Is it wrongful termination if you’re forced to quit?

JORGE Vasquez worked as a maintenance technician for Franklin Management Real Estate Fund, Inc. He was paid $10 per hour for 40 hours per week. Jorge’s supervisors regularly instructed him to drive his own truck for work-related errands, such as going to the hardware store to buy items needed for apartments managed by his employer….

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The many faces of love

Love’s  vistas are inexhaustible. But for all the ardency of love’s idealism and romance, it can only be taken as an act of faith. To be ruled under the spell of love is to be ruled by the possibilities of the unknown. Each encounter provides us with the opportunity to remake the past — it…

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To love when it seems impossible!

IN HIS homily on Valentine’s Day, Pope Francis reminded all that love is “not a mere emotion, a psycho-physical state…it is a relationship, a growing reality.” May I also say that one’s heart can be filled with overflowing love for someone, but it can also bleed, not because it is not willing to forgive and…

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EB-2 (Second Preference) employment immigration

Due to the significantly shorter processing times than other categories, the EB-2 classification is highly sought after by talented immigrants. In comparison to the EB-3 immigrant category, which currently takes about seven years for Filipinos, the EB-2 category is now current for processing and the Green Card can typically be obtained in about one year…

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Real smiles versus fake smiles

THERE’S a big difference between a real smile and a fake smile. And while a polite smile can help smooth over some social situations, a sincere, honest, from-the-heart smile can completely turn the day around. What is “The Duchenne Smile?”   The Duchenne Smile was named after 17th century French researcher Duchenne de Bologne. He…

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Celebrating new beginnings

IT’S still the love month, and although Valentine’s Day has passed, we want to feel love not just during February but also throughout the year.  We also welcome new beginnings – the start of a new chapter in one’s life. One couple that is celebrating a milestone is band member Mark Escueta and actress Jolina…

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Reduce your wrinkles!

What are wrinkles? Also known as rhytides, wrinkles are folds or creases in the skin, resulting from loss of elasticity and skin turgor associated with aging and with years of daily exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Another factor is lack of skin care and insufficient moisture for the skin, especially of the…

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Repressive law

SINCE its introduction to Filipinos in 1994, the Internet has provided boundless channels for people to exercise their right to know, express and be heard. Article III Section 4 of the Philippine Constitution states that “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of…

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19 senators pressure White House-Kerry for Philippines’ TPS

IN November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan tore across the Philippines, resulting in at least 6,000 confirmed deaths and the displacement of at least 4 million people. While the Philippine Government continues to struggle to recover from the mass destruction, the Whitehouse has ignored repeated requests from US Congressmen and the Philippine Government itself to grant Temporary…

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Living the Olympic dream

His flexibility, artistic moves, and incredible stunts (rarely performed by other figure skaters) captivated the whole world. At age 17, he has just established his presence in the prestigious Olympic Games. Lone Filipino figure skater, Michael Christian Martinez, proudly represented the Philippines at the men’s figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia….

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PhilDev Launches IDEA Global Entrepreneurship Symposium

SAN FRANCISCO—Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev) is hosting an international symposium with the aim of further developing the nation’s economy through the advancement of science and technological innovation. The conference is funded through a large and prestigious grant from the United States Agency for International Development Philippines (USAID/P). These monies have helped create a project called…

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The splendor of moonlight

I admire a contented mind — one that reveres enlightenment of simple things. Yet, in quiet meditation, the one emotion that’s hardest to fight against is a longing for all things past. The moon prods, as one spends nights wondering alone or with someone, viewing the moon, from a sick bed. The surprise splendor of…

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Phenomenal

Michael Christian Martinez’s may not be bringing a medal home, but in the eyes of his kababayans, he has already achieved a milestone — being the first Filipino-born, the first Southeast Asian and the youngest figure skater to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics. The 17-year-old Martinez is nothing short of a miracle worker —…

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Gov. Brown appoints Fil-Am to CA Volunteers Commission

LOS ANGELES – Another Filipino has been named to the California Volunteers Commission. On Monday, February 10, Ted Benito was appointed to the California Volunteers Commission by Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr. “I am looking forward with eagerness and earnest to serve the State of California as one of Governor Jerry Brown’s appointees to the…

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PCG-LA launches 9th ACGTDT

LOS ANGELES- Philippine Consulate General Los Angeles (PCG-LA) launched the 9th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) to the Philippines on Thursday, February 13. The launching event began with a welcome address by Consul General Maria Hellen Barber-De La Vega, followed by a media presentation on the tour. Philippine Department of Tourism –…

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College students revisit the past and learn for a better tomorrow

2014 SCPASA Summit in UCR RIVERSIDE—Hundreds of college students from different Filipino-American organizations participated in the seventh annual Southern California Pilipino American Student Alliance Summit last Saturday, February 8, at University of California-Riverside (UCR). The UCR Katipunan cabinet said in a media conference that the 2014 SCPASA Summit theme “Tomorrow in Retrospect” tells about how…

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Medical expense deductions

YOU may deduct medical expenses only to the extent that expenses for doctors, drugs, insurance, etc. exceed 10 percent of your adjusted gross income.  This means that you lose the first 10%.  Only the excess is deductible.  This is called for budget deficit reduction, folks. 1. Only prescribed drugs are deductible. Over-the-counter drugs are not,…

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Long-term unemployment: A sad result of wrongful termination

“INVOLUNTARY job loss is a stressful event, creating a variety of problems immediately, and long periods of unemployment can compound those problems,” states The Urban Institute, in a report it prepared for the Rockefeller Foundation entitled Consequences of Long-Term Unemployment. As employment attorneys, we are only too familiar with the sad realities of being fired. …

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How to not abandon US resident status

US RESIDENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES LAWFUL Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the US is a privilege, and the status can be abandoned, even involuntarily. Abandonment of permanent residence (also known as the “green card”) occurs when the resident fails to maintain the status by not residing in the US. Many Lawful Permanent Residents returning to…

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Immigration and tax season

FOR many people there is no concern more pressing than that of their immigration status. People come to our office every day extremely worried and stressed about any number of immigration concerns and how they can properly take care of such an important matter. Ranging from citizenship, adjustment of status, to more complicated immigration matters…

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