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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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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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New York City Council member Christine Quinn has embarked on a new mission to help employees and uninsured workers. On Tuesday this week, she introduced a health care bill that would affect all employers in the hotel, large grocery, building services, industrial laundry and construction industries.
The proposal, called the New York City Health Care Security Act, would maintain health coverage for 152,000 employees and extend it to 60,000 workers who are uninsured. Quinn said she introduced this bill at the request of businesses “who are doing the right thing by providing insurance,” adding, “We have an obligation protect that majority, not the minority that don’t offer the appropriate benefits that we believe they should.”
While opponents say the plan “could raise costs, bankrupt some businesses and impede on employers’ freedom to run their companies free of excessive government intervention,” we take the opposite view.
We want to call these costs as investment costs, a natural and responsible act of employers that consider the overall picture of its business. When they invest in the health of its employees, such costs redound to their benefit in the long run. Apart from reducing absenteeism in the workplace, workers are motivated to work well and thereby creating a sense of ownership. As staff morale improves, so does production and loyalty to the employer that provides health and other benefits.
We commend council member Quinn for introducing such legislation and the more than 90 local businesses that support it. We urge for its enactment and call upon council members of the Jersey City government to adopt the same initiative.
Indeed, the proposal is a partnership awaiting a good return on investment.
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NEW YORK --- As the 2004 campaign season is down to its final month and as President George W. Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry square off in their first of a series of debates this Thursday, Sept. 29, there are other political activities going on in our community.
In Jersey City where a special election is being held on Nov. 2 to fill the remaining term of the late Mayor Glenn Cunningham, there are twelve candidates vying for the mayoral post.
As in the past, Filipino Americans in the area have their own man to support. Whether that is a good strategy or not to ensure the appointment of a Filipino to a post in a winning candidate's administration is a hard call. I can only ask what that plan makes us of. Does it show our group as a splintered or bloc vote? Will it pull the political backing we need to have when the general election comes up?
These are tough questions to answer and certainly, given the large number of mayoral candidates, anything can happen. Five of these candidates have tapped community leaders to support them. Although these leaders may have not openly identified themselves as supporting a particular candidate, they are branded with their association with them.
For instance, realtor Greg Racelis is supporting Ronald Bunocore, former chief of police under the late mayor, whose residency eligibility is being questioned. Racelis resigned as a paid campaign aide to Lou Manzo, another candidate.
When I called Racelis to inquire why he resigned from Manzo's campaign staff, he said, "I'm always with Cunningham. I was honest with Lou (Manzo) about this." But Manzo was also for Cunningham. What attracted Racelis to change horses?
According to sources in the community, Racelis jump shipped because Eugene Drayton, the former deputy mayor to the late mayor, is supporting Bunocore.
I don't know how deep Racelis friendship with Manzo is but it appears that Drayton has a stronger pull. Will Racelis' move pay off considering that Bunocore's residency is in question: a legal suit filed by Manzo himself?
I wanted to ask Racelis what happened to that $10,000 travel fund raised by the community and earmarked for the late mayor's trip to the Philippines but he was in a rush to attend to a client in his office. There'll be next time, which could be another subject of a column.
Flor Medel, a council candidate who nearly made it in 2001, is supporting Jeremiah Healy, a current council member. When I asked her why she was supporting Healy, she said: "looking at all the candidate's credentials, he has an independent mind, a straight guy and he votes on his conscience. He has also a 25,000 solid vote base, which, with the number of candidates, he could pull it off."
Linda Mayo, another council candidate who also ran in 2001, is apparently supporting Manzo. I could not get a reaction from her when I called her. She was not home and did not return my call.
Obviously, with her appointment as honorary deputy mayor, Ludy C. Corrales, cannot hide who she is throwing her support to. In fact, she recently organized a dialogue cum fund-raising event for acting mayor L. Harvey Smith. Many wonder how Corrales, who is not a resident of Jersey City but does business there, managed to get the nod from Smith.
Never mind that. She did a good job as overall chair of the Philippine American Friendship Committee (PAFCOM), a highly visible community organization in Jersey City. That should be enough credential for a political candidate seeking where to draw support from.
Candidate Steve Lipski is another one who is considered to have a following in the Filipino American community as well. Unfortunately, I could not confirm that as some folks would rather remain in the background and let things happen.
So you see, as I wrote years ago, we are again playing into the hands of politicians. It looks as though we are not ready to throw our solid vote to a particular candidate. True, as Medel said, this is a democratic country and we could do whatever we want, however, the need for our vote by these politicians is ignored.
We do not seem to regard why we need to vote but rather expect for what we want in the process. We seem to put our wants before our needs, which negate our very essence as a community group that could deliver a powerful vote and determine the outcome of an election.
Are we content with getting political appointments? Or must we work harder at becoming active players in the political field to wield our political might and earn the respect of politicians?
The choice between needs and wants is clear. Sadly, however, many do not see the difference. Many do not see our potential as a strong, united political group that could deliver the votes where it matters. Many do not stand on firm ground and let themselves be drawn to political maneuvering dividing our community into smaller voting blocs.
And before we even realize our need to make known our political presence, many would rather sail in safe waters choosing instead to fill their wants, taking a long journey to political empowerment.
Send comments to rickyxpres@aol.com or visit Website at PinoyOnBoard.com.
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FIL-AM AUTHORS TO GATHER IN DC
TO CELEBRATE HERITAGE MONTH
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Yehey! I’m off to Washington DC to celebrate Filipino American History month (October) with fellow Filipino-American authors, some born here, others like me from the homeland – many of whom I have only met online. So you can imagine the anticipation. I worry that I might even act like too much of a fan-girl when I meet people like Bino Realuyo author of the award winning novel The Umbrella Country or poets like Luisa Igloria, Jon Pineda and Paolo Javier or editor Reme-Antonia Grefalda of Our Own Voice e-zine. The event is dubbed: HERITAGE 2, and is presented by the Philippine Embassy with the assistance of Our Own Voice (www.oovrag.com) Literary Magazine. The program is on its second year and hopes to promote greater awareness of Filipino American contributions to American literature.
I was honored to receive an invitation from Consul Joy Quintana to a reception hosted by Ambassador Albert del Rosario on Friday October 15th but I’m still not sure I can make it in time. The reception will also feature a launch of Pinoy Poetics, Nick Carbo, editor (Meritage Press, 2004), Cadena de Amor and Other Short Stories by Wilfrido Nolledo (Sto. Tomas Publishing House, 2004), and Our Own Voice Literary Arts Journal, Grealda, Sarreal and Arriola, Editors (First Fruits/PWU, 2003). There will however by some thirty established and emerging Filipino and Filipino-American authors from all over the US that will be there to participate in an afternoon series of events including a special tour of the Philippine collections at the Library of Congress.
On Saturday, October 16th, the Philippine Cultural Society of George Washington University in cooperation with the Embassy and Our Own Voice, is hosting a book fair at the Media and Public Affairs Building at the George Washington University located at 805 21st St. NW, Washington DC. The event is free and open to the public. And this is where I get to participate in some panel discussions particularly a Q&A and something called “On Writings in the Disapora.” As I’ve never done this before, it should be quite interesting. The other talks are: Storytelling and Panel: On Writing for Children; Straight Talk: Writer to Writer by Bino Realuyo; “A Humble Magus: Wilfrido D. Nolledo” a power point presentation by Melissa Nolledo-Christoffels; and Copyright Issues by Copyright General Counsel’s Office. There will also be a Philippine martial arts presentation entitled “Prinsesa Urduja: the Warrior Princess” and songs from “Hacienda the Musical.” Philippine Expressions Bookshop of Los Angeles will offer relevant books during the event (yes, including Missing Mangoes!) and what’s fun is you can get the authors to sign the books for you while you’re there.
So for those of you who live around the DC area or who want to support our Fil-Am authors, do drop by. You may also contact the Embassy Cultural Section at wdcpecul@aol.com or Reme Grefalda at our_own_voice@yahoo.com for more details.
END.
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