“It’s easy to get into debt in America. But it’s really hard to get out of debt in America. That’s why you need the full legal power of Chapter 7 to get out of debt and get a fresh start.” ACCUMULATING debt is the easiest thing you can do in America. Even your dog can…
IN honor of Larry Itliong Day on October 25, this column will highlight the plight of immigrant workers and the new laws that were recently signed to protect them. California lawmakers recognize that immigrant workers are vital to California’s economy. Immigrant workers are also the most frequent victims of wage theft and exposed to the…
IN the absence of a premarital agreement, the general community property presumption under California family code section 760 controls which provides “ ….all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in this state is community property.” Family Code §760. This becomes a problem if you…
YOU may choose to do business as a corporation. A corporation is a legal fiction. It exists only in contemplation of law. It has a separate legal identity. That entity, not you, operates the business. It owns the business assets, owes business debts, collects business revenues, and pays business expenses. It possesses characteristics such as…
QUESTION: I have won asylum as of about two years ago. Is there anything I need to do? Answer: If you have come to the U.S. as a refugee or been granted asylum in the U.S. — whether from the Asylum Office of .S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or by an immigration judge in court —you…
ARE your growing debts starting to worry you and cause you sleepless nights? Are you trying hard to pay what you can every month but feel like you’re just running on a treadmill and not getting anywhere? Do you dread getting those credit card statements every month knowing that you don’t have the money to…
Could our American President Donald J. Trump be missing something? I mean something real. Something physical. Something psychological. I believe he is. When after 12 days he finally acknowledged that we lost 4 precious souls in an ambush in Niger, Africa. The largest number of military deaths in one battle incident since he was sworn…
OUR HEARTS go out to the victims of the California wildfires that have been devastating many parts of the wine country in Northern California this month. This is personal to me as our friends who live in Santa Rosa are among those whose lives will forever be changed by this tragedy. Dr. Marlon De Castro,…
WE can’t escape this world. We can’t isolate or numb ourselves from all its influences and its happenings. Be it a political issue, a natural disaster, or a threat of nuclear war, our personal lives–which includes our spirituality, faith, or religious beliefs–interface and intertwine with the affairs of this world. This fact is much more…
WITH only a couple of days away from the coronation night, the Grand International title is just within reach of the 77 lovely candidates representing their countries for the 2017 Miss Grand International being held – as we speak – in Vietnam. And as expected, votes are being cast on who are going to make it to the Top 5. Sources say our candidate Elizabeth Durado Clenci is one of the best bets on…
(Part 1 of 3) An underrated personal investment and oftentimes a lavish opportunity many are deprived of, traveling is an excellent escape from reality… a luxurious trek that offers more-than-life know-how while simultaneously broadening one’s awareness about people, places and events around the world…thus, bringing forth a renewed lifestyle and restructured direction. They say: “The…
(Part 1 of 3) An underrated personal investment and oftentimes a lavish opportunity many are deprived of, traveling is an excellent escape from reality… a luxurious trek that offers more-than-life know-how while simultaneously broadening one’s awareness about people, places and events around the world…thus, bringing forth a renewed lifestyle and restructured direction. They say: “The…
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…
My wife, Farida, and I just returned to Las Vegas from an 11-day Japan Explorer Cruise on the Celebrity Millennium with some colleagues, claimed to be the largest cruise vessel in Asia, at 91,000 tons, 965 ft. long, 105 beam, and an occupancy of 2,138. There were more than 300 Filipinos working admirably onboard. We…
Twenty-four-year-old Mary Joyce Jaime’s highest level of completed education was 6th grade. She doesn’t work and had her first child at 18 years old. In six years, she had five more pregnancies, one which she miscarried. She sits in a corner of a bustling, loud maternity ward being questioned by a hospital staffer for her…
VP Leni Robredo praises Switzerland as example for PH health-focused tech solutions The health technology competition seeking homegrown solutions to expand Filipinos’ access to Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) was organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines in partnership with Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and TechTalks.ph to celebrate 60 years of PH-Switzerland diplomatic…
“The Philippines is in a position to join the ranks of countries whose Duty Free industry is expected to grow by an average of 40 percent in the next decade,” said Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo at the recently-concluded 2017 Duty Free & Travel Retail Global Summit held at Cannes, France. Teo expressed…
After a decade of hiatus, the mother of all beauty pageants in Southeast Asia is back. Last year, the official re-launching of the pageant took place in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, specifically at the renowned Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa. 22-year old stunner, Tessa Helena Le Conge from the Netherlands is the current titleholder. She bested…
Philippines, 16 October 2017 – HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announced the local availability of the highly anticipated Nokia 3310 3G with fresh new colors and a new user interface. This 3G-enabled modern classic which boasts an amazing 24-day standby time is now available nationwide at a suggested retail price of P2,790. Combining…
MANILA, Philippines – Hino Motors Philippines (HMP), the exclusive distributor of Japan’s leading brand of trucks and buses in the country, celebrates another milestone with the grand opening of its newest dealership along United Nations Avenue in Manila on October 12. This recent dealership was awarded to One Alliance Motor Source, Inc. (OAMSI) under the…
BEGINNING January 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…
Filipino-American Hollywood star and former WWE champion Dave Bautista co-stars in the much-anticipated movie “Blade Runner 2049”, a sequel from the 1982 hit movie “Blade Runner” that was directed by Ridley Scott and starred by Harrison Ford. Three decades after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge…
SAN RANCISCO—Governance is everywhere. I am slated to deliver a talk related to Ownership and Succession today to the students, faculty members and business owners at the Community College of San Francisco Ocean Campus (CCSF). This will be another interesting exchange of ideas with business owners and the academia similar to the one I did exactly…
Upon deciding to form your own business, the next question is – what type of entity should you operate – as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, LLC, or LLP? Which entity is most beneficial for you? Choosing the wrong form could cause unnecessary taxes, increased liability, and unnecessary exposure to lawsuits. What you should not…
(This article is part 2 of 2 parts) HERE are some more misconceptions about bankruptcy that we did not discuss last week: 1. Will I lose my house? Normally, debtors get to keep their residence as long as their equity in the house does not exceed the applicable homestead exemption. If the equity of the…
The media is awash with reports regarding Harvey Weinstein, the co-founder of movie companies Miramax and the Weinstein Company. Weinstein is accused of sexual harassment and sexual assault by employees and actresses. The complaints came from women both unknown (a temporary employee for one) and famous (Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, and Ashley Judd). As of…
“If your finances are out of control, you need to do something about this situation- the sooner the better. You don’t need to face debt problems alone. Help is available but you need to take action.” One of the things that stop people in finding a solution to their debt problems is the fact that…
By Imee Ong-Maghanoy ‘Be Alive, Be Yourself, Be Strong’ “Being alive in all aspects of it is making sure that you’re present in the moment and feeling what it feels like to be you. Making sure that when you are going through these things (weight-loss journey)…, you understand that the end-goal is for you to…
CURRENT developments in the Philippines are bringing back the specter of martial law. President Rodrigo Duterte has given not-too-subtle hints about declaring it. And while he has been quick to take back those hints — in his trademark flip-flopping style — the threats he has made against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and…
Globe Business, the enterprise information and communications technology arm of Globe Telecom, has gathered top Philippine conglomerates in the retail industry to help them future proof their businesses through ICT. The Globe Enterprise Retail Forum was attended by over 80 key figures from leading retail companies such as Rustan’s Supercenter Inc., Megaworld Lifestyle, PMFTC, San…
