THIS is one thing I hear from people all the time: “If you ask me, I really hate doing this but I feel I have no choice.” Of course, no one ever wakes up one morning and decides to just file bankruptcy without seriously thinking it over. Usually, people spend a lot of time going…
As a second-generation Filipina-American, I leap at every opportunity to travel to the Philippines, especially when the trip is centered on a place that is outside of Manila or the popular island destinations. Earlier this fall, I was invited to join a seven-day familiarization tour to Vigan, Ilocos Sur and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with about…
WE’VE heard inspiring stories of men and women in our present time who have overcome their physical disabilities and live their lives to the fullest. The stories of men like Nick Vujicic, the Australian who was born without hands, feet, and legs, but goes around the world spreading hope and encouraging others to trust God…
I have caught wind of the latest update regarding Miss Universe 2017 that is happening on November 26 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. The Philippines’ representative to Miss Universe 2017, Rachel Peters, seems to be a crowd favorite in this early stage in the competition. She is now leading in the pageant’s Facebook poll with…
Filipinos are known to be adaptive and creative. Whenever we try to assimilate something, be it language or food, we are fond of reinventing and putting a fresh Filipino spin to it. Take the American time-honored Thanksgiving dinner, for example. Filipinos in the United States have had the opportunity to showcase their creative culinary flair…
F-1 and F-2B retrogress! THE December 2017 priority dates bring bad news for those Filipinos petitioned as adult single children of US citizens (F-1) or green card holders (F-2B). • For single adult children of US citizens (F-1), the priority date will retrogress (move backwards) approximately two years (from January 1, 2007 back to January…
CHANGES in adjudications of H-1B renewal petitions. On October 23, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that under updated policy guidance USCIS is instructing its officers to apply the same level of scrutiny to both initial petitions and extension requests for certain nonimmigrant visa categories. The updated policy guidance applies to nearly all…
What is Monkeypox? Monkeypox is a viral disease that is on the headlines today. It is characterized by pox lesions on the skin and is closely related to, but not as deadly as smallpox, which killed about half a million lives in the pandemic of 1870-1875, triggered by the Franco-Prussian War. Monkeypox was first detected…
“Arch. Relax. Have fun.” Sounds easy, right? Along with 14 other people — consisting of educators from the LA Unified School District and representatives from the Los Angeles Police Department and El Monte Police Department — I embarked on my most intense assignment yet: parachute jumping with the U.S. Army Golden Knights. The Golden Knights…
” If you cannot pay your tax liability in full, request for an installment agreement.” IF you cannot pay your tax liability in full, request for an installment agreement. Here are some tips when and when not an examiner is able to set-up an installment agreement. The examiners are authorized to set-up…
IT has been a little over a month since Stephen Paddock opened fire on the night of the Route 91 Country Music Festival in the Las Vegas Strip last October 1. The lone gunman killed 58 innocent people and injured more than 500. The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America’s” Nevada correspondent Bev Llorente, supported…
AS Thanksgiving Day approaches, many families in the U.S. have begun pulling out family recipes for apple pie, reserving holiday turkeys, and stocking up on staples like potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce for their upcoming family dinner. While the holiday isn’t really celebrated in the Philippines, Thanksgiving is something Filipino-American families have mastered and embraced…
IN a divorce proceeding, people sometimes have a misconception that the only assets or properties that have to disclose assets and properties situated in California. Even worst, sometimes parties even think that since an asset or property is situated in a different country or state, that property is not community property and not subject to…
Senior loses job, needs chapter 7 debt relief THE clients are 63 and 64. They are young seniors. Up to 65, you are a young senior in my book. You can get senior discounts at Golden Corral for a satisfying buffet. Last time I went there, half of the patrons looked like they were over…
A doctor’s note may save your job RUTH Featherstone worked for Southern California Permanente Medical Group. She suffered from a sinus condition that required surgery. After several weeks of disability leave, she returned to work without restrictions. A few days after returning to work, Ruth informed her supervisor that she was resigning effective immediately because…
QUESTION: I have a friend that was ‘visited’ by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. They told him that he had no rights and that he was going to detention for 20 years unless he signed the voluntary deportation papers. Is this true? Answer: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (or ICE) is a U.S. federal…
YOU may choose to run your business as a partnership. A Partnership is an association of two or more persons as co-owners who intend to carry on a business for profit. Each person must contribute money, property, labor, or skill. Mere co-ownership of property that is leased or rented is not a partnership. Spouses carrying…
WHEN you are facing money troubles, sometimes bankruptcy can be the quickest and best way to get out of debt and get immediate relief from stress and anxiety. But is it really worth it? If you are facing a lawsuit, wage garnishment or foreclosure, you may not have a choice to file bankruptcy right away…
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s self-serving assertion that any unflattering media reports about him are “fake news,” CNN, which has been among Trump’s most persistent critics, has launched an ad campaign on the theme, “Facts First.” The visual device is an apple. The voice-over announcer intones, “This is an apple.” He then continues…
NEWS ANCHOR. That is my job title. I present the news every day. You see me on camera leading in to stories or doing live interviews, moderating debates, and weaving all the stories together. BUT I am in the safety and convenience of our studio. Behind the cameras are the true newsmen who go out wherever the…
WE know people who recovered from a stroke, survived a cancer, or escaped a fatal accident. We may think that they have learned and lived the most spoken lesson that “life is short and we must live each day as if it is our last.” But they will honestly tell you that it’s not always…
Reconnecting with my friends in the Philippines is always such a wonderful opportunity. I was so happy when Jestoni Alarcon and his wife Lizette invited me over for a dinner in an exclusive Japanese restaurant in Eastwood City. It was so nice to see the couple after a long time. We reminisced the good old…
After two decades and 5 years since its inception in 1992, PACCAL, (the Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League, Inc.), has productively carried out its advocacy and successfully achieved its goal in assisting the community through its various services. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, PACCAL holds the distinction of being the only Providing Agency duly recognized…
After two decades and 5 years since its inception in 1992, PACCAL, (the Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League, Inc.), has productively carried out its advocacy and successfully achieved its goal in assisting the community through its various services. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, PACCAL holds the distinction of being the only Providing Agency duly recognized…
DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I have been out of status in the U.S. since 2010. I’ve been separated from my husband since 2003, and he already has another family in the Philippines. I have a boyfriend here in the U.S., and we have been living together for about two years. We’re planning to get married, but…
“ Instead of marrying the biological parent, the U.S. citizen petitioner can just file a fiancé petition for the biological parent.” A STEPPARENT may file an immigrant petition for a stepchild even without the stepparent having to legally adopt the stepchild. However, before a stepparent may be able to file an immigrant petition for a stepchild, the…
Today, about 1.25 billion people smoke cigarettes, and one billion deaths from tobacco-related illness are expected, ten times more compared to the toll in the 20th century. The deadly habit accounts for one in five (or 1.4 million) cancer deaths all over the world annually. Each year around the world, 10.9 million tobacco-related cancer of…
PENALTY could still be relived even if you fail to file your tax returns and pay taxes owed if you have reasonable cause. How to establish reasonable cause • Facts. Provide facts, situations, circumstances that have not allowed you to file your tax return timely and pay taxes owed. • Ability. How the facts, situations,…
ACCUMULATING debt is the easiest thing you can do in America. Even your dog can get credit cards with a fake social security number. If you are an immigrant and just arrived, you will have no history of credit here. Chances are that in your country of origin, you probably had no credit card debt,…
Documentary airs on November 12 “BALITANG AMERICA” (BA), the daily newscast of ABS-CBN International’s The Filipino Channel, is celebrating its 15th year and has become the leading source for Filipinos in North America. BA is a 30-minute newscast aired daily from Mondays to Fridays that presents news stories about Filipinos in North America, as well…
