MORE employment laws were recently passed by California’s lawmakers. These include: New minimum wage laws to take effect in 2014 The new law raises the $8 an hour minimum wage to $9 an hour, effective July 1, 2014, and from $9 an hour to $10 an hour, effective Jan. 1, 2016. California’s minimum wage has…
QUESTION: I have a friend who came into the US and filed a fake asylum application. Is there anything that can happen? Answer: Yes. This would be one of the worse things that your friend could do. In fact, the consequences for filing a frivolous application are extremely severe. If such a ruling is made,…
MAKING the decision to file bankruptcy can be a painstaking process that most people put off until they realize that they have no other way out of debt. Unfortunately, however, sometimes people wait to long. When they finally do make the decision to file, they soon realize that they would actually have been better off…
Hosted by The California Endowment LOS ANGELES – Parents and students attended a town hall meeting hosted by The California Endowment on October 28 at Hollenbeck Middle School in Los Angeles, to raise awareness on the new Fair School Funding Law as part of The California Endowment’s 12-city School Success Express bus tour. Established in…
Los Angeles, October 31, 2013. The Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce (FPACC) presents a three-day 2013 Bi-National Conference entitled “Lights! Camera! Business! The Pivotal Role of Entrepreneurs in Philippine-American Trade and Investments” to be hosted by the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles at the Sheraton Gateway LAX Hotel at 6101 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, California…
SOME time ago, a parishioner caught my attention when she expressed her concern about the “forgotten souls”: those who have no one praying for them anymore. They may be the ones whose tombs that family members no longer visits. They are the ones who might be in purgatory and are still in desperate need of…
I have just gone over a qualitative research study that confirms what most of us believe – that corruption in government is the root cause of the hardships that the people endure. The current pork barrel scandal is certainly proof of that. Because of this Mother of All Thefts, we have been deprived of the…
Today, modern dentistry helps people keep their smiles for life DURING generations past, lost teeth were considered an inevitable consequence of aging. Now we know how to better care for our smiles as they age. With modern advances, you can have a comfortable, healthy smile for life! Must-do’s, ages 65+: For the most part, losing…
The November 2013 priority dates indicate that the F-2A priority date 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 for…
PHILIPPINE Senate President Franklin Drilon will celebrate his 68th birthday on Thursday, November 28. Drilon is currently serving his third term in the Senate. He is also the Chairman of the Liberal Party and Senior Counsel of the ACCRA Law Offices. Drilon was born in 1945 in Iloilo City, and is the eldest son of…
The sunshine vitamin is vitamin D, the only vitamin humans can produce on their own, when exposed to the ultraviolet B rays from the sun. In 15 minutes, a fair-skinned person, outside on a sunny day, can generate as much as 10,000 to 20,000 IU of vitamin D. This vitamin is recently in the limelight…
When members of the Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity in both the Philippines and USA are gathered in full force in the name of service — it was not only historical but a sight to behold. They typified the three basic cardinal principles of this Greek-letter fraternity of LEADERSIP, FRIENDSHIP and SERVICE when they converged at…
SAN FRANCISCO—AARP sponsored last Oct. 27, West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service’s effort to recognize Filipino American Victoria Manalo Draves, the first Asian American woman to win two Olympic gold medals for the United States in 1948, at the unveiling of a plaque commemorating her at the Victoria Manalo Draves Park on Folsom Street between 6th and…
LIFE is a desert of time — hours, days, weeks, years perishing, with little time to face everything. For what is yesterday, when we have stretched too far on a gamut painfully wide? Little things become big and they felt clever and carefree. The initial pride forbids men to accept an affront, and learn that…
WITH a number of high profile politicians entangled in controversies lately, political reform in the Philippines is hounded by higher public expectation. Because of such pressure, every vote (from 54 million registered Filipino voters) has become more precious than ever. Before we turn our attention to the 2016 presidential elections, let us focus on the…
I HAD the privilege of meeting so many high achieving kababayan and kabaro in the Filipina Women’s Network Gala honoring the 100 Most Influential Filipinas in the World. It was held in San Francisco on October 26. Celebrating Pinay Power, I got to listen to the leadership keynote speech of Cora M. Tellez , who…
SOME mischievous social media folks have been using a rather funny-sarcastic term when talking about President Noynoy Aquino: Litography. No, they’re not referring to a printing process. They mean someone who is “nalilito” or confused. This is also how they describe themselves with respect to the situation in the Philippines. Their perceptions are not necessarily…
“ A spouse or child who has been ‘battered or subject to extreme mental cruelty’ is eligible to ‘self-petition’ and adjust status to that of a lawful permanent resident independent of the abusive spouse or parent through whom such status would have been sought.” THE I-360 Self-Petition provides relief for spouses and children of abusive…
Undas, the Philippines’ celebration of All Saints’ and Souls’ Day, has become a significant part of the Philippine culture. And from preparations to practice, Filipinos have a unique way of spending this religious holiday like no other. Located in the area of Dimasalang, Sampaloc is Bulaklakan ng Maynila or popularly called Dangwa, a flower market…
THERE are two things we know for sure about the Filipino-American community in our nation’s largest state. And what we know tells us that the community is a sort of tale of two cities, at least politically speaking. The first fact is that Filipino-Americans, as of the 2010 census, are now the biggest Asian American…
Autumn provokes memories of loss. After all, it is the end of summer and we witness the last batch of uncomplaining plants, which contributed to the zest and color of the simple meals of summer. Autumn is feeling earth’s exhaustion, satisfaction and weariness. It makes us ponder how we deal with all the other endings …
AS Filipino-American Heritage Month comes to a close, now is the best time for Filipino-Americans to extend a helping hand to their kababayans back home, especially to the victims of the Bohol 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the Philippines, as well as to those displaced by the recent Zamboanga crisis. The Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF)…
ANOTHER Fil-Am mom created a firestorm online and on television because of her Facebook page picture, which showed her with her three very young sons, wearing a skimpy two-piece workout outfit that highlighted her svelte figure. A caption was posted on top: “What’s your excuse?” The photo became viral. What was intended to be an…
WE worry about so many things that are not on the right track in our lives. We worry about our children and their future. We worry about our retirement. Are we going to remain healthy when we retire and are we going to have enough money when we retire? Is our country headed in the…
WHEN buying and selling real estate, there is always that inevitable question: how do you hold title? Remember that your choice can have dramatic impact on estate taxes, liability protection, heirs, family situations and other factors. Let’s explore choices to help you determine which title is best for your next property. Joint tenancy -Any number…
VETERANS who once served on active duty at time of war, need not be in combat, in the United States Army, Marine Corp, Air Force, Navy, or Coast Guard, or in the Merchant Marine during World War II, may be eligible for non-service connected, tax-free aid and attendance pension from the US Department of Veterans…
THE struggle to help immigrant workers enforce their basic labor rights recently gained a major boost in California with the passage of new employment laws. Two laws are intended to help workers assert their rights by prohibiting retaliation, including threats of deportation. Another law makes it a crime for employers or their attorneys to use…
QUESTION: I have years of experience, but cannot get an H-1B as they are used up. Are there any alternatives to the H-1B? Answer: There is the option of the O-1. I normally do not used this as a first resort, but it most definitely is an option The O nonimmigrant visa is for people…
LOS ANGELES – A new scam has got the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and Filipinos in LA worried. Apparently, scammers are using the soon-to-open Larry Itliong Village (an affordable housing project for low-income individuals) as bait to take advantage of people, who are hoping to get a chance to rent a unit in the village…
ANAHEIM – A jury trial has been set for a Filipino-American woman accused of driving while distracted, causing a fatal accident. An Orange County District Attorney spokesperson told the Asian Journal on Friday that trial for Fil-Am Jorene Ypante Nicolas will start on December 5. Attorney Jennifer Walker will prosecute the case. Orange County District…
