Lasting alliance
A renewed pact is brewing between the Philippines and the United States. By next month, the two countries will sign the visiting forces agreement that will permit for another bilateral…
Read More
Moving beyond election blues and divisiveness
MANY Americans (including Fil-Ams) heavily invested in the recently concluded US Presidential elections. Some contributed cash for their candidates, others volunteered to help in their campaigns, and many were passionately…
Proud to be Filipino-American
After four elections in the United States, I can now say that I am proud to be a Filipino-American. From the sidelines as an observer, I immersed myself with the…
Retention Of Priority Dates For Certain Aged Out Derivative Beneficiaries
The wait time for immigrant petitions to become “current” under most family based preference categories often takes a long time. During this long waiting period, it is common for derivative…
ASEAN, interrupted
ALLIANCES are supposed to create new and stronger organizations. But history may show that sometimes, integrations may look good on paper but fall short of what is expected. From Nov….
Meeting the Higantes
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…
Are 'caregivers' or 'nannies' entitled to overtime pay?
Q: I WORK as a “caregiver” for a disabled senior at a private residence. In addition to caring for the senior, I also cook, clean the house, and do the…
Proposed provisional unlawful presence waivers
IN January of this year, we first wrote about this exciting topic, which was based on the January 6, 2012 announcement by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In the…
Fannie and Freddie approving short sale not in delinquent status
MANY homeowners are still left with a mortgage balance that worth more than the value of the property. With the economy still being badly affected by the possibility of a…
Election post-mortem blues
A WEEK after the contentious election, we heard back again from the two gentlemen who ran for the Presidency. President Obama in his press conference praised Gov. Mitt Romney and…
Head of household filing status
WHY would single or separated taxpayers file as Heads of Household? Let us count the ways: 1. You have a lower tax rate than a single or married person filing…
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) application process available
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…
Fence-sitting
SEN. Pia Cayetano is tired of all the bickering and delays in the Senate, over the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. Outspoken Sen. Miriam Santiago is getting as equally impatient, saying…
An Expert in International Trade Relations and Development
A LONG-time and well-respected Filipino diplomat continues to rise through international ranks. Esteban Conejos Jr., the former Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, has recently been…
Bank president convicted of bankruptcy fraud
THE bankruptcy petition must be as accurate as possible, otherwise, debtor may have to go to jail for bankruptcy fraud. I cannot overemphasize the fact that the bankruptcy petition must…
Anything but joy!
THE Scripture readings this Sunday are filled with positive images. Mark’s Gospel might distress us with images of the darkening of the sun and the moon and the falling of…
Asian Americans Could Be As Important As Jewish Americans In Future Presidential Elections
For the first time in American history, presidential candidates actually considered courting and including Asian Americans in their agendas for the future. But, in large measure, 18 million Asian Americans…
How important is it to have a living trust?
Thinking about one’s demise is not something people want to spend time thinking about. However reality is that we all have to face this one day. It is just a…
Role of Strategic Planning in a Family Business
Strategy development is a question-based process: Where are we now? Where would we like to go? How do we get there? Strategic planning—for both business and family—can help to strengthen…
Skills, not charms
In order to be the best, a team must have the best. Perhaps such idea was running through the minds of the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association officials who wanted to…
Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks
Thanksgiving is when people take a step back and reflect on all of the wonderful things and events to be grateful for, and to give thanks to those people who…
Three reasons why your smile may be a fountain of youth
Could the secret to perpetual youth be found in your smile (wink, wink)? Well, that’s probably a bit of an exaggeration! But as you know, here at our practice, we…
8 steps to quit smoking
Smoking kills. It is that plain and simple. There is no doubt today that tobacco (cigarette smoking) is the predominant cause of lung cancer, besides other malignancies and cardiovascular diseases…
Just reward
THIS week, we glorify the heroism and gallantry displayed by American and Filipino World War II veterans. This celebration encourages those of us who are now enjoying freedom, to pay…
DACA Program secure as Obama wins re-election
THE Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program was introduced in June 2012 and was implemented August 15, 2012. Within just one month of the program’s start date, the USCIS…
Obama wins: CNN exit polls say it’s not just about race or the ‘47 percent’
CONTRARY to what some kababayans opine, President Barack Obama won the election NOT just because of race, nor by the force of the 47 percent of the American people, who according to…
Hooked on reading
WE are slowly moving away from the page at this day and age. The book, as we know it, is undergoing a digital transfer. The smell of paper and the…
PERM Job Posting
Under the basic labor certification process, the employer may file an application only after conducting efforts to recruit US workers by means of the following mandatory steps: (1) placing an…
Trying to decide if bankruptcy is for you?
ARE you struggling with debt problems? Are you doing your best to pay but simply can’t? Have you thought of filing bankruptcy but are afraid that this might not be…
How your internet activities can harm your case
ACCORDING to recent statistics, there are about 950 million active users on Facebook, 500 million on Twitter, and 150 million on LinkedIn. Not to mention the active users on MySpace,…