Filipino American Press Club of California

12/01/2025

12/01/2025

Inflation down to 1.3%

12/01/2025

The Philippines will not be included in the latest U.S. immigration tightening, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez said. | Eliana Lacap, layout by Chynna Basillaje

Click the link in the comments for the full story.

11/30/2025

Please petition

ESTATE TAX: A BURDEN NO GRIEVING FAMILY DESERVES

These past months, my brother and I have been working on the extrajudicial settlement of our sister’s estate. She worked hard all her life until retirement, lived quietly, never married, and left a modest estate. Yet despite the recent exemption for the family home, the process has still been long, expensive, and emotionally draining. And every new requirement felt like reopening the wound of losing her.

If this is difficult for us, how much more for families with fewer resources, no lawyers, and no guidance?

Across Asia, many countries have already removed estate or inheritance taxes, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brunei, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Mongolia, Bhutan, among others. Australia and New Zealand have done the same.

They abolished the tax for one simple reason: Estate tax raises very little revenue, but it causes enormous hardship for ordinary people.

Here in the Philippines, inheritance is seldom about wealth. It is about a small house, a tiny lot, or farmland a parent worked on all their life. Yet heirs still face:
• Fees they cannot afford
• Paperwork they do not understand
• Penalties for delays they never intended
• Properties left frozen for decades because taxes were simply too heavy

Meanwhile, the wealthy quietly avoid estate taxes through trusts and legal structures. It is the poor who suffer, those who only want to keep the home their parents already paid taxes on again and again.

This is why so many nations moved away from estate tax. It traps families in grief and poverty, and turns hard-earned assets into “dead capital” that no one can use, sell, or develop.

So maybe it’s time to ask a deeper question: Why must we tax families at the moment they are hurting the most? Why must death come with a bill?

If our neighbors can choose compassion and common sense, perhaps the Philippines can choose it too, for dignity, for fairness, and for every Filipino family simply trying to move forward after a loss.

11/30/2025

Good News

11/30/2025

Solar Powered Housing in Cavite.

11/30/2025

BIR Next

PH suspends BIR field audits to address taxpayer concerns

The suspension signals a decisive government response amid complaints of potential misuse of audit authority and aims to rebuild trust in one of the country’s most critical revenue-collecting agencies.

STORY LINK IN COMMENTS 👇🏼

11/30/2025

Most hardworking president

11/30/2025

NOW ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/ktOMyxnXVWk?si=gic88FTIF7AmtajS

FLOU Dating App founder Chris Le talks about the importance of human connection and why he founded his dating app FLOU in this episode of Chat With Mic.

This is Chat With Mic. Your story. Your passions. Your brand. Your business. Our community.

Want to be seen? Want to be heard? Want lots of exposure? Get your story featured. Let your voice be heard. Collaborations, advertising and sponsorship packages are available. Contact Mic Diaz.

Watch and learn from the movers and shakers of our community: • CHAT WITH MIC

Like, comment, subscribe and share! Don't forget to hit that bell icon so you don't miss out!

To see our full suite of marketing, PR and advertising services, visit www.micdiazpresents.com.

FLOU founder Chris Le talks about the importance of human connection and why he founded his dating app FLOU in this episode of Chat With Mic.This is Chat Wit...