THE princes of the CBCP should be happy with the results of the SWS survey on whether Catholics have thought about leaving the Church. In fact, I’m surprised that only 9.2 percent of respondents “agreed” that the notion has occurred to them. You see, whether on purpose or through plain incompetence, SWS framed the premise…
ON April 15, three people were killed and more than 200 were wounded, when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, allegedly perpetrated by two young immigrant brothers from Russia. The older brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died after a shootout with police early Friday. The younger brother, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was…
THE Philippines is enjoying a steady economic momentum and has been branded as the next Asian tiger economy. Last week, the United Nations Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) said in its latest survey that the local economy is expected to grow by 6.2 percent this year. The currency has been…
LOS ANGELES – Nine Filipino-American authors were given their time in the spotlight on Friday night in an intimate event organized by the Philippine Expressions Bookshop at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) in Los Angeles. Philippine Expressions Bookshop magnate Linda Nietes emphasized the importance of Filipino literature in helping Fil-Am youth in learning…
YOUR debt problems may be undeniable. You know they are there and they will not go away until you do something about them. Perhaps at some point, you took the first step towards a resolution but failed to follow through. This week, I received a frantic call from a woman who found out that her…
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,…
