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…
Five in 10,000 people around the world develop unexplained cardiac arrest and rarely does any of them survive. This condition is hereditary, happens to any race, but is more common among those with Asian ancestry, particularly among Japanese and Southeast Asians. Ten times more common among men, this mysterious killer is called Brugada Syndrome. Not…
“The greatest wealth is health,” wrote ancient Roman poet Virgil. The formula of a well-balanced diet, managing stress levels, getting more than eight hours of sleep and exercising at least 30 minutes a day has long been thought of as the key of health. Additionally, “wellness” has been a buzzword to encompass a more holistic…
ON July 22, 2015 the largest Zumba class was assembled in Cebu, Philippines. A total of 12,975 participants all dressed in yellow came together to dance and set the Guinness World Record, breaking the previous record set in 2014 with 8,232 attendees in the same city. You can read more about this on the Guinness…
In the United States, kale, avocados, spinach and flaxseeds have all been hailed “superfoods” for their nutritional density and benefits: they contain generous doses of Vitamin A, healthy fat, Vitamin K and omega-3s, respectively. Although many superfoods typically come at a slightly steeper price tag, the Philippines is home to a number of these vitamin-…
In the wake of super typhoon Yolanda, President Benigno S. Aquino III could have been talking to the Otic family of Tacloban when he bluntly told a local businessman, “Buhay ka pa naman, hindi ba?” (You’re still alive, aren’t you?”) when the latter complained about fearing for his life because of looters. DILG Secretary Mar…
It is GAME ON! Following the first Republican Party debate last Thursday, August 6, many kababayans who lean Republican have been energized to see the crowded slate of candidates they can choose from to be the next President of the United States. As the polls show as of press time, real estate mogul and reality…
The vulgarity in entertainment THOUGH the few good TV shows back home in the Philippines are applauded, it is dismaying that these small islands of quality are almost lost in the sea of mediocrity and outright vulgarity, which characterize some current television fare. The best humor, when it is not simply playful, says something witty…
Adobe Systems Inc., a tech firm based in San Jose, California, has followed in the footsteps of Netflix and Microsoft by announcing it will provide new parents with additional paid time off. Starting Nov. 1, new mothers working at the company will be given 26 weeks of paid leave. Additionally, Adobe has pledged 16 weeks…
American teenagers start their school days too early, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Early school start times are preventing many adolescents from getting the sleep they need,” said Anne Wheaton, a CDC epidemiologist who led the study. The report released on Thursday, Aug. 6, found…
Los Angeles is close to reaching an agreement with the US Olympic Committee (USOC) to be America’s candidate for the 2024 Summer Games. Pledging to host the event at a projected cost of approximately $4 billion, city officials are offering a guarantee that LA would cover any financial overruns. Mayor Eric Garcetti told the Los…
Americans now shoulder $1.2 trillion in student loan debt, a rate that has tripled over the past decade, according to studies. Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton aims to end that debt, announcing a sweeping proposal to provide millions with financial opportunities for college, and reduce interest rates for those shouldering high-interest payments. “No family and…
New CA legislation protects and humanizes undocumented immigrants Continuing his push for change on immigration issues, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a trio of measures on Monday, August 10 that will change opportunities, as well as the status quo, for many undocumented immigrants. One bill removes the word “alien” from California’s labor code, which continues to…
LOS ANGELES – A historic occasion for the Filipino-American and Asian Pacific Islander community was celebrated Tuesday, Aug. 11, when Joel Jacinto, executive director of non-profit organization Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), was confirmed the new Los Angeles Board of Public Works commissioner. “This was very much unexpected, but very much a privilege and…
Oldest Camera Club in Asia Captures an Intimate Philippines With a spirit sculpted singularlyby sunlight and shade As a melting pot of cultures, the Philippines undergoes cycles of transformation as it molds a unique heritage of diversity. Beyond beautiful landscapes and portraits are beguiling and endearing traditional traits. They allow the Philippines and the Filipinos…
Time flies by so quickly when you love what you do. It has been 25 years since I started my very first clinic, all with the goal of helping people look and feel more beautiful. The passion that I had has made Belo Medical Group to what it is now and I would like to…
LOS ANGELES – A historic occasion for the Filipino-American and Asian Pacific Islander community was celebrated Tuesday, Aug. 11, when Joel Jacinto, executive director of non-profit organization Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), was confirmed the new Los Angeles Board of Public Works commissioner. “This was very much unexpected, but very much a privilege and…
I SAW a beautiful French Christian film this past weekend entitled “The Apostle”. It’s a story about a young Muslim man named Akim who is being groomed to be an imam (a prayer leader of a mosque). His life turns upside down when he becomes a friend of a Catholic Christian man who helps him…
VICE President Binay delivered what he called to be the “True State of the Nation Address” at the Cavite State University, following the official sixth and last SONA of President Noynoy Aquino. Binay used this platform to lambast the Aquino Administration and its alleged failure to serve the people, and took a swipe at his…
SECTION 707 (b) of the bankruptcy code is the provision that allows the dismissal of a Chapter 7 case if there is a “presumption of abuse” of bankruptcy law. This is applied to individuals with primarily consumer debts. So if the individual who seeks Chapter 7 relief has primarily business debts this provision would not…
AS you may be aware, the USCIS is seeking comments from the public regarding the proposed rule on the “Expansion of Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility” which was published last July 22, 2015 in the Federal Register (copy is s available online). Deadline for submission of comments on the proposed rule is on 9/21/2015….
ROBERT Wascher, M.D. began working as a cancer surgeon for Southern California Permanente Medical Group (“Kaiser”) in 2009. He was the only specialty-trained cancer surgeon for Kaiser’s 440,000 patients in Orange County. Dr. Wascher expressed concern to Kaiser that non-trained surgeons were allowed to perform complex cancer surgeries resulting in high death rates among patients….
IN the years that I have practiced family law here in Los Angeles, I found that my Pilipino clients have to be briefed about the law and what the law could and would provide for them. They tend to bring their own knowledge of the law from the Philippines and expect that the Philippine law…
IF you have offshore bank accounts, should you report the accounts to the U.S. 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 U.S.? Yes, you should. There are reasons why our government wants to know: combat money laundering,…
CLIENTS often come in to our office with Hollywood-like ideas of what to expect at an immigration interview. They are usually surprised to hear that immigration interviews are almost completely different from what they have seen in the movies. An experienced immigration attorney will help clients to know what to expect at their immigration interview….
BANKRUPTCY is a bad word every business owner is working hard to avoid. And, yet, it’s also a tool given to entrepreneurs as an encouragement to take risks and be able to have a fresh start when things don’t work out. The last few years have been tough for a lot of small business owners….
It was a grand show. It was like all-you-can-eat buffet style entertainment. For this special day, it was not about the plight of the poor or endurance of political turmoil back home, but a day of opening ourselves to the richness of the moment. The day was carefully hosted by Benito Miranda and Anjanette Abayari,…
Nationwide plan to reduce greenhouse gases at power plants IN the final stretch of his term, President Barack Obama unveiled a major climate change plan over the weekend that aims to largely reduce greenhouse gas emissions at coal-burning power plants through the next 15 years. “Today after working with states and cities and power companies,…
POPE Francis urged priests on Wednesday, Aug. 5, to extend a “real welcome” to divorced Catholics who have remarried and accommodate the families with “doors wide open.” Because of the potential effects on the children of Catholic parents, Francis said the Church must be more merciful toward them rather than treat them as though they…
AFTER the finalization of CIT Group Inc.’s $3.4-billion purchase of Pasadena-based OneWest Bank on Monday, Aug. 3, leaders from both financial institutions celebrated the merger at Filipino supermarket Island Pacific in Panorama City, California. “Today’s a great day,” said John Thain, chairman and chief executive of CIT Group at the event on Tuesday, Aug. 4….
