IS NOYNOY Aquino the Moses of the Philippines, leading our country to the Promised Land? Not by any measure of Charleton Heston’s walking stick. For sure, Aquino has repeatedly declared that he is intent on trekking the Straight Path towards institutional reforms. And there are indications that he is determined to do so. But the…
YES, it’s that time of year again: The H-1B visa quota (H-1B “cap”) for FY 2014 will finally open up on April 1, 2013, making 65,000 new H-1B visa numbers available for new employment beginning on October 1, 2013 as well as an additional 20,000 H-1Bs for persons who have attained a Master’s Degree or…
EVERY year, millions of Pinoys go to great and in some cases, drastic lengths to work abroad, in order to pursue better lives for themselves and their families. Many overseas Filipino workers (OFW) are often compelled to work despite unfair and harsh working conditions — enduring long hours, low pay and human rights abuses. We’ve…
DO YOU wish to support the cause of our kababayans, who will benefit from the passage of a true comprehensive immigration reform? Do you email? Are you on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms? Then, there is something you can do. As we reported on The Filipino Channel’s Balitang America last Monday, high-tech leaders…
LIKE most people, you’ve worked hard and have done your best to pay all your bills on time. But in life, at one time or another, all of us get into a situation where debt can be overwhelming. Money problems can easily overlap into other areas of our lives. Many people feel hopeless and powerless…
If you listen to the news these days, you get the impression that immigration reform is inevitable. Never mind that it also felt this way in 2007 before the immigration deal collapsed. If you’re excited about these recent developments, try to understand the forces that propel and resist reform and you’ll know whether there will…
IN response to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) inquiry on the $5-million reimbursement check released to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the United Nations (UN) has denied releasing such a payment. The inquiry was requested by the House of Representatives to the DFA, following the revelations made by former government auditor Heidi…
FILIPINOS support other Filipinos. However, sometimes, that could be a bad thing. Just ask Rob Bautista Villeza, who is an Assistant United States Attorney for the Office of the United States Attorney for the Central District of California. Early in his career, Villeza recalls that being Filipino actually hurt him, in a case he was…
FILIPINOS support other Filipinos. However, sometimes, that could be a bad thing. Just ask Rob Bautista Villeza, who is an Assistant United States Attorney for the Office of the United States Attorney for the Central District of California. Early in his career, Villeza recalls that being Filipino actually hurt him, in a case he was…
Part of the weekly excitement of LA Weekend Asian Journal is to record events that matter in pictures and words: its pleasure, joys, even the little crises. Pictures matter because they mirror the Fil-Am communities temper and taste, their stature and their fundamental pursuit of excellence. We are enriched or diminished, informed or influenced by decisions we…
MING Qu and Ying Wu were from China and enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC) to study electronic engineering. They were fatally shot while sitting in a parked BMW on Raymond Avenue, less than a mile from campus. Police say the students were killed during a robbery. The students’ parents filed a wrongful…
THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER RELIEF ACT OF 2012 Tax breaks for education expenses American Opportunity Higher Education Tax Credit extended The American Opportunity Credit, which can be worth up to $2,500 and can be claimed for up to four years of undergraduate education, was extended by the Act through 2017. College tuition deduction extended -This write-off,…
For 12-year-old Jervin Barcenas, getting on an airplane is one thing. However, being able to fly one is an entirely different story. A student of Saint Anne Catholic School in Santa Monica, CA, Jervin was always interested in aircrafts from his very first plane ride to Manila aboard the Philippine Airlines. Jervin became more interested in…
LOS ANGELES – Filipino-American motivational speaker Jessica Cox Chamberlain will be bringing her unique inspirational message, “think outside the shoe” to Africa in April. The 32-year-old Cox, who was born with no arms because of a rare birth defect, is visiting Ethiopia as part of Handicap International’s efforts to foster inclusion of children with disabilities…
What are my options? AS I have mentioned on my previous columns before that if you are in a position where your property value is much lower than your current mortgage balance (underwater value) you will need to ride out this very scary real waves for the next 3-5 years before you see any real…
IN PREVIOUS editions of this article, the process of obtaining permanent residence through marriage was explored. Discussion of that procedure began with the supposition that the couple was married, and continued with the various steps to ultimately gain permanent residence. In many cases, however, a problem exists in even getting to the point at which…
ON MONDAY, the Philippines will be commemorating the 27th anniversary of EDSA 1 — The 1986 People Power Revolution which freed us from the clutches of a tyrannical ruler. To mark the momentous occasion, President Benigno Aquino III will likely sign a landmark bill that would provide just compensation to thousands of human rights victims…
CALIFORNIA is home to the biggest number of Filipinos in America. It is also the biggest state in the nation in terms of population. According to the new findings released by the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice based on the 2010 US Census, Filipinos have now become the largest Asian American group in California….
IF YOU look at a boat, a camper, a trailer and a tractor separately and as individual items they may not be considered as badges of a luxurious lifestyle. But if the debtor who has filed for Chapter 7 relief intends to keep all of them, even if all of them are used as collateral…
AMOUR (French for “love”) is an Oscar contender for best foreign film that you would want to watch if you’re looking for a dramatic movie that confronts one’s humanity to its deepest core with regards to sickness, old age, and death. It is a brutally realistic, torturing, and depressing film, a yet so extraordinarily and brilliantly…
LOS ANGELES – With the March 5 primary nominating elections fast approaching, Los Angeles City Clerk June Lagmay and LA Chief of Elections Jacob Wexler spoke before members of the media at the Piper Technical Center in Downtown LA on Feb. 14 to talk about the preparations being made and further information on election…
Fructose corn syrup is sugar from corn or corn sugar. This is processed sweetener. Anything processed food item is unhealthy. This ingredient is found in hundreds of food items on the market, including baby formula and baby food. Why are manufacturers using fructose corn syrup? Although HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) has been deemed unhealthy…
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…
Manila, the city’s capital, explodes with the dynamism of a mega-city. She is home to our heritage and our past. Jeepneys, tricycles, and trains run through her street-veins. With the millions of souls squeezing to make a living here, it can get tiring at times. But Manila, the ever-generous city of our affections, provides her…
I admire a contented mind — one that reveres enlightenment of simple things. Yet, in quiet meditation, the one emotion that’s hardest to fight against is a longing for all things past. The moon prods, as one spends nights wondering alone or with someone, viewing the moon, from a sick bed. The surprise splendor of…
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said on Monday that of the few remaining Fortune 500 companies in LA, Wells Fargo Bank is one of the remarkable firms, in terms of their commitment to community development efforts for the city. “They’ve been a generous partner of the City of Los Angeles…
LOS ANGELES – Pro-immigration advocates are hopeful that the government will pass a comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) legislation by August, giving relief to the more than 11 million undocumented individuals in the United States. During a New America Media national telebriefing: Tracking Immigration Reform in 2013 on Thursday, proponents of CIR believe this is the…
IN THE wake of an announcement late last month that a Bipartisan “Gang of Eight” Senators has put for a blueprint for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR), a leaked internal Whitehouse memorandum outlining the President’s vision for Immigration reform sparked much controversy over the President’s Day Weekend. When news of the leak surfaced, President Barack Obama’s…
Comparison is a death knell to sibling harmony. – Elizabeth Fishel (Part 2) I WILL conclude my article related to sibling rivalry. Behavioural research have shown that emotion-based sibling rivalry is the struggle to gain attention and love from parents that was missing during childhood. The adult child’s actions and behaviors are directed toward gaining…
DON’T fight fire with fire. China, through its embassy, recently rejected the Philippine government’s “Notifcation and Statement of Claim” before the UN’s arbitration tribunal. The letter, which was handed out by Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario last month to Philippine Embassies and Consulates abroad, urges China to desist from unlawful activities that violate the…
