Wisdom teeth: Why do we have them?
WHEN dentists see emerging wisdom teeth are going to cause dental problems, wisdom tooth removal is likely in the cards. Wisdom teeth–also known as the third molars–received their nickname because…
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Classifying your adopted child as immediate relative under the Hague Convention
IF you are adopting a child from a foreign country and wish to bring the child to the United States, you must comply with the adoption laws of the child’s…
Under Aquino, we’ve become the most violent country in Asia, next to NKorea
That’s according to the 2015 rankings by the “Global Peace Index” of 162 countries done annually since 2007 by a panel of international experts in the Institute for Economics and…
US monitoring of South China Sea remains in dispute
As tensions over the South China Sea escalate, United States Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he would visit an American aircraft carrier in the Sea on Thursday, Nov. 5. Speaking…
DOJ, NBI to form special task team to probe bullet planting scheme in NAIA
Amid an ongoing alleged “laglag-bala (dropping bullets)” scheme targeting passengers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Department of Justice has directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to create…
Revolution now? How and who?
I HAVE just read, with extreme fascination, a discussion paper published by Norberto B. Gonzales, secretary of national defense and national security adviser under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It has…
The ‘Laglag Bala’ scheme and the state of paranoia at NAIA: more fun in the Philippines?
ONE of the things we Filipinos living abroad always look forward to and are excited about is the ability to travel back to the Philippines and feel “at home” in…
Entrapment
IS it really more fun in the Philippines? In 2014, the government has recorded 34 million domestic and international arrival and departures at the country’s premier gateway. Despite a “worst…
Twice upon a time
I WRITE all the time. It’s a metabolic necessity for me to put words down. For me, it is more fun than anything else to feel that tactile, physical pleasure….
AAPI groups file briefs in support of affirmative action
OVER 160 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) groups have filed amicus briefs calling for equal opportunity and for the Supreme Court to uphold affirmative action policies. Asian Americans Advancing…
US-bound Filipino latest victim in alleged bullet planting scheme at NAIA
A 77-year-old Filipino-American bound for Los Angeles was the latest victim in an alleged “laglag-bala (bullet planting)” scheme targeting passengers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Tuesday, Nov. 3….
Election or revolution?
“No faith is potent unless it is also faith in the future, unless it has a millennial component. So, too, an effective doctrine: as well as being a source of power, it must also…
Permanent residency through marriage to US citizen spouse
CHANGES in the economy and in the employment lanscape has made it more difficult to pursue certain traditional paths to obtaining permanent residency in the United States such as employment…
Economic hardship for offer in compromise (OIC)
MEDIA coverage on IRS abuses and subsequent tax laws put pressure on the Service to revamp the Offer in Compromise (OIC) program for taxpayers who could not pay their tax…
‘Show up pay’: an overlooked compensation at work
Q: I WORK as an on-call employee for a healthcare facility. My employer often calls me to report for duty but when I arrive to work, my assignment is cancelled…
The debt trap: Too busy making a living that you don’t have a life?
THIS week, the truth of this statement struck a chord with a prospective client who came to me for debt help. Keep reading as this may be the most important…
New documentary explores what it means to be Asian American through food
ON Dec. 8, a new documentary that explores what it means to be Asian American through food is set for release on PBS. “Off the Menu: Asian America,” directed by…
‘Kid Kulafu’ shows Pacquiao’s early years
BEFORE Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao became a world boxing champion, he was known as Kid Kulafu. In a film titled after Pacquiao’s childhood boxing nickname, the rags chapter of the people’s…
PH presidential election cliffhanger: Duterte could still run for president
RODRIGO Duterte fans won’t stop believing, and they have reasons to press forward. Turns out the speculations about the “substitution” theory may indeed happen — popular Davao City mayor “may”…
RNC seeks Asian American millennial voters, leaders
WITH the 2016 presidential election a year away, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is expanding outreach efforts to a key demographic: Asian American millennials. Through a six-week program called the…
Tuberculosis is now a leading killer bacterial disease
According to report, over 4,000 people are dying each day DESPITE lower death rates, tuberculosis (TB) is now killing more people each year than HIV, according to new data from…
Larry Itliong’s son fights to continue legacy
IN the last 32 years, community leader Johnny Itliong has attended nearly 400 events to spread awareness about the role his father and the Delano manongs played in the eventual…
The spectacle of joie de vivre in the Filipino community
It is a knack of knowing how to live, the hearty enjoyment of life. It is the flush of happiness that can overtake a person anywhere. It took the French…
Heaven and earth
“WHOEVER or wherever you are in life, as I see you in front of me in prayer, I feel very close to you, not in any sentimental way, but as…
Travelogue Dateline: Europe’s seats of royalty and cultural diversity
Well-travelled men could frankly say London and Paris are undoubtedly two greatest European cities (aside, of course, from Rome) that have influenced the world over the last 2,000 years with…
Star for All Seasons and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos heads list of November celebrants
Vilma Santos, know in Philippine showbiz as the Star for All Seasons and who is also the beloved Governor of Batangas, heads the list of prominent personalities celebrating their birthdays…
Naturalization disaster: Misrepresenting absences from the US
ONE of the most important requirements for naturalization is that an applicant must maintain residency in the US for the five years before filing a naturalization application. The person should…
Is contingent bonus community property in a divorce?
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…
Insights on election cheating and corruption
“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…
Usapang Todos Los Santos: When your time comes, would you choose to be cremated?
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…