One of the main factors for the 25 percent decline in Metro Manila’s crime rate in the first half of 2018 is the government’s war on drugs, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) cited. Metro crime incidence has been reduced under the government’s Oplan Tokhang, an anti-illegal drugs campaign spearheaded by the Philippine National…
President Rodrigo Duterte’s 22-member Consultative Committee (Con-com) approved the final draft of the proposed federal Constitution on Tuesday, July 3, after nearly five months of deliberation. The final draft was unanimously approved by the Con-com after former Senate President Nene Pimentel moved to approve it. Pimentel’s motion was unopposed. “The Con-com hopes to submit the…
President Rodrigo Duterte’s first two years in office have been “generally fruitful,” according to Malacañang. It cited the administration’s reported successes in its war on drugs, the economy, and the improvement of government services as some of the promises that Duterte fulfilled. Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said in a statement on Sunday, July 1,…
Ambassador Claro Suarez Cristobal, a career diplomat with the rank of Chief of Mission I, took his post as Consul General of the Philippines in New York on June 30, 2018. His first official event was a meeting with the local media covering the community. At a free wheeling discussion that lasted for almost two…
A well-structured face, a statuesque figure, and an ambitious drive are not sufficient factors to make one a model for modeling, per se, demands much more convoluted and tortuous prerequisites to make it big in this glamorously intriguing business. Since the annual NY Fashion Week is merely in the offing and the fashion thrill unhurriedly…
TOKYO, JAPAN – “As we face the next half of 2018, we look forward with excitement to hitting a new high in Japanese tourism arrivals by breaching the 600,000 mark,” said Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat during the recent Philippine Business Mission (PBM) to Japan. Puyat said Japan produced a total of 584,180 visitors to the country last…
(Sixth of a series) ”The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” –Marcel Proust [Select a handful of those things on your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time frame. In tech speak, this means before your life’s energy goes into…
IN February 2018, the IRS will start certification of individuals with delinquent tax debt to the State Department. How will the IRS certification impacts 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…
Fil-Am activists show solidarity for those affected by Trump’s highly-criticized immigration policies AFTER President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance policy” — which separated immigrant children from parents — sparked outrage across the country, hundreds of thousands of protesters partook in the national “Families Belong Together” march and rally this weekend, paralleling the same political outrage from the Women’s…
PHILIPPINE Senator Grace Poe shared her experiences and thoughts on what it means to be a Filipino abroad during a recent visit to Los Angeles, California on Friday, June 30. “What we all went through is universal,” said Poe in Filipino, after warming up attendees with a few Filipino jokes in honor of late Senator…
SEVERAL cities in Los Angeles County saw their minimum wage rates rise at the beginning of this month. Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Malibu’s minimum wage jumped on Sunday, July 1 from $12 per hour to $13.25 per hour for businesses with 26 or more employees. For businesses with 25 or fewer employees, the…
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Tuesday, July 3, highlighted the importance of investing in strategies and technologies in order to allow government forces to perform their duties effectively. The President graced the founding anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City and congratulated them for their 71 years…
If she secures an impressive victory over former world title challenger Istela Nunes on Saturday, July 7, Filipina dynamo Gina “Conviction” Iniong might place herself on the verge of a shot at the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship. Both outstanding female mixed martial artists are set to face each other on the undercard of ONE:…
LG Philippines and Grand Hyatt hotel have teamed up to give football fans the ultimate World Cup viewing experience. Follow the action as it happens in Russia as Pool House at Grand Hyatt hosts daily viewing events on a giant 86-inch UHD TV from June 11 to July 15. Hotel guests and locals alike can pop into the…
“So why even assume this kind of risk by filing an incomplete petition?” THE client is 59 and single. He has a decent job where he makes $4,000 a month gross. He doesn’t owe any credit card debt. He only owes three secured debts. He owes a mortgage on his house for $400,000 plus he…
“In cases in which the subsequent immigrant visa petition has already been denied, this new evidence should be submitted as part of a motion to reconsider.” DEAR Attorney Tan, I recently married a US Citizen, who is my second husband. He has filed an immigrant visa petition and green card application for me. My husband…
WHEN Otisha Woolbright became pregnant, her doctor instructed her to stop lifting 50-pound trays of chickens at Walmart. Ms. Woolbright informed her boss about this and her boss said she had seen Demi Moore do a flip on TV while pregnant so being pregnant was “no excuse.” Her boss also told her if she couldn’t…
Most couples that want out of a marriage in California usually file for Divorce. There are circumstances though that allow a couple to have their marriage “voided” rather than “dissolved.” There is a big difference between the two concepts. With a voided marriage, it restores the couple to status of unmarried person as if they…
KEEP praying to God. Keep praising him! See what He has done for you through the years. Bless him for guiding you, accompanying you through life’s challenges. Rejoice for God has granted you your wishes and prayers. The more that you see His graces makes you become freer to live a distracted and self-indulgent life. Speak of God’s sovereignty…
OUR tax laws give you choices of filing status to prepare your income tax returns. Which one is appropriate for a married person petitioning (or being petitioned by) your spouse? I’m a tax professional, not a lawyer, so let’s discuss this case from a tax standpoint. Case in point: I had a new tax client…
Through the years, the Beautiful Life Celebration has been recognizing individuals, youth, organizations, and couples who have shaped and influenced their communities in extraordinary ways. Now that the organization is celebrating its 30th anniversary, I’d like to this opportunity to share with my readers how these four amazing people — who were awarded at the…
[Editor’s Note: A version of this column was previously published in June 2012] Bryce National Park in Southern Utah is known for its red rock spires and amphitheaters of columns. It is described by the Paiute Indians as “bad men turned into rock by coyotes.” The true story of this place began 60 million years…
