Spouses need to be joint debtors from start of case “ It’s safer for the late filing spouse to file her own case so both cases will succeed. But with two cases, you will pay attorney and filing fees twice. So spouses should decide early on whether they will file a joint case or not.”…
SHOULD you attend an IRS audit? Yes, I mean, you – your own audit. Well, you don’t have to. This is always a strategic question that should be discussed at the planning stage of an audit. Of course, you do not want to go. Of course, I do not want you to go either. So…
Why workers should fight for employee status “UBER driver deemed employee by Labor Commissioner” is a headline. Why should this matter? Because employees receive more, in terms of pay, and in terms of legal protection than independent contractors. Employees, for instance, are reimbursed for expenses they incurred in performing their work. The driver’s claims against…
QUESTION: I did my Will many years ago and I need to add some items and change some items. What can I do? Answer: A codicil is a testamentary document that supplements, amends, qualifies, or republishes a prior testamentary document. Question: Can I just draft a codicil and sign it? Answer: A codicil must be…
A new film produced and directed by a Filipino American looks to shed light on the transgender community and help viewers understand what they go through. “Shunned” tells the struggles and stories of Filipina transgenders and the discrimination they experience because of who they are. Janice Villarosa, director and producer of the film, was inspired…
IT has been amazing to see and feel the passionate support Filipinos have given the Warriors in their quest to once again be this NBA champion after 40 years. Yes, Pinoys love basketball. Yes, there are so many Filipinos in the San Francisco Bay Area and in California, in general, which explains why there are…
LOS ANGELES—Every so often, a major Fil-Am celebration with so many great minds, descends on this city. It would be a fitting time to highlight an inspiring unique portfolio that captures a moment for this city. Members of the Fil-Am community recently celebrated Philippine Independence Day as they gathered for the customary festivities where we’ve…
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton plans to propose tax credits to encourage businesses to train young people and offer apprenticeships as a way to both raise wages and boost youth employment. The former secretary of state called for a $1,500 tax credit per apprentice during a campaign stop in South Carolina on Wednesday, June 17….
For Facebook Inc., a network of over 1.44 billion active users, overseas markets bring in more advertising revenue than in the entire United States. Revenue for Facebook amounted to 51 percent of global ad sales in the first quarter, with growth in Asia the fastest in the world at 57 percent, according to company executives….
MOST Americans support marriage equality, regardless of how various polls frame the question, according to a new report from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. The report by Andrew R. Flores, a public opinion and policy fellow at the Williams Institute, was published in Public Opinion Quarterly and…
AFTER nearly 120 years, a woman will soon be on the American $10 bill. By 2020, the Treasury Department will add an unnamed historical female figure to the $10 bill, as a tribute to the hard work and contributions of women in the US. “It’s time for a woman to be back on our paper…
Suspect caught by police after manhunt THE historic city of Charleston, SC was hit with tragedy when an armed white male entered a black Methodist Episcopal church in downtown on the night of Wednesday, June 17th, shooting and killing nine, including the church’s pastor. Police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Dylann Storm Roof from Lexington,…
IN July, the 35th annual Lotus Festival will highlight the country of Mongolia for the first time, featuring live music, dances and entertainment from performers representing the country’s culture. “We need to prepare ourselves for the excitement four weeks from now,” said Leo Pandac, president of Los Angeles Lotus Festival Inc., a non-profit organization that…
A CEILING fan whirs quietly inside Rory Lacson’s Lakewood, Calif. home. In the early afternoon, Southern California can be scorching. But inside Lacson’s home, the temperature is cool and provides a welcoming and relaxing environment compared to the heat outdoors. The house was purchased by Lacson, 44, and his wife, Hilda, 33, a few years…
UNDER a budget deal announced Tuesday, June 18 by California Governor Jerry Brown and legislative leaders, an estimated 170,000 undocumented immigrant children aged 18 and younger could receive public health care coverage. The budget deal for the 2015-16 fiscal year marks another victory for advocates and lawmakers who have worked to make the state more…
Just to think what I might have missed…looking back how did I exist…I dreamed, still I never thought I’d come this far…but miracles come true…I know ‘cause here we are…” (an excerpt from Air Supply’s Two Less Lonely People In The World). The phenomenal tandem of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, collectively of the popular…
The Supreme Court recently ruled, in Kerry v. Din there is no constitutional “due process right” for the spouse of a US citizen to immigrate to America. The US citizen wife claimed the government did not provide an adequate explanation why her husband’s immigrant visa was refused and violated her constitutional right “to live in…
In a Facebook poll conducted by CNN, Filipino food was ranked No. 2 out of 10 when respondents were asked, “Which destination has the world’s best food?” The Philippines secured the second spot with 1,528 votes after Taiwan, which received 8,242 votes. “Filipino food isn’t as well known as the other cuisines on this list,…
A myriad of representation involving hundreds of community movers and shakers in the Filipino-American community were present last Friday, June 12, during the celebration of the 117th anniversary of Philippine Independence Day held at the San Francisco City Hall’s Rotunda and adjoining North Light Court. The elegant evening was led by San Francisco Mayor Edwin…
Will Filipino food finally have its moment to shine? It’s a question that many, including major publications, are asking. Back in 2012, Andrew Zimmern predicted that Filipino food would be “the next big thing.” Since then, there has been an ongoing fascination with the cuisine across the country, like in Los Angeles, New York, San…
ABS-CBN International’s The Filipino Channel (TFC) has added more reasons for us Filipinos in the United States to be proud. We can now compete in America and around the worldagainst big broadcasting corporations and mainstream media companies in America when it comes to excellence in reporting news and stories that matter. What makes these awards…
Words are mere grace notes. All my life I have dealt with words. They are adequate for many of our purposes, indispensable for most. They can be immeasurably beautiful and graceful. But they can’t do everything. The power of a photograph, with its vivid communication of reality, is a tapestry which tells a story, through…
DRUGSTORE operator CVS Health Corp will purchase Target’s pharmacy and clinic businesses in a $1.9-million deal, both companies announced Monday, June 15. Under the agreement, CVS would acquire Target’s more than 1,600 pharmacies in 47 states and its nearly 80 clinics. The drugstore chain would operate under the CVS brand name in Target stores, as…
THE Food and Drug Administration recently took a step forward in eliminating artificial trans-fat from the American diet. On Tuesday, June 16, the FDA ruled that trans-fat is not “generally recognized as safe” to be used in human food. The agency said it has made a “preliminary determination” that a major source of trans-fats are…
MORE than 100 of California’s most senior water rights holders will face sharp cutbacks amid a fourth year of drought, state officials announced Friday, June 12. The move is the first time since 1977 that regulators ordered those possessing such rights to reduce their water use. Officials said rights dating back to 1903 would be…
ACTOR Ernie Reyes Jr., best known for his role as Keno in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze,” is fighting for his life. The martial arts fighter and stunt actor took to GoFundMe for monetary donations to help with his kidney transplant procedure. The 43-year-old Filipino American from San Jose, Calif. was recently in…
CALIFORNIA voters passed the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, also called “Proposition 47,” in November 2014, allowing for opportunities and a second chance for convicted persons. Prop 47 allows some eligible low-level, non-violent smaller offenses and crimes to be charged as misdemeanors instead of felonies. By reducing the penalties of such petty crimes, Prop 47…
LA is largest US city with $15 min. wage AFTER a crucial vote on Saturday, June 13, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a measure gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, making LA the largest city in the US to mandate the new wage. “[The law is] a major victory for our…
LA is largest US city with $15 min. wage AFTER a crucial vote on Saturday, June 13, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed a measure gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, making LA the largest city in the US to mandate the new wage. “[The law is] a major victory for our…
THE 117th anniversary of Philippine independence was celebrated by Filipinos in America from coast to coast, shouting out a new mission: Defend Philippine sovereignty against China’s bullying by protest actions and a global boycott of goods made in China, as well as of companies that sell products that are made in China. The Filipino Channel’s…
