Period to file a paternity leave
Dear PAO, My officemate’s wife is currently in her eighth month of pregnancy. From his narrative, it appears to be a delicate situation with numerous hospital scares and frequent doctor visits. Alfred, my officemate, is eager to be present once the baby arrives, seeing it as his way of actively contributing to his spouse’s pregnancy […]
The Ultimate Product Placement: Thailand on ‘The White Lotus’
“Unforgettable experiences are in the making,” teases an Instagram post from Feb. 13 liked by more than 80,000 people. The photo offers a glimpse of an empty white-sand beach, azure waters, and the barely visible roofs of buildings immersed in a lush landscape of trees. “We are eager to welcome new guests to our resort […]
Principle of Non-Diminution of Benefits
Dear PAO, I heard that our company is going to implement some changes. There are rumors that the company would be reorganized and that there may be some sort of financial changes as well. I remember reading somewhere that although changes in the company are primarily considered within the ambit of “management prerogative,” the employees […]
Finding Great Coffee in Ho Chi Minh City
Other than Brazil, no nation produces more coffee than Vietnam. Introduced by French colonists in the 19th century, the country’s coffee crop is now a $3 billion business and accounts for nearly 15 percent of the global market, making Vietnam the java giant of Southeast Asia. Quality, however, has only recently begun to catch up […]
Mocking a person with disability is a crime
Dear PAO, My nephew was born with microphthalmia, a congenital abnormality in which his left eye did not fully grow, leaving the other eye smaller. His classmates would often make fun of him at school. As a result, he would constantly cry every day after school. All of them are over the age of majority. […]
Scammed Out of $3,100 on a Booking.com Rental: Tripped Up
Once you wrote to the scammers, they had your email address and used it — sending you an email dressed up to look like an official Booking.com message and from an @confirmations-booking.com address, which might seem like a legitimate address, though the company says all its emails end in @booking.com. Reading copies of the emails […]
Disqualification of a director of a homeowner’s association
Dear PAO, I own a house and lot inside a subdivision in Pasig City, where I am a member of the Board of Directors of its registered homeowner’s association (HOA). Last month, I bought another residential property in the neighboring subdivision where my current house is. I would like to know if, as a member […]
Tips for Renting a Car Abroad
“Throw the keys through the kiosk’s open window. We’ll get the car when we open later”: Those slightly unorthodox drop-off instructions I once received from a Hertz manager in Croatia illustrate some of the differences U.S. travelers might encounter when renting a car abroad. It pays to familiarize yourself with the local policies and protocols […]
Purpose of obtaining consent of adopter’s children in adoption
NOTICE TO OUR READERS Our Manila Times Dear PAO Facebook page has been hacked. We have reported this matter to Meta. Dear PAO, Our children, all of legal age and with lucrative jobs, are opposing our desire to adopt the minor child of our neighbor. My husband and I were informed that the written consent […]
How Flight Attendants Fought Back Against Sexism in the Airline Industry
In 1958, when Mary Pat Laffey Inman became a stewardess — as they were then called — for Northwest Airlines, she was 20 years old and the clock was already ticking. At 32, she would be forced to retire. That is, if she didn’t marry, get pregnant or even gain too much weight before that: […]