Angry Trump, candidates criticize Ted Cruz THE sixth Republican debate took place the night of Thursday, Jan. 14 in North Charleston, South Carolina, with seven hopeful candidates in the primetime mix: frontrunner Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla), former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Ohio governor John Kasich, and…
THE fangs of death could be dreadful especially for one whose faith isn’t strong enough to enable him to either come face to face with his Creator or cushion his fall into the fires of hell. But according to Mark Twain, “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives…
When it comes to K-12 education, America’s parents want more choices. In fact, almost two thirds of parents—64 percent—say they wish they had more options for their children’s education. In a society where Americans choose practically everything, from the brands of coffee they drink in the morning to the types of cars they drive, it…
THE Philippine entertainment industry was full of sadness last week when veteran actor and TV host German Moreno passed away last Friday, January 8 at the age of 82. Fondly called Kuya Germs, it was his nephew, TV host John Nite, who confirmed the news through a statement released to the media. According to John,…
FOR both children and adults with special needs, dental care can be challenging. In some cases, limited coordination can make brushing and flossing tricky. In other cases there may be less access to professional care. Some patients may experience high anxiety levels too. Medications that lead to dry mouth can also contribute to dental care challenges. But…
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…
THE country’s economy may be rebounding but a lot of people are still feeling the effects of the last economic downturn. Many who have not been able to recover from the last recession are having difficulty paying their debts. Creditors have referred these defaulting debtors to collection agencies. Some of these collection agencies have become…
Do we seriously think writing is all joy? It is also half pain. Sometimes it is pain that makes us write. Think about the atrocious solitude of a room that gradually becomes a prison, like a torture chamber. The fear of the blank page that stares at you mockingly, the torment of the word you…
Filipino-American Dr. Rhigel Jay Alforque-Tan took oath as president of the Nevada State Board of Nursing on Jan. 6, in a ceremony presided by Honorable Judge Cheryl Moss and joined by Honorable Judge Bill Henderson. Tan’s election makes him the first Asian American male elected to the position in the 92 years of the board’s…
ALL property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in California is community property. Family Code 760. However, there are situations in which the marriage may be held to be null and void. These situations include, but are not limited to entering into a bigamous marriage, fraud…
THIS constitutional issue is before the Philippine Supreme Court for final decision on petitions for certiorari filed by Grace Poe from the COMELEC’s en banc decision. Article VII, Section 2 of the Philippine 1987 Constitution states the 10-year residence requirement as follows: “No person may be elected President or Vice-President unless he is … a…
ALONG WITH MAMASAPANO, SENATE SHOULD ALSO INVESTIGATE THIS IT is President Benigno S. Aquino’s criminal negligence that resulted in 44 police commandos massacred; that should convince us never, never again to have such kind of yellow leadership, especially that of a haciendero scion. It is the criminal mismanagement by his candidate, Manuel Roxas 2nd, of…
A RECENT public opinion poll conducted for Manila Standard by research specialist Junie Laylo indicates that “corruption” is considered “the most important problem of the country,” rating 31%, or more than twice the next highest ranking issue, “poverty” (15%). These are followed by “drug addiction/illegal drugs” (14%), “unemployment/lack of jobs” (10%), “high prices of goods/services” (9%), “criminality”…
THE historic two-term tenure of the first African-American president is almost over. On Tuesday, Jan. 12, President Barack Obama delivered his last State of the Union (SOTU) address. Deemed as his valedictory speech, the president reported to the American people what his administration has accomplished and set the road map to where he hopes the…
WHILE every life is a cause for celebration, taking care of the next generation by keeping tabs on the population is a daunting challenge. Stabilizing the population — to not outstrip economic growth and the country’s resources — is a more challenging task. Environmental stress, biodiversity loss, climate change and pressure on natural resources signal…
DO we seriously think writing is all joy? It is also half pain. Sometimes, it is pain that makes us write. Think about the atrocious solitude of a room that gradually becomes a prison, like a torture chamber. The fear of the blank page that stares at you mockingly, the torment of the word you…
MACY’S will close 36 of its 770 stores following “disappointing” sales and earnings last year and weak holiday sales, as part of its plan to shut down 40 locations across the country. The move is part of its plan to shut down 40 locations across the country as part of a restructuring plan to address…
Silent Muslim protester removed from campaign rally GOP frontrunner Donald Trump said Syrian refugees are “probably” ISIS during a campaign rally in South Carolina that was quickly disrupted by protesters, including a Muslim woman wearing a traditional head covering. Refugees from Syria “could be ISIS … and by the way, it is turning out that…
CALIFORNIA Governor Jerry Brown announced a $170.6 billion spending plan for the state, covering funding for schools, climate change programs, and services for the poor, elderly and disabled. At a Capitol news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 6, Brown, in his fourth term as California governor amid a crippling recession, repeatedly warned of the possibility of…
LAST year, for the first time in over a decade, all categories of crime rose across Los Angeles, according to data from the Los Angeles Police Department. As law enforcement has struggled to take control, violent crime in LA climbed 19.9 percent, and property crime increased 10.3 percent through Dec. 26, compared with the same…
THE Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday, Jan. 12, upheld the constitutionality of an executive agreement between the Philippines and the United States that permits increased rotational presence of US military troops in the country. In a 10-4-1 vote, the top court ruled in favor of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which was signed by…
“OUR life is what our thoughts make it.” That’s a powerful quote by Marcus Aurelius. According to writer Alyssa Sparacino, New Year’s resolutions are a bit like babies: They’re fun to make but extremely difficult to maintain. But I want to resonate the eight powerful words above that might just change your life forever. And…
PIA Wurtzbach, the newly crowned Miss Universe, the latest pride of the Philippines, has become a celebrity with her interviews on almost every television channel here in the US. Her physical beauty and grace, of course, has impressed the world, but what has impressed me more is her strong determination to succeed in life. She’s…
THERE are 140,000 employment-based immigrant visas available yearly and these employment-based immigrant visa are divided into five preference categories: Priority Workers (E1); Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees and Persons of Exceptional Ability (E-2); Skilled Workers, Professionals, and Unskilled Workers (Other Workers) (E-3); Certain Special Immigrants (E-4); and Immigrant Investors (E-5). There are several steps for employment-based…
CLIENT is a specialty food retailer that started operations in a commercial center two years ago. Five partners invested $50K each for a total of $250K for a food business that sells a specialty product that everyone likes to eat. The problem with a business that’s based on a retail outlet in a commercial center…
Q. WHAT is the new minimum wage? A. Effective January 1, 2016, the minimum wage in California will be $10.00 per hour. Most employees in California are entitled to be paid at least the minimum wage. This new rate also affects overtime pay. Employees who are paid minimum wage and work overtime must be paid…
IF you have offshore bank accounts, should you report the accounts to the US government? Yes, if the aggregate balances exceed $10,000 at any time during the year. What if you had the accounts before you left for the US? Yes, you should. There are reasons why our government wants to know: combat money laundering,…
IF you are experiencing debt problems, you may find it difficult to talk to other people about it to the point that you are not getting the help that you need to find a solution. I understand. Debt is a very personal matter so most people don’t feel comfortable discussing it with anyone. So they…
Examining the slate of presidential candidates for the upcoming Philippine election, l believe that Vice-president Jejomar Binay is the most qualified among all the candidates. Please take pause and consider that we will be electing someone to the highest position in the land. This person will not only be managing the affairs of the nation…
LOS ANGELES—We had big excitements in our neighborhood at the Historic Filipinotown last Sunday, Jan. 4. There were predictable enthusiasm, pleasant surprises and enterprising constancy. Most astonishingly, what we learned was savoir-faire. There were names so cumbersome in all the special guest, supporters, friends as they grandly slip on the seat of honor assigned to…
