(Un)friendly reminder
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…
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Will immigration reform finally happen in 2014?
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…
The Black Nazarene: Filipino devotion
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…
Governor’s Budget to Include Clean Energy Investments for Underserved Communities
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…
Honesty pays
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,…
First Filipina receives same-sex fiance visa in Manila, marries long-time partner in the US
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…
Is lover’s claim dischargeable?
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…
IRS warns of scams relating to relief for Typhoon Haiyan victims
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…
New Year’s resolution: Keep current with your employment rights
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…
Buried in debt: Do you feel lost in a ‘money fog?’
MAYBE you’ve experienced this before: You’re driving down the road one cold, chilly day and before you know it, you find yourself surrounded by a thick white wall of dense…
Getting what you deserve from your attorney in 2014
IN the coming New Year, we can expect some improvement in overall economic conditions in the US and throughout the World, however, there will continue to be turbulence and volatility…
Post-holiday ‘makeover’
The holidays may be over, but their cumulative health and physical effects, among others, will linger a while. Medically speaking, it is actually a time for “damage control” for those…
The Metro Manila Film Festival in a capsule
Everybody loves watching movies. Aside from being a worthwhile form of entertainment, it’s also the most relaxing activity one can experience in the comforts of their own home or in…
How to harmonize the family business in 2014? Define the rules!
“WE learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters… that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules… and success doesn’t count unless you…
Cendana: First Filipino and first openly gay chairperson of the NCAPA
LOS ANGELES—The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), a coalition of 31 national organizations, recently elected a new executive committee that will spearhead its efforts in achieving greater policy…
Gov. Brown’s Budget to Get Close Scrutiny
Cap-and-Trade Funds, Health and Safety Net Spending Are Major Concerns, Greenlining Institute Says SACRAMENTO – Gov. Brown’s upcoming budget – the first in many years in which the state has…
Three parables of God’s pure love
WE get a treat of three parables in this Sunday’s Mass. The first and second parables are preparatory to the third one, a much longer parable. The first one is…
Diosdado ‘Dado’ Banatao’s odyssey from Cagayan Valley to Silicon Valley
It is said that Silicon Valley likes to think of itself as morally exceptional: the saints of American Capitalists are there. They are actually regarded as successors to the big…
A faulty concept of right and wrong
WE still have to hear the last word about the Culture of Impunity that is said to pervade our government and the bureaucracy, and there I was, the other day,…
TPS for the Philippines – FAQs
“ Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a designation granted by DHS permitting individuals from a country, or portion of a country, the ability to remain in the US temporarily while…
As we make our journeys
AS we celebrate the New Year, let’s remember the famous words of Dag Hammarskjold, the Swedish diplomat and second Secretary-General of the United Nations, “For all that has been, thank…
Six Hundred Billion Pesos ($13 Billion) to Prevent Future Typhoon ?and Earthquake Damage in the Philippines
President Aquino is correct that Typhoon Haiyan demonstrates that our efforts to prevent future similar damage should focus on fundamental reforms and “build back better.” However, the price President Aquino…
Make 2014 a great year
As we start a new chapter in our lives, both as individuals and as a community, allow me to share with you these beautiful quotes that I hope will help…
Returning to the U.S. after removal
We have seen in a previous article the consequence of illegally re-entering the U.S. after having been removed. Illegal re-entry must never be an option. Such drastic action is driven…
New year, new you
Forget the resolutions list; instead, set intentions, commit, embrace the fullness of life and continue to grow into the person you want to be. Make 2014 brighter and better and…
Celebrate the birth of our Lord and forget about your debt problems
THIS Wednesday the whole Christian world celebrates the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the day 2013 years ago when the son of God, the one…
Living trusts: The problem with probate
ALMOST everyone is concerned with saving money on their taxes, but most people worry only about income taxes and ignore planning to avoid estate taxes, which can consume up to…
I have lost hope to ever return to the US and am in deep despair
QUESTION: I have been deported several years ago and different immigration lawyers tell me that there is nothing that can be done. My kids are growing up without me and…
Are you being paid the higher overtime rate?
Q: AS an employee for a service provider company, I am paid an hourly rate and an additional piece rate if I respond to customer calls after hours. I often…
Make 2014 the year you get out of debt and rebuild your credit
ARE you sick and tired of being in debt and having bad credit? Do you want to start over but simply don’t know where to begin? Is filing bankruptcy an…