AS I write this article early in the morning of Thursday, the 4th of October, on the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, I remember the strong and honest words of our guide as he welcomed us last night, after two days of visiting the holy sights of Jordan: “Keep in mind always that…
In a recent conference held in Washington, Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima shed some light on what took the Philippine government to achieve its current state, as one of the fastest growing economies in Asia. Owing much to the continuous pursuit of good governance, Purisima confidently said that the Philippines is now on its way…
In June 2011, John Morton, the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a memo on “prosecutorial discretion”, whereby ICE would refrain from going after, or removing\deporting, certain people who did not really pose a risk or threat to the US, even if they were here illegally. This policy applied to people who were…
DHS current policy is to focus its enforcement resources on the removal of individuals who pose a danger to national security or a risk to public safety, including individuals convicted of crimes with particular emphasis on violent criminals, felons, and repeat offenders, DHS will exercise prosecutorial discretion as appropriate to ensure that enforcement resources are…
THE average adult gains one pound (0.45 Kilos) a year. Packing an additional 20 pounds (9 Kilos) a year multiplies the health risks of every one of us. The question is: Can we do anything to prevent this annual weight gain? Harvard physicians have a strategy that goes beyond the popular advise that says “eat…
THE filing of candidacy for the 2013 midterm elections officially began. With 18,053 elective positions at stake, the country (especially its qualified voters) is in the throes of election fever. On a national scale, Filipino voters will declare who to fill the 12 senatorial and 80 party-list representations seats. The local elections involve voters to…
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 cannot…
Another feel-good moment is added to the highlight clips of Philippine Sports with the Azkals winning the Philippine Football Peace Cup crown that was held last September 25 to 27. For football players and fans, it means so much more for it has nearly been a century, 99 years to be exact, since we last…
ARE you being harassed by your creditors day and night due to unpaid bills? If you are, you know that this is a pretty unpleasant experience. You may feel scared, angry or embarrassed about your situation. The prospect of debt relief through bankruptcy may sound appealing to you but you are not quite sure if…
YEARS ago, a parishioner was complaining to me that our church was not doing enough work to alleviate the sufferings of the poor in our neighborhood. Being the new pastor of the parish, I listened attentively to this person and made assurance that we will be organizing outreach ministries to the poor and needy. A…
TODAY, more Filipinos are tightening their belts to sustain themselves not only through the rainy days, but for as long as the prices of commodities continue to rise. Despite the tough economy, however, fewer Pinoys are labeling themselves as “poor,” according to a recent nationwide survey. A non-government social and research institution, the Social Weather…
A FEDERAL jury in Los Angeles recently awarded a former supervisor of the United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) more than $18 million in damages after he was fired for filing a claim for unpaid wages against UPS. It all began when Marlo filed a class action wage-and-hour lawsuit in 2003. However, after years of litigation,…
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…
OBVIOUSLY, the easiest way in stopping the IRS from seizing your property or rights to property is by paying the taxes you owe. In today’s economy, however, it is not surprising if taxpayers could not afford to fully pay outstanding tax liabilities. In its notices, the IRS aggressively demands that taxes owed are paid in…
Many people, desiring to save money, try to handle their immigration matters on their own. They may have a relative in the Philippines being processed for an immigrant visa, and when they have any questions, they call or email the National Visa Center (NVC) for advice and guidance on what to do and how to…
The abuse of alcohol is the leading risk factor for disability and premature death in the world. Alcohol-related deaths claim almost 80,000 lives each year in the United States alone. Worldwide, it kills 2.5 million annually. Besides the health and psychological impairment among drinkers, the abuse impacts negatively on the family members and society in…
EACH year, I consult with hundreds of individuals who have been ordered to leave the US by Immigration Judges. In the vast majority of these cases, the person had applied for some form of relief from removal, such as asylum, and the Immigration Judge denied the claim and either granted the person voluntary departure or…
Once again, they had their chances. Pitted against the competition, they fought it out, and the outcome was somehow satisfactory. With the afterglow of its successful golden campaign in the Jones Cup, they were poised to give opposing teams a run for their money. The recent fourth place finish of our Smart-Gilas National Team in…
IF YOU’VE ever been in a situation in your life where you had to file bankruptcy as a last resort in order to get out of debt, you know exactly what I am talking about. After having counseled thousands of people with debt problems over the years, I have learned that unresolved debt problems can…
To take the risk of possible death from surgery that is necessary to save life or to maintain or restore health makes intelligent sense. But to die from an elective cosmetic procedure performed for vanity, or for whatever reason, is obviously reckless and foolhardy. In medicine, one death out of 100,000-300,000 surgeries, or at most,…
WE often hear that “politics” exists not only in governments but also in corporations, schools, civic organizations, and even in churches. We find this contention to be true when we understand politics as “the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over government” and of “competition between competing groups or individuals for power…
Q: I HEARD that the Supreme Court recently decided a case about the employer’s obligation to provide lunch breaks. Some say the employers won the case. But others say the decision favored employees. Can you clarify this issue? A: The case you may be referring to is Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court. It was…
JUST one month into the Obama Administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) more than 75,000 applications for deferred action and work authorization have been submitted to the USCIS. As of last week, the USCIS began granting approvals on may of the earliest filed applications. Experts predict that USCIS will have received over 200,000…
WHEN Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper made his appointments to the Senate in Canada, no one was more surprised than Filipino Canadian Tobias Enverga Jr. Enverga, a long-time bank executive, was one of the five people chosen by the Prime Minister to be a senator in Canada’s Federal Parliament earlier this month. “My first reaction…
On February 19, 2012 and May 26, 2012, respectively, two males of Filipino descent committed driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) as first offenders in Glendale, California. The Mercedez Benz of the first Filipino driver was subjected to enforcement stop by the Glendale Police Department for swerving within its lane. The Honda of the…
IF YOU are like a lot of people who have old, unpaid debts, collection accounts and judgments from their past that they don’t even remember, you may feel that it is too late to get a fresh start and rebuild your credit. Over the years, I have met a lot of people in this situation….
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…
Yes, billion microorganisms! That’s not a typo. That’s how many unwanted and potentially dangerous bugs there are on average in almost any kitchen. So, it is not the bathroom that is the germiest in any home. It is the kitchen! The germs are everywhere in the kitchen, from sink sponges, countertops, cutting boards, kitchen utensils,…
It is very common for beneficiaries of family based petition to wait many years before their petition’s priority date becomes current. This is usually the case with US Citizen parent petitions to adult son or daughter. This is also common among petition’s between Siblings. What happens when the Petitioner dies? Are all those years of…
THE mark of a great athlete is his ability to transcend generations of spectators. In the past, the glory of being an athlete was immortalized in poetry and the other arts. These works recreated the sporting feats that ordinary citizens could look up to. Verses flowed with dynamism. Vases were meticulously painted. Vigor was captured…
