Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday, November 20, for a two-day state visit to address the issues that tie the two countries together including the West Philippine Sea rift. As Xi arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, he was welcomed by Philippine Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos…
BEGINNING November 19, 2018, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may issue Notices to Appear (NTA) based on denials of certain applications, such as Applications for T Non-immigrant status, U Non-immigrant status, Petition for Amerasian or Widower, and Application to Register Permanent Residence (Adjustment of Status). The most common of these applications is…
Heart, the symbol of love, of Valentine’s Day, even of religious adoration, is always fascinating but still a mystery to most of us. The amazing facts about our most loyal and dedicated heart are mind-boggling and a constant source of wonderment. Winning hearts, stealing hearts, breaking hearts, and for us cardiac surgeons, mending hearts, are…
The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed on Tuesday, November 20, that among five specific countries, Filipinos’ public trust rating fared highest for the United States and lowest for China. The public trust rating for the five countries namely the U.S., China, Japan, Malaysia and Israel were all measured in September. A “very…
FOR over a decade now, renowned designer Zaldy Goco has straddled the twin genres of fashion and costume design to create unforgettable, timeless, and beautifully crafted clothing. A decade earlier, he was moving seamlessly between music and fashion, creating a tapestry that could very well be a major accent to his finale dress. That is…
YOU can tell a lot about a chef not only through the dishes they prepare, but also through the experiences they accumulated. For instance, Chef Jessie Sincioco was the first ever Filipina pastry chef. She was handpicked to cook for His Holiness Pope Francis during the Pontiff’s visit to the Philippines in 2015, and lately…
AFTER a tight race, Gina Ortiz Jones, Filipina-American congressional candidate for Texas’ 23rd congressional district, conceded on Monday, November 19 to Republican incumbent Will Hurd. Nearly two weeks after Election Day, Ortiz Jones hoped to flip the seat blue, but trailed behind two-time incumbent Hurd by 1,150 votes out of the 209,000 cast. “I remain…
National Democratic Front (NDF) Peace Panel chairman Fidel Agcaoili, NDF Senior Adviser Luis Jalandoni and Peace Panel member Coni Ledesma canceled their scheduled return to the Philippines due to the impending arrest threat from President Rodrigo Duterte. Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Founding chairman Jose Maria Sison shared on the NDF website about how…
FOR most people, being served with divorce papers by your spouse is probably one of the biggest surprises in your life. The spouse in the receiving end of the divorce sometimes are not offered any explanation for the divorce petition by their spouse. You may start getting upset about how this can happen to you…
IN February 2018, the IRS started certification of individuals with delinquent tax debt to the State Department. How will the IRS certification impact you? • Upon receipt of certification. The State Department will either deny application or revoke current passport or both. • You are overseas. Limited validity passport for direct return to the US…
POST-MIDTERM elections, President Donald Trump finally forced Attorney General (AG) Jeff Sessions to resign, and at the heart of this was Sessions’s recusing himself from the Russia probe because of conflict of interest. Trump had repeatedly lashed out at Sessions, saying had he known Sessions would do so, he wouldn’t have appointed him for this…
1. IS there a constitutional right to file for bankruptcy? Yes, there is. The United States Constitution adopted 250 years ago provides for the creation of bankruptcy courts and the power to administer them. Our founding fathers believed that people should be given a chance to have a fresh start in life to become productive…
Dispelling the AAPI electorate’s stereotypes and how to further mobilize AAPI voters in the future IT’S 2018, and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters will not be silenced. As previously reported by the Asian Journal, the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund reported the initial results from a post-election survey of AAPI voters that measured the changes…
More than 600 people reported missing as death toll rises to 66 across the state THE Camp Fire in Northern California became the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history in a century, burning through 141,000 acres and leaving about 9,700 homes destroyed as of Friday, November 16. As of Friday, more than 600 people were reported…
(Part I of II) WITH the celebration of All Souls’ Day earlier this month, stories of ghosts and hauntings have surfaced — as if they never existed even beyond the said season. To be very upfront, ghosts exist everywhere and mingle among the living. The existence of the other dimension is real and a fact…
The Sandiganbayan on Friday, November 16, granted former first lady Imelda Marcos’ plea to post bail amounting to a total of P150,000 while the anti-graft court assessed her motion to leave on her conviction on seven counts of graft. In her plea, Marcos noted that she is suffering from “multiple organ infirmities” and was under…
Nearly a week after midterm elections took place, a new and diverse House freshman class came together for the first time on Tuesday, November 13 in Washington, D.C. for orientation. Among the attendees was Democrat Filipina-American congressional candidate Gina Ortiz-Jones who ran for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District and has trailed closely behind two-term holding Republican…
A Filipino-American high schooler in Carson, California was recently recognized for earning a top score on the ACT college entrance exam. Gerrick T. Cardenas, a senior at Bishop Montgomery High School, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. On average, only around one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT earn…
[Editor’s note: This column was originally published in 2014 but has been updated and republished in light of recent immigration conversations in the U.S.] “Immigration is by definition a gesture of faith in social mobility. It is the expression in action of a positive belief in the possibility of a better life. It has thus…
WAR is just a filthy tragedy. But it has always been like that, whether it was the violent age that was Renaissance, the Roman Empire, or the Golden Age in Greece. When reporters describe dying in war, are you helping abolish war? What is the magical attraction to war and the risk and defiance of…
The municipal government of El Nido on Thursday, November 15, announced that a total of 50 more tourism establishments are now facing closure for violating the three-meter coastal easement policy in the town. El Nido town administrator RJ de la Calzada said that the establishments that violated the environmental rules have been given a two-week…
CES (Consumer Electronics Show) gives us a glimpse of the next mega trend in consumer technology. Each January, tech giants from around the world gather to show off their latest inventions in Las Vegas. Let me give you a list of our favorites at the tech show earlier this year. 1. Robots of all Kinds:…
After the United States Defense Department initiated the return of the historic Balangiga bells to the Philippines this week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte could be open to an official visit to the U.S., despite his past criticism of the country. Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. revealed with the return of the…
NEW guidance on NTA issuance. In June 28, 2018, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued an Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens Policy Memorandum (PM). Beginning October 1, 2018, USCIS will take an incremental approach to implement this memo….
WE can spend many years of studies, read many books, travel to many places, hear from both simple and erudite people, and learn lessons from the experiences of life, but we can’t have all the answers to many existential questions. We may have unwavering faith in God, but we still grapple with many mysteries of…
INTERNET and social media has become a way of life these days. Almost everyone these day have Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter, etc. as part of their daily lives. These media are used frequent as people used to use land lines and TV. However if you have a pending divorce case or are contemplating filing for divorce,…
“To prevail on a harassment claim, the employee must show that the conduct created a hostile work environment. A hostile work environment is one in which harassment occurs that is severe, frequent, or both.” AUGUSTINE Caldera worked as a correctional officer at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) for 20 years. Caldera, who stutters when…
1. IS there a constitutional right to file for bankruptcy? Yes, there is. The United States Constitution adopted 250 years ago provides for the creation of bankruptcy courts and the power to administer them. Our founding fathers believed that people should be given a chance to have a fresh start in life to become productive…
IF you are one of the millions of homeowners who survived the mortgage crisis in 2008, you have something to be grateful for. In 2008 alone, close to 900,000 homeowners were in foreclosure. This went on for several years until about 2011 and 2012. Hundreds of thousands lost their homes. Dreams were shattered. Banks were…
AFTER a hate and rage-laden week from the White House burner, we end this week with some silver linings to propel us in celebrating steps toward protecting democracy in the United States. First, let me start with the great news that a federal judge has ruled that the White House give back to CNN Senior…
