THE brutal murder of transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude has galvanized protests among kababayans from coast to coast here in the United States on two fronts: against the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the United States and the Philippines; and the prejudices and violence against the gays, lesbians, transgenders in the Philippines. President Benigno Aquino III…
THE trouble with hiring “creative” advertising and PR geniuses for one’s political campaign is that they can get carried away by their creativity. Take the Liberal Party’s demolition strategy against Vice-President Jojo Binay code-named, “Oplan Stop Nognog 2016.” It sounds really clever until you realize the implications. In colonial times, ordinary Filipinos, belonging to the…
I REMEMBER client the first time I met her 15 years ago. At that time, she was only 30 years old and had just started working as a registered nurse after obtaining her graduate degree in nursing. I won’t tell you how old I was at that time but I certainly wish I were also…
1. IRS wants you to keep good records to document your income and support your expenses. It does not require you to keep records in any specific manner, but there are proven ways to keep good files. Read on. 2. There are two basic types of filers: the rat pack that hoards files for the…
Q: I HAD to take a few weeks of medical leave from work because I had to undergo a heart procedure. I gave my employer my doctors’ notes. When I was released to go back to work, my employer told me that my position was no longer available. Since I work for a fairly large…
I KNOW we’ve never met. But there’s a common concern we all share. As a debt relief attorney, I hear it from people who consult with me every day. It is this: The possibility of losing what we’ve worked hard for all our lives…our homes, our savings, our retirement money, our business, etc. Why is…
THE fall season always brings something new that will astonish us. Let the leaves fall, leaves leave, fall falls. But perhaps ushering the season comes with the promise of new beginnings. A few old works might fit the bill. It is said that when God wanted to separate light from darkness, He created day and…
LOS ANGELES – Republican Congressional candidate Arturo Alas claims to be less about government and more for the people. Running in California’s 32nd congressional district, which spans all the way from El Monte to City of Industry, Art’s campaign for the November midterm election promises a “New StART – For Congress, for liberty, for us!”…
Nurses in Dallas free of virus THE war on Ebola continues with a new case, this time in New York City. Doctor Craig Spencer was working with the organization Doctors Without Borders, treating Ebola patients in Guinea. He came back to the US on Oct. 17, arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport and exhibiting…
Social analysts hypothesized the movies to be an art form imitating life but in most cases it seems that life’s mortal realities and its evanescent complexities make it the other way around. As such the movies depict the grandiosity of men’s limitless possibilities in confronting inevitable challenges for probable survival. Human existence when fused with…
The holiday season is almost upon us. This is a wonderful time of the year that provides us a great opportunity to reflect on everything we have and to spend time with friends and family. Those who we care about most are obviously those who should be with us during such an important time of…
LOS ANGELES – Republican Congressional candidate Arturo Alas claims to be less about government and more for the people. Running in California’s 32nd congressional district, which spans all the way from El Monte to City of Industry, Art’s campaign for the November midterm election promises a “New StART – For Congress, for liberty, for us!”…
As fuel prices continue to drop, profits are soaring at some of the biggest US airlines—though not their trip fares. The airlines are expecting even cheaper fuel this coming holiday travel season, thanks to the recent nosedive in crude oil prices. The price of jet fuel, typically an airline’s biggest expense, has dropped by about…
What is the first thing you do when planning for your daily commute? You probably watch the news, check for train or bus delays on the internet, or check a navigation app on your phone for the most efficient ways to get to your destination. Based on traffic or accidents, you might even consider alternative…
On January 1, 2015, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will begin issuing driver licenses to undocumented California residents under Assembly Bill 60 (AB 60). Under the previous law, in order for a person to obtain a California driver license, he or she had to prove his or her identity and that they were…
WE all saw her start as the sweet and cute teen with the amazing voice and cheered on her performances with international stars like Celine Dion, Josh Groban and David Foster. She was already a rising international star—then the change started. Today, it will be hard to recognize Charice Pempengco if she wasn’t in the…
Dallas health officials announced Wednesday, Oct. 22 that Bentley, the year-old King Charles spaniel owned by Ebola-infected nurse Nina Pham, has tested negative for the virus. Sana Syed, a public information officer for the city of Dallas, said that the dog will be tested again for accuracy before the end of his 21-day quarantine period….
Our fellow Filipinos may be enjoying their stay outside the Philippines; but perhaps they get homesick once in a while. If you manage to visit our country, then you might want to do our kababayans a favor of personally bringing the Philippines to them. How? Through pasalubongs, of course! Here are some presents that will…
WHEN IT comes to travel and leisure, politicking should be set aside. Tourism is an ideal, if not obvious, source of growth for a country teeming with natural resources, renowned cultural heritage sites and human capital to attract and reward visitors. Fortunately for the Philippines, its tourism market remains unbridled despite tensions brewing inside (controversies…
THE murder of transgender Filipina Jennifer Laude in Olangapo City last October 11, allegedly by US Marine Joseph Pemberton, has added fuel to the fire of nationalist activists who continue to fight for the abolition of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and the scrapping of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed during President Barack…
WITH less than two weeks until the 2014-midterm elections, many races are still undecided. What many political leaders have failed to recognize is that there is a large, yet relatively silent, population that could be a key to some of these races. Despite being the fastest growing segment of the US population, with voters doubling…
The operating room could be likened to a theater: cupboards hold tanks of oxygen, refrigerators are filled with bags of blood and a table for one—besides where laid out a steel cutlery of unimaginable versatility. It is on this table where bodies are stroked or penetrated for all the pageantry. However, no love is ever…
LOS ANGELES – Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) has been continuing to raise awareness for an issue that has often been overlooked: land grabbing in the Philippines. In a recent letter he signed on Oct. 9, Royce firmly addressed the issue and his full support to continue fighting to end the injustice….
US Labor Secretary Tom Perez has pushed to revitalize President Obama’s stalled plan for raising the minimum wage from $7.50 to $10.10 an hour, and for making the paid maternity leave for mothers of newborns more widely available. Speaking at the National Press Club, Perez suggested that US employees generally have “failed to fully benefit…
A conviction for an offense classified as an aggravated felony would disqualify an alien from most immigration benefits or relief. Due to these immigration consequences, anyone who’s facing a criminal complaint and who must weigh the merits of a plea bargain offer should be familiar with aggravated felonies, especially the more common ones in order…
Pope Francis beatifies Paul VI AS the Vatican synod assembly on the family came to a close this past weekend, the world waited to see the bishops’ final decision on the debate on gays and divorced Catholics. After two weeks of fierce debate, the bishops were so sharply divided that they failed to reach a consensus…
“SO what did you talk about?” I asked a Catholic school teacher who came from a whole day of Religious Education conference. “We talked about unity,” she answered. “Unity? What’s that got to do with teaching religion,” I responded, intrigued by her answer. “Well, we learned that it is important to work together with parents,…
“IF Vice President Jejomar Binay has nothing to hide, he shouldn’t be worried by the National Bureau of Investigation’s probe into allegations that he and his family have amassed ill-gotten wealth.” – Philippine Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and its investigating arm, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), recently announced…
ON October 7, 2014, at Avenal State Prison, a panel of Commissioners of the CA Board of Parole Hearings granted parole to a Filipino lifer, who has been an inmate in the California Department of Corrections since April 24, 1992. The panel was composed of Presiding Commissioner Marisela Montes and Deputy Commissioner Pat Cassidy. The…
“Taxpayers who are hit with the 20 percent penalty for negligence or disregard of rules may try to establish reasonable cause for underpayment and show that you acted in good faith.” AS OUR tax laws become more complex, we find it more difficult to comply. As we fail to comply in filing or paying required…
