By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent As the TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) Law begins to figuratively run over consumers in terms of much higher prices, the Makabayan bloc of lawmakers in Congress is all set to file this week a petition questioning its legality and propriety before the Supreme Court. ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio said they will file a petition seeking to invalidate the TRAIN Act, which President Duterte signed into...

By William Casis | FilAm Star Correspondent Commission on Higher Education Chairwoman Patricia Licuanan went abroad eight times last year without President Duterte’s permission, a party-list lawmaker said. Deputy majority leader and Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles said that instead of securing her travel authority from the Office of the President (OP), as a 2005 Executive Order (EO) requires, Licuanan made herself the approving authorit...

By Corina Oliquino | FilAm Star Correspondent MANILA – In its 41st annual Global end of Year Survey, Gallup ranked the Philippines as the third happiest country in the world. The survey, which was conducted in late 2017 and spanned 55 countries worldwide said the Philippines got a net score (happy minus unhappy) of +84, just behind the happiest country in the world, Fiji (at +92) and Colombia (+87). The Philippines also placed 3rd among 66 countries in 2016, obtainin...

By Daniel Llanto | FilAm Star Correspondent For the opposition, President Duterte’s term extension is the hidden agenda in the proposed shift from presidential to federal system of government. Congress is now rushing a draft constitution to be in the ballot in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in May this year. Senate Majority Leader Franklin Drilon, chairman of the opposition Liberal Party, vowed that his fellow minority senators will stop any move to ...

December 30, 2017 . Marriott Hotel (San Mateo) Photo by Jho Bule The Lucky Group of companies gathered for their year-end party at the Marriot Hotel in San Mateo. It was attended by various employees who came from different branches and agents of Lucky Money: Southern and Northern California, Chicago, Alaska, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Taiwan, Canada and as well as from the Philippines. Employees from Mission National Bank, Lucky Chances Casino, Fortune Corpora...

DTI-CITEM targets over U.S.$48M export sales in WFFS 2018 The Philippines is stepping up its export promotion drive in the North American region as it returns with healthy, natural and organic premium products in the upcoming 43rd Winter Fancy Food Show (WFFS) in San Francisco, USA on January 21-23, 2018. Led by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-CITEM) in partnership with the ...

Leonard’s (real name withheld for privacy) immigration history started about 32 years ago when he entered the United States as a tourist in 1985 and never left. Desperate to obtain legal status, he filed for several immigration benefits with the immigration office. The Immigration Service denied his applications and the immigration court issued an Order to Show Cause in 1987. Leonard failed to appear and the immigration judge administratively closed his case. In 2005, Leonard...

After the first fall rains, the East Bay hills come alive with mushrooms. Sprouting in an array of dazzling colors, these fungal fruitbodies can be beautiful – but some of them contain dangerous toxins. The Bay Area is home to two of the world’s most toxic mushrooms – Amanita phalloides (death cap) and Amanita ocreata (western destroying angel). The death cap and western destroying angel mushrooms contain amatoxins, a group of molecules that inhibit cellular metaboli...

Glistening eyes were glued at the doors of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Rodeo, Hercules, as love ones and parishioners watched not one but six couples marched down the aisle. Love was in the air noontime last December 30 for a dozen lovebirds who wanted their years of being together convalidated with Fr. Larry Young officiating over the sacrament of matrimony. As the couples knelt to exchange their “I dos,” close friends and love ones reminisce how it all started. ...