CIVILIZATION is most apparent when people recognize that the world is ruled by principle and not by force. Today’s challenges give an opening to effective means of resolving crises and creating an avenue of working towards a common goal. International relations are regulated by universally accepted and legal norms concerning people’s welfare, security, trade, finance,…
WHEN will President Barack Obama fulfill his promise as a presidential candidate that he would reform America’s broken immigration system? This is the question many kababayans ask, along with the rest of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Many of them continue to be in hiding, fearful of being deported, hoping against…
Beneficiary spouse of marriage based immigrant petition’s where the marriage was less than 2 years old at the time of the immigrant visa or status was approved are issued a 2 year conditional green card. In order for these immigrants to obtain their permanent green card, the immigrant has to either file a joint petition…
WHEN it rains, it pours. When push comes to shove, and your back is up against the wall, you may think of many desperate things that you can do to relieve the enormous emotional and mental stress that you are going through. But I can tell for certain as I have seen literally thousands of…
When California voters approved Proposition 47 on Nov. 4, California became the first state in the country to reduce drug possession offenses to misdemeanors. Advocates of the legislation say the measure reduces the state’s overpopulated prisons and support schools, while opponents say it could lead to serious crime. But just days after the passage of…
Everywhere people are talking about themselves, discussing their doings, their loves, their fighting, their poems, their goals, their music, their meeting their movies, their millions, their misfortunes—their celebrity (or notoriety) is so vast, so clamorous, so exasperating…it suffocates, obsesses us in a way. I am a bore when I report what bores others—as some interviews…
Fil-Am leaders renew call for TPS WHEN super typhoon Haiyan—or locally known as Yolanda—struck the Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013, it left devastating consequences that continue to plague the country even after a year had passed. More than 6,000 people were killed, about 30,000 were injured and more than 4 million were displaced in Tacloban…
CHINESE government hackers are suspected of hacking computer networks of the United States Postal Service (USPS), jeopardizing the information of more than 800,000 employees. The FBI informed the Postal Service in mid-September, at which time the discovery of the data breach was made, officials said. Affected systems include the Office of Personnel Management and USIS,…
WIRELESS giants AT&T and Verizon may be violating privacy laws with coding that tracks its users’ web activity. Recent reports have revealed that these telecommunications providers have been tracking more than 100 million mobile phone users with a code that collects data about every single web page visited. The code has been referred to as…
It is often said that getting a good night’s sleep is important, but what is not so widely known is that poor sleep quality may reduce the size of the brain. A recent study published in an online edition of the journal “Neurology” examined 147 participants between 20 and 84 years old and suggests a…
Every study has demonstrated that our nation’s twenty million Asian Americans seek the American Dream of homeownership. Among many Asian American groups, including Filipino Americans and Vietnamese Americans, the percentage is well-over 95% or even higher than for Whites. But this American Dream is decreasingly available to most Asian Americans. Why has this occurred when…
I’M writing from Orlando, Florida while attending the 2nd General Assembly of the National Association of Filipino Priests—USA. I remember fondly the first assembly that we held three years ago in Los Angeles. It was a historic moment because approximately four hundred of us, Filipino priests, ministering in different parts of the nation, gathered for…
A YEAR ago, the Philippines welcomed an unwanted visitor. Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) with winds up to 235 kilometers per hour and a tsunami-like storm surge ravaged most parts of the country, causing 6,300 lives. Homes, schools, hospitals, churches were destroyed. It seemed that all that was left was hope. The government, in…
The 2014 Midterm Elections are over and the balance of power has tilted in favor of the Republicans. The Grand Old Party (GOP) now controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Will a Republican-lead Congress be better for America in general, and the Filipino-American in particular? A majority — 63 percent — of…
Menu for business class starts Dec. 1 LOS ANGELES – Who says airplane food has to be subpar? This December, Japan’s largest airline All Nippon Airways will be serving dishes from a Michelin-starred restaurant to business class passengers flying out of Los Angeles International Airport. The collaboration between ANA and Patina, one of this city’s icons…
The other day, I came upon a shocking news headline on FaceBook, “George W. Bush Arrested for Cocaine Possession.” It was datelined Dallas, Texas, July 24, 2014. Intrigued, I read on: “One of the most notorious Presidents in the history of The United States of America is back in the spotlight, but not because of…
WE will discuss two new cases involving clients who seek a fresh start in life with no debts owed to anyone. Both sets of clients are in their forties. The first client is a couple in their forties with young children who are aged 3 and 7. Husband works for the county of LA and…
MORE than a year ago, I discussed in an article the immigration consequences of using a false social security number. In Beltran-Tirado v. INS, 213 F.3d 1179 (9th Cir. 2000), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that convictions under 18 USC 1546(b), for false attestation on an employment verification form, and 42 USC 408(a)(7)(B),…
TOUGH times may necessitate dipping into your retirement funds before retirement. Look at the tax impact of such a move. You may be shocked to find out what you are left with – as little as half or two-thirds of what you withdraw. Here are 10 facts about early distributions. 1. Payments you receive from…
EVERY now and then, our law firm receives calls from persons who inform us that supervisors reduced their hours, or suspended them for a trump up charge, in order to “get back,” or get even with them for “talking back,” or telling the supervisor he was wrong. The aggrieved employee then asks if they can…
THE recession has been tough on a lot of small businesses. And if you have a family-owned business that is your only source of income, the business may not even be making enough to pay its own expenses- let alone pay you. Good business practice says that you should pay yourself first but in practice…
A RECENT study found that working a job with irregular shifts comes with a price tag greater than the challenge in adjusting sleeping patterns: doing so has a long-term effect on cognitive abilities. The study, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, revealed shift work can impair memory, speed and selective attention abilities. Researchers…
On Nov. 6, Disney announced the continuation of two of their biggest film sagas, Star Wars and Toy Story. The major studio announced the official title of the new Star Wars: Episode VII film, “The Force Awakens.” The reveal comes as the movie, directed by J.J. Abrams of the Star Trek series, wraps up its last days of shooting…
The most notable about time in an ocean voyage is that it is so purely relative. What a fragment is in space, a moment is in time. We sailed in the lightness of an autumn early evening—the sky a fresh roceate, the sea quiet, calm, the ship ploughed into open seas, a shade of vivid…
Gov. Brown, student against hike Administrators at the University of California proposed a new plan to increase tuition by as much as 5 percent in the next five years, drawing criticism from newly-reelected Gov. Jerry Brown, as well as top state legislative leaders and student activists. UC President Janet Napolitano sent out emails and messages…
FLU season can begin as early as October each year, at which time thousands of free and affordable vaccines are available to the public. But according to a report from NBC Bay Area, more than 500,000 vaccines have gone unused in California in the past six flu seasons. With each unit worth about $11, the…
Nearly half of 2.59 million recalled General Motors vehicles remain unrepaired nine months after the automaker issued a recall due to faulty ignition switches. As of Oct. 31, a total of 31 deaths have been linked to the defect, along with more in injuries. The problem is reported to prevent airbags from inflating, and interferes…
South Korean auto companies Hyundai and Kia owe a $100 million fine for exaggerating the fuel economy estimates of 1.2 million cars. An investigation conducted by the Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that the companies’ erroneous mileage information violates the Clean Air Act. As a result of the misstatement, an estimated…
Being an achiever doesn’t necessarily need one to be somewhat unapproachably recondite and stops being a woman. On the 16th day of June, 1944, a future humanitarian leader who could potentially uphold the values of Florence Nightingale was born to Ceasar Aquino Cajucom, a NARIC (National Rice Corporation) employee and Mercedes Buenaventura Martinez, an elementary…
The US midterm elections took place on Tuesday, November 4 and no doubt you have heard a lot about what the results mean for this country. Immigration reform was a constant issue throughout many campaigns, and some candidates even ran on an anti-immigration reform platform. The issue of comprehensive immigration reform has been before Congress…
