FVR gives new direction to the FVF and to all Filipinos around the world
LOS ANGELES – Former President of the Philippines Fidel V. Ramos (FVR) delighted the audience with his half-hour speech directed to the young and the young at heart, who came…
Read More
Local Filipinos join over 1,000 students, nonprofits, government and religious leaders
To sign agreement to work together for peace and social justice LOS ANGELES– Members of the Filipino community joined a diverse gathering of local nonprofit directors, student organizations and religious…
Bad luck in this year’s H-1B lottery: Now what?
Within the first week of the opening of the April 1, 2014 H-1B filing season, USCIS received a sufficient number of H-1B cap-subject petitions to overwhelm the annual H-1B quota—172,500….
Time to make history in San Mateo County by electing the first Fil-Am judge, Ray Buenaventura
THIS coming June 3, 2014, the Filipinos in San Mateo County will have a chance to make history by electing one of their own as a Judge in San Mateo…
Don’t wait for the government to remind you about your rights, benefits, and deadlines
Recently, a woman consulted with me about her brother’s immigration situation. Years ago, their father petitioned both of them while their father was still an immigrant. The father later naturalized,…
Three-time Box Office King John Lloyd Cruz heads list of June birthday celebrants
JOHN Lloyd Cruz, one of the most successful movie actors in the Philippines today, will celebrate his 30th birthday on Friday, June 24, which is also the Feast of St….
Our self-healing power
In spite of all the powerful inventions of man, including the super computers and other state-of-the-art electronic devices, they have not come close to matching the amazing super human body….
California Statewide Direct Primary Election takes place June 3
June 3 is an important date for Californians as voters will go to their polling places to vote in the Statewide Direct Primary Election. Registered voters will be able to…
Arbitration agreements: Are they good for employees?
Q: WHILE applying for work at a company, I was asked to sign an “Arbitration Agreement.” I was told it’s part of the application. What exactly is an arbitration agreement?…
US Marine Corps veteran granted aid and attendance pension
A WHITE Caucasian US Marine Corps veteran was granted disability pension benefits with Aid and Attendance effective February 1, 2014, by Rating Decision dated April 28, 2014, of the Department…
Don’t wipe out all your savings to pay debts
LIKE most people, you’ve worked hard and have done your best to pay all your bills on time. But in life, at one time or another, we all find ourselves…
Reinstatement of F-1 student status
UNDER INA 101(a)(15)(F)(i), an alien student may temporarily enter the US to pursue a course of study at an established and approved college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary…
How to spot an IRS fraud audit
IT STARTED with a letter from the IRS. Your tax return has been selected for examination. You suspect that something is wrong. Is it possible that the agent suspects fraud?…
Greener pastures
Four weathermen from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) have decided to move on to greener pastures. Currently, PAGASA has 13 expert weather forecasters left. Three of…
Time is running out for our Filipino WWII vets
MEMORIAL Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer for many of us in America. It is the time of the year when families start their summer travels, backyard barbecue…
Closed bankruptcy case may be reopened to litigate dischargeability issue
ONCE a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is filed, the clerk of court sends out a notice of case commencement to all creditors listed in the mailing list of the petition. The…
Joining the bandwagon is not a sin
Sometimes, going against the grain makes us look rational, cool, superior even. However, when we veer away from the mainstream, is it because we sincerely cannot appreciate the “usual”? Or…
The serious side of comedy
Though the few good TV shows back home are applauded, it is dismaying that these small islands of quality are almost lost in the sea of mediocrity and outright vulgarity,…
Fil-Am appointed as LA Board of Transportation commissioner
LOS ANGELES – Only weeks since the recent appointments of Joel Jacinto and George Villanueva to separate commissions in the local government of Los Angeles, another Filipino-American was named by…
Freddie Aguilar’s 'anak' in the age of reality TV
Traditional and social media was recently inundated by news stories regarding Meagan Aguilar’s rant (the “anak” of music icon Freddie Aguilar) against her own father. Meagan has been spewing scathing…
When doing good hurts
THE advice of St. Peter to new converts to Christianity in the Second Reading this Sunday, 1 Peter 3:15-18, resonate with many us: “For it is better to suffer for doing…
Naturalization – Do It for Your Family
It’s hard to imagine that we as individuals can do anything about the broken immigration system that is tearing many of our families apart. But we can. There is one…
LA County Arts Commission releases report on salaries in county’s nonprofit arts organizations
The Los Angeles County Arts Commission released the first report in a series exploring wages and benefits in arts nonprofits in the region. This report – Salaries in Nonprofit…
City of LA celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
In partnership with LA Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, community groups offer free Pan-Asian citizenship workshop at LA Central Library LOS ANGELES – May marks the 22nd annual month-long observance…
Josephine ‘Joji’ Vilar Rafael, a quintessential paragon of beauty and motherhood
Current social dictum motivates women to burst out of their shells and land a career of their own giving rise to the ever-growing number of mothers who augustly cope with…
SCE crew works with Fontana officials to safely return a fallen young bird to its nest.
Even birds of prey sometimes need help. In this instance, it was a young red-tailed hawk on Monday that was probably trying to fly for the first time but had fallen…
Prosecutorial discretion: When there is ‘no hope’ in removal/deportation proceedings
When a person is placed in removal/deportation, they typically go in front of the immigration judge (IJ) to demonstrate why they should not be deported or removed, such as they…
New loves, new start and letting go
Talking about a new start, I wrote about the recent wedding of actor Jericho “Echo” Gonzales to model Kim Jones. The two lovebirds tied the knot at a beach wedding…
Hair coloring and cancer
But our genes, no matter how good their sources are, will not protect us if we abuse ourselves and allow environmental factors to hurt our body and cause disease. It is…
Gov. Brown urged to release $2B for homeowners in distress
Capitol rally led by Black and Latino pastors and the NAAC On March 14, fifty homeowners in distress accompanied by the leading pastors for the Black and Latino churches held…