by Rodel Rodis IT all started with a radio interview on Manila radio station DZRH on September 19, 2016 when Pres. Duterte’s Communications Secretary Martin Andanar announced the news that Filipino Americans in New York were planning a coup against Pres. Duterte in January of 2017. This is how Andanar said he learned the news: “I…
SUPPORTERS may have praised Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for standing up against America in declaration that he is not a puppet of Uncle Sam and that his administration’s foreign policy is veering away from the United States. But as far as Fil-Ams are concerned, this is not a good idea. In the online viewer poll…
THE word on the street is that for the next six years, the Philippines will “cross the Rubicon” with the United States, an idiom which means to pass a point of no return. This was stated by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte to reporters on Monday, Sept. 26, wherein he recalled his previous meeting…
I can never quell a stir of fascination, dread and longing when the house lights dim and the curtain parts, but the enjoyment of an opera can begin, not with the rise of the curtains but with the first bars of the overture. To understand and enjoy the opera is the recognition of certain irreconcilable…
“ONCE our wealth reaches a certain point we need to begin to give some of it away—not because others need it but because our own health and happiness will begin to deteriorate if we hoard all of those possessions to ourselves.” — Fr. Ron Rolheiser, In Exile, Center for Liturgy, St. Louis University This quote from…
SENIORS who are 65 and older have 5 ways of getting health insurance. What are they? Employerbased insurance, Covered CA, outside of Covered CA (also known as Off Exchange), MediCal and Medicare solutions. Employer-based insurance is an employer offered health plan available to employees and their dependents. If a senior has one like this, the…
Senior files chapter 7 to discharge $40K credit cards CLIENT is a foreign company doing business with a California company since 2012. Client is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of a certain kind of equipment, which CA Company sells and distributes in the United States. Business was good reaching low-million dollar figures until – CA…
SINCE its inception three decades ago, the ombudsman program has investigated elder abuse and other complaints on behalf of residents of California’s 1,300 nursing homes and more than 8,000 assisted living facilities. Many of the extraordinarily vulnerable people living in long term care facilities have no family or friends who visit or advocate for them….
Q: THANK you for keeping us updated on the latest employment laws. I work as a caregiver/housekeeper for a senior couple in Los Angeles. Back in 2014, they started paying me overtime because they said it was the new law. But I heard from another caregiver friend that this new overtime law is only temporary…
THERE are three basic types of audits: correspondence, office, and field examinations. Correspondence audits are the simplest ones – W2s, 1099s and other items that can be easily resolved by mail. Office audits are more complicated and involve small businesses and individuals with difficult issues. The exams are conducted at IRS offices (not your office)….
HAVE you ever faced a situation in your life where you needed help so badly but you were just too afraid or embarrassed to ask for it? Perhaps you felt confused and overwhelmed with the problem that you spent sleepless nights trying to figure out what to do. Over the years I have met a…
Recognizing the year’s best books for better living LOS ANGELES—The 8th Annual Living Now Awards for the year’s best books for better living were announced by the Jenkins Group this week, and “The Age Beautifully Cookbook: Easy and Exotic Longevity Secrets from Around the World” (Skyhorse Publishing; April 5, 2016; 978-1-63450-797-4) has been awarded Gold…
IN the previous edition of this column, I presented the position that would probably resonate well with Filipinos in America who are used to seeing government officials embroiled in controversies resign to protect the integrity of their post and the public’s trust in whatever investigation their office is duty bound to undertake to seek the…
Other artists include Jabawockeez member Stahyl, Bambu, and many more Filipino-American hip-hop artist and philanthropist Apl.de.Ap is set to headline the 25th anniversary of the Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture which will be held on October 8, 2016 at the historic Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles, Calfiornia. Apl.de.Ap, real name Allan Pineda Lindo,…
It was my first police beat assignment and we felt that we had no right to do what we were doing. The killing of a fellow human being was repulsive and hideous — like performing some iniquitous farce. These were the thoughts that flashed in my mind. The boundaries of this narrative (from that one…
What could have been a wonderful day to welcome the fall season became a day of mourning. It was indeed the start of the “fall”– only, I wasn’t talking about crisp leaves and beautiful autumn colors. It’s the fall of my all-time favorite power couple. The end of an era: It’s “Brangelina” no more. I speak for most people…
If there is any international theater production in the world that has had Filipinos front row and center as part of the cast, It is Cameron Macintosh’s “Miss Saigon.” And this week, “Miss Saigon” celebrates its 27th anniversary. It’s been 27 years since the original production of “Miss Saigon” first opened at the Theatre Royal…
IN the year 1973, Rizal Governor Adelina Rodriguez sponsored the first Green Revolution Trade and Exposition Industrial Fair in Pasig. It was highlighted by the nationwide search for candidates for the Miss Green Revolution beauty pageant, which yours truly was the chairman. The winner of that prestigious beauty and talent competition was none other than…
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…
THE following seeks to address or clarify some common misconceptions about divorce. “What if my husband/wife does not want to sign the divorce?” or “My husband/wife does not want to sign the divorce papers, what can I do?” California is a no-fault divorce state. A party filing for divorce does not need the consent of…
Is there a vaccine that prevents cancer? Yes, there is. It’s called Gardasil, a vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, found to be “effective 100 percent, in the short term, at blocking the cancer and lesions likely to turn to cancer” (like the pre-invasive lesions), according to drug manufacturer, Merck & Co. The vaccine, which is…
by Gwynne R. Dumbrigue, Esq. IN Ms. Noeth’s opinion piece, “Why am I a Filipino-American Republican?” — published in the Las Vegas Asian Journal on Sept. 1 — she writes that her Republican identity comes from the party’s embrace of her Catholicism and family values. She tells her parents’ story of coming to the United…
Nonresident Alien NRA tax withholding is applicable to U.S sourced income paid to foreign person and does not apply to payments made to U.S. persons. Foreign persons include nonresident alien individual, foreign partnerships, foreign corporations, foreign estates, and foreign trusts. The tax generally must be withheld from the payment made to the foreign persons. If…
SENATOR Leila de Lima should not have been ousted, but instead, should have inhibited herself from being chairman of the Senate Justice Committee even before any hearing started. After all, she has also been accused of being part of the drug syndicate while she was still justice secretary during Pres. Benigno Aquino III’s term. This…
OVER the past three months, more than 3,000 suspected drug dealers and traffickers have been killed amidst the Philippine government’s current bloody war against drugs. More than 600,00 others—mostly drug users—have surrendered to authorities for fear that they might be next on the “Kill List.” Officials said there are about 3.7 million drug addicts in…
It was a day on the brink of autumn that came with ribbons of mist under an impossibly blue sky. Clear and temperate burnished it as a perfect day to celebrate the 42nd Penafrancia Eucharistic celebration in honor of Our Lady of Penafrancia at the Lincoln Park lake. The great gathering unleashed a kind of…
ONE night my brother Randy, my brother-in-law Ed, and I were sitting around the dining table at our family’s home, talking about work, travels, and other personal plans. Our discussion took a deep turn when I recounted a conversation I had a few years ago with a friend. Here’s how that conversation went: “Rodel,” my…
U.S. Pinoys for Real Change (USPRC), a Fil-Am group created to support Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs and criminality in the Philippines, recently held a prayer vigil in front of the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC. Simultaneously, USPRC acts as a watchdog to make sure the Duterte administration follows the rule of law and…
IN our prior article, it was pointed out that an application for an immigrant visa and certain non-immigrant visas may be denied due to certain criminal grounds of inadmissibility. In some cases, the applicant can request for a waiver so a visa can be issued despite that ground. A waiver is a request by the…
Business owner seeks to discharge $100K credit cards used to buy business CLIENT is 65 and recently widowed. Her husband was suddenly taken ill and was diagnosed with lung cancer even though he doesn’t smoke. Strange. Husband was in the pinnacle of good health, so it seemed. He had no known illness. His blood pressure was…
