Desensitization
DESPITE efforts by President Rodrigo Duterte to vociferously fight the drug crisis in the country, many still refuse to see its success. Whether they are guilty or not, the staggering…
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The beginnings of our Christmas tradition
CHRISTMAS is my favorite season of the year because it just makes us look at what matters most in our life, be thankful for them, and yearn to spread the…
Fil-Am actor Jose Llana leads diverse cast of ‘The King and I’
National tour at Hollywood Pantages Theatre until January 21 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I” prevails as a timeless musical production that has undergone several revivals since it first…
The legacy: A house full of daughters
Thirty-two years ago, my husband left me. He died, leaving a house full of daughters, young and adorable, innocent, with the world on their side. In the face of adversity,…
The gaiety, frolic and freedom in the Castro
SAN FRANCISCO – You think they’ll go away. They didn’t, they haven’t and they won’t. They are not just a passing phase with cultural mileposts. They are here to stay…
LA introduces fund for immigrant rights
The city looking to combat Trump’s deportation threat IN conjunction with city officials and philanthropists, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the installation of a $10 million fund dedicated to…
Lawmakers, community groups rally in LA against Trump’s anti- immigration proposals
LOS ANGELES — Roughly 2,000 demonstrators gathered in Pershing Square on Sunday, December 18, before marching to the steps of City Hall, where lawmakers and community leaders pledged to resist…
Client seeks Chapter 7 relief for $57K credit cards
Senior seeks Chapter 7 relief for $100K credit cards CLIENT is 52 and married. Her husband filed for Chapter 7 relief for $30K of credit card debts two years ago. At…
Are part-time employees entitled to paid sick leave?
(And can employees use their paid sick time to care for family members?) Q: I AM a part-time hourly employee working in retail. I work between 20 to 30 hours…
Can’t plan for the future due to excessive debt
ARE you worried about your future due to having too much debt? You’ve probably heard the saying, “The failure to plan is a plan to fail”. And yet so many…
Do we really need a gangster as the Philippines’ president?
FOLLOWING the postings and counter-postings on Facebook of folks whom I regard as righteous and intelligent, I have frankly begun to sense that there is a new standard of right…
The tradition of Simbang Gabi lives on
SIMBANG GABI, or dawn mass, heralds the official start of Christmas among Filipinos, kicking off in the wee hours of the morning of December 16, for nine consecutive days. This…
Frailties and strength
It is not Christmas fever or holiday blues, but a full spectrum of a human condition of what is to be sick, to be cured, to lose and to triumph….
The world meets Miss World Philippines 2016 Catriona Gray
While everybody’s feeling jolly and bright, the world of beauty pageants is gearing up for the Miss World 2016 event which will be held on Sunday, December 18 in Washington D.C. It is with…
Simbang Gabi masses: Our testimony of faith
THERE were a lot of people at the LA Cathedral on Thursday, December 15. The rain did not stop them, mostly our kababayans, from coming to the opening Mass of…
Looking through the lens of ace photographer Filbert Diego Kung
If the world is a stage and each has to play a part…easily then, a camera is one imperative device that will capture every single facet of one’s performance. Its…
The January 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…
Appetite regulators
IN this day and age of health consciousness and the appreciation of the value and role of weight on longevity, interest in weight control and dieting is greater than ever,…
Crimes that may affect your citizenship application
WHEN a legal permanent resident files for citizenship, one of the questions being asked of the applicant is whether the applicant has ever been convicted or charged with a crime. …
Warning to DREAMers: Do not leave the US when Trump becomes president
These are Filipinos who are living and working in the United States without the required immigration papers, while some have benefitted from President Barack Obama’s DREAM Act — deportation relief…
How to cook ginataan bilo-bilo
A Filipino sweet soup snack perfect for chilly winter nights Contributed by Sarahlynn Pablo / Filipino Kitchen Beyond the brown sugar and coconut milk, my aunt said, any available fruit or vegetable…
Recipes for the holidays from Chef Eric Pascual
Though born and raised in the Bay Area, Chef Eric Pascual spent a good amount of his childhood in Hawaii. His passion for cooking started at a young age when…
Ginataang na Alimasag at Hipon by Chef Eric Pascual
Ingredients: • Meat from 2 large Dungeness crab (approximately 1 lb. of meat) • ½ lb. shrimp (shells removed) • 1 cup green jackfruit, chopped (fresh or 1 can large,…
Cassava Cake by Chef Eric Pascual
Ingredients: • 3 ½ cups of frozen grated cassava or fresh cassava if available • 1 ½ cup evaporated milk (or ¾ cup of whole milk and ¼ cup half…
Food, glorious food: The noche buena spread
There is no doubt that Christmas is one of the Filipinos’ favorite holidays. Aside from having the longest holiday season (starting in September until January), Christmas is the time for…
From books to chocolate: How a Fil-Am college dean transitioned into becoming a chocolatier
One night about two years ago, Romeo Garcia decided it was time to take a “creative sabbatical” from his career in academia. Over the past six years, Garcia — who…
What is new: Federal penalties for late W2s and 1099s
JANUARY 31, 2017 is the new deadline for filing 2016 Forms W-2 and W-3 both in paper forms and electronic. If you need 30-day extension complete Form 8809. There are…
He said, she said
“I WILL continue to fight against things I do not believe in. If being an opposition leader entails that, then I will be an opposition leader,” Vice Pres. Leni Robredo…
A celebration of Christmas and Filipino culture
It was an unbridled celebration of sound and scenes last Saturday at the International Celebrity Center for the Philippine Institute of Language, arts and culture (PILAC) in partnership with the…
Green card petition for widow(er)s
SPOUSES of deceased United States (“U.S.”) citizens may apply for green cards, if they self-petition within 2 years of their spouse’s passing. The unmarried children under 21 years of age…