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…
MANY of us need to have a wider understanding of the concept of prayer. Some of us think that prayer is just coming to church for an hour on Sunday, praying a decade of the Holy Rosary, or spending twenty minutes of silence before the Blessed Sacrament. All these forms of prayer are good, but…
Fall ushered in a series of eventful October activities aptly culminated by one of the most anticipated global celebrations there is, Halloween, a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. One of the world’s oldest holidays, Halloween ushers in several exciting activities which include trick or treating, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted houses, carving…
Eight years ago, Congress passed new federal laws that made it tougher to file personal bankruptcy. This happened at a time when thousands of families were living in financial distress and were facing an uncertain future. Out of fear that they could no longer get the debt relief that they needed, hundreds of thousands of…
The Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 (IMFA) requires an alien obtaining a green card through a marriage less than two years old to come back at the end of that two years with the petitioning spouse and show that they are still married or, if the marriage was terminated, to show that the marriage…
Fall ushered in a series of eventful October activities aptly culminated by one of the most anticipated global celebrations there is, Halloween, a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. One of the world’s oldest holidays, Halloween ushers in several exciting activities which include trick or treating, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted houses, carving…
Even with the passage of immigration reform stalled in Congress, the State of California has been enacting laws benefitting the undocumented population of the State. Notable among these immigration related legislation was a bill allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. These licenses are expected to be made available no later than January 2015. However,…
If you have ever filed a petition on behalf of a relative (i.e. a brother, sister, adult child, etc.), and then moved to a new home, you must notify the National Visa Center (NVC) of the change of address. If you don’t, how do you expect the NVC to know that you moved, so that…
WITH the coming Christmas season, it is always nice to have that “someone special” for the holidays who you can cuddle with and celebrate. Since the holidays come early in the Philippines, one would think that aside from Valentine’s Day, this season should be filled with love. However, a number of showbiz couples have suddenly…
“For ladies who want larger breasts, men who want larger and longer penises, for those who want to be taller, and for older people who want to have instant rejuvenation and a sex drive and performance of a teenager, send me your money and I will make your dream come true!” While the last dozen…
I CAN never quell a stir of fascination, dread and longing when the house lights dim and the curtains part. But the enjoyment of an opera can begin, not with the rise of the curtains but with the first bars of the overture. To understand and enjoy the opera is the recognition of certain irreconcilable…
THE stakes in uncovering the truth behind the controversial pork barrel scam just got higher. On November 7, the stage is set at a Senate public hearing, for a face off between the whistleblowers, who bore the truth in the misuse of Filipinos’ tax money and the alleged mastermind, who allegedly siphoned off P10 billion…
IN the past, the epitome of the Filipina lola has been painted as an old woman in a rocking chair, gray hair in a bun (pusod), wearing eye glasses, a bit on the heavier side, holding a rosary and praying. Although loved and appreciated for doting on her grandchildren, the Filipina lola has been deemed…
MARK Twain is said to have quipped, “A cat who sits on a hot stove will never sit on a hot stove again. But he won’t sit on a cold stove, either.” Of course people are supposed to be more intelligent than cats. But we’re seeing the same cat-and-the-hot-stove attitude currently taking hold in our…
