Fulfilling a campaign promise made by President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine government on Thursday, January 18 launched the new Overseas Filipino Bank (OFB)—a bank that caters specifically to Filipinos abroad. This comes about four months since Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 44 on September 28, which approves the Land Bank of the Philippines’ (LBP) acquisition…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte raised the possibility of a war in Mindanao should Congress fails to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). In his speech during the launch of the Overseas Filipino Bank (OFB) in Manila on Thursday, January 18, the president stressed that it was about time to address what he called the “historical…
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…
What makes a non-citizen deportable? An alien or non-citizen, including a lawful permanent resident (“green card” holder) is deportable for having a conviction relating to controlled substances. Title 8 U.S.C. Section 1227(a)(2)(B)(i) states: “Any alien who at any time after admission has been convicted of a violation of . . . any law or regulation…
AMID the growing partisan divide in President Donald Trump’s chaotic first year in office, any criticism against his action, words, policy, and character have been deemed by our Republican kababayans as a personal attack against the president by Democrats and liberals, who could not wait to bring down the Trump presidency because they could not…
What is Sudden Cardiac Death? Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) is a swift and unexpected death caused by a heart condition or mechanism, which may or may not be obvious. SCD varies in its range of definition. Usually, though, it applies to a situation where the person, who was thought to be free of heart disease,…
It is in the best interest of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to support a clean Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) bill and oppose efforts by Republicans to eliminate family reunification and the diversity visa. You may think that DACA does not apply to AAPIs, but thousands of the 800,000 young people who…
NYC foodies are in for a treat as regional Filipino cuisine makes it to the prestigious James Beard House. With its goal to preserve, promote and develop Filipino cuisine, Filipino Food Movement and JBKollaborations are presenting this gastronomic event, which involves five chefs from across the United States. Filipino American chefs, Francis Ang (Pinoy Heritage/San Francisco), Lou Boquila (Perla/ Philadelphia), Carlo…
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted the state’s request for expanded federal disaster assistance in response to the devastating mudslides that have impacted Santa Barbara County and the community of Montecito. “Our hearts break for the communities first ravaged by fires and now devastated…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, January 16 vowed to continue his drive to cleanse the government ranks from corruption by dismissing more corrupt officials. “I am on a purging spree. And I will continue to do this, I suppose, I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll be firing more people from government,” Duterte said during a…
Philippine media outlet Rappler is facing closure after the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) en banc revoked the company’s registration for allegedly violating the country’s Constitution. The watchdog has also accused them of violating the Anti-Dummy Law, the Corporation Code and the Securities Regulation Code. “The En Banc finds Rappler, Inc. and Rappler Holdings…
THE Justice Department said on Tuesday, January 16, that it would ask the Supreme Court to overturn a California judge’s ruling in a move it described as a “rare step.” The overturn would provide a way for the Trump administration to put an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which has taken…
Two members of the Senate minority have expressed opposition against the possible abolition of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under the proposed shift to a federal form of government. This was after a former lawmaker warned that Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo might be ousted before her term expires in 2022 as the…
All members of the Senate agreed that Congress must vote separately in revising the 1987 Constitution should it convene as a constitutional assembly. According to Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, senators are “unanimously” against the proposal for them to vote jointly with the House of Representatives on the Charter change (Cha-cha). “It is the entire…
New York Times, Wall Street Journal stand in solidarity with the PH outlet AS Rappler faces closure after the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) en banc revoked its registration for allegedly violating the country’s Constitution, some of the top media companies have voiced support for the Philippine media outlet. The company is also being…
It is legally possible for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to expand the scope of martial law nationwide, Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said on Wednesday, January 17. During the resumption of oral arguments on the consolidated petitions against the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao, Carpio noted that the threat posed by…
After suffering a controversial defeat in July last year, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is likely to make a comeback this coming April. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he’s planning to include Pacquiao in the same card that will feature a WBO welterweight title showdown between champion Jeff Horn and Terence…
Three Supreme Court (SC) magistrates appeared before the House committee on justice on Monday, January 15 to testify in the impeachment hearing against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. They were Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin, Samuel Martires, and Diosdado Peralta. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, meanwhile, declined to attend the hearing despite being invited, saying he…
2017 versus 2018 tax rates: individual income tax rates in 2017 in percentage are 10, 15, 25, 28, 33, 35, and 39.6. The 2018 rates in percentage are 10, 12, 22, 24, 32, 35, and 37 and will expire on 2025, under H.R.1 “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”. The corporate maximum tax rate is…
AMID the growing partisan divide in President Donald Trump’s chaotic first year in office, any criticism against his action, words, policy, and character have been deemed by our Republican kababayans as a personal attack against the president by Democrats and liberals, who could not wait to bring down the Trump presidency because they could not…
As the Philippine Supreme Court (SC) this week began its oral arguments on consolidated petitions objecting the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao, a magistrate questioned petitioners for supposedly being “paranoid” about the military rule. SC Associate Justice Samuel Martires posed the question following statements from former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay who cited the…
“ Apart from becoming a cultural phenomenon, the phrase ‘me-too’ is actually found in the law, as when plaintiffs invoke ‘me-too’ evidence in support of their claims for damages involving sexual harassment and discrimination.” THE MeToo ampaign started about 10 years ago but only recently developed into a movement and exploded into public attention in the wake of news stories regarding Hollywood producer…
THE client is 74. Her husband passed away two years ago. Her only source of income is social security of $2,000 a month, which was her husband’s social security. Her own social security was $1,500 a month. So how come she only has $2,000 of social security and not $2,000 plus $1,500? Because when you…
1. THE standard deduction is doubled: Republicans want to simplify our tax code so more people can claim standard deductions instead of more complicated itemized deductions. This becomes a reality after the new law doubled the standard deduction from $6,350 to $12,000 for single filers, from $9,350 to $18,000 for heads of households, and from…
One traditional way of obtaining permanent residency for most immigrants is through a petition by a US citizen spouse AS a spouse of a US Citizen, an alien is considered an immediate relative and entitled to immediately apply for a green card inside the United States. This is usually done by simultaneously filing an I-130 Petition…
IF you’re in debt and are considering bankruptcy as an option for you to get needed relief, perhaps just hearing the word “bankruptcy” makes you extremely nervous. Maybe the word conjures up images in your mind of losing everything you have and not having a financial future. Relax. It’s not what you think. Regardless of…
President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would put an end to “chain” migration as a feature of immigration law is worrisome and ill-advised. What he really means is that he would eliminate “family reunification” — a proviso which enables naturalized citizens to petition for immediate family members to immigrate — as a feature of U.S….
TRUMP denied it. The president of the United States tweeted he did not describe certain nations from Africa as “shithole countries” during a bipartisan meeting on immigration when he rejected a bipartisan deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Trump also denied he demanded that people from Haiti be removed from negotiations…
“What are you looking for?’ they said to him, “Rabbi (which translated means teacher) “where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and you will see. –John 1:35 WHERE shall we find God? In a distant space? In a sacred place? In the desert, the sea, or on a mountaintop? Where does he dwell? In…
The start of a new season means different things to different people. But as a hair expert, it primarily means one thing for me: new season equals new haircut.Winter is here and it’s the best time to hit up the salon and get your season haircut. But before you do, check out these chicest hairstyles and…
