ON May 6, 2014, the Obama Administration announced two new measures to attract and retain the highly-skilled workers the US requires to sustain the economic recovery. The first will allow for the H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B “specialty occupation” workers in the US to obtain work authorization for as long as their spouse holds valid…
It is no doubt that thanksgiving celebrations in the Philippines are always in its grandest. In fact, Filipinos even go beyond ‘colorful and creative’ and a best example would be the use of bountiful offerings as decorations during the fiesta. Regarded as one of the country’s cleanest and most peaceful places, the town of Lucban…
Round-the-clock use of electricity puts strain on electrical grid ROSEMEAD, Calif.— With a week-long heat wave peaking between today and Friday and triple-digit temperatures in many areas, Southern California Edison (SCE) reminds its customers of the importance of energy conservation. The heavy demand could also cause equipment failure, which could lead to outages for some SCE…
It is said that choice is destiny’s soulmate. You have a choice to accept or refuse, to take one turning down the crossroads to the future or another. By not choosing, we allow others to decide for us. If you didn’t make the choice, you cannot blame someone else for your unhappiness. As you retrace…
ROSEMEAD, Calif. — City leaders and community groups gathered at Monterey Park City Hall last week as the city pledged its commitment to electrical safety awareness during National Electrical Safety Month. Marissa Castro-Salvati, Southern California Edison’s (SCE) local public affairs region manager, presented a “Powerful City” certificate of proclamation to Mayor Anthony Wong. “Electrical safety is very important…
A model for families, public services and local economy Twenty miles (or roughly thirty minutes of travel) to southeast of Los Angeles is Cerritos — an upper-middle class city which is family-oriented and flaunts a strong local economy. Formerly an agricultural community called Dairy Valley, Cerritos is now a modern hub of commercial and retail…
USCIS Will Showcase Civics, Citizenship and Other Products and Services LOS ANGELES – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will present nine naturalization information sessions at public libraries from May 12, through June 14, 2014. The public is invited and USCIS personnel will be on-hand to discuss the naturalization process step-by-step and provide information about eligibility and…
DESPITE economic improvements, the Philippines’ ranking in the 15th global “State of the World’s Mothers” report (released by Save The Children, a non-government organization) has slipped four notches — placing 105th among 178 countries. The country is one spot below Iraq — a nation burdened with significant violence and conflict, as reported by Inquirer.net. Five…
MOTHERS’ DAY this year is extra special for me. It is a milestone because this 2014, I have also became a grandmother with the birth of my first apo — Azshara Angelina Relos Reinheimer — last April 12. I have yet to see my granddaughter face-to-face, and will have to wait to finally hold her in…
UNDER Section 1031 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. §1031, the exchange of properties used for investment or trade or business, but not for personal use, may defer the recognition of capital gains or losses due upon sale, and defer payment of capital gains taxes otherwise due. Like-kind properties It should be…
THE means test is the IRS based form of calculating disposable income in bankruptcy to determine if the case should be a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13; and if a Chapter 13, how long the commitment period should be. In addition to the means test, there is the schedule I which is now in the…
(Part 2 – Master Files) LAST week we discussed how tax returns are received, verified, and reviewed for completeness. Let’s now discuss the second of a three-part series on how your tax returns are stored into master files. – How efiled and paper-filed tax returns are verified, validated, and reviewed for accuracy. – How tax…
Q: I WORK at a retail company and every employee is required to “pitch in” when it becomes busy. Stocking shelves, cleaning, and putting away merchandise are not part of my official duties but I’m told to do them anyway. Since I am paid per task that I finish, the extra work decreases my time…
TOUGH financial times are pushing strapped consumers over the edge. Delinquencies and balances on delinquent credit cards are on the rise with no signs of slowing down. Faced with layoffs and difficult economic times, a lot of people are resorting to use of their credit cards in order to pay for basic living expenses such…
Many in the LGBT community (in the pre-Windsor era) were placed in removal/deportation proceedings and were ordered removed/deported. This is because they had no “form of relief” available for them at the time of their hearing—meaning they had no way to get a green card, resulting in the immigration judge (IJ) ordering their removal. This…
On this big production called Mother’s Day, a whole nation of sons and daughters will pause to remember their mothers. My first knowledge of the world and about life came to me through my senses. They were directed by my mother. She was the first one I saw, felt and depended on, on the day…
WHILE enjoying a quiet dinner with the monks of St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo, California during my day-off last Thursday, Fr. Francis, the former abbot, was on the microphone reading excerpts from the writings of St John of the Cross. I tried to catch every word that he was reading despite being distracted by a…
THERE is something strange about the gravitational and magnetic forces that attract a child towards his mother than how intensely it is with the father. The reason could obviously be due to the biological relationship and literally from the umbilical connection that gives them that sort of direct “line” for instantaneous link. And why is…
Recently a man came into our office to discuss his immigration case. He was very excited and confident that now was the time he would be able to file for his permanent residency. He explained to me how he had been in the US for over twenty years. He had several children born here, and…
PACOIMA – In a press conference on May 7 at Superior Market in Pacoima, CA, officials from California’s and Los Angeles County’s Departments of Public Social Services (DPSS) and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) clarified that applying for CalFresh (formerly known as Food Stamps) is not sufficient grounds for someone to be…
THIS is a common question among people contemplating divorce in California when the other spouse does not live in the state. The California Courts has the power to grant a divorce, annulment, or legal separation if either party is domiciled in the state. Domicile is where a person lives and intends to remain. However, there…
LOS ANGELES – Consul General Leo Herrera-Lim paid a courtesy call on Mayor Jim Dear and Mayor Pro Tem Elito Santarina at Carson City Hall on April 5, 2014. Mayor Dear and Mayor Pro Tem Santarina informed Consul General Herrera-Lim how the City of Carson has transformed from a bedroom community into an industrial and…
LOS ANGELES – The Philippine Consulate General started registration for Overseas Voting (OV) to overseas Filipinos in relation to the upcoming May 2016 national elections in the Philippines. All Filipino citizens abroad, at least eighteen (18) years of age on the day of the elections may register for overseas voting. In this round of registration,…
CONGRATULATIONS to the newly married award-winning actor Jericho Rosales and Filipino-British TV host/model Kim Jones! The couple tied the knot in an intimate garden wedding at the Shangri-La Resort in the beautiful island of Boracay last May 1. There were actually three venues for Echo and Kim’s special day. First was the garden for the…
On May 6, 2014, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a proposed rule allowing spouses of certain H–1B workers to apply for employment authorization. Under existing regulations, H-4 spouses are not allowed to work. If this rule becomes final, these spouses of H-1 holders could apply for work authorization. In its press release, DHS…
YOU may have heard that you should replace your toothbrush (or toothbrush head, if you use an electric toothbrush) every three months, or at the beginning of each new season. But are there other times you should replace your brush? Yes! Replace your toothbrush after a cold or flu, to avoid re-infecting yourself, and ,…
by Marili Raymundo Nearly 400 cyclists rode their bicycles through scenic Orange County on Saturday April 26th to raise funds and awareness for underprivileged children affected by Typhoon “Yolanda” in Leyte, Philippines. The ride which raised more than $20,000 from registrants and donors kicked off as the sun was rising and finished around noon at…
COURTROOMS are required to be open to the public. As enshrined in the Philippine Constitution, the right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. In some cases, however, the judiciary may conduct confidential proceedings and/or seal documents, when it feels secrecy is justified. It is perhaps through this principle…
SUPER Typhoon Yolanda. Heat waves, drought and wildfires. Torrential rains and flooding. Many of us have been asking why these calamities have been happening more frequently these days. Do we still doubt that these are symptoms of Mother Nature ailing, and that her deterioration is going at an alarming and ominous rate? People in a…
CHAPTER 13 has been popular to strip down junior liens such as 2nd trust deeds and home equity loans. But it can also be used to handle student loans and taxes which are not yet dischargeable. Why should you use Chapter 13 to handle student loans and taxes: To save on interest and to shorten…
