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 country of origin, the laws of the United States and the laws of your state of residence (“home state”). In addition, you must comply…
The growing threat of international terrorism, which apparently is without territorial boundaries, has prompted the Department of State (DOS) to tighten its rules of entry into the US. DOS is the governmental entity that works hand in hand with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is in charge of prospective immigrants to the US. …
Is viagra useful for women? Preliminary report from 12-week study at Northwestern University in Chicago and UCLA Medical Center on 202 post menopaual or post hysterectomy women show that viagra (Sildenafil), the blue pill, is as effective for the females as it is for the males. The action of the drug is to open up…
FRUSTRATED by the lack of governmental action on immigration reform, California lawmakers are considering a measure to allow work permits for undocumented farmworkers. A similar effort died three years ago, opposed by immigrant rights groups and powerful California labor unions, preferring a comprehensive national approach to immigration issues. But a divided Congress did not overhaul…
THE US Justice Department on Tuesday, July 14, moved to seize $12.5 million (about P565 million) in assets belonging to Filipina businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, who has allegedly embezzled millions from bribery and kickback schemes. A report on the FBI website states that state prosecutors filed a civil forfeiture complaint to recover assets that Napoles…
The bell tolls for many. It always does. They took their leave in poignant numbers. We loved them and we lost them—men and women who had the power to move us in very special ways. They left memories and images that death cannot diminish: a high swatch of beauty, grace, passion, anguish and delight. We…
PRESIDENT Noynoy Aquino is reportedly very pleased with a report in TIME Asia concerning the high level of optimism among Filipinos with respect to their job prospects. According to a Gallup poll, cited by the publication, some 66 percent of Filipinos feel good about landing a job – a figure higher than the 51 percent…
DONALD TRUMP: either you love the guy or hate him. This is especially true in the context of politics and the race to the White House. Filipinos in America are divided as well in how they look at this real estate mogul/reality TV show star, and now US President wannabe. Most Democrats and many Independents…
FRUSTRATED by the lack of governmental action on immigration reform, California lawmakers are considering a measure to allow work permits for undocumented farmworkers. A similar effort died three years ago, opposed by immigrant rights groups and powerful California labor unions, preferring a comprehensive national approach to immigration issues. But a divided Congress did not overhaul…
THE Philippines and the United States have entered into a reciprocal intergovernmental agreement meant to help curtail offshore tax evasion and avoidance. Signed by Philippine Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg on Monday, July 13, the agreement implements provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which requires…
ACROSS the nation, gas prices are on a downward drift. However in California, prices are rapidly shooting up – and drivers are angry. Analysts predicted that prices will peak at $4 a gallon for regular gas before California drivers – who pay nearly 70 cents more than the national average – will get a break….
A homeless, studious little boy in the Philippines is getting worldwide attention. After a fellow student snapped a photo of Daniel Cabrera, 9, doing his homework in a quiet street in Cebu, the photo went viral, gaining attention from around the globe. Joyce Torrefranca from Mandaue City posted the photos to Facebook on June 23,…
GOD’S recent mighty works in my life have amazed me! He has now brought me to complete recovery after undergoing a medical procedure to cure an unruptured aneurysm in my brain. My friends and colleagues could not believe that I recovered so quickly. “It’s because of the mercy of God, the miracle of medicine, the…
Lovely July where the days are sultry, steaming, sweltering. The city is heaving like a tired beast. Time to shed expectations, along with commute, cellular phones, calendars as our wants seem to diminish: off to a shady nook a cold drink or why not: watch beauty pageants new and abound! What makes a perfect beauty…
THREE years ago President Obama made an important announcement and made clear his intent to help “Dreamers”; young people who were brought to the U.S. unlawfully by their parents. He announced his plan for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”), an executive measure that allowed him to provide certain benefits to these young people due…
Decides future wages belong to debtor when chapter 13 is converted to chapter 7 IMAGINE that you are a Chapter 13 debtor with a 5-year reorganization plan. In this plan, you commit your future wages to assure payment of the plan payments. However, one year into the plan, you are not able to pay the current…
MANY fathers and mothers have their own ideas of child custody and the standard to which Courts use in determining custody of children. Automatically, most parents believe that the children would naturally go to their mother. This perception is incorrect—the children do not automatically go to the mother. Rather, the Family Code statutes have a…
AN action under the DVPA (Domestic Violence Protection Act) seeking a restraining order often is necessary to protect parties from abuse or domestic violence perpetrated by the other spouse or significant other. At times, it is effective in preventing harm to one of the parties. At the same time, this process is sometimes…
Q: I WORK for a temp agency as an hourly employee and I recently got sick. I asked the employer if I was entitled to paid sick leave. I was told that I was not entitled to paid sick leave because I was a temporary worker. Is this right? A: The law used to be…
Choosing the proper entity for your business (Part 1 of 5) YOU have decided to go into business for yourself. Should you operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, LLC, or LLP? How do you select which entity is most beneficial for you? Choosing the wrong form could cause unnecessary taxes, increased liability, and unnecessary exposure…
QUESTION: The last thing I want to do is go through Probate. Can you let me know if there are any other options? Answer: It is possible. There is what is known as a Small Affidavit of Estate. Generally, small estate transfers can be made if there is a probate or a Trust or if…
IF you are searching for debt reduction solutions, no doubt you’ve been inundated with advertisements for various debt management programs, companies and solutions. The choices seem confusing to the average consumer. The truth is that every situation is different and what may work perfectly for others is not necessarily going to work the same way…
WE have often talked about how it is to be “Pinoy” in America, as other races/ethnicities would also have their own conversations about their unique experiences as they live new lives and get assimilated in our adoptive country. This comes out naturally to us because this is OUR experience, our perspective, living in America. But…
APPLE is planning on producing a record 85 million to 95 million units of its next generation iPhone models by Dec. 31, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, July 8. Early production of the new phones has already begun, according to Bloomberg, and will feature a similar exterior design as its most recent 4.7-inch…
TWO weeks after Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl delayed the vote for a month on her proposal to raise the citywide minimum wage by 2020, LA city officials are taking steps to help small businesses move forward amid growing concerns. The Board of Supervisors announced on Tuesday, July 7 that it looked at its…
THE Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) on Monday, July 6, filed criminal charges with the Department of Justice against 20 former officers and stockholders of the now-closed Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank (BF) for unsound practices that led to its closure in 2011. The complaint also states that the manner in which they conducted…
NEW research published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal suggests that mammograms reduce the risk of breast cancer-related deaths by 10 percent, rather than the original 20 to 25 percent. The analysis signals “widespread overdiagnosis” in US women, researchers say. The study examined the relationship between screening rates in US communities and breast cancer death…
ALMOST two-thirds of Republicans oppose the Supreme Court’s nationwide ruling in support of same-sex marriage, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The numbers give hope for conservative presidential candidates who have come out strongly against marriage equality. Republicans anticipated a major struggle to make opposition to same-sex marriage a winning issue in the November 2016…
IN the United States, if the approximately 8.8 million immigrants eligible for citizenship are naturalized, the country could experience a $21 billion to $45 billion increase in gross domestic product (GDP) throughout a 10-year period. Along with economic gains, local business leaders and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday, July 9, discussed the benefits…
THE United Nations Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague in the Netherlands has decided to hear a second round of oral arguments from the Philippines regarding disputed territory in the South China Sea. Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, a member of the high-level delegation representing the Philippines in the Netherlands, said on Friday, July 10, that…
