The Rice Expert
WHAT started out as a possible excuse to go back to the Philippines brought international recognition and honor for a Filipino-American instead. A scientist, genetic engineer, professor, researcher, and evolutionary…
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Deferred Action for the young and undocumented
ON JUNE 15, 2012, President Obama announced that his administration through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will grant deferred action for undocumented youth that meet strict eligibility requirements. Deferred…
The July 2012 Priority Dates
EACH month, the visa Of- fice of the State Department publishes, in the visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that par- ticular month, for the various family and employment based…
Deferred Action and work authorization for certain young undocumented immigrants
It is very disheartening to witness children of immigrants work so hard to obtain good grades in school, achieve honor roll standing in high school, get accepted to top universities,…
Supreme Court upholds controversial provision of Arizona’s anti-immigrant law
Shoots down most others IN A 5-3 split decision, the US Supreme Court upheld one controversial provision of Arizona’s anti-immigrant law, SB 1070, that allows police officers to inquire into…
How to make bankruptcy work to your advantage
WHEN your financial circumstances are forcing you to declare bankruptcy, it is one way of dealing with debts that you can no longer manage on your own. Of course, the…
Tribute to the King
We know the man and his characters that are continually rolling on the film reels of our collective memories. He made us cry, whimper, ponder, and above all–laugh. Going beyond…
New Harp 2 Program: Still not your magic bullet
SINCE I started informing my readers about the Harp Refinancing program, I have been getting a high volume of calls inquiring about this. Thanks so much for your support and…
Asking IRS to reduce your tax debts
IF YOU owe a huge amount of taxes and are experiencing financial difficulties, don’t despair as there are remedies under the law which will help you avoid paying the whole…
On children of the world
LITTLE Gavin fixed his eyes on every ritual of the Mass that I was celebrating for our family a few weekends ago. A photo of him on Facebook shows his…
Estate planning: Living trust-the solution to probate
ESTATE planning is defined as “the process of putting an individual’s personal and financial affairs in order”, by Richard S. Kinyon and Genevieve M. Moore in their “Overview of Estate…
Turncoatism and opportunism
SENATORS Edgardo Angara and Jinggoy Estrada have filed a bill that would provide a subsidy to political parties involved in an election, with funds from government coffers, and would penalize…
Deferred Action Process for young people who are Low Enforcement Priorities
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) alerts eligible individuals NOT to submit a deferred action request under the Deferred Action Process for Young People memorandum issued by Secretary Napolitano on…
Relief for widows of deceased petitioner
Since 1938, US immigration regulations have provided for the automatic revocation of the approved visa petition upon the death of the Petitioner. However, immigration regulations since 2006 provided that automatic…
Faq’s on DREAM’ers Deferred Action/Work Authorization process
On June 15, 2012, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that “effective immediately,” certain young people would be eligible for “Deferred Action” (relief from removal) and work authorization, provided they…
Prevent or delay foreclosure through bankruptcy
THE “automatic stay” in bankruptcy is a powerful tool available to debtors to prevent collection efforts from creditors, including foreclosures. Whether you file a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy…
DHS to grant deferred action status to ‘DREAM Act’ eligible immigrants
ON FRIDAY, June 15, 2012, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the DHS would consider granting deferred action status (DAS) to many young people in the…
Face debt problems now or they can come back to haunt you later
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…
Rizal on redux
AS celebrations to Jose Rizal’s sesquicentennial came to a close on his 151st birthday last June 19, another chapter opens on his revered status as the National Hero of the…
Small things matter
AT TIMES, we become blind to the enormous graces that are around us. It’s because we tend to measure grace according to the vain values of the world, particularly popularity,…
The new HARP 2 program
For qualified borrowers who might not have any equity to Refinance ASK about the the NEW FHA Streamline started June 11, 2012 with much lower PMI and almost 0 MIP….
Pacquiao-Bradley winners and losers
MANNY Pacquiao didn’t lose to Timothy Bradley. That much is clear, no matter what Bradley says. Like a recently impeached midnight appointee, Bradley has to rationalize wearing his corona. But…
Discharge in bankruptcy
A DEBTOR who gets a discharge in a bankruptcy petition is no longer personally liable for most of the debts listed in the petition. This means that creditors of the…
FAQ’s on ‘Deferred Action’
OVER the past three years, this Administration has undertaken an unprecedented effort to transform the immigration enforcement system into one that focuses on public safety, border security and the integrity…
DHS announces work authorization and “Deferred Action” for “DREAM’ers”
On June 15, 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, announced that, effective immediately, those who were brought to the U.S. as young children and who meet certain eligibility…
Eye-opener
SATURDAY’S outcome of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight came as a shocker, not only to Filipinos across the globe, but even to former boxing champs, fierce critics and former Pacquiao opponents, boxing…
9th Circuit to revisit ‘CSPA’ priority date retention
“ The decision, which had held that an “aged out” derivative beneficiary of a family or employment-based petition for immigrant status cannot benefit from the original priority date assigned to…
Gokongweis’ Tenth Commandment – There can only be one boss
THE tenth and most important rule is that “there can only be one boss.” Lance explained that this rule is related to succession. The role of the family and owners…
Still, the People’s Champ
So it has happened. After an impressive streak of 15 wins in 7 years, the taste of a loss does not only linger in Manny Pacquiao’s mouth, but to ours…
How is the federal gov’t helping homeowners reduce mortgage payments?
THE key and only answer is because they are keeping lending rates at all time lows. I suggest you better stop, listen and act on this. Why? Because if you…