Never again

It was an era in history that older generations of Filipinos would rather forget. But lessons from this tumultuous period has taught us to commemorate the past — if only to recount the nightmare that was martial law, and to make sure that it never happens again. On September 21, 1972, then President Ferdinand Edralin…

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10 tips on child / dependent care

IF you paid someone to care for your child, spouse, or dependent, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit on your federal income tax return. Here are 10 tips on claiming a credit for child and dependent care expenses. -The expense for child and dependent care must be provided for…

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Are deductions on your wages legal?

 Q: I WORK at a service-oriented business here in California as an hourly employee. We are required to wear a uniform. We can only get the uniform from our employer and the employer deducts from our pay the cost of these uniforms. Is this deduction legal? How do I know that the deductions from my…

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On prudence

ONE of my great mentors in the seminary taught me and my peers not only to be holy but also to be prudent, not in the sense of acquiring a great deal of knowledge on theology but in having practical wisdom of dealing with personal matters and pastoral ministry. For example, whereas the general norm…

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Walmart Neighborhood Market opens in Downtown LA

LOS ANGELES—Coinciding with the Chinese Moon Festival, Walmart held a community celebration in on Chinatown to celebrate the opening of its Downtown LA Neighborhood Market on Thursday, September 19. The grand opening ceremony was held at 7:30am, and started with brief remarks from community leaders and store manager Kenny Tran. The program also included a…

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Can I renew an existing domestic violence restraining order?

The family court’s could grant initial restraining orders, protecting victims of domestic violence, for a period of up to 5 years under family code §6345(a).  This includes personal conduct orders, stay-away orders, and residence exclusion orders.  What happens if your initial restraining order is about to expire and you continue to have concerns that your…

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CPUC Okays Energy Efficiency Programs for Low-Income Californians

New Plans Let Individuals, Small Businesses Pay for Retrofits via Their Utility Bills SAN FRANCISCO – Following recommendations from The Greenlining Institute and other stakeholders, the California Public Utilities Commission today approved a series of pilot programs to make energy efficiency retrofits available to low- and moderate-income Californians and small businesses. The new programs will…

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Fil-Am organizations conduct healthcare forum

LOS ANGELES—Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI), Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles and  the Organization of Chinese American-Greater Los Angeles hosted “Affordable Healthcare & You”—a free educational forum for the community about the Affordable Healthcare Act. The forum began with a press conference, led by SIPA Executive Director Joel…

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Good morning, sunshine! How’s your breath?

NO NEED TO BE EMBARRASSED! We all experience morning breath?from time to time. Typically, our morning brushing routines get rid of it. But people wonder where morning breath comes from—and people wonder what to do if it continues throughout the day. Morning breath is primarily caused by dry mouth While general bad breath can have…

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Green card from the back seat of a car?

Dear Attorney Gurfinkel: I am a US citizen, and want to petition my husband, who is TNT. He came to the US from Canada, without any visa. He was sitting in the back seat of his cousin’s car, and when they came to the border, the immigration officer asked the cousin a few questions, and…

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CA Domestic Workers bill passes legislature

LOS ANGELES—Supporters of a bill requiring domestic workers to receive overtime pay, meal breaks and other labor protections are hopeful that it may finally come into fruition later this year. The California State Senate voted 22-12 on Wednesday, and the Assembly voted 48-25 on Thursday, to pass the California Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, AB…

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What men live by

Whenever I am permitted to bask in the light for imagination, I turn to Leo Tolstoy for some fragments of drama and splinters of euphoria. There is something about his characters even when they strike us as unwholesome or exasperating, or enervated if not perverse. They make us feel his patience, clarity and meticulous harmony…

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10 things to love about Ilocos

Facing west to the South China Sea and bordered by the vast sierra mountains of the Cordillera Region, the province of Ilocos is by far one of the must-see places in the Philippines – from its profound natural beauty to great historical riches. Pack your bags and take on an exciting road trip to Ilocos…

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Botched attempt

WHILE the standoff between Philippine military forces and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) continues in Zamboanga City, Vice President Jejomar Binay took his share of the spotlight, after his failed attempt to negotiate for a ceasefire. ate a peaceful settlement (through his connection with former MNLF chairman Nur Misuari), and to free the hostages. However,…

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Fil-Am organizations conduct healthcare forum

LOS ANGELES – Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI), Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles and  the Organization of Chinese American-Greater Los Angeles hosted “Affordable Healthcare & You”  — a free educational forum for the community about the Affordable Healthcare Act. The forum began with a press conference, led by…

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Driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants

ON September 13, 2013, California state lawmakers passed a bill to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain legal driver’s licenses. AB 60, introduced by Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Watsonville) will defer to the DMV as to what documentation is required to obtain a license.  Governor Jerry Brown is expected to sign the bill presently and expressed his…

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14th Annual Asian Small Business Expo in Alhambra

50 Pinoy businesses expected to attend LOS ANGELES – Around 50 Filipino businesses are expected to join the 14th Annual Asian Small Business Expo on September 21, Saturday, at the Almansor Court Conference Center in Alhambra. This was confirmed to the Asian Journal by Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) executive director Joel Jacinto on…

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Coming attractions

To keep up with everything going on with the Fil-Am community, I read the Asian Journal and my Bible everyday so that I know what each side is doing. People, not only in the past, present and future have done so many things to make one’s deadline easier to meet, without discarding sordid politics back home (the…

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Do your homework

Starting October 1, open-access markets for subsidized coverage under Pres. Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul may change your health insurance — and not necessarily for the better. According to the Associated Press (AP), there is a new “wild card” which could affect your coverage — your home address. This is because of “entrenched political divisions” over…

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Your debts and the Tower of Babel

(Part 2) LAST week, we talked about the tower of Babel which is located 30 miles from the modern city of Baghdad in Iraq. We destroyed the tower with cruise missiles when we attacked Iraq because we thought that the tower contained Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction. Now, we know that chemical weapons, at least,…

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