Jay Valencia would have loved the community tribute organized by his friends at FACLA. It had decorum and dash that were his special style — it was both style and spontaneous. There were children, all his loyal friends, politicians, civic leaders and members of the media. The weather was clear and crisp, as he would’ve…
Q: WORKING in a processing company, I am required to put on a special uniform and undergo sanitary inspections before I can start work. I have to come to work about 15 to 20 minutes early to do this to be able to clock in on time. When my shift is done, I clock out…
ACCORDING to the latest ABC News/Washington Postpoll (the survey was conducted by landline and cellphone from January 30-February 3, 2013, among a random national sample of 1,038 adults), there was a boost in public approval for President Barack Obama’s handling of immigration, brought about by “majority support for a path to citizenship” for the undocumented and…
LIKE most people, you’ve probably had your fair share of financial indiscretions: a few pricey shoes, a car bigger than what you really need, a few frivolous pieces of furniture, and an unused fitness club membership. An occasional splurge doesn’t hurt, but you might have gotten carried away at some point, spending more than you…
LAST Wednesday, I wrote about President Barack Obama’s call for Americans “to keep the pressure on the members of Congress to do the right thing and “support common-sense reforms like requiring universal background checks, or restoring the ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines…to tell them there’s no legislation to eliminate all guns; there’s…
THE advantage of a prenuptial agreement is clear when one of the spouses files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy soon after the marriage. But even in a community property state, money that belongs to each spouse is his or her exclusive property. Therefore, money belonging to the non filing spouse should not be affected by the…
I’VE heard them preach for the first time in class, all nineteen of them who have followed Jesus to be his future priests. They come from varied ages, some in their 20’s and others in their 30’s and 40’s. They also come from different cultures, states, dioceses, and religious orders. There are some who heard…
Question: I have a child that I want to adopt, but do not know the immigration procedures. Can you help? Answer: The US is now a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, 29 May 1993, entered into force Apr. 1, 2008. The Hague Convention applies when both countries are signatories…
If it’s knocked out, the first thing to do is find your tooth and, holding it by the crown, gently rinse off the root of the tooth with clean water. From oral irritations to dental disasters, your dentist is your best source of information on how to best soothe your dental distress. MOUTH SORES. Canker…
The sunlight glistens as it touches the water and the eyes. You can feel that you are heading to a territory where the sun holds its dominion. It is a place where bodies worship and revere the presence of that grand ball despite the physical and cultural differences present. You’ve read all about it before,…
It is the new perspective coming into view in every woman’s major life passage: a mid-life agitation, literal and poignant. First, the gushing, like the reddening of a dying tree as it blazes out in the funeral autumn with a flowing canopy, and now reduced to basics, forced to lie fallow — in an emptiness watered…
DESPITE the ongoing recovery operations on the dismantling of the US Navy minesweeper, USS Guardian (which remains aground at the Tubbataha Reef), Pinoysremain vehement weeks after the incident. The US government reiterated its commitment to pay for the damages caused by the Tubbataha Reef mishap. “In view of damages caused by the USS Guardian accident at…
“ Those persons who have an immigrant visa available to them, but who are ineligible to adjust status in the US, however, must make a difficult decision to leave the US and their loved ones behind to apply for a waiver in conjunction with their immigrant visa application at the US Embassy or Consulate in…
ARE your debt problems putting your family’s welfare at risk? No one ever wants to be in this situation but I see it every day in my work as a bankruptcy attorney. When you are overwhelmed with debt problems, the situation becomes even more challenging when you have a family that you are supporting. Your…
He Attributes His Success To Hardwork, Right Choices, Right Attitude and Pure Luck If there’s one notable restaurant in the Cerritos area that pioneered in the fastfood business, Pinoy Pinay Filipino Fastfood comes to the fore. It was established in mid-1991 on South St. corner Pioneer Blvd. in the upscale City of Cerritos when…
Chances are, most women share the same thoughts on men. I would never say it out loud, but recently, I started making a list of important characteristics I should look for and want in a man. I tried to finish my list, but decided to keep it open so I can edit, add and delete…
Chopin’s music—confided and played from the heart by Maestro Dexter Grey — was like listening to mingled prayers of broken hearts, the revolt of fettered souls, the pain of slavery, the loss of freedom’s ache, the cursing of tyrants, the extended songs of victory. You could hear Paderewski sighing. The castle is beautiful, peerless in…
Why immigrant employees should fight for their rights IN December, just a few days before International Migrants Day, a federal jury ruled that a Los Angeles-based recruitment agency, Universal Placement International (“UPI”), and its owner, Lourdes Navarro, must pay $4.5 million to 350 Filipino teachers who were forced into exploitative employment contracts with UPI. The jurors found…
AS A former Immigration Officer and as a practicing attorney for 14 years, I have been around long enough to know that when a great opportunity presents itself my clients should act immediately. Most of my fellow practitioners will tell you that the last 15 years or so have not been kind to immigrants. Things…
YOU have just received an invitation to the offices of the Internal Revenue Service. They want to examine your return. Don’t panic. All these years, you have stashed funds for a rainy day. This is a rainy day. Compose yourself. Then go to battle. Don’t be over confident though. I am just boosting your morale….
THE verdict is out. On January 28, performance artist and cultural activist Charles P. “Carlos” Celdran was convicted for “offending religious feelings” by Judge Juan Bermejo of the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court’s Branch 4. Celdran was sentenced to a prison term — ranging from 2 months and 21 days, up to 13 months and 11…
GETTING a home mortgage now is a challenge; the gray area qualifying method of lenders and broker back in the mid 2000s’ to help qualify homebuyers has diminished. Therefore the lending have gotten to a point of easily approving or disapproving a borrower based on debt to income ratios, credit, fund reserves, employment history etc. …
CARLOS Celdran was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the crime of “offending religious feelings,” under Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code. This stemmed from a complaint filed against him by the Catholic Church when he staged a protest inside the Manila Cathedral while an ecumenical service (not a mass, as reported by some)…
“WHEN you quit when you experience frustration, and you do not try again, you cannot succeed. But when you try again, and you somehow succeed, you no longer need to quit, you simply continue. When you are clear about your goals, God knows it. [Goals] are for your own good, as well as others, therein…
FOR Father Rey Bersabal, growing as a priest is of vital importance. Bersabal is the pastor of St. John the Baptist in Folsom. Last year, he participated in a new program that provides priest with leadership training called “Good Leaders, Good Shepherds.” The program is designed to help priests be better leaders after the example…
FOR Father Benjamin Escosura Alforque, the Parochial Vicar at St. Catherine of Alexandria in Riverside, California, activism is an important part of his life. Aside from serving God, Alforque is a spokesperson for People’s Rights International Solidarity Movement (PRISM) and president of The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON-US). He’s also a priest of the…
LAST June 2011, Fr. Eurel Manzano, 26, became the youngest priest in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston following his ordination. But Fr. Eurel did not get the “call” early. He originally planned to become a doctor and went to the University of Washington where he studied pre-med. Then, came God’s call to the priesthood and Manzano…
“WE ALL have different gifts. It would be sad, if we [live in a] cookie cutter world. I like to bring the joyfulness that my faith brings – like the joyful presence of my pastor in the Philippines who changed me – to persons that I meet,” Fr. Freddie Chua, 2011. It was an…
“I FIND fulfillment as a priest when I serve and minister to the people, the faithful, whose marriages and status in life before the Church need help. I believe in this ministry of justice, truth, healing and reconciliation, for even though truth might be difficult, it is what it is, that some folks are not…
WHEN Father Jo-Andre Beltran tells you he comes from a religious family, he really does come from a religious family. Beltran, the associate pastor at Notre Dame de Chicago, is the fifth priest among his Beltran relatives not including that several cousins who are also priests but not with the Beltran surname. “Our house was…
