After being under the Marcos Dictatorship for 20 years, many kababayans have developed some sort of paranoia that whoever was the incumbent president would be doing what Marcos did — manipulate the system in order to go beyond the constitutionally mandated tenure for President and hold on to power for as long as possible. This…
ON August 2, 2014, Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC celebrates its 11th anniversary. Eleven years ago, it started with a vision from Richard Wilner & Kelly O’Reilly to start a boutique firm that specializes in immigration and nationality law. From a small executive suite in Cerritos to four offices in California and Utah, our growth is…
THE 30-45 minutes that a person spends interviewing their potential immigration attorney may turn out to be the most important conversation of their lives. Duringa the consultation, the immigrant must evaluate the attorney’s Expertise, Personality, and Responsiveness. If the consultation is properly utilized, the time spent will leave the immigrant with a strong understanding of…
A SHORT sale occurs when you sell your property for a price that is short of the balance owed to avoid a foreclosure – with the consent of your lender. Let’s define recourse and non-recourse loans and discuss variations when the property is outside California or if you move into or out of California. Here…
A 56-YEAR old woman who tripped and fell several feet down a parking garage recovered $6.5 million in damages from the parking company and garage owner. According to reports, the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, had her car valet parked on the second floor of a parking garage. She returned to get some things…
NO ONE ever likes to talk about bankruptcy. However, it’s simply a fact of life. Things happen. Whether it’s losing your job, going through a divorce, having huge medical bills that you can’t pay – or sometimes simply making poor financial decisions- any of these can lead to bankruptcy. It’s a scary thing to a…
DIPLOMATIC service, like life, is about the important, the amusing, the humane. At one level, it is routine and technique. But at its highest level, it is an art. Often a performance art played on a world stage, the diplomats win the confidence of people they deal with. The foreign function is a crucial support…
LOS ANGELES – Over a hundred activists, undocumented immigrants, and supporters held a prayer vigil on Wednesday, August 6 at McArthur Park in Downtown Los Angeles to call on President Barack Obama to extend administrative relief, particularly to the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors who are now facing deportation. Obama recently expressed his intent…
LOS ANGELES — A Filipina has recently been named to a key position in the California Wellness Foundation (Cal Wellness), a private, independent organization that seeks to improve the health of the people of California through grant-making efforts for health promotion, wellness education, and disease prevention. Fatima Angeles, a 16-year veteran at Cal Wellness, was…
The Philippine Fiesta, now aptly tagged Fiesta in America, has been consistently celebrating its cultural festival since its inception 15 years ago and on August 15 it’s turning a new milestone. Yes, the Fiesta is now 16 and having a debut…a quinceñera! In connection with the commemoration of the significant event, Fiesta in America deems…
“HELL has no fury like a woman scorned,” they say—and Derek Ramsay realized this too late. The Fil-Brit model/actor was recently sued by his ex-wife Mary Christine Jolly for violating Republic Act No. 9262, also known as Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children. The case was filed last June 27 at the Makati City Prosecutor’s…
What does DNA stand for? DNA stands for DeoxyriboNucleic Acid, the “substance” that is analyzed in the state-of-the-art test to determine paternity, and in other cases, maternity. The genetic information or “genetic code” of a person is carried in the DNA of the chromosomes and mitochondria. An individual’s genetic composition is called genome and is…
While it is true that some people “got away” with fixed marriages, a person is taking a big risk in trying to do so, because, if caught, it results in a lifetime ban. Some people believe they are FAMAS-awardee actors or actresses when it comes to being interviewed by the USCIS for a fixed marriage….
You are resting in your living room, and you hear the most distinct sound you are very well acquainted with – your “suki” shouts “buko.” Automatically, you get up and run to your front door. Your regular coconut cart vendor, all-smiles, is on a halt outside your house. He sees you and you signal with…
THE THREE great departments of the Philippine government—the Executive (President), Legislative (Senate and House of Representatives) and Judiciary (Supreme Court and all other courts)—are empowered by the Constitution to preserve freedom and democracy among its people. To serve such purpose, these institutions are accorded with distinct powers and responsibilities. However, to prevent any form of…
BALITANG America cited reports that President Barack Obama could issue an executive order on immigration by early September, which would impact the lives of qualified undocumented immigrants, including many Filipinos. White House Spokesman Josh Earnest reportedly hinted on this last Monday, stating that this executive action could include allowing these undocumented immigrants to legally work…
NO one ever likes to talk about bankruptcy. However, it’s simply a fact of life. Things happen. Whether it’s losing your job, going through a divorce, having huge medical bills that you can’t pay – or sometimes simply making poor financial decisions- any of these can lead to bankruptcy. It’s a scary thing to a…
I covered the presidential term, sailing through its choppy waters while chronicling President Cory’s wavy patterns of success and glory; laughter and grief; loss and devastation; troubles and genuine delights. Through the oppressive summers, we fluttered around her—hot and heaving, sticky and dusty, marinated in different astringents, alcohol and talcum. The rainy days never dampened our spirits, only…
Family friend clarifies facts about the incident LOS ANGELES – In an August 2 article, Asian Journal reported that Fil-Am teen Paul Alimoren was believed to have drowned after he saved two of his friends from a dangerous rip current during a beach trip with his church group in Ocean Shores, Wash. According to reports from this…
ECHO PARK — The Los Angeles City Council approved a new height limit for Echo Park on Tuesday, which establishes a new limit of 45 feet and will help to maintain the character of the commercial district along Sunset Boulevard. Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell originally introduced the motion last July in an effort to preserve the…
FR. RONALD Rolheiser, O.M.I. contends that there is an important distinction between “amazement” and “wonder and awe.” He says that wonder and awe stop the flow of energy passing through us; amazement facilitates it. Wonder and awe “literally paralyze us so that we become reflective by conscription. Amazement does the opposite. It turns us into…
PAETE, Laguna native, now Chicago-based Paul Balan recently exhibited Pinoy artistry when he was chosen to design the prestigious National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) Medal. This award is given to individuals or groups whose work has done great things in the field of history, literature, languages and philosophy. Now on its 49th year, established by…
A FILIPINA nurse, abducted and raped; a Filipino construction worker beheaded because of religion; what will it take to make kababayans—caught in middle of the ongoing Libyan Civil War—to heed the Philippine government’s call for evacuation? With a desire to rise from the slump, Filipinos choose to work abroad. Considering higher salary in exchange to…
YEARS back, I wrote about the legal victory and vindication of Filipina nurses who were wrongfully terminated by their employer hospital for allegedly speaking in Tagalog while on duty in the hospital. The decision favoring the nurses was grounded on the fact that these nurses spoke in Filipino during break time, and not when they…
MANY, including myself, wanted to hear the 2014 SONA as much to learn about the State of Noynoy Aquino as we did about the State of the Nation. Thus, in my hotel room in Honolulu (where I happen to be, en route to San Francisco), I waited late into the night for the online news…
I DON’T really want to talk about death but everyone dies whether we like it or not. Blame Adam for that. If Adam did not eat of the forbidden fruit in Paradise, then we would still have the superior body that never gets sick and never dies. But we are forever indebted to Jesus, the…
(Part 2) SHAREHOLDER loans accumulate over time and become red flags for IRS audits. Left unchecked, they grow to sums that are hard to repay. Let’s discuss some tips and developments. Here are Tips to Alleviate this Problem: Make some payments, even a small amount from time to time. This indicates the existence of a…
Q: I WAS recently forced to quit my job because of my abusive manager. Can I still sue for wrongful termination even if I was the one who left my employment? A: If the manager’s conduct created working conditions that were so oppressive that a reasonable person in the employee’s position is forced to resign,…
ON July 11, 2014, USCIS issued a policy memorandum on the adjudication of H-1B petitions for nursing occupations. Most registered nurse positions do not qualify for H-1B classification but the memorandum recognizes that, due to changes in the nursing industry, some nurse positions may now qualify for H-1B classification. Under INA 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b), an H-1B nonimmigrant…
WHILE I have written this article especially for small business owners, everything I say here will also apply to everyone who is going through a financial crisis. So, whether you own a business or not, if you are having financial problems, keep reading. Is your business currently up to its neck in debt and you’re…
