DESIGNED to supplement the wages or earned income through self-employment of working families, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) benefits taxpayers who are either low or moderate income earners by providing generous tax credits. It is believed to have helped alleviate poverty for around 6.5 million families, affecting 15 million children every year. As part…
ONE of America’s top construction companies is Hawaii-based Group Builders, Inc., founded and owned by Filipino-American Anacleto “Lito” Alcantara. Group Builders Inc. ranked 186 among the Top 600 Specialty Contractors in the US(2007). It has consistently been in Hawaii’s Top 250 Largest Companies since 1998, presented by Hawaii Business; the First Filipino Company included in…
THE Good News is within us – within our minds and hearts. It’s the change that is happening within our lives, in the way we think about or perceive our everyday experiences and challenges. It’s the new way we feel towards others and about our selves. The Good news is our awakened hearts, our enlightened…
Since Benigno Aquino III assumed the position of president, he made his intentions very clear of weeding out officials who did the country wrong during their terms. The aggressiveness of the current administration in going after those who have allegedly betrayed the public trust, was seen in the recent hospital arrest of Former President Gloria…
IT IS hard to believe that we will be greeting a new year in less than three weeks. If you are like me, you are in the midst of Christmas-related hustle and bustle, trying to prepare for the holidays and the end of 2011. While it is the season of celebrating and being grateful for…
Dear Dr. Val, My gums are irregular and they make some of my teeth smaller than the rest . What can I do ? Thanks Gummy Bear Dear Gummy Bear, The shape, color and appearance of your teeth can easily be changed to create a beautiful smile with modern cosmetic dentistry techniques, such as tooth…
Enamel is the hard, protective outer layer of your teeth. If it erodes, it can be very uncomfortable, with symptoms ranging from tooth sensitivity and discoloration, to painful cracks in the teeth. What is tooth erosion caused by, and how can you prevent it? The acid in the foods and drinks we put in our…
HEADING into a new year, things are getting to be quite polemic, as we see 2011 nearing its end with a succession of controversies. Philippine politics seems to be turning into an impenetrable and tumultuous jungle, as the year closes. The situation is ripe for a political savior to step on the scene. Redeeming a…
THE powers of hope and prayer should never be underestimated. Similarly, the power of practical action and the implementation of resolution should occupy a large part of your day. We are reminded of the power of action as we reflect on the meaning of Hanukkah. In Hebrew, the word “hanukkah” means “dedication.” The name reminds…
HIS administration may have received criticisms for underspending the local budget during the first half of 2011, but President Benigno S. Aquino III is determined to have all that change next year. According to reports, the President recently met with his economic managers on December 6, at the Christmas party of Bulong Pulungan at the…
IN 1999, Dr. Ben de Lumen and a team of scientists at UC Berkeley were working on a project to improve the nutritional quality of soy proteins when they discovered what they believe and hope is a miracle. The team found that a specific protein in soy, when isolated, may have anti-cancer properties. The…
MERRY Christmas and Happy New Year! Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon! Throughout the Simbang Gabi Masses in my parish, I never got tired of reading and listening to the stories of the birth of Jesus, our Savior. There was always a thought or a word that struck me and spoke to me. There were always…
Is it normal to have blood in your stools? Blood in the stools is never normal. If the stool has blood in it, it is either from a bleeding from a ripped mucosa (lining) of the rectum (from passing very hard stools when constipated), or from a bleeding polyp, a more serious condition, or even…
Conditional residence is the immigration status of a foreign national who was approved for permanent residence (green card) within two years of getting married to a US citizen. During the two years conditional period the immigrant has the same rights and responsibilities as other green card holders. This includes the right to live and work…
ON NOVEMBER 26, Saturday, NASA launched the biggest and best-equipped robot ever sent to explore another planet from the Kennedy Space Centre. Dubbed Mars Curiosity but more formally called the Mars Science Laboratory, it is expected to reach Mars by August 2012. If all goes according to plan, the rover will be abseiling down from…
HOW much of their home office expenses can be deducted is one of the most misjudged tax questions faced by home workers. The reality of home office expense deductibility is much more complex than the common perception. When can home office expenses be deducted? The costs associated with maintaining a home office can be deducted…
“THINK BIG”, I shared the other day in a meeting with a group volunteers. Big: not in the sense of property or material wealth, but “big” in the sense of dreams and visions. We can’t afford to be limited in our expectations; otherwise we become faint and lackluster. With big dreams and visions, we become…
Autopsy findings on “healthy” children, as young as four and five, who were victims of accidents, already showed evidences of arteriosclerosis (hardening of their arteries), a condition we expect to see only in adults. There must be something we, parents, and society are doing wrong. When we prepare to bring forth a child into this…
Autopsy findings on “healthy” children, as young as four and five, who were victims of accidents, already showed evidences of arteriosclerosis (hardening of their arteries), a condition we expect to see only in adults. There must be something we, parents, and society are doing wrong. When we prepare to bring forth a child into this…
DESPITE her rigid efforts in bringing the Philippine justice system to a reputable form, Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima is now in hot water – with the possibility of losing her license as a lawyer. In a nine-page complaint filed on Monday, in perhaps a form retaliation from Former President Gloria Macapagal…
57 INDIVIDUALS (32 of whom were journalists) perished on November 23, 2009 in Ampatuan, Maguindanao province in Mindanao. A 58th victim, journalist Reynaldo Momay remains missing. Now, two years after the gruesome incident, for the victims’ families and friends the pain lingers on — the thirst for justice remains unquenched. Amid the threat of explosives…
Jason Day, Fil-Australian PGA Top Golfer and Number 8 in World Golf Rankings He’s 9th in the money leaders list in the Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour with nearly $4 million in winnings this year. He’s finished in the top five, with two second place finishes – one at the Masters and another in the…
TOO many times, taxpayers receive a surprise letter from the IRS, and even the Franchise Tax Board, on taxes owed from a cancelled debt acquired through debt settlement or debt consolidation. The general notion that once a debt has been reduced by a lender, the debtor is absolved of any other financial obligation has kept…
IT’S A beautiful and solemn season. As a nation we pause and gather as families and friends on Thanksgiving Day to express our gratitude to God. This weekend, we start the First Sunday of Advent in preparation for Christmas, the birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For us Filipino Catholics, the season is filled with…
Amid the much-publicized conflict between the camp of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the incumbent administration, President Benigno Aquino III still managed to meet up with South Korea’s President, Lee Myung Bak, to further strengthen bilateral ties. Coming straight from the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) summit in Bali, Indonesia, the South Korean President…
Q: My blood pressure has been normal for more than 6 months, do I have to continue taking my blood pressure pills? A: There are some exceptions where high blood pressure has turned normal after low-salt diet and exercise, but in general, once a hypertensive, always a hypertensive, meaning high blood pressure is for life….
THE aftermath of last week’s political disarray only serves to illustrate the materializating of the country that President Benigno Aquino III imagines he’s creating — and the one that actually exists. Assigned into office on a message of frugal economy and honest government, Aquino who still continues to pitch the ideal of a “new era”…
“TWO groups play the game. Each side has five members: four guards and a captain. The game is played on the court. The objective of the game is for one group to walk or run through the court from one to the other and return without being caught by the defending group who keep guard…
A FEW years ago, a joint resolution of the 13th Congress of the Philippines created the Congressional Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) to create, amend, or repeal laws and propose budgets that will make the Philippines competitive in science and technology. The country could not have chosen a better man to be…
“I’VE never felt so vulnerable about this disease until now”, I told my neurologist in an unusually poignant voice. Diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (simply called lupus) in September 2007, I have managed to conquer the physical and emotional odds of having the rare, chronic and debilitating disease and I have a great family support…
