What’s Inside?
NaFFAA is all set for its National Empowerment Conference
"Celebrating our History and Building a Brighter Future" JOIN US National Empowerment Conference August 4-7, 2016 Valley Forge Casino & Resort 1160 First Avenue King of Prussia, PA 19406 empowermentphilly.com
Fil-Am Vote Bataan Day/GOTV FilVets V81Radio Medical Mission 12th NEC R3East NaFFAA Missouri Membership Form
The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), Region I is excited to host the 12th NaFFAA Empowerment Conference in Philadelphia, the birthplace of America, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. The National Empowerment Conference is expected to draw up to 2000 community leaders and guests from across the country including Guam, Canada and the Philippines. It will focus on the development of key strategies to address the political, social, health, education and economic concerns of the Filipino American community. More than a dozen workshops will be conducted during the conference, focusing mainly on capacity building, civic engagement, professional development, and cultural identity/narratives. These workshops are designed to be participatory, engaging and interactive, which include Fil Am vote workshop, how to access valuable resources, jobs to name a few. Issues critical to the Filipino American community will be taken up Google pics at plenary sessions. They include immigration reform, health care, voter participation, electoral politics, and business development.
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Filipino-American Leaders Urge Community to Register and Vote
Voter registration & Get-out-the-vote drive launched in Jersey City Contributed
Filipino-American community leaders have joined together to call on members of the community to show their commitment by registering and voting in the upcoming November presidential elections. “As a national organization, we at the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) have decided to implement Fil-Am Vote, a movement whose goal is to encourage all eligible Filipinos to register and vote,” NaFFAA chairman says JT Mallonga told the Asian Journal. “It is now generally known that Asian Americans are the fastest growing voters in the United States today. They are emerging as a key voting block that could significantly influence national and local elections in the coming years.” Fil-Am Vote is a national program directed at strengthening the voter registration, voter education, voter protection and get-out-the-vote capabilities of Filipino American communities nationwide. “Our immediate objective is to register more Filipino voters between now and November 8, and mobilize a huge voter turnout by the time polling booths open,” said Juanito Amor, Fil-Am Vote National Director. “We know that by increasing the voting ranks of the Filipino American community, we will not only make our voices heard but will most assuredly make a difference in determining who will lead our country.” A report from the Center for American Progress shows Asian American voters in the last decade nearly doubling from more than 2 million voters in 2000 to 3.9 million voters by 2012, and is estimated to reach 5 percent of the voters nationally by 2025 and 10 percent by 2044. “We are four million Fil-Ams in the U.S. today but we don’t have a political clout. As the second largest Asian American population in the U.S., our challenge as Filipino Americans is to translate these numbers into political power,” Mallonga added. “That means being actively engaged as informed citizens, exercising our voting rights and casting our ballots on Election Day.” NaFFAA is a non-partisan organization recognized by Washington policy-makers, private industry and other advocacy groups as the voice of Filipinos and Filipino Americans throughout the United States. In Jersey City, NaFFAA has partnered with the Philippine American Friendship Committee (PAFCOM). “This is an important collaboration because we share NaFFAA’s goal in getting our numbers recognized and the only way we can do that is by showing up in the polls,” said PAFCOM president Ledy Almadin. “You are not elevating the platform if you are not engaged that is why voter outreach like this is very important for the community,” said George Helmy, New Jersey senator Cory Booker’s chief of staff. People Power Fil-Am Vote’s launching, Amor pointed out, is not only “an affirmation of our civic responsibility as American citizens, but also a commemoration of the 1986 People Power Revolution in the Philippines, which occurred 30 years ago last February. That historic moment taught the world what people can do collectively to assert their democratic rights to vote, fight against election fraud and ensure that the people’s will is carried out. 2
“Fil-Am Vote, therefore, draws from the energy, inspiration, passion and courage of the millions of Filipinos who used the ballot box to make their voices heard. Despite the threat by an authoritarian regime to suppress their right to participate in the electoral process, the Filipino people stood up to make sure each vote counted. Fil-Am Vote honors this powerful movement and is committed to carrying on the legacy of full, active civic engagement of the Filipino American community.” “It is upon us, Fil-Am vote and the community organizations to encourage our friends and relatives to vote regularly so that the mainstream parties see and realize that we are committed,” added Eric Salcedo of APIA Vote. “We can start at the local level where we can show our influence by voting for our city council, then the state level.” Highest Naturalization Rate The latest U.S. Census Bureau data indicate there are 2,790,928 potential Filipino voters nationwide. Figures from the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services also show that Filipinos are among the top AAPI groups with the highest naturalization rates. “But we have been lagging behind in terms of registered voters and voter turn-out,” explained Fil-Am Vote national adviser Gloria T. Caoile of Henderson, Nevada. “Our numbers won’t matter unless we enlist community members to register and show up at polling places on November 8 to cast their votes.” NaFFAA Regional Chair Myrna Farinas Reyes of San Diego, CA. has called on the Filipino American community to “come together and demonstrate our collective strength as an influential voting bloc. Let us proudly and unequivocally assert ‘I am a Filipino American Voter.’”
Michigan Initiates Go-Out-To-Vote Telethon Immediate Past NaFFAA National Chair Ed Navarra led GOTV telethon in Michigan. Register and Vote Telethon was hosted by the United States Pinoys for Good Governance in Michigan (USP4GG), with support from APIA Vote Michigan on April 4, 2016. The 23 volunteers were using their own personal cell phones to call and encourage the public about going out to register and vote. A total number of 990 Fil-Ams and non-Fil-Ams were contacted during the 3-hour telethon.
Michigan Commemorates Bataan Day Bataan Day commemorated in Troy, Michigan last April 9, 2016 at the Philippine Mini Mart. This event was hosted by the USP4GG (United States Filipinos for Good Governance) chaired by Willie Dechavez. Speakers include Atty. Fred Ongcapin and Immediate Past NaFFAA National Chair Ed Navarra. Participants shared family member’s experiences during World WarII, and offered a moment of silence to remember the veterans who sacrificed and lost their lives during the war. Ed Navarra shared a moving story about his wife’s family during the war: “My wife's family was a victim of such atrocities, that my mother in law told me - she died 10 years ago - the story on how her husband suffered and died during WWII. He was a medical doctor for USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East) and survived the death march only to be taken by the Japanese afterwards because of one the Filipino collaborators by the name of Eulogio Balao snitched on him during the tail end of the war. One of the townspeople told her that her husband was part of a group of prisoners who were commanded to dig a big hole on the ground by the seashore and to circle the excavation while they shot them one by one with some of them buried half alive. Little did my mother-in-law knew that she was pregnant when they took her husband. And so she named her baby Victoria for Victory, and so my wife became that posthumous baby that never saw her father alive.” 3
Message from Jon Melegrito, FilVetREP Executive Secretary work.
We have been making steady progress in securing more co-sponsors to the CGM bill, thanks to all your efforts and hard
In the last month, we have secured 8 more US Senators (total 42) and 17 more US Representatives. We need 25 more in the Senate to reach the 67 required votes for approval. Our chances of getting the House to pass the bill will be much better once S.B. 1555 passes in the Senate. We need to make a concerted push to reach out again and follow up with US Senators (see attached list). Our FilVetREP legislative team has met with their staff in Capitol Hill so they are waiting for constituents to contact the Senators directly. Even one phone call or email can make a big difference. If you know of friends, acquaintances or relatives in those states we have identified as priorities, please encourage them to call or email their Senators. For instance, Alex Pena has provided the contact for a Filipino American businessman in Knoxville, Tenn. This information helps immensely, especially in areas, like Nebraska, where we don’t have a Filipino community presence. But in those states where we have a significant presence – like Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania – let’s use this opportunity to mobilize our members to engage Congress. Congressional engagement and advocacy for an important issue like recognition for our Filipino World War II veterans is what political empowerment is all about. Thank you for your commitment to this noble cause!
Dr. Evelyn Natividad, Speaker
NaFFAA Gets Interview from V81 Radio
Circle of Empowered Women
For the first time, NaFFAA was able to get airtime on a Filipino radio show. On April 3, 2016, Natioanal Chair JT Mallonga and National Executive Director took the opportunity to promote the Federation and some of its important advocacies and national event on air. V81 Radio, is surfing the virtual airwaves since 2014 from their broadcasting studios in the Philippines and California. A division of Transource Media, it is an outsourcing multimedia company based in the Philippines. V81 Radio is a realization of the dreams of a group of professionals from the Philippine broadcasting industry to form a venue for global Filipinos. Both JT and Giselle talked about what NaFFAA is all about as an organization. They discussed NaFFAA’s FilAmVote and FilVet initiatives.
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Dr. Evelyn de Asis Natividad, NAFFAA Illinois Chair 2007-2009 was a speaker during the CEW Forum sponsored by NAFFAA Illinois last March 26, 2016 held at the Holiday Inn Skokie, Illinois. Her presentation was focused on Women Empowerment, Leadership and Election. She had a lively discussion on the pioneering studies and interesting statistical data from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) that showed the disparity of women against men in terms of gender pay gap, job management, education, and women in politics. She presented insights on helping to narrow the gap through education, information dissemination, workshop, and advocacy.
Congratulations to the successful 2016 PAMMFM's Medical Mission in Pangasinan Contributed
The Philippine American Medical Mission Foundation of Michigan (PAMMFM) held its annual medical mission in Pangasinan from February 5-9, 2016. PAMMFM is a member organization of NAFFAA. As the Province of Pangasinan bus inched thru Umingan the evening of Feb 5th, four high school bands played their heartbeat music, there were hundreds of townspeople lining the streets to welcome the 61 missioners, the rest were on their way via different routes. There were a total of 91 missioners this year. The welcome party at the community center tendered by Mayor Eldred Tumbokon served sumptuous food with entertainment galore. The whole town was ready to open their hearts with cultural shows, folk dances and the choral group sang the haunting Pangasinense's own Malinac Lay Labi, a song to cap the evening for the hard work in the days ahead.
The Surgical Team
Vickie Navarra and Annie Vista headed the missioners, with Bernadine Liganor as the main coordinator. Bernadine is the sister of our own Dr. Ethel Villanueva . Surgical cases were done at the Tayug Prov hospital and the medical cases at the town plaza and gymnasium. A total of 93 major surgeries,177 minor surgeries and 502 dental cases, with 2900 medical patients were performed and seen, respectively, for five days. Farewell dinner was given by Governor Espino at the governor's mansion in Lingayen. Rest and Recreation activities for the missioners were held in Bolinao, a resort town north of the city. The next medical mission is scheduled on February 6 - 10, 2017 in San Jose, Nueva Ecija. The Medical Team (in yellow vests)
Group picture during the welcome party 5
NEC 2016 Presents the Democratic & Republican Workshops & Joint Session Focusing on important issues/ platforms of US political parties One of the highlights of this year’s National Empowerment Conference (NEC) is a workshop on US political parties. Members of NaFFAA Board of Directors agreed to hold two separate meetings between the Republicans and Democrats. To goal of these meetings is to gain a clear understanding of the issues of each of the political party. Each of the meetings will have their panelists, and at the end of the day, each group of panelists will draft a position paper to be presented to NaFFAA Board for consideration. Immediate Past NaFFAA National Chair Ed Navarra said that “this is a good boost to attract registrations, and if anyone remembered in 2008, we had a wall to wall attendance in this similar workshop.” Suggested Topics include Climate Change, Terrorism, Immigration or Refugee issues, Women's Issues, Healthcare & Welfare, Veterans issue (both US and Phil veterans), Family values and Humanitarian efforts among others. Immediately following the separate meetings, a joint session will be held. This highlighted event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 6, 2016. The 12th NaFFAA NEC will be held at Valley Forge Casino, King of Prussia in Pennsylvania on August 4-7, 2016. Registration is on-going. Please visit: empowermentphilly.com. NaFFAA National is a monthly newsletter with the goal of circulating information on NaFFAA’s advocacy events and projects, appointments, messages from leadership and other related activities in the Filipino American community.
R3East Submits Its 2015 Financial and Membership Reports
Ryan Tejero
Editor-In-Chief ryantejero@yahoo.com
Eduardo “Ed” Navarra ejn0115@aol.com
Jon Melegrito
jdmelegrito@gmail.com
Bing Branigin
MCBranigin@aol.com Please forward event announcements and news articles in your community for April issue by the 25th. Submission must be in word format and pictures are in jpeg formats. Thank you to all April contributors !le
“Thank you for sharing your financial report from your Region. GOOD JOB Armin! Good job R3 Treasurer Mardi Ross. Report and explanation very clear. Hope to see other Region reports.” Rozita Lee, Member – Board of Governors “Thanks Armin. I am sure the Treasury Team appreciates your financial report. And thank you for a detailed accomplishment report for 2015 from Region 3 East that we can roll up to a national report in the newsletter. “ Giselle Rushford, National Executive Director
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