HISTORICALLY, it has long been a natural occurrence in Philippine politics that family members or relatives of a political figure would eventually run for a position in government — more popularly known as “political dynasties.” With the 2013 elections fast approaching, expect the same scenario to unravel, as several prominent (both old and new) politicians…
IN 2008, the California State Controller’s office led a multi-state audit of the practices of 21 national insurance companies, to determine these companies’ compliance with state unclaimed property laws. California’s unclaimed property program generally provides that businesses must send lost or abandoned financial accounts to the State after three years of inactivity in order to…
Back in 1996, when President Ramos signed what was described as a “final peace agreement” with Nur Misuari’s MNLF, I wrote a piece guardedly welcoming the initiative and expressing relief over the possibility of peace in Mindanao. The pact was, concededly, not perfect, and the signatories on both sides had well-founded apprehensions over certain provisions….
ADVANTAGES of home sales for 2013 is that there will be fewer short sales and hopefully more regular listing coming back on the market. Lenders have pulled together finally and decided to streamline the short sale process, meaning they are setting time limits as short as 30 days to get a short sale approval. Now…
THE purpose of spousal support is not defined by the legislature in that its purpose varies according to the facts and circumstances of each case. The facts and circumstances of a particular case may be such which call for no spousal support, or for support for a very limited period of time, with the purpose…
YOU are still upset from losing an IRS audit. You have two choices: pay or fight. If you choose to fight, go to appeals. Let me give you 10 tips on how to prepare for the appeals conference: 1. Request access to your case files. Take a look at any dossier they have on you….
ONE of the greatest American expos that have been showcasing the best of the Philippines is the Philippine Fiesta in America, which is held in New Jersey every year for the past 14 years. Appropriately, the great lady, who was the driving force behind the annual event ,also showcased the best of the Filipino character…
YOU know what a stockbroker is and what he does for a living, right? A stockbroker recommends what stocks to buy and sell to his client, and he makes a commission on each purchase and sale of stock. They make a lot of money doing what they do because they get paid high salaries. But…
WHAT do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked Bartimaeus, the blind man in this Sunday’s Gospel. Wasn’t this the same question he raised to James and John, the sons of Zebedee, in last Sunday’s Gospel when the two brothers asked him for a favor? This seemed to be a recurring behavior of…
AN 18-year old Filipino male was granted lawful permanent resident status on or about June 3, 2010. He has been residing with his parents in Glendale, California, since May 23, 2003. On October 12, 2011, he was arrested by the Glendale Police Department for allegedly possessing a controlled substance, meth, in violation of Health &…
It’s the latest snapshot of the growing burden of student debt and it’s another discouraging one: Two-thirds of the national college class of 2011 finished school with loan debt, and those who borrowed walked off the graduation stage owing on average $26,600 – up about 5 percent from the class before. The latest figures…
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…
The National Asian American Coalition (NAAC) is a nonprofit bi-partisan organization. It is offering its suggestions and advice on the four most crucial California ballot measures (propositions) before the voters on November 6th, 2012. We offer our observations with reservations since we believe the initiative (proposition process), once the hallmark of California’s democratic system, is…
IF this Halloween proves to be too much candy for your children’s teeth, then come join us at Millbrae Smile Center on November 2nd for a Sweet Swap Post-Halloween party and have the opportunity in supporting our troops. At our Sweet Swap event, we’ll be giving children the chance to trade leftover candies for other…
Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when ingested, confer a health benefits. The most common types of microbes used as probiotics are lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria, but some yeasts and bacilli may also provide good physiologic effects. Fermented foods with added active live cultures, like yogurt, soy yogurt, or certain dietary supplements are available…
Jon and Kate own and operate a successful real estate business in California. In addition to owning a beautiful home, they had acquired several homes and apartment buildings which they rented out. In 2008, when the US economy was struggling and the real estate business was sluggish, Jon and Kate decided to take a long…
THE Philippines dodged a bullet when it was spared from a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist. After making a “high-level political commitment” to address deficiencies in its law against money laundering, the country was granted four months to render necessary amendments, with a condition to fast-track implementation of compliance efforts with international regulations, before…
October marks a month’s worth of observing Filipino-American history in the United States. With a population of a million and growing, this is an appropriate action in understanding our deep ties in the land of the free. “Filipino Americans: Making History for 425 Years,” is this year’s theme and activities are lined up to showcase…
CONTRARY to what others may think, the majority of people who file for bankruptcy are honest, hard working people who simply need to get a fresh financial start. Because life is not perfect, there are times when we are so way in over our heads in debt that filing for debt relief becomes unavoidable. Filing…
Q: AS an employee for a service provider company, I am paid an hourly rate and an additional piece rate if I respond to customer calls after hours. I often work more than 8 hours per day and on weekends. I am paid overtime based only on my hourly rate. Since I’m also receiving a…
WHEN the Director of the Census Bureau appointed Ditas Katague to a new national advisory committee, it was just another milestone accomplishment for one of the highest-ranking Filipino-American officials in the United States. Groves appointed the 47-year-old Katague as a member of the new National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations. The purpose…
ON October 18, 2012, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York declared that the Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) was unconstitutional, to the extent the law attempted to ban (or refuse to recognize) same-sex marriages. Although the decision may still be appealed to the US Supreme Court, this could be great news (and…
FROM my article last week, I got a few more homeowners calling about the same scenario, I thought of researching more of how you can research and find out if you can qualify. As part of Bank of America’s ongoing efforts to help customers in need of mortgage assistance, this company is in the process…
Overall, the general view on the outcome of Tuesday’s second presidential debate is that Pres. Obama dominated (to make up for his lackluster performance in the first debate), while Republican presidential candidate Gov. Romney kept his ground. In the CNN/ORC International poll of 457 registered voters, it indicated that Pres. Obama won round 2 of…
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…
