The Metamorphosis
By
Ernie D. Delfin
MANNY VILLAR’S LENTEN JOURNEY TO DAMASCUS,
OPS TO MALACANANG PALACE
(while Benigno “NoyNoy” Aguino III just awakened
from his deep slumber since his mother’s funeral)
From where I stand somewhere in Southern California, I am having fun while gazing over the political landscape as I am critically analyzing, dissecting and discerning over the complex political circus that is now happening in my benighted land of my birth, to borrow my former professor Lito Banayo’s adjective . This is one man’s soliloquy disguising as a political satire , written at the beginning of Lent 2010, about 80 days before the May 10th election, to provide some amusing political entertainment.
At the outset, a disclaimer: I cannot vote in the Philippine election nor do I personally know the top two candidates, and more so the others. I only knew them from what I read and hear (from online, magazines, online newspapers and the internet and YouTube) and also from informal discourse with politically-minded friends. Whoever wins the election (praying that there is NO failure of election) will have a very insignificant impact on my life, socially, economically or financially simply because our business and livelihood do not depend on the Philippine environment but rather on the realities of America’s business climate. I am just as concerned as anybody else as I am still a Filipino who happens to live in another land.
Now, on my lead topic.
Every body has read about the gargantuan political expenditures of Mr. Manny Villar (not spelled MONEY) from his own independent wealth in having his name recognized by all voters, especially the WoWoWee crowd (the show that “exploits the poor people”) that go to this shallow but popular show to win something without any labor except to fall in line and get a ticket , and if lucky enough to be a recipient of dole outs from big businesses marketing their products or wealthy people like Manny Villar. (This WoWoWee mindset or phenomenon deserves another commentary, another column).
* * *
Dreaming and assuming to be Manny Villar for a few minutes, I felt that I am just stricken – like Saul --- by an invisible lightning on my way to Damascus… ops Malacanang. I just made a timely, if not remorseful, decision not only to spend my wealth in my political campaigns but an inexplicable but profound heavenly voice told me to rather spend most of my wealth to make 1,000 more Manny Villars inside the Philippines. This silent voice advised me to invest more in the countryside, so the rural and poor people know that I am serious on my way to the Presidential Palace, after the term of GMA. my ‘secret’ supporter and ally for the years to come. After all, all that Gloria who wants is more MONEY (and protection), while I, Manny, want more GLORY.
Once I become the president of this archipelago of a nation, I can make more money by buying agricultural lands like where my friend Joc-Joc Bolante in Capiz, and converting them into residential zones and asked my party mates to invest their pork with me. But I will also be very generous to those who support me. I intend to become both a Robin Hood and a benevolent dictator. I am convinced that the money that Manny makes makes, makes more money that Manny really does not need, but to provide as an opium to my own brand of Ali Baba followers, like my friend Gloria successfully did the last nine years.
To decrease potential opponents I will build healthy coalition$ by hiring some of my opponents and a few unemployed politicians, to tap their talents and expertise and even arrogance, like Gordon who can be in my cabinet. Gibo can be the head of the AirForceAcademy, Bayani as an engineer can head the Dept of Public Works. Perlas to be in the Dept of Agriculture. Jamby ,the tomboyish senator, can be my partner to expand the Maritime Industry, to build more ships for fishing as well as transportation between our islands. Combining our wealth, this Villar-Madrigal Industry is a done deal, to lure back all the DH s to work in this rediscovered industry.
Erap can be tapped, while he is still coherent somewhat and can still enjoy his drink, to become the official “wine taster” of the Republic as my administration must also embark the wine making industry in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao and in the Cordilleras. It will take time, however, to think where the others can help me, if at all. I will extract from all my appointed government officials their “beginning balance sheet: how much they own and owe” as of July 1, 2010, and every year, we must audit them that under my command… I will not allow anyone to be richer than me. Nor do I want that in six years of my Administration, any of my appointees will be richer than Gloria Arroyo or his very “talented” investment savvy son, Mikey, who made fortune only after marriage compounded a thousand times by being the son of a shameless, evil mother, as described by her former cabinet members.
Right away, I will re-align millions of education budget to construct and establish my MONEY aka ENTREPRENEURIAL COLLEGES for groups of 5 towns or less to teach how a “poor” boy from places like Tondo sell fish and then go to a private school, take up Business and MBA degree and then become one of the richest men in the Philippines in just one generation , which cannot be equaled even by the Ayalas, Sorianos or the Zobels. I can teach teachers to teach how I became mega-wealthy by simply selling fish in every town that capitalized my real estate developments without using my political powers as a Speaker and Senate president. My innocence in the allegation of unethical behaviors is already explained to many naïve journalists who went along with me in the circuitous and zigzagging journey along C-5, that is also explained in my website. Those who accused me of impropriety and corruption are just “inggit” (jealous) of my wealth! They refuse to “read my lips” that I am not guilty!
I believe in teaching the poor people “how to fish.” To the good fishermen, I will give them loans to build or buy a boat, so they can employ other poor people to fish with them… With the over supply of fish to be eaten domestically, I will partner with the Koreans or Chinese or Japanese or any of our Asian neighbors to can our catch and export them rather than importing them.
I will also lure back the supermaids to come back by creating jobs for them in the countryside, to become P.T. (Punas Tae) Pinays to their own young children and tend to their aging parents in their own backyard in the Philippines. I will give great incentives to the thousands of caregivers who will come back to the country and who can bring with them their aging patients and bosses, to take care of them in the Philippines, instead . This can be arranged government to government especially the countries of Japan, the United States and Canada where there is a serious shortage of nursing and caregivers.
I will also create an ASaP (Alay Sa Pilipinas) program to have the 10% of the 8-9 Million Filipinos, especially those belonging to the baby boomers generation, like me, those who are about to retired or have been retired to give back to the country of their birth. After they achieved some degree of success in the foreign land, many successful doctors, engineers, CPAs and businessmen have acquired and been conditioned to a better economic system where merits are rewarded more than affinity or pakikisama or the cumpadre system. With the full support of my administration, these balik –talinong Pinoys can be my priceless and effective partners as they will spearhead and create a new paradigm and a better environment for all to share and enjoy. These SCORE (Service Core Of Retired Expatriates) can be new breed of heroes, and not just the super maids, in our New Philippines!
There is too much to do, that I may not be able to finish it only in six years. I am now getting stressed out just thinking how to make this nation great again! Can the people who are now making more MONEY in Manny’s administration start a nationwide referendum to extend the term of a moneyed President another 6 year term?
Then, I woke up from this fantastic dream!
* * * *
On a serious note, there are so many factors to consider in choosing the “best” leader that the country needs to lead the Philippines to progress. Let me advance some leadership CRITERIA, that can somewhat measure the qualitative attributes of a better leader, based on our educated perception, if not factual knowledge. Although I cannot vote, I am optimistic that I can “dictate” (I mean recommend) to my relatives who still receive pecuniary, spelled dollar$$$$, considerations from me, to vote according to my invented criteria.
Let me share my scoring between Aquino and Villar with my readers, done this Ash Wednesday 2010, the beginning of Lent. It is still incomplete and will change again as soon as I am done with more research in some equally important areas, especially in Social Justice issues. However, the intelligent readers will somehow get the “drift” to challenge them to have their own criteria and not just vote for a candidate based on their self-serving advertisements.
C R I T E R I A MAXIMUM POINTS AQUINO VILLAR
A. INTEGRITY/CHARACTER 25 24 11
B. COMPETENCY 25 12 23
(Executive, Entrepreneurial
Experience)
C. DECISIVENESSS/INTELLIGENCE 10 6 8
(Decision making experience)
D. TEAM (COALITION) BUILDING 10 6 8
E. CHARISMA / COMMUNICATION
SKILLS 10 8 6
F. WORK ETHIC (industriousness) 10 7 8
Sub Total 90 63 64
G. SOCIAL JUSTICE PLATFORM 10 ?? ??
(Example: level of support
to empowering the poor like
the Gawad Kalinga Movement) ____ ____ ____
TOTAL 100 ?? ??
====== ====== ======
(NOTA BENE: I will update this CRITERIA every month or so, and will then publish it in my
“THE METAMORPHOSIS BLOG :
http://ed-metamorphosis.blogspot.com
--------- 3 0 --------
Email this writer at: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
Friday, February 19, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
4TH OF JULY: U.S. INDEPENDENCE DAY AND THE PHILIPPINE-USA FRIENDSHIP DAY
A VOICE FROM AMERICA
By Ernie D. Delfin
4TH OF JULY: U.S. INDEPENDENCE DAY AND THE PHILIPPINE-USA FRIENDSHIP DAY
Happy Independence Day to all in the U.S.A! To all Filipinos and Americans everywhere, I also greet all of you a Happy and Harmonious Friendship Day! May we be able to celebrate this Fourth of July the way it was envisioned, forever!
With the continued Iraqi conflict where the United States is still very much involved, Independence Day and Memorial Day (celebrated on the last Monday of May) have become the most notable holidays in America. Fourth of July used to be the Philippines’ Independence Day until it was changed to June 12th by former president Diosdado Macapagal, the father of the incumbent Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was just re-elected for a full six-year term as Philippine president. Since the early 1960’s, Fourth of July is known as the Philippine-American Friendship Day (should it not be Phil – U S A Friendship Day instead?) .
Having been in America for about thirty years, I have witnessed how Americans celebrate Independence Day. There is indeed a greater sense of civic and community involvement in this country where a lot of non-governmental agencies are very much involved in countless community celebrations. Unlike in the Philippines, over here celebrations are community events that are done with minimal government funds as non-governmental organizations and business organizations are quite involved. Government employees also participate but they are not normally required to participate in parades. Our sense of volunteerism and civic involvement involvement, like those of the Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, Lions, Optimists and many others are very common in almost all towns or cities. For instance, our own Chamber of Commerce in Orange County for many years has been sponsoring very successful Fourth of July Carnival on a three-day weekend where businesses and non-governmental agencies have their own booths to advertise or showcase their products and/or services. The fair also served as a major fundraising for many organizations, which the entire community supports by attending at least one day. For a couple of years, my family had also participated by having a Filipino booth selling our famous “pancit” and barbecue. Great profits but very back breaking job, so we no longer do it as there are many other ways to make better money in this greatest free enterprise country in the world!
* * * *
How do Filipinos in America spend their Fourth of July holidays?
As it is summer vacation for most students, families plan their vacation and visit friends in other states or cities or become “balikbayans” (going home) to the Philippines. In Southern California, considered as the most popular destination is Las Vegas, derisively called ‘Lost Wages’ as it is only a 4 to 5 hour drive by car or an hour by plane from Los Angeles. Asians, including Filipinos, are often stereotyped as people who love to gamble. Casinos have long noticed that and have tremendously exploited it by offering the Asian games they love to play such as: pai gow, domino-type games or even mahjong and the dice.
Another popular destinations are San Francisco, about 7-8 hour drive north of Los Angeles, the Yosemite National Park about 4 hour north of Los Angeles, or San Diego just two hours south, Sacramento, the state capital is also about 7 hours north of LA and to Reno, Nevada for another two hours from Sacramento by car.
Families who do not want to drive, however, often have just picnics in local parks or simply hold a family gathering with some friends in a backyard barbecue. Many nationalities especially Americans “admire” Filipinos as a people who lavishly love food and parties. There seems to be no meeting or gathering without too much food for everyone. Filipinos always prepare twice as much food than necessary as it is a family “embarrassment” to be running out of food, especially when Americans or out of town guests are present. More often than not, guests especially the relatives must bring home some of the leftover foods. So take home food (balot) is always a norm in many Filipino parties here in the United States.
After eating, a lot of Filipino families would have also card games, like pusoy, tong its or madjong that could even last till the following in the morning. Of course, beer, wine or hard liquor are also served with abundance. Independence Day celebration will not be complete, however, without the elaborate fireworks and many cities sponsored them in designated parks beginning at dusk. Many cities have banned their residents to do their own fireworks in their homes or streets for the risk of fire and bodily dismemberment. So if we Filipinos would like to watch fireworks we just drive to nearby parks designated by the city government or any authorized non profit organization like a Chamber of Commerce or a Rotary Club.
That’s normally how we Filipino Americans normally spend our Fourth of July, but unfortunately oftentimes without even mentioning that it is also day to celebrate this so-called Philippine and America Friendship Day as changed by Pres. Dadong Macapagal.
* * *
Regarding this widely unnoticed Phil-Am Friendship day, I have some relevant suggestions for the Philippine government. I believe that this Phil-American Friendship Day was substituted as a “consuelo de bobo” (my educated guess) to be able to continue a Fourth of July celebration, but it appears that it is not working as it was intended. In the USA, it is dramatically overshadowed by the gaiety and lavishness of the greatest American holiday, their own Independence Day. May I respectfully suggest, then, to Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo, to move this Filipino American Friendship Day to another date but in CONSULTATION with her friend in the White House, Pres. George “Dubya” Bush. And this must be done before the November election as there is that 50-50 chance that Mr. Bush might not be reelected because of the continuing unpopularity of the Iraqi War and the economy that is still not fully recovered from the effects of 911. Changing the date will give us Filipinos and our American friends a better day to properly celebrate and for both governments to effectively market the importance of a better relationship between both countries . As this proposal need not cost the Philippine government a lot of pesos, it must be done sooner rather than later.
* * * *
I was in the Philippines for over two weeks recently with four fellow American Rotarians, Chet & Frances Swart and Sharun & Paul Carlson, from Cerritos, California, after attending the Rotary International Convention in Osaka, Japan and a week side trip to Beijing and Shanghai, and I happened to watch on TV the proceedings of the Philippines Independence Day celebration held at the Rizal Park (the traditional place of such a celebration) where it rained during the height of the staged presentation) and it was quite obvious that majority of the participants, those marching as well as many presenters were from the government sectors led my Cabinet secretaries. I can just surmise that their department heads required them to attend and/or participate.
I was in Pangasinan that weekend, and I observed that most towns did not have any Independence Day celebration. Without the televised Rizal Park Celebration where President Macapagal Arroyo spoke and lambasted the opposition for the ongoing (then) Canvassing of Election Certificates, many people probably did not even realize that it was the Philippines’ Independence Day. Puzzled why there was no big celebrations in the towns, I asked a few residents and was told that it would cost a lot of money and time away from their livelihoods to indulge in such festivities. It’s sad but true. Then it dawned on me, as I remember Americans rationalizing many things in their lives: “That’s economy, stupid!”
* * * *
Speaking of Filipino and American Friendship relations, I would like to share some of our experiences with my close friends and fellow Rotarians from Cerritos, California who visited the Philippines for the first time as guests of our sister club, the Rotary Club of Cerritos. We started our month-long trip to Japan and visited several cities namely Gifu, Kyoto and Osaka where the national discipline of the people is quite evident as the cities we visited are quite clean and you cannot see rubbish just around the streets. Bikes in front of houses have no locks, either. We have also observed in visiting some schools that students are grouped as teams to clean their bathrooms and classrooms on a rotation basis which is not practiced in the USA as it might be considered as “child abuse or against anti-child labor” (pun intended). With a personal experience, I now have high respects for the Japanese people by the return of my digital expensive digital camera which I accidentally left on a bullet train from Gifu to Kyoto. An hour or so after I discovered that I left it, I reported the matter to our Japanese American travel agent who happened to be with us, and she said “Do not worry” it will be back in our hotel…. I honestly did not believe her as it has been two days and it was not back to me yet. Then on the third day, it arrived in my hotel sent by the train company! Everybody in my Rotary Group was astounded as it would not possibly have come back if I left it in the Philippines or even in the United States.
Then, in Beijing, which is now “opened” for tourist to share in the tourism dollars, we were able to see the Forbidden City and the famous Tianamen Square. A lot of domestic tourists are also going to see their historical sites and we were all amazed with the rich history of the Chinese emperors who built their legendary palaces. For some daring ones, we also have climbed the Great Wall of China. Reading Chinese history in high school or college was different. Seeing that it really existed made me a believer the richness of their history and civilization.
The New Shanghai is a city that Metro Manila could emulate. The Airport is modern and more efficient than many in the U.S. and of course the Manila International Airport. As China is just beginning to learn and act as “Western” capitalists, the trade and commerce, especially in the service arena, is still not at par with North America. But they are fast catching up. Buildings and the metropolitan areas can be compared with that of any major US city. Many American companies, from McDonalds to Microsoft have discovered an entry to the vast Chinese market via progressive cities like Shanghai. With massive industrialization, traffic, pollution and rising costs of living, especially condos in the cities, are starting to up too. The price that people pay for modernization of a city!
After two weeks in Japan and China, we arrived in the Manila. The first thing my American friends noticed was the terrible traffic… but I told them at least “Enjoy the ride you will be not be hurt as our drivers are experts” as they are gradually conditioned themselves with the local environment.
We were brought by our sister club, the Rotary Club of Makati Bel-Air to their Gawad Kalinga housing project for the homeless in Mandaluyong and we observed the obvious poverty of the residents there. Another day, we were also brought to the Loyola Heights Rotary Club housing project in East Silangan where l00 houses were built that cost only $1,000 dollars per house. Our Rotary Club donated two thousand dollars to build a couple. And also contributed $4,000 dollars to the housing and community projects of the Makati Bel Air Rotary Clubs. Yes, two days trip to the economically challenged segment of Philippine population touched our hearts and made us want to do more this Centennial year.
But despite of these heart-moving poverty on display, our American friends did enjoy the unique and distinct hospitality of the Filipino people. With ready smiles and always taking the extra mile in serving, our Rotarian hosts have brought us to Corregidor, to Tagaytay and also to Villa Escudero in Laguna. And again the food that became the center of most of our meetings!
The succinct comments of our past president of our Rotary Club of Cerritos, Atty/CPA Chet Swart summarized their sentiments “The time we spent in Manila was very encouraging from the stand point of the help that the two Rotary Clubs’ projects we visited were a light to the way that the poor people be helped to better their lives. The fact that they were required to put their “sweat equity” and that they got title to their homes was an example of the type of self help that is needed to give HOPE and encouragement to themselves.”
He added, “If only the middle class can be expanded, more jobs would be available. It would seem that the extremes of very rich and very poor must be broken. Japan, Taiwan, South Korea have come being down and now to being very prosperous, WHY CANT THE PHILIPPINES DO IT?”
True friends tell you what they believe in, whether you agree or not. I know Chet and his wife Frances as well as Sharun and Paul Carlson, two past presidents of our Rotary Club of Cerritos, who were with us in Manila, and I respect their opinions and I agree with them l00%. To resonate Chet’s comments: “If our Asian neighbors can do it, why can’t the Philippines do it? “
Go figure.
--------- 3 0 -------
Email columnist at: erdelusa@hotmail.com or cerritosrcprez2005@yahoo.com
Websites: www.katipunan-usa.org and www.ptag.org
Join us at: ProgressivetimesAction-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
By Ernie D. Delfin
4TH OF JULY: U.S. INDEPENDENCE DAY AND THE PHILIPPINE-USA FRIENDSHIP DAY
Happy Independence Day to all in the U.S.A! To all Filipinos and Americans everywhere, I also greet all of you a Happy and Harmonious Friendship Day! May we be able to celebrate this Fourth of July the way it was envisioned, forever!
With the continued Iraqi conflict where the United States is still very much involved, Independence Day and Memorial Day (celebrated on the last Monday of May) have become the most notable holidays in America. Fourth of July used to be the Philippines’ Independence Day until it was changed to June 12th by former president Diosdado Macapagal, the father of the incumbent Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was just re-elected for a full six-year term as Philippine president. Since the early 1960’s, Fourth of July is known as the Philippine-American Friendship Day (should it not be Phil – U S A Friendship Day instead?) .
Having been in America for about thirty years, I have witnessed how Americans celebrate Independence Day. There is indeed a greater sense of civic and community involvement in this country where a lot of non-governmental agencies are very much involved in countless community celebrations. Unlike in the Philippines, over here celebrations are community events that are done with minimal government funds as non-governmental organizations and business organizations are quite involved. Government employees also participate but they are not normally required to participate in parades. Our sense of volunteerism and civic involvement involvement, like those of the Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, Lions, Optimists and many others are very common in almost all towns or cities. For instance, our own Chamber of Commerce in Orange County for many years has been sponsoring very successful Fourth of July Carnival on a three-day weekend where businesses and non-governmental agencies have their own booths to advertise or showcase their products and/or services. The fair also served as a major fundraising for many organizations, which the entire community supports by attending at least one day. For a couple of years, my family had also participated by having a Filipino booth selling our famous “pancit” and barbecue. Great profits but very back breaking job, so we no longer do it as there are many other ways to make better money in this greatest free enterprise country in the world!
* * * *
How do Filipinos in America spend their Fourth of July holidays?
As it is summer vacation for most students, families plan their vacation and visit friends in other states or cities or become “balikbayans” (going home) to the Philippines. In Southern California, considered as the most popular destination is Las Vegas, derisively called ‘Lost Wages’ as it is only a 4 to 5 hour drive by car or an hour by plane from Los Angeles. Asians, including Filipinos, are often stereotyped as people who love to gamble. Casinos have long noticed that and have tremendously exploited it by offering the Asian games they love to play such as: pai gow, domino-type games or even mahjong and the dice.
Another popular destinations are San Francisco, about 7-8 hour drive north of Los Angeles, the Yosemite National Park about 4 hour north of Los Angeles, or San Diego just two hours south, Sacramento, the state capital is also about 7 hours north of LA and to Reno, Nevada for another two hours from Sacramento by car.
Families who do not want to drive, however, often have just picnics in local parks or simply hold a family gathering with some friends in a backyard barbecue. Many nationalities especially Americans “admire” Filipinos as a people who lavishly love food and parties. There seems to be no meeting or gathering without too much food for everyone. Filipinos always prepare twice as much food than necessary as it is a family “embarrassment” to be running out of food, especially when Americans or out of town guests are present. More often than not, guests especially the relatives must bring home some of the leftover foods. So take home food (balot) is always a norm in many Filipino parties here in the United States.
After eating, a lot of Filipino families would have also card games, like pusoy, tong its or madjong that could even last till the following in the morning. Of course, beer, wine or hard liquor are also served with abundance. Independence Day celebration will not be complete, however, without the elaborate fireworks and many cities sponsored them in designated parks beginning at dusk. Many cities have banned their residents to do their own fireworks in their homes or streets for the risk of fire and bodily dismemberment. So if we Filipinos would like to watch fireworks we just drive to nearby parks designated by the city government or any authorized non profit organization like a Chamber of Commerce or a Rotary Club.
That’s normally how we Filipino Americans normally spend our Fourth of July, but unfortunately oftentimes without even mentioning that it is also day to celebrate this so-called Philippine and America Friendship Day as changed by Pres. Dadong Macapagal.
* * *
Regarding this widely unnoticed Phil-Am Friendship day, I have some relevant suggestions for the Philippine government. I believe that this Phil-American Friendship Day was substituted as a “consuelo de bobo” (my educated guess) to be able to continue a Fourth of July celebration, but it appears that it is not working as it was intended. In the USA, it is dramatically overshadowed by the gaiety and lavishness of the greatest American holiday, their own Independence Day. May I respectfully suggest, then, to Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo, to move this Filipino American Friendship Day to another date but in CONSULTATION with her friend in the White House, Pres. George “Dubya” Bush. And this must be done before the November election as there is that 50-50 chance that Mr. Bush might not be reelected because of the continuing unpopularity of the Iraqi War and the economy that is still not fully recovered from the effects of 911. Changing the date will give us Filipinos and our American friends a better day to properly celebrate and for both governments to effectively market the importance of a better relationship between both countries . As this proposal need not cost the Philippine government a lot of pesos, it must be done sooner rather than later.
* * * *
I was in the Philippines for over two weeks recently with four fellow American Rotarians, Chet & Frances Swart and Sharun & Paul Carlson, from Cerritos, California, after attending the Rotary International Convention in Osaka, Japan and a week side trip to Beijing and Shanghai, and I happened to watch on TV the proceedings of the Philippines Independence Day celebration held at the Rizal Park (the traditional place of such a celebration) where it rained during the height of the staged presentation) and it was quite obvious that majority of the participants, those marching as well as many presenters were from the government sectors led my Cabinet secretaries. I can just surmise that their department heads required them to attend and/or participate.
I was in Pangasinan that weekend, and I observed that most towns did not have any Independence Day celebration. Without the televised Rizal Park Celebration where President Macapagal Arroyo spoke and lambasted the opposition for the ongoing (then) Canvassing of Election Certificates, many people probably did not even realize that it was the Philippines’ Independence Day. Puzzled why there was no big celebrations in the towns, I asked a few residents and was told that it would cost a lot of money and time away from their livelihoods to indulge in such festivities. It’s sad but true. Then it dawned on me, as I remember Americans rationalizing many things in their lives: “That’s economy, stupid!”
* * * *
Speaking of Filipino and American Friendship relations, I would like to share some of our experiences with my close friends and fellow Rotarians from Cerritos, California who visited the Philippines for the first time as guests of our sister club, the Rotary Club of Cerritos. We started our month-long trip to Japan and visited several cities namely Gifu, Kyoto and Osaka where the national discipline of the people is quite evident as the cities we visited are quite clean and you cannot see rubbish just around the streets. Bikes in front of houses have no locks, either. We have also observed in visiting some schools that students are grouped as teams to clean their bathrooms and classrooms on a rotation basis which is not practiced in the USA as it might be considered as “child abuse or against anti-child labor” (pun intended). With a personal experience, I now have high respects for the Japanese people by the return of my digital expensive digital camera which I accidentally left on a bullet train from Gifu to Kyoto. An hour or so after I discovered that I left it, I reported the matter to our Japanese American travel agent who happened to be with us, and she said “Do not worry” it will be back in our hotel…. I honestly did not believe her as it has been two days and it was not back to me yet. Then on the third day, it arrived in my hotel sent by the train company! Everybody in my Rotary Group was astounded as it would not possibly have come back if I left it in the Philippines or even in the United States.
Then, in Beijing, which is now “opened” for tourist to share in the tourism dollars, we were able to see the Forbidden City and the famous Tianamen Square. A lot of domestic tourists are also going to see their historical sites and we were all amazed with the rich history of the Chinese emperors who built their legendary palaces. For some daring ones, we also have climbed the Great Wall of China. Reading Chinese history in high school or college was different. Seeing that it really existed made me a believer the richness of their history and civilization.
The New Shanghai is a city that Metro Manila could emulate. The Airport is modern and more efficient than many in the U.S. and of course the Manila International Airport. As China is just beginning to learn and act as “Western” capitalists, the trade and commerce, especially in the service arena, is still not at par with North America. But they are fast catching up. Buildings and the metropolitan areas can be compared with that of any major US city. Many American companies, from McDonalds to Microsoft have discovered an entry to the vast Chinese market via progressive cities like Shanghai. With massive industrialization, traffic, pollution and rising costs of living, especially condos in the cities, are starting to up too. The price that people pay for modernization of a city!
After two weeks in Japan and China, we arrived in the Manila. The first thing my American friends noticed was the terrible traffic… but I told them at least “Enjoy the ride you will be not be hurt as our drivers are experts” as they are gradually conditioned themselves with the local environment.
We were brought by our sister club, the Rotary Club of Makati Bel-Air to their Gawad Kalinga housing project for the homeless in Mandaluyong and we observed the obvious poverty of the residents there. Another day, we were also brought to the Loyola Heights Rotary Club housing project in East Silangan where l00 houses were built that cost only $1,000 dollars per house. Our Rotary Club donated two thousand dollars to build a couple. And also contributed $4,000 dollars to the housing and community projects of the Makati Bel Air Rotary Clubs. Yes, two days trip to the economically challenged segment of Philippine population touched our hearts and made us want to do more this Centennial year.
But despite of these heart-moving poverty on display, our American friends did enjoy the unique and distinct hospitality of the Filipino people. With ready smiles and always taking the extra mile in serving, our Rotarian hosts have brought us to Corregidor, to Tagaytay and also to Villa Escudero in Laguna. And again the food that became the center of most of our meetings!
The succinct comments of our past president of our Rotary Club of Cerritos, Atty/CPA Chet Swart summarized their sentiments “The time we spent in Manila was very encouraging from the stand point of the help that the two Rotary Clubs’ projects we visited were a light to the way that the poor people be helped to better their lives. The fact that they were required to put their “sweat equity” and that they got title to their homes was an example of the type of self help that is needed to give HOPE and encouragement to themselves.”
He added, “If only the middle class can be expanded, more jobs would be available. It would seem that the extremes of very rich and very poor must be broken. Japan, Taiwan, South Korea have come being down and now to being very prosperous, WHY CANT THE PHILIPPINES DO IT?”
True friends tell you what they believe in, whether you agree or not. I know Chet and his wife Frances as well as Sharun and Paul Carlson, two past presidents of our Rotary Club of Cerritos, who were with us in Manila, and I respect their opinions and I agree with them l00%. To resonate Chet’s comments: “If our Asian neighbors can do it, why can’t the Philippines do it? “
Go figure.
--------- 3 0 -------
Email columnist at: erdelusa@hotmail.com or cerritosrcprez2005@yahoo.com
Websites: www.katipunan-usa.org and www.ptag.org
Join us at: ProgressivetimesAction-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
HOPE AND GOOD NEWS DURING EASTER AND SPRING SEASON
A VOICE FROM AMERICA
By Ernie D. Delfin
SOME THOUGHTS OF HOPE AND RANDOM GOOD NEWS
THIS EASTER WEEK AND SPRING SEASON
“An unexamined life is not worth living for” -- Socrates
Today is Palm Sunday 2004, a beautiful spring day in Southern California. I love this Spring season simply because many trees and plants including those in my “farmyard” that lost their leaves last Fall started to show off their green luscious leaves again; various flowers start to bloom attracting birds, butterflies and many living creatures that contribute to the cycle of earthly life. All these wonders of nature unfold their magnificence as if responding to a magic wand of an Invisible Director before our naked eyes as they continue the healthy balance of life around us. God’s work is a miracle every day, which is unfortunately taken for granted by millions of people especially those in many metropolitan areas.
I did not realize until about two decades ago that I would enjoy nature this much considering that I hated farm work because of the demanding physical work from sunrise to sunset during my growing up years in the farming village in Pangasinan. Now, farm work or gardening has become a priceless hobby, an effective but inexpensive therapy for businessman’s stressful life in the city. Today is another awesome weekend that helps me enjoy the day despite the chaotic or depressing news in many parts of the world, including the political circus in the Philippines.
Palm Sunday, a great holiday of our Church, is the beginning of the Passion of Jesus Christ. To all Christians, the Lenten Season gives timely reason to pause and reflect on the Passion of Christ to have some personal retreat (from a topsy-turvy world) for reflection to infuse some meaning to our lives. The worldly acclaimed Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the Christ, which opened on the first day of Lent on Ash Wednesday in the United States indeed has not only fueled some heated controversy but also prompted many people to examine or meditate what is truly important in their lives. Christians who have seen it, like this writer with his entire family, are reminded that world is indeed an imperfect one since the beginning of time as we ardently hope that there is another more peaceful world in the afterlife. To us believers and followers of Christ, the promise of our redemption that is fully paid by Christ suffering and death on the cross is the ultimate reward that all Christians hope for.
* * * *
From my perspective in America, there are also many good things happening in our world despite the gloom and doom prediction fueled by heated political campaigns and the pessimistic news that we continue to read in the papers or see on TV. To augment some pounds of optimism for my STAR readers this Easter Week, let me share some good news and developments emanating from America:
* As the U.S. economy continues to contract, and some jobs are lost due to globalization (outsourced abroad like in India, China, Malaysia and Singapore and also Philippines) families are adjusting by living together to share expenses. Due to spiraling costs of living especially in housing in California, many families are opting to just add a room or two so that family members can come back for economic reasons. The median price of a house in Orange County now is almost half a million dollars. A rent for one bedroom apartment is already over $1,l00 dollars before other expenses like utilities, food and transportation. The upside of this dramatic increase in housing costs is that families are again beginning live closer as a family, probably living happier and hopefully longer too.
* More children of many Filipino American families now, compared a
generation ago , are now much more interested to learn about their Filipino culture and even enrolled to learn how to speak the Filipino language. There is now an increased demand for Philippine Studies and Culture. I read that even the University of Hawaii has some very unique subject, Ilocano Dialect, Culture and Values!
Another phenomenon is the continued growth and vibrancy of our Catholic Covenant Community City on the Hill (COH), an affiliate of Ligaya ng Panginoon and Couples for Christ in the Philippines, is attributed to the Singles Group of Young Adults whose Music Ministry has added much needed energy to the entire COH community. Christian songs in Tagalog are often sung more often now. Furthermore, the popular singing group from the Philippines, Bukas Palad, is arriving to perform in a concert here in Southern California on May lst because of our COH Single Group. This promises to be a special treat to many Filipinos in Southern California.
• In the media, especially in broadcast journalism, the beauty and talent several Filipino women are also being noticed. For instance, in the Los Angeles area, two beautiful ladies appear almost daily in prime time TV. They are Denise Dador of ABC Channel 7, whose parents are from Cebu, and Maria Quiban who was born in Hawaii of Ilocano parents (like the former Miss Universe the former Miss Baraquio) who is a regular at Fox Channel Eleven. The Asian American Journalists Association (www.aaja.org) also had a National President several years ago, Ms. Camia, and the LA local chapter has two members of the board, namely: Richard Fruto, a Philippine born who has a journalism degree before becoming a lawyer, is the treasurer and my own daughter, Donna Karen Delfin, is now the secretary. The National Executive Director, Rene Astudillo, is also a Filipino. And there are more Filipino American personalities in other cities and states.
• In the health care field, the presence and importance of Filipino doctors and nurses are very obvious. It is said that no hospital in the US, especially in California, will survive without the Filipino doctors and especially the nurses! Thousands are also working as private caretakers of many elderly or disabled Americans. Even the celebrity, Christopher Reeves is reported to have some Filipino nurses in his employ. These private caregivers who go to the American homes are the fastest growing but seemingly invisible occupation of many Filipinos many of them have college degrees. Caregiving might be a lowly and non-glamorous job but many Filipinos do not mind because the salaries are very good. I know a family (both parents and one daughter) as they are my tax and real estate clients, made over $100,000 last year just being caregivers!
• In U.S. politics, although the Filipinos are still way behind the other Asian groups like the Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese, we are slowly adding some names to the roster of elected officials. In Carson, California, after the shameful exit of Mayor Pete Fajardo and Councilman Manny Ontal (both Filipino Americans) l due to corrupt practices, another Filipino, Elito Santarina, a teacher who hails from Nueva Ecija, won a Council seat last year. He tried to run for Mayor this year but he did not make during his first try, but I predict that as his name becomes more recognized, he will be the next Filipino American mayor. In the City of Walnut, the mayor is also a Filipino by the name of Antonio Cartagena. In the City of Milpitas, CA the mayor is a certain Mr. Esteves (originally from Pangasinan) who succeeded another Filipino American mayor, Henry Manayan, who unfortunately did not win the March 2nd primary to have been the first Filipino American member of the California State Assembly. In the City of Daly City, Mr. Guingona is also the mayor. A lawyer-friend David Valderrama, (a fluent orator in both English and Tagalog from Laguna) is the first and only Filipino American elected delegate to the Maryland Assembly. And in the Cerritos ABC Unified School District, 3 of the 7 members of the Board of Education are Filipinos: Cecy Groom, Mark Pulido and Armin Reyes. The City Finance Manager is also a Filipina CPA-friend of mine who is a fellow Rotarian, Becky Lingad. With an estimated 3,000,000 Filipinos in America, of course, there should be more in politics and government… but slowly and gradually, our numbers will also increase with time.
• In Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, among the Asians or foreign-born entertainers, the Filipinos are most likely the most popular group… Martin Nievera had a long-standing show at the New Orleans Hotel & Casino and just recently Regine Velasquez also had a successful show.. The Society of Seven has also appeared there many times in the past. The popular American Idol show had two Filipina contestants who are now among the semi finalists…. Coincidentally, our visiting Rotarian guests from Japan acknowledged, during our welcome dinner last night upon learning that I was originally from the Philippines when I was introduced as the President Elect of our Cerritos Rotary Club, that there are many entertainers in hotels are working in Tokyo and in Osaka where we will be going next on May 22 for the Rotary International Convention. Indeed the talents and popularity of the Filipinos in the entertainment field is now a worldwide phenomenon !
• The brotherhood of men is also evident in our Rotary Clubs worldwide. Through our Rotary Avenue of International Service, our Rotary Club of Cerritos and our sister club in Gifu, Japan are donating a couple thousand dollars to the Loyola Heights Rotary Club, Quezon City to help them in their Loving Village affordable housing project for the poor in joint project with the Couples for Christ. During this forthcoming 2004-2005 Rotary Centennial Year, we have also committed to help our sister club of Makati Bel Air Rotary Club in their Gawad Kalinga Poverty alleviation program project. We plan to hand them a few thousand dollar check when we visit them in June this year.
• It is also very heartwarming to learn that many overseas Filipinos also are getting more involved in lending a hand to many Filipinos in the Philippines even in a small but positive way. For almost a year now, dozens of overseas Filipinos especially from the United States have formed a ProgressiveTimes Action Group (visit www.ptag.org website) and without much fun fare or publicity are now involved in sending some dozen Sagip Bata scholars in different schools coordinated by our Filipino PTAG volunteers. We have also sent some needed books to some places like the Tahanang Walang Hagdanan in Cainta, Rizal, and in San Pablo City in Laguna and to Pangasinan and also in Bacolod. Dozens are also volunteering to assist with the Namfrel volunteers in monitoring a clean and honest election.
As the founder of this PTAG, I am very pleased of the response of many volunteers and the growing benefactors of PTAG. We have now some presence in San Pablo City because of Gigi Fellizar and MeAnn Pineda-Gonzales, in Cainta and Taytay because of Austri Basinillo and Faith Malazarte and Mario Firme, in Hagonoy Bulacan, because of Paddy Padilla, in Marbel-Koronadal City because of Jing Ureta and also in Pangasinan because of Loreto Quevedo Dimaandal and yours truly. And soon we will have the Payatas Resettlement Project in Palawan because of Fred Antonio and Celia Ruiz Tomlinson and their recruited volunteers.
This coming school year, we believe that we will have more beneficiaries as we have more volunteers and benefactors. Our vision and our ultimate dream is to have a PTAG chapter in every barangay in the Philippines to serve as a an effective and graft-free conduit between pre-selected beneficiaries in the Philippines and the Overseas Filipinos and their friends who are able and willing to assist improve the quality of life of many economically challenged Filipinos by motivating and teaching them the how-to-fish mentality and not just through dole-outs which many Overseas Filipino dependents have been accustomed to.
With such an ambitious programs of PTAG --- in addition to hundreds of other organizations doing parallel work for the Philippines ---- there is great hope that the Philippines will change for the better! But we still need more people to lend a hand to make this social and charitable work expand larger, faster and wider. Any one interested, please email this writer or simply join us at: ProgressiveTimesAction-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and visit our website at: www.ptag.org.
With that, I wish all you, my STAR readers, A HAPPY AND BLESSED EASTER WEEK!
----- 30 ----
E-mail writer at: erdelusa@hotmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
Visit: www.katipunan-usa.org and www.ptag.org
By Ernie D. Delfin
SOME THOUGHTS OF HOPE AND RANDOM GOOD NEWS
THIS EASTER WEEK AND SPRING SEASON
“An unexamined life is not worth living for” -- Socrates
Today is Palm Sunday 2004, a beautiful spring day in Southern California. I love this Spring season simply because many trees and plants including those in my “farmyard” that lost their leaves last Fall started to show off their green luscious leaves again; various flowers start to bloom attracting birds, butterflies and many living creatures that contribute to the cycle of earthly life. All these wonders of nature unfold their magnificence as if responding to a magic wand of an Invisible Director before our naked eyes as they continue the healthy balance of life around us. God’s work is a miracle every day, which is unfortunately taken for granted by millions of people especially those in many metropolitan areas.
I did not realize until about two decades ago that I would enjoy nature this much considering that I hated farm work because of the demanding physical work from sunrise to sunset during my growing up years in the farming village in Pangasinan. Now, farm work or gardening has become a priceless hobby, an effective but inexpensive therapy for businessman’s stressful life in the city. Today is another awesome weekend that helps me enjoy the day despite the chaotic or depressing news in many parts of the world, including the political circus in the Philippines.
Palm Sunday, a great holiday of our Church, is the beginning of the Passion of Jesus Christ. To all Christians, the Lenten Season gives timely reason to pause and reflect on the Passion of Christ to have some personal retreat (from a topsy-turvy world) for reflection to infuse some meaning to our lives. The worldly acclaimed Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the Christ, which opened on the first day of Lent on Ash Wednesday in the United States indeed has not only fueled some heated controversy but also prompted many people to examine or meditate what is truly important in their lives. Christians who have seen it, like this writer with his entire family, are reminded that world is indeed an imperfect one since the beginning of time as we ardently hope that there is another more peaceful world in the afterlife. To us believers and followers of Christ, the promise of our redemption that is fully paid by Christ suffering and death on the cross is the ultimate reward that all Christians hope for.
* * * *
From my perspective in America, there are also many good things happening in our world despite the gloom and doom prediction fueled by heated political campaigns and the pessimistic news that we continue to read in the papers or see on TV. To augment some pounds of optimism for my STAR readers this Easter Week, let me share some good news and developments emanating from America:
* As the U.S. economy continues to contract, and some jobs are lost due to globalization (outsourced abroad like in India, China, Malaysia and Singapore and also Philippines) families are adjusting by living together to share expenses. Due to spiraling costs of living especially in housing in California, many families are opting to just add a room or two so that family members can come back for economic reasons. The median price of a house in Orange County now is almost half a million dollars. A rent for one bedroom apartment is already over $1,l00 dollars before other expenses like utilities, food and transportation. The upside of this dramatic increase in housing costs is that families are again beginning live closer as a family, probably living happier and hopefully longer too.
* More children of many Filipino American families now, compared a
generation ago , are now much more interested to learn about their Filipino culture and even enrolled to learn how to speak the Filipino language. There is now an increased demand for Philippine Studies and Culture. I read that even the University of Hawaii has some very unique subject, Ilocano Dialect, Culture and Values!
Another phenomenon is the continued growth and vibrancy of our Catholic Covenant Community City on the Hill (COH), an affiliate of Ligaya ng Panginoon and Couples for Christ in the Philippines, is attributed to the Singles Group of Young Adults whose Music Ministry has added much needed energy to the entire COH community. Christian songs in Tagalog are often sung more often now. Furthermore, the popular singing group from the Philippines, Bukas Palad, is arriving to perform in a concert here in Southern California on May lst because of our COH Single Group. This promises to be a special treat to many Filipinos in Southern California.
• In the media, especially in broadcast journalism, the beauty and talent several Filipino women are also being noticed. For instance, in the Los Angeles area, two beautiful ladies appear almost daily in prime time TV. They are Denise Dador of ABC Channel 7, whose parents are from Cebu, and Maria Quiban who was born in Hawaii of Ilocano parents (like the former Miss Universe the former Miss Baraquio) who is a regular at Fox Channel Eleven. The Asian American Journalists Association (www.aaja.org) also had a National President several years ago, Ms. Camia, and the LA local chapter has two members of the board, namely: Richard Fruto, a Philippine born who has a journalism degree before becoming a lawyer, is the treasurer and my own daughter, Donna Karen Delfin, is now the secretary. The National Executive Director, Rene Astudillo, is also a Filipino. And there are more Filipino American personalities in other cities and states.
• In the health care field, the presence and importance of Filipino doctors and nurses are very obvious. It is said that no hospital in the US, especially in California, will survive without the Filipino doctors and especially the nurses! Thousands are also working as private caretakers of many elderly or disabled Americans. Even the celebrity, Christopher Reeves is reported to have some Filipino nurses in his employ. These private caregivers who go to the American homes are the fastest growing but seemingly invisible occupation of many Filipinos many of them have college degrees. Caregiving might be a lowly and non-glamorous job but many Filipinos do not mind because the salaries are very good. I know a family (both parents and one daughter) as they are my tax and real estate clients, made over $100,000 last year just being caregivers!
• In U.S. politics, although the Filipinos are still way behind the other Asian groups like the Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese, we are slowly adding some names to the roster of elected officials. In Carson, California, after the shameful exit of Mayor Pete Fajardo and Councilman Manny Ontal (both Filipino Americans) l due to corrupt practices, another Filipino, Elito Santarina, a teacher who hails from Nueva Ecija, won a Council seat last year. He tried to run for Mayor this year but he did not make during his first try, but I predict that as his name becomes more recognized, he will be the next Filipino American mayor. In the City of Walnut, the mayor is also a Filipino by the name of Antonio Cartagena. In the City of Milpitas, CA the mayor is a certain Mr. Esteves (originally from Pangasinan) who succeeded another Filipino American mayor, Henry Manayan, who unfortunately did not win the March 2nd primary to have been the first Filipino American member of the California State Assembly. In the City of Daly City, Mr. Guingona is also the mayor. A lawyer-friend David Valderrama, (a fluent orator in both English and Tagalog from Laguna) is the first and only Filipino American elected delegate to the Maryland Assembly. And in the Cerritos ABC Unified School District, 3 of the 7 members of the Board of Education are Filipinos: Cecy Groom, Mark Pulido and Armin Reyes. The City Finance Manager is also a Filipina CPA-friend of mine who is a fellow Rotarian, Becky Lingad. With an estimated 3,000,000 Filipinos in America, of course, there should be more in politics and government… but slowly and gradually, our numbers will also increase with time.
• In Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, among the Asians or foreign-born entertainers, the Filipinos are most likely the most popular group… Martin Nievera had a long-standing show at the New Orleans Hotel & Casino and just recently Regine Velasquez also had a successful show.. The Society of Seven has also appeared there many times in the past. The popular American Idol show had two Filipina contestants who are now among the semi finalists…. Coincidentally, our visiting Rotarian guests from Japan acknowledged, during our welcome dinner last night upon learning that I was originally from the Philippines when I was introduced as the President Elect of our Cerritos Rotary Club, that there are many entertainers in hotels are working in Tokyo and in Osaka where we will be going next on May 22 for the Rotary International Convention. Indeed the talents and popularity of the Filipinos in the entertainment field is now a worldwide phenomenon !
• The brotherhood of men is also evident in our Rotary Clubs worldwide. Through our Rotary Avenue of International Service, our Rotary Club of Cerritos and our sister club in Gifu, Japan are donating a couple thousand dollars to the Loyola Heights Rotary Club, Quezon City to help them in their Loving Village affordable housing project for the poor in joint project with the Couples for Christ. During this forthcoming 2004-2005 Rotary Centennial Year, we have also committed to help our sister club of Makati Bel Air Rotary Club in their Gawad Kalinga Poverty alleviation program project. We plan to hand them a few thousand dollar check when we visit them in June this year.
• It is also very heartwarming to learn that many overseas Filipinos also are getting more involved in lending a hand to many Filipinos in the Philippines even in a small but positive way. For almost a year now, dozens of overseas Filipinos especially from the United States have formed a ProgressiveTimes Action Group (visit www.ptag.org website) and without much fun fare or publicity are now involved in sending some dozen Sagip Bata scholars in different schools coordinated by our Filipino PTAG volunteers. We have also sent some needed books to some places like the Tahanang Walang Hagdanan in Cainta, Rizal, and in San Pablo City in Laguna and to Pangasinan and also in Bacolod. Dozens are also volunteering to assist with the Namfrel volunteers in monitoring a clean and honest election.
As the founder of this PTAG, I am very pleased of the response of many volunteers and the growing benefactors of PTAG. We have now some presence in San Pablo City because of Gigi Fellizar and MeAnn Pineda-Gonzales, in Cainta and Taytay because of Austri Basinillo and Faith Malazarte and Mario Firme, in Hagonoy Bulacan, because of Paddy Padilla, in Marbel-Koronadal City because of Jing Ureta and also in Pangasinan because of Loreto Quevedo Dimaandal and yours truly. And soon we will have the Payatas Resettlement Project in Palawan because of Fred Antonio and Celia Ruiz Tomlinson and their recruited volunteers.
This coming school year, we believe that we will have more beneficiaries as we have more volunteers and benefactors. Our vision and our ultimate dream is to have a PTAG chapter in every barangay in the Philippines to serve as a an effective and graft-free conduit between pre-selected beneficiaries in the Philippines and the Overseas Filipinos and their friends who are able and willing to assist improve the quality of life of many economically challenged Filipinos by motivating and teaching them the how-to-fish mentality and not just through dole-outs which many Overseas Filipino dependents have been accustomed to.
With such an ambitious programs of PTAG --- in addition to hundreds of other organizations doing parallel work for the Philippines ---- there is great hope that the Philippines will change for the better! But we still need more people to lend a hand to make this social and charitable work expand larger, faster and wider. Any one interested, please email this writer or simply join us at: ProgressiveTimesAction-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and visit our website at: www.ptag.org.
With that, I wish all you, my STAR readers, A HAPPY AND BLESSED EASTER WEEK!
----- 30 ----
E-mail writer at: erdelusa@hotmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
Visit: www.katipunan-usa.org and www.ptag.org
EMPOWERING THOUGHTS : A N Y W A Y by Kent M. Keith
A N Y W A Y
The Paradoxical Commandments
Finding Personal Meaning in a Crazy World
By Kent M. Keith
(Made more famous by Mother Teresa)
People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful. You will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot
Down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor the underdogs but follow only the topdogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building can be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but people may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you will be kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway!
--- 3 0 --
“In the final analysis, it is not really between you and your fellowmen,
but rather, it is between you and your God that matters!” Right?
---- Ernie Delfin, Columnist
Phil. STAR “A Voice from America”
E-mail: ernie.delfin@gmail.com
Tel. # (714) 839-2615.FAX 775-5732
The Paradoxical Commandments
Finding Personal Meaning in a Crazy World
By Kent M. Keith
(Made more famous by Mother Teresa)
People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful. You will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot
Down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor the underdogs but follow only the topdogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building can be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but people may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you will be kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway!
--- 3 0 --
“In the final analysis, it is not really between you and your fellowmen,
but rather, it is between you and your God that matters!” Right?
---- Ernie Delfin, Columnist
Phil. STAR “A Voice from America”
E-mail: ernie.delfin@gmail.com
Tel. # (714) 839-2615.FAX 775-5732
Sunday, February 14, 2010
A Pinoy's Life In America - A VOICE FROM AMERICA by Ernie D. Delfin
A Pinoy's Life In America
User Rating: A
A Pinoy's Life In America - A VOICE FROM AMERICA by Ernie D. Delfin
For many people around the world, America is like a giant colorful Magnet because it attracts many foreigners. Despite this great attraction, however, a Pinoy's life in the United States is not always rosy.
Like most Americans, many of us Filipinos in America have our own share of problems and struggles. Some of us live from paycheck to paycheck. We work very hard in our unending quest for our own place in the landscape of America. In my almost 30 years in America, I've met hundreds of people of Diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and I've learned a lot along the way.
We Filipinos in America have brought with us our clannishness, some degree of Spanish arrogance, our innate love for things like parties, social dinner dances, food, nice houses, designer clothes and gambling in the casinos. Living it up (pasikatan) and taking undue advantage (makaisa) seem to be in our DNA.
For each one of us who has made it here in America, there are thousands more who are still living unfulfilled lives and hoping to attain the so-called American dream.
Most Filipino-Americans in the labor force face daily struggles and insecurities. They can be laid off from work any day as many companies are currently merging and down sizing. Many employees outside the Protective umbrella of civil service employment suffer from the WWW syndrome: whining, worrying while working. It is true that even the minimum wage earner making about $6.50 per hour, ($1,100 a month) can eat relatively good food but there's more to life than the intake of calories. Of course, there are many people making much more than the minimum wage, like the registered nurses who earn between $3,000 to $5,000 a month depending on their specialty and the shifts they work on. However, by the time taxes are deducted, which is approximately 35 percent, the wage earner is left with just enough to pay for his basic living expenses plus payments for his insurance, entertainment, child-care or education expenses of their children. This leaves the family with almost no savings or investments for their retirement.
Hence, many American families, including Fil-Ams, often resort to using credit cards that enable them to live comfortably but beyond their means. Sooner or later, however, some who can no longer tackle the pressures and stress of the financial burden will file bankruptcy, where all dischargeable debts, like credit cards and other unsecured debts, are discharged and totally forgiven. The ease of getting credit aggravated by the indiscriminate use of the credit cards has created havoc in many people's lives.
An American family of four whose income is only $18,000 yearly is considered poor and in many instances can avail of some government social welfare) assistance. Even a family making $72,000 a year cannot afford to buy a house in the many affluent areas of the nation. In California, for instance, many areas like Orange County (near Disneyland) in San Jose (Silicon Valley) and expensive locations along the Pacific Coast and in the mountain areas are quite expensive. A four-bedroom home with three baths, about 2,400 sq. ft. can command $300,000 to $500,000. A mortgage loan of $300,000 for 30 years term requires an $8,000 monthly income. Less than six percent of Americans make $5,000 a month, and less than three percent make more than $100,000 a year. I do not have a scientific survey, but I believe the vast majority of Filipinos in America, except some physicians, nurses, CPAs, teachers, engineers, architects, do not earn $5,000 a month in one job. Probably only one percent or less make a six-figure income. However, many Filipinos hold more than one job or do a part-time business or work overtime to be able to afford the material things they aspire for.
Speaking of the credit/financial habits of the Filipinos in America, my mortgage lender-friends confirmed my beliefs when they shared their financial statistics that in general the Filipino credit scores (computerized programs that tract and determine the relative risks of any borrower based on his/her credit history) lag behind the Vietnamese, Koreans, Chinese and the Japanese. Filipinos are in the same cluster as the Thais and Indonesians. However, in my financial services business experience (this is not scientific) I have seen that credit-wise we are much better off than the Blacks and in many ways better than the Hispanics who oftentimes have no credit. Like my American counterparts, I am also amazed and baffled about these cultural or ethnic patterns. Can any behavioral scientist explain why?
* * *
Filipino Americans often rationalize that they are better off now than in the past. Hearing such declarations makes me sad. For the information of the uninitiated, rightly or wrongly America is not for the weak and frail but for the strong and brave. America believes in free enterprise and competition - as initiated and honed by the WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) predominant culture. It is the Europeans, of course, who were the first batch of immigrants that colonized, populated, shaped and molded what America is today.
Socially, the Filipino easily becomes a lider of his own Timbuktu Town Association, composed of two dozen or more families overnight. But put him in the mainstream society and he disappears. In Southern California, there are hundreds of Filipino associations that patronize the first-class hotels for their induction dinner dance or beauty pageants every weekend. Also, the Filipinos would rather form their own Lions Club like those in Los Angeles or in San Diego, rather than integrate themselves into an already existing American club. Even in a progressive city, like Cerritos in the Los Angeles County where thousands of Filipinos reside, there are only two of us Filipino Americans who are members of the local Rotary Club. There are many organizations formed by and for Filipinos especially in California where most Filipinos reside. Filipinos are a unique and easy-going people who can be happy with just a small plot to grow their shallow roots. The Filipino is meek and submissive by nature. He is never confrontational. We find it very difficult to say no directly but instead utter euphemisms like "Pipilitin ko" (I'll try to Do my best) or "Titingnan ko" (I'll see if I can).
Filipinos are also very generous people but not to each other. A few of my Filipino Catholic priest friends have told me that dollar donations per attendee in their Masses vary by ethnic groups. Filipino Masses produce one of the lowest amounts of tithing per person.
Over the last 25 years, I have observed that the best fund-raising activities of Filipino organizations in America is the launching of a "Miss Timbuktu Town" based on "popularity" votes (spelled dollars) where the sponsors sell thousands of tickets for a buck each in addition to the solicitation of expensive "advertisement" or greetings in their souvenir programs from all their relatives across the US and Canada for that 15 minutes (or probably one weekend?) of fame evidenced by the printed association's souvenir program where greetings and family pictures abound.
This is a very popular fund-raising activity because there is some kind of a public recognition that one family is more popular and more successful or wealthier than the other candidates.
Another aspect in the social family life that I find very disturbing and serious, however, is the documented high degree of suicides/homicides and/or juvenile delinquency compared to other communities. For instance, I know a family whose son was killed by the police in an alleged home invasion robbery; another family's daughter who hanged herself and another Filipino teenager who was killed by another Filipino teenager (all in Orange County), a Filipino CPA killed by his son (in LA) and another Filipino who shot himself in the head in a shopping mall in San Diego. One of the reasons why these family tragedies occur, I believe, is the conscious or unconscious quest for more material possessions by working two or three jobs, leaving the kids with nobody at home to watch over them. The trade-off is the un-wholesome company of gangs that become the substitute family which gives the much needed love and care these troubled kids need.
Mother Teresa once said that America, despite her opulence, is becoming a spiritual desert. A fellow advocate for a balanced life, Dr. Eleanor M. Santiago, retired physician in Los Angeles who is the president/CEO Optimum Health Care Systems, Inc. based in Pasig City, agrees with Mother Teresa's profound observation. Retired from her medical practice in California and now a strong proponent of the HMO business in the Philippines and a lay leader of the Stephen Ministry and Servant Leadership Foundation in the Philippines, Dr. Santiago told a surprised American audience: "There Is deeper spirituality of the Filipino people in the Philippines amidst Their material poverty, even among the survivors of the Payatas garbage mountain that collapsed, killing hundreds of people. The Filipino people by nature are good people who deserve a better life. And we can help them by assisting and empowering them to solve their own problems."
* * *
On the political side, the involvement of the average Filipino is still very shallow and far from ideal. Filipino-Americans become naturalized American citizens not necessarily to be able to vote but to petition other members of their families to migrate to the United States and to avoid going to the Philippine Consulates to renew their passports or secure their BIR tax clearances.
Gradually, the US has seen growing number of Filipino-Americans being elected into public office. Names like Ben Cayetano, the first Filipino governor of Hawaii, Mayor Henry Manayan in Milpitas, California, Mayor Peter Fajardo in Carson, California, David Valederrama in Maryland State Legislature come to mind in the political arena. Many more Filipino Americans are elected to other city councils, school districts and other government instrumentalities across the nation.
However, lately a couple of these elected Filipino officials have fallen out as role models from the Filipino community. The only Filipino elected city councilman in the entire San Diego County, in the City of National City (the Filipino businesses enclave in San Diego, where you can go to many Filipino restaurants like Max Chicken or Ma Mon Luk, groceries and night clubs) by the name of Fred Soto was involved in a legal lawsuit for some alleged financial improprieties and gross unprofessional conduct that resulted into his surrendering his license to practice law and now faces a possible recall of his elected position.
Last week, the first Filipino elected mayor of Carson, Peter Fajardo, was arrested and is still in prison (as of this writing) for allegedly breaking his probation resulting from his pleading guilty to a federal misdemeanor of illegally collecting a lawyer's fee. Now, the Filipinos in Carson that comprise about a quarter of the city's 60,000 population are bewildered by this sad event as their image in the entire nation is again tarnished.
My own theory is that oftentimes there is a wide chasm between the image that the politician is trying to project to the public and his core-character. Foremost American author and leadership guru Steven R. Covey calls this "living a duplicitous life," a life that is devoid of any integrity savings account. In any great inner conflict, sooner or later, the person does some wicked and foolish acts for his self-destruction as the weight of baggage in his edifice is built on a shaky foundation made of sand causes the building to collapse.
Unsuccessful and weak people purporting to be very successful and strong often wear public masks every day of their lives (epitomized by a fallen President Erap Estrada) instead of just during Halloween's trick or treat parties.
* * *
So, dear kababayans, please do not idolize or envy us here in America as all of us are also fighting our own demons every day. Our lives here are not necessarily better than yours. Although this article is an honest depiction of a somewhat negative aspect of the Filipino life in America, I do not wish to imply that Filipinos here in America live in this negative light. The point is that we must constantly be aware of our human frailties so that we can improve ourselves in conquering the demons within each of us.
User Rating: A
A Pinoy's Life In America - A VOICE FROM AMERICA by Ernie D. Delfin
For many people around the world, America is like a giant colorful Magnet because it attracts many foreigners. Despite this great attraction, however, a Pinoy's life in the United States is not always rosy.
Like most Americans, many of us Filipinos in America have our own share of problems and struggles. Some of us live from paycheck to paycheck. We work very hard in our unending quest for our own place in the landscape of America. In my almost 30 years in America, I've met hundreds of people of Diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and I've learned a lot along the way.
We Filipinos in America have brought with us our clannishness, some degree of Spanish arrogance, our innate love for things like parties, social dinner dances, food, nice houses, designer clothes and gambling in the casinos. Living it up (pasikatan) and taking undue advantage (makaisa) seem to be in our DNA.
For each one of us who has made it here in America, there are thousands more who are still living unfulfilled lives and hoping to attain the so-called American dream.
Most Filipino-Americans in the labor force face daily struggles and insecurities. They can be laid off from work any day as many companies are currently merging and down sizing. Many employees outside the Protective umbrella of civil service employment suffer from the WWW syndrome: whining, worrying while working. It is true that even the minimum wage earner making about $6.50 per hour, ($1,100 a month) can eat relatively good food but there's more to life than the intake of calories. Of course, there are many people making much more than the minimum wage, like the registered nurses who earn between $3,000 to $5,000 a month depending on their specialty and the shifts they work on. However, by the time taxes are deducted, which is approximately 35 percent, the wage earner is left with just enough to pay for his basic living expenses plus payments for his insurance, entertainment, child-care or education expenses of their children. This leaves the family with almost no savings or investments for their retirement.
Hence, many American families, including Fil-Ams, often resort to using credit cards that enable them to live comfortably but beyond their means. Sooner or later, however, some who can no longer tackle the pressures and stress of the financial burden will file bankruptcy, where all dischargeable debts, like credit cards and other unsecured debts, are discharged and totally forgiven. The ease of getting credit aggravated by the indiscriminate use of the credit cards has created havoc in many people's lives.
An American family of four whose income is only $18,000 yearly is considered poor and in many instances can avail of some government social welfare) assistance. Even a family making $72,000 a year cannot afford to buy a house in the many affluent areas of the nation. In California, for instance, many areas like Orange County (near Disneyland) in San Jose (Silicon Valley) and expensive locations along the Pacific Coast and in the mountain areas are quite expensive. A four-bedroom home with three baths, about 2,400 sq. ft. can command $300,000 to $500,000. A mortgage loan of $300,000 for 30 years term requires an $8,000 monthly income. Less than six percent of Americans make $5,000 a month, and less than three percent make more than $100,000 a year. I do not have a scientific survey, but I believe the vast majority of Filipinos in America, except some physicians, nurses, CPAs, teachers, engineers, architects, do not earn $5,000 a month in one job. Probably only one percent or less make a six-figure income. However, many Filipinos hold more than one job or do a part-time business or work overtime to be able to afford the material things they aspire for.
Speaking of the credit/financial habits of the Filipinos in America, my mortgage lender-friends confirmed my beliefs when they shared their financial statistics that in general the Filipino credit scores (computerized programs that tract and determine the relative risks of any borrower based on his/her credit history) lag behind the Vietnamese, Koreans, Chinese and the Japanese. Filipinos are in the same cluster as the Thais and Indonesians. However, in my financial services business experience (this is not scientific) I have seen that credit-wise we are much better off than the Blacks and in many ways better than the Hispanics who oftentimes have no credit. Like my American counterparts, I am also amazed and baffled about these cultural or ethnic patterns. Can any behavioral scientist explain why?
* * *
Filipino Americans often rationalize that they are better off now than in the past. Hearing such declarations makes me sad. For the information of the uninitiated, rightly or wrongly America is not for the weak and frail but for the strong and brave. America believes in free enterprise and competition - as initiated and honed by the WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) predominant culture. It is the Europeans, of course, who were the first batch of immigrants that colonized, populated, shaped and molded what America is today.
Socially, the Filipino easily becomes a lider of his own Timbuktu Town Association, composed of two dozen or more families overnight. But put him in the mainstream society and he disappears. In Southern California, there are hundreds of Filipino associations that patronize the first-class hotels for their induction dinner dance or beauty pageants every weekend. Also, the Filipinos would rather form their own Lions Club like those in Los Angeles or in San Diego, rather than integrate themselves into an already existing American club. Even in a progressive city, like Cerritos in the Los Angeles County where thousands of Filipinos reside, there are only two of us Filipino Americans who are members of the local Rotary Club. There are many organizations formed by and for Filipinos especially in California where most Filipinos reside. Filipinos are a unique and easy-going people who can be happy with just a small plot to grow their shallow roots. The Filipino is meek and submissive by nature. He is never confrontational. We find it very difficult to say no directly but instead utter euphemisms like "Pipilitin ko" (I'll try to Do my best) or "Titingnan ko" (I'll see if I can).
Filipinos are also very generous people but not to each other. A few of my Filipino Catholic priest friends have told me that dollar donations per attendee in their Masses vary by ethnic groups. Filipino Masses produce one of the lowest amounts of tithing per person.
Over the last 25 years, I have observed that the best fund-raising activities of Filipino organizations in America is the launching of a "Miss Timbuktu Town" based on "popularity" votes (spelled dollars) where the sponsors sell thousands of tickets for a buck each in addition to the solicitation of expensive "advertisement" or greetings in their souvenir programs from all their relatives across the US and Canada for that 15 minutes (or probably one weekend?) of fame evidenced by the printed association's souvenir program where greetings and family pictures abound.
This is a very popular fund-raising activity because there is some kind of a public recognition that one family is more popular and more successful or wealthier than the other candidates.
Another aspect in the social family life that I find very disturbing and serious, however, is the documented high degree of suicides/homicides and/or juvenile delinquency compared to other communities. For instance, I know a family whose son was killed by the police in an alleged home invasion robbery; another family's daughter who hanged herself and another Filipino teenager who was killed by another Filipino teenager (all in Orange County), a Filipino CPA killed by his son (in LA) and another Filipino who shot himself in the head in a shopping mall in San Diego. One of the reasons why these family tragedies occur, I believe, is the conscious or unconscious quest for more material possessions by working two or three jobs, leaving the kids with nobody at home to watch over them. The trade-off is the un-wholesome company of gangs that become the substitute family which gives the much needed love and care these troubled kids need.
Mother Teresa once said that America, despite her opulence, is becoming a spiritual desert. A fellow advocate for a balanced life, Dr. Eleanor M. Santiago, retired physician in Los Angeles who is the president/CEO Optimum Health Care Systems, Inc. based in Pasig City, agrees with Mother Teresa's profound observation. Retired from her medical practice in California and now a strong proponent of the HMO business in the Philippines and a lay leader of the Stephen Ministry and Servant Leadership Foundation in the Philippines, Dr. Santiago told a surprised American audience: "There Is deeper spirituality of the Filipino people in the Philippines amidst Their material poverty, even among the survivors of the Payatas garbage mountain that collapsed, killing hundreds of people. The Filipino people by nature are good people who deserve a better life. And we can help them by assisting and empowering them to solve their own problems."
* * *
On the political side, the involvement of the average Filipino is still very shallow and far from ideal. Filipino-Americans become naturalized American citizens not necessarily to be able to vote but to petition other members of their families to migrate to the United States and to avoid going to the Philippine Consulates to renew their passports or secure their BIR tax clearances.
Gradually, the US has seen growing number of Filipino-Americans being elected into public office. Names like Ben Cayetano, the first Filipino governor of Hawaii, Mayor Henry Manayan in Milpitas, California, Mayor Peter Fajardo in Carson, California, David Valederrama in Maryland State Legislature come to mind in the political arena. Many more Filipino Americans are elected to other city councils, school districts and other government instrumentalities across the nation.
However, lately a couple of these elected Filipino officials have fallen out as role models from the Filipino community. The only Filipino elected city councilman in the entire San Diego County, in the City of National City (the Filipino businesses enclave in San Diego, where you can go to many Filipino restaurants like Max Chicken or Ma Mon Luk, groceries and night clubs) by the name of Fred Soto was involved in a legal lawsuit for some alleged financial improprieties and gross unprofessional conduct that resulted into his surrendering his license to practice law and now faces a possible recall of his elected position.
Last week, the first Filipino elected mayor of Carson, Peter Fajardo, was arrested and is still in prison (as of this writing) for allegedly breaking his probation resulting from his pleading guilty to a federal misdemeanor of illegally collecting a lawyer's fee. Now, the Filipinos in Carson that comprise about a quarter of the city's 60,000 population are bewildered by this sad event as their image in the entire nation is again tarnished.
My own theory is that oftentimes there is a wide chasm between the image that the politician is trying to project to the public and his core-character. Foremost American author and leadership guru Steven R. Covey calls this "living a duplicitous life," a life that is devoid of any integrity savings account. In any great inner conflict, sooner or later, the person does some wicked and foolish acts for his self-destruction as the weight of baggage in his edifice is built on a shaky foundation made of sand causes the building to collapse.
Unsuccessful and weak people purporting to be very successful and strong often wear public masks every day of their lives (epitomized by a fallen President Erap Estrada) instead of just during Halloween's trick or treat parties.
* * *
So, dear kababayans, please do not idolize or envy us here in America as all of us are also fighting our own demons every day. Our lives here are not necessarily better than yours. Although this article is an honest depiction of a somewhat negative aspect of the Filipino life in America, I do not wish to imply that Filipinos here in America live in this negative light. The point is that we must constantly be aware of our human frailties so that we can improve ourselves in conquering the demons within each of us.
If the OFWs Are the New Heroes, Then Treat Them Accordingly
If the OFWs Are the New Heroes, Then Treat Them Accordingly
By Ernie D. Delfin (A Voice From America)
Aug. 26 - Year 2002 should be declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Year of the OFWs and Filipino expatriates.
The entire Filipino nation, including the President, has acknowledged the great contribution of the OFWs in (forced) foreign remittances to the Philippines. They have been informally honored as the bagong bayani but are they getting the respect from our government with the way they are being treated by many government agencies?
Many would say no. Our "new heroes" are being exploited because they still do not have a united voice to harness their great socio-political power. They deserve much more for their great sacrifices and hard work as engineers, nurses, plumbers, drivers, japayukis and domestic helpers in other lands.
Many sacrifice a great deal. Some are even imprisoned or make the supreme sacrifice and are beheaded in a strange land. It is very difficult to live a normal life with dignity and honor under some reported sub-human conditions of exploitation and abuse in some countries. But for lack of opportunities in our homeland, many Filipinos are compelled to leave their families to find work elsewhere. In Hong Kong, Italy, London, The Netherlands, Taiwan and Singapore, Filipino college graduates are underemployed as domestic helpers (DHs) or restaurant waiters or busboys. Of course, they earn 10 times or more than their fellow college graduates, who were lucky enough to land a job in the Philippines.
Over lunch hosted by STAR publisher Max Soliven for his visiting guests (including this writer) at the Phil-am Tower Metro Manila, Vice President and DFA Secretary Teofisto Guingona said that the OFW population could be as high as eight million! That's a tremendous source of power – consumer power that can be harnessed into economical, financial and political will if utilized wisely and strategically towards nation building.
The overseas Filipinos workers must also be given an essential role in nation building. For a start, Congress must pass an overdue bill that will allow them to vote.
I have talked to many OFWs and sadly, they seem to harbor more complaints than praises about their government. They claim that many government employees who deal with OFWs in conjunction with their paperwork in going abroad act as if they are kings or slave owners.
When I was growing up, government employees and politicians were referred to as public servants; somebody told me they are now public tyrants! I also learned that about 80 percent of their salary is automatically remitted to the Philippines, for their families as well as to pay their premium contributions to Social Security System. With the alleged corruption at the SSS, it is probably better for these OFWs to be given their money and let them invest it themselves, save for their house and lot, invest in the equity markets, mutual funds or whatever they want. They know what is important to them and their family. The government should just give them that personal choice and responsibility. It's their money in the first place!
On the other hand, OFWs must also learn to be more pro-active and assertive to demand what is due them. Ventilate your frustrations but organize formally to have a stronger voice – and demand better treatment and more efficient service from your own government.
Internet makes it very feasible to organize, as the IT International Group has done the last couple of years. E-mail me and I will advise you how.
* * *
The overseas Filipinos have tremendous potential power to collectively effect the socio-political landscape of their own hometowns or barangays. Their hard-earned dollars, pounds, or dinars can easily replace the P500 or even P1,000 being invested by corrupt politicians to buy votes. It is still common knowledge in many barangays that a local leader is given X amount of pesos to buy votes for corrupt politicians. As the barangay captain knows all the people in his neighborhood, he can predictably "guarantee" whom he can deliver to the trapo who gave him a bagful of cash.
Furthermore, from the taxes remitted by OFWs, the government should allocate a substantial portion of this government windfall to improve roads especially in many towns and barangays, so that the transport of farm products, meat, poultry or fish to other regions can become faster and more efficient. Good roads as well as ports, harbors and airports are the arteries necessary to sustain a progressive trade and commerce domestically and internationally.
If our OFWs are to be recognized as the new heroes of the country, the government must treat them as such. First when they come home for a visit, they must be treated fairly and with respect. Lagay (grease money) for their paperwork must be stopped. Their agencies must pay them as per contract and on time. The banks that use and float their money must give them the highest interest possible. Banks or financial institutions must compete over remittances business to the Philippines. There should be a government OFW "ombudsman" whose sole responsibility is to oversee the welfare of all OFWs.
* * *
Serving the needs of OFWs in Hong Kong, a visionary Filipino businessman, Ricky Sadiosa, a Hong Kong-based publisher of Global News and owner of a foreign remittance business, has added another business called GlobalPinoyBiz through which OFWs all over the world can order and send appliances or merchandise through its catalogue or from its website with the simple click of the mouse. Once the order is paid via credit card or money order, the merchandise is shipped from its Makati warehouse directly to the OFW family anywhere in the Philippines. It is the most efficient way to send goods and regalos to the OFWs families.
Furthermore, GlobalPinoyBiz, through our California-based PMA (Premier Marketing Alliance), is offering any OFW or their families an opportunity to learn entrepreneurship and marketing first hand by becoming a member so that they can also become a distributor where they can earn a few hundred dollars a month with minimal capital (to purchase a small "inventory" of sample products).
In our executive meeting in Makati last month, Ricky Sadiosa, the chairman of GlobalPinoyBiz and I, as the PMA founder, were quite optimistic that this is one concrete way to help the Philippines. We will teach and empower ambitious Filipinos how to become entrepreneurs, to curb the tide of thousands of college graduates just becoming lowly employees of entrepreneurs or business-owners, who are often not college graduates themselves.
As an entrepreneur-businessowner for over 20 years in California, I challenge college graduates and white-collar employees to also explore the vast opportunities offered in the arena of entrepreneurship where a person is truly paid what he is worth, not what his employer says he is worth. E-mail us at pmafounder@emailko.com and we'll instruct you how to go about it.
* * *
E-mail this writer also at erdelusa@hotmail.com or visit his website at http://www.katipunan-usa.org/.
By Ernie D. Delfin (A Voice From America)
Aug. 26 - Year 2002 should be declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Year of the OFWs and Filipino expatriates.
The entire Filipino nation, including the President, has acknowledged the great contribution of the OFWs in (forced) foreign remittances to the Philippines. They have been informally honored as the bagong bayani but are they getting the respect from our government with the way they are being treated by many government agencies?
Many would say no. Our "new heroes" are being exploited because they still do not have a united voice to harness their great socio-political power. They deserve much more for their great sacrifices and hard work as engineers, nurses, plumbers, drivers, japayukis and domestic helpers in other lands.
Many sacrifice a great deal. Some are even imprisoned or make the supreme sacrifice and are beheaded in a strange land. It is very difficult to live a normal life with dignity and honor under some reported sub-human conditions of exploitation and abuse in some countries. But for lack of opportunities in our homeland, many Filipinos are compelled to leave their families to find work elsewhere. In Hong Kong, Italy, London, The Netherlands, Taiwan and Singapore, Filipino college graduates are underemployed as domestic helpers (DHs) or restaurant waiters or busboys. Of course, they earn 10 times or more than their fellow college graduates, who were lucky enough to land a job in the Philippines.
Over lunch hosted by STAR publisher Max Soliven for his visiting guests (including this writer) at the Phil-am Tower Metro Manila, Vice President and DFA Secretary Teofisto Guingona said that the OFW population could be as high as eight million! That's a tremendous source of power – consumer power that can be harnessed into economical, financial and political will if utilized wisely and strategically towards nation building.
The overseas Filipinos workers must also be given an essential role in nation building. For a start, Congress must pass an overdue bill that will allow them to vote.
I have talked to many OFWs and sadly, they seem to harbor more complaints than praises about their government. They claim that many government employees who deal with OFWs in conjunction with their paperwork in going abroad act as if they are kings or slave owners.
When I was growing up, government employees and politicians were referred to as public servants; somebody told me they are now public tyrants! I also learned that about 80 percent of their salary is automatically remitted to the Philippines, for their families as well as to pay their premium contributions to Social Security System. With the alleged corruption at the SSS, it is probably better for these OFWs to be given their money and let them invest it themselves, save for their house and lot, invest in the equity markets, mutual funds or whatever they want. They know what is important to them and their family. The government should just give them that personal choice and responsibility. It's their money in the first place!
On the other hand, OFWs must also learn to be more pro-active and assertive to demand what is due them. Ventilate your frustrations but organize formally to have a stronger voice – and demand better treatment and more efficient service from your own government.
Internet makes it very feasible to organize, as the IT International Group has done the last couple of years. E-mail me and I will advise you how.
* * *
The overseas Filipinos have tremendous potential power to collectively effect the socio-political landscape of their own hometowns or barangays. Their hard-earned dollars, pounds, or dinars can easily replace the P500 or even P1,000 being invested by corrupt politicians to buy votes. It is still common knowledge in many barangays that a local leader is given X amount of pesos to buy votes for corrupt politicians. As the barangay captain knows all the people in his neighborhood, he can predictably "guarantee" whom he can deliver to the trapo who gave him a bagful of cash.
Furthermore, from the taxes remitted by OFWs, the government should allocate a substantial portion of this government windfall to improve roads especially in many towns and barangays, so that the transport of farm products, meat, poultry or fish to other regions can become faster and more efficient. Good roads as well as ports, harbors and airports are the arteries necessary to sustain a progressive trade and commerce domestically and internationally.
If our OFWs are to be recognized as the new heroes of the country, the government must treat them as such. First when they come home for a visit, they must be treated fairly and with respect. Lagay (grease money) for their paperwork must be stopped. Their agencies must pay them as per contract and on time. The banks that use and float their money must give them the highest interest possible. Banks or financial institutions must compete over remittances business to the Philippines. There should be a government OFW "ombudsman" whose sole responsibility is to oversee the welfare of all OFWs.
* * *
Serving the needs of OFWs in Hong Kong, a visionary Filipino businessman, Ricky Sadiosa, a Hong Kong-based publisher of Global News and owner of a foreign remittance business, has added another business called GlobalPinoyBiz through which OFWs all over the world can order and send appliances or merchandise through its catalogue or from its website with the simple click of the mouse. Once the order is paid via credit card or money order, the merchandise is shipped from its Makati warehouse directly to the OFW family anywhere in the Philippines. It is the most efficient way to send goods and regalos to the OFWs families.
Furthermore, GlobalPinoyBiz, through our California-based PMA (Premier Marketing Alliance), is offering any OFW or their families an opportunity to learn entrepreneurship and marketing first hand by becoming a member so that they can also become a distributor where they can earn a few hundred dollars a month with minimal capital (to purchase a small "inventory" of sample products).
In our executive meeting in Makati last month, Ricky Sadiosa, the chairman of GlobalPinoyBiz and I, as the PMA founder, were quite optimistic that this is one concrete way to help the Philippines. We will teach and empower ambitious Filipinos how to become entrepreneurs, to curb the tide of thousands of college graduates just becoming lowly employees of entrepreneurs or business-owners, who are often not college graduates themselves.
As an entrepreneur-businessowner for over 20 years in California, I challenge college graduates and white-collar employees to also explore the vast opportunities offered in the arena of entrepreneurship where a person is truly paid what he is worth, not what his employer says he is worth. E-mail us at pmafounder@emailko.com and we'll instruct you how to go about it.
* * *
E-mail this writer also at erdelusa@hotmail.com or visit his website at http://www.katipunan-usa.org/.
Books from an ocean away
Travel and Tourism
Books from an ocean away
A VOICE FROM AMERICA by Ernie D. Delfin (The Philippine Star) Updated April 14, 2002 12:00 AM
After almost eight hours drive from Los Angeles, my daughter Donna, my co-founder of Katipunan-USA and I finally saw the huge Books for the Barrios (BftB) sign in the Northern California city of Concord. As we promised Loreto Quevedo Dimaandal, a coordinator for the BftB’s newest Model of Excellence (MOE) school project in the Philippines, we brought a van full of donated books to the BftB Foundation warehouse to be included in a 40-foot-container shipment donated by American President Lines, that is now on its way to bring these thousands of books and computers to various barrio schools in the Philippines as beneficiaries of many Americans and their multi-ethnic supporters through this non-profit foundation.
We had a spirited discussion with BftB founders Nancy and Dan Harrington, who used to live in the Philippines for about seven years (she was a teacher and he was a navy pilot). When they went back to the United States about 22 years ago, they had a vision and a mission to do something for the socially and economically disadvantaged young children in remote barrio schools in the Philippines. That vision gave birth to the Books for the Barrios Foundation. Over all these years, they have sent over four million books that have touched the lives of thousands of young minds across the Philippine archipelago. Through their Model of Excellence school projects, they have also upgraded 38 remote schools to become comparable to any California school. The foundation has trained teachers to maximize the learning process of these young students with the use of computers and books from the United States.
Books for the Barrios started with a simple project of the heart: to organize American schoolchildren to gather, ship and distribute books, computers, typewriters and educational aids from America to the Philippines while helping protect the environment in California by recycling its books and educational materials that are normally just discarded in dumpsites. BftB has also sponsored the National Teachers Training Conventions to enhance teachers’ instructional skills. To date, Books for the Barrios has also set up and supported 38 "Model of Excellence" schools in the Philippines. The newest one, Anisca MOE, in the town of Laoac, (the birthplace of this writer) the first in Pangasinan and the second in Northern Luzon, is scheduled to open this coming school year to coincide with the Philippine-US Friendship Day celebration on July 4, 2002. Ms. Harrington is scheduled to visit the Philippines again and will grace the opening of the newest MOE School in the Philippines. The Board of Trustees has designated the area of Basilan in the Sulu archipelago to be the next MOE School site. However, she implored that she needed more corporate sponsors, volunteers and funds to expand and sustain these projects.
Before our group of volunteers (who helped in the packing, crating and loading the books into the APL container) left after a whole day of work, Ms. Harrington showed us very candid and interesting slides of school children in various MOE schools. She told the audience that every child, wherever he is, has the right to get good quality education. It is her passionate dream and legacy to the world to make that happen to as many children as possible.
After the slide presentation, she asked the young volunteers what they have learned from their "field trip" experience to the Books for the Barrios warehouse. Comments were varied such as "I am touched by what I have seen," to "Now I am more aware that I am indeed lucky and blessed with what I have here in the United States," to "I want to share more now that I know there are more people in need." At the end of a hectic weekend, Katipunan-USA co-founder Donna Rivera Delfin commented that she felt very blessed to be able to help the young Filipino children, some dozen children she has personally met when she visited the Philippines many times in the past. Added Loreto Dimaandal, "Coming to volunteer our time and our books donations was wonderful way to share with others especially this Easter weekend!"
Through this column, I personally would like to relay Nancy Harrington’s challenge to all in America, especially in California, that there is still great need to be involved in collecting many things that many families no longer need and bring them to their facility such as: encyclopedias – 1988 or later, board games and puzzles, crayons, pencils and scissors, children’s storybooks, clean scrap paper, toys and stuffed animals, dictionaries, clean kids’ summer clothing, little girds’ dresses and computers – Pentium or better. And for Northern California school children with their teachers or parents to have a field trip to their offices for a global sharing experience opportunity.
For more information, visit their website at www.booksforthebarrios.com or e-mail joinus@booksforthebarrios.com.
* * *
The Absentee Voting Bill is one hot topic among thousand of overseas Filipinos. This month a delegation of senators namely arrived in the US for factual consultation and to get the pulse of the Filipino community. Based on what I read and heard during the private dinner reception hosted by Dr. Carlos Manlapaz in Cerritos for Sen. Nene Pimentel and Congressman Salacnib Baterina of Ilocos Norte, I think the intention to include the voice of the overseas Filipinos in electing the national leaders of the Philippines is both noble and good. If the overseas Filipinos were indeed the modern-day heroes, they might as well be given a chance to vote for leaders who they believe in their own causes.
* * *
The proposal to amend the constitution to divide the entire Philippines into several federal states, like the 50 states of the United States is more interesting and deserves more discussion and debate. As it is now, the concentration of power is in Manila. It gives the impression that the island of Mindanao has been neglected for so long. As regions of the Philippines have peculiar cultures, dialects and priorities, it seems a good idea to make them separate, distinct and semi-independent to decide for themselves what their priorities are. Like the State of California is a "nation" by itself (it has its own executive, legislative and judiciary departments). The federal statutes come into play when there are conflicts and questions as to the constitutionality of some state laws, rights to enter into treaty, engage in war and in matters of defense and foreign relations.
To provide a better system or vehicle for the Philippine leaders to work with, it seems prudent and wise to continue the healthy discussion of these needed changes to the constitution of the land to allow more flexibility and accountability of leaders who must be nearer to the people whom they govern. To amend the constitution for such changes might be necessary this decade to make the Filipino people more involved in the nation’s political processes.
* * *
Email this writer at erdelusa-@hotmail.com. Visit http://katipunan-usa.org or www.nurse-inamerica.com.
Books from an ocean away
A VOICE FROM AMERICA by Ernie D. Delfin (The Philippine Star) Updated April 14, 2002 12:00 AM
After almost eight hours drive from Los Angeles, my daughter Donna, my co-founder of Katipunan-USA and I finally saw the huge Books for the Barrios (BftB) sign in the Northern California city of Concord. As we promised Loreto Quevedo Dimaandal, a coordinator for the BftB’s newest Model of Excellence (MOE) school project in the Philippines, we brought a van full of donated books to the BftB Foundation warehouse to be included in a 40-foot-container shipment donated by American President Lines, that is now on its way to bring these thousands of books and computers to various barrio schools in the Philippines as beneficiaries of many Americans and their multi-ethnic supporters through this non-profit foundation.
We had a spirited discussion with BftB founders Nancy and Dan Harrington, who used to live in the Philippines for about seven years (she was a teacher and he was a navy pilot). When they went back to the United States about 22 years ago, they had a vision and a mission to do something for the socially and economically disadvantaged young children in remote barrio schools in the Philippines. That vision gave birth to the Books for the Barrios Foundation. Over all these years, they have sent over four million books that have touched the lives of thousands of young minds across the Philippine archipelago. Through their Model of Excellence school projects, they have also upgraded 38 remote schools to become comparable to any California school. The foundation has trained teachers to maximize the learning process of these young students with the use of computers and books from the United States.
Books for the Barrios started with a simple project of the heart: to organize American schoolchildren to gather, ship and distribute books, computers, typewriters and educational aids from America to the Philippines while helping protect the environment in California by recycling its books and educational materials that are normally just discarded in dumpsites. BftB has also sponsored the National Teachers Training Conventions to enhance teachers’ instructional skills. To date, Books for the Barrios has also set up and supported 38 "Model of Excellence" schools in the Philippines. The newest one, Anisca MOE, in the town of Laoac, (the birthplace of this writer) the first in Pangasinan and the second in Northern Luzon, is scheduled to open this coming school year to coincide with the Philippine-US Friendship Day celebration on July 4, 2002. Ms. Harrington is scheduled to visit the Philippines again and will grace the opening of the newest MOE School in the Philippines. The Board of Trustees has designated the area of Basilan in the Sulu archipelago to be the next MOE School site. However, she implored that she needed more corporate sponsors, volunteers and funds to expand and sustain these projects.
Before our group of volunteers (who helped in the packing, crating and loading the books into the APL container) left after a whole day of work, Ms. Harrington showed us very candid and interesting slides of school children in various MOE schools. She told the audience that every child, wherever he is, has the right to get good quality education. It is her passionate dream and legacy to the world to make that happen to as many children as possible.
After the slide presentation, she asked the young volunteers what they have learned from their "field trip" experience to the Books for the Barrios warehouse. Comments were varied such as "I am touched by what I have seen," to "Now I am more aware that I am indeed lucky and blessed with what I have here in the United States," to "I want to share more now that I know there are more people in need." At the end of a hectic weekend, Katipunan-USA co-founder Donna Rivera Delfin commented that she felt very blessed to be able to help the young Filipino children, some dozen children she has personally met when she visited the Philippines many times in the past. Added Loreto Dimaandal, "Coming to volunteer our time and our books donations was wonderful way to share with others especially this Easter weekend!"
Through this column, I personally would like to relay Nancy Harrington’s challenge to all in America, especially in California, that there is still great need to be involved in collecting many things that many families no longer need and bring them to their facility such as: encyclopedias – 1988 or later, board games and puzzles, crayons, pencils and scissors, children’s storybooks, clean scrap paper, toys and stuffed animals, dictionaries, clean kids’ summer clothing, little girds’ dresses and computers – Pentium or better. And for Northern California school children with their teachers or parents to have a field trip to their offices for a global sharing experience opportunity.
For more information, visit their website at www.booksforthebarrios.com or e-mail joinus@booksforthebarrios.com.
* * *
The Absentee Voting Bill is one hot topic among thousand of overseas Filipinos. This month a delegation of senators namely arrived in the US for factual consultation and to get the pulse of the Filipino community. Based on what I read and heard during the private dinner reception hosted by Dr. Carlos Manlapaz in Cerritos for Sen. Nene Pimentel and Congressman Salacnib Baterina of Ilocos Norte, I think the intention to include the voice of the overseas Filipinos in electing the national leaders of the Philippines is both noble and good. If the overseas Filipinos were indeed the modern-day heroes, they might as well be given a chance to vote for leaders who they believe in their own causes.
* * *
The proposal to amend the constitution to divide the entire Philippines into several federal states, like the 50 states of the United States is more interesting and deserves more discussion and debate. As it is now, the concentration of power is in Manila. It gives the impression that the island of Mindanao has been neglected for so long. As regions of the Philippines have peculiar cultures, dialects and priorities, it seems a good idea to make them separate, distinct and semi-independent to decide for themselves what their priorities are. Like the State of California is a "nation" by itself (it has its own executive, legislative and judiciary departments). The federal statutes come into play when there are conflicts and questions as to the constitutionality of some state laws, rights to enter into treaty, engage in war and in matters of defense and foreign relations.
To provide a better system or vehicle for the Philippine leaders to work with, it seems prudent and wise to continue the healthy discussion of these needed changes to the constitution of the land to allow more flexibility and accountability of leaders who must be nearer to the people whom they govern. To amend the constitution for such changes might be necessary this decade to make the Filipino people more involved in the nation’s political processes.
* * *
Email this writer at erdelusa-@hotmail.com. Visit http://katipunan-usa.org or www.nurse-inamerica.com.
Why can’t the US keep its promise to Pinoy war vets?
Travel and Tourism
Why can’t the US keep its promise to Pinoy war vets?
A VOICE FROM AMERICA by Ernie D. Delfin (The Philippine Star) Updated April 28, 2002 12:00 AM
Since President George W. Bush decided to send military Special Forces as "advisers" (playing on words that mean soldiers and combatants!) to the Philippine military who are inept in defeating the Abu Sados of Southern Mindanao, the Philippines has again been put on the American radar screen. In Orange County
, a reporter from the Register contacted me, retired Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz and several other Filipinos for comments. The majority of us in California support the sending of those forces to help annihilate this perennial problem of hostage taking. In my view, at least a part of our high taxes will be used to help my homeland. Hopefully, with the expected defeat of these bandits, the Philippines can also eliminate this evil cottage industry of ransom. The massive manpower and resources being utilized in the chasing of the Abu Sayyafs can then be re-channeled for the economic development of Mindanao.
The retired Commodore Alcaraz comments that despite the paradox of America being a traitor (as far as rescinding the law giving veterans benefits to the few thousands of aging Filipino veterans who fought alongside the Americans during WWII) and a benefactor to the Filipinos, Americans are still loved by the Filipinos in general. The reason, he says, is that the Filipino people are a loving and forgiving people. He also told the Orange County reporter that had the Filipino soldiers possessed the mentality of Osama bin Laden, the veterans could have used many years ago an American airplane to attack the Sears Towers in Chicago or the White House to show our tantrums, as the Filipino veterans were just "discarded" like Bin Laden when US interest switched sides. Every nationality, from the Italians to the Koreans who fought with the Americans, got veteran benefits except the Filipinos! It is ironical and the height of hypocrisy, really, that America refused to honor its commitment to the Filipino veterans amid its wealth.
Right now, the US is spending a billion a day in the war against terrorism worldwide; the cost of this Filipino veterans’ benefit package is but a drop in a huge budget bucket.
Another Filipino-American in Huntington Beach, Efren B. Marfil, who found life in America more desirable than life as a businessman-realtor in the Philippines, says that he desires that the Philippines become the 51st state of the United States, so that we can become more progressive with the American system of government and the way business is conducted. (Efren, dream on! With the geo-politics of the world right now, this scenario of the Philippines becoming a part of the United States will never happen.)
When President Gloria Arroyo sees or calls her buddy in the White House, she should remind President Bush about this very minute yet very important issue about the Filipino veterans’ benefits before all the Filipino veterans die. Like the US government’s reparations to the Japanese people who were sent to concentration camps during WWII, it is better late than never. I hope this Republican president will have the guts to close this sore issue between the Filipino people and the American government.
* * *
To be accepted to the University of California (UC) system, especially the more prestigious campuses like UCLA, UC-Berkeley, UC-Irvine (UCI) (like being accepted to the University of the Philippines) is an honor. The UC system only considers the top 12.5 percent of high school seniors who are eligible to apply. Below the UC system (there are 10 campuses serving about 183,000 students across the state) is another tier called the California State University System, Cal State-LA, Cal State-Long Beach, Cal-State-Fullerton (there are 23 campuses with a population of 288,000) and below the CSU system are 108 community colleges in 72 school districts (the largest in the world) where over two million students are enrolled.
After high school, thousands of students who are not bound for UC or CSU, or any of the private universities like Harvard, USC or Stanford enroll and obtain their junior college education in a community college. After two years of general education in a local community college, many of them transfer and pursue their higher education in either the CSU or the UC system. Every quarter, thousands of adults also enroll in community colleges in various fields of interest, from advertising trends to zoology, in their pursuit of life-long learning.
With that brief background, this Sunday, I felt very proud and happy to read a feature story with a headline "Honoring a Heritage" in the Local Section of our Orange County Register about the Filipino-American students at UCI asserting their rights to have more classes about their Filipino language and culture. Close to 50 percent of the student population of UCI, jestingly called "University of Chinese Immigrants," is Asian. Out of its 21,286 population, the breakdown is as follows: White Americans (5,433), Chinese (3,261), Koreans (1,698), Mexican-Americans (1,64l), Vietnamese (1,6l4), Filipinos (1,423), East Indians/Pakistanis (693), other Southeast Asians (639), Latinos (632), Japanese (601), black Americans (435), American Indians (85), Pacific Islanders (64), and others (3,067).
Filipinos make up 6.7 percent of the UCI student population, although Filipinos make up only 1.7 percent of the Orange County population (about 49,000 out of almost three million county residents) and 2.7 percent of the state’s population (nearly one million Filipinos out of the state’s population of about 36 million in 2000). It’s encouraging to note that Filipino families in America – whether the parents are college-educated or not – continue to put education of their children as a top priority.
This phenomenon has been confirmed in our financial planning business among Filipino families where the parents’ investment
in their children’s education ranks higher than the funding of their own retirement.
Although the UCI Filipino students do not get college credits for taking this class on Filipino language and history, the demand for this special class is great and has become very popular in the campus. Nic Ramos, a Filipino student leader, puts it succinctly, "Having a class in our Filipino language and history somewhat validates our presence in America." Another student, Michelle Garcia, one in a 43-student class who paid $25 each to subsidize a special teacher who is competent to teach the course says, "I am taking this class because I don’t know that much about my home country. A lot of stuff you learn in the news just makes you ashamed."
Filipino students in America today are indeed luckier and also have become more assertive compared to their "submissive" parents. Just 25 or 35 years ago, Filipino students were told to speak "American" and parents did not encourage their offspring to learn Tagalog or Filipino for fear of "confusing" their kids or that their children might acquire the Filipino "accent" like their first-degree immigrant parents. These days, I hear young Filipino students talking in Tagalog like my own two kids and their cousins. There is now a pervasive feeling that if a young Filipino student cannot talk in their home language, he is not complete and is disconnected with his past. Unfortunately, in the past, it is often the Filipino parents who were more "white-washed" than their children. Thank goodness times are changing for the better!
* * *
An empowering thought: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!
Why can’t the US keep its promise to Pinoy war vets?
A VOICE FROM AMERICA by Ernie D. Delfin (The Philippine Star) Updated April 28, 2002 12:00 AM
Since President George W. Bush decided to send military Special Forces as "advisers" (playing on words that mean soldiers and combatants!) to the Philippine military who are inept in defeating the Abu Sados of Southern Mindanao, the Philippines has again been put on the American radar screen. In Orange County
, a reporter from the Register contacted me, retired Commodore Ramon A. Alcaraz and several other Filipinos for comments. The majority of us in California support the sending of those forces to help annihilate this perennial problem of hostage taking. In my view, at least a part of our high taxes will be used to help my homeland. Hopefully, with the expected defeat of these bandits, the Philippines can also eliminate this evil cottage industry of ransom. The massive manpower and resources being utilized in the chasing of the Abu Sayyafs can then be re-channeled for the economic development of Mindanao.
The retired Commodore Alcaraz comments that despite the paradox of America being a traitor (as far as rescinding the law giving veterans benefits to the few thousands of aging Filipino veterans who fought alongside the Americans during WWII) and a benefactor to the Filipinos, Americans are still loved by the Filipinos in general. The reason, he says, is that the Filipino people are a loving and forgiving people. He also told the Orange County reporter that had the Filipino soldiers possessed the mentality of Osama bin Laden, the veterans could have used many years ago an American airplane to attack the Sears Towers in Chicago or the White House to show our tantrums, as the Filipino veterans were just "discarded" like Bin Laden when US interest switched sides. Every nationality, from the Italians to the Koreans who fought with the Americans, got veteran benefits except the Filipinos! It is ironical and the height of hypocrisy, really, that America refused to honor its commitment to the Filipino veterans amid its wealth.
Right now, the US is spending a billion a day in the war against terrorism worldwide; the cost of this Filipino veterans’ benefit package is but a drop in a huge budget bucket.
Another Filipino-American in Huntington Beach, Efren B. Marfil, who found life in America more desirable than life as a businessman-realtor in the Philippines, says that he desires that the Philippines become the 51st state of the United States, so that we can become more progressive with the American system of government and the way business is conducted. (Efren, dream on! With the geo-politics of the world right now, this scenario of the Philippines becoming a part of the United States will never happen.)
When President Gloria Arroyo sees or calls her buddy in the White House, she should remind President Bush about this very minute yet very important issue about the Filipino veterans’ benefits before all the Filipino veterans die. Like the US government’s reparations to the Japanese people who were sent to concentration camps during WWII, it is better late than never. I hope this Republican president will have the guts to close this sore issue between the Filipino people and the American government.
* * *
To be accepted to the University of California (UC) system, especially the more prestigious campuses like UCLA, UC-Berkeley, UC-Irvine (UCI) (like being accepted to the University of the Philippines) is an honor. The UC system only considers the top 12.5 percent of high school seniors who are eligible to apply. Below the UC system (there are 10 campuses serving about 183,000 students across the state) is another tier called the California State University System, Cal State-LA, Cal State-Long Beach, Cal-State-Fullerton (there are 23 campuses with a population of 288,000) and below the CSU system are 108 community colleges in 72 school districts (the largest in the world) where over two million students are enrolled.
After high school, thousands of students who are not bound for UC or CSU, or any of the private universities like Harvard, USC or Stanford enroll and obtain their junior college education in a community college. After two years of general education in a local community college, many of them transfer and pursue their higher education in either the CSU or the UC system. Every quarter, thousands of adults also enroll in community colleges in various fields of interest, from advertising trends to zoology, in their pursuit of life-long learning.
With that brief background, this Sunday, I felt very proud and happy to read a feature story with a headline "Honoring a Heritage" in the Local Section of our Orange County Register about the Filipino-American students at UCI asserting their rights to have more classes about their Filipino language and culture. Close to 50 percent of the student population of UCI, jestingly called "University of Chinese Immigrants," is Asian. Out of its 21,286 population, the breakdown is as follows: White Americans (5,433), Chinese (3,261), Koreans (1,698), Mexican-Americans (1,64l), Vietnamese (1,6l4), Filipinos (1,423), East Indians/Pakistanis (693), other Southeast Asians (639), Latinos (632), Japanese (601), black Americans (435), American Indians (85), Pacific Islanders (64), and others (3,067).
Filipinos make up 6.7 percent of the UCI student population, although Filipinos make up only 1.7 percent of the Orange County population (about 49,000 out of almost three million county residents) and 2.7 percent of the state’s population (nearly one million Filipinos out of the state’s population of about 36 million in 2000). It’s encouraging to note that Filipino families in America – whether the parents are college-educated or not – continue to put education of their children as a top priority.
This phenomenon has been confirmed in our financial planning business among Filipino families where the parents’ investment
in their children’s education ranks higher than the funding of their own retirement.
Although the UCI Filipino students do not get college credits for taking this class on Filipino language and history, the demand for this special class is great and has become very popular in the campus. Nic Ramos, a Filipino student leader, puts it succinctly, "Having a class in our Filipino language and history somewhat validates our presence in America." Another student, Michelle Garcia, one in a 43-student class who paid $25 each to subsidize a special teacher who is competent to teach the course says, "I am taking this class because I don’t know that much about my home country. A lot of stuff you learn in the news just makes you ashamed."
Filipino students in America today are indeed luckier and also have become more assertive compared to their "submissive" parents. Just 25 or 35 years ago, Filipino students were told to speak "American" and parents did not encourage their offspring to learn Tagalog or Filipino for fear of "confusing" their kids or that their children might acquire the Filipino "accent" like their first-degree immigrant parents. These days, I hear young Filipino students talking in Tagalog like my own two kids and their cousins. There is now a pervasive feeling that if a young Filipino student cannot talk in their home language, he is not complete and is disconnected with his past. Unfortunately, in the past, it is often the Filipino parents who were more "white-washed" than their children. Thank goodness times are changing for the better!
* * *
An empowering thought: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!
A VOICE FROM AMERICA: WHY DO FILIPINOS FIND IT EASIER TO SUCCEED ABROAD?
A VOICE FROM AMERICA: WHY DO FILIPINOS FIND IT EASIER TO SUCCEED ABROAD?
MANILA, December 15, 2003 (STAR) A VOICE FROM AMERICA By Ernie D. Delfin - On a typical business day, I deal mostly with predominantly non-Filipinos and my mindset is very much different whenever I conduct business with a Filipino. It’s an inexplicable reality that Filipinos who have lived in America for decades have to deal with.
We laugh at the joke that Filipinos are indeed confused for having lived in the convent for over 300 years under the Spaniards, who subjugated the people with a Bible on one hand and a sword on the other, and another 50 glitzy years in Hollywood under the Americans. The effect of these two experiences on Filipinos is somewhat parallel with what descendants of black slaves from Africa experience to this day – their shackles may have been removed since the abolition of slavery but their psychological chains still exist.
For most American employers, dealing with African-Americans requires a distinct management paradigm because many blacks often raise the "race card" whenever some degree of discipline is imposed on them. The US government’s misplaced affirmative action gives blacks and other minorities "extra but unearned points" in matters of employee hiring, promotion or some set-aside programs on government contracts.
In an environment where freedom to excel is not curtailed but rewarded, Filipinos become successful. Unfortunately in the Philippines, the colonizers’ practices are still being reinforced by centuries-old institutions like the Catholic Church, and sectarian or exclusive schools which subliminally practice social segregation in many facets of public or private endeavors.
The Philippines still practices blatant discrimination, especially in hiring, which is unconstitutional in America. Consider the classified ads you see in newspapers for, say, an administrative secretary (permit me to exaggerate): "Must be 24 to 34, female, at least 5’ 4" in height, no more than l19 lbs., long hair, beautiful face, fair complexion, must talk like an Ateneo or Assumption graduate, must live in Forbes Park or Bel-Air and whose parents are also graduates of exclusive schools."
As the personnel departments are often headed by graduates of these schools, graduates of the University of Batanes or Tawi-Tawi Colleges seldom get the chance to be hired by blue-chip companies.
Ironically, these rejected applicants who are talented and ambitious are the ones dissatisfied with a country that puts a cap on their potential because they were born on the wrong side of the tracks. They migrate to America and other countries that give them a chance to work. It really does not matter how they arrive in America, the path is almost the same. The newly arrived immigrant faces challenges but he knows that he has better employment opportunities here than in the Philippines. America is a great equalizer for people like him – it disregards what your last name is, where you come from, simply because America is historically a land of frustrated immigrants from all over the world.
The typical Filipino immigrant works hard to prove himself in the eyes of his new employer. It is easy to excel in his first job as he is normally over-qualified. For instance, a CPA graduate becomes an accounting clerk where he competes against high school graduates instead of competing against American CPAs who are entirely in a different ball game. Soon, the boss gives the newly arrived Filipino a promotion because he doesn’t say no to overtime.
Many immigrants, including Filipinos, rise to become department heads, managers and executives of their employers with whom they stay for decades. Very few Filipinos, unfortunately, take the risks – which the Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese take – to become entrepreneurs. These are all the modern day "Victors" of America as documented by Professors Danko and Stanley in their best-selling book Millionaires Next Door, where they concluded that the first-degree immigrants in America have l6 times more chances to become a millionaire than the average natural-born American. Quite impressive. But this is the downside according to the authors: The first-degree immigrants make the wealth, the second generation enjoys it, and then the third generation squanders it. And the cycle begins.
In America, there is dignity of labor whereas in the Philippines during my time it was considered embarrassing to be seen by one’s former classmates to be holding a janitorial or waitressing job. In the US, working part-time is encouraged among high school or college students whereas the attitude in the Philippines is the opposite. When students from the provinces go to Manila to study, they often gravitate toward each other because they experience discrimination if not prejudice. Words like promdi (from the province) and Waray-waray carry subtle prejudice by many in the A society, especially those from exclusive schools.
I know this because I was subjected to it in my first few years in Letran as a working student.
As Filipinos are talented and resilient, there is really no reason why they cannot succeed in our homeland. We only need to learn the lessons of more progressive countries and adapt them to our own culture.
Our cultural flaws are being influenced greatly by the education bulimia in the Philippine system. Our curricula must be revamped and overhauled not only because of massive graft but also because what is being taught to schools is soon forgotten by students as it is not relevant in the real world. Students parrot words and memorize theories just to get passing grades. Like bulimics, students throw away useless knowledge.
Filipinos may hold college degrees but fewer and fewer are really educated.
It is not entirely the fault of the students but the schools as well. Students must not only enjoy their classes but must be taught things they would find useful. Like parents going through prenatal lessons, all students must be educated and be made mentally, physically, socially and psychologically prepared with what transpires in the real world where grades and school nepotism are no longer important.
F. Landa Jocano wrote in his book Anthropology of the Filipino People, "The notion of value in the Filipino culture has not yet been clarified. Even a cursory glance at what has already been written about it reveals the absence of working definition of the concept in the context of Filipino culture in terms of local knowledge and practices."
I also highly recommend the excellent book The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman about the dramatic changes in our world due to globalization and the wonders of the information society and the Internet.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2003 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
MANILA, December 15, 2003 (STAR) A VOICE FROM AMERICA By Ernie D. Delfin - On a typical business day, I deal mostly with predominantly non-Filipinos and my mindset is very much different whenever I conduct business with a Filipino. It’s an inexplicable reality that Filipinos who have lived in America for decades have to deal with.
We laugh at the joke that Filipinos are indeed confused for having lived in the convent for over 300 years under the Spaniards, who subjugated the people with a Bible on one hand and a sword on the other, and another 50 glitzy years in Hollywood under the Americans. The effect of these two experiences on Filipinos is somewhat parallel with what descendants of black slaves from Africa experience to this day – their shackles may have been removed since the abolition of slavery but their psychological chains still exist.
For most American employers, dealing with African-Americans requires a distinct management paradigm because many blacks often raise the "race card" whenever some degree of discipline is imposed on them. The US government’s misplaced affirmative action gives blacks and other minorities "extra but unearned points" in matters of employee hiring, promotion or some set-aside programs on government contracts.
In an environment where freedom to excel is not curtailed but rewarded, Filipinos become successful. Unfortunately in the Philippines, the colonizers’ practices are still being reinforced by centuries-old institutions like the Catholic Church, and sectarian or exclusive schools which subliminally practice social segregation in many facets of public or private endeavors.
The Philippines still practices blatant discrimination, especially in hiring, which is unconstitutional in America. Consider the classified ads you see in newspapers for, say, an administrative secretary (permit me to exaggerate): "Must be 24 to 34, female, at least 5’ 4" in height, no more than l19 lbs., long hair, beautiful face, fair complexion, must talk like an Ateneo or Assumption graduate, must live in Forbes Park or Bel-Air and whose parents are also graduates of exclusive schools."
As the personnel departments are often headed by graduates of these schools, graduates of the University of Batanes or Tawi-Tawi Colleges seldom get the chance to be hired by blue-chip companies.
Ironically, these rejected applicants who are talented and ambitious are the ones dissatisfied with a country that puts a cap on their potential because they were born on the wrong side of the tracks. They migrate to America and other countries that give them a chance to work. It really does not matter how they arrive in America, the path is almost the same. The newly arrived immigrant faces challenges but he knows that he has better employment opportunities here than in the Philippines. America is a great equalizer for people like him – it disregards what your last name is, where you come from, simply because America is historically a land of frustrated immigrants from all over the world.
The typical Filipino immigrant works hard to prove himself in the eyes of his new employer. It is easy to excel in his first job as he is normally over-qualified. For instance, a CPA graduate becomes an accounting clerk where he competes against high school graduates instead of competing against American CPAs who are entirely in a different ball game. Soon, the boss gives the newly arrived Filipino a promotion because he doesn’t say no to overtime.
Many immigrants, including Filipinos, rise to become department heads, managers and executives of their employers with whom they stay for decades. Very few Filipinos, unfortunately, take the risks – which the Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese take – to become entrepreneurs. These are all the modern day "Victors" of America as documented by Professors Danko and Stanley in their best-selling book Millionaires Next Door, where they concluded that the first-degree immigrants in America have l6 times more chances to become a millionaire than the average natural-born American. Quite impressive. But this is the downside according to the authors: The first-degree immigrants make the wealth, the second generation enjoys it, and then the third generation squanders it. And the cycle begins.
In America, there is dignity of labor whereas in the Philippines during my time it was considered embarrassing to be seen by one’s former classmates to be holding a janitorial or waitressing job. In the US, working part-time is encouraged among high school or college students whereas the attitude in the Philippines is the opposite. When students from the provinces go to Manila to study, they often gravitate toward each other because they experience discrimination if not prejudice. Words like promdi (from the province) and Waray-waray carry subtle prejudice by many in the A society, especially those from exclusive schools.
I know this because I was subjected to it in my first few years in Letran as a working student.
As Filipinos are talented and resilient, there is really no reason why they cannot succeed in our homeland. We only need to learn the lessons of more progressive countries and adapt them to our own culture.
Our cultural flaws are being influenced greatly by the education bulimia in the Philippine system. Our curricula must be revamped and overhauled not only because of massive graft but also because what is being taught to schools is soon forgotten by students as it is not relevant in the real world. Students parrot words and memorize theories just to get passing grades. Like bulimics, students throw away useless knowledge.
Filipinos may hold college degrees but fewer and fewer are really educated.
It is not entirely the fault of the students but the schools as well. Students must not only enjoy their classes but must be taught things they would find useful. Like parents going through prenatal lessons, all students must be educated and be made mentally, physically, socially and psychologically prepared with what transpires in the real world where grades and school nepotism are no longer important.
F. Landa Jocano wrote in his book Anthropology of the Filipino People, "The notion of value in the Filipino culture has not yet been clarified. Even a cursory glance at what has already been written about it reveals the absence of working definition of the concept in the context of Filipino culture in terms of local knowledge and practices."
I also highly recommend the excellent book The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman about the dramatic changes in our world due to globalization and the wonders of the information society and the Internet.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2003 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
Gawad Kalinga Report by Ernie Delfin, as published by Asian Journal
GK Updates
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Gawad Kalinga is in the hearts of many Filipino Americans
GK Founder Tony Meloto (R), Pangasinan Mayor Nani Braganza (next to Meloto), and San Diego GK advocates at the ONE unification rally in Kimball Park, National City, California.
GK Founder Tony Meloto (R), Pangasinan Mayor Nani Braganza (next to Meloto), and San Diego GK advocates at the ONE unification rally in Kimball Park, National City, California.
THE METAMORPHOSIS By Ernie D. Delfin (exclusive to the San Diego Asian Journal) | DEL MAR, 5/26/08 (See AJ 5/30/08 issue) -- In my own "Man's Search for Meaning" (a highly recommended book of the same title authored by a Holocaust survivor Dr. Victor Frankl) I also attended the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Builders Summit 2008 in San Diego over the Memorial Day Weekend (May 25-26) where over 400 other Filipino Americans and non-Americans from many cities of the USA participated. We heard many testimonies from many GK volunteers and benefactors from diverse backgrounds and professions who originally came from many different provinces or regions in the Philippine. I am particularly inspired to see many second generation Filipino Americans, successful business leaders and professionals who are now involved in this GK movement. I believe it is the beginning of an era of the Philippines' brain gain, a homecoming or giving back to the homeland for us, the first generation of Filipino immigrants to the United States.
Although I am not a social scientist, this weekend summit showed me some brighter rays of hope that GK can be that rallying point for most Filipinos to unite for ONE common cause: fighting poverty from the ground up. It is now a new brand that many Filipinos can be proud of, that can transform us to become world class citizens that can be tapped for nation building through the empowerment of the poor by giving them their God-given dignity and instilling their innate sense of heroism and love of country. In his book, "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid", C.K. Prahalad said that a nation can never be fully developed without raising the qualify of life of the poor who often make the rich become richer as plain consumers. Some signs of hope are happening, however, as city mayors, like Alaminos City, Pangasinan Mayor Nani Braganza have become vocal advocates and partners of GK as more and more politicians in the Philippines, for whatever reasons, are now associating themselves with GK as it is a good brand name can also help them in their political electability.
Having seen the transformation of many people, both the beneficiaries and benefactors of Gawad Kalinga, is a global phenomenon, a miracle from God. GK for many of us has given us an opportunity or vehicle to practice our Christian faith to do something for the least of our brothers, to "feed the hungry, clothe the naked" and provide shelter to those who live in slums, along the railroads or under many bridges. For many volunteers, GK has become a calling like the early missionaries of the church by helping others empower themselves not through charity but by a holistic approach of providing basic shelter needs of homeless people first, then providing them with spiritual nourishment and livelihood education. The GK Movement is beginning to have global presence as it has been exported to several countries like Cambodia, East Timor, Papa New Guinea, Indonesia and soon to South Africa. Like the so-called People Power of 1986, Gawad Kalinga is a Filipino creation of God fearing men and women trying to follow Christ's admonition to "live simply so that others can simply live"
Tony Meloto, the humble Founder-Servant Leader of GK, issued the challenge to have more committed soldiers by becoming massive builders in response to a massive need. Every one has that power to lend a hand, to share and to lead in fighting poverty by living out our Christian faith of compassion and following the many social teachings of our church. Doing these acts of social justice will not only cure poverty but also build a nation that can regain its moral moorings and pride to be called "Perlas ng Silanganan". From what I witnessed last weekend, I am now inclined to agree with my friends, Tony Meloto, Boy Montelibano and Rick Munda that in one generation, we can have a better, more progressive and more just and moral country, our beloved Philippines.
The GK Summit 2008 issued a challenge that each one who believes in the GK Movement must start looking for leaders to become builders of GK communities and that leader is often the one looking at the mirror. Leaders are not necessary born from wealthy clans but they can arise from ordinary mortals like the apostles of Christ. Tony Meloto is a living example that leaders can come anywhere, can be anointed and be guided by the Holy Spirit to mouth the next word, to do the next move right and above all to lead and to inspire others to become better people. With faith and God's guidance, Gawad Kalinga can restore Filipinos' sense of brokenness and make them stand tall in the parade of nations in the next generation.
As more people will hear the 'Good News" about Gawad Kalinga, more people from all walks of life will come to contribute their thinking, talent, treasure and time (4 T's of philanthropy) and I dream as I pray for that day when Filipinos everywhere can be proud (again) because they became a part of Gawad Kalinga (also referred as the "Gold with priceless Karats" or a "Global Kusina" that feeds the world). As I told my fellow "GK Builders" in my table who came from different states, I hope that next GK Summit 2009 in Boston will have more than 1,000 participants and I believe it can happen as I do my part to invite and influence others to join us in this great movement of empowering others to attain their fullest human potential. For more information, visit: www.gawadkalinga.org or www.ancopusa.org.
----- 30----
Email writer: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
Other GK links: www.gk777sd.com
ShareThis
Gawad Kalinga is in the hearts of many Filipino Americans
GK Founder Tony Meloto (R), Pangasinan Mayor Nani Braganza (next to Meloto), and San Diego GK advocates at the ONE unification rally in Kimball Park, National City, California.
GK Founder Tony Meloto (R), Pangasinan Mayor Nani Braganza (next to Meloto), and San Diego GK advocates at the ONE unification rally in Kimball Park, National City, California.
THE METAMORPHOSIS By Ernie D. Delfin (exclusive to the San Diego Asian Journal) | DEL MAR, 5/26/08 (See AJ 5/30/08 issue) -- In my own "Man's Search for Meaning" (a highly recommended book of the same title authored by a Holocaust survivor Dr. Victor Frankl) I also attended the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Builders Summit 2008 in San Diego over the Memorial Day Weekend (May 25-26) where over 400 other Filipino Americans and non-Americans from many cities of the USA participated. We heard many testimonies from many GK volunteers and benefactors from diverse backgrounds and professions who originally came from many different provinces or regions in the Philippine. I am particularly inspired to see many second generation Filipino Americans, successful business leaders and professionals who are now involved in this GK movement. I believe it is the beginning of an era of the Philippines' brain gain, a homecoming or giving back to the homeland for us, the first generation of Filipino immigrants to the United States.
Although I am not a social scientist, this weekend summit showed me some brighter rays of hope that GK can be that rallying point for most Filipinos to unite for ONE common cause: fighting poverty from the ground up. It is now a new brand that many Filipinos can be proud of, that can transform us to become world class citizens that can be tapped for nation building through the empowerment of the poor by giving them their God-given dignity and instilling their innate sense of heroism and love of country. In his book, "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid", C.K. Prahalad said that a nation can never be fully developed without raising the qualify of life of the poor who often make the rich become richer as plain consumers. Some signs of hope are happening, however, as city mayors, like Alaminos City, Pangasinan Mayor Nani Braganza have become vocal advocates and partners of GK as more and more politicians in the Philippines, for whatever reasons, are now associating themselves with GK as it is a good brand name can also help them in their political electability.
Having seen the transformation of many people, both the beneficiaries and benefactors of Gawad Kalinga, is a global phenomenon, a miracle from God. GK for many of us has given us an opportunity or vehicle to practice our Christian faith to do something for the least of our brothers, to "feed the hungry, clothe the naked" and provide shelter to those who live in slums, along the railroads or under many bridges. For many volunteers, GK has become a calling like the early missionaries of the church by helping others empower themselves not through charity but by a holistic approach of providing basic shelter needs of homeless people first, then providing them with spiritual nourishment and livelihood education. The GK Movement is beginning to have global presence as it has been exported to several countries like Cambodia, East Timor, Papa New Guinea, Indonesia and soon to South Africa. Like the so-called People Power of 1986, Gawad Kalinga is a Filipino creation of God fearing men and women trying to follow Christ's admonition to "live simply so that others can simply live"
Tony Meloto, the humble Founder-Servant Leader of GK, issued the challenge to have more committed soldiers by becoming massive builders in response to a massive need. Every one has that power to lend a hand, to share and to lead in fighting poverty by living out our Christian faith of compassion and following the many social teachings of our church. Doing these acts of social justice will not only cure poverty but also build a nation that can regain its moral moorings and pride to be called "Perlas ng Silanganan". From what I witnessed last weekend, I am now inclined to agree with my friends, Tony Meloto, Boy Montelibano and Rick Munda that in one generation, we can have a better, more progressive and more just and moral country, our beloved Philippines.
The GK Summit 2008 issued a challenge that each one who believes in the GK Movement must start looking for leaders to become builders of GK communities and that leader is often the one looking at the mirror. Leaders are not necessary born from wealthy clans but they can arise from ordinary mortals like the apostles of Christ. Tony Meloto is a living example that leaders can come anywhere, can be anointed and be guided by the Holy Spirit to mouth the next word, to do the next move right and above all to lead and to inspire others to become better people. With faith and God's guidance, Gawad Kalinga can restore Filipinos' sense of brokenness and make them stand tall in the parade of nations in the next generation.
As more people will hear the 'Good News" about Gawad Kalinga, more people from all walks of life will come to contribute their thinking, talent, treasure and time (4 T's of philanthropy) and I dream as I pray for that day when Filipinos everywhere can be proud (again) because they became a part of Gawad Kalinga (also referred as the "Gold with priceless Karats" or a "Global Kusina" that feeds the world). As I told my fellow "GK Builders" in my table who came from different states, I hope that next GK Summit 2009 in Boston will have more than 1,000 participants and I believe it can happen as I do my part to invite and influence others to join us in this great movement of empowering others to attain their fullest human potential. For more information, visit: www.gawadkalinga.org or www.ancopusa.org.
----- 30----
Email writer: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
Other GK links: www.gk777sd.com
REFLECTIONS DURING THANKSGIVING-CHRISTMAS SEASON
THE METAMORPHOSIS
By
Ernie Delfin
Youth Services Director
Newport Irvine Rotary Club
SOME REFLECTIONS FOR THANKSGIVING AND
THE FORTHCOMING CHRISTMAS (HOLIDAY) SEASON
“ For everything under the sun, there is a reason and there is a season”.
--- A paraphrase from the Book of Ecclesiastes
The United States is making history. It just elected Barack Obama as its first Black American president after a long spirited campaign amidst the worst U.S. economy since the Great Depression in the 1930s. This financial tsunami has already resulted to an unprecedented foreclosures of homes and the failure (and subsequent bailouts) of several financial giants, like AIG, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Despite all these depressing economic news, however, millions of people from other countries still desire to immigrate and live in the United States, much more than those wanting to leave. The USA remains a strong magnet to millions of foreigners.
Why are Americans unhappy or depressed then? Because we Americans are spoiled people in so many ways because we are used to a very comfortable and easy- going lifestyle. We were used to pay only about $30, not $100 to fill up the gas tanks of our SUV’s. When our 401(k) retirement accounts or our American dollars depreciate, we get depressed. When the values of our houses tumble, we cry because our houses for decades have become as our revolving “savings” account. Road rage increases where there is too much traffic whereas in many parts of the world, freeways and cars are just a dream! And the list goes on and on.
# # #
This coming Thanksgiving week and the advent of the Holiday or Christmas Season, it is an opportune time for all of us to take a pause to reflect and consciously take minute vacations from our tupsy turvy world and start counting the many blessings that we often take for granted. We should simply ignore those luring advertisement subliminally convincing us that we can never be happy without buying that designer clothes or taking that expensive vacation. No one should ever listen that it is necessary to have those cosmetic surgeries to remove the excess fat in one’s tummy or wrinkles in one’s aging face in order to look young and beautiful. The coming Holidays should not only be about material gifts but also gifts of time and energy to nurture better relationships.
On a more serious note, I believe that to be truly happy and fulfilled is to have a grateful heart and to become a child once again. Children are pure and simple. They are colorblind; share their toys with anyone. They do not carry grudges or hatred in their hearts; they are quite innocent, guilt free and unbiased.
Once we are grown up, we leave childlike behaviors behind. We learn and acquire acts of prejudice, pride, discrimination and greed along the way. In the adult world, he who has more toys wins! We crave for the applause of men and are driven for that ephemeral l5 minutes fame. People are driven to become recognized by what they possess rather than by the content of their character that defines who they are. We forget that each one is unique individual and each is given his own talents by God as His gift to us as human beings. What we do with those talents is our own gift to Him that gave us.
Psychologists say that the Holiday season increases the level stress, depression and even suicides in our society. When pangs of anxiety or depression come, an effective prescription is to go out and volunteer to feed the hungry and the homeless. To go to a spiritual retreat or a visit to the graves of some loved ones can also prevent anxiety attacks or depression.
If you feel sad because you cannot afford to buy those $300 pair of shoes, your mental paradigm can change by this Hindu proverb:
“I CRIED AND CRIED BECAUSE I HArtrtVE NO SHOES,
UNTIL I SAW A MAN WITH NO FEET AT ALL!”
Have a blessed, peaceful and Christmas Holidays everyone!
---- 3 0 -----
Email writer at: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
By
Ernie Delfin
Youth Services Director
Newport Irvine Rotary Club
SOME REFLECTIONS FOR THANKSGIVING AND
THE FORTHCOMING CHRISTMAS (HOLIDAY) SEASON
“ For everything under the sun, there is a reason and there is a season”.
--- A paraphrase from the Book of Ecclesiastes
The United States is making history. It just elected Barack Obama as its first Black American president after a long spirited campaign amidst the worst U.S. economy since the Great Depression in the 1930s. This financial tsunami has already resulted to an unprecedented foreclosures of homes and the failure (and subsequent bailouts) of several financial giants, like AIG, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Despite all these depressing economic news, however, millions of people from other countries still desire to immigrate and live in the United States, much more than those wanting to leave. The USA remains a strong magnet to millions of foreigners.
Why are Americans unhappy or depressed then? Because we Americans are spoiled people in so many ways because we are used to a very comfortable and easy- going lifestyle. We were used to pay only about $30, not $100 to fill up the gas tanks of our SUV’s. When our 401(k) retirement accounts or our American dollars depreciate, we get depressed. When the values of our houses tumble, we cry because our houses for decades have become as our revolving “savings” account. Road rage increases where there is too much traffic whereas in many parts of the world, freeways and cars are just a dream! And the list goes on and on.
# # #
This coming Thanksgiving week and the advent of the Holiday or Christmas Season, it is an opportune time for all of us to take a pause to reflect and consciously take minute vacations from our tupsy turvy world and start counting the many blessings that we often take for granted. We should simply ignore those luring advertisement subliminally convincing us that we can never be happy without buying that designer clothes or taking that expensive vacation. No one should ever listen that it is necessary to have those cosmetic surgeries to remove the excess fat in one’s tummy or wrinkles in one’s aging face in order to look young and beautiful. The coming Holidays should not only be about material gifts but also gifts of time and energy to nurture better relationships.
On a more serious note, I believe that to be truly happy and fulfilled is to have a grateful heart and to become a child once again. Children are pure and simple. They are colorblind; share their toys with anyone. They do not carry grudges or hatred in their hearts; they are quite innocent, guilt free and unbiased.
Once we are grown up, we leave childlike behaviors behind. We learn and acquire acts of prejudice, pride, discrimination and greed along the way. In the adult world, he who has more toys wins! We crave for the applause of men and are driven for that ephemeral l5 minutes fame. People are driven to become recognized by what they possess rather than by the content of their character that defines who they are. We forget that each one is unique individual and each is given his own talents by God as His gift to us as human beings. What we do with those talents is our own gift to Him that gave us.
Psychologists say that the Holiday season increases the level stress, depression and even suicides in our society. When pangs of anxiety or depression come, an effective prescription is to go out and volunteer to feed the hungry and the homeless. To go to a spiritual retreat or a visit to the graves of some loved ones can also prevent anxiety attacks or depression.
If you feel sad because you cannot afford to buy those $300 pair of shoes, your mental paradigm can change by this Hindu proverb:
“I CRIED AND CRIED BECAUSE I HArtrtVE NO SHOES,
UNTIL I SAW A MAN WITH NO FEET AT ALL!”
Have a blessed, peaceful and Christmas Holidays everyone!
---- 3 0 -----
Email writer at: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
EVERY MONTH SHOULD BE A MEMBERSHIP MONTH FOR ROTARY
THE METAMORPHOSIS
By
ERNIE D. DELFIN
Member, Newport Irvine Rotary Club
EVERY MONTH SHOULD BE A MEMBERSHIP DRIVE MONTH
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!”
---- Pres. John Fitzgerald Kennedy
I was in my youth just starting high school, after 6 years of elementary education, in the Philippines when President Kennedy was assassinated and although were 10,000 miles away we were also shocked and saddened by his untimely demise that fateful November 21, 1963. I remember that we were glued to the transistor radio (we did not have a TV at home yet) and a lot of us shed tears as he was also our idol. Now 43 years later, I am still inspired by his inaugural speech, his vision like his dream of sending a man on the moon, and his idealism and his dream of a better America and a more peace world.
In Rotary International, we also dream lofty dreams to have a better and more peaceful world. Yes, true Rotarians do not ask what their club can do for them, but they ask what they can do for their Club. The 100 year history of Rotary International is replete with stories of selfless individuals who contributed their thinking, time, talents and treasures (4 T’s in philanthropy) and we Rotarians should emulate those many “silent heroes” in the Rotary World.
It still amazes me that to this day, however, that many professionals and business people in our local communities still do not know what Rotary is all about. For example a prominent business leader in our Orange County Presidents Council (a coalition of 25 minority chambers of Commerce and NGOs) publicly joked during a press conference that he thought before I invited him to join the Westminster Global City Rotary Club that Rotary is just a “group of old white people” who go to lunch together and get fined for singing out of tune! Yes, our “reputation” is still not that good in many communities! Perceptions in the mind is reality, hence I personally cannot fault him, but Rotarians around him.
But I dare say that once these kinds of good people are exposed and engaged in the empowering and humanitarian work that Rotarians do, they will become our best advertisers for Rotary.
Every month should be a Membership and New Generations Month where we Rotarians must continue to invite, involve other equally altruistic citizens in our neighborhood to join Rotary.
I challenge each Rotarian worth his salt to ask one person a week to join Rotary. Of course invite them when there is “excitement and good programs” that can be showcased. Are your club meetings exciting enough to interest them to join or just a just a group of old white people having lunch fining people who cannot sing?
To overcome the fear of rejection, probably form a 3-5 Rotarians to invite and recruit one new Rotarian this year! I know it can be done. We have 23 new Rotarians of the ‘youngest club’ in the District and yes, I recruited most of them! A committed TEAM (Together Everybody Accomplishes Miracles) of Rotarians can easily recruit one qualified Rotary member.
We should be the “Lamp on Top of the Hill” and let our Rotary light shine brighter so others can see. Let’s engage, evolve, empower, execute, experience and enjoy (6 E’s ) by sharing Rotary with others.
------ 3 0 -------
Email writer at: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
By
ERNIE D. DELFIN
Member, Newport Irvine Rotary Club
EVERY MONTH SHOULD BE A MEMBERSHIP DRIVE MONTH
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!”
---- Pres. John Fitzgerald Kennedy
I was in my youth just starting high school, after 6 years of elementary education, in the Philippines when President Kennedy was assassinated and although were 10,000 miles away we were also shocked and saddened by his untimely demise that fateful November 21, 1963. I remember that we were glued to the transistor radio (we did not have a TV at home yet) and a lot of us shed tears as he was also our idol. Now 43 years later, I am still inspired by his inaugural speech, his vision like his dream of sending a man on the moon, and his idealism and his dream of a better America and a more peace world.
In Rotary International, we also dream lofty dreams to have a better and more peaceful world. Yes, true Rotarians do not ask what their club can do for them, but they ask what they can do for their Club. The 100 year history of Rotary International is replete with stories of selfless individuals who contributed their thinking, time, talents and treasures (4 T’s in philanthropy) and we Rotarians should emulate those many “silent heroes” in the Rotary World.
It still amazes me that to this day, however, that many professionals and business people in our local communities still do not know what Rotary is all about. For example a prominent business leader in our Orange County Presidents Council (a coalition of 25 minority chambers of Commerce and NGOs) publicly joked during a press conference that he thought before I invited him to join the Westminster Global City Rotary Club that Rotary is just a “group of old white people” who go to lunch together and get fined for singing out of tune! Yes, our “reputation” is still not that good in many communities! Perceptions in the mind is reality, hence I personally cannot fault him, but Rotarians around him.
But I dare say that once these kinds of good people are exposed and engaged in the empowering and humanitarian work that Rotarians do, they will become our best advertisers for Rotary.
Every month should be a Membership and New Generations Month where we Rotarians must continue to invite, involve other equally altruistic citizens in our neighborhood to join Rotary.
I challenge each Rotarian worth his salt to ask one person a week to join Rotary. Of course invite them when there is “excitement and good programs” that can be showcased. Are your club meetings exciting enough to interest them to join or just a just a group of old white people having lunch fining people who cannot sing?
To overcome the fear of rejection, probably form a 3-5 Rotarians to invite and recruit one new Rotarian this year! I know it can be done. We have 23 new Rotarians of the ‘youngest club’ in the District and yes, I recruited most of them! A committed TEAM (Together Everybody Accomplishes Miracles) of Rotarians can easily recruit one qualified Rotary member.
We should be the “Lamp on Top of the Hill” and let our Rotary light shine brighter so others can see. Let’s engage, evolve, empower, execute, experience and enjoy (6 E’s ) by sharing Rotary with others.
------ 3 0 -------
Email writer at: ernie.delfin@gmail.com or drbannatiran@yahoo.com
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