PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has maintained excellent trust and approval ratings among top government officials in his first year in office. This is a feat considering how negatively he was portrayed by media around the world for his unrelenting initiatives to rid the country of illegal drugs, crime and corruption. Despite his critics, 80 percent of…
Raving gratitude for Maestro from his students “I am not in awe of people per se, because we are all pilgrims, we are given everything. Why am I here? I am medium when it comes to talent. Supernatural talent comes from the Higher Being – bigger than all of us. I surrender my fate to…
Unlike the novelist, the poet nor a playwright, columnists are not performing center ring. They must be contented with their self-imposed role of being second-class citizens in the world of literati. With this undisciplined existence, a columnist is licensed to be cheeky, drawing from so many strands of inconsistencies in human behavior and getting away…
QUESTION: I have a business and want to either purchase or buy a business in the U.S. but do not know which one of the visas would be better. The choices that I have been given are the E-2 and the L-1. Can you clarify and/or help me make the decision? Answer: Each visa has…
Reporting kickbacks and irregularities are protected activities STEVEN Babyak worked as a regional sales manager for Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., a medical device manufacturer. Throughout his three years at the company, he was consistently rated a top sales manager. Babyak complained to upper management, human resources and corporate legal counsel that the company may be violating several…
CLIENT is 50, divorced and used to own a business that had a commercial lease for retail space. He operated the business for 10 years. On the 11th year, sales started to plunge for unknown reason such that debtor could no longer pay the commercial lease of his retail space. He still had 2 years…
ARE you in debt and in a constant state of worrying about your financial situation? Perhaps like most people you live paycheck to paycheck and are barely surviving but you’ve made the mistake of borrowing more money than you can pay back. You’re not alone. This happens to a lot of people. But worrying and…
There are three basic types of IRS audits: correspondence, office, and field examinations. A. Correspondence audits are generally used for specific questions that can easily be verified. B. Office audits are conducted at the various offices of the IRS and tend to be structured. C. Field audits are geared toward businesses whose books and records…
“Fashion is the extension of our personalities. It dignifies our humanity just like art and music. I believe in capturing elegance; Fashion is the extension of our personalities. It dignifies our humanity just like art and music. I believe in capturing elegance; An allure of romantic feminism with a tailored twist. It speaks of a…
The boy bands’ cultural origins was believed to have emerged back in the late 19th century with its earliest forerunner as merely an a-cappella barbershop quartet and their act evolved into a more harmonized vocalization with musical instruments aptly accompanied with doo-wop music. The phenomenal rise of Jackson 5, The Platters, Dave Clark 5, The…
The boy bands’ cultural origins was believed to have emerged back in the late 19th century with its earliest forerunner as merely an a-cappella barbershop quartet and their act evolved into a more harmonized vocalization with musical instruments aptly accompanied with doo-wop music. The phenomenal rise of Jackson 5, The Platters, Dave Clark 5, The…
RECENTLY, a person came to my office for consultation after her adjustment of status application (based on marriage to a US citizen) was denied due to fraud. She had entered the US on a transit visa (C-1), but was not a crewman. Therefore, she was otherwise eligible to adjust status. The problem is she went…
ON November 20, 2014, President Barack Obama announced that its administration will stop deporting certain undocumented parents of U.S. citizens and parents of legal permanent residents. These individuals will also be allowed to get work permits to enable them to work and get a driver’s license. This program has been named as the Deferred Action…
One of the most popular and very useful medications today worldwide is Metformin (Glucophage). This drug, whose molecular formula, C4H11N5, was first synthesized in 1929 and clinically introduced in the late 1950s by Jean Sterne, a French physician, who named it Glucophage, meaning glucose eater. In the United States, this drug was approved for type…
“I think ultimately the key to everyone’s heart is through their stomach.” —Filipino-American chef Alvin Cailan With the immense admiration that Filipino food has received over the last few years, it’s no surprise that the cuisine is also getting big screen treatment. “ULAM,” (Tagalog for main dish) an hour-long documentary by Filipina-American filmmaker Alexandra Cuerdo,…
At first, you might think it is the elegant figure, a matchless style, and mysterious allure. With or without makeup, she is always put together and utterly self confident, imbued with natural, some could be insolently thin, casually chic and fashionable despite simple wardrobe. I am reluctant to write about fashion. It does not fascinate…
YOU have not filed your income tax returns for the current year and previous years because: 1) you decided you are not required to file? 2) You are a victim of identity theft and therefore excuse? 3) You know you will owe taxes and you will have to pay when you file, decided not to…
IF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP truly wants to win the trust and support of most Americans, and not just his most loyal fan base, then he should listen to the voice of most Americans who do not approve of the way he has been responding to the probe that investigates the alleged collusion between the Trump…
MILITARY operations against the Maute terror group in Marawi City continues to rage on. After four weeks of clashes, the conflict has claimed the lives of 59 soldiers, three policemen, 26 civilians, 257 Islamic State (IS)-linked gunmen. More than 300,000 have fled the city while 200 were left behind, either trapped or captured as hostages…
My father is the kind of man I’ve always dreamed of: kind to the weak, fierce to the arrogant, generous to those who loved him, ruthless to those who will order him around. Today as a whole nation of sons and daughters pause to remember their fathers, I thought of how little I really know…
ONE of the goals of bankruptcy is to allow debtor-filers to start anew. This means that after filing bankruptcy and getting a discharge of their debts, these debtors will be in a position to move on financially. Allowing these debtors to keep certain basic assets despite a bankruptcy filing is one way of helping debtor…
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…
“If the employee worked more than 12 hours in a work day or in excess of 8 hours on the seventh day in a work week, the employee is entitled to double the employee’s regular rate.” OVER 1,300 call center-based nurses sued Permanente Medical Group, Inc., the medical group that staffs the Kaiser Permanente system,…
THERE are three basic types of IRS audits: correspondence, office, and field examinations. Let’s discuss correspondence audits. 1. Do not be afraid to open mails from the IRS. If you are, here’s an antidote to your dilemma: imagine that it’s a refund check. I have seen unopened mail with 30-day letters and 90-day letters (Stationary…
“First, get a qualified immigration attorney. Each case is different. This means that depending on your situation, the particular forms of relief will be different.” QUESTION: I was in immigration court about two years ago and had no relief. However, I did not have any crimes either and my attorney made a motion for prosecutorial…
A LOT of people in debt are in denial about their situation so they go about their lives pretending that everything is OK- until one day they find themselves in a financial emergency. Most debt problems don’t go away on their own, especially if the creditor is able to file a lawsuit, obtain a judgment…
Wants to fire special counsel, deputy attorney general PRESIDENT Donald Trump is now personally being investigated by the team of Special Counsel Robert Mueller for a possible criminal case of “obstruction of justice” after he fired FBI Director James Comey, according to reports by the Washington Post. This is a significant development in the year-long…
GOD knows those of us who work so hard and who patiently fulfill our responsibilities and obligations. God knows our fidelity and our persistence, despite our struggles, pains, dilemmas, heartaches, and disappointments. God knows our generosity, kindness, and compassion to others. He knows our true motives. And so, despite any false opinions of others regarding…
Don’t you just love it when summer is approaching? I love how the sun sets so late and how it makes you feel like you have more daytime hours. Not to mention, plenty of things you can still do ‘til the sun goes down at about 7 or 8 p.m. And since you have so…
The genesis has elaborately provided us with the accurate knowledge about Creation and Adam, being the first ever human being justifiably symbolizes the supremacy of man over the rest. Man’s role since had been associated with fatherhood…as somebody who sires, rears, and provides for his offspring. A father, aside from being known as the male…
