IT IS not difficult to get into credit card debt. If you are used to buying things on credit, perhaps you don’t even realize how much your borrowing is really costing you. Unless you can pay the bill in full when you get it, in most cases you are paying a lot more than the…
THE processing times for some applications pending at the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (“USCIS”) are longer than ever before. The USCIS holds a monopoly over all immigrants applying for green cards, citizenship and other applications, since the USCIS is the only agency authorized to adjudicate requests for immigration benefits. The USCIS cannot, however, force…
The official start of Ramadhan varies throughout the world since it is traditionally determined upon the sighting of the new moon. This year, the month-long celebration of Ramadhan in the Philippines started on July 10. For years, Filipino citizens have shown unity and respect during the Holy Month of Ramadhan. What is Ramadhan? In observance…
In February 2012, a flood occurred in the luxury house (with an estimated value of at least 1 million dollars) located in Tustin Valley, L.A. County. The homeowner, a male in his fifties, had forgotten about the water running in the kitchen’s island sink while he spent an hour washing his car on the driveway…
LOS ANGELES – Over the weekend, a tanker truck carrying 8,500 gallons of gasoline flipped over at the 2 and 5 freeways, spilling gasoline that erupted into flames along portions of the freeways and a segment of the Los Angeles River that runs in the area. Firefighters were quick to respond on the scene. They…
LOS ANGELES – Filipino-American World War II veteran supporters are saddened by the sexual harassment allegations against San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, a once staunch supporter of their plight. Eric Lachica, executive director of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc., said he wishes Filner well and hopes the 70-year-old mayor will get the help…
All of LA County’s sufferings come through the doors of the emergency room. Accidents, shootings, heart attacks, beatings, rapes, suicides—just as gory and exciting when I was covering the police beat for People’s Tonight of The Journal Group, before I defected to Hollywood. Stories that would make you clasp your chest and spit out your…
Despite their right to live and work in the U.S. permanently, lawful permanent resident (LPR) aliens may be removed from the U.S. due to criminal behavior or prohibited conduct. During removal proceedings, LPRs may avoid removal by applying for relief, which include cancellation of removal. Both LPRs and non-LPR aliens may apply for cancellation of…
POPE Francis’ homilies are getting popular nowadays. One of the reasons is that they’re simple, clear, practical, down-to-earth, honest, direct to the point, and devoid of highfalutin theological discourse. For example, some months ago when he preached at a Mass with Vatican medical staff and office of Vatican City government, he reflected on the destructive…
WHILE President Benigno S. Aquino III still strongly opposes amending the Constitution, advocates of Charter change (Cha-cha) are making their move. Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. filed House Resolution No. 1 which seeks “to amend restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution through the regular legislative route in the Senate and the House of…
The news about the crash landing of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport on July 6 made many people re-think how safe it is to fly. This is a very serious issue for many kababayans, who have no other alternative to visit the Philippines with the motherland being almost 7,000 miles away…
“ The LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD.” IF YOU are troubled by debt, think of Hosea. Hosea was a prophet of the one true God, my God, the God of Moses and Israel, whose…
YES. Some are. Let’s discuss taxes, penalties, and interest that are not dischargeable in a Chapter 13 filing. The Chief Counsel of the IRS examined which tax claims are nondischargeable in Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases filed on or after Oct. 17, 2005 (the effective date of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of…
The story of a Saudi Princess and her 5 maids THE Los Angeles Times, NBC, CNN and other major news outlets report that on July 10, a woman identified as a Saudi princess, was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and keeping slaves in her home in Orange County. Meshael Alayban, 42, reported to be one…
STILL dealing with the burden of owning a house that is underwater at this stage of the late stage mortgage meltdown we had has got to be much more frustrating than ever. It’s almost like you are the only once left hanging by a string and everyone else has escape tragedy or has gotten bailed…
CERRITOS – On Monday, July 8, The Cerritos City Council appointed Tatiana Yokoyama to the city’s five-member planning commission. The city council unanimously voted in favor to appoint Yokoyama, a long-time Cerritos resident, to a two-year term on the commission. Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Pulido nominated Yokoyama to the position. “She represents the next generation of…
SAN DIEGO – San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, a long-time champion of Filipino American World War II veterans, on Thursday issued an apology to the residents of San Diego for his behavior after being accused of sexually harassing employees. “I have diminished the office to which you elected me,” said Filner in a DVD given…
ICE still determining if 4 Pinoys are human trafficking victims ORANGE COUNTY – Four Filipino domestic servants were found in the home of a Saudi Arabian princess, who is accused of human trafficking a Kenyan woman into the United States, according to authorities. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas on Wednesday charged Meshael Alayban, 42,…
Fritz Friedman appointed to Cal Humanities Board SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on July 11 announced the following appointments. Cynthia Cotharn, 56, of Playa Vista, has been appointed to the Cal Humanities Board. Cotharn has been a private physician since 2002. She was a medical director in the Substance Abuse Division at the Watts…
PALO ALTO – New America Media recently held a Journalism Fellowship Program in Palliative Care at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. The goal of the program is to educate journalists in the emerging medical field of Palliative Care so that in turn, journalists can educate their readers and viewers. According to experts at the…
There is no correct or incorrect answer to that question—only an honest or dishonest one. Yet it is susceptible to a glib answer, just the way Atty. Jojo Reyes handled it during the presentation of the Binibining Pilipinas candidates at the Porsche. Because you can’t deny it’s reality, it is about values, beliefs, love, money,…
Movie: “Trafficker.” Location: Mother Ignacia, Quezon City. Director: Roland Sanchez. Scene one. Sequence. Take one. Exterior shot. Day effect. Street scene. Along a congested neighborhood the street surprisingly looks deserted in broad daylight. Clapper enters frame. Assistant director calls “Quiet!” Director yells “Action!” A slow moving car suddenly stops. The driver, after checking for people…
Movie: “Trafficker.” Location: Mother Ignacia, Quezon City. Director: Roland Sanchez. Scene one. Sequence. Take one. Exterior shot. Day effect. Street scene. Along a congested neighborhood the street surprisingly looks deserted in broad daylight. Clapper enters frame. Assistant director calls “Quiet!” Director yells “Action!” A slow moving car suddenly stops. The driver, after checking for people…
Marriage fraud is a serious immigration violation with lasting consequences. An I-130 immigrant petition based on a fraudulent marriage would be denied. Additionally, under INA 204(c), no petition shall be approved if (1) the alien has been accorded, or has sought to be accorded, immediate relative status as the spouse of a U.S. citizen (USC)…
Question: I have been a victim of crime and also my friend was basically a slave for her employer. What can we do? Answer: There are different types of visas for these matters. Basically, the U, T and VAWA petitions. In March 2013 Congress enacted several changes to the William Wilberforce Violence Against Women Act…
AND just when you thought that the controversy about of the Barretto family has died down (a bit), a new one will surely come out. True enough, just recently, actress Claudine Barretto confirmed and her husband, actor Raymart Santiago has left their home. In an interview with GMA-7 last July 8 during the post-birthday celebration…
The August 2013 priority dates have phenomenal news for spouses and minor children of green cardholders (Category F – 2A). That is because the priority date is CURRENT! 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,…
In previous columns, I have discussed the controversy about the health effects of coconut oil which has been going on for decades. The question still remains: Is coconut oil ingestion beneficial or harmful to our body? The Philippines is the world’s largest exporter of coconut oil, accounting for 7 pecent of its total export income….
Almost immediately after the US Supreme Court declared the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, both Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, pledged their full support in providing same – sex couples the very same immigration benefits available to opposite – sex couples. Sec. Kerry, whose department oversees embassies…
THE Philippine economy is on the upswing and the numbers say it all. In the first three months, the country’s economy expanded by 7.8 percent, exceeding market expectations to become Asia’s fastest growing economy. The vibrant tourism industry and real estate market; and the Aquino administration’s pursuit of “Daang Matuwid” have all contributed to this…
