AMID the chaos and desperation in the Philippines in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda (International name: Haiyan), Filipinos in North America had the opportunity to reach out and lend a helping hand to our kababayans in the Visayas, whose communities have been ravaged by the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall. From November 13-14,…
GIVEN the devastation in the Philippines, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released an article on November 15, 2013, to remind Filipino nationals impacted by typhoon Haiyan of possible immigration relief measures. Natural disasters and other extreme conditions can happen which are beyond anyone’s control. These unpredicted events may affect one’s USCIS application, petition or…
THE Bible has a strange story about a man being swallowed up by a whale. This man is Jonah. God, my God, the God of Moses and Israel, who sent His only and beloved Son, Jesus Christ to us, and who became man through the Blessed Virgin Mary, and who willingly suffered and died on…
IN A landmark case, the Supreme Court has held that a conviction for willfully filing a false tax return is a deportable offense under our immigration laws. It reached the same conclusion with respect to a conviction for aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false return. Background – Tax evasion is a felony…
“ A person born in the United States with one parent or with both parent(s) no longer Philippine citizen(s) at time of birth is not a Philippine citizen at birth.” UNDER the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of…
Q: AS an onsite security guard, I am required to stay on the premises for 24 hours. My on-duty hours are from 6am to 6pm. I am off-duty and considered on “on-call” from 6pm until 6am the following day. I am given a sleeping area. I cannot leave the premises without permission. I am paid…
HOLLYWOOD – In a youthful show of solidarity, as many as 800 Filipino-American students gathered in Hollywood on Monday to show support for their lolos and lolas on Veterans Day. Led by Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV), a grassroots organization supporting the cause of WWII FilVets, Fil-Am students from as far as San Diego…
Appeals for add’l donations, body bags as rescue and relief efforts pick up pace LOS ANGELES – Overwhelmed with support flowing in from all over Los Angeles and other parts of her jurisdiction, Philippine Consul General Hellen Barber-De La Vega said that it was a ‘good kind of inundation’ that she was experiencing. Throughout the…
ARCHBISHOP Socrates Villegas has written a prayer in behalf of Filipinos on the tragic devastations of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. Here’s an excerpt of his prayer: Lord we are in great need. Like infants we cry to you, do not abandon us in our distress. We kneel in disbelief! How could you, Lord, have allowed this to…
Due to the massive devastation and destruction of unimaginable magnitude brought about by super typhoon Haiyan, the date November 8, 2013 will be etched in the history of the Philippines especially in the eastern part of the Visayas. The super typhoon, locally tagged Yolanda, was said to be the strongest typhoon ever recorded to make…
The decision to file bankruptcy is not an easy one but sometimes it’s the decision that could change your life for the better. When you are seriously in debt and have ran out of options, procrastination only guarantees that your problems will get worse before they get better. As this year comes to a close,…
I HAVE been watching and reading news stories about the horrific devastation and destruction of Typhoon Haiyan. As I write this, the death toll is rising and the extent of the destruction mounts. It was one of the strongest Typhoons ever, some people saying it was even stronger, and lasted longer, than Hurricane Sandy or…
The exact cause of canker sores is unknown. What we do know is that canker sores can be extremely bothersome! By better understanding some of the possible causes—and some treatment options—we hope to reduce the irritation canker sores may cause you. Possible canker sore causes These non-contagious lesions that appear on your gums, lips, cheeks,…
WITH any kind of tragedy that comes to the Philippines, artists will always find ways to help—either by donating cash and in kind, volunteering or both—their fellow Filipinos. Just last week, Leyte and other provinces was devastated by the wrath of Typhoon Yolanda. At present, the government, international aid and other non-profit agencies are trying…
Practically without exception, at least a dozen poisons (toxic chemicals) can be found in every home today, in the bathrooms, kitchen, garage, and backyards. Among them are phthalates. Phthalates are a family of very common chemicals used in a variety of products, from children’s toys, hard plastics or polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl), certain cosmetics,…
How, what and where to send donations SAN BRUNO— An outpour of donations and support for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda that hit the Philippines last Nov. 8 are continuously going on the Bay Area, especially from local Filipino organizations. Fundraising events are being organized, and most people believe that recovery from this kind…
Due to the massive devastation and destruction of unimaginable magnitude brought about by super typhoon Haiyan, the date November 8, 2013 will be etched in the history of the Philippines especially in the eastern part of the Visayas. The super typhoon, locally tagged Yolanda, was said to be the strongest typhoon ever recorded to make…
Out for a night from our ink-stained asylum, a college of crankers and museum of misfits with huge egos and even larger insecurities, herds of highly-educated dinosaurs planned a deliciously sharp and hilarious cooking as a farewell gesture for Deputy Consulate General Dan Espiritu. The night was a perfect metaphor time was a plateau for…
MONDAY was met with a heavy heart, as the horrors of the tragedy that struck Central Visayas last Friday began to unfold. Whether firsthand experience at the site or at home through the media, Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike shared the same sentiments — that of shock and sadness for the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan…
PHILIPPINE officials say more than 10,000 Filipinos are feared dead, and about 800,000 are displaced because of super typhoon Yolanda. Despite all the local and international help being extended to the affected provinces in the Visayas, experts say it will probably take many years, even a decade to rebuild these areas, and the lives of…
Dear Editor, AS I read in your paper (Asian Journal – Nov. 8-14, 2013 issue) Greg Macabenta’s column, “A Closer Look at Corruption,” it’s a sad thing to note that we lay the blame on corruption [as] the root cause of poverty and hardships in the Philippines. He cited the premise: “Kung walang corrupt, walang…
THE PR temperature has cooled down a bit since Sonny Coloma took over as presidential spokesman. His explanations about happenings in Malacañang, that are not as laborious and convoluted as that of spokespersons Edwin Lacierda and Abigail Valte, have been printed by the press with much less sniping. While Coloma comes with impressive credentials as…
The Philippines is one of Asia’s most populous countries and primarily a Christian nation where approximately a large percent of its citizens are devout Catholics. That being said, the Filipino community is widely known to have unique way of celebrating religious holidays. Christmas is perhaps the most awaited season for everyone. In some countries, preparations…
LOS ANGELES – On Monday night, President Benigno S. Aquino III declared a state of national calamity in order to expedite the government’s rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in the provinces devastated by Yolanda. The state of national calamity will remain in effect until lifted by Aquino. According to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report, as much as…
Blame October’s lunar monsoons orbit last Wednesday. The much ballyhooed “Roast of the Decade” by no less than the meanest, cruelest, heartless and outrageous troika of Bobby Reyes, Bernardo Bernardo and Ka Larry Pelayo turned out to be a romantic evening for Deputy Consul General Dan Espiritu, whose tour of duty ends this month. The…
We briefly discussed in the last article the current rules for acquiring U.S. citizenship by birth abroad to U.S. citizen (USC) parents. Today, we’ll see some examples that illustrate both current and past acquisition laws. Let’s say A was an American soldier who remained in the Philippines after the end of the Philippine-American War in…
IN strolling through the shopping centers in our Office’s surrounding neighborhood, one cannot help but feel that the immigrant sprit of entrepreneurship is alive and well. Small IT start-ups, mom-and-pop Asian restaurants, franchise American take-out restaurants, hair salons, bookstores, and language and music schools, are owned and operated by immigrants—many of whom are recent arrivals….
THE outspoken senator strikes again. While Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago was busy grilling Janet Lim-Napoles at the senate hearing on Thursday, her quips were also trending in social media. Leaving her sickbed for the senate investigation on the P10-billion pork barrel scam, Santiago was merciless in her line of questioning, albeit in a more composed tone….
OUR beloved Philippines has once again been tested by the wrath of nature, with the landfall of Super Typhoon Yolanda (International name: Haiyan), which meteorologists say may be the strongest tropical cyclone to hit land anywhere in recorded history — even more intense and powerful than typhoon “Yoling” which caused massive death and destruction in…
THE Israelites have just ended their 40 years of wandering about in the Sinai Desert after God delivered them from 400 years of bondage in Egypt. God, my God, the God of Moses and Israel, Who sent to us His only and beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Who became man through the Blessed Virgin Mary, Who…
