DON’T KILL the messengers (aka the media) — but whether the US-PH high-level talks will push through this March is still a bit confusing at this juncture. Last week, Philstar.com reported that talks between the United States and the Philippines regarding the US’ military presence in the Philippines “may have to be postponed unless the…
IT’S PROBABLY the cliché of our economic times: foreclosures and short sales one after the other have triggered too many sleepless nights among honest Americans who were trapped into mortgages which were designed to be too perplexing for the average Joe to fathom. IRS Publication 525 explains, “Generally, if a debt you owe is canceled…
WHEN it comes to desserts, there’s nothing sweeter for Chef Sally Camacho. She is, after all, a pastry chef surrounded by yummy desserts every day. As executive pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck’s WP24, Los Angeles, life has been sweet to this 32-year-old Fil-Am. Lately, Camacho has been receiving a lot of attention for her savory…
I’VE BEEN preaching about Jesus’ popularity lately. The Gospel of Mark relates how people sought him anywhere he went to listen to his preaching, to witness and to experience his healing power and his ability to cast out demons. Even the notorious Herod manifested strong curiosity and admiration at Jesus’ power and popularity and at…
DESPITE travel advisories posted against the Philippines, foreigners—especially Europeans—remain unfazed and have continued to come and visit the country. The Department of Tourism (DOT), further confirmed that tourists still consider the Philippines as an ideal destination. The agency backed it up reporting that 3.9 million tourists visited the country last year, which was 4.6 percent…
DID you know how many hotdogs are consumed each day in the United States alone? Roughly 633 hotdogs are eaten by Americans per second, or 37, 980 every minute, almost 2.3 million an hour. A lot of dogs According to Janet Riley, president of the National Hotdog and Sausage Council, USA, Americans eat twenty billion…
Halitosis (bad breath) is a common oral health concern. Whether one’s chronic bad breath (as opposed to temporary “morning breath,” or bad breath from garlic, onions or other odorous foods) is caused by dental hygiene issues or gastrointestinal problems, the culprit can usually be traced back to bacteria – the root of many dental problems….
A HERO is an inspiration – an entity that invokes the beleaguered spirit. A hero is a source of strength that keeps his peers going. Political controversy, growing unemployment, poverty, and suffering through natural calamities are unforgettable experiences crippling the Philippines right now. Many people learn to live through such difficult times with the help…
ORLANDO, Fla.—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that Self Check, a free online service of E-Verify that allows workers to check their own employment eligibility status, is now available in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Launched in March 2011…
ON DECEMBER 12, 2011 at the White House Oval Office, President Barack Obama honored nine recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. One of them is Filipino-American Dr. Amelito G. Enriquez, an Engineering and Mathematics Professor at the Cañada College in Redwood City, California. “It was like an out-of-body…
QUESTION: I’m afraid that I will get in trouble. My worksite is being audited. What should I do? Answer: Here are some useful tips. You should consider doing the following: Develop a transparent process for interacting with employees during the audit, including communicating with employees that the employer is subject to an ICE audit. Provide…
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”),…
THE best things in life are the unexpected ones! This was true during the grand centennial celebration of my parish last Sunday. I didn’t expect the three thousand people that came to the historic event. This exceeded our seat allocation during Mass and the food preparation. But I didn’t expect also that the archbishop would…
THINGS seem to be looking up these days for Philippine tourism. Following the overwhelming support given to the Department of Tourism’s new ad campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” yet another accolade has been bestowed upon the country—the confirmation of the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) in Palawan as one of the New7Wonders of…
What is refractive surgery? Refractive or vision correction surgery is an operation on the eyes to correct error of refraction, like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, to eliminate the use of prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. What are the various procedures available today? The advent of Excimer laser in 1988 ushered in a new revolutionary era…
WHILE we continue to witness the resumption of the Corona impeachment trial, let us not forget other things that are important – relevant enough to become newspaper headlines. Like physics, politics follows a law of equal and opposite pairs of action and reaction forces. However, unlike physics, politics is not required to always adhere to…
THE sight of the country’s senators raising their hands to declare their vote of confidence in the senate presidency of Juan Ponce Enrile was the surest sign that Noynoy Aquino’s Daang Matuwid is running parallel to another thoroughfare, the Congressional Expressway. The Congressional Expressway is decidedly not the straightest and smoothest road in our hapless republic. It…
CONSIDERING our close relationship ties, it is most likely that at least once in your life you’d be asked to co-sign for a loan for a family or a friend- whether it’s for a vehicle, a mortgage, credit card, or a student loan. While it may be tempting to help someone in “dire” need, you…
She’s been hailed as a Super Lawyer, referenced as one of the top trial attorneys in the nation, and the National Law Journal named her as one of the 50 most influential minority lawyers in the US. Fil-Am Attorney Lorna Schofield, a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City, has pretty much done…
QUESTION: I have been waiting for many years to come to the United States from a petition from my sister. It has been 14 years. Must I still wait? Answer: Actually, it takes even more years to do this. The visa number must be current and there is no way to speed this process up….
IN August 2004, Jade, a legal permanent resident, petitioned for her child, John. John was classified under the F2A category as an unmarried child of a legal permanent resident. When the petition was filed, John was only 17 years-old. In March 2007, USCIS approved Jade’s petition for her son. In July 2009, Jade naturalized and…
MANY times in the middle of the night I wonder how I’m able to fulfill my responsibilities as pastor of an inner-city and multicultural church that has a great deal of pastoral and financial challenges. I’m amazed at my ability to overcome the hardship of serving people, of paying bills, of keeping ministries open, and,…
IN 2009, Mariels Almeda Winhoffer hit the headlines when she was awarded by the Asian American Business Development Center as one of the 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business — recognizing her contribution to the Asian business community in the United States. A few days ago, Mariels Winhoffer’s name was in even bigger headlines in…
QUESTION: I heard that there is some new law about the Waiver of the 3/10 year bar. What is it? Answer: It is not actually law yet, but it is great news. Instead of waiting outside the United States for years waiting for the 3/10 year bar to be adjudicated, once the regulations are final,…
MANNY and Mary worked together at the same healthcare facility. Despite a 20-year age difference, they became close friends and started dating. Within 5 months, Manny proposed. Due to financial constraints, Manny and Mary had a small civil wedding and moved into a rented room in the house of a mutual friend. Upon marriage, Mary…
MUCH has been said about Bishop Gabino Zavala’s fall from grace, his resignation as auxiliary bishop of the San Gabriel Region after admitting that he fathered two children, now in their teenage years. Many feelings and thoughts have also been quietly kept in the hearts and minds of many priests and faithful. “It’s not like…
What is myalgia? Myalgia means muscle aches and pains. There is a condition called Fibromyalgia, which is a disorder that causes achy pain, tenderness, spasm, and stiffness of the muscle, areas of the tendons and ligaments. These tender points are common around the neck and shoulders, in the front of the knees, elbow, hip joints,…
FOR most Filipinos, telenovelas have proven more affective to regular households than the evening news. The recognition and relevance that the audience accords to the narratives from the characters they follow reveal a meaningful social, cultural and even political function that can be attributed to telenovelas. Analogous to a telenovela, the historic impeachment of Supreme…
THE guys at my favorite watering hole in Daly City are, as usual, confused about the state of affairs in the Philippines. And, as usual, they turn to me for enlightenment. I oblige, of course, knowing that in the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king. Take the Sin Tax, hailed by President Noynoy…
INCOME taxes. For the lower income earner, it is a welcome relief as the government bestows tax credits and benefits. But for the medium to higher income earner, it’s usually dreadful experience as the idea of paying taxes creeps through their pockets and senses. Whether we like it or not, we have to file our…
