AFTER more than a year of contentious debate over who should succeed the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia in the Supreme Court, the Senate on Friday, April 7 confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee, Neil M. Gorsuch, with a vote of 54 to 45. The battle culminated in the Democrats’ filibuster of Gorsuch’s nomination, with Democrats…
After a very contentious election last year, I am hopeful that we can set aside the partisan bickering that has plagued the halls of government throughout our great nation. In order to stimulate and facilitate honest dialogue and discourse, we must continue to support trusted sources for news information, programming and entertainment that only public…
Recent developments in immigration law have certainly caused a great deal of fear and worry among immigrant families. Fear can either propel to action or can immobilize and paralyze. In recent articles, it has been our goal to offer words of hope. Having correct information and knowledge should empower, and prepare those who are uncertain…
In the realm of the art world, realism has been accurately considered the highest form of painting creativity due to the proximity of the art work to the original appearance of its subject. The Renaissance period, understandably, gave birth to such painting style and Hellenistic Greek sculptures. A multi-faceted Filipino artist, Angelo Antonio Maristela, has…
For Christians, Holy Week is definitely a very sacred time of the year. Starting on Palm Sunday onto Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday; it is a time to reflect on Jesus Christ’s journey to the Cross — beginning with his entry into Jerusalem, his lonely trek from the Upper Room through Gethsamane,…
Easter is the Sunday that marks the end of the Holy Week and is greatly influenced by the Christian faith as it reminds believers to remember the sacrifice of the Son of God. Others think of it as a time of celebration with Easter eggs, bunnies and peeps. So to celebrate, here are a few…
In a country where Roman Catholics make up 81 percent of the population, it is no surprise that Filipinos have numerous traditional events during Holy Week. In the early days, these traditions and practices religiously for people to reflect on their sins and the sacrifice Jesus Christ has made. However, the onset of modern technology…
DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I overstayed my visa, and am now out of status (TNT). I’m living in California, and want to visit my relatives on the East Coast. I’m afraid of flying, because they have immigration officers at the airport, and I’m concerned they will just pick me up at the airport and deport me…
AT the National Federation of Filipino American Associations Region 10 Regional Empowerment Conference in National City on March 25, 2017, I was asked this question: There are many in our community who are non-US citizens who are in fear of deportation. May you clarify for us what it means to be in deportation? What would…
ABOUT 25 percent of physicians practicing in the United States graduated from foreign medical schools who had their internship/medical/surgical residency training in the U.S. More than 22,000 of them are from the Philippines. For an objective evidence-based reply to that question, I am reprinting below, verbatim, the Tusgawa Harvard study published in the British Medical…
There is a memory of loss that fall provokes, like feeding the earth’s exhaustion, satisfaction and weariness, making us wonder. How we deal with all the other endings in our lives or facing up to what’s been and now gone? How do we mend the wear and tear of our lives? The last image I…
“SOME people in the Trump campaign may end up in jail,” revealed Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro in a CNN interview on Tuesday, April 4. The congressman’s declaration comes after more classified information was presented to the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into the allegations that the Trump campaign and Russia conspired to meddle in the 2016…
FOR a country that has been branded with the “worst airport in the world” tag in 2011 and 2013, the last thing it needs is another reason to inconvenience its travelers. Last year, a survey released by “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports” ranked the Philippines’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in fifth place. Complaints…
AD maiorem Dei gloriam, the Latin motto of the Jesuits which means “For the greater Glory of God,” is a phrase that we often use to express our motive when we serve other people. It’s a phrase that some celebrities even use to convey their gratitude to God for their achievements. It’s a saying that…
IF I had a penny for every time I would tell myself and others that ‘mothers know best,’ I’d probably be very rich now. Truth of the matter is: we have so much to learn and emulate from mothers in general. Whether from your biological mother or a woman playing a motherly role in your…
“ An honest debtor is one who truthfully discloses his financial affairs, income and expenses, assets and liabilities in his bankruptcy petition.” HAVING literally represented several thousand clients in successful bankruptcy cases in the last 35 years in California, I have distilled the common misconceptions about bankruptcy into the following: 1. Will debtor go to…
IT’S H-1B season again. On 4/3/2017, the USCIS will start accepting H-1B applications for the 2018 fiscal year. As you may be aware, the H-1B non-immigrant visa is used by various U.S. businesses to hire or employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields, such as accountants, scientists,…
Should they be paid additional wages? JAIMIE Quinby, Linda Gomes, and Eric Fontes worked as “General Managers” (GMs) for ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. (ULTA) in its California locations. The GMs sued ULTA for unpaid overtime wages and missed meal and rest breaks. Now, one may ask: Aren’t managers exempt from overtime and the…
QUESTION: I have already received my visa at the Consulate. Now I have heard about this extreme vetting and do not know what it means. Will I no longer be able to come to the U.S.? Answer: The U.S. Secretary of State has issued a memorandum to the Consulates in order to somewhat define how…
PART of the new Trump administration’s agenda is a tougher and more aggressive stance on immigration enforcement. This may be in the form of more detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants. Many of the undocumented immigrants have established families in the United States including minor children. One has to plan in advance what would happen…
HERE are 10 tips to pull you through an audit: 1. Bring the right attitude with you. It could spell the difference between winning and losing. 2. Be on time. Some auditors get irritated with taxpayers who come in late for an appointment. 3. Bring in only what is asked for. You might be inclined…
WARNING: Excessive credit card debt can lead to financial disaster and can affect your financial well-being. The reason they call it “credit card debt trap” is because once you’re in, it may be difficult or impossible to get out. It is actually the number one reason people end up filing bankruptcy when they have no…
MY late boss, Tony de Joya, chairman of Adverting & Marketing Associates, had a classic description of a condom: “It gives you a feeling of security while you are being screwed.” I was reminded of this upon reading about the results of President Rodrigo Duterte’s state visit to China, as reported by the Philippine Star:…
PRESIDENT Donald Trump promised to make America great again but 71 days into his young presidency, his approval rating has been on a free fall across the board this week. In the latest Gallup Poll’s three-day rolling average poll, Trump’s approval slid to a historic 35 percent as of Tuesday, March 28, down from 36…
The much-awaited year-long planned annual celebration of PIDCI’s (Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc.) Grand Marshal Night successfully came to light last Saturday, March 25, 2017 at the posh Marriott Hotel Newark Liberty International Airport sans neither hitch nor glitch. The full-to-the-rafters fashionable event deliberately honored one of the most revered couples in the Filipino-American community:…
AN open letter to the president: Dear Pres. Trump: BEFORE you were elected president, you were one of the world’s premier builders. Your buildings fill the New York City skyline, and skylines of so many other cities within the US and around the world. Before starting a building project, you naturally obtained cost estimates from…
Earlier this March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that “nine deaths and hundreds of cases of a rare cancer have been linked with breast implants.” The malignancy here is not breast cancer but an immune system cancer known as anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). The cancer nurtures itself in the breast, notably in…
by Heather Domingo / AJPress To honor Women’s History Month, a Pinay gathering was celebrated at the Philippine Expressions Bookshop in San Pedro, California on Saturday, March 25. With about 50 guests in attendance, eight different authors participated in the event, sharing their journeys as Filipino-American women and authors, and the value of their books….
Customer Service Dashboard: The goal is provide tools and resources in resolving tax matters. The “Customer Service Dashboard” was launched in March 1, 2017 with estimated time frames for your wait time. For more information go to: https://www.ftb.ca.gov Deductions for Taxes Paid or California Other State Tax Credit (OSTC) Legal Ruling 2017-01: California resident is…
AS the news gets inundated with headlines about the failed Trumpcare and the ongoing muddled investigation on the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, President Donald Trump signed a bill into law that will end Obama-era regulation that protects ordinary folks from unscrupulous employers from abusing and neglecting them. Under the Fair Pay…
