IF you paid someone to care for your child, spouse, or dependent, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit on your federal income tax return. Here are 10 tips on claiming a credit for child and dependent care expenses. • The expense for child and dependent care must be provided…
WHILE doing research at the Library of Congress in Washington DC on the presence of natives of Las Islas Filipinas in Louisiana in the 1700s, I chanced upon a compilation of “Manuscripts and materials relating to the Philippines,” prepared by Charles O. Houston of the library’s manuscript division. In the preface, Houston wrote: “The library’s…
AFTER the Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao’s controversial statement comparing people in gay and lesbian relationship to animals, the big question during this political cycle looms: would such remarks that have been criticized worldwide affect the fighting congressman’s chances of winning a seat in the Senate in the May election? The results of the latest Pulse…
When James Reid and Nadine Lustre—a.k.a JaDine—started making some buzz, I wasn’t paying much attention. I love their tandem but I didn’t think they would be the phenomenal loveteam that they are now. Things changed when I went home (Philippines) for a vacation and really saw it for myself—The JaDine craze is beyond imaginable! ABS-CBN’s…
Hollywood: His was an era of the musician pianists, faithful to the music in their fashion. Touched by God, he is no longer beholden to the pianistic musicality of fantasies, the improvisations, and acrobatic exhibition of the 1830s nostalgia of Parisian Salons. Through the years, as several major schools began to appear, the severe German…
SACRED Heart Church in Covina, California held a “24 Hours for the Lord” celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. From 12 pm on Friday, March 4, to 12 pm on Saturday, March 5, priests from the parish and the surrounding parishes of the deanery were scheduled to hear confessions. To prepare for this event, parishioners…
THE US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the launch of a Known Employer pilot program on Thursday, March 3, assessing a new process for employers who seek to hire workers through employment-based visa categories. Modifying the process US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) already uses to review an employer’s eligibility to sponsor individuals (under certain…
AFTER Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump claimed victory in seven of 11 states on Super Tuesday, several prominent public figures and news publications expressed that they do not believe Trump is fit for the presidency. “The reality is that Trump has no experience whatsoever in government, interacting with the machinery of state only as a…
THE battle between Silicon Valley-based tech industry giant Apple and federal law enforcement over access to encrypted cell phone data has continued, with privacy concerns against an investigation over national security as the hot topic. The dispute has sparked a nationwide debate, and has garnered the attention of the families of the victims of the…
CALIFORNIA Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday, March 1, signed into law three bills designed to avoid a $1.1-billion cutoff in federal funding for Medi-Cal, which provides health insurance coverage to nearly one-third of Californians. The state’s current tax, which would have expired on July 1, applies to only 26 plans that accept Medi-Cal patients. Revenue…
A statement issued by the Ateneo de Manila staff pontificated: “The Marcos regime’s economics of debt-driven growth was disastrous for the Philippines. The regime was not interested in inclusive development, long-term state-building, nor genuine social transformation of the country.” And they demanded that Ferdinand Marcos 2nd apologize for this. It is such a sad commentary…
LIFE is a reverie for the judicious but simply a game for hoodwinks… an entertaining tryout for the affluent but a catastrophe for the underprivileged…and a never-ending encounter with uncertainty for those who relentlessly struggle for life isn’t just about finding one’s self but creating it… for life is what and how we make it!…
In our Filipino community, there seems to be a reluctance to engage in comprehensive estate planning through the execution of living trusts, wills, and powers of attorney. Instead, many families have traditionally relied on adding the children and other chosen heirs on the home’s title as joint tenants. This is not a smart solution. Joint…
Tuesday, March 1 was a big day on the road to November’s presidential elections. Unofficially nicknamed “Super Tuesday,” it is when a dozen states (and one US territory) held nominating contests to narrow down party candidates during the primaries. Also known as the “SEC Primary,” 661 Republican delegates and 865 Democratic delegates were allocated on Super…
GONE too soon—that is how many people in Philippine showbiz have described how they feel about the passing of box-office director Wenn Deramas last Monday, Feb. 29 due to cardiac arrest. He was only 49 years old. Deramas’ friend, talent manager June Rufino, told ANC that the director was rushed Capitol Medical Center at 2am,…
MANY people, desiring to save money, try to handle their immigration matters on their own, rather than hiring an attorney. They may have a relative in the Philippines being processed for an immigrant visa, and when they have any questions, they call or email the National Visa Center (NVC) for advice and guidance on what…
A LEGAL permanent resident is eligible to apply for citizenship if he or she has been a permanent resident for at least five (5) years and meets all the eligibility requirements. The legal permanent resident may file early if he or she has been a resident for at least three (3) years and has…
Yes, “golden age” was the phrase used by a New York Times article on the EDSA I celebration, with the second paragraph reading, in the man-on-the street-quote style of American journalism: “I think Marcos was our best President,” said a Manila resident who was born two years after the dictator was overthrown. “That was when…
Driving through Los Angeles’ Chinatown, Far East Plaza on Broadway is one of those complexes that is easy to gloss over. But with curiosity awakened and judgments of its outdated exterior aside, the two-story shopping center encases a culinary haven with options so abundant that multiple trips may be necessary. Inside, you can find Roy…
NEW Foreign bank account rules were aimed to fight terrorism financing, tax evasion, fraud, and money laundering. Sorry to say, but folks like me and you get snared in the process. If we don’t follow the new rules, we get penalized. Here is a written series of simplified articles on this subject to help you…
WHO won on “Super Tuesday”? As I write this on March 1, primaries and caucuses were held in a dozen states (and one US territory) to select a presidential candidate in both the Republican and Democratic Party nominating contests this year. In the most recent polls leading up to Super Tuesday, news organizations have projected…
FOR a country infamous for its “dirty politics,” conducting a peaceful and clean conduct of elections will be a challenge for the Philippine government. While the country’s polls have been automated since 2010, some Filipino voters still express concern over possible cheating in the general elections in May. About four in every 10 Filipinos believe…
Fil-Am Oscar winner Ronnie del Carmen, who co-directed and co-wrote “Inside Out,” wore a piña tuxedo by Hollywood Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino at the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 28. “Inside Out” won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film. Co-director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera collected the award. Del Carmen personally was…
‘Inside Out’ Filipino director takes home prize Amid the glitz and glamor of the much-awaited Academy Awards, the 88th annual awards show was criticized after the show’s host, comedian Chris Rock, made race the butt of his jokes. “I’m here at the Academy Awards, otherwise known as the White People’s Choice Awards,” Rock said to…
“No one is spared from crime, however, at the center of the hurricane of crime, is a brotherhood of hard men, who fight for whatever justice is possible in this deadly world.” I went through the grinder back in the Philippines as a crime reporter of a tabloid, (People’s Tonight) that started off by exploiting…
TECH giant Apple and the FBI faced off Tuesday, March 1, in front of the House Judiciary Committee, arguing whether the agency should have the right to compel technology companies to assist the government in accessing encrypted devices. Apple and the FBI are engaged in a legal battle about if the company should be forced…
THE body of a missing German adventurer was found inside an abandoned yacht off the coast of Barobo in Suigao del Sur. Two Filipino fishermen over the weekend discovered the body of 59-year-old Manfred Fritz Bajorat inside a 40-foot yacht called Sayo, which had been sailing around the world for the past two decades. Bajorat’s…
HEAVY showers were expected in drought-stricken California this past February, but it ended up being the second hottest with an average low temperature of 65.9 degrees. “Everyone’s been asking, ‘Where’s the rain? Where’s the rain?’” said Matt Mehle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey. Although the state was forecast to experience intense…
ACCORDING to a new CNN/ORC International poll, Donald Trump is not leading among US voters after all. The poll, which sampled at least 1,000 telephone interviews with American adults between Feb. 24-27, and included at least 920 interviews among registered voters, concluded that both of the remaining Democratic candidates for president easily beat out Republican…
Aquino’s afflictions Undying hatred of the “Marcos past,” unreasoning fear of a “Marcos-friendly future,” and total rejection of any suggestion from any source that Filipinos had begun to rethink the real value of Martial Law and Ferdinand Marcos’ real standing among Philippine Presidents are among the saddest afflictions of President B. S. Aquino 3rd. These…
