The August 2017 priority dates
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…
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Fruit juices: Bad for babies
The American Academy of Pediatric strictly recommends no fruit juices for babies, absolutely no fruit juices at all, before age one, and very limited, if at all, for toddlers and…
UNBOXING FILIPINO CULTURE: Close family ties and most loved items in a balikbayan box
IF there lies a single thing that would ultimately define Filipino identity, one would have to fly around the world and back, and still would not know what it would…
What to do if you received incorrect forms W-2 and 1099R
FORM W-2 and Form 1099-R should be available to you by January 31st and corrected versions should be available by end of February. What you need to do if any…
Trump Jr. releases detailed emails that give more smoke to the Russian-Trump campaign collusion
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN has, in many times, failed to disclose, mislead and lied about its alleged communications and ties with the United States’ adversary, Russia, and has even called any…
Critical numbers
BASED on projections by the Commission on Population (POPCOM) and data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Philippine population will continue to increase in 2017 and is projected to…
Traveling 101: Tips on getting more for your money
IN this digital era where alluring destinations and fascinating safaris keep flooding your social media accounts, the need and hunger for travel burns deep inside the hearts of those who…
Do I need a premarital agreement before getting married?
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…
How to handle field audit at your place of business
FIELD audits are more challenging than office audits. They are conducted at your place of business. Audits are performed by Revenue Agents who have many years of experience. They may…
Pregnancy is a temporary disability requiring employer accommodation
Protecting women’s rights at work CRYSTAL Losorelli worked as a correctional officer at a men’s prison in Chino, California. She became pregnant and requested light duty assignment. Crystal had asked…
How much debt is too much?
HOW do you answer this question? Let’s check what the Bible has to say about debt. The Bible says that one should neither be a lender or borrower. It does…
Is bankruptcy your only realistic chance to get out of debt?
WHEN your financial circumstances are forcing you to declare bankruptcy, it is one way of dealing with debts that you can no longer manage on your own. Of course, the…
Silent heart attack
Many patients with coronary heart disease have no chest pains or other symptoms indicative of ischemia (diminished blood flow and oxygen to the coronary arteries that supply the muscles of…
Divine restlessness
THERE is a restlessness in many of us, one that makes us think about life and questions the varied facets of human existence. It’s a divine restlessness because it urges us to contemplate…
Six ways to get your body #SummerReady
SUMMER is here! Everybody’s heading to the beach and we all know the ‘scenery’ during beach season, don’t we? Now don’t you go bailing on some summer fun just because…
Time for Pacquiao to retire?
There is no doubt in my mind that Manny Pacquiao won against Australian Jeff Horn. The CompuBox statistics showed Pacquiao landing 182 punches vs. Horn’s 92, with 123 power punches…
Fake news: There is no ‘visa-free’ travel to the US for Filipinos
I WANT to warn Filipinos about fake news reports that Pres. Trump had signed an executive order allowing Filipinos to travel to the United States without visas for 30 days….
“It’s been a ‘roller coaster’ ride”
For Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, his first year in the office thus far has been filled with unpredictable highs and lows. It’s been 12 months since the tough-talking former Davao…
Trump asks world leaders to call him on his cellphone
United States President Donald Trump asks world leaders to call him directly on his cellphone, according to an Associated Press report. According to U.S. officials, who requested anonymity, Trump gave…
Poll: A vast majority of Americans say political civility has declined since Trump was elected president
HAPPY FOURTH of July! As we celebrate Independence Day in America this week, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll study reveals that a majority of Americans — 70 percent — say…
Champion in our hearts
DESPITE his impressive display of explosive punches and dynamic movements, Manny Pacquiao still bowed down before a formidable opponent during the “Battle of Brisbane” on Sunday, July 2. In his…
Photos can sing like a Russian novel
WORDS are mere grace notes, and I’ve dealt with them all my life. They are adequate for many of our purposes, even indispensable for most. They can, of course, be…
What is the ‘reasonable probability’ test regarding criminal convictions?
QUESTION: I was convicted of an assault charge and have been told that there is a possibility that I can show that it was not a crime of moral turpitude,…
Should the IRS conduct a field audit at your home or office?
NEITHER one, actually. You see, IRS conducts field audits where the books and records of a business are maintained. This, of course, is your office, home, warehouse, factory, or store….
Employee misclassification results in serious injustice to workers
“Independent contractors” lose employment rights “The most important factor to consider whether a worker is an employee or an IC is the employer’s right to control the worker in performing the…
How much debt is too much?
HOW do you answer this question? Let’s check what the Bible has to say about debt. The Bible says that one should neither be a lender or borrower. It does…
Filing bankruptcy when financial stress becomes too much to handle
IF you’ve ever been in a situation in your life where you had to file bankruptcy as a last resort in order to get out of debt, you know exactly…
I filed my own divorce but I can’t finish it
MANY people try to file and open their own divorce case without an attorney in an effort to save on legal fees. Often, the self-represented divorce litigant would seek…
Knock off the self-destructive tweeting, Mr. President — You are sabotaging your own agenda!
“MY advice to President Trump about his incessant ‘Tweeting’ that undermines his ability to govern: knock it off,” was the message of Fil-Am Republican leader Rudy Asercion in the Facebook…
Keeping ‘the lines’ open to Paco Arespacochaga
BEFORE the emergence of boy bands and K-pop stars, the groups that were born in the 80s or 90s scream for solo artists and pop-rock band performers. One of them…