IN the spate of news filled with violence and other unwanted events, a little bit of the good comes to us. The Philippines was recently awarded by FIBA, the official governing body of basketball in the world, the right to host the 27th FIBA Asia Championship from August 1 to 11 this year. A basketball…
Next week, we will celebrate Martin Luther King Day and Dr. King’s extraordinary contributions to the civil and economic rights of more than 120 million people of color in the United States. During this week recognizing civil rights, President Obama will celebrate his second inauguration and address the nation on its future. In examining the…
IN travel and leisure, it seems that politics are set aside. Contrary to its implications, the escalating conflict in the ongoing territorial dispute over the Spratlys does not interfere with travel plans of Chinese tourists to the Philippines. On January 9, China’s Oriental Morning Post hailed the Philippines as one of the “Best Tourist Destination for 2012.”…
AFTER the announcement of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Nepolitano on a new ruling (which will give immediate family members of US citizens unlawfully staying in the United States provisional waivers so they can continue to live in the US while awaiting their green card), we have seen spikes of advertisements in both traditional…
ON Friday, August 3, 2012 the USCIS issued new guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to clarify the rules and requirements for “Childhood Arrivals” to the US who may benefit under the “DREAM ACT” Deferred Action Status (DAS) initiative announced on June 15, 2012. There are an estimated 1,000,000 people living in the US who…
A CLIENT of mine said he never saw it coming. Everything he ever wanted in life, he always purchased on credit. The “pre-approved” credit cards just kept coming in the mail and he never said NO to any of them. Buy now and pay later, why not? As long as they allow you to pay…
The details of the DHS Final Rule on Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility for Certain Immediate Relatives, which was published on January 3, 2013 and which take effect on March 4, 2013, are by now familiar. Immediate relatives of US Citizens (USC) applying for immigrant visas abroad but are inadmissible based on their unlawful…
THE common belief is that signing an agreement binds an employee to all the terms in the document. But what if the agreement is illegal or a violation of public policy? Do employees have remedies? Consider the following question: Q: We work for a service-oriented company, which made us sign an “independent contractor agreement.” As…
NEW Income Tax and Sales Tax Laws Income tax California’s maximum income tax rate increases from 9.3% to 12.3% for taxpayers with taxable income of more than $250,000. The rate increases even more for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $1 million to 13.3% after adding a recent 1% mental health surcharge. Higher…
I SERIOUSLY thought that our short sale days are really numbered, but base on what analyst and realtors are saying this year we would be flooded with short sale. I still don’t see it but that might be a good thing, it will signal the end to problem loans and borrowers. Once the market and…
LAST month, President Aquino was quoted in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) anniversary as saying that the “rusty” days of Philippine warships were over. Because of the “overflowing trust” that the Filipinos have in the local troops, the president said that modern warships will be acquired and deployed this year to better ensure…
THE debate continues following the massacre of 20 first graders and six adults in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut — the tipping point after many other deadly shootings in America in the past few years. In the wake of this tragedy, Gallup Poll conducted a survey (from December 19-22, 2012), finding 58 percent…
DEFALCATION is an act of misappropriating funds that were entrusted to a person. The person who is entrusted with the funds is called the fiduciary. For instance, your friend wins $2.0 million in the lottery. He gives you the money and asks you to manage the money for him for one year. You give him…
THEY say if you’re a jack-of-all-trades, you’re a master of none. But Fil-Am Rafael Kayanan is definitely one to dispute that belief. The youthful-looking, 50-year-old Kayanan is a master of everything he does. He’s a renowned comic book illustrator, a master-level Filipino martial artist, Hollywood fight choreographer, and concept designer for Broadway. Most recently, he…
ALTHOUGH my father’s death was inevitable and imminent because of hospice care, it still has been a very difficult and depressing time for us, his children. It’s true what many people say: “You’ll never be completely prepared for a death of a loved one.” For two years, my father had suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary…
The Filipinos as Roman Catholic devotees are known to be overly zealous and extremely fanatic. They believe that their intentions will be eventually be answered and rewarded. Being a nation with a predominantly Roman Catholic population, the Philippines is consistently regarded as a very religious nation, the only one in the Far East and the…
The Filipinos as Roman Catholic devotees are known to be overly zealous and extremely fanatic. They believe that their intentions will be eventually be answered and rewarded. Being a nation with a predominantly Roman Catholic population, the Philippines is consistently regarded as a very religious nation, the only one in the Far East and the…
THERE are two oral fashions causing concern for dentists these days: The prevalence of oral piercing, and the application of dental “grills.” Oral piercing, because of the millions of bacteria in the mouth, brings a high risk of pain, swelling and infection. Piercing the tongue can lead to uncontrollable bleeding, nerve damage, and even enough…
As we welcome the birth sesquicentennial of Andres Bonifacio, we will honor a man whose place in our shrine of heroes can come close to that of Jose Rizal (who celebrated his 150th last year). The Supremo of theKataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) is alive and well in our consciousness. He is that figure…
ON Saturday, I wrote about the new ruling announced by the Obama Administration last January 2, which reduces the time US citizens are separated from their undocumented, overstaying, or what we Pinoys broadly refer to as TnT (Tago ng Tago) immediate relatives (spouse, children and parents) who are in the process of obtaining visas to become lawful…
THE Philippines, which celebrates one of the world’s most raucous and dangerous New Year, welcomed 2013 with a bang – literally. Beginning January 1, a series of gun-related incidents has disrupted the New Year revelry. The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported at least 40 indiscriminate firing cases during the celebration. The highly publicized death of…
QUESTION: I have heard that the regulations for the Stateside Waiver are final. Is that true? Answer: Well, first you musty realize that an applicant for an immigrant visa, adjustment of status, or a K or V nonimmigrant visa who is inadmissible under any provision of section 212(a) of the Act for which a waiver…
LOOKING at the new iPad she received last Christmas, a young woman noted that it was “Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China.” She asked what this meant, was the iPad made in the USA or not? In recent years, there has been the common lament that nothing is Made in USA anymore. There…
A PROPOSED change in the process of obtaining an I-601 waiver was recently entered in the federal registry and people will be allowed to apply for this provisional waiver beginning March 4, 2013. This change could potentially benefit millions of people and eliminate the risk in seeking the waiver. A 601 waiver may be required…
THE mortgage industry can relax now with the final fiscal cliff deal bringing back a popular tax break on mortgage insurance premiums and debt forgiveness for borrowers who go through a short-sale or some other type of debt reduction. It was on the tip off the house committee voting to amend but the final hours,…
THE start of new year has brought forth a new reason for kababayans to look forward to 2013 with a renewed sense of optimism in their seemingly elusive dream of being able to live with their family in America without fear of being prosecuted and deported. On January 2, the Obama administration announced a new immigration rule…
FR. JAMES Reuter, SJ may not have been Filipino by blood, but he was definitely Pinoy in heart and mind. The revered and beloved 96-year-old American priest (who was also known for being an academic, singer, athlete, artist and political activist) passed away on December 31 from lung and heart failure. The entire nation mourned over his…
IN California, the equity in your homestead (your residence) is exempt up to a certain amount, depending on your circumstances. For instance, if you are at least 65 years old, you can exempt $175,000 of equity in your residence. So, if your house has a current fair market value of $300,000 and you have a…
The New Year ushers limitless possibilities and enormous amounts of positivity that are made even prosperous by the advent of the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival on Sunday, February 10. Based on the Chinese Astrological Calendar, people whose lucky element is water will obtain fortune and good life since this year falls in the…
The economic crisis and changes in immigration legislation has made it more difficult to pursue certain traditional paths to obtaining permanent residency in the United States. Employment based immigration has been affected by long wait time in priority under the EB3 category. H1-b visas has been affected by is a viable option if the immigrant…
