Overview A key element under consideration by Congress as it debates a comprehensive immigration reform bill is whether a “pathway to citizenship” for the estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the US should be included. However, according to recent Homeland Security data, many immigrants that are already in the US lawfully and eligible to Naturalize,…
Homeowners like the idea of getting rid of the second trust deed on their residence in a bankruptcy. The second trust deed could be a home equity loan or home improvement loan taken when the value of the house was high. In Chapter 13, junior trust deeds such as these can be cancelled or avoided…
3200 West Temple Street – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. “You have spawned a unique form of cultural activism not witnessed by the world in a long, long time.” Reme-Antonia Grefalda, Our Own Voice FILIPINOTOWN: VOICES FROM LOS ANGELES has literally become the talk of not just Filipinos in Los Angeles, but of people up and down…
STARTING April 1, 2014, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will begin accepting cap-subject filings in the H-1B classification. The April 1, 2014 filings are for employment beginning in the upcoming fiscal year—October 1, 2014. As in recent years, it is expected that the cap will be exhausted within the first week of filing….
A CRITICAL component of personalized patient care is cultivating the art of listening. One of the most important reasons we use social media is to be sure it’s easy for you to connect with us—whenever and wherever you want. We’re always anxious to know your thoughts about how we can best serve you. Your feedback…
MANY were shocked when the news broke out that dancer/actor and TV host Vhong Navarro was beaten up by a group of men in a condo in Fort Bonifacio, Makati. It became more real when Vhong’s black and blue image splashed all over the papers and online. Through initial reports and the rumor mill, it…
The world is always fascinated by new discovery and novelty. One such item is the electronic cigarettes. Since medical science has shown that there are around 4000 (not 400) toxic agents in cigarettes and proven beyond reasonable doubt that cigarette smoking ravages the human body, maims, and kills, researchers and resourceful venture capitalists tried to…
SAN FRANCISCO—Is your Philippine passport still valid? If the answer is no, don’t wait until you have travel plans. Apply for your passport renewal at the earliest opportunity. Check if your passport is expiring in six months, as it is a standard requirement among immigration checkpoints worldwide that passports must be valid for at least…
It is the new perspective coming into view in every woman’s major life passage: a mid-life agitation, literal and poignant. First, the gushing, like the reddening of a dying tree as it blazes out in the funeral autumn with a flowing canopy, and now reduced to basics, forced to lie fallow — in an emptiness watered…
IN one of his most remarkable songs, popular singer/songwriter Elton John said that sorry seems to be the hardest word. This is true for most people. A sincere apology is the most effective solution to defuse personal tensions, even in resolving international problems. Pressure mounts on the Philippine government to issue a formal apology over…
YES, the National Football League championship game last Sunday, February 2, made us all want to snooze as early as the first quarter. The Seattle Seahawks, after all, “butchered” the Denver Broncos, 43-8! But thankfully, some side stories made Superbowl 48 especially memorable for us, Filipinos who watched the game! First and second headliners — …
COMMISSION ON AGING, TORRANCE, CA Benito M. Miranda has been a dedicated champion for the Filipino American community since his college days at Woodbury University in Los Angeles. He was the first Asian voted as President of the student body at the time. To date, he has held positions in the FilAm community such as,…
Bright red lanterns, Chinese songs, lucky charms, lucky colors, assorted fruits and tikoy – these are just some of the elements that will give you a festive mood. The Chinese New Year, or as locals call it Lunar New Year, is usually celebrated on January 31. The festival usually starts with the new moon and…
I saw a movie the other night that reminded me of the Philippines. “Elysium,” starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, is set in the year 2154. It’s about a man-made space station in which the very wealthy live. Gleaming buildings, lush parks, manicured lawns, beautiful homes and even more beautiful people populate the enclave. The…
This year-round oasis is a timeless, limitless haven that spells an unparalleled sense of escape, adventure, recreation, and relaxation at your own unique way of playing. It is where you can discard every worry and welcome a breather from the fast pace of everyday life, with conscious or unconscious expectations. Here, a kind of wealth…
MINIMUM Wage –Minimum wage increases to $9 per hour effective July 1, 2014. Medical and Dental Expense Deduction – Federal law made it tougher to deduct medical expenses by raising the floor from 7.5 percent to 10 percent. This means that you can only deduct expenses that exceed 10 percent of your federal adjusted gross…
The highly rewarding field of Physical Therapy has generously accorded a huge opportunity for resourceful and collaborative advocacy whereby simultaneously promoting evidence-based practices and practical communicative relationship with patients. The sterling performances and compassionate services fairly provided to all patients indicatively establish a life-long relationship and solid partnership with people in the community. The mushrooming…
ACCORDING to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Arsenio Balisacan, despite the slew of disasters that hit the Philippines (Zamboanga siege, Bohol earthquake and Typhoon Haiyan), the country’s economy still grew by 6.5 percent in Q4 of 2013 — placing the country’s annual gross domestic product (GDP)…
IT CAN be deemed as a love-hate relationship. Despite protests against China’s so-called “bullying” in the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, the Chinese influence is very much alive in Filipino culture — especially during the celebration of the Chinese New Year. Local newscasts in the Philippines cover how Pinoys celebrate the lunar new…
THE 2013 Survey of Enterprises on Corruption conducted by Social Weather Station tells us that the Bureau of Customs, the Land Transportation Office, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Public Works & Highways, the Philippine National Police and the House of Representatives had “net sincerity ratings” in fighting corruption, ranging from “very bad”…
LOS ANGELES – Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) US Representatives paid a courtesy call on Consul General Maria Hellen Barber De La Vega on January 28, 2014 at the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles. Representatives of PLDT led by Mr. Enrique Yu discussed new products and services of PLDT for Filipino Americans in Southern…
FRESNO – A group of Filipino caregivers staged a protest on Thursday, January 23, against their employer, Bedford Care Group of Fresno, who owes them around $1.6 million in back wages and overtime salary. The workers’ cause is backed by a May 2013 California Labor Commission decision, which cited Bedford Care Group for labor law…
NEWARK – Doug Baldwin barreled into the collective consciousness of Filipinos with one single act: he entered the CenturyLink Field in Seattle proudly carrying the flag of the Philippines to raise awareness to the recent natural disaster that devastated most of eastern Visayas, a place which his beloved grandmother Pica used to call home. “My…
Thursday, February 6 – Tuesday, March 18, 2014 Opening reception for the artist: Thursday, February 6, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. At the Eastern Star Gallery at The Archer School for Girls The Eastern Star Gallery, a unique art exhibition space located on the Brentwood campus of The Archer School for Girls, an independent middle…
CAN a spouse file for bankruptcy while the other does not? For instance, husband’s gross income is $3,000 monthly. Wife’s income is $8,000 monthly. Husband has $100,000 of credit card debt. Wife has $50,000 of credit card debt. Husband wants to file bankruptcy, either a Chapter 7 to discharge all of his $100,000 of credit…
GENERALLY, property acquired during the marriage are considered community property. However, property acquired by “gift, bequest, devise, or descent” are the acquiring spouse’s separate property. The issue becomes more complicated when a gift is given under the name of both spouses. In that situation, the community property joint presumption kicks in which presumes an acquisition…
KYLE Hunter is a weather forecaster and broadcaster for over 23 years, who won several prestigious awards. He sued CBS Broadcasting, Inc. for discrimination, alleging that two of CBS’ television stations (KCAL and KCBS) repeatedly refused to hire him as a weather news anchor because of his gender and age, even though he had more…
HAVE you ever faced a situation in your life where you needed help so badly but you were just too afraid or embarrassed to ask for it? Perhaps you felt confused and overwhelmed with the problem that you spent sleepless nights trying to figure out what to do. As a bankruptcy attorney, over the years…
On January 30, 2014, the House GOP released its “Standard for Immigration Reform,” which proposes to allow undocumented immigrants to legally live and work in the US, if they “come forward and get right with the law” and are “willing to admit their culpability.” They must also pass a “rigorous” criminal background check, pay “significant”…
“VANITY of vanities. All things are vanities!” Some thinkers say that these words from the Book of Ecclesiastes are the harshest words of the Old Testament Bible and yet the most Christian ones. It’s because they prepare us for the words of Christ in the Gospel. They expose us to the ruthlessness of life and…
