2016 May | FACLA

Kapihan sa FACLA – Every Tuesday, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

EVERY THURSDAY, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

This is an open invitation to the Filipino – American community to attend the launching of the “Kapihan sa FACLA” on May 26, 2016. An open forum discussing the current issues locally and back home in order to shed some answers to questions lingering in the minds of the public.

We will start from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm every Thursday of the week in FACLA Social Hall, 1740 West Temple St. Los Angeles, CA. We foresee the presence of prominent professionals who will be invited as guest speakers. Civic leader Leo Pandac is the master moderator join by FACLA Director Lorenzo G. Pelayo,

We acknowledge the fact the many among us still want to hear news from the Philippines and discussions of the issues about our country. That exactly is the idea of having “Kapihan sa FACLA”.

FACLA 71st Anniversary Celebration

Re-elected FACLA President Austin Baul Jr together with FACLA Board of Directors, members and friends celebrated the 71st Anniversary of Filipino American Community of Los Angeles at FACLA Community Hall located at 1740 West Temple St, Los Angeles, CA last April 26, 2016.

Accessing L.A. – Doing Business with the City

May 18, 2016 – Inviting all business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to attend the Accessing L.A. event, “Doing Business with the City,” on May 18, 2016. Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu and Board of Public Works Commissioner Joel Jacinto will provide Asian Pacific Americans and other business owners with information and resources necessary to tap into the City’s contracting dollars.

WHEN
Wednesday, May 18, 2016 | 9:00am – 2:00pm

WHERE
Los Angeles Police Department
Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium
100 West 1st Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

Your investment is your time and attention. The benefits are a wealth of information that will assist you as a business owner to accelerate the growth and health of your business. I hope you find this information helpful and encourage you to share it with any individuals who can benefit from attending.

May is a celebration of Asian and Pacific Americans in our communities: showcasing their achievements and contributions with community festivals, government-sponsored activities, and educational activities. Explore the history, traditions, and culture of Asian and Pacific Americans with events taking place in Los Angeles.

Register online at accessingLA.org

For more information click here

In your service,

Jerome Horton

Board Member, 3rd District

State Board of Equalization

USCIS to Implement Filipino World War ll Veterans Parole Program

WASHINGTON—–Beginning June 8, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will allow certain Filipino World war ll veteran family members who are beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an opportunity to receive a discretionary grant of parole on a case-by-case basis, so that they may come to the United States as they wait for their immigrant visa to become available.

This parole policy was announced in the White House report, Modernizing and Streamlining Our Legal Immigration System for the 21st Century, issued in July 2015. An estimated 2,000 to 6,000 Filipino-American World War ll veterans are living in the United States today. Among other things, this policy will enable many eligible individuals to provide support and care to their aging veteran family members who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

“The Filipino World War ll Parole Program honors the thousands of Filipinos who bravely enlisted to fight for the United States during World War ll,” USCIS Director Leon Rodriguez said. “This policy will allow certain Filipino-American family members awaiting immigrant-visa issuance to come to the United States and be with their loved ones. For many, it will also allow them to provide support and care for elderly veterans or their surviving spouses.”

With the exception of immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, the number of family-sponsored immigrant visas available by country of origin in any given year is limited by statute. These limits result in long waiting periods before family members may join petitioning U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States and become permanent residents themselves. For some Filipino-American families, this wait can exceed 20 years.

Under the policy, certain family members of Filipino World War ll veterans may be eligible to receive a discretionary grant of parole to come to the United States before their visa becomes available. In limited cases, certain eligible relatives will be able to seek parole on their own behalf when their Filipino World War ll veteran and his or her spouse are both deceased.

Under the Filipino World War ll Veterans Parole Program, USCIS will review each case individually to determine whether authorizing parole is appropriate. When each individual arrives at a U.S. port of entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will also review each case to determine whether to parole the individual.

Legal authoriy for this parole policy comes from the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to parole into the United States certain individuals, on a case-by-case basis, for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.

Additional information about the Filipino World War ll Veterans Parole Program—including guidance on eligibility, the application process and where to file—is available in the revised Form I-131 instructions and the Federal Register notice published today. We will not accept accept applications under this policy until June 8, 2016. USCIS strongly encourages indiiduals interested in requesting parole under the FWVP Program do so within 5 years from June 8, 2016.

-USCIS-