Spring has sprung. It is upon us in a scent that grows deeper, dizzying, improbable. It is too heady, too provocative to be diminished. Seeping through open windows, under doors, as you slip out of a doorway or slide out of a car. There it is — a scent that dominates the air, your bed…
HAVE you ever wondered why people suffer? Have you ever complained to God about an illness, death, or a crisis? Have you ever questioned some unfairness in your life and the lives of other people? Well, I’m sure that each of us has grappled with these issues in one way or another. But have you…
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius Not many of us can say we have found what Confucius would have described as “a perfect job.” Most people hold their jobs because they need to make ends meet; but can they honestly say that they…
“Chapter 7 will just wipe out all of his potential liability for the damage caused.” Freak accident liability I THINK I want to discuss the client with the freak accident first. First client is 45. This is really a very unusual case. In fact, I have never encountered a case like this before in the…
Q: I WAS diagnosed with herniated disc and severe anxiety. I want to request leave but want to keep my privacy at work. Do I need to tell my employer about my medical or psychological condition? A: No. The employee is not required to disclose the nature of the employee’s medical condition or disability (i.e.,…
A BUSINESS visa attorney can let you know all types of visas that you might be able to apply for under U.S. immigration law. Depending on your situation, the type of visa will differ. For example, a business visa attorney might tell you about the H-1B, which is people who have college degrees. The business…
THERE are two approaches to prepare for an audit: organized and shoebox. Organized means arranging your records. Shoebox means simply being you—your naturally disorganized you. Let’s discuss each method so you can determine which one is best for your next audit. Why You Should be Organized: 1. This approach of presenting data in a structured…
IF you are in debt and don’t have enough to pay your debts each month after taking care of living expenses, you may be tempted to borrow money from credit cards to pay your other debts. At first blush, it may seem like a “brilliant” idea. Don’t do it. If you do, you are playing…
DONALD J. TRUMP has been president for a little over 60 days and yet his approval and trust rating continues to plummet amid the controversies, scandals and failures he has caused upon himself. Amid the growing list of issues against Trump: inability to close the deal among Republicans to pass Trumpcare that would have repealed…
Recent executive orders signed by President Trump, have sparked widespread discussion within the immigrant community. U.S. immigration laws and policy are centerstage. Much of what is being discussed within the immigrant community, although well intentioned, can often be misguided and misleading. In this current situation, having an immigration expert educate you so you can make…
The Pan American Citizens Action League, Inc. (PACCAL) pompously commemorated Women’s History Month by honoring 12 Women Achievers and 3 Influential Women with the recognition of 2 of the organization’s most loyal and hardworking members last Saturday, March 18, at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, a distinct gesture of tracing back the first International Women’s Day…
IN a stout rebuttal of assertions made in a Philippine Daily Inquirer column by Filipino-American lawyer, Rodel Rodis, concerning the US citizenship of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and his subsequent renunciation of it, the following news item came out: “Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday blasted an opinion piece questioning his citizenship, calling it ‘fake…
A PROVISIONAL waiver can benefit certain people who are not eligible to adjust status in the U.S. These people include: • Crewmen without the benefit of section 245(i), which was a law that expired on April 30, 2001, allowing crewmen and others to still adjust status in the US if they were petitioned before that…
I wrote an article back in 1998 about Viagra, a headliner around the world then when it was first introduced that year. Two decades next year, Viagra and its competitors, Cialis and Levitra, still arouse interest globally. Sildenafil (Viagra), the wonder pill for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, was approved by the…
It is not a good business practice to pay cash for wages. Issues when paying employees cash 1. You are exposed to income tax audits of both agencies federal and state for not reporting the wages. 2. You have the legal obligation to withhold payroll taxes and report wages. 3. There are no check stubs,…
TWO of the most common expressions that I hear from the tricycle drivers in our neighborhood in Parañaque are: “Lumilipas din ang kahihiyan!” (Shame passes!) and, “Nakakain ba ang dangal?” (Can you eat honor?). These expressions reflect a very cynical attitude that is probably understandable if one were to consider the harsh lives that the…
Faces investigation on possible collusion with Russia PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump lied. He lied to the American people. He lied to the world. And he is not owning up to it. He is not apologizing about it. In four rants on Twitter in the early morning of March 4, Trump accused President Barack Obama of…
DESPITE a recent cordial encounter during the commencement exercises of the Philippine Military Academy Salaknib Class of 2017 in Baguio City last March 12, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and Vice Pres. Leni Robredo find themselves at odds once again over the interests of the country. On one side is the president who remains unshaken despite receiving…
Do we seriously think writing is all joy? One should realize it is also half pain, and sometimes it is pain that makes us write. Think about the atrocious solitude of a room that gradually becomes a prison, like a torture chamber. The fear of the blank page that stares at you mockingly, the torment…
Having four seasons in a year is an idea that is quite foreign to Filipinos who grew up in the Philippines. Back there, we only have the dry (summer) and wet (rainy) seasons. Then there are those, like me, who migrated outside the Philippines to a place that has more than two seasons. This change…
“IF today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” These were words that came out from my former pastor’s lips many years ago as he began his homily one Sunday mass. He kept repeating these words and expounding on them. They were words from Psalm 95; words that, I thought then, were an appeal…
RICARDO Vaquero and Robert Schaefer worked as Sales Associates for Stoneledge Furniture, a retail furniture company. Stoneledge paid sales associates on a commission basis, based on the company’s Commission Compensation Pay Agreement. If a sales associate did not earn “Minimum Pay” of at least $12.01 per hour in commissions in any pay period, Stoneledge paid…
QUESTION: I’m so afraid to open my door now. I’ve heard ICE agents are doing round-ups and just deporting people left and rights. What can I do? Answer: All people living in the United States, including undocumented immigrants, have certain U.S. Constitutional rights. If you are undocumented and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents knock…
(Part 3 of 3) 11. Your case is referred to an Automated Collection System (ACS). The ACS is a nameless, faceless computerized collection system that utilizes telephones. IRS personnel at various “call sites” have little authority to help you by way of compromise or installment but have great authority to harm you. If I may…
MOST people don’t talk about their credit card debt because they find it embarrassing. They can talk to their friends and family about everything else but when it comes to the subject of how much debt they are carrying, most people would not divulge any information. It makes them very uncomfortable. So what happens is…
PRESIDENT Donald Trump just will not stop. Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have said they have not seen any evidence to substantiate Trump’s accusations of wiretapping/surveillance against Pres. Barack Obama before, during and after the 2016 presidential election. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey has said it…
I WAS shocked at Vice President Leni Robredo’s video message sent to the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs to be played at its 60th meeting today. Either this lady is so naïve, or so stupid, that she doesn’t really know the gravity of her message, which I suspect she doesn’t, since she was reading the…
Women have strategically used and relentlessly conceived various methods and schemes to break barriers and untiringly promote gender equality that they may stand at par with their male counterparts. Through the years history has remarkably generated an immense number of empowered women who were capable of changing the world’s social, industrial, political, and educational landscape…
Remembering the courage of our heroes On April 9, 1942, three months after the Bataan of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II; Filipino and American prisoners of war were forcibly transferred by the Imperial Japanese Army from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O’Donnell in Tarlac. They marched approximately 60 miles under extreme heat,…
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…
