A welcome treat for Obama in PH
PRESIDENT Barack Obama will be visiting the Philippines for the first time, on April 28-29 — the last stop of his 4-Asia nations tour in the region. As news reports state, Obama…
Are taxes discharged in bankruptcy if returns are filed late?
DISCHARGING income taxes owed to the IRS in bankruptcy requires compliance with certain rules. One rule states that the taxes sought to be discharged is for a return that was…
Should IRS audit you at home or at your place of business?
IRS conducts field audits where the books and records of a business are maintained. This, of course, is either at your home, office, warehouse, factory, or store. But I don’t…
Automatic deductions from work hours for meal breaks not taken are illegal
(Additional wages due even if clock says otherwise) Q: I AM a full-time hourly technician who work in the field. While we were told that we have a 30-minute unpaid lunch…
First Fil-Am councilmember of Sierra Madre sworn into office
SIERRA MADRE – The first non-white and first Filipino-American member of a quaint suburban city in Southern California was sworn into office on Tuesday, April 22. Rachelle Arizmendi officially joined…
The Eucharist, the priesthood and Christ’s Divine Mercy and love
WE commemorated three principal mysteries in our liturgy last Holy Week during Holy Thursday Mass: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood; and Christ’s commandment of fraternal…
The doctor is in: Meet Leo A. De La Cruz, MD
THE chaotic, vexing, and perplexed world has relied principally on medicine for betterment and considered medical practitioners instruments for healing. But according to the Jewish physician-philosopher Malmonides, the physicians shouldn’t…
Talakayan sa FACLA
April 24, 2014. From left to right; Larry Pelayo, Dr. Leo Pandac (Guest), Dr. Marc Caratao and Dr. Veronico Agatep. The TALAKAYAN straw vote resulted in NO to US bases…
Kris Aquino, Herbert Bautista: Best of friends
ALTHOUGH the Queen of All Media Kris Aquino recently admitted that she and former actor and now Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista are dating, just last April 22 she further…
National interest waiver denials for Filipino teachers
Several Filipino teachers, especially on the East Coast, have come to me for consultation, after the USCIS denied their national interest waiver (NIW) petitions. Apparently these teachers were initially petitioned…
FIFA World Cup trophy arrives in LA
LOS ANGELES – After a nine-month tour across 90 countries, the FIFA World Cup Trophy made its final stop in Los Angeles. Together with Coca-Cola, FIFA brought the trophy to…
Asset or perpetrator?
“I INVOKE my right against self-incrimination.” These were the only words squeezed out of Janet Lim-Napoles, the suspected mastermind of the P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF or better known…
Happy 20th birthday, The Filipino Channel!
THIS year marks a very important milestone for ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, the media company that produces Balitang America — a daily newscast which delivers news about Filipinos and for Filipinos…
Asian Business Association SB 1000
ASIAN-Americans living, working and attending school in California should be a major force to be reckoned with in terms of its collective purchasing power and intellectual power. As a community,…
Is principal liable for agent’s fraud in bankruptcy?
YOU are probably familiar with a principal and agent arrangement. The most common is where a person designates another to be his agent for a general or specific purpose using…
Congress stalls on immigration reform: Alternatives available now!
THE US House of Representatives has ignored a call to pass immigration reform over the past two years, opting to politicize the issue. As a result, the Boehner-led House has…
Summer Festivals: More fun in the Philippines
Summer (in the Philippines) is here and everyone is already excited to plan those much-anticipated vacations. Other than visiting the country’s breathtaking tropical islands, joining festivals is also one the…
ConGen Herrera-Lim assumes office of PCG-LA
LOS ANGELES – The Philippine Consulate General wishes to inform the Filipino-American community on the assumption of Hon. Leo M. Herrera-Lim, a career diplomat as the new Philippine Consul General…
The real world of boxers (and the chorus around them)
Every fight evokes memories, and usually a story. After so many fights and so many stories, after all the fame and fortune that boxers have incurred and all the belts…
Online Voter Registration Now Available in 10 Languages
Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese Added to State Voter Registration Site Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Director, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell) SACRAMENTO – California’s system of online…
Expedited removal, withdrawal of application for admission and voluntary return
Most visitors to the US enter without any problems. However, some encounter more scrutiny and are denied admission due to violation of immigration laws. In this article, we’ll examine different…
One Saturday night in Las Vegas
In a square jungle that is the boxing arena, good stories are good stories, regardless of who tells them. Whatever your story conveys, you know what it feels to have…
Linda M. Mayo’s zest for life at 70
With the many significant events that occurred on April 12, 1944 (a Wednesday), the NYC premiere showing of the American feature film based on Lilian Hellman’s play at the Fulton…
10 excuses to abate penalties for late filing or paying taxes
IF YOU fail to file on time or pay on time, penalties kick in. Here are 10 reasonable causes to abate (forgive) penalties for late filing or late paying: 1….
VA grants aid and attendance pension to Korean War marine veteran
BY RATING Decision dated January 8, 2014 (mailed March 13, 2014), the US Department of Veterans Affairs, through its Pension Management Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, granted a Marine Corps…
The many disguises of wage theft
(Are you paid for all hours worked?) THE cheer squad for the Oakland Raiders, the Raiderettes, recently sued their employer for back wages and reimbursements. The lawsuit claims that the…
H1-B cap is reached! Alternatives available
THE H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows business professionals to work in the United States for a specific amount of time. The purpose of the H-1B visa is…
Understanding the asylum backlog
USCIS recently informed representatives of the American Immigration Lawyers Association that about 40,000 asylum cases are currently pending at its asylum offices throughout the US An estimated 28,000 of those…
You don’t need to face your debt problems alone
ARE you having trouble paying your bills every month? Are you being harassed by bill collectors who will not leave you alone no matter how many times you tell them…