INSIDE:
FilVetRep FilAmVote FILgrimage NaFFAA R2 NAFFAA R3East/R3West NaFFAA R4 NaFFAA R10 New Membership Form
National Chair’s Message On Memorial Day
“Let us take time to honor and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Filipinos have a long history of military service in America, dating back to the Revolutionary War. Since that time, many Filipino-Americans gave their lives, and made it possible for us to raise families, live full lives and carry out our dreams. On this Memorial Day, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) joins with the rest of the nation to honor the fallen and reflect on the price of freedom. We are beyond grateful for the service and sacrifice of our brothers and sisters in uniform. It is on the backs of our military that we were carried to safety and security during times of war. It is to these brave men and women that we owe our gratitude. Today, we remember those that never made it home from defending our freedom. Please join me today in saluting the fallen." Brendan Flores, National Chair
Honoring Our Heroes By Jon Melegrito, FilVetRep Washington, D.C. “Today, we remember with gratitude the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have served this country bravely in all of America’s past wars,” says Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret), FilVetREP Chairman. “We also honor their families who lost their loved ones in the hard battles of war. They made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for the freedoms we enjoy today.” One way to honor them on Memorial Day, Taguba adds, is to “tell their stories, and remember their courageous acts and uncommon valor.” At the American Historical Foundation’s Soldier Experience event on May 25, which featured Asian American and Pacific Islanders who served in the U.S. Military, Taguba shared the story of Corporal Magdalena Estoista Leones. Leones was an intelligence agent under the command of U.S. Army Col. Russell Volckmann, who led guerrilla forces in Northern Philippines from 1943 to 1945. “All too often, we present men who were recognized for L to R: Ben de Guzman, Gen. Tony M.Taguba, Bing Branigin, Fil Am Vet Rey Cabacar 89 years old, and former Veterans Affairs Secretary,General gallantry and intrepidity in the face of the enemy,” Taguba said. (US Army Retired) Eric Shinseki at the Asian Pacific Islander Americans, “This woman is clearly extraordinary, a soldier with a distinguished record of service fighting the Japanese Imperial Forces in the Philippines.” Next page 1
Leones was born to a religious family in the Mountain Province of Northern Luzon. She and her family served with American missionaries prior to the war. When Corregidor fell on May 6, 1942, she was incarcerated along with the missionaries in prison camps, where she learned to speak Nippongo, the Japanese language. After her release seven months later, she joined the guerrillas. Operating mostly by herself, Leones infiltrated behind enemy lines, exchanged information with resistance leaders, carried medical supplies and, more importantly, collected information on enemy dispositions and installations. Although she was detained by Japanese Forces three times, she escaped to continue with her tasks. Silver Star Award For her “tenacity, determination and uncommon courage,” Col. Volckmann formally enlisted Leones into the Philippine Army with a rank of Corporal, and later promoted her to Lieutenant. On October 22, 1945, she was awarded the Silver Star. The citation reads: “For gallantry in action at Luzon, Philippine Islands, from February 27 to September 26, 1944. During this period, Corporal Leones repeatedly risked her life to carry important intelligence data, vital radio parts and medical supplies through heavily garrisoned enemy-held territory. Although she knew that detection by the enemy would result in torture and execution, Corporal Leones fearlessly continued her perilous missions between guerrilla forces throughout Luzon with notable success. Through her intrepidity and skill as special agent, Corporal Leones contributed materially to the early liberation of the Philippines.” Known as “Maggie,” Corporal Leones was the fifth female soldier during World War ll, and the only Asia Pacific Islander to be awarded the Silver Star. Leones passed away on June 16, 2016 at the age of 95, in Richmond, California. Congressional Gold Medal “Remembering Leones and the thousands of Filipino soldiers who served this country inspired us to secure the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015,” Taguba FilVetREP Chairman Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret) tells the story of Corporal Magdalena said. “This year’s Memorial Day is even more meaningful, Estoista Leones, a Filipina guerrilla who was awarded the Silver Star for her “tenacity, determinow that Congress has unanimously passed the bill. Pubnation and uncommon courage.” (Photo by FilVetREP). lic Law 114-265 is now forever enshrined in the Congressional Record and in American history.” Taguba adds: “The passage of this law coincides with our country’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of World War II. It is a small, but important triumph for the Filipino veterans who have waited for three quarters of a century to be finally recognized for their distinguished war time service. The only action that remains is the repeal of the Rescission Act of 1946, which still stands to this day. It revoked benefits and entitlements for thousands of Filipino and Filipino Americans, and stripped them of their U.S. nationality as citizens of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.” “Remember, Register, Recognize” To celebrate their lives and ensure that their stories are preserved for posterity, FilVetREP is launching today its “Remember, Register, Recognize” campaign. This nationwide effort aims to raise greater public awareness of the Congressional Gold Medal and its significance, intensify outreach to veterans and their families to make sure they can be appropriately recognized for their service, and step up fundraising activities to support both the short-term and long-term goals of the project. “We are calling on our supporters to help us raise the funds to ensure that our veterans are able to receive the medal their service has more than paid for,” said Ben de Guzman, FilVetRep’s Program Manager. “For the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we will be out in our communities to spread the word.” The campaign also identifies upcoming important dates and events related to Filipino World II veterans. They include fundraising events across the country in Jersey City, NJ (May 28) and Seattle (June 5), Philippine Independence Day on June 12, and the July 26th anniversary of President Roosevelt's creation of the U.S. Army Forces of the Far East and call to service for over 250,000 Filipino soldiers to the war effort. For more details of the campaign, go L to R: Eric Macalama, NaFFAA Capitol Region Chair, Celestino to www.huffingtonpost.com/author/ben-de-guzman. Almeda, 99 years old Filipino American Veteran, John Victoria, Deputy Region Chair, and Walbert Castillo, Washington DC, State Chair
the June 3 Philippine Foundation For Charities Golden Gala, honMeanwhile, the minting of the Congressional Gold Medal is at oring Filipino Veterans and the US Congressional Gold Medal Bill. going through the design process as required by law. "As we collaborate with the US Mint, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, and the Commission of Fine Arts on the appropriate design for the Congressional Gold Medal to honor and memorialize the invaluable contributions our Filipino and American World War II veterans, we will strive to reflect their experiences and sentiments with empathy and authenticity,” Taguba said.
2
Fil-Am Vote™, a NaFFAA story By Giselle Rushford, NaFFAA Board of Trustee (2016-2023)
Effective immediately, NaFFAA’s Fil-Am Vote™ trademark was approved by the U.S. Patent Office! This was a culmination of a year and half journey in dealing with the trademark agency. The following dedicated leaders were instrumental in its process: JT Mallonga, NaFFAA Chair, 2014-2016, Gloria Caiole, Board of Governor, 2012-2016, Fil-Am Vote™ Advisor, Juanito Amor, Fil-Am Vote™ Director, Eric Macalma, Fil-Am Vote™ Website Manager, Dick Aquino, Fil-Am Vote™ Advisor, Donna LaVigne, Fil-Am Vote™ Advisor, Giselle Rushford, Executive Director, 2014-2016, Fil-Am Vote™ Advisor. Background: When Fil-Am Vote™ became a major initiative for NaFFAA in early-2015, during Mr. Mallonga’s term, Fil-Am Vote™ Executive Committee consisted of JT Mallonga, Gloria Caoile, The entire Team at the Marbeya Business Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. Juanito Amor and Giselle Rushford. Ms. Caoile, Mr. Amor and Ms. Rushford completed the documents, processes and marketing tools; trademarking Fil-Am Vote™ was an idea fielded around by the Committee in early 2015. However, it came to the Committee’s attention that another organization was using a fil-am vote website as a Political Action Committee (PAC) fundraising social media tool. Dick Aquino, whom Mr. Mallonga had appointed as a member of the Executive Committee, found out that the organization did not own the Fil-Am Vote trademark. Therefore, Mr. Mallonga requested Ms. Rushford to file for the trademark in September 2015. On December 2015, Mr. Mallonga appointed Donna LaVigne as one of the Fil-Am Vote™ Advisors. She was requested to file a copyright for the Fil-Am Vote materials. Eric Macalma joined the Executive Committee in January 2016 as the webmaster and was instrumental in recruiting volunteers with Facebook, Twitter, website and other social media skills. Mr. Macalma created the Fil-Am Vote website and linked it to naffaa.org. Eventually, Mr. Macalma also linked Rock the Vote so anyone can register to vote through Fil-Am Vote’s website. And this just the beginning of the NaFFAA Fil-Am Vote™ story... Fil-Am Vote™ Coordinators: During the Fil-Am Vote™ Executive Committee strategic planning session in Las Vegas, December 2015, the Committee attended the San Diego (SD) Voter Registration Seminar, presented by Juanito Amor’s SD team and hosted by Region 10, under Myrna Reyes’ leadership as Chair. The Committee was very impressed with the presentation so asked Mr. Amor to incorporate it into the FilAm Vote™ program. On January 2016, Mr. Mallonga presided a two-day Summit in Las Vegas with one day on Fil-Am Vote™ strategic planning and training. Giselle Regions 1, 3E and 10 Fil-Am Vote™ Coordinator Teams. Rushford and Jing Espiritu, Board of Governor (2012-2016), Finance, Funding and Development Director and past Region XI Chair managed the Summit while Juanito Amor, Dr. Vangie Meneses and Rom Sarno led the strategic planning and training. Region XI, under Amie Belmonte’s leadership as Chair, hosted the Summit with excellence and efficiency at no cost to NaFFAA. 3
Gloria Caoile, Fil-Am Vote™ Advisor.
Most of the Region Chairs and about sixty NaFFAA members attended the Summit. From this strategic planning session, the Fil-Am Vote™ Coordinator Team was created. Consequently, the Team consisted of Regional Coordinators while members of the Board of Governors were encouraged to participate. The following dedicated leaders were members of the original Coordinator Team who managed the administrative duties associated with a major NaFFAA endeavor such as Fil-Am Vote™: Region I – JT Mallonga (BOG and NaFFAA Chair), Cely Deauna, Lidy Chan (NaFFAA Assistant Treasurer), egion II –Bing Branigin*, Jon Melegrito (BOG and Communications Director), Eric Macalma, Region IIIE – Armin Sayson*, Dr. Vilma Helms, Region IIIW – Abbey Eusebio, Region IV – Dick Aquino, Patricia Aquino, Region V – Pepito Castellanes*, Donna LaVigne, Gloria Williams, Giselle Rushford, Region VI – Anthony Performing the Fil-Am Vote™ Dance: Voter Education, Voter Registration, Voter Protection, Guevarra*, Region VII – Jesse Vizcocho, Region VIII – Get Out The Vote! Rudy Asercion*, Jinni Bartolome, Region IX – Noel Omega*, Mary Anne Omega, Region X –Myrna Reyes*, Rom Sarno, Juanito Amor, Region XI – Amie Belmonte*, Cynthia Deriquito, Jing Espiritu, Gloria Caoile, Agnes Higley, Region XII – Rouel Velasco.* (*Region Chair) The NaFFAA Fil-Am Vote™ endures and its story is being re-told by dedicated NaFFAA Fil-Am Vote Coordinators!
4
Around the Regions
Region II’s new administration started off with a bang launching their new website at www.NaFFAAR2.org. They started integrating their social media teams to push heightened awareness for the community throughout the region synced with Facebook and their Website. Several key leaders travelled near and far throughout the Region celebrating AAPI Heritage Month. The following is a list of events and programs we had worked on throughout the last few weeks.
Started engaging AAPIA Vote’s program Participated at the Democratic Asian American of Virginia (DAAV) Gala, supporting its new initiative honoring NaFFAA Region 2 alumni and former National Executive Director Joe Montano Attended the D.C. Embassy Chef Cook-off Challenge PAFC Golfing Tournament to Raise Funds for FilVetREP PPALM Luncheon Supporting General Taguba for FilVetREP Philip Stein FilVetREP Fundraising Event Asian American Chamber of Commerce Summit KAYA Projects US Department Chamber of Commerce Conference Active Participation with Filipino Young Professionals of DC (FYP D.C.) District VI (Participation with College Students) NCAPA Emergency Threats to the AAPI Community (A Civil Rights and Immigration Discussion)
NaFFAA R3East Participates in Michigan’s Memorial Day Parade NaFFAA Region 3East Director for Culture and Diversity Willie Dechavez, along with members of US Pinoys 4 Good Governance participated in the Annual Memorial Day Parade held on May 29, 2017 in the city of Sterling Heights, Michigan. The float from the Philippines was symbolic of the country’s undying support to the significant contributions of World War II Filipino Veterans. The float carried a representation of a WWII Veteran on his wheelchair (Sal Sanagustin), a Nurse (Joanne Odfalk) and Mrs. Philippines USP4GG Michigan 2017 (Michelle Oh). 5
NaFFAA R3East at the 2017 Columbus Asian Festival Reported to have more than 100,000 visitors each year, the Asian Festival in Columbus continues to get a strong support by participants of different origin and ethnicity. It is considered to be one of the major special events in Central Ohio, which is widely promoted by state, city, corporate and communities since 1995. This year, NaFFAA R3East spearheaded the Philippine participation in the festival’s cultural performance. Region Chair Armin Sayson, along with NaFFAA OH members showcased a variety of Philippine folk dances. Columbus Asian Festival was held on May 2627, 2017.
NaFFAA Region 3West Celebrates Annual Santacruzan in Missouri In deep appreciation of our rich cultural heritage as Filipinos, Region 3West under the leadership of Anecita Alvizo sponsored this year’s Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan. This event is a floral tribute to the mother of Jesus Christ. Back in the homeland, this is a monthlong festive event. A special Mass was led by Bishop Gaydon on May 7, 2017 in St Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Boonville, MO. The event drew a lot of people from all over the state who have ties to the Philippines.
Anecita said “I cannot express enough my gratitude to those who helped me realized this event. This is just the core part of most of us as Filipinos, of our faith and our heritage.” Region 3West is composed of the states of Illinois,Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. (Photos by Roma)
6
NaFFAA Region 4 Presents Empowered Women In recognition of women’s significant role as the soul behind every soldier’s heroism, NaFFAA Region 4 gave a special recognition to its 2017 Empowered Women. The following are the backgrounds of the honorees: US military wives, mothers, daughters and sisters; women who inculcate the values through education that benefit indigenous cultural communities; women of diverse communities who are dedicated in the advancement of arts and culture, and women who are united for advocacy, civic engagement and leadership development.
This event was held on May 6, 2017 at the historic National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia. The Following the awarding was a concert from Resorts World Manila’s performer, Jon Joven. NaFFAA National Chair Brendan Flores delivered his keynote speech and apprised this region of future NaFFAA’s undertakings. NaFFAA Southern Region (R4) is composed of the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands.
NaFFAA R10 Invites Fil Am Leaders to Join FILGRIMAGE FILGRIMAGE, a project of The Filipino School, is a semi-annual peer group trip to the Philippines for FilipinoAmericans, ages 18 and up. The project aims to educate, awaken, and empower the Filipino diaspora in the United States. Built on its mission to “Build and uplift the Filipino nation together as one family” and through the spirit of “Bayanihan,” participants to this project are “heroes” coming together for a common purpose. This transformational experience is a partnership between the Philippine Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Philippine Airlines, the people of the Philippines, and the Filipino diaspora in the United States. This project will run for three days from July 1618, 2017. For additional information, please visit: www.filgrimage.org. 7
Website: http://conference.naffaa-r3east.org Facebook: NaFFAA Region 3 East Empowerment Conference
EARLY BIRD RATES ARE EXTENDED TO MAY 19TH
R/Gen. Tony Taguba Washington DC
PCG Generoso D.G. Colonge Chicago, Illinois
Mayor Ron Falconi Brunskwick, OH
Paul Beck Columbus, OH
Jung Kim Columbus, OH
Chris Borja Dublin, OH
Kimberly Carter, PhD Columbus, OH
Amy Schossler Upper Arlington, OH
Jennifer Sconyers, PhD Columbus, OH
Shyam Rajadhyaksha Columbus, OH
Angelo Campos
Imelda C. Emenaker, EdD Columbus, OH
Roel Campos Des Moines, IA
Christine Chen Washington, DC
Emmet Apolinario Columbus, OH
Krista Cavalieri, CFP Columbus, OH
Cindy Flores Chicago, IL
Sen Charleta B. Tavares Columbus, OH
Hon. Tony Paat Columbus, OH
Cora Munoz, PhD Columbus, OH
Willie Dechavez Sterling Heights, MI
James Paat Dublin, OH
Joy Kouns-Lewis, PhD Columbus, OH
Elizabeth Piocos Cincinnati, OH
Krizzia Yanga Columbus, OH
NaFFAA Region 3-East (R3E) invites you to its 2017 R3E Empowerment Conference (EC)! Attendees of this event will be community leaders and guests coming mainly from the five R3E member states, which include Indiana, Iowa, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. NaFFAA Ohio will host this three-day event, which will focus on the theme, “Redefining the Future: Leadership – Mentoring – Partnership,” at the Hilton Columbus/Polaris in Columbus, Ohio, on July 28-30, 2017. The 2017 R3E EC will provide an opportunity for NaFFAA to develop strategies to address the many concerns within the Filipino American community. We will conduct multiple workshops to focus on best practices in community leadership, engaging the community to achieve heightened awareness on issues, involving the youth through culture and education, and reaching out to other organizations for support in building a stronger Filipino American community. More specifically, we will include workshops discussing immigration reform, health care and aging, voter participation, business development, and youth inclusion, to name a few. 8
Michigan Fil-Am Group fundraise for Fil-Vet Congressional Medal Project
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.
Ryan Tejero
Editor-In-Chief ryantejero@yahoo.com
Bing Branigin Kelly Ilagan Jason Tengco Christopher Rivera Please forward event announcements and news articles in your community for June issue by the 25th. Submission must be in word format and pictures are in jpeg formats. Thank you to all May contributors !
9
10