Many kababayans continue to send me messages and emails, inquiring about updates on the requested Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for the Philippines. Four months after the Philippines was ravaged by Haiyan (Yolanda), there are those who have begun to wonder if TPS for the Philippines would be granted at all. If approved by the US government,…
SEXUAL intercourse with a minor is called statutory rape. Whether the minor consented is irrelevant. If the law states that anyone below 16 is a minor, then carnal knowledge of the minor is rape even if the minor consented to the act. Most civilized humans and cultures agree that carnal knowledge of a minor is…
HERE are the top 10 things the Internal Revenue Service wants you to know about this valuable credit: 1. If you qualify, it could be worth up to $6,044 this year. EITC not only reduces the federal tax you owe, but could result in a refund. 2. The amount of your EITC is based on…
IN 2002, Bobby Nickel was hired by Corporate Express as a facilities manager. In 2008, Corporate Express was acquired by Staples. In 2011, at the age of 64, Mr. Nickel was suspended and fired. He sued Staples for age discrimination and harassment. The jury awarded him $26.1 million in damages. For several years prior to…
THE H-1B visa cap is set to open again on April 1, 2014. As usual, we are seeing much interest by individuals and employers seeking obtain the H-1B nonimmigrant visa. Last year, USCIS received approximately 130,000 petitions on April 1. With the cap only at 65,000 and another 20,000 for master degree holders, approximately 1/3…
THE District Attorney’s Office of the County of Los Angeles, through its Bureau of Investigation, had late last year conducted worker’s compensation compliance checks in Carson, California. Investigators interviewed employees of businesses who failed to secure workers’ compensation insurance for their employees in violation of Section 3700.5 of the California Labor Code. The interviews were…
Honored by City of Carson LOS ANGELES – Due to nagging injuries, Filipino Winter Olympian Michael Christian Martinez bowed out of the 2014 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, which will take place in Bulgaria this week (March 10-16). According to an ABS-CBN News report by Steve Angeles, the decision to pull out the Filipino figure…
LOS ANGELES – Consul General Maria Hellen M. Barber-De La Vega signed an “Arrangement Establishing an Alliance between the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Texas Area Offices and the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles” on 03 March 2014 in Dallas, Texas. Signing on behalf of the Department of Labor’s Occupational…
LOS ANGELES – On Friday morning (March 14), major organizations in the Black, Latino, and Asian American communities filed a petition demanding California Governor Edmund G. Brown to return up to $350 million of the $369 million that were allegedly “unlawfully” diverted from California’s share of the 2012 National Mortgage Settlement, secured by California Attorney…
In an overall mood that was celebratory, California Democrats gathered on March 8, Saturday to celebrate their dominance in state politics and their prospects in this year’s election. In this most populous state, Democrats hold all statewide offices and large majorities in the legislature. Traditionally, the party holding its convention gets unfettered publicity while nominating…
“DO not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will take care of itself.” These words of Jesus are wise and unburdening but they’re challenging. It’s because for many of us, it’s not easy not to worry about the future such as our next meal, the education of our children, or our retirement. It’s not easy not to…
As dramatic as it sounds, the 30-45 minutes that someone spends interviewing their potential immigration attorney may turn out to be the most important conversation of their lives. During 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…
In today’s ever-changing world, a great number of women’s aspirations take various forms while other’s lofty dreams sometimes fail and hopes dwindle… but were able to rise and resume the challenge. They say men’s existence is easily felt and their roles are predictable but women constantly create encouraging challenges while sustaining precise strength and empowerment…
Presented by Toyota Please join us at Asian Business Association’s Annual Golf Tournament, supporting educational training programs and scholarships for the Asian business community in Southern California. ABA MISSION STATEMENT The Asian Business Association represents Asian American business owners and creates business opportunities for its members and their diverse communities. Event: Golf in a friendly atmosphere,…
11 March 2014 – Visitors to the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco on Friday, March 7, were greeted by personnel wearing purple flowers, in commemoration of International Women’s Day, which was celebrated on March 8. “International Women’s Day was initially established to remind us to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of women to global…
The April 2014 priority dates indicate that the F-2A priority date still remains at September 8, 2013, which is almost the same as being “current.” It is phenomenal news for spouses and minor children of green cardholders (Category F – 2A). That means that spouses and minor children of green cardholders would be eligible to file…
FORTY lovely Binibining Pilipinas 2014 candidates were presented to the media recently at the Luzon Ballroom of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Manila recently, and among the standouts is the pride of the Fil-Am community of Stockton, CA—Joy Antonette Diaz. “Jonette” to her family and friends, is candidate #9 in the final and official…
SAN Miguel Corp (SMC) has responsibly scuttled the 33-hectare-land-donation to self-proclaimed healing priest Fr. Fernando Suarez’s ambitious plan “to construct a P1Billion ‘mega shrine’ to Mother Mary in Alfonso, Cavite, because of serious concerns about the management and financial issues.” SMC has discovered the “healing priest” has obviously reneged on his vows of poverty and…
Everest Academy’s integral formation is secret to raising country’s future great leaders Bonifacio Global City, Philippines (March 8, 2014)—A premier school at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig is attracting parents and educators alike. Everest Academy Manila (everestmanila.com), a Catholic international school present in over 20 countries worldwide, boasts not of its international curriculum, highly…
MYSTERY still surrounds the case of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished into thin air (according to radar screens from ground control) while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing over the weekend. In a latest development, Malaysian authorities said the plane might have changed its course. The Malaysian military has radar data showing the…
MANY of us probably felt guilty, after reading this warning. We think that we are helping stimulate our kids’ mental faculty when we allow them to watch TV or videos and play games via electronic gadgets. We believe we are helping them learn their ABCs and 123s and new languages. It is true, though, that…
FIRST of all, I am not the lawyer in question although I am able to speak fluent Thai and Russian after 3 bottles of beer and the last judge I bit on the leg for denying my motion to avoid 2nd trust deed had it coming to him anyway; having said that, student loans, generally…
The city of Makati is believed to be the busiest place in Metro Manila. However on weekends, the busy vibe of this city transforms into a peaceful and laid-back atmosphere. And when in Makati, there are always new things to try. So here’s one! Every Saturday morning, everyone looks forward to one of the city’s…
WITH the US House of Representatives showing zero initiative towards overhauling the nation’s immigrations laws, it appears that H-1B visas for FY 2015 will run out on April 1, 2014, six months before the fiscal year even begins. Last year, the annual H-1B quota (“H-1B Cap”) was reached within the first week of the filing…
SACRAMENTO – State Controller John Chiang today released his monthly report covering California’s cash balance, receipts and disbursements in February 2014. Revenues for the month totaled $5.6 billion, surpassing estimates in the 2014-15 Governor’s Budget by $968.9 million, or 20.9 percent. “Driven by strong retail sales and personal income tax withholdings, February receipts poured in at…
LOS ANGELES – Consul General Ma. Hellen Barber De La Vega is pleased and honored to announce the appointment by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Albert F. Del Rosario of the current Philippine Consul General in Chicago, Hon. Leo Herrera-Lim, a career diplomat as the new Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles with jurisdiction…
2 Filipina panelists participate SAN BERNARDINO – New America Media, in partnership with Harbage Consulting, held a roundtable discussion on Cal MediConnect on Thursday, March 6, at the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library in San Bernardino, CA. New America Media Executive Director Sandy Close initiated the roundtable discussion and introduced Filipina panelists, Carolyn Joyce, Ramona…
According to a famous novelist, life is that which pressingly, persistently, unfailingly and imperially interrupts. I measure my life through sentences pressed out, line by line, according to what poured from it — cascading, elastic, susceptible — into an inexact heart. My heart hopes, that out of this wet ink line of words, a visionary…
On February 28, 2014, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) issued its decision in Matter of Abdelghany, 26 I&N Dec. 254 (BIA 2014), which clarifies the scope of INA 212(c). This is the most recent decision in a long line of cases that has tried to define, limit or extend this relief. What’s interesting is…
THE United States and the Philippines have expressed alarm over China’s recent move. On Wednesday, China announced a 12.2 percent increase in its military spending, amounting to $132 billion — “likely a considerable underestimate of actual spending, but still far less than the $600.4 billion the US spent last year,” reports the Associated Press. US…
