EVER since a warrant was released by the Department of Justice for the arrest of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother Reynaldo Lim, social media has been inundated with feedback by netizens. Most were angry and appalled that Napoles was able to escape the clutches of justice so quickly. The Dept. of Justice, along with…
The California Supreme Court justices’ unanimous ruling last Wednesday tossed out a legal challenge by supporters of Proposition 8, a ballot measure passed by voters in 2008, which banned same-sex marriage. This means gay marriages in California are here to stay. Advocates against gay marriages, however, are not giving up just yet. According to the…
THE situation we envision in this discussion is where you have an offer in compromise which has been accepted by the IRS then you file for bankruptcy relief. Do you owe the original amount prior to the OIC or do you owe the compromised amount accepted by the IRS? For example, you owe the IRS…
IF your mortgage loan is forgiven, you end up with income from cancellation of debt. Here are 10 tips to exclude the forgiven debt from your income. • Cancellation of debt (COD) or debt forgiveness results in taxable income; however, you may be able to exclude the income (meaning you don’t have to pay tax…
LENDERS as I thought are more aggressively helping homeowners modify their mortgages. I have seen more loan balance forbearance lately. Another term for that is a loan modification with a Balloon payoff for the remaining balance. Lenders will structure this modification package with the homeowner paying a portion with full interest payment and another smaller…
Q: I WORK as a nurse in a hospital on a 12-hour shift, three days a week. Because of the realities of patient care, we often find ourselves working an extra 30 minutes to an hour per shift finishing up paperwork. We are not paid for the extra time. There are times when I am…
QUESTION: I am a US citizen or lawful permanent resident in a same-sex marriage to a foreign national. Can I now sponsor my spouse for a family-based immigrant visa? Answer: Yes, you can file the petition. You may file a Form I-130 (and any applicable accompanying application). Your eligibility to petition for your spouse, and…
More than division, the Gospel today speaks of passion: ‘I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!’ HE is a 52 years old parish priest like…
In its commitment to recognize outstanding Filipino-American community leaders who distinctly exemplify success, Philippine Fiesta, now Fiesta in America, once again honors individuals with exemplary achievements in their chosen profession with a well-conceptualized ceremony during the annual People’s Ball, one of the most glitzy and glamorous gala events this side of North America. Under the…
In its commitment to recognize outstanding Filipino-American community leaders who distinctly exemplify success, Philippine Fiesta, now Fiesta in America, once again honors individuals with exemplary achievements in their chosen profession with a well-conceptualized ceremony during the annual People’s Ball, one of the most glitzy and glamorous gala events this side of North America. Under the…
JUST as wagging tongues were dying down in talking about the Raymart Santiago-Claudine Barretto battle, another showbiz marriage was making the news. This time, it’s actress Sunshine Cruz against action star Cesar Montano. Last August 13, Sunshine, along with her lawyer Atty. Bonifacio Alentajan, filed a complaint-affidavit against her estranged husband Cesar for violating Republic…
WHERE WOULD WE BE without our toothbrushes?! Today personal dental hygiene is easy with convenient tools like toothbrushes and floss. But have you ever wondered what people did before modern toothbrushes? Twigs and branches The earliest toothbrushes were actually “chewing sticks.” That may sound rudimentary, but they were surprisingly effective. In ancient Babylon people chewed on…
The September 2013 priority dates have 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 adjustment of status and work authorization, if they are in the US, and are otherwise eligible! That is the case…
A mystery stomach bug that has sickened 275 persons in eight states in the USA since mid-June 2013 has been reported by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The infection causing prolonged diarrhea, with or without vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever, and weight loss from dehydration. The Cyclospora cayetanensis one-celled parasite contamination was linked…
LOS ANGELES—Ask Dubai-based Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco how he would describe his fashion couture style and he would immediately tell you, “Impalpable!” Ethereal. Unreal. Dream-like. Otherworldly. Too perfect for this world, for sure. “Michael Cinco is in a league of his own,” commented Los Angeles-based fashion designer Carlyn Nuyda-Calloway of Thumbelina Couture. “Remember his…
I have always thought growing older was a quiet time. My 20’s and 40’s were interesting, fairly serene. But my 60’s are passionate. I grow more intense as I age — to my surprise, I burst out with hot convictions, unrestricted by the outer world of human quality in general, as I attempt to put…
AFTER months of strained relations, the Philippines and Taiwan have settled their differences — letting diplomacy prevail. Tensions rose on May 9, when a standoff ignited between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and a Taiwanese fishing vessel, boarded by alleged poachers, in waters where the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of both countries overlap. The incident…
How do we solve a problem like China, with its continued “bullying” and claim on a million square miles of the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea including some Philippine territories? As we reported on Balitang America, community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis and the US Pinoys for Good Governance have spearheaded the “boycott everything about China”…
Usually during rush hour, it takes Ian two hours from his home in Kamias, Quezon City to his office in Intramuros, Manila. Now, his travel time is reduced to only an hour and a half. Thirty minutes can make a big difference. Based on a study, it is believed that one of the major causes…
CHAPTER 13 is the section of the US Bankruptcy Code that allows individuals in the United States to reorganize their finances. If you are having difficulty paying your debts (credit cards, medical bills, personal loans, taxes, late mortgage payments and property taxes- all kinds of debts) due to insufficient income, don’t despair. Chapter 13 may…
THE United States Department of State has issued guidance for same-sex visa applications in light of the June 26, 2013 ruling of the Supreme Court that held Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to be unconstitutional. The decision, in holding that each of the 50 states may define “marriage” according to their…
LOS ANGELES – On Monday, a mobile photo booth truck, a group of young artists, and eager young Angelenos turned the office facade of a non-profit organization in Los Angeles into a monument that literally puts a face on the issue of immigration reform. Through a partnership with the “Inside Out/11M” project, the Asian Americans…
The Bani Pangasinan-California Association (BPCA) will be hosting its 35th Anniversary Celebration and Miss BP-CA Coronation Ball on August 31, 2013, at the elegant Marriott South Bay in Torrance, CA. Started in 1978, BPCA has now grown to include over 700 members from across the state of California and the world over. The members come…
INA 212(a)(6)(C)(i) bars an alien from receiving a visa or admission into the U.S. if this alien has previously obtained or attempted to obtain a visa, other documentation, admission or other benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), by means of fraud or by willfully misrepresenting a material fact. Fraud is a false representation…
SOLARMAX TELLS CONGEN DURING HQ VISIT RIVERSIDE—According to SolarMax Technology Inc., the solar panels made in the Philippines are among the best in the world. SolarMax officials revealed this to Philippine Consul General (ConGen) Ma. Hellen Barber-De La Vega during her visit to the company’s headquarters in Rivierside on Friday, August 9. SolarMax is a…
SACRAMENTO — Yesterday, legislation authored by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and supported by a broad coalition of environmental justice groups which include The Greenlining Institute, Coalition for Clean Air, Public Advocates Inc., and Asian Pacific Environmental Network, passed out of the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources. “Today is a small victory for some of…
Benefit Concert for PhilDev at The Nourse Auditorium on Saturday, October 5th, 2013 at 8PM SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., August 12, 2013—Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev) is proud to announce its annual fundraising gala with a live performance by Tony Award winner Lea Salonga at San Francisco’s Nourse Auditorium at City Arts on Saturday, October 5th at…
What is it about Janet Lim-Napoles that reminds me of the Mafia? Oh, yes, Napoles sounds like Napoli or Naples in Italy, the original turf of The Mob, which subsequently took control of the rackets in such cities as Chicago and New York. The current showbiz spectacle on the alleged 10 billion peso PDAF scams…
It was a presscon like no other. The LA media stopped, watched and stayed — only to start vibrating like tuning forks, stimulated by the night, the music, Bernardo Bernardo’s ribbing and antics, and Dr. Marge Holmes unbridled “lecture.” they stopped to find out if if all those colorful and raunchy teasers and come-ons had…
Once again, Philippine Fiesta fever pervades the air and just like in the past festive events, this year’s celebration presents a bevy of pulsating sights and sounds. To be showcased are intensely colorful vignettes and canticles of our cultural traditions and a myriad of ingeniously creative products These and more will offer an emotional dose…
