SCHEDULE J of the bankruptcy petition shows the actual monthly expenses of the debtor. This is different from the means test which specifies the allowable deductions of debtor using IRS guidelines to determine if there is a presumption of abuse. What is a reasonable rent expense for a single person who files for bankruptcy? According…
JESUS, can we drink the cup that you drink or be baptized with the baptism with which you are baptized? Can we really do this? Can we accept failures? Can we accept imperfections in people, in church, in government, in business? Can we forgive and understand those who annoy us, who do not share our…
Question: My auntie petitioned my mother when I was 3 years old. However, the visa process is so slow that it took 22 years for the visa number to become current. I was over 21 when my mother got her Green Card and the U.S. Embassy said that I aged out and could not come….
I frankly think that the protests and demonstrations over the Cybercrime Prevention Act are an overreaction. In the first place, the Philippine justice system has never been famous for enforcing the law or getting a conviction. In the second place, there are a number of ways to beat the libel rap. Back in the days…
Sharing common hopes of a progressive country, more migrant Filipinos abroad are expressing their interests in participating in the coming 2013 elections. Although enthusiastic about casting their votes, Filipinos overseas believe that there are changes that still need to be done especially in the existing Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003 (RA 9189 . With…
Recently, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that, under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), children who “aged–out” from under their parent’s petition, may retain/recycle/reuse their parent’s priority date, such that the child does not need to go to the “back of the line,” and wait several additional years before being able to join…
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….
CHAPTER 13 debtors are able to “strip” junior liens on their residences if there is no equity supporting the lien. To illustrate, debtor owes $100,000 of credit card debt, owns a house that he thinks is valued at $400,000. He has a home equity line of credit of $200,000. The balance of the first mortgage…
LAST month, the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit last week joined the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit and reversed its previous decision in De Osorio et. al v. Holder (De Osorio I), which had held that an “aged out” derivative beneficiary of a family or employment-based petition for immigrant status…
A SAINT may come in different shapes, forms and religion. “I would like to hope that after his canonization, Saint Pedro Calungsod would become not only an exemplary role model for our youth but also the patron saint of all Filipino migrants,” Philippine Vice President Binay said before leaving for Europe to represent President Benigno…
The hero as a part of the human race portrays the ideals and excellence that man strives to reach. It is the society that defines the hero, and (s)he gives back by leaving behind a legacy that will be passed on through generations. They come and go in the different stages of our history to…
IF YOU have serious debt problems, you may feel depressed and alone. It may seem like the end of the world. Your self-esteem may have suffered. You may feel angry, depressed, guilty- or a combination of all three. You may consider yourself a failure, perhaps feeling angry with yourself for certain decisions you have made…
IN 2006, Filipino nurses at the Delano Regional Medical Center in Delano, California were called to a meeting and told they were not allowed to use their native language at “any time in the hospital.” During the meeting, the hospital’s former chief executive said he would install surveillance cameras in nursing stations, and that whoever…
In Santa Clara County, California, in between San Jose and Fremont lies Milpitas, a city rich in diversity. Since the 2000 census and again confirmed in the 2010 census, Asians have dominated the majority of Milpitas’ population, with Filipinos being the largest Asian group. At the helm of this thriving, bustling city is a Filipino,…
I TOLD you I would always keep my eyes and ears widely observant for potential homeowners getting any kind of mortgage debt balance reduction. I also mentioned that I felt that initially the banks would not reduce loan balances but maybe would ease up towards the later part of the problem. Well, I finally got…
WHILE IRS audits decreased from the mid-90s, the Service reorganized, retrenched, and retrained its personnel during years of inactivity. They are back. I have personally handled more audit defense cases in the last year than in the previous five years. This new activity has been dominated by audits of Schedule C for taxpayers who conduct…
PARTS of the joy of my recently concluded Holy Land Pilgrimage were the company of two young brothers in their 20s and my conversations with them. Often after supper, we would still spend long hours together, talking and sharing deep thoughts about life and faith with one another. One night, the older one asked me,…
YES, under certain humanitarian exceptions, an inadmissible arriving alien can be granted parole by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), even though the Immigration Judge is precluded by the DHS regulations from considering release on bond for arriving aliens. Indeed, if an arriving alien is inadmissible…
IT is a clear day in Angono. The streets are filled with bystanders-residents and non-residents alike-who are eagerly waiting for the presence of something big. Looking above, the view of the sky is adorned by an assemblage of colorful banderitas. The sun slips in a little of its light upon these strips of color and…
(Part 1) Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: I am single and under petition. I have a common-law spouse, whom I would like to marry, but I am receiving conflicting advice and information about whether it’s OK to marry, and the effect that marriage would have on my petition. When would marriage affect the validity of a person’s…
The recent catastrophic devastation of hurricane Sandy and the down-the-drain aftermath that emotionally impacted and economically ravaged even the strongest of heart were all but parts of life’s never-ending challenges and Sisyphean trials. We just have to admit that being born on earth means we should enjoy what life has to offer and suffer the…
Anyone who has ever been a bride, a bridesmaid, mother of the bride, a debutante, or someone who has dolled up for a special occasion, shares an unguarded secret about getting ready for a major event: It pays to hire a professional hair and make-up stylist! Virtually, every bride can benefit from having their make-up…
It was a seeming reflexive reaction the moment news about Lorli Villanueva’s concert at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in New York reached her fans and even those who were merely curious about what she would actually show. Lorli, a proud recipient of a Best Supporting Actress award during the 1972 Manila Film…
It is that time of the year again, when filmmakers and film-lovers from around the globe converge in New York City to attend the much-awaited Tribeca Film Festival. This year is promising to Filipino and Filipino-American film-makers and performers as there are various films that feature (or were megged by) them. On top of that…
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), commonly known as arthritis, which causes the usual aches and pains in the various joints in the body, especially among the elderly, affected about 47.8 million people in the United States in 2005. It is projected to rise to 67 million by 2030. RA is also found among those who are between…
PREGNANCY and its related hormonal changes exaggerate the effects from plaque irritants. And as you know, the acids in plaque can lead to tooth decay, gum tissue inflammation and, if neglected, eventual tooth loss. A healthy diet, daily tooth brushing and flossing, and a continued – even increased – schedule of regular dental hygiene visits…
Until about the latter part of 2004 vitamin E, a fat soluble vitamin was a most popular anti-oxidant that was believed to protect the body from harmful unstable substances known as free radicals. People were popping vitamin E gel caps with gusto in the past, hoping to slow down aging, prevent dementia, heart and liver…
REALIZING that it is outmatched militarily with China, the US has responded to the country’s call for a defense modernization program and has agreed to help equip and train its military. By Western standards, the Philippines’ military capability has yet to prove itself. An example is its lack of sufficient transport aircraft capable of supporting…
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…
THE first day of filing for Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) may have been rambunctious enough for COMELEC Chairman Sixto Brillantes to deem it “a circus.” Yet, it pales in comparison to the decibels raised (and are still being raised) by outraged netizens over some controversial provisions in the enacted…
