Maniolas

WATCH: Philippine Heritage Band Homecoming    INQUIRER/Marisa Roque TORONTO, Ontario–For its 36th anniversary, the Philippine Heritage Band trumpeted an invite to past and present members to grace the band’s “homecoming.”  And those who could–barring geographical distance or death–came in droves. On the evening of Oct. 15, dozens of PHB alumni trooped to the Holiday Inn Select on Dixon Road in Toronto to enjoy the dinner-dance, a PHB mini-concert, and a nonstop nostalgia fest. Among the dignitaries at the event were Philippine Consul General Rosalita Prospero; Michael DiBiase, deputy mayor of the City of Vaughan; Sandra Yeung Racco, councillor Ward 4, City of Vaughan; and Alan Shefman, councillor Ward 5, City of Vaughan. Kenneth Villaseñor claims PHB brought him out of his shell. INQUIRER/Marisa Roque Founder and Executive Director Oscar Fariñas welcomed the guests, gave a history of the organization, and segued to introduce Major Sixto “Cap” Gimena, guest conductor for the mini-concert and a PHB alumnus (1994).A retired major from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and a graduate of the University of the East’s School of Music and Arts, “Cap” is a well known commanding officer of the Philippine military bands. He became commanding officer of the General Headquarters Band in Quezon City, the Presidential Security Group Band in Malacanang, and the 5th Infantry Division Band in Tarlac.   His last tenure was as commanding officer of the Philippine Military Academy Band in Baguio City.  After his retirement, he emigrated to Canada in 1994 with his family and joined PHB Read More …

San Francisco Bay Area Filipino Americans stage a die-in to express their anger in a rally against the Marcos burial of remains at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. INQUIRER/Jun Nucum SAN FRANCISCO – Filipino Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area may be literally tens of thousands of miles away from their Motherland, but they keep abreast of the happenings there, such as the secretive burial of the remains of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the National Heroes Cemetery. Like the throngs that went out in protest in Metro Manila and several cities in the Philippines, they held a protest rally of their own in front of the Philippine Consulate here. As in the past rallies, speakers took turns in lambasting the Marcoses for the and even President Duterte for making the Libingan ng mga Bayani burial happen. They carried placards, sang the protest song Bayan Ko and staged a die-in to show their indignation at the “connivance” between the Marcoses and Duterte. Martial Law victim Susan Araneta admitted that she felt anger when she heard of the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. “Nevertheless, I think this is not surprising because this is the way Marcos had operated in the past. I remember when I was in prison, there would be a complete blackout inside the prison camp because the soldiers that were killed in Mindanao were being brought in by helicopters. It has been very symbolic that the helicopter bringing Marcos remains to Libingan ng Read More …

FilAmVote National Director Juanito Amor and NaFFAA Region 10 leaders Myrna TF Reyes and Aurora Cudal (right) led NaFFAA’s nationwide voter registration, voter education and get-out-the-vote campaign. CONTRIBUTED WASHINGTON, DC — While the 2016 election results may have delighted some and disappointed others, leaders of the foremost Filipino American national organization were heartened by the growing participation of Filipino Americans in the electoral process. Brendan Flores, national chairman of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), said, “We are also encouraged by the number of Filipino Americans who ran for public office in local and state elections. This is what community empowerment is all about, and they proudly demonstrated these aspirations on November 8.” NaFFAA’s FilAmVote program was notably successful in San Diego, California, where voter registration rates increased by 15 percent. “We estimate a 10 percent increase nationwide, thanks to the tremendous voter outreach conducted by our members across the country,” says FilAmVote National Coordinator Juanito Amor. “Voter turnout was also high among Asian Americans as a whole, as indicated by early CNN exit polling, but we don’t know just yet the share of votes casted nationally by Filipino Americans. I appreciate the tireless efforts of the many Filipino American groups to register voters, educate them about the issues and get them to the polls.” Acknowledging the outcome of the election, Flores stated that he was heartened by President-Elect Donald Trump’s assurance that he would be president for all Americans. “We wish him well as he takes on Read More …

VOA It’s hard to imagine that the very thing that made the Philippines rise up and overthrow a government was simply disregarded by the Supreme Court and the powers that be. And now it’s a test for Duterte’s tolerance of a country. Once the High Court dismissed attempts to block the burial of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, it was like a stealth burial. No media. No protests. In the ground. Amen. Facebook. If you haven’t noticed, we live in a time where the political trend is quite simple. Things that would never happen before, that were once thought to be downright “inconceivable,” are happening right now, and with stunning regularity. And it’s not fake news, it’s real. We’re seeing it in the U.S. and, of course, in the democracy built in its own image, the Philippines. And now, despite protests heard round the world and in Filipino communities in the U.S., it finally happened. The late dictator Marcos, supposedly unburied since 1989, finally got covered up with some hallowed dirt.  The “hero’s burial” for Marcos was another win for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the Filipino Trump, who manages to do as he pleases, justice be damned. INQUIRER FILE “I’m just being legalistic about it,” said Duterte to the media. “He was president, he was a soldier. That’s about it.” Duterte was spectacularly modest about his political achievement. This time, his wish was to honor his personal hero, a man whom Amnesty International says imprisoned 70,000 people during martial law, tortured Read More …

NEW AMERICA MEDIA More than 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States, including approximately 300,000 from the Philippines, are now in panic mode and uncertain about their future under a Trump administration. Deporting immigrants who are in unlawful status is one of Trump’s campaign promises. The presidential election result was a bitter pill to swallow for most immigrants. Most of the Filipino American immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area are not happy with the result of the election. Immigration attorneys have received many phone calls and emails from concerned immigrants, both legal as well as those who are undocumented, asking about the immediate threat of removal from the US come January 20, 2017. Lawful permanent residents or those with status are seriously concerned about pending petitions for their family members. Will the petitioning process take longer with the coming Trump administration? Those who are in possession of professional working visas are worried about whether the H1B program will be eliminated. Filipino healthcare workers such as registered nurses, physical therapists and caregivers with pending immigrant petitions from US employers have no clue on whether their visas are still going to be issued if immigration policy changes. The most vulnerable immigrants who are most likely going to be affected are the DREAMERS (children who were supposed to benefit from the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors or the DREAM Act) and the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients. These are the young immigrants who came to the United Read More …