National Federation of Filipino American Associations

UPDATE AS OF JULY 1, 2009 * 12:30AM

Please forward this to your family and friends in the USA and beyond: You can make a TRUE difference wherever you live, even if this CALL TO ACTION is happening in San Francisco, CA! Your act of signing the online petition can help solidify your citizen voices in making sure that this does not happen in your community. JOIN US! Click here for the online petition or copy and paste - http://bit.ly/2kxjN

On June 30, 2009, at 5:00pm, the Filipino American community and friends organized and participated in a rally by the steps of City Hall (Polk St. side) to show their solidarity in supporting Filipino non-profits in San Francisco, all of which were not included in the allocation of close to $9-million of City funds for disadvantaged families. For example, Executive Director Rudy Asercion says, “West Bay serves the poorest of the poor of SOMA (South of Market) including after-school tutorials, financial literacy and healthy lifestyle programs as well as life skills training.”

This rally was organized to pressure the members of the Board of Supervisors, as well as, Mayor Newsom to reconsider funding them.

These valuable non-profits who serve the most disadvantaged members of our community not funded were West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service, Philippine Senior Center, Family Resource Network, South of Market Clinic and South of Market Employment Center.

For more information, email Rudy Asercion, Executive Director, West Bay Pilipino Multi Service Center at rudyasercion@gmail.com or call 415 724-0641 or, Jose Pecho, Chair, Region 8, National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) at jose@jpinvests.com or 925.286.6607.

Credits: Photos by Grace Esteban, “shortening of online petition’s URL” by Baylan Megino.

June 29, 2009

June 30, 2009 - Solidarity Rally to Include Filipino Community in San Francisco’s Funding for Non-Profit Ag…

SUBJECT: Urgent! On Tues., June 30, 2009 - Join Emergency SOLIDARITY Rally to INCLUDE Filipino Non-Profits FOR FUNDING in San Francisco * Sign Online Petition * Write a Letter * Make Our Citizen Voices Count!

Hello, friends! Here is an urgent message from our NaFFAA Region 8 (Northern CA) chair, Jose Pecho, that I have revised for a “simple as 1-2-3 call to action!” Please join us in making a resounding voice for our Filipino community!

Lorna Dietz
NaFFAA Region 8 Vice Chair & NaFFAA Online Coordinator

P.S. I know that you haven’t heard from me for a while. I’m busy with the details for the forthcoming 6th Global Filipino Networking Convention that will be held in Cebu, Philippines this Oct. 9-11, 2009. Sponsoring national organizations are: NaFFAA, NAITAS, and FPACC. Everyone is welcome! You can now register online at http://6thGlobalCebu.com.

*

Dear Friends!

Please join us and pass on to concerned members of our community against the exclusion of Filipinos in San Francisco! Our apologies for cross-postings!

To print, forward, download, and view the POSTER/FLIER for the Solidarity Rally, click on the SCRIBD document above.

Call to Action: (1) Join the Solidarity Rally; (2) Sign the Online Petition to support the Citizen Voices from the Filipino communities in San Francisco; and (3) Write a letter to the Mayor & Board of Supervisors of the City & County of San Francisco (scroll to #3 below to copy/paste letter).

1. SOLIDARITY RALLY

When: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
What Time: 5:00 pm
Where: San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102
What to wear: Wear WHITE CLOTHES, WHITE SHIRTS, ANYTHING WHITE!
What To Bring: Homemade placards and signs; if you have bull horns, please email me asap at Jose@JPInvests.com!

Why: The Filipino American community and friends are urged to attend the rally by the steps of City Hall (Polk St. side) to show our solidarity in supporting Filipino non-profits in SF, all of which were not included in the allocation of close to $9-million of City funds for disadvantaged families. This rally is to pressure the members of the Board of Supervisors, as well as, Mayor Newsom to reconsider funding them.

Those valuable non-profits who serve the most disadvantaged members of our community not funded were West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service, Philippine Senior Center, Family Resource Network, South of Market Clinic and South of Market Employment Center. All who will attend the rally should wear “white” and bring your own homemade placards.

For more information, email Rudy Asercion, Executive Director, West Bay Pilipino Multi Service Center at rudyasercion@gmail.com or call 415 724-0641 or, Jose Pecho, Chair, Region 8, National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) at jose@jpinvests.com or 925.286.6607

2. PLEASE SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION!

Please sign the online petition and passing it on to all your friends, families and list serves for their signatures.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-west-bay-and-other-filipino-non-profits-in-san-francisco

Best Regards,

Rudy Asercion
Executive Director
West Bay Pilipino Multi Service
175 7th Street * San Francisco, CA 94103 * Tel: 415 431 6266 * www.westbaycenter.org

3. WRITE A LETTER TO MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOM & MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Please encourage everyone to get the word out about sending this email. If you do not reside in the City and County of San Francisco, you are most welcome to add your personal introduction, for example:

“In the light of my volunteer work in/with the Filipino community, especially in (write the name of your city or county, state), I am coming forward to assist my brothers and sisters in the City and County of San Francisco whose citizen voices and valuable contributions, I believe, have been ignored.”

THE LETTER: (copy and paste to your email)

Dear Mayor Newsom and Members of the Board of Supervisors, City & County of San Francisco:

50,000 people of Filipino descent in the City and County of San Francisco (8% of the population), half a million in Northern California and 2.2 million in the State must surely mean something to city, county and state governments – because these translate into significant taxes paid, jobs created, business generated, services rendered and votes cast.

However, these vital facts seem to have been completely overlooked in the allocation of funds from the $9 million NOFA Family Resource Center Initiative (2009-2010 RFP) for non-profit service organizations in the City and County of San Francisco. Of the 23 non-profits recommended for funding, there was not one single Filipino organization included.

The application for funding submitted by West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center, which has been providing direct services to disadvantaged Filipino families in San Francisco for 40 years, was overlooked by city administrators, along with four other Filipino non-profits that had sought funding, namely: Philippine Senior Center, Family Resource Network, South of Market Clinic, and South of Market Employment Center.

We demand that this oversight be rectified; otherwise, it will amount to a gross injustice and a case of discrimination against the Filipino community. There is extreme urgency here as a decision of the Board of Supervisors is set for this Wednesday, July 1.

As tax payers, voters and contributors to the social, economic and political fabric of San Francisco, we demand that the application for funding of West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center, Philippine Senior Center, Family Resource Network, South of Market Clinic and South of Market Employment Center be reviewed and their fair and rightful share be allocated to them.

We look forward to your positive response to this very important matter. We shall attend the Board of Supervisors meeting on July 1 when you champion the cause of the Filipino community.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Your Name:
Your signature: _________________________

WHO TO SEND YOUR EMAILS TO: (copy and paste all the email addresses below, and put in your email’s TO: section)

gavin.newsom@sfgov.org, Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.org, John.Avalos@sfgov.org, David.Campos@sfgov.org, David.Chiu@sfgov.org, Carmen.Chu@sfgov.org, Chris.Daly@sfgov.org, Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org, Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.org, Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org, Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.org, Ross.Mirkarimi@sfgov.org,

MAYOR OF SAN FRANCISCO: GAVIN NEWSOM
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: ALIOTO-PIER, Michela; AVALOS, John; CAMPOS, David; CHIU, David; CHU, Carmen; DALY, Chris; Dufty, Bevan; ELSBERND, Sean; MAR, Eric L.; MAXWELL, Sophie; MIRKARIMI, Ross;

*

Background Information:

50,000 people of Filipino descent in the City and County of San Francisco (7% of the population), half a million in Northern California, and 2.2 million in the State must surely mean something to city, county and state governments – because these translate into significant taxes paid, jobs created, business generated, services rendered, and votes cast.

However, these vital facts seem to have been completely overlooked in the allocation of funds from the $9 million NOFA Family Resource Center Initiative (2009-2010 RFP) for non-profit service organizations in the City and County of San Francisco. Of the 23 non-profits recommended for funding, there was not one single Filipino organization included.

The application for funding submitted by West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center, which has been providing direct services to disadvantaged Filipino families in San Francisco for 40 years, was overlooked by city administrators, along with four other Filipino non-profits that had sought funding, namely, Philippine Senior Center, Family Resource Network, South of Market Clinic and South of Market Employment Center.

We demand that this oversight be rectified; otherwise, it will amount to a gross injustice and a case of discrimination against the Filipino community. There is extreme urgency here as a decision of the Board of Supervisors is set for this Wednesday, July 1.

We count on your support and would like to ask you to pass this on throughout your network. We need to show those in power not to exclude our non-profits and that the tax paying members of our community demand fairness in the allocation of these funds.

Sincerely,

Jose Pecho, Chair
Region 8, Northern California
National Federation of Filipino
American Associations
http://NaFFAAR8.com, http://NaFFAA.org

* * *

SOME COMMENTS FROM THE ONLINE PETITION:

Jun 30, 2009, Raelynn Acosta Hickey, California

I am proud to be a Filipina American born, raised, living and doing business here in San Francisco. My grandfather was in the US Army in WWII as were many of my friends grandfathers. The Filipino American community has had a LONG history here in San Francisco and historically has not gotten the respect, recognition & help it richly deserves from City Hall. Frankly speaking, our community has been screwed by City Hall! The main reason the Filipino community is so large in Daly City is because Filipinos were displaced from San Francisco by City Hall through redevelopment. Where is our Manilatown! Where is our Jewish Museum or our Museum of the African Diaspora? Now you want to cut funding to South of Market nonprofits that offer services to low-income Filipino American children and seniors! If you are trying to push the face of our community in San Francisco out of SOMA (because that is what you will are doing by cutting the funding to these nonprofits) then put us back near Kearny Street or back in the Fillmore Japantown area. As far as I’m concerned, services for our community have been bought and paid for thousands of times over by all the Filipino Americans who have helped and continue to help build San Francisco through their sweat and their taxes. I demand that Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Board of Supervisors not STEAL what little funding our community gets. These services have been bought & paid for not only through taxes but through REDEVELOPMENT CONCESSIONS not only in SOMA but all over San Francisco. Do the right thing, please don’t renege on the deals that mayors and supervisors made with our community before you came to City Hall.
_

Jun 29, 2009, Delia Rapolla, California

As a Filipino American with many relatives that live in San Francisco and the Bay Area, I feel it is very important that organizations such as WestBay and other non profits in San Francisco serve a large number of residents that needs services provided by these organizations. To completely exclude these organizations from receiving monies allocated for community agencies is an irresponsible action that is a detriment to the future of all San Francisco residents.

For more information, go to 6thGlobalCebu.com.

This is a project of NaFFAA Region 8 and NAITAS-Cebu Chapter.

Please note that this entry will be updated as details unfold. This is the third clinic NaFFAA Region 8 is spearheading these foreclosure prevention clinics in collaboration with Mabuhay Alliance, an HUD-approved housing counseling agency.

FOR APRIL 18, 2009

There will be a training of volunteer counselors who will be helping beleaguered homeowners in San Jose, California on Saturday, April 18, 2009. If you are interested in being trained as a volunteer counselor, please contact our NaFFAA Region 8 chair, Jose Pecho at JP8cho@aol.com.

FOR APRIL 19, 2009

The FREE foreclosure prevention clinic will be a collaboration with 4C (Community Child Care Council of Santa Clara County, Inc.)

The activities for April 19, 2009 will be held at the Offices of 4C Council: 2515 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95131
Get map and driving directions here.

Schedule:

4C Parents & Child Care Providers: 8:30 am to 12:30 noon
General Public (Homeowners): 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm

IF YOU ARE A HOMEOWNER AND ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO THE SAN JOSE FORECLOSURE PREVENTION CLINIC, PLEASE PRE-REGISTER BY APRIL 10, 2009.

There are three ways to register.

1. Click here to register.

The registration form will have the following introduction:

Thank you for your interest in using Mabuhay Alliance to assist you with your mortgage. In order to serve you better we are asking that you fill out the form as completely as you can. When you arrive at the clinic, our counselors will have the information they need to give you options for your unique situation.

OR

2. Call (408) 487-0747, extension 384.

OR

3. E-mail: 4closure@4c.org

THE INVITATION

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San Jose Foreclosure Prevention Clinic - April 19, 2009

Watch out for more details!

PRESS RELEASE
April 16, 2009

To help our community homeowners, there will be a Foreclosure Prevention Clinic this Sunday in San Jose. This Free clinic will provide workshops and be able to meet with housing counselors, some lenders, lawyers, debt settlement and credit repair specialists, and tax advisors. This is open to the entire community.

Previous clinics have provided much-needed information and relief for homeowners who simply don’t know what to do, where to go, or what are their options. Whether you are in the foreclosure process, are concerned about being able to keep your home, have credit problems, or just want to know what is possible, please join us on Sunday.

What: Foreclosure Prevention Clinic

When: Sunday, April 19th, 9am to 6pm

Who: Community Child Care Council of Santa Clara County
in conjunction with NaFFAA
and Mabuhay Alliance (HUD-approved counseling agency)

Where: Offices of 4C Council (Community Child Care Council of Santa Clara County)
2515 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95131

To Register: 408.487.0747 ext. 384
4closure@4c. org
www.mabuhayalliance .org/sanjose

What to bring:
In order to assist you with your request for a loan modification and/or a workout resolution with your Lender(s), please bring the following documents with you:

1. Personal Financial Statement * Please complete, sign and date.

2. Monthly Budget *
* Forms are available at 4C Council offices and also at www.4c.org (under Calendar of Events)

3. Reason for Hardship letter: Please provide details of the reason of your current financial hardship, its expected duration and the financial resources with which you will manage your debt going forward.

4. If you are a SALARIED EMPLOYEE, please provide the following:
a. Copy of your most recent W2(s) & Personal Tax Return (1040’s)
b. Copy of your most recent pay-stub(s) - One month’s worth

5. If you are SELF-EMPLOYED, please provide the following, if applicable:
a. Signed and dated copy of your most recent Personal Tax Return (1040’s), including all schedules
b. Signed and dated copy of your most recent Corporate Tax Return, including all schedules
c. Signed and dated copy of year-to-date Profit & Loss Statement and most recent month-end
and quarter-end Balance Sheet

6. Copies of recent statements and payment notices for:
- All bank accounts (checking, savings, IRAs, CDs, Money Market, etc.)
- Retirement accounts (401k, SEP IRA, etc.)
- Promissory Note(s), including a copy of the original Promissory Note(s)
- Home Owners Association (HOA), if applicable
- Property Tax Bill
- Insurance Statements (Homeowners, Fire, etc.)

7. Copies of any legal documents or correspondence from your lender that you have received (Notice of Default, Notice of Trustee’s Sale, etc.).

Best regards,

Baylan Megino

INFORMATION YOU CAN USE

March 6, 2009

Sonia Delen, a Senior Vice President at Bank of America, posted a note for her Facebook friends. We are sharing the information Sonia sent us. (Thank you, Sonia!)

HOME AFFORDABLE REFINANCE AND MODIFICATION PROGRAM

Here are some links to the most recently released Home affordable refinance and modification program. It provides tools and instructions on how to take advantage of it. Hope it helps!

FinancialStability.gov - Learn About the Making Home Affordable Refinance and Modification Options

http://www.financialstability.gov/makinghomeaffordable/index.html

US Department of the Treasury - Making Home Affordable: Summary of Guidelines
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/guidelines_summary.pdf

US Department of the Treasury - Home Affordable Modification Program Guidelines (March 4, 2009)

http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/modification_program_guidelines.pdf

H.R. 1106: Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1106 (Thank you to Francis Neri for showing us the way to Govtrack.us on Facebook.

March 13, 2009
Contributed by Baylan Megino

From: National CAPACD, nationalcapacd@mail.democracyinaction.org
Subject: ACTION ALERT: Support Helping Families Save Their Homes Act
To: baylanm@whitelightassociates.com
Date: Friday, March 13, 2009, 8:00 AM

Dear Baylan,

In the next few days the Senate is likely to consider S. 61, the Helping Families Save Their Homes in Bankruptcy Act of 2009, that will provide essential support for President Obama’s foreclosure prevention plan. The plan, approved last week by the House of Representatives, would provide critical changes to a flawed process that desperately needs reform.

Take action to support the passage of S. 61 TODAY!

Today, most homeowners have few viable options if they are unable to keep up with loan payments. While a few lenders have improved their track record in modifying unaffordable loan terms, most homeowners seeking relief only encounter frustrating delays and rejection by loan servicers. Many homeowners are only offered ‘relief’ that only postpones onerous payments. A national study recently found that a majority of homeowners who obtained relief from lenders a year ago are today again behind in payments.

The Senate version of the bill, S.61, would create critical new tools for homeowners and foreclosure counselors to obtain meaningful relief. These include:

* National standards to make loans affordable. While these standards would be mandatory only for federally regulated loans (including those held by Fannie and Freddie Mac), incentives are offered for private lenders to adopt similar standards.
* Incentives to loan servicers to negotiate loan modifications and to keep families in their homes.
* In limited circumstances, relief through bankruptcy court if lenders are unwilling to adjust loans to reflect actual market values of homes.

The bill will not prevent all foreclosures. It will only assist those with sufficient income to continue to pay under a modified loan payment schedule. There are other limitations on value of the homes covered. And the plight of tenants is not addressed in the bill.

But with this legislation National CAPACD’s counseling organizations will have a much more effective set of tools to help the many families who are desperate for relief and who only need an opportunity to renegotiate loans on terms that are fair. This is relief that they need now.

Take action to support the passage of S. 61 TODAY!

If you have any questions, please give CAPACD staff a call at 202-223-2442 or send us an e-mail at info@nationalcapacd.org

Sincerely,

The National CAPACD Team

For a clear explanation of the President’s plan appropriate for people who need help click here.
For a more technical discussion of the elements of the plan click here.

For our Filipino World War II Veterans:

Here are the related entries on this website. The information you are looking for could be there.

Where you can find the Claim Form and the Frequently Asked Questions - Click on Feb. 23, 2009: Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund - Form 21-4138(CF), Statement in Support of Claim

The first press releases:

Click on Feb. 19, 2009: Update on Filipino WWII Veterans Benefits from the US Embassy in Manila

Click on Feb. 20, 2009: Updates for Filipino American WWII Veterans’ Lump Sum Benefits

The End of the Rescission Act - Click on Feb. 18, 2009 in San Francisco: Candlelight Rally To Commemorate The 63th Anniversary Of The Rescission Act

PRESS RELEASE

Philippine Consulate General
447 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94108
415-433-6666 ext. 313 (Public Information Section)
www.philippineconsulate-sf.org

12 March 2009

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced that it is now accepting claims by WWII Filipino Veterans for cash payment under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 in various locations in Manila. Claims must be submitted by 16 February 2010.

VA and the Embassy of the United States in Manila have provided locations in the Philippines where Veterans can apply immediately. The list has been posted at http://manila.usembassy.gov.

To receive information by mail, United States residents may call 1-800-827-1000. Philippine residents may call 632-528-2500 (within Metro Manila) or from outside Manila at 1-800-1888-5252. In addition, Filipino Veterans may request information via email at https://iris.va.gov.

The VA Regional Office in Manila will process all claims for this benefit. Therefore, US residents should mail the application to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Office, PSC 501, FPO AP 96515-100.

VA also announced that payments do not affect other benefits Veterans may be receiving.

From Baylan Megino:

Today the voters can truly vote “in absentia” for the upcoming Philippine Presidential elections. Register at the nearest Philippine Consulate once, and you may vote by mail ever after. For the Philippine Election 2010, voter registration began February 1, 2009 and will end August 31, 2009.

** Bring your Certification of Dual Citizenship **

• If you are a Dual Citizen, register to vote by bringing your Philippine passport and your Certified Order of Approval or Oath of Allegiance.
• If you came to the US as a Visitor and overstayed, you still are a Filipino Citizen. Renew your Passport and register to vote.
• If you immigrated to the US prior to the 1991 Immigration Reform Act and you became a naturalized US citizen, to be a Dual Citizen you will reacquire your Philippine citizenship by applying for a Philippine Passport. Once a Dual Citizen, you may register to vote.

NOTE: You cannot register to vote if:
1) you lost and did not reacquire your Filipino citizenship;
2) you have a criminal conviction punishable by imprisonment of not less than a year; or
3) you are legally declared insane or incompetent of mind.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joe Robles at JRobles1281@yahoo.com
Ben Menor at BMenor@SBCGlobal.net
Rodel Rodis Law Offices (415) 334-7800
NaFFAAR8.com or FPACC.com.

The Voter Registration Drive is presented in conjunction with
the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce and
the Philippine Consulate Offices in San Francisco.

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR DUAL CITIZENSHIP ARE FOUND HERE. CONTINUE READING, PLEASE!

(more…)

From Rudy Asercion, Commissioner of the American Legion War Memorial Commission (he is also our NaFFAA Region 8 City and County chair for San Francisco):

Colleagues:

Veterans applying for the benefit must provide the information requested on the attached VA Form 21-4138(CF), Statement in Support of Claim (Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund). We will finalize and post this information to the Internet as soon as possible. The Manila VA Regional Office will process all claims for this benefit. Therefore, veterans should mail the completed information to:

(From the United States):
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Manila Regional Office
PSC 501
FPO AP 96515-1100

Vets may also submit their forms to VA Regional Offices in the US. They will forward the claim to Manila.

Attached is a copy of the form and Answers to Frequently asked Questions.

All the best as always,

Rudy Asercion

PS: This $198 million payment is neither compensation or pension. While the law established entitlement we need additional legislation to get money into our Fund. I met with Congressman Darrel Issa at the GOP convention in Sacramento last week end and he is introducing the additional legislation this week. He estimated that the funds will be at the VA in six weeks more or less.

Please click on the titles below (in blue ink) so you can share these documents with your family and friends (such as facebook, twitter, or your other bookmarks), send the documents directly to your e-mail distribution list, add to your favorites, embed the codes to your website or blog, download the PDF file and MS Word document, and other options at Scribd.com.

Filipino American WWII Veterans Equity Compensation Fund - FAQs as of Feb. 23, 2009

Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund - Statement in Support of Claim CF

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Thank you to Eric Lachica of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc. for this update that he posted at the Filipino American Network yahoo group.

This press release came from the US Department of Veterans Affairs:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2009

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced a new benefit for Filipino Veterans who aided American troops in World War II — a cash payment authorized through the newly enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Claims are now being accepted from Filipino Veterans eligible for one-time payments of $9,000 for non-U.S. citizens and $15,000 for Filipino Veterans with U.S. citizenship. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to begin making payments as soon as possible.

VA and the Embassy of the United States in Manila have announced locations in the Philippines where Veterans can apply immediately. The list has been posted at http://manila.usembassy.gov. To receive information by mail, United States residents may call 1-800-827-1000. Philippine residents may call 632-528-2500 (within Metro Manila) or from outside Manila at 1-800-888-5252. In addition, Filipino Veterans may request information via email at https://iris.va.gov.

The VA Regional Office in Manila will process all claims for this benefit. Therefore, U.S. residents should mail the application to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Office, PSC 501, FPO AP 96515-100.

Extensive outreach is planned to alert World War II Veterans throughout the Philippines. Claims must be submitted by Feb. 16, 2010, a year after the bill’s signing.

The payments do not affect other benefits Veterans may be receiving. The VA regional office in Manila currently provides approximately $15 million monthly in monetary benefits to Veterans residing in the Philippines. About $8 million of this goes to Filipino World War II Veterans or their survivors each month.

As of today, February 19, 2009, NaFFAA Region 8 has not received any updates regarding how Filipino American World War II veterans can file their claims and get their benefits. In the meantime, we have the press release from the US Embassy in Manila.

President Barack Obama signed into law on February 17, 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which includes among the many provisions, an additional U.S. benefit to eligible Filipino World War II veterans. The new law recognizes the service of Filipino WWII veterans as active military service in the Armed Forces for purposes of this law. It authorizes one-time lump-sum payments to all eligible Filipino WW II veterans. Those veterans with U.S. citizenship will receive a one-time lump-sum payment of $15,000. Non-U.S. citizens will receive a one-time lump-sum payment of $9,000.

Continue reading at the Embassy of the United States in Manila website.

For further information on how to submit a claim [Click here] and for frequently asked questions [Click here.]

For more information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [Click here.]

Please click on the title below (in blue ink) so you can share this news release to your family and friends (such as facebook, twitter, or your other bookmarks), send the document directly to your e-mail distribution list, add to your favorites, embed the code to your website or blog, download the PDF file, and other options at Scribd.com.

UPDATE AS OF FEBRUARY 23, 2009:

Dear NaFFAA Region 8 All-Star Volunteer Team:

This past weekend was a tribute to our community! For those who did not get a chance to make it out to the Counselor Training and Foreclosure Clinic over the weekend, I wanted to report how greatly successful the training and Clinic was.

Many thanks to our team of Volunteers whose “willing to help attitudes”, effortlessly met the needs of our affected homeowners. Everyone performed at such a high level and the clinic attendees were very appreciative and walked away much more informed of their options. Homeowners couldn’t believe that they were able to get “free” legal advice from the 3 Volunteer Attorneys, Jason Buckingham, Donna Echiverri and Rodel Rodis. I was told by Baylan Megino, who was one of many volunteers who manned the Registration area, that, initially, some of the homeowners were skeptical of the “free” clinic and were almost expecting to be charged for something or another at registration.

A special thanks to Betsy Zoebel and Maritess Lagandaon (City of Daly City), who helped provide the venues for the two events and whose tireless efforts to ensure we had what we needed was very instrumental to our success.

A shout-out to Hazel Valera whose Credit Workshop was as enlightening as it was invaluable. Her suggestions and her expert understanding of Credit helped inform homeowners just how to move forward from this catastrophic point in their lives.

Of course many, many thanks to Faith Bautista, Lynn McLaughlin, Daughlet Ordinario, Eleza Nooris and Louie Guererro of Mabuhay Alliance. Faith and Mabuhay continue to pave the way to make it easier for all us. Thanks for all your leadership on empowering our Filipino Community.

None of this would have happened had it not been for the Bayanihan Spirit of the 45+ volunteers who braved the elements and sacrificed time from their families to be with so many who needed a hand. Your desire to volunteer and help those in trouble are a testament to you. Thanks for your inspiring dedication and tremendous example to those in need.

Words cannot convey our gratitude for your contribution. We wanted to thank you with this note as our personal round of applause. The credit for our good deeds firmly rests with our dedicated volunteers. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with all of you.

Next stop, San Jose! Date to be determined…stay tuned!

Sincerely,

Jose A. Pecho, Chair
Region 8, Northern California
NaFFAA

Capitalizing on the success of our first Foreclosure Prevention Clinic held in Vallejo on December 13, 2008, NaFFAA Region 8 in cooperation with the Mabuhay Alliance, the city of Daly City and the Community Child Care Council of Santa Clara County, invites you to a “Foreclosure Prevention Clinic” to be held on Sunday, February 22, 2009 at the Doelger Community Center in Daly City.

Come to the Clinic if you are experiencing difficulties making your monthly mortgage payments. Has your interest rate changed? Has your home value decreased? Do you have questions about foreclosure or bankruptcy? Do you await foreclosure or eviction notices? Do you have questions about how non-payments can affect your credit rating? What is a short sale?

You can answer all these questions by attending this foreclosure prevention clinic. Housing counselors, mortgage counselors and volunteer attorneys can give you valuable information to assist you to make needed decisions.

Please help us spread the word by getting this invitation to as many homeowners as possible. Loss mitigation Representatives from several banks will be present including: Countrywide Home Loans, Bank of America, Citi Mortgage, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase Washington Mutual, HSBC, Indymac Federal Bank, Downey Savings and EMC Mortgage.

Sincerely,

Jose A. Pecho, Chair
Region 8, Northern California
NaFFAA

Please click on the title below (in blue ink above the invitation) so you can share this invitation to your family and friends (such as facebook, twitter, or your other bookmarks), send the PDF file directly to your e-mail distribution list, add to your favorites, embed the code to your website or blog, download the PDF file, and other options at Scribd.com.

02222009 - Daly City Foreclosure Prevention Clinic at Doelger Community Center

Executive Summary

Regional and County Officers met on January 17, 2009 at the home of Regional Chair Jose Pecho to review Region 8 challenges and issues and to determine the strategic priorities for 2009.

Several organizational challenges were identified ranging from funding to clarifying and streamlining the organization to better respond to the emerging priorities due to the growing Northern California Filipino Community.

In this regard NaFFAA Region 8 will pursue the following on-going operational issues:

- Strengthen the organizational and financial infrastructure.

- Strengthen the leadership capacity at the Regional, County, City and Local levels

Responding to the Filipino community’s continuing growth, diverse demographics and issues, the Strategy and Planning participants chose the following priorities:

1. Advocate for the Congressional passage of legislation providing benefits for World War II Philippine Veterans

2. Continue to increase the number of Filipino voters and their participation in the Democratic process

3. Pursue programs in conjunction with strategic alliances with other organizations which
advocate Economic Empowerment including the holding of Foreclosure Prevention Clinics. Help educate the Filipino business community for opportunities to do business with Corporate America, as well as address the supplier diversity needs of these Institutions.

4. Institute a Pilot Program involving our youth on health and wellness, lifestyle and Financial literacy in conjunction with West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center in San Francisco.

5. Improve the academic achievement of K-12 public school Filipino Americans and access to funding for higher education.

6. Legacy Program to insure leadership succession by our youth.

7. Identify unique issues at the local level affecting our community via County Chairs.

8. Continued Membership Growth.

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