by Sarah Varney It’s Saturday morning and the women of the Contreras family are busy in Montclair, Calif., making pupusas, tamales and tacos. They’re working to replace the income of José Contreras, who has been held since last June at Southern California’s Adelanto ICE Processing Center, a privately run immigration detention center. José’s daughter, Giselle,…
THE Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was recently enacted into law, impact various issues in a divorce case. These changes are effective beginning 2018 through 2025. Spousal Support. Spousal Support will no longer be deductible by the paying spouse and will not be taxable income to the supported spouse for post 2017 divorce judgments…
The United States on Friday, April 12, maintained it will continue its operations in the South China Sea (SCS) despite China’s protest about American forces stirring trouble in the waters. “The U.S. will fly, sail and operate everywhere international law allows. That’s it. Wish we had a longer statement for you, but that’s the simple…
15th of a series “Don’t be shy about asking for help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, it only means you’re wise.” — Anonymous WE live in the Age of Information. You could say it is both a blessing and a curse to live during what could very well be “the best of times, the worst of…
* * * Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV – Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. * * * He has 50 years of experience in defending…
AN action under the DVPA (Domestic Violence Protection Act) seeking a restraining order often is necessary to protect parties from abuse or domestic violence perpetrated by the other spouse or significant other. At times, it is effective in preventing harm to one of the parties. At the same time, this process is sometimes…
MISTAKES in life happen for us to learn important lessons. These events allow us to become better and stronger. Bad choices make us more resilient and wiser. Negative situations simply show us what must not be. Again, I will emphasize on choices. Most of the hardships we go through were results of the choices we…
CLIENT no. 1 is 50 years old and is the manager of a big retail store. He’s been working there for 30 years. His spouse got into an accident and is now on disability. He owns a house with $200,000 of equity. He has, believe it or not, 11 children from age 2 to 18….
WE just ended Lent, and we start Holy Week, the most sacred time of the year in our Christian life. We begin it by reenacting Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and contemplating his Passion according to the Gospel of Luke. What is significant about these rituals? What do they mean to us? How would they affect…
OUR client, Teresa,* has always lived with a serious lung condition since childhood. Although Teresa knew that her condition limited her activities, she did her best to live a productive work life. She finished her schooling in the Philippines and worked in several skilled jobs there before she came to the U.S. with her two…
THREE Philippine senators this week filed a resolution seeking to rebuke American lawmakers for their supposed meddling in the Philippines’ affairs by condemning Sen. Leila de Lima’s detention and Rappler chief executive Maria Ressa’s arrest. The resolution was filed on Wednesday, April 10 by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, along with Senators Panfilo Lacson and…
SPRING has sprung. It is upon us in a scent that grows deeper, dizzying, improbable. It is too heady, too provocative to be diminished. Seeping through open windows, under doors, as you go out or slide out of a car. There it is — a scent that dominates the air, your bed, and clothes. It’s so dense, you can…
First, Malacañang spokesman Salvador Panelo described as “futile,” the recent complaint against Chinese President Xi Jinping filed by former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales over China’s transgressions in the West Philippine Sea. Now, President Rodrigo Duterte has issued a blunt warning to his erstwhile friend to back off from…
PUBLIC transit in Los Angeles just got a lot more accessible. The LA Department of Transportation (LADOT) unveiled its new service expansion this week that includes wider access and increased service hours, a new Commuter Express Service and the increase of on-demand rideshare services in certain areas of the city. The Moving Forward Together project…
“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed; if we permit the last virgin forests to be turned into comic books and plastic cigarette cases; if we drive the few remaining members of the wild species into zoos or to extinction; if we pollute…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, April 11 threatened to veto the entire P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 if found to be problematic. During a campaign rally in Bacolod City, the president said that the budget has been submitted, but is pending his review. “Kita mo ‘yung budget. Ang budget kasa-submit lang. I have to…
NITONG nakaraang April 5, 2019, o apat na araw pa lamang mula sa pagtanggap ng mga H1B Petition na bilang sa Fiscal Year 2020 cap, ang US Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) ay naglabas na ng balita na ito ay nakatanggap na ng sapat na mga H1B Petition para umabot sa congressionally-mandated 65,000 H1B visa…
I’VE been asked time and again: what’s a way to lift and tighten sagging facial skin without going under the knife? And since I love being the bearer of good news (related to health and beauty), I tell my clients and my readers about this new alternative to a traditional facelift. It’s non-surgical, less invasive…
Homo luzonensis revealed to have lived more than 50,000 years ago A new branch of the human family tree has been appropriately named ‘Homo luzonensis,’ after several teeth and bones — believed to be that of two adults and one child — were found on the Philippines’ main island of Luzon. In a report published…
Malacañang said martial law victims are entitled to compensation, following a United States federal judge’s approval to transfer the proceeds from the late President Ferdinand Marcos’ ill-gotten assets earlier this week. New York City district court Judge Katherine Polk Failla on Tuesday, April 9 signed the order that mandates the transfer of $13.75 million (P715…
THE on-and-off search for the Philippines’ favorite super heroine came to an end when it was confirmed that actress Liza Soberano was chosen to play the next “Darna.” Then, it happened. As if caused by some unseen “dark” forces; our supposedly new Darna got injured, which caused her to turn down the role tearfully and…
Maestro Ryan’s singing group and roster of Filipino American singers wow the crowd in musical celebration A ROUSING finale of “Kay Ganda” brought the audience to its feet in a standing ovation befitting the night of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). The top-notch seven-singer group, The Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS), were in top form, in spite…
SLEEPLESS nights… Stressed out… Worried about the future.. Always broke no matter how hard they work…Feeling hopeless about their situation. This is what most people are going through when they are considering bankruptcy in order to get out of debt. The word “bankruptcy” often produces negative feelings because some people equate it with failure. They…
The talented Davao native on his musical inspirations, switching from nursing and performing for President Barack Obama FILIPINO parents usually expect a few things from their kids: academic proficiency, good health and a financially fortuitous career in medicine. And it’s not just a stereotype. It’s many of our realities. But as economically promising a career…
Washington, D.C. — “I can think of no other place I would rather be today than at this ceremony, remembering with you the courage and sacrifice, the resilience and the strength of the Defenders of Corregidor and Bataan.” U.S. Army Lt. Gen. David H. Huntoon (Ret) said those words on Tuesday, April 9, at the…
A NEW series celebrating local culinary heroes from the Philippines and other parts of the globe is coming on Netflix. “Street Food,” from the creators of “Chef’s Table,” embarks on a global cultural journey focused on street food in some of the world’s most vibrant cities. The series, however, goes beyond the delicious food to…
