My pilot light is out; What used to be my sex appealIs now my water spout…” I WAS in my mid-20s, at the peak of…
Do I need a premarital agreement before getting married?
IN the absence of a premarital agreement, the general community property presumption under California family code section 760 controls which provides “ ….all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired…
To be in close friendship with Jesus
IF there is one fundamental thing that God desires for each one of us, it’s a close relationship with him. After all, we are his sons and daughters. He wants…
Inadmissibility due to public charge
Noong Agosto 12, 2019, ang USCIS ay nagpahayag ng final rule na nagbabago ng mga regulasyon ng Department of Homeland Security (DHS) tungkol sa public charge. Sa ilalim ng Immigration…

‘Felix Starro,’ a new Filipino American musical set to premiere off Broadway
Finally, for the first-time ever, a musical created and directed by Filipino Americans will be presented off-Broadway. Ma-Yi Theater Company is pleased to open its 30th anniversary season with the world…

Ex-mayor Antonio Sanchez eligible for release
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday, August 20, said convicted rapist and murderer Antonio Sanchez may walk free out of prison as he becomes one of the 11,000 inmates…

NAAC, NDC, Housing Advocates Celebrate Victory in State Capitol
SACRAMENTO – THE National Asian American Coalition (NAAC), the National Diversity Coalition (NDC), pastors, housing advocates and members of the state legislature’s Senate and Assembly Republican Caucuses celebrated the recent…

Las Vegas AAPI business owners share strides under Trump admin
DESPITE reports of an impending recession going into 2020, several Asian American and Pacific Islanders in Las Vegas argue that their businesses have been strong since President Donald Trump took…

7 Filipino fashion brands display diverse materials, outstanding craftmanship at trade show in Las Vegas
Seven Filipino brands, under the group FashionPhilippines, showcased the diversity of materials and outstanding craftsmanship during the Project Womens trade show in Las Vegas this past weekend, August 12 to…

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,…