“IT’S not really just serving someone’s vanity but more like making a difference in a person’s self-esteem. You help them feel better about their physical appearance and ultimately about themselves. I fell in love with the profession of being indirectly involved in changing a person’s lifestyle but somehow directly changing their life on a deeper…
“BUT for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its rays of healing.” — (Malachi 3:19-20) Many of us are deeply concerned about the things that are going on in the world today. Our generation has seen enormous violence, war, and poverty and destructions of societies. Our generation has not…
CLIENT is 58. He is not divorced but separated for 20 years. His income is good. He nets about $7K to $8K a month. He lives by himself and does not even own a car. He goes carpooling with a relative to go to work. His rent is $800 a month. So, he doesn’t really…
THE Uber app allows riders to call, arrange and pay for taxi cab rides and other transportation services electronically via their mobile phone. On September 9, 2012, Caren Ehret used the UberTAXI option to arrange for a taxi ride in her city. When she signed up for the taxi driver to come pick her up,…
QUESTION: I contributed money which I saved before the marriage into purchasing a property during the marriage which I acquired with my spouse in joint name. During the marriage we cashed out most of the equity in that house to purchase several properties. The first house we purchased no longer has a lot of equity …
IF you are unable pay all your taxes owed to the IRS, you may make an offer to pay a smaller sum to fully pay all taxes, penalties, and interests. This is called Offer in Compromise (OIC for short). Let’s discuss the pros and cons of OIC. Advantages: If the offer is accepted, you will…
AS we prepare to wrap up another year, I still see a lot of families who are at the end of their financial rope with no place to turn for help with all types of debt problems. Some of them are paralyzed and feel stuck in their situation, unable to move forward and afraid that…
BORROWING the term used by former US Vice-President Al Gore to sound the alarm about global warming, I believe there are certain inconvenient truths that need to be confronted concerning the war on drugs being waged by President Rodrigo Duterte. I think the first inconvenient truth is that, no matter what the anti-Duterte factions and…
AMERICA has spoken — business mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States, defeating his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in a surprising turn of events on November 8, election day. I could not be more proud of President Barack Obama and Sec. Hillary Clinton for going past…
Getting old is a natural thing and no one must not be afraid of the natural. Trees age, as well as animals and everything that is alive. I am not afraid to look old. I don’t know indifference, I ignore bitterness. If something unpleasant happens to me, I put it behind. Women in that certain…
IT’S been three days (as of this writing) since more than 15 policemen of the Eastern Visayas Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) motored for several hours from their headquarters in Tacloban City, to arrive in Baybay City in the wee hours of the morning, occupied the sub-provincial jail, disarmed its warden and guards, and…
People are justifiably concerned, anxious, and even terrified over Donald Trump’s proposed plan to deport the approximate 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US. However, let’s remember that the executive branch does NOT pass laws, nor is the president in charge of funding or the budget. Those powers, duties, and functions belong to Congress, as…
(Part 3) FOR many people, attaining US citizenship is the final step in achieving their “American Dream.” After getting a green card, they eagerly count off the years until they are finally eligible to apply for naturalization. However, for some people, applying for citizenship could cause problems, issues, and even being stripped of their green…
ON December 23, 2016, the filing fees for most petitions and applications filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will increase. The current filing fee for an application for naturalization is $680. Effective December 23, 2016, the filing for this application will now be $725. Other commonly filed applications and petitions and their…
(Part 2 of 2) Every nation’s immigration rules and regulations seek to weed out ‘undesirables’ or ‘deplorables’ maybe – those with the propensity for malicious mischief or simply, to do harm. The United States is no exception. When a foreigner commits a crime and gets convicted, the steps toward the path to citizenship will be …
IF you are, hold that glass and do not say “cheers or ganbei” yet until you read the information on urine therapy in this column. Informational technology is a wonderful gift to humankind. But just like anything else which makes access to tons of data easy and widespread, interpretation of the information or its abuse…
KEEP a low audit profile. It reduces risk of an audit. Here are some tips to keep the IRS from auditing your tax returns: • Make sure that social security numbers and names that you use on your income tax match exactly what appear on your social security cards. An incorrect number or name causes…
THE headline back home in the Philippines eclipsed the U.S. Presidential Election last November 8. The Supreme Court of the Philippines just ruled that the remains of the deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos may be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The highest court’s 9-5 decision ended a decade-long debate: did Marcos deserve to be…
THE burial of Former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery) was given a go signal by the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Voting 9-5, the high court has put an end to the highly contested and heavily debated issue, dismissing the petition filed by human rights groups, and victims…
LAS VEGAS – A boxer’s skills erodes a lot quicker in this crazy roulette called boxing, like no other sport offers. Here today, gone tomorrow (but millions richer); the peacock today, is a feather dust tomorrow. There is a tremendous fascination in every fight, in the multi-level on which it is played and the relative…
As a voter, you have direct influence on who will make decisions for the future. You currently have the power to control what will affect your family’s future. Many people believe the voices of Asian Americans are not heard. We sometimes complain that Asian Americans are not noticed in the media, have a lack of…
Angela Rupert is the Democratic candidate for State Assembly in the Valley, and she is also a mother, wife and immigration attorney. She is the choice for many Asians in the Valley and for good reason – she has a favorable view on immigration and she spends a lot of time meeting and listening to…
ON February 15, 2015, ISIS shocked the whole Christian world by releasing a video of the execution of 21 Coptic Christian migrant workers. Men in black uniform stood behind the 21 men in orange jumpsuits kneeling on a beach in Libya. Without mercy, they gruesomely beheaded each one of them. A subtitle of the video…
From the reckless rhetoric of both Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and U.S. presidential nominee Donald J. Trump, one can deduce that they share the same speaking style: It’s rough, unorthodox and un-presidential. During the inauguration of President-elect Duterte in Malacanang Palace, my wife and I were impressed while listening to his inaugural speech. That…
In a few days, the verdict of American voters will determine who will succeed President Barack Obama in the White House. Will Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump win on November 8 to be the 45th president of the United States? If party affiliation or identification is an indicator, Hillary Clinton may be…
Business owner seeks to discharge $40K credit cards; Young debtor seeks to discharge $50K credit cards CLIENT is 50 and divorced ten years ago. Ex husband decided that working was not good for him so he just disappeared. They had one daughter that client has taken cared of since the divorce. Daughter is about to…
OBAMACARE is normally used to mean Covered California (Covered CA) but they not the same thing. Obamacare is the law, the formal name of which is Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) signed into law to reform the health care industry by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 and upheld by the Supreme…
ON April 27, 2014, in Compton, CA, L.A. County sheriff’s deputies were called to a Target store, where a theft was allegedly occurring. Police arrived at the scene and confronted 36-year old Jason Conoscenti. Conoscenti had a pair of scissors and apparently threatened the officers with it. He then fled in a vehicle, and was…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte recently announced severing military and economic ties with the U.S. He has also recently assailed the U.S.’s strict visa policy. As President Duterte aligns himself with China, Russia, Vietnam, and other foreign powers, he is consistently evading any viable relationship with the U.S. Thus, it’s now more important than ever to ensure…
THERE is a natural tendency among divorcing parties to hide their assets from their spouse and understate income. This is a common problem that I have observed from practicing law for many years. A common question I hear from clients is “my spouse doesn’t know I have an account in this bank, do I have…
