Fil-Am Thomas Orlina shares personal stories, discusses pop culture, fashion and dating in new web series We live in a world where content creation and digital storytelling is becoming more accessible for filmmakers, musicians and aspiring entertainment moguls. One of those dreamers is Filipino-American Thomas Orlina, who decided to utilize all the available tools of…
“ The garment that we need to wear when God invites us to his “wedding banquet” is hope. We can be religious and righteous, but if we don’t have hope for ourselves and others, our faith becomes shallow.” This Sunday’s Scripture readings provide us a clear vision of the richness and the promise of the Kingdom…
Politics and show business seem like two sides of the same coin. Both filled with scandals, power struggle, hypocrisy, lies, deception and sex offenders. While there’s a lot to gain from both of these sectors, there is, sadly, also a lot of disgrace that is just too disturbing for our sanity. I’ve been in the entertainment industry…
ORDINARILY, there is no appeal process for visa refusals at the Embassy. Under the doctrine of “consular non-reviewability,” a person cannot even sue the embassy or appeal their visa refusals in U.S. federal courts. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Embassy is not even required to provide a “detailed explanation” of the reasons for the…
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 stepparent–stepchild relationship should have been created before a stepchild turns 18 years old. This means that the stepparent and the…
What are renal calculi? Renal calculi (kidney stones) are chemical crystals that form into a hard salt solid structure that looks like and feels like a common stone we find on the streets. They vary in size, shape, and consistency, according to their chemical composition. They could be calcium oxalate stone, cystine stone, uric acid…
With Filipino-American History Month underway, communities across the United States have planned events throughout October, such as parades, literary fairs and food fests, to showcase Fil-Am influence in the country. In Los Angeles, one of the most-anticipated celebrations is the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) organized by the Association for the Advancement 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,…
THE White House is calling on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas to investigate a Fil-Am history professor after she expressed an opinion critical of President Donald Trump during one of her lectures. This comes in the wake of the deadly massacre in Las Vegas that claimed the lives of 58 people and injured about 500…
LAS VEGAS has always been a magnet, drawing millions for the inspiration provided by its symbols and characters, and what it says about us and our society – viewed as a ceaseful for the crass or pleasure palace for the masses and its denizens, writers look at it as a religion, a disease, a nightmare or a paradise…
THE IRS developed a guide for its agents in auditing consultants to focus on: 1. Travel and meals, 2. Bartering, 3. Independent ontractor 1099 versus employee W2, 4. Shifting or assignment of income by a taxpayer to a related entity, 5. ersonal ervice orporation, and 6. Internal controls, books and records, electronic software, and use of the Internet. Travel: The…
QUESTION:: I entered the United States a couple of months ago as a visitor and would now like to work in the United States. I have a degree in Business with an emphasis in accounting and have a couple of firms interested in hiring me. Do I qualify for a work permit, and if so,…
SEVEN hundred forty-eight people have been shot and killed by police in 2017 nationwide, according to an ongoing project by The Washington Post. Of these shootings, mental illness played a role in 1 in 5 of incidents. In 2015, when the Post started this project, an analysis of 400 police killings found that 25% of…
THE Japanese created Godzilla a long time ago. It’s a gigantic T-Rex on steroids that destroys Tokyo and the rest of Japan until someone comes to the rescue and kills it with nukes. Mr. Honda, the author, created the concept of Godzilla as a metaphor for the atomic bombs in 1954 when Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were the recipients of…
RECENTLY, he merican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the ACLU of Massachusetts, on behalf of 10 U.S. citizens and a permanent resident, sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) before the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts over its warrantless searches of travelers’ electronic devices at the border. Based on the…
THE date of separation is one of the most important facts to determine in a divorce case because it defines when the community interest ends and when separate property interest commences in a marriage. All property acquired by a married person while domiciled in the State of California is community property. Family Code Section 760. …
WITH credit card debt approaching $1 trillion according to the Federal Reserve, there is no doubt that thousands and thousands of families who can’t pay their credit card debts are struggling financially. The average family now carries a balance of a little more than $16,000. Now, this may not seem like a lot, but for…
“THERE is evil in the world.” I heard many people express these words after the Las Vegas massacre last week. It’s one of the statements that help people grapple with violence and senseless death of dozens of people, who were just “out there” enjoying life with country music among family and friends.” How else can we…
THE night of October 1 left us all in shock and devastation. With at least 59 people killed and more than 500 injured, the mass shooting in Las Vegas will go down as one of the darkest moments in U.S. history. Filled with horror and uncertainty, it was the darkest night in Las Vegas and one of the most horrifying scenes you never wish to see…
A POPULAR segment on my weekly immigration television show, “Citizen Pinoy”, is “Your Tanong, My Sagot”, where people ask immigration questions on a variety of subjects, and I offer my advice and guidance. Here are a sampling of questions from Filipino viewers, which may also be helpful to you: Question: I am a Filipino citizen,…
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…
For thousands of years, China has been known to be the capital of herbal medicine. Other countries like the Philippines have their own local regional version of treating diseases and health conditions using herbal products. Today, we still hear an abundance of anecdotal testimonials about the efficacy of these natural “medications” from indigenous foods, plants,…
HEALTH CARE is a right and not just a privilege. This is the philosophy behind the plan proposed by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders — a policy he has been advocating for years, and especially during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Because it is a fundamental right, Sanders proposes a plan that would create a federally…
Malacañang on Wednesday, October 4, welcomed the Commission on Appointments’ (CA) confirmation of the ad interim appointment of Roy Cimatu as the Philippines’ environment secretary. In a statement, Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella expressed confidence that Cimatu would keep a “delicate balance” between the country’s economic development and environmental protection. “We welcome the confirmation of the…
OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio-Morales refused to bend to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s dare for them to resign together, saying she “will not be baited into abandoning” her constitutional duties. In a statement, Morales said she is ready to answer all the president’s allegations against her. “I will not be baited into abandoning my constitutional duties,” the…
by Rian Mendiola /AJPress FILIPINO-American History Month is celebrated in the United States every October. The significance of the month is attached to the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the United States. It was on October 18, 1587 when the “Luzones Indios” came ashore from the Manila-built Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza under the…
I prefer standing for our National Anthem. That’s my choice. Men and women have fought, died or came home maimed fighting for our safety, freedom and to preserve our American Bill of Rights. One of those rights is to peacefully protest. So I don’t denigrate the players and teams who choose to take ‘the knee’…
Both Americans and Filipinos acknowledge their countries’ relationship is a “special one,” said Frank H. Golay in the book “The United States and the Philippines,” published by the American Assembly. Tracing back the pieces of history until the most recent issues emanating between the two countries, it is likely true. From the issues such as…
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…
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…
