IN THE wake of the senseless bombing at the Boston Marathon, the Bipartisan “Gang of Eight” introduced The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, S.744, in the US Senate. The measure, which had been in the works for many weeks, was brought forward and Congressional hearings continue, notwithstanding opponents’ attempts to use the…
It is the art of entertaining oneself with the brains of other men. I dedicate a considerable portion of my time with other people — reading their thoughts and their hearts, dreaming away my life in others’ speculations, as I lose myself in another man’s mind. When I cannot think, books think for me. I…
IN OUR Roman Catholic Church tradition, viaticum (Eucharist) is the giving of communion to a person who is dying as part of the last rites. This practice assures the dying person that instead of dying alone he or she dies with Christ who promises him or her eternal life. Thus, as the dying person receives…
LOS ANGELES – The Overseas Voting for the May 13, 2013 elections will run from April 13 at 9am Los Angeles time to May 13, 2013 at 4am Los Angeles time. Generally, the ballot will be mailed to the registered address of the Overseas Voter (OV). Kindly accomplish the ballot by following the enclosed instructions…
LOS ANGELES – Immigration advocates and leaders are urging members of the community (who have family or will possibly benefit from the proposed comprehensive immigration reform bill) to start preparing documents and saving money, to file the necessary paperwork. They also advised that the community be cautious of “unscrupulous” groups or people who may ask…
LOS ANGELES – When the so-called ‘Gang of Eight’ Senators unveiled their proposed immigration reform bill, mainstream media and netizens were abuzz with reactions and statements. A host of immigration advocates, policymakers and think tanks gave their feedback on its provisions. While some of these groups are still in the process of doing a thorough…
To clear citizenship backlog but would eliminate family-based petitions for siblings and married children above 31 LOS ANGELES – Filipino immigration leaders say that nearly one million Filipinos (perhaps even more) will benefit from the proposed bi-partisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that was introduced by US senators (known as The Gang of Eight) on Tuesday….
The recent weekend has given us the chance to socialize and take time out from the monotonous grind of daily living with three events to attend: the PIDCI Grand Marshal Gala, NAFA’s Grand Coronation and recognition ceremonies, and jeweler-community leader Virgie Mayo’s birthday bash. PIDCI grand marshal gala If the heavy turnout of attendees was…
MANY clients tell me that they cannot sleep and suffering much because their creditors are hounding them day and night. The IRS has garnished their wages. They are being sued and their bank accounts levied upon. If you are in this situation, think of the sufferings that Job went through. Who is Job? He was…
LET’S enjoy some of Murphy’s Laws as we recover from tax season stress. Law of the alibi If you tell the boss you were late for work because of a flat tire, you will have a flat tire the very next morning. Law of the bath The probability of your telephone ringing is directly proportional…
ELDER abuse is the neglect, exploitation or “painful or harmful” mistreatment of anyone who is 65 years or older or any disabled dependent adult aged 18 to 64. It may take the form of physical violence, psychological abuse, isolation or neglect by a caregiver. It may also involve financial abuse such as identity theft, or…
THAT is an excellent question, ever since the mortgage meltdown occurred and I started getting calls from distressed homeowners. I have always insisted for homeowners to see beyond 2-3 years but go deeper into about 5-8 years from the time of hardship. Why? Because when your property values drops 40-60% it won’t be a quick…
POLL after poll following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting (where 20 innocent first graders and six adults were massacred by a deranged young man) showed that 90 percent of Americans agree that Congress should pass stricter gun control laws, like a universal background check, to help prevent tragedies like this from happening again. President…
Long Beach, California – @China – The 2013 Chinese Food and Culture Festival, hosted by China Central Television (CCTV), California State University Long Beach (CSULB) and International Daily News, will be held at CSULB from April 22 – 25, 2013. The Opening Ceremony, held on April 22, 2013, will include presentations and remarks by CSULB…
WITH all the negative issues and events currently ongoing, both in the Philippines and around the globe, this comes as a refreshing bit of good news. Recently, President Benigno Aquino III (PNoy) emerged as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world for 2013. PNoy ranks second among the world’s 23 most…
NOEL Alumit is always on the way up. Maybe it’s because he’s a Capricorn and was born in the Year of the Ram, he theorizes to Radar Online. “I’m a mountain animal all the way! I look at this as reinforcement that I’m constantly aspiring to new heights,” he said to Radar. Alumit is a…
The recent weekend has given us the chance to socialize and take time out from the monotonous grind of daily living with three events to attend: the PIDCI Grand Marshal Gala, NAFA’s Grand Coronation and recognition ceremonies, and jeweler-community leader Virgie Mayo’s birthday bash. PIDCI grand marshal gala If the heavy turnout of attendees was…
HANDSOME actor John Lloyd Cruz and the beautiful Bea Alonzo were chosen Box-Office King and Queen in this year’s 44th Box-Office Entertainment Awards headed by the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation, Inc. (GMMSFI). This was announced last April 7, during the foundation’s official deliberation at Cabalen Restaurant in Restaurant. It was actually yours truly, who…
HERE are some interesting stats about soft drinks: • The average soft drink serving size has tripled since the 1950s. • The average person drinks about 45 gallons of soda per year. • Seven percent of adults drink four servings or more per day. • At least 20 percent of children drink four servings or…
This year, get ready to celebrate with the rest of the world as Instituto Cervantes brings back the DÍA INTERNACIONAL DEL LIBRO (International Book Day) to the streets of Manila. Celebrated annually by Instituto Cervantes centers all around the globe, DÍA DEL LIBRO has in its roots the centuries-old Catalan traiditon of exchanging books for…
Question: I heard that immigration reform is coming. Is this true? Answer: As a framework for reform, this is closer than we’ve come in years to meaningful change.The Senate “Gang of Eight” for introducing its bipartisan immigration reform proposal, allowing the Senate Judiciary Committee to forge ahead on the “markup” process. A proposal like this…
Consider the common divorce scenario where the divorce judgment provides primary custody of the children to one spouse while the other spouse only gets visitation. The parties begin to file separate tax returns. What are the tax consequences of the non custodial parents with regards to claiming the children in his or her return? A…
The summer heat sears across the metro and the archipelago, reports of the current day being recorded as the hottest of the year gets topped off by an even hotter day that bombards our senses already on the brink. The heat is prevalent, spreading feverish across cities and posing potential hazards and provoking the liberated…
Ramoso elected as new state chair LOS ANGELES – For the first time ever, a majority of seats in the executive board of the California Democratic Party Filipino American Caucus are taken by Fil-Am leaders from Southern California. This is according to newly-elected state chair, Melissa Ramoso. According to Ramoso, this is the first time…
Some of us may be shortening the life of our children without realizing it, unintentionally, unwittingly, all in the name of love, but nonetheless devastating to them when they reach middle age and beyond. “Love not our children to death” is the message in my coffee-table book on disease prevention published in the United States,…
APRIL 15 started out as a day of celebration of Patriots Day in Boston — commemorating the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775. Some 23,000 participants from around the world joined the annual Boston Marathon, while more than 500,000 spectators came to cheer them on. Just two hours after the winners crossed the…
Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning that immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority…
You’d schedule a dental appointment if you have a chronic toothache, probably suspecting a cavity. However, do toothache-free mouths signal cavity-free teeth? Not necessarily, and here’s why. Decayed teeth may or may not cause a toothache, depending on the location and depth of the decay. For example, if the cavity is in the tooth enamel…
The Knights of Columbus, St. Genevieve Council 14772, “2010 California State Best Council” in Panorama City, CA, had conducted the “Blessing of Family Reunion” held in Madonna Hall on April 13, 2013. It was a great success. The St. Genevieve Parish Church and Knights of Columbus conveyed their thanks to all families who attended the…
AS USUAL, my buddies at my favorite watering hole in Adobo City (AKA Daly City) turn to me to explain some of the happenings in the Philippines. Of course, I probably know just a bit more than they do and not much more, but I oblige. This time, they want me to explain the SWS survey on…
