Halfway there

TODAY, I celebrate a milestone in my blessed life. I am halfway there… I took off from work for a long personal weekend to map out where I had been, where I am now, and where I am going in the next course. As we do our usual daily grind in life, we only know…

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Growth spurt

WHILE Europe continues to struggle with an economic crisis and the Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives are still locking horns over what to do with the looming “fiscal cliff,” the Philippines is experiencing a sunnier side in the economic scene. The country is currently the best performing nation in Southeast Asia, exceeding…

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Advent: A yearning for solitude and peace

THERE are times when I need to be alone and to be quiet, away from the noises and the busyness of life. There are times when I prefer to stay away from public occasions, when I would rather be anonymous. During these times, I would close my room, sit comfortably on a chair to mediate,…

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The Hawaiian Punch’s kick is still there

With the days leading up to Pacquiao-Marquez IV ( and hopefully this will resoundingly end) the boxing world saw another classy fight courtesy of Filipino-American and World Boxing Organization flyweight champ Brian “the Hawaiian Punch” Viloria who scored a convincing victory via technical knockout over Mexico’s Hernan “Tyson” Martinez. Viloria’s feat was a rare one…

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Human rights in PH: An appraisal

On the third anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre on November 23rd, we might as well remember all those who perished in the Philippines, as the continued human rights violations goes on unabated. Five months ago, on May 29 this year, the Philippine government’s human rights record came under scrutiny by member states of the United…

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Open for business

THE Philippines was ranked 87 out of 141 countries, in Forbes’ annual look at the Best Countries for Business. With a 3.7 percent GDP growth and inflation rate of 4.8 percent, the country maintained its position from last year and remained at the bottom half of the list. The country outranked China and India, but…

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Where’s my second mortgage debt forgiveness?

FOR about 150,000 homeowners with a second mortgage held by Bank of America, it seemed too good to be true.  In the last couple of months, a lot of my clients received letters in the mail saying that their second mortgage is being automatically forgiven and wiped out.  And they don’t even have to do…

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Are you being paid for all your 'work time?'

EMPLOYEES who are “on the clock” know that the employer must pay for work performed during this time. However, there are situations where it is not quite clear whether a work-related activity performed by an employee outside the regular 8-hour framework would still be compensable. The most important rule to remember is this: Time spent…

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Emo

ACCORDING to a report from Bloomberg Businessweek, a Gallup poll revealed that the Philippines is the “most emotional” nation in the world. The survey was conducted  in 152 countries, with the Philippines ranking 151st among the least emotional nations — conversely making us the”most emotional” country among the lot. Social media was replete with mixed feedback…

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How long must records be kept?

HOW long should you retain records? I have some clients who throw away everything instantly. Can’t stand records. I also have clients who keep records forever. Rat packs. There must be some balance in between. Unfortunately, there is limited guidance from the IRS. Fortunately, there are relevant statutes of limitation – the period when you…

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Enjoy Thanksgiving Day Breakfast Buffet at Goldilocks

Get a head start on Thanksgiving Day festivities by treating your family and guests to Goldilocks’ special Thanksgiving Day Breakfast Buffet on Thursday, November 22, 2012 from 8-11am. The sumptuous All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast Buffet on Thanksgiving Day features favorite Filipino breakfast items such as Tapa, Tocino, Chicken Adobo, Meat or Fish Longganisa, Daing na Bangus, Dilis,…

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Travelogues: Sagada

It’s just hard to imagine that this place was once submerged in water. Rocks that were once in the abyss of the ocean seemed to have risen as the waters disappeared; a mountain is born. This lovely place located in Mountain Province-Sagada-now exhales, after a billion years, cool and crisp air to visitors who come…

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Smoking damages DNA instantly

For cigarette smokers and those who may be tempted to start, here’s a bit of truly disturbing new information from the American Chemical Society. New research revealed that tobacco smoke causes genetic damage within minutes of inhalation of cigarette smoke, not years. The adverse effects are almost instantaneous as the smoke gets into the lungs….

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Oktoberfest and significant October bashes

The month of October greets us with tons of excitement and brings us weeks loaded with grandiosely conceptualized events and pompously celebrated occasions that literally filled up our calendar, aside of course, from enjoying the globally celebrated Oktoberfest which originated in Germany. Oktoberfest was established in 1810 with the marriage of King Ludwig I of…

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Gifts from Mother Nature

“The juveniles are fun to watch. The young males enjoy sparring, often in the shallow rocky areas off shore. That play, characteristic of male mammals of many species, humans included, is pretty clearly fun and, certainly in the case of elephant seals, it serves to prepare them for the dominance battles as adults.  Seals in…

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Community-builder of Happy Pinoys

SOME people are content being average.  There are also those who want to make a difference in the world they live in; who want to make their lives count —  they are people who are committed to serve others through their talents and abilities. Such is Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, who has made it his…

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Pre-filing transfer of house to son fraudulent

LET’S assume that you lost your job and are no longer able to make the mortgage payments on your house, so you quitclaim the house to your son who takes over the mortgage payments. Your house has equity of $70,000. Next week, you decide to file for Chapter 7 relief because you owe $50,000 of…

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What sets us apart?

CORA Oriel, the publisher of Asian Journal, shared with me an amazing story from New York Times regarding a devastation of recent Hurricane Sandy. This happened in Breezy Point in the New York City borough of Queens. One hundred homes in this wealthy neighborhood that sits near the Atlantic Ocean burned to the ground. One of them is…

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Music: A universal fund raising source

Hurricane Sandy’s massive destruction last October 29 left a disheartening aftermath of numerous residential houses mercilessly splintered like matchsticks in unimaginable proportions. To date, there are still growing numbers of displaced families. Since then, countless disaster relief operations have been launched and millions of funds were released to benefit the mounting number of flood victims…

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Music: A universal fund raising source

Hurricane Sandy’s massive destruction last October 29 left a disheartening aftermath of numerous residential houses mercilessly splintered like matchsticks in unimaginable proportions. To date, there are still growing numbers of displaced families. Since then, countless disaster relief operations have been launched and millions of funds were released to benefit the mounting number of flood victims…

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