Each Sunday, promptly at noon, worshippers gather at the austere, simple Victory Christian Church in Eagle Rock. Here, they consider it as home away from home – with its promise of companionship and camaraderie, conformity and constancy; with its teachings of joy, hope and peace, in a life of victory. How easy it is to…
AT THE vin d’ honnuer celebration for New Year’s in Malacañang, President Benigno S. Aquino III thanked the international community for inundating the Philippines with support and assistance, while the country was beset with a bevy of recent calamities. He also emphasized that these acts of kindness have strengthened the Philippines’ ties with other countries….
LAST Wednesday, I asked our readers: Will immigration reform pass in 2014? The Democrat-led Senate has already passed the bill last year, but it stalled in the Republican-led House of Representatives. The new year, however, ushered in more optimistic possibilities. The New York Timesreported: “Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio has signaled he may embrace…
YES, of course. Direct deposit is the fastest and safest way to receive your tax refund. Here are reasons why you should use direct deposit of your refund: 1. Speed: When you combine direct deposit with e-file, you can receive your refund in as little as 10 to 14 days. 2. Security: The IRS holds…
Q: I HAVE been working for 5 years in Los Angeles for a company that has about 100 employees. I wanted to take a leave of absence from work to care for my sick child. My boss does not want to allow me to take leave and said if I take off, my position will…
QUESTION: I have some money to invest in a new business to come to the United States, but I don’t know which visa to use. I have heard there is the EB-5 and the E-2. Can you let me know what is the difference and which one I should use? Answer: First of all, you…
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…
INDIVIDUALS seeking entry into the United States despite being subject to grounds of inadmissibility can consider a pardon, or “waiver” under Section 212(d)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Section 212(d)(3) applies to individuals seeking entry for a temporary purpose–such as B-1/B-2 visitors, F or J students, H-1B or L-1 workers, or E-2 investors that…
BAKERSFIELD – A Filipina was killed in a gruesome car crash by a suspected drunk driver on the morning of January 3 in Bakersfield, California. Princess Flores Almonidovar, 22, was on a night out with friends and had just dropped off a friend on her way home before she figured in a vehicular accident at…
Leaves officials ‘shocked and surprised’ LOS ANGELES – After 15 years of being at the helm in “one of the largest law enforcement bodies west of the Mississippi,” (as described by LA police chief Charlie Beck) LA County Sheriff Lee Baca announced on Tuesday morning that he will be stepping down as chief of the LA…
Despite its supreme box-office reign at the recently concluded 39th Metro Manila Film Festival, film critics openly rated My Little Bossings (MLB) as a trashy slapstick comedy movie shot from a loosely written script loaded with up-front hard-sell product endorsements. Even the wonder tot’s avid followers were dismayed with Ryzza Mae’s less-than-expected exposure and the…
Are you worried that your debt problems are insurmountable? Actually, debt problems are small potatoes in the big picture of life, death and life after death. We are temporarily here on earth en-route to eternal life in heaven with Jesus, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus became man, suffered and died on…
A lot of people end up filing bankruptcy when they get to the point of feeling hopeless about their financial problems. Despite what others may think, there is no shame in needing a second chance to secure your financial future. Bad things can happen to good people, as the saying goes. Sometimes, people simply make…
HAVE you been in a place with people from around the world? If so, you must have found it to be an amazing experience. You must have realized the capacity of human beings to bond together, to be one in bringing harmony and peace, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became human for this purpose–…
While we endeavor to help our patients aoid tooth problems, with the reality is that by the time many people get to the dentist, they are already experiencing symptoms of dental distress. Many common dental complaints – both physical and cosmetic – can be traced back to enamel damage. tooth enamel is the hard, outer…
THE February 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…
AFTER all the speculations and rumors these past few weeks, Kris Aquino—known as the Queen of All Media in the Philippines—has finally confirmed that she has renewed her contract with ABS-CBN 2. She announced this last January 6, via an Instagram post: “My manager Deo Edrinal continued talks w/ our ABS bosses during the Christmas…
The wonder drugs aspirin, statins, and erectile dysfunction pills now share the spotlight with coffee. Yes, the beverages that has gotten an undeserved bum rap for decades, the morning-waker-upper many of us enjoy, is now considered a wonder drug. Unlike soft drinks (“liquid candy”) and energy drinks, which are both dangerous to health, especially for…
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – Housing experts at The Greenlining Institute today applauded new mortgage rules that take effect Jan. 10. The new rules, from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), are designed to protect consumers from unfair treatment when they take out a mortgage and will help to prevent the kind of irresponsible lending that led…
In every wish, there will be glimpses of kind virtues, to encourage and console. It could be something modest or even mundane, something fantastic or utterly practical. It can take you to the other side of the world or a walk around the corner. Wishing makes it easier to believe in happiness than pain —…
LOS ANGELES – The City of Carson in cooperation with Dr. Jose P. Rizal Monument Movement (JPRMM) commemorated the 117th Martyrdom of Dr. Jose P. Rizal with a wreath-laying ceremony on December 29 at the International Sculpture Garden, City of Carson, California. The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, led by Consul Marlowe Miranda, and…
A PRAGMATIC approach is always the best solution to resolve any conflict. On January 17 last year, the US Navy minesweeper, USS Guardian ran aground the Tubbattaha Reef while on its way Puerto Princesa. The USS Guardian hit the Philippines’ largest marine protected area and caused damage to an estimated 2,345.67 square meters of coral…
THE passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform was among the campaign promises of then-presidential candidate Illinois Sen. Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential elections. On the second term of the Obama administration, the US immigration system remains broken. Republicans and Democrats continue to differ in solutions to the immigration problem. But even as the president supports…
Policemen and other military personnel deployed throughout the streets of Manila are all set to ensure a safe and secure celebration. Medical teams and ambulance units are stationed in strategic areas within the procession route. And roads are closed to give way to the day-long march. Catholic pilgrims from all over the Philippines flock to…
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – Policy experts at The Greenlining Institute joined with other advocates in responding with cautious optimism to reports today that Gov. Brown’s budget will begin to repay cap-and-trade proceeds borrowed for the state general fund last year and will make substantial investments in clean, renewable energy and energy-saving projects in low-income communities. “Based…
FOR returning $300,000 to its rightful owner, Las Vegas-based and 55-year-old Filipino cab driver Gerardo Gamboa has made his kababayans in the US proud. Yet, despite being lauded and rewarded, Gamboa downplayed his act of honesty, saying that “he didn’t need a reward money,” and “that kind of feeling, knowing that he did something good…
WITH the US Supreme Court’s decision last June — effectively ruling that marriage in America isn’t just a union between a man and a woman — gays and lesbians are now free to marry the person they choose, and to petition their spouse to migrate to the United States, through the legal process. This principle…
SOMETIMES one lover takes advantage of the other lover by borrowing money that is not repaid. For example, John and Mary are in a relationship. They think that they are in love with each other. John wants to invest in the stock market because all the stock market indexes are up over 25 percent this…
THE Internal Revenue Service issued an alert about scams relating to Typhoon Haiyan (“Yolanda” in the Philippines). As you may have seen at CNN, Asian Journal, and other media, Haiyan is the strongest typhoon (“hurricane” in the US) in recorded history. It caused thousands of fatalities and rendered millions homeless from high winds and storm…
EMPLOYEES who want to be more vigilant of their rights in the workplace this year may want to pay attention to the following laws and developments: Overtime Work of more than 8 hours per day or more than 40 hours per week must be paid overtime compensation computed at either 1.5 times the employee’s regular…
