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…
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 priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date…
WHAT happens when my green card expires? Lawful Permanent Resident status is not affected by the expiration of the Form I-551, or the “green card.” A person does not lose his or her status as a lawful permanent resident of the United States by the mere fact that their green card has expired. However, individuals…
(Champurrado inspired recipe courtesy of Fit Chef for Life Katrina Palana-Soledad) Ingredients 1 cup boiling water 1/3 cup steel cut oats*complex carbs 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp coconut sugar*low glycemic 1/2 scoop vanilla/chocolate whey-soy-vegan protein (15g protein)*lean protein source 1 tsp evaporated milk*Pinoy style or unsweetened vanilla almond milk for topping Directions 1….
(Bibingka inspired recipe courtesy of Fit Chef for Life Katrina Palana-Soledad) Minutes to Prepare: 10 Minutes to Cook: 5 Number of Servings: 4 Ingredients *Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour, .5 cup *Organic Brown Egg, 1 Large *Baking Powder – Aluminum Free, 1 tsp *Light Coconut Milk (canned) .75 cup or Light Coconut Milk Unsweetened (carton) *Coconut…
(Pork giniling & tortang talong inspired recipe courtesy of Fit Chef for Life Katrina Palana-Soledad) Ingredients: GROUND TURKEY BASE 1/2 cup Onions, diced 1 Tbsp, Garlic, minced 1 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil 16oz Extra Lean Ground Turkey 16oz Lean Ground Turkey 1/4 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos 1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper 1/2 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt 1.5 cups water…
“MOST American adults sleep poorly,” according to a study by the National Sleep Foundation. The findings from 1,506 adults are obviously applicable to most of us in general. The lack of sleep translates to lesser mental acuity and concentration, poorer health, greater driving hazards, reduced productivity, and a diminished sex drive. Sleep experts recommend a…
In Bicolandia, the renowned Mayon Volcano towers majestically at 8,000 feet from the base to its pointed tip, with its crater a mere 1,640 feet across. At dawn, mists bank its foliage. During midday, it heaves in the heat like a ferocious lover. Then as evening descends, it bathes itself in the whiteness of the…
Meet Michelle Ibarrientos, a Fil-Am based in Southern California, who whips up healthy versions inspired by Filipino favorites. Before she was a self-proclaimed “health enthusiast,” Ibarrientos would feel bloated and get sick often — that’s when she knew it was time for a change. When starting a health journey, she said it’s important to identify…
Getting started on a workout routine may seem intimidating to beginners, but it’s certainly attainable. Longtime personal trainer and proud Fil-Am Joshua Hayes lends his tips to kick starting a fun, effective workout regime. Workout tips • Be sure to warm-up and cool down before and after each exercise. • Warming up before a workout…
For Katrina Palana-Soledad, living well has been a journey — one 12 years in the making. “Growing up in the Philippines, there’s no such thing as dieting,” she shared. When she came to the United States, that’s when she began to explore ways to change up her routine by eating more balanced meals and making…
DONALD Trump has declared before that should he be elected President of the United States, he would ban immigration from countries identified to be a hub of terrorists so he could protect America from ISIS. The Philippines has been named by the State Department as one of those countries. However, it was when Donald Trump…
ONE can win races and break world records, but an Olympic medal is still the highest feat an athlete can accomplish. To conquer the Olympics is every athlete’s dream. On Sunday night, Aug. 7, Hidilyn Diaz feasted on cheesy pizza and adobo as her celebratory dinner. Earlier in the day, the 25-year-old was atop a…
