Fil-Am mother and son charged with smuggling gun parts
A Filipino-American woman from Long Beach, California and her son have been charged with smuggling ammunition and firearm parts to the Philippines. Marlou Mendoza, 60, was arrested last week at…
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International Broadway star Lea Salonga heads February birthday celebrants
INTERNATIONALLY known Filipina stage actress and singer Lea Salonga heads the list of prominent personalities celebrating their birthday this February. Lea will celebrate her birthday on Monday, February 22. Lea…
It could be possible to retain and transfer your old employment-based priority date
IF, years ago, you were petitioned by an employer, and that employer’s petition (Form I -140) was approved, but you never received a green card from that case, a new…
The wonders of Pegan diet
WE are what we eat and drink, philosophically and medically. Diet plays the most significant role in our health and longevity — more than genetics and exercise in most instances….
The ‘Grace Poe’ dilemma
(Part 1 of 2) The issues surrounding the presidential candidacy of Senator Grace Poe will not seem to die down. Whether it is purely an honest attempt to search for…
A financial aid application process that works for students, families
All around the Las Vegas Valley, high school seniors are making important decisions about where to continue their education next fall. As the father of a college freshman, I know…
Faith and Pinoy pride: Outperforming and outhinking the giants
“FIGHTING multinationals was very tough. At first, everyone thought I was crazy. They told me, how would I survive this? True enough, it’s by the grace of God that I’m…
Tax consequences of divorce, non-custodial parents
CONSIDER the common divorce scenario where the divorce judgment provides primary custody of the children to one spouse while the other spouse only gets visitation. The parties begin to file…
Did Aquino expect the US to save the SAF, as they did his mother in 1989?
THE United States’ role in Oplan Exodus that killed an international terrorist but led to the worst massacre of Philippine troops in recent history must be established if we are…
Surprises ahead of the start of presidential election primaries and caucuses
IN less than a week, the race to the White House takes off in Iowa for both the Democratic and the Republican parties. The voters of this state and all…
Recurrence
IT has been a year since the bloodbath between the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), and elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF)…
The Presidential guards and the press
“Once upon a time, the US Secret Service had to be an all-embracing elite force—self-respecting, fearless and valiant. They took charge of the security and decorum of every event that the president…
Flu season at a low in California
Experts say weather helps INFLUENZA was responsible for the deaths of 146 Californians between October 2014 and late January 2015. When the flu season ended that year, over 400 people…
A homecoming fit for a queen
Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach returns to the Philippines FANS lined the streets of Manila to Makati City as Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the newly-crowned Miss Universe 2015, traveled by float in…
April deadline for H-1B visas
THE United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will once again begin accepting petitions for H-1B working visas on April 1, 2016. Petitions may be submitted for employment to commence…
Business owners seek bankruptcy relief
Client 1: Garment Factory CLIENT presents himself as a businessperson, who has been in the garment business since 2002. He has a factory with ten employees where he pays his…
Supreme Court to hear and review the expanded DACA and DAPA case
ON 1/19/2016, the US Supreme Court granted the writ of certiorari filed by the Obama Administration in the case United States, et al. v Texas. This means that the Supreme…
Should you sign that separation package from your employer?
A SEPARATION package or a severance agreement is a contract between an employer and an employee who is about to leave the employer’s employment. In a typical severance agreement, the…
Philippine banks that provide depositor data to US IRS
(Part 2 Of 2) J.P. Morgan Securities Philippines, Inc. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. – Manila Branch Land Bank of the Philippines Legazpi Savings Bank, Inc. Longmeadow Corporation Macquarie Capital Securities…
Struggling with student loans? Here’s what you need to know
THE cost of a college education has spiraled out of control for most families. In the last 10 years, student loan debt has sharply risen from $240 billion to $1…
Undocumented Filipinos pin hopes on the Supreme Court’s decision to review Obama’s executive action
AFTER more than a year of debates and court battles, the US Supreme Court (SC) finally announced last Tuesday, Jan. 19 that it will decide if President Obama exceeded his…
Santo Niño and our childlike faith
A MAN was inside a church kneeling in front of a big statue of Santo Niño. In his prayer, he said: “Santo Niño, please help me win the lottery. I…
Gov. Brown warns funding caution in the State of the State
IN his address to the state of California, Governor Jerry Brown warned residents about economic downturn, and challenged lawmakers to restrain from spending, despite surpluses in the state budget. “The…
Report: Humans to lose 5 million jobs to robots by 2020
BY the year 2020, humans are expected to lose a net of 5.1 millions of jobs to robots and artificial intelligence, according to a report from the World Economic Forum…
California to investigate Exxon Mobil climate change case
KAMALA D. Harris, Attorney General of California, opened an investigation whether Exxon Mobil Corp. lied to the public and its shareholders about the risk to its business from climate change,…
Filipino in Virginia Beach wins $1-M from Powerball
WHILE most people were closely watching the national Powerball lottery drawing live on television on Wednesday, Jan. 13, an 82-year-old Filipino man from Virginia Beach, Va. was not one of…
Long Beach City Council approves minimum wage hike
THE Long Beach City Council on Wednesday, Jan. 20, voted 6-2 to create a pathway to gradually raise the minimum wage to $10.50 per hour by 2017, $12 in 2018…
The woman in black
IT happened faster than it took her to draw a breath. Anybody can become a widow—there are no special qualifications. It did not require planning to become a wife, mother, or…
Pacman’s maternity leave proposal is anti-business, anti-labor
HAVING Manny Pacquiao in Congress has always been a lot like having Michael Jordan in a baseball uniform: It’s uncomfortable to watch, and one desperately hopes he figures out on…
Beauty is simply skin-deep that could either be enhanced or altered
THE most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion, which is hard to find and never sold. Makeup simply defies the degradations of time and not the marks of life’s…