“GREG, how true!” This was the comment of a friend from Seattle upon reading my piece, “Insights from a small town politician,” particularly the part about the need for “mobilization” (a euphemism for vote-buying) in order to win an election. As a result of that column, other savvy individuals have come forward with their own first…
PERHAPS a lot of us Filipinos living abroad would have a collective memory of how “Todos Los Santos” was observed in the Philippines where many of us grew up. This would be totally different from the “Halloween” culture of today’s generation — no costumes or Halloween parades and party for us. October 31 and November…
A GREAT fight is brewing among four opposing names who dare to covet the highest political rank in the Philippines. While the top presidential aspirants are strong contenders – each carrying a political track record – one test they have to accomplish is being the most business-friendly. With a growing middle class, strong domestic demand,…
Welcome to the elections, Philippine style in 2016. As a lifelong spectator in an extremely politicized country in all these years, I can say that nothing much has changed. Politics had gradually vanished into a world of obscene, big money and bad manners. The early presidential campaign undeniably and gravely takes on a survival of the…
THE White House and congressional Republican leaders reached a budget agreement on Monday, Oct. 26, that would resolve the stalemate over funding federal programs, and could end the threat of another government shutdown until the end of President Barack Obama’s term. The two-year budget accord, which will cost roughly $80-billion, would increase spending somewhat on…
PROCESSED meat—including ham, corned beef, bacon and beef jerky—can cause cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Monday, Oct. 26, putting the meat in the same danger category as smoking or asbestos. The agency’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France reached the conclusion after analyzing decades of research. It evaluated more…
A Filipina whose body was found Tuesday, Oct. 20, in a Las Vegas cryotherapy chamber, died in “seconds,” medical examiners told her family, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Chelsea Ake-Salvacion, 24, was found dead last week at Rejuvenice spa. She was discovered by her friend and colleague Elise Iverson. After working a closing shift Monday,…
LINCOLN Chafee, Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders and Jim Webb. These five Democrats – these five leaders – took the stage in Nevada last week for the inaugural Democratic Party Presidential debate. The elevated substance and classy style of the debate reminded me of a favorite bit of wisdom from iconic American author Mark Twain: “There…
TWO different clients both landlords because they both own rental properties came to see me last week with different problems. The conventional wisdom why people buy rental properties has two points. First, the rental properties will provide a steady stream of monthly income to the landlord. Second, the value of the properties will eventually rise,…
ON June 30, 2015, the California Governor signed into law designating October 25 every year from hereon as Larry Itliong Day. Who is Larry Itliong and why does he matter? NPR says, “Cesar Chavez inspired the world. Larry Itliong inspired Cesar Chavez.” Cesar Chavez, the labor rights activist to whom Cesar Chavez Day is dedicated,…
AS you may be aware, the USCIS, in coordination of the Department of State (DOS), announced last September 2015, announced revisions as to the procedures for determining visa availability for applicants waiting to file for employment-based or family-sponsored preference adjustment of status. This is part of the implementation of the November 2014 executive actions on…
IN many professions, bonus is a material part of a professional’s compensation. It is often a challenge characterizing bonuses in the context of a divorce case especially if the bonus has not yet been received by the employee spouse as of the date of separation. Marriage of Finby involved a wife who worked as a…
AN offer in compromise (OIC) allows you to settle assessments for tax, penalties, and interests at less than the assessed amounts. You can apply for an OIC if there is doubt as to liability or as to collectibility. The bases of an OIC are discussed in our other newsletters. Let me give you 12 tips…
CREDIT cards can be convenient and handy especially in times of financial emergencies but when the accumulated debt gets out of control, it can lead to long-term financial stress. Some people seem to be OK just making minimum payments for a while but unless they stop borrowing, they get to a point where the payments…
SOLID fans who adore not only the Pambansang Kamao in Manny Pacquiao but everything else about him will surely not like this question. But this is exactly what the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will have to determine and rule on after a certain Ferdinand Sevilla of Makati City, filed a petition case against Pacquiao, arguing…
CARSON, California—Every fight promotion takes on its character and you discover that there is more to the “who did what to whom.” What makes the fight world so intriguing is that lives involved are not usually as brimming with possibilities. From the few routine contenders that attain their moments, most fall short, in time becomes…
“DO I want to be fully seen by Jesus? Do I want to be known by him?” Henry Nouwen asks in his book, Discernment. These questions are intriguing because they imply a great amount of vulnerability, nakedness, and humility on our part as human beings. Indeed, if we honestly look at ourselves, do we really…
It appears that the eldest children tend to be the smartest among their siblings. A new study from the University of Leipzig in Germany found that each successive child after first-borns possessed a lower IQ. Researchers aren’t certain why eldest brothers and sisters seem to be brighter, but they say it may be because they…
EARLIER this year, Fil-Am Assemblyman Rob Bonta introduced a bill that would roll out new guidelines to collect disaggregated demographic data about California’s diverse Asian Pacific Islander (API) population. The measure, AB176, aimed to address disparities in health and education. “The API community is not a monolith. We are not the same in every single…
GOP leaders in the House of Representatives backed away from a tentative plan to vote on raising the debt limit with a package of conservative reforms, leaving them without a clear path forward before the Nov. 3 deadline, when the limit must be lifted. The conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) had authored a proposal that…
OCTOBER marks Filipino American History Month, celebrating and recognizing Filipino-American heritage and the growing culture in the United States. Starting in 1991, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) has observed Filipino American History Month. A resolution to formally recognize the month was passed in Congress in 2009, 2010, and 2011, but was never made…
VICE President Joe Biden has announced that he will not run for president in the 2016 election. “Unfortunately, I believe we’re out of time, the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination,” he said on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Biden made the announcement at the White House Rose Garden, putting to rest months…
REMITTANCE FIRM SURVEY REVEALS MOST Filipino workers living in the United States are overqualified for the jobs they do, according to respondents of a survey conducted by international money transfer firm Transfast. In a survey of 400 Philippine natives who live in the United States and remit money back home, more than 80 percent said…
COINCIDING with the 50th anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, a celebration of Filipino American History Month at Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, Oct. 23, included the honoring of Johnny Itliong, the son of Filipino labor leader Larry Itliong. In an emotional address inside the City Hall Council Chamber, Itliong, who is…
(Part 1 of 2) In the company of an all-nurse practitioner, I was persuaded to break out of my shell to embrace new culture, enjoy life like never before, and acquire an invaluable experience in a well-planned European tour. So together with my wife, Venny, her college friend from PWU Jessette Loredo and her colleague…
COINCIDING with the 50th anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, a celebration of Filipino American History Month at Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, Oct. 23, included the honoring of Johnny Itliong, the son of Filipino labor leader Larry Itliong. In an emotional address inside the City Hall Council Chamber, Itliong, who is…
LAST week yours truly wrote about some of the showbiz personalities running in next year’s Philippine elections. Since the deadline to submit Certificates of Candidacies (COC) was last Friday, October 16; there were other stars who showed up at the Commission of Election (COMELEC) to file for their candidacies since my last column came out….
INJURIES always seem to happen when we least expect them. Picture yourself at an outdoor gathering, having fun, when suddenly a crying child runs up to you, knocked-out tooth in hand. Would you know what to do? Dental first aid saves teeth Knocking out or fracturing a tooth is especially distressing—just thinking about it can…
IF a person commits certain immigration violations (such as fraud, or overstaying in the US for over six months and then departing, etc.), the person may not be eligible to receive a green card, unless the person applies for, and is granted, a “waiver of inadmissibility” on a Form I – 601. To be eligible…
UNDER current immigration laws, there is a bar to admissibility to the United States for foreign nationals who are “unlawfully present” in the United States. An unlawfully present foreign national is a person who was inspected at the border and admitted into the United States but who remained in the United States beyond the date…
