WILL it be a test of will between President Rodrigo Duterte and those who protest the burial of the remains of President Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani? It will require an irresistible force to make a seemingly immovable object budge. Do the protestors have the dogged determination to become that irresistible force?…
IN a recent The Filipino Channel “Balitang America” viewers’ poll, a majority (55 percent) of those who voted say they agree with President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to allow the interment of deposed Pres. Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Duterte says he is just executing the law, and claims the law grants Marcos…
I AM one of those who freely and ungrudgingly takes great interest in my friends’ pleasures, in what they relish and what they become anxious about in the world of Western mass culture (and borrowings). We reveal ourselves (like any westerner), with our grasp of the latest fashion and catch phrases, or the hottest dances….
SOME people just have it all—beauty, brains and personality—plus the fame and fortune that come with having all three. But if the bearer of “all things beautiful” is as lovely and kind as this lady, I guess the ‘perks’ are thrown at the right person. Liza Soberano is one of the most sought-after stars of…
Congratulations! You have just been engaged to the man or woman of your dreams, who happens to live in another country. As a United States (“U.S.”) citizen, you are now confronted with the problem of how to reunite with your significant other in the U.S. One option for bringing your fiancé to the U.S. is…
…And then suddenly, it was over! After months of conscientious preparation and inflexible planning, the annual three-day festivity that celebrates the custom and tradition of the Filipinos this side of the world was finally over and done…and it was worth all the while ‘though sans fanfare. The People’s Ball, a most touted summer event that…
Sam Milby is sporting a new smile these days and it’s because of a girl. The handsome actor’s newfound love is Japanese-British model-blogger Mari Jasmine. He met her through the social media, Instagram. Ako ang nauna [na nag-follow sa social media], but it’s funny ‘coz matagal na siya sa Pilipinas, pero never kaming nagkita, sa…
THE USCIS recently updated its Policy Manual on when a lawful permanent resident (LPR) is eligible to file for naturalization. The significant change is defining when the person is considered an LPR. The basic eligibility requirements include: • The applicant must be at least 18 years old. • The applicant must establish he or she…
THE minor children of beneficiaries petitioned by their US citizen parents, siblings or employers may be able to immigrate with the principal beneficiaries once the priority dates of their immigrant petitions become current. However in a lot of situations, these principal beneficiaries are not ready to bring their minor children with them to the United…
THE epidemic of childhood obesity, which obviously parallels the incidence among adults, have contributed to the explosion of metabolic syndrome, the most common cause of major illnesses our society faces today. The word “metabolic” refers to the biochemical processes and physiology governing the body’s normal functions to achieve homeostasis (balanced, healthy state). What is metabolic…
“…That if all Printers were determin’d not to print any thing till they were sure it would offend no body, there would be very little printed. I consider the Variety of Humours among Men, and despair of pleasing every Body; yet I shall not therefore leave off Printing. I shall continue my Business. I shall…
THE American Opportunity Tax Credit AOTC and Lifetime Learning Credit can reduce your tax liability if you pay for college in 2016 even if you are studying outside of the U.S. The PATH Act makes permanent the AOTC used to be known as Hope Credit. The AOTC has been increased up to $2,500 and phases…
QUICK, what do Vietnamese and Filipino Americans have in common? If you said that both communities hail from Southeast Asia, you’d be right. But the commonalities don’t stop there. Both communities also have sizable numbers of naturalized citizens, many of who are casting wary eyes on China’s ongoing aggression in the South China Sea. For Democratic…
MUST a Filipino be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani just because he was a president and/or a soldier? Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte believes so, contending that this is what the law of the land says and that he, as the president, is duty bound to execute what the law mandates. This is the…
There was nothing in Dexter’s Grey ancestry, background or environment to suggest he would become the greatest living interpreter of the work of Frederic Chopin. It was all there, when he decided to impose himself the discipline of simplicity, clarity and direction. In the pianists of the world, he was the incompatible painter of mystery,…
If you missed “Kababayan Today’s” airing last Friday, August 12, we featured Natalie Duran. Natalie Duran is a 25-year-old second-generation Filipina living in Los Angeles. Natalie choose the medical route and is a scientist! She has a degree in neuroscience and currently works as a clinical researcher in gastroenterology at UCLA Health. Along with a strict academic tract, Natalie has…
IN my 8th year of priesthood, I was asked to be part of a dating game. Not the dating game that we see today on television like The Bachelor or the dating service called Christian Singles, but the dating game we used to have with several pastors who were looking for associates. Back then, that was the way to get another parishassignment: date some…
ON July 29, 2016, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the expansion of the provisional waiver program. It is estimated that approximately 100,000 more individuals will be eligible to apply for a provisional waiver under the expanded program. The provisional waiver program streamlines the waiver application process so that the separation of family members is…
Another senior seeks chapter 13 relief for $50K credit cards CLIENT is 57 and recently divorced with two children, one in high school the other in college. She makes $40K yearly in middle management for a large corporation. She has $50K of credit cards accumulated while she was still married. Ex husband had good income. So,…
(Why misclassification of workers is a social justice issue) ON September 10, 2013, 53-year-old Faustino Solorio was a pedestrian standing on the shoulder of the road behind the tailgate of a truck. At this same exact time, 18 year-old Gunnar Ayala was driving his father’s car, having just finished his shift as a delivery driver for…
ON June 26, 2013, the US Supreme Court struck down section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional in the landmark case US. V. Windsor. The BIA shortly thereafter issued a decision in Matter of Zeleniak holding that DOMA is no longer an impediment in recognizing same-sex couples under the immigration and…
Q. AM I required to report bank accounts in a foreign country? A. Yes, if you have more than $10,000 at any time outside the U.S. Q. Am I exempted from reporting if my accounts are in Euros, Chinese Yuan, Philippines pesos, or Mexican pesos? A. No, you are not exempt from reporting foreign accounts…
“ The cosigner is fully legally responsible for the entire debt, just as the main borrower is.” IT is not uncommon for banks and other financial institutions to require a cosigner on a credit application. This is especially true when the applicant either has no prior credit history or the credit score is not high…
SOME U.S. politicians have spoken up in support of Filipinos against Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump’s plan to temporarily ban immigration from what he called “terrorist nations” to keep America safe from terrorism. In his speech in Portland, Maine, he named the Philippines as part of the list along with Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia,…
My beauty-related articles are among the most popular ones, based on the reactions I have received from my readers. I try to pick up the most common questions to help more people having the same concerns and challenges. In this current economy, I understand that a lot of us have given up on some things…
A landmark change has been achieved in U.S. immigration law for thousands of “TNT” Filipinos and other foreign nationals. Recent expansion of the Stateside Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver Program – known as the I-601A Waiver Program – is finally a reality. For years, we have successfully represented clients who are “out-of-status” and “unlawfully present” inside…
An event, no matter how meticulously conceptualized, painstakingly rehearsed, and smoothly presented, will still fail to achieve the utmost standard of grandiosity when lacking of interesting personalities and glitterati that effectually add to its definitive glitz and glam. The indefatigable working committee of the 2016 People’s Ball never left a stone unturned just so to…
MANY of those reciting the pledge of allegiance for the first time as American citizens on Thursday, August 11 arrived hours before security began allowing people into the West Hall of the LA Convention Center. Most fought through administrative and financial hurdles, and waited years for the government to sort through the millions of naturalization…
Philippine cager James Yap can’t contain his happiness and excitement about being a father again! Last Tuesday, August 9, James’ girlfriend, Italian Michela Cazzola gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The couple decided to name their son Michael James. In an interview with PEP.ph, James shared that he is thrilled to be a father…
Born in Kidapawan, Cotabato on November 4, 1952. Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Saint Theresa’s College in Quezon City. Teo started her modest professional career in the travel and tourism industry as a flight stewardess for Filipinas Orient Airways and Niugini for years. After discovering how…
