YOU must have noticed questions on Schedule E, Part I for rentals: • Were you required to file Form 1099-MISC? • If so, did you or will you file? Very simple yet it is one of the most commonly argued questions among tax professionals who prepare returns for individual owners of rental property. Here’s the…
I FINALLY filed my application to be naturalized as an American. It only took me over 20 years… My first trip to America was with my mom and two siblings in 1981. I was 15 years old and had just graduated from high school. The trip was supposed to be a month-long vacation to see…
FOLLOWING the last presidential debate hosted by ABS-CBN, The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” asked its viewers: “If the elections were held today, would you vote for to be the next president of the Philippines?” The result of the April 25 online poll revealed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte still topping the field of…
IN honor of Earth Day last Friday, April 22, international political, business and civil society leaders from 175 countries gathered at the United National Headquarters in New York for the historic signing of the Paris Climate Agreement, a global initiative to ensure a sustainable future for billions of people around the world through climate action….
I was told I had cancer on a blue day in November. In novels, it was far too gorgeous a day for tragedy. My cabbage roses were still in full bloom, bees rumbled by the window panes, lazy with pollen, a cordial chirping of the squirrels over the magnolia tree. In a single moment, the…
FOLLOWING the US Supreme Court’s hearing on President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration, US Rep. Dina Titus on Friday, April 22, held a press conference that highlighted the nation’s need for comprehensive immigration reform. Titus specifically touched on how the policies would benefit undocumented immigrants and the state of Nevada. “It’s been years since…
IN Los Angeles County, there are more than 800,000 children 5 years old and younger, an age range that is crucial to their development and future success. That’s why the County is pushing for early childhood education. “Children are like little sponges,” said Dr. Margaret Lynn Yonekura, executive director of LA Babies Best Network. “No…
Decision expected by June 2016 ON April 18, 2016, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments from Texas and other states, as well as the Obama administration, concerning President Obama’s November 2014 Executive Action for DAPA and expanded DACA, which would enable qualified\eligible parents of US citizens and green card holders to obtain work authorization…
IN my last article, I explained why it is absolute necessary to qualify for Medi-Cal and get the government to pay for nursing home care for an ailing parent or loved one. After all, how many families do you know who can afford paying $8,000-$15,000 a month for Long Term Care. However, using Medi-Cal for…
ACCORDING to the National Equal Pay Task Force, for every $1 that men earn, women earn only $0.79. This is true for nearly all industries and for most women in any pay grade. Even when female employees are making a lot of money, they are still not making as much as their male counterparts. Consider…
1. WHAT is paternity? Paternity means fatherhood. Establishing paternity is the legal process of determining the legal father of a child who was born to unwed parents. When parents are married, in most cases, paternity is established without a legal action by virtue of their marriage. If parents are unmarried, paternity establishment requires a judicial…
IF you fail to file on time or pay on time, penalties kick in. Here are 10 reasonable causes to abate (forgive) penalties for late filing or late paying: 1. Tax returns were mailed on time. A return used to be considered filed on time if it is postmarked on or before the due date. …
ARE you seriously in debt and thinking of filing bankruptcy as a last resort? Individuals who have accumulated excessive debt are often left to ponder whether they should file bankruptcy in order to get out of debt. Sometimes, these people feel that somehow, they’ve lost, failed, or that they will never have a chance to…
WE have been urging Filipinos in America and elsewhere around the world to cast their votes and make their voices heard in deciding who will be the next president, vice president and other elected officials in the Philippines. But recent news about hacking, fraud, cheating, and voting machine problems surely douse water on the fire…
New York, NY [April 23, 2016] – The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced tonight at the Festival wrap party the winners of the two Audience Awards, powered by Infor. Two awards – one for narrative and one for documentary – were given to the audience choices for the best films. Here Alone directed by Rod…
LOS ANGELES Mayor Garcetti unveiled an $8.76 billion budget for fiscal year 2016-2017 that would dedicate $138 million toward homelessness. The funds in the budget come amid a 12 percent rise in homelessness since 2013. In the Los Angeles region, there are 25,000 homeless individuals. “This commitment represents a housing first strategy that we know…
Farewells are always both sad and bright like sunshine after the rain. The town hall meeting with our US Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr. last Monday, April 18, was just like that. At what might be his last visit in Los Angeles before he finishes his tour of duty on June 30, the meeting was more like…
TIME really flies so quickly. Paul Victor Ireton was just an ordinary teenager when I met him with his younger bother, Nathan. Fast forward to 12 years later, Paul and his wife Miriam invited me to a five-day seminar and convention hosted by the World Finance Group (WFG) in Las Vegas. The evening was jam-packed…
“BEHOLD, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has…
A 25-year-old beauty from Quezon was crowned as the new Binibining Pilipinas-Universe last Sunday, April 17 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. Maria Mika Maxine Medina bested 40 other candidates to win the most coveted title, and the opportunity to represent the Philippines at the Miss Universe competition next year. Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach took her…
ON April 18, 2016, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments from Texas and other states, as well as the Obama administration, concerning President Obama’s November 2014 Executive Action for DAPA and expanded DACA, which would enable qualified\eligible parents of US citizens and green card holders to obtain work authorization and be protected against deportation….
THE power to give, take away, and deport. The United States does not welcome you with open arms. It allows non-citizens entry into the United States, under certain conditions. When these conditions are broken, you can expect nothing but the full force of the United States government through the Department of Homeland Security to bear…
That conclusion is based on statistics on human rights abuses during the Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino regimes, presented in Richard Kessler’s book Rebellion and Repression in the Philippines (1989: Yale University). Ironically, Kessler’s statistics have been the basis of historian Alfred McCoy’s repeated claims that the human rights abuses during the Marcos regime were…
Around 50,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year alone. About 49,000 others who already have this malignancy are projected to die. That’s how fatal this cancer, the 4th highest cause of cancer-related deaths, is. While annual death rate from pancreatic cancer among those in the Philippines is listed…
(Part 2 – Basics) ESTATE planning is simply how you want your assets distributed to your heirs after you die with as little time and expense as possible. This can be accomplished by setting a revocable trust. A revocable living trust allows you to establish a simple trust to pass on your assets to your…
THE way the spate of public opinion polls on the forthcoming elections have been tarred and feathered in mainstream and social media should alarm the research companies that have been conducting them with greater frequency as May 9 approaches. The question now being frequently asked by opinion makers is, “Does anybody still believe in the…
KUDOS to Fil-Am community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis for calling out the Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) over a resolution that she says is a violation of the Fil-Ams and other overseas voters’ right to freedom of speech, expression, and even assembly. Lewis, who is a staunch supporter of the Roxas-Robredo team for president and…
SINCE freeing itself from an authoritarian rule three decades ago, the Philippines has enjoyed the restoration of democracy and freedom. However, human rights issues remain prevalent in the country, challenging the commitment of the government and its people to have a collective resolve to uphold human dignity. On Wednesday, April 13, US Secretary of State…
Call it FACLA’s coming of age, as this Sunday, April 24, will be an unbridled polished affair of sight, sound and scene that will collide with the Filipino American’s Community of Los Angeles at the Glendale Hilton. It will be a promise of a life-changing celebration about dignity, respect and caring; a splendid celebration of youth…
WHILE Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant cruised to victory in the final game of his career last week, dozens of individuals gathered that same day at the Muzeo Museum in Anaheim where accomplished Filipinos shared their ingredients to success. The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County (FACCOC) on Wednesday, April 13,…
