A DEAR friend introduced me to the writings of Marianne Williamson, a spiritual writer, activist, author, lecturer and founder of The Peace Alliance. Two of her books, A Return to Love: Reflections on “A Course in Miracles”and Iluminata: A Return to Prayer, have been in the list of bestsellers. The other day, my friend sent me an…
FOR the past few days, social media was replete with feedback on two issues from opposite ends of the spectrum: Sec. Robredo’s untimely death, and Sen. Tito Sotto alleged commission of plagiarism in his turno en contra for the RH Bill. On Wednesday, Sen. Sotto delivered a privilege speech to explain his side on the issue. The…
QUESTION: What is deferred action? Answer: Deferred action is a discretionary decision by DHS not to pursue enforcement against a person for a specific period. A grant of deferred action does not alter an individual’s existing immigration status or provide a path to citizenship. Thus, deferred action cannot be used to establish eligibility for an…
On August 31, 2012, Asia’s Nobel Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, was presented to six Asians during the Presentation Ceremonies on at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. The only Filipino awardee was DOST Academician Romulo G. Davide, 78, who was cited by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, for “his steadfast passion in…
ALMOST all economists and think tanks fear the same worst scenario for the US economy. I know we probably might think that the economy seems to be picking up steam. But based on factual data that shows otherwise, we have something to fear that is very real. I hate to be the bearer of bad…
What else can one say about the late Jesse Robredo that hasn’t already been said? What praise can one give that has not already been given? In a society where even the vilest villains are routinely extolled once they give up the ghost, the laudatory language heaped on the man who had to bear the…
When you suddenly feel your heart is pounding and beating faster than usual, and you have an uncomfortable feeling within your chest, it could be SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia), an abnormal heart rhythm. This condition, which is tolerable and usually not serious, has an incidence of about 35 cases per 100,000 people per year. The episode…
The IRS has different ways of collecting unpaid taxes. After collection notices prove ineffective, more drastic collection enforcement – ranging from imposition of federal tax lien on personal and real properties, levying of bank accounts to garnishing of wages, social security benefits and pensions – is undertaken. A bank levy is sent to a bank…
COMPLETING the Supreme Court of the Philippines as its 15th member, Filipinos welcome the entry of Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, as the country’s 24th Chief Justice. Sereno will preside over the position, which was vacated by impeached Chief Justice Renato C. Corona. President Benigno Aquino appointed Sereno on August 25, from a list of eight…
The USCIS has recently hired hundreds of extra workers throughout the country for immediate training and assignment in the processing of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications. The USCIS began accepting applications on August 15, 2012, for which it charges a fee of $465.00, including accompanying requests for work authorization. Over the past 14…
After a lackluster performance in the Olympics, torrential rains and flooding, and the passing of a beloved government official; the country’s gloom was quite lifted with the news of the Philippine National Team Smart Gilas 2 winning the 34th installment of the Jones Cup. It was a sliver of light for a country grieving and…
WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today marked a significant milestone in its efforts to provide relief to victims of crimes by approving the statutory maximum 10,000 petitions for U nonimmigrant status, also referred to as the U-visa. This is the third straight year USCIS has reached the statutory maximum since it began…
I have shared with friends on Facebook a profound dialogue I read in Paulo Coelho’s new book, Aleph: “But isn’t prayer a way of bringing us closer to God?” “Allow me to answer with another question: will all your prayers make the sun rise tomorrow? Of course not. The sun rises in obedience to a universal…
“What you see is what you get” or WYSIWYG may be an apt description of President Noynoy Aquino. The good part is that he says what he thinks. But it makes you wonder if he thinks about what he says. My guess is that he does. What may appear to be impulsiveness, a tendency to…
THERE comes a time in everyone’s life when you wonder about your purpose. What is your mission in life? Fil-Am Michael Vea recalls when this burning question creeped inside of him. He was sitting inside his New York city apartment wondering what to do next. At 32 years of age, Vea has already accomplished what…
A petition for nullity of a marriage is based on an allegation that an impediment existed at the time of the marriage that prevented the marriage from ever existing. Whereas a petition for dissolution of a marriage typically alleges that some issue arose during the marriage that precludes it from continuing further (i.e. “irreconcilable differences”),…
(Part 1) On June 15, 2012, the Obama Administration announced a new policy of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which is now being referred to as “DACA.”Additional guidance, and a DACA application form (I–821D) were issued on August 14, 2012, and DHS began accepting DACA applications as of August 15, 2012. Under this program, the…
No, that is not a typo. Scientists in the new Human Microbiome Project at the National Institute of Health have sequenced genes from 20 skin sites of volunteers and “found that bacteria hailed from 10 different phyla, 205 genera, and 112,000 individual bacteria,” using a sophisticated molecular technique of microbial DNA analysis. So, you and…
On August 15, 2012 the USCIS began accepting applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and accompanying request for work authorization, pursuant to the Obama Administration’s promise to accord Deferred Action Status (DAS) and work authorization for people who would otherwise have been eligible under the ill-fated DREAM Act. Over the past 5 days,…
DEBT is a common problem that a lot of people struggle with and many people want to know how thy can become debt-free. Of course, in today’s society, you can’t afford to spend cash on everything and sometimes you have to use a credit card or get a loan. The problem is that when those…
The Philippines and China go way back, even before the conquest of the Spaniards. As early as the 10th century, trade was already happening between Filipinos and the seafaring Chinese. That cultural exchange included beliefs, customs, clothing, technology, and of course food!What better way to celebrate Filipino and Sino relations than to partake in the…
Henri J.M. Nouwen, one of the great spiritual writers of the modern times, has influenced my personal spirituality and writing skill. He has helped me to see grace in my brokenness and ordinariness. He has also effected simplicity and clarity in my writing skill. A few days ago, I decided again to read one of…
A few weeks ago, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell appointed multi-awarded Filipina writer, Sofia Molina Starnes, as the new Poet Laureate of the state of Virginia, reported the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. The prolific writer is the daughter of historian-lawyer Antonio M. Molina (former Vice Rector of the University of Sto. Tomas) and Carmen Gomez de Arnau….
Some encouraging news for financially stressed homeowners across the country: The Senate Finance Committee approved a bipartisan bill before heading home for summer recess that would extend the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act through 2013. Don’t jump yet, given the majority of Republicans in the House that might have serious objections, we will know in…
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…
On Tuesday, August 14, 2012 USCIS announced that Form I-821-D will be used fro the filing of applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals benefits (DACA) also known as Deferred Action Status for DREAMERS. The USCIS also reissued its expanded guidelines for the program, reminding people that August 15, 2012 is the first day on…
If you are searching for debt reduction solutions, no doubt you’ve been inundated with advertisements for various debt management programs, companies and solutions. The choices seem confusing to the average consumer. The truth is that every situation is different and what may work perfectly for others is not necessarily going to work the same way…
SO it has happened again. A bombardment that occurred on tin roofs with assaults on the asphalt; it was an extended blitzkrieg of rain. Water rushed with a flurry carrying the debris of our hardwork together with chronic negligence. Houses were made into anchored boats that could go anytime. It may be a scenario worthy…
When the water is calm and the sailing is smooth, we feel happy and stable. We don’t want this state of serenity to end; we just want to stay with it. But we know that this is not always the case in life. Storms come by naturally and monsoon rains would disrupt our routines. Accidents…
BEING a monsoon country, the Philippines is visited by at least 20 typhoons in a year. Aside from that, even without an actual storm, rainfall can dump a month’s worth of rain in less than 24 hours. Just this week, Metro Manila and other provinces in Luzon were submerged as rains continued to pour. It…
