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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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NEW YORK --- Responding to a challenge I posed in last week's column, a reader wrote that the “community should be vigilant in dealing with so-called fund-raising events of organizations that do not publish a public accounting of their efforts.”
Another one wrote: “(Its) leaders should be made accountable and if they refuse, they should be reported to the authorities, plain and simple.”
Whew! That one was tough and stretching the price a bit. But on second thought, how do you stop them from deceiving the public ad infinitum? How many times can you call their attention and give them the opportunity to react with a positive response?
Must they continue ignoring calls for transparency and accountability?
Someone else called and suggested, among other else, that “these organizations should be blacklisted and consider its leaders as if they had an infectious disease.” Whoa! That, too, was tough. Blacklisting an organization is easy but as you and I know, it may be dead in the water but it can quickly transform into another one, back in its old scheme. And I tell you, some people have a short memory, only 128 kilobyte random access as they say these days in computer lingo.
Another fellow was insistent to find out who was this government official renting an apartment at the Trump Tower Plaza on First Avenue in Manhattan for $10,000 a month.
“That's more than a half-a-million pesos, enough to feed thousands of indigents in our country,” he blurted out almost at the top of his voice. “How can that person act with impunity? Has that person no shame?”
He was about to go on and on with his tirade until I cut him off saying that certain people have the right to enjoy some perks while in government service. “But not at the expense of taxpayer's money and the economic condition our country is in,” he replied.
Feeling trapped, I simply said that perhaps the rent was subsidized by the government. I even added that the official may be fronting for somebody else and allowed to stay at the place while the owner was out of New York.
“That's possible, isn't it?” I asked in return without telling him that if that were the case, the official was definitely not aboveboard. Before I could say anything more, the phone went dead.
A woman also called and mentioned the Looking for William benefit play at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center this Friday, Aug. 27. She asked if I was referring to Nelsie Parrado as the person who suggested the deal with the consul general.
“Isn't she involved with the Philippine American Friendship Committee (PAFCOM) as its youth chair and also with the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) as its secretary and a director?” she posed a matter-of-factly, adding that Parrado was also involved with the Philippine Day Organizing Council in Passaic.
I replied that I asked Ludy Corrales, PAFCOM overall-chair, the same question and Corrales flatly denied it was Parrado's initiative. “Having seen the play in Jersey City, Con-Gen (Cecillia Rebong) said it was a good play and broached the idea of holding it at the Kalayaan Hall,” Corrales said. The PAFCOM overall chair also said the letter to association presidents was drafted by the consul general's office.
My concern, as I told the woman-caller, was the three organizations' responsibility to ask their members if they agreed to sponsor the event and share the proceeds, and if tickets were being sold at the Center's premises. I also inquired from Corrales if their charter allowed them to contribute funds derived from a fund-raising event to an agent of a foreign government.
Corrales said there were still things she didn't know and that a meeting was to be convened to clear these issues. She did say, however, that since there were already event sponsors, tickets would not be sold.
I don't know if a meeting was held or not. But I know that Parrado has sent an e-mail reminding people to see the benefit-play at the Center.
The woman asked once more: “What's the point with all this secrecy? As a member, we are entitled to know everything that is going on in the organization. Shouldn't these leaders exercise transparency?”
It was unfortunate that I didn't have any answers to her complaints. I should have told her that in reality, idealists don't seem to have a place in our community. They've been replaced by practical people who don't care about people and disregards protocol to achieve their own goals -- all in the name of community service.
Someone had also sent me a copy of a letter apparently signed by a doctor from New Jersey to a priest in Staten Island questioning his “titles” of “Assistant Director and Interim Director" of a religious/spiritual organization in honor of a Filipino saint. The letter was direct to the point: “What is your personal agenda regarding this organization?”
I called the doctor's office to verify the letter and to find out more about the doctor's seeming abhorrence of the priest. Unfortunately, the phone just kept on ringing and after a while, my call looped back to the automated phone exchange. This could be an interesting story as it may, again, be related to another fund-raising event.
There is a growing cancer among us. And if it's not treated at this very stage, no one would respect the Filipino that other nationalities came to know about as God-fearing and endowed with spiritual gifts and skills.
The good in us is being shattered by the acts of certain people who only can think of furthering their own agenda, self-aggrandizement and selfish reasons.Slowly, the good in us is being influenced by the traits of certain people who care less about their fellowmen, who care less about their roots, who care less about norms, and more importantly, who care less about truth.
The great philosopher Aristotle once said that man is good. I say the Filipino is good. But until some people in this community rid themselves of utter pride, pretense and flair for prominence, we will continue to see people in their old ways and get the same results.
There has to be a paradigm shift -- a change that would show everything that's good in us and our community. Not the old and tried ways of the present.
My thanks go to those people who have called and sent e-mails in response to my last week's column. I understand why they wanted to remain anonymous.
Keep sending your comments. Don't forget to include your telephone numbers.
Send comments to rickyxpres@aol.com or visit Website at PinoyOnBoard.com.
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It’s a tiny scar on my right hand. But when I look at it I am reminded of the Rice Terraces and how I’ve never seen them. It happened a couple of months before I moved to the US. My brother, sister and I and three friends were all set for the 8 hour ride from Manila to Sagada via Nueva Vizcaya. We excitedly sat in the front row, all psyched and ready to gaze at that wonder of the world. Alas, I never did see the Rice Terraces as our bus careened into the side of the road at dawn. All I could think about back then was how “this was not the way I wanted to go” - I heard the bus screech and the driver say “Diyos Ko Po!” And then the screams. I reached for my sister who was sitting next to me, my baby sister, and made sure my brother, my baby brother was okay. There were injuries and fortunately no fatalities. (We didn’t even make the newspaper.) I had stitches on my head and my hand. And one of our friends broke her wrist. Shaken, but physically fine, we spent the night in Vizcaya and decided to head home the next morning.
Since then my brother has gone back to Sagada several times, while I can only dream that some day the road becomes less treacherous, and that the Rice Terraces survive the years so I can finally make the trip and take my husband and my children.
That’s the one place I wish I had visited in the Philippines. But really, I have been lucky. I have traveled all over the country and have seen many of our country’s treasures. As a twenty-something, I was struck with wanderlust. So as soon as I had saved enough money, I’d take off - on a bus, plane or boat - alone or with a friend. It didn’t matter. Many times I just wanted to get away from hectic and polluted Manila. Perhaps when you are younger and single you tend to be more adventurous - you don’t worry about food or money or terrorists. (Maybe times were different then too.) And you throw caution to the wind, grab your backpack and go. Bahala na.
I think Boracay should be a required field trip for every Filipino if only so you can tell others first hand about the beautiful white sand beaches, the aqua blue waters and the international feel of the place. I think it’s more commercialized now but hey, it’s still Boracay. Every Filipino should explore their own hometowns too- for example, for a Manilena like me - see and know all about Metro Manila from Malate to Makati to Malabon. For a Davaoeno, see and know all about Davao from Mt. Apo to where to buy the freshest durian.
While I enjoyed the long weekend trips, I also had fun on the quick get-aways. For beach get-aways close to Manila, you can’t beat Batangas. And well, I will always have fond memories of Puerto Galera especially the bohemian arts and music fests there. Palawan is awesome and though I didn’t make it through the Underground Caves, I did go snorkeling in El Nido - and that’s something I will always treasure. Camiguin with its volcanoes is a gem too. Baguio was always a refreshing change from Manila although I hear sprawl has invaded the mountainside. Ilocos is a nostalgic favorite -because it is where my dad’s family is from - although I’ve only made the trip three times. Cebu, Davao, Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro are places I’d love to return to as well. There are 7,000 islands (or more — during low tide as one Ms. Universe contestant once said) and each one is different and beautiful. What is even more pleasurable are the people you meet. In the provinces, there is still that innocence and openness — and if you want to see a true Filipinos soul, you must visit the small towns like Bais in Dumaguete or Baao in Bicol. I can tell you so much more but really you’ll have to see and experience for yourself.
I wish I could go back and explore - so much more I want to see Bohol, Batanes, Sagada and Siargao. I wish traveling around the Philippines were a little easier although getting around was indeed part of the adventure. Now that I am older I can’t imagine sitting through an 11-hour jeepney ride through rough roads though. Nor can I imagine taking little children on such a trip.
I still get the itch to travel-don’t get me wrong. Since the US is now my home, my wanderlust is now aimed at exploring America. So far I’ve been to 10 States, which leaves 40 more!!! It always strikes me as odd how so many people here in South Jersey have never even been to New York! Let alone the West Coast. There are lovely places in these United States too and more convenient ways of getting to them. My trips have been few and far between, and when you have a family, your travel focus is different - it isn’t about seeing and doing as much as you can over a short period time anymore. It’s about taking advantage of the time you have together, wherever you are.
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I’d like to give a shout-out to all G.I’s (Genuine Ilokanos) out there - I found this beautiful photo site featuring Ilocos - www.juantamad.com/ilokos/ By the way, does anybody have the recipes for Ilocano food like papaitan and igado?
And finally, thank you to those who e-mailed me their travel wish lists - Norm Ramirez, Myra Capil of Union, NJ, and last but not least Eduardo Oquendo of Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada who practically wrote an ode to Davao City. Here’s our next poll — What (Filipino) song should every Filipino know? E-mail me at manilagirl01[at]hotmail.com
Visit www.missingmangoes.com, www.manila-girl.com
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