National Federation of Filipino American Associations

Date: Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 11:52 AM

Dear Valued Member, Affiliate and Supporter of NaFFAA and Region 8 Northern California:

I attended the recently concluded NaFFAA, 8th National Empowerment Conference in Seattle from September 26-28 where NaFFAA delegates, young and old, traveled from all parts of the US to take part in “Forging a New Filipino American Agenda for the 21st Century.”

Joining our NaFFAA R8 team in Seattle was our new NaFFAA R8 Youth Chair, Jenab-i Pareja. We are very excited to have Jenab-i on board. Jenab-i has a long, illustrious community organizing background (and he hasn’t graduated yet!) and he is currently enrolled at UC Berkeley. We look forward to all members assisting Jenab-i with strategic plans and implementation for our youth/young professional members. We bid “Good luck” to former youth chair, Caroline Iwamoto, who has started her college freshman classes at NYU.

We were also treated to meeting 17 year old, Filipino American David Gilbert-Pederson of Minnesota. David is the NaFFAA Youth Chair for Region 3 (Midwest Region) and has been interviewed recently by Time Magazine for having been the youngest delegate at the recently completed Democratic National Convention in Denver. His charisma and maturity is beyond his 17 years and if David is representative of our Filipino youth across the nation, then our future looks 100 times brighter. During the plenary session of “Forging a New Filipino American Agenda for the 21st Century, in which he was a panelist, David announced his candidacy to run for City Council in his home town of Minneapolis to huge applaud by the NaFFAA delegates (both Republicans and Democrats present). Here is links to the Time Magazine interview http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1834668,00.html and a video interview http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200808/20080827_gilbertpederson.html.

The highlight of the conference was the voting of a new Chairman to lead NaFFAA. I’m happy and proud to announce to you our very own Greg Macabenta has been voted to succeed Alma Kern and lead NaFFAA for the next 2 years. See http://naffaar8.com/congratulations-to-greg-b-macabenta-naffaas-new-national-chair/ for Greg’s initial thoughts after the election.

Region 8 played a pivotal role in stopping a vote to the amendments to the bylaws proposal. On behalf of Region 8, I wrote a position paper, which was circulated to conference attendees:

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For the record. Delivered by Lorna Dietz, regional vice chair on behalf of Jose Pecho, regional chair and members, on Friday morning.

In the light of the upcoming national elections at the 8th NaFFAA National Empowerment Conference, one of our Northern California region’s brightest stars, Greg B. Macabenta, has decided to run for the office of NaFFAA National Chair. When he announced his intention to Region 8 Chair Jose Pecho and Region 8 Vice-Chair Lorna Dietz, the two regional officers immediately promised their support and personal endorsements. Somebody as results-driven as Greg Macabenta who has successfully trained business and community service leaders is someone we need during these fast-changing times. Both of these regional officers had trained with Greg B. Macabenta during the highly successful Third Global Filipino Networking Covention in 2005.

Here are some of Greg’s thoughts and ideas as he looks forward to NaFFAA’s growth as an empowerment organization. 

Dear Friends,

First of all, thank you for your support. I am encouraged to pursue this candidacy in spite of the sacrifices that the position will subsequently entail. Para sa NaFFAA.

I have received a copy of Ernie Ramos’ platform and I’m forwarding it to you along with some comments. Please be assured that I am making these comments with no malice aforethought and only in the interests of NaFFAA. I am also resending my strategy document, the better for you to compare that with Ernie’s. I will appreciate your comments.

Ernie proposes to solve the problems of NaFFAA and achieve its objectives by way of his platform which I have taken the liberty of summarizing (divested of the verbiage).

In effect, Ernie Ramos is proposing to do the following:

TO RAISE MONEY FOR NAFFAA

1) Write grant proposals in the hope of raising millions from “Federal, State and County agencies”;
2) Call on corporations doing business with the FilAm community and solicit funds.

TO ACHIEVE FILAM EMPOWERMENT THROUGH NAFFAA

1) Assist green card holders in becoming US citizens.
2) Launch an aggressive voter registration (FilVote) and GOTV (Get Out The Vote) campaign;
3) Encourage you, as Regional Chair, and the State Chairs to organize ‘Getting to Know Your Candidates’ forum(s) in cooperation with “other Asian-American and minority organizations”;
4) Encourage you and the State chairs to hold fundraising events.
5) Challenge you and the State Chairs to expand your NaFFAA membership.

TO MAKE NAFFAA MORE INFLUENTIAL WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AND CONGRESS

1) Get to know White House and Congression leaders better in order to get their support.
2) Help you, as Regional Chair, and the State Chairs frame your strategies and draft your talking points in dealing with Congress. .
3) Impress upon you and the State Chairs the importance of FilAm voting power so that you can use this argument in dealing with your Congressmen.
4) Coordinate with you and the State Chairs in advocating for issues affecting FilAms before your respective State officials and before Congress.
5) Link up with other minority associations to get ““numbers support” and “network support” for legislation that will benefit FilAms;

TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS WITH THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT

1) ” Establish mutual relationship” with members and leaders of the Congress;
2) “Impress” Congress and the administration with “NaFFAA’s role…in representing the issues and concerns impacting FilAms, immigrants and OFWs” and as a “responsible catalyst” in relations with the US.
3) Assist you and the State Chairs in facilitating dual citizenship and amending the Overseas Absentee Voting Act, as well as other rules affecting Filipinos in the US.
4) Express NaFFAA’s position on the merits or demerits of proposed bills and executive orders affecting FilAms and OFWS;
5) Be an active advocate for or against presidential resolutions or proposals that affect overseas Filipinos, using our “14 billion plus” remittances as leverage.
6) “Establish a mechanism” for making use of FilAm talents, skills and assets to benefit the Philippines.

The question is: Can Ernie commit to raise funds from grants soon enough to keep NaFFAA alive? Alma Kern and Loida Lewis thought that it was easy and found out that getting grants approved is easier said than done. Meanwhile, NaFFAA is running on empty.

If Ernie can achieve in a timely manner what Alma and NaFFAA have not been able to achieve in the past two years, then he will surely deserve to be NaFFAA chair. You might want to ask him if he is prepared to make such a commitment.

With respect to my modest proposals, I AM COMMITTING TO RAISE FUNDS IMMEDIATELY. It’s as simple as that. The grants should be written but, in the meantime, we need to sustain NaFFAA operations.

Another question: Of these proposed ways to”empower” FilAms, which ones are not already being done to a greater or lesser degree?

I know that many of our friends across the US have been conducting FilVote and Get-Out-The-Vote campaigns relentlessly for years. But the harsh reality is that what is required is an attitudinal change.

Making NaFFAA and our community “more influential” with the US Congress and the White House is something that you and other hardy champions for Veterans Equity have been trying to do for years. Slowly, success is being gained. But we’re still not sure of a victory in the House. This is the reason why we need to address the issue of organizing a potent political action committee at the national and local levels, something that you have been actively espousing for years. I hope they will discuss this at the national conference.

Perhaps Ernie Ramos can demonstrate his capabilities by using his Capitol Hill connections to get the Veterans Equity Bill passed in the House. You might want to ask him to do that. If he succeeds, he surely deserves to be National Chair of NaFFAA.

Meanwhile, let me summarize what I propose to do as National Chair:

TO STRENGTHEN NAFFAA’S IMAGE

1. Publish the book, NaFFAA: The First Decade,” a book on the struggle for empowerment, the role played by NaFFAA (citing specific cases) and featuring the winners and nominees in the first NaFFAA Kabayanihan Awards for Community Service; distribute the book among key publics: U.S. government policy/decision makers; Corporate sponsors and donor organizations; Media; Philippine government, business and NGOs; FilAm communities (NaFFAA and non-NaFFAA). This is something I can do with available resources, including my personal resources, clients and business contacts.

2. Mount a sustained information and communication campaign to strengthen awareness and image of NaFFAA before key publics. Again, this is something I can immediately implement with existing rescources, specifically my own, starting with a regular section on NaFFAA in Filipinas Magazine.

With these tools, NaFFAA can approach government and corporate targets with head held high and negotiate from a position of strength. This is something I do all the time for my clients, including the Seafood City Group and GMA Network.

TO BUILD NAFFAA’S FINANCIAL AND OTHER RESOURCES

Writing grant requests (which is the main program of Ernie Ramos) is fine but remember that this is a long-gestation exercise. We need activities that will deliver immediate tangible results and will also lay the foundation for securing grants.

1. Having revived and then built up NaFFAA’s image, we can market NaFFAA’s current assets to corporate sponsors, funding agencies and foundations. Our websites, conferences, database and community networks are worth their weight in gold as far as corporate sponsors are concerned - but first they must be impressed with NaFFAA. Right now, they are not.. This is why image building is so vital as a first step. Consider that with my little magazine - Filipinas - I am able to organize an annual awards presentation with corporate support from Anheuser Busch, Wells Fargo Bank, Set, Triple A, Hawaiian Airlines, Seafood City, Ayala Corporation, Genentech, State Farm, etc. A national organization like NaFFAA should be able to attract a lot more support, if our image can be properly revived and built up.

2. Mount programs that can be funded and sponsored immedaitely:
(a) Kabayanihan Community Services Awards.
(b) A national NaFFAA directory of FilAm organizations, social services, community assets and elected/appointed FilAm public officials. This is not a new idea but it can generate substantial revenues and will also help strengthen NaFFAA’s links with community organizatioins and services nationwide (after all, we will list them for free and give them prominence).
c) Programs/seminars/forums/conferences focusing on Seniors, Youth, Women, Health, Education, Civic Involvement, etc. which are of interest to foundations, corporations and other funding sources. SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans) in Los Angeles has been able to build a senior housing facility, buy a building and mount youth, senior and other community services by way of tangible programs. Joel Jacinto, executive director of SIPA told me two weeks ago that his organization would get actively involved with NaFFAA if I agreed to run for National Chair (one of the reasons why I made this decision). I hope to replicate SIPA’s programs in other cities, with Joel’s guidance.

3) Reactivate involvement with the Greenlining Coalition. This multi-ethnic organization has clout with all the major corporations and is able to access to community development funds that these corporations (specifically banks) are mandated to make available. This was how Alex Esclamado managed to secure funding during NaFFAA’s early years.

4) Hold an annual NaFFAA fund-raiser. This is not a new idea but it always works. NaFFAA has not done this at all.

5) Set up a Corporate Advisory Board through which we can access corporate and foundation funds. SIPA, La Raza and other ethnic organizations have this as a mandatory component. Loida Lewis attempted to set this up but there was no corresponding set of programs to which funds could be channelled (youth, education, health, seniors, etc.). This can be revived with the required program components. Operating funds can be derived from a percentage of proceeds (similar to SIPA).

6) Write Grants. Perhaps Ernie Ramos can be harnessed for this since he appears to be such an expert in doing it. But, again, we must remember that this takes a while bearing fruit and we need to have the requisite programs to justify the grants.

ESTABLISH A SUSTAINABLE NAFFAA STRUCTURE

1. Establish and activate task forces or working committees to undertake the programs earlier mentioned, delegating to members of the NaFFAA Board and the leaders of the Regions and the States. That way, we will not lack in heads and hands. More importantly, we will be able to harness the skills, expertise, time and resources of the key leaders of NaFFAA. We know you guys are just raring to prove yourselves. You should be given every encouragement and incentive to assume leadership in your various areas of expertise (Ernie in Grant writing, for instance). This way, we will no longer agonize over who should be the next National Chair of NaFFAA. The stars of the organization will shine and we will always have a deep bench. That is what I mean by sustainability.

Al, I hope you find all of this both interesting and valuable. Warmest regards.

Greg B. Macabenta

READ GREG B. MACABENTA’S PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR NAFFAA IN THE NEXT PAGE.

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Introduction: We, at Region 8, have painstakingly provided additional links and information from the original organizer’s announcements from Region 7 so that you can plan your conference travels comfortably. Another tidbit for you: Greg B. Macabenta, NaFFAA National Vice Chair Emeritus, will be running for National NaFFAA Chair during this conference’s elections. We need your support to rally behind Greg — and to spread the word to our NaFFAA leaders in other regions as to why his leadership will help NaFFAA evolve magnificently through the upcoming changes and challenges. Check out the upcoming First NaFFAA Kabayanihan Awards for Community Service, Rodel and Greg’s brainchild!

NaFFAA’s National Chair, Alma Q. Kern, talks about NaFFAA and the Upcoming 8th NaFFAA Empowerment Conference.

Conference Fee: $195.00 Includes all conference materials, events, meals and gala night.
Gala Dinner only (for non-delegates): $80.00 per head.
Price per Display Table: Exhibitor/Vendor: $400 ea.; Non Profit organization $200 ea.

HERE ARE SOME UPDATES AS OF AUGUST 30, 2008!

A few REMINDERS and some information for immediate release:

1) Deadline for HOTEL REGISTRATION for 8NEC at Westin Hotel is September 2. Go to http://www.naffaa-pacnw.org/for hotel link or call Starwood Central Reservations 1-888-627-8513 and mention NaFFAA Empowerment Convention Room Block. Please make your hotel reservations quick!

The address for the 8th NaFFAA Empowerment Conference is:

The Westin Seattle
1900 - 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 728-1000
Check in: 03:00 PM
Check out: 12:00 PM

Our 891 smoke-free guest rooms and suites are designed to provide ultimate comfort and tranquility for our guests. All guest rooms offer High Speed Internet Access and flat screen televisions and feature The Westin Heavenly Bed® and Heavenly Bath®.

2) Deadline for 8NEC DELEGATE REGISTRATION is September 8. Go to http://www.naffaa-pacnw.org/for registration link. Please register for the conference now! See the schedule/program below.

3) Press release was sent out with official attendance of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA). Click here for the press release found at NaFAAR8.com. Following changes in schedule are:

a. Gala Night will be moved to Friday night with PGMA as Guest of Honor

b. Fellowship Night - will be held Saturday night at the Westin Hotel

Other events/schedule remain unchanged.

4) For those regions who have not sent in their ads, please email them soon to Virgie at ciscopalis@cablespeed.com and mail payments to NaFFAA c/o Filipino Community of Seattle, 5740 M L King Jr Way S, Seattle WA 98118.

5) Presentations for the Fellowship Night - Please coordinate with Marilyn Doromal (R4) and Ian Purganan (R7). We would like to see all regions participate!

6) We also have a golf tournament on September 25, 2008. If interested, visit www.partneringworks.org.
The Filipino Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest is handling this event. You can register on line.

General Information:

1) For transportation from airport to Westin Hotel (click here for SeaTac International Airport information): The Downtown Airporter is the least expensive transportation between the downtown Seattle hotels and the Seattle-Tacoma (SeaTac) International Airport. Charge is $15. Downtown Airporter by Gray Line (airport shuttle) serves the Airport outside Door 00 on the Baggage Claim (lower) level. Departs twice an hour from 5:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m., with service to and from major downtown Seattle hotels: Madison Renaissance, Crowne Plaza , Fairmont Olympic, Hilton Hotel, Seattle Sheraton, Grand Hyatt, Westin Hotel and Warwick Hotel.

Downtown Airporter Service
206-626-6088
Recorded Schedule Information
206-624-5077 / 800-426-7532
Gray Line of Seattle Assistance
Departures from Downtown Seattle daily 5:00am-11:00pm
Departures from SeaTac Airport daily 5:30am-11:00pm

Additional downtown properties are served via Connector Service. (Note: Connector Service is available between 5:30 am and 9:00 pm to connect passengers to and from outlying locations to the Downtown Airporter Service. Please call 206-255-7159 one hour prior to needed pick up time for Connector Service. Please note, these numbers are to request Connector Service pick-up on the day it is needed ONLY.)

2) If you have any free time left and interested in what Seattle can offer, please visit: http://savorseattletours.com/about.htm.

Eat your way through Seattle!

Savor Seattle specializes in guided walking food tours of Seattle’s tastiest restaurants, eateries, and artisan shops. Tantalize your taste buds with Pacific Northwest seafood, artisan hand-made cheese, microbrew beer, gourmet chocolate, fine wine, and much, much more.

Enjoy a taste of Seattle, while going behind the scenes to experience the exciting culture, history, and people that are the “heart and soul” of the Emerald City!

3) Click here for current information on Seattle’s weather.

4) Don’t miss Seattle’s landmark - The Space Needle - From the Westin Hotel, walk a few steps to Westlake Mall and catch the monorail from the 3rd level of the mall and it will take you (for a couple of dollars and make sure you buy a round trip ticket) to the Seattle Center where the Space Needle is located. For more information go to www.spaceneedle.com.

5) The Westin Hotel is conveniently located in downtown Seattle. It is the front door for downtown shopping and attractions, which include Seattle’s premier destinations Pacific Place Center and Westlake Shopping Mall, dining and the vibrant theater district. Westin is just steps away from the Pike Place Market (visit www.pikeplacemarket.org).

6) Scroll below to learn some fun facts about Seattle.

See you in Seattle!

Mariela Fletcher
NaFFAA R7 Vice Chair
NaFFAA 8th NEC Overall Conference Chair
Sept 26-28,2008, Westin Hotel, Seattle
www.naffaa-pacnw.org to register
Join NaFFAA now!
Unite & Empower…be proud…
You are Filipino!

Mariela Fletcher, CRS, ABR
(206) 963-8838; (888) 322-7576
Remax Metro Realty
www.marielafletcher.com

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8TH NaFFAA EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
(as of August 30, 2008)Theme: “Forging A New Filipino American Agenda for the 21st Century”

Thursday, September 25, 20089:00AM REGISTRATION OPENS3:00PM NaFFAA Board Meeting / Other Networking GroupsGolf Tournament
Sight Seeing
Exhibits

6:00PM HOSPITALITY NIGHT
Hors D’oeuvres sponsored by NaFFAA Region 7

Friday, September 26, 2008

7:00AM REGISTRATION

8:30AM PARADE OF REGIONAL COLORS

8:45AM OPENING

National Anthems
Invocation by National Vice Chair Rozita Lee
Welcome by National Chair, Host R7 Chair, Filipino Chamber Pres, Conference Chair
Invited guests include:
WA State Governor Christine Gregoire
King County Exec Ron Sims, Mayor Greg Nickels

9:45AM PLENARY SESSION 1

NaFFAA National Chair’s Report
NaFFAA Regional Chair’s Report
*Filipino Chamber of Commerce

12:00 NOON LUNCH - KEYNOTE SPEAKER

1:00PM TO 2:15PM PLENARY SESSION 2 - PANEL DISCUSSION
“Small Steps, Big Results”

1:00PM TO 2:15PM WORKSHOPS 1

1.1 Healthy Active Lifestyle
1.2 PRA Retirement Program
1.3 Fund Raising 101
1.4 Navigating Change: Leadership in the 21st Century (Y)
1.5 Remembering Our Roots to Empower our Future Generation (Y)
1.6 Branding & Marketing - Chamber
1.7 Access to Capital - Chamber
1.8 Immigration & the US Workshop Shortage - Chamber

2:30PM TO 3:45PM WORKSHOPS 2

2.1 FilAm Democrats Caucus
2.2 FilAm Republican Caucus
2.3 FilAm Wellness Center - A Model for Health & Socio Cultural Empowerment; An Advocacy Campaign Thru Environmental Change
2.4 Talk Story: Our Voices, Our Future (Y)
2.5 PINAAY – Providing Information Network Among Asians and our Youth (Y)
2.6 IT Infrastructure for Small Business-Chamber
2.7 International trade Opportunities for the Small Business – Chamber
2.8 Supplier Diversity – Chamber

3:50PM to 5:20PM NaFFAA BUSINESS
ByLaws Amendment

3:50PM FilipinoVillage.com -Global Village Online

4:15PM TO 5:30PM Filipino Chamber - Networking Session
Cocktails - No Host Bar

6:30PM RECEPTION WITH PRESIDENT ARROYO

7:00PM GALA NIGHT - AN EVENING WITH PRESIDENT ARROYO
National Anthems
Invocation
Welcome Remarks: National Chair Alma Q Kern
Remarks by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Dinner
Entertainment: FYA Drill Team; Angelo Pizarro; Live Band and Dancing
Emcee: (ABS-CBN/TFC) Gel Santos-Relos

8:30PM Youth Fun Night

Saturday, September 27, 2008

9:00AM TO 10:15AM WORKSHOPS 3

3.1 Education: National Study on K-12
3.2 Filipino Voter’s Drive
3.3 Health & Domestic Violence
3.4 Empowerment Through the Filipino Language
3.5 Empowerment to Address Cancer Disparities
From Advocacy to Filipino Vagina Monologue
3.6 IRS: EIC Initiative & VITA Program
3.7 Medical Missions: Its Relevance & Effectiveness in the Philippines
3.8 Teamwork: Developing Effective Teams (Y)

10:30AM Youth Field Trip & Lunch (All Youth)

10:30AM PLENARY SESSION 3 – PANEL DISCUSSION ON “FORGING A NEW FILIPINO AMERICAN AGENDA FOR THE 21ST CENTURY”

12:00NOON LUNCH

1:30PM “POWER OF YOUR VOTE AND VOICE” (Speakers)

2:45PM TO 4:00PM WORKSHOPS 4

4.1 College Access & Success for Filipinos
4.2 The Many Faces of Human Trafficking
4.3 Equity & Justice for FilAm WWII Veterans
4.4 Acupuncture & Alternative Medicine: Its Relevance in Today’s Health Care
4.5 Media as Change Agent: Media as A Tool to Empower Global Filipinos
4.6 NASA Space Shuttle Orientation
4.7 On Civil Rights & Discrimination
4.8 How To be A “Techy” Non-Techie with Internet & Technology Tools for Effective Communications

4:00PM Filipino Village.com - Global Village Online

4:15PM TO 6:15PM NaFFAA BUSINESS
Open Forum & Elections

7:00PM FELLOWSHIP NIGHT - “NaFFAA’s GOT TALENT”
Dinner at Westin
Contest by Regions
Ceremonial Turnover
Remarks: Incoming National Chair
Awards/Announcements

Sunday, September 28, 2008

9:00AM Interfaith Service – Westin Hotel

10:00AM Mass at St James Cathedral

11:00AM APPRECIATION Brunch & CLOSING (Filipino Community of Seattle)

(revised 8.28.08 subject to change)

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GO TO THE NEXT PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON:

- Some Fun Facts and Tidbits about Seattle

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2008

Contact: Ning Rogge, Media Relations Manager
NaFFAA 8th Empowerment Conference
Tel. 206 949 9676; elizrogge@gmail.com

Seattle, WA - In just a few weeks, hundreds of community leaders members and advocates throughout the United States and other countries will gather in Seattle to discuss how to “Forge a New Filipino American Agenda for the 21st Century” and promote the welfare and well-being of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans by fostering unity and empowerment.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), will hold its 8th National Empowerment Conference, a three-day event on September 26-28, 2008 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle. Since its founding in 1997, leaders from across the nation and around the world convene every two years to discuss how Filipinos can help each other improve their quality of life.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be the keynote during the Gala event on Friday, September 26, 2008. Over 1,000 attendees are expected.

“We are really looking forward to hearing what President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has to say to us. We are a diverse community, some of us are third, fourth generation Filipino Americans, but regardless of how far back we can trace our Filipino ancestry, we remain attached to the culture. We would also like her to hear how we are very much part of day to day struggle to have the quality of life we hope for, as Filipino Americans. NaFFAA is a young national organization, only 11 years old, yet has had major successful projects such as dual citizenship for global Filipinos. But we are still and will continue to fight in the United States for Equity for Filipino WWII Veterans, for voter education, civil rights advocacy, better educational and business opportunities. It is good for President Arroyo to hear all that.” states Kern.

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Telltale Signs/ THE NOT SO IMPOSSIBLE DREAM OF ALEX ESCLAMADO

Rodel E. Rodis

November 19, 2007

ALEX ESCLAMADO was looking forward to blissful retirement and to writing his memoirs when I invited him to travel with me to New York in April of 1997. I had been invited to speak at the regional conference of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking for Dialogue (FIND) to be held at the State University of New York in Long Island when I unexpectedly received a round-trip ticket from the Filipino student group after I had already purchased my plane fare.

So, with an extra round-trip plane ticket in hand, I asked Alex if he would like to join me. By then, Alex had lotS of free time then as he had just sold Philippine News to his good friend, Ed Espiritu. For the first time probably since 1961 when he and his wife, Luly, started publishing the weekly newspaper from the garage of their home in San Francisco, Alex did not have a weekly editorial to write, a newspaper to edit.

Alex said yes and off we flew to New York. On the flight, we recalled how, after People Power ousted the Marcos Dictatorship, we had set about to unite the Filipino American community which had been bitterly divided between the proponents and opponents of martial rule. It was Alex’s “impossible dream” (his favorite song) to have a united, empowered community. In1987, Alex traveled the country inviting Filipino community leaders to meet in Anaheim, California in August of 1987 to form an organization that would work to empower the community.

About 1500 delegates from around the US heeded his call and gsthered to form the National Filipino American Council (NFAC). We all agreed that martial law was a thing of the past and that we should now look forward to being Americans and to fighting for our place at the table. It was exactly the political frame of mind that Alex had hoped for.

But perhaps Alex was too successful. When the time came to electing a chair who would guide the organization forward, an influential group of Filipino Republicans threatened to walk out of the convention if Alex was elected chair because they believed he was too partisan a Democrat to lead a bipartisan organization. In the interest of forging unity, Alex gave way to a Republican from San Francisco, Dennis Normandy, a corporate executive who did not share Alex’s vision of chartered chapters in Filipino communities throughout the US. His “spokes in a wheel” model envisioned a more modest growth.

On the flight to New York, I told Alex that NFAC had not become the vehicle for community empowerment that we had envisioned and that it was time to form another organization that would be true to his vision at Anaheim. I told him that with what remained of the NFAC, a decision was made in Salinas in January of 1997 to call for a summit of Filipino community organizations to meet in August in Washington DC. I was going to the FIND conference (1,000 students attended) to invite the members to join us in DC.

When we arrived in New York, Alex and I were met by a FIND member who took us to his home in Brooklyn where he put us up for the night. It was not a hotel but Alex did not mind. I remember thinking that Alex would have been a very rich man, flying first class and sleeping at the Plaza, if he had sold his newspaper in 1977 when the Dictator Ferdinand Marcos offered to purchase it for $10 million to silence the paper that had become the leading anti-Marcos newspaper in the US, if not in the world.

But though Alex needed the money as he had borrowed heavily to keep his newspaper afloat in the face of iron-fisted pressure on advertisers applied by the Marcos government, he rejected the tempting offer, declaring that his principles were not for sale.

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This perspective was developed as a result of intense discussions among Ben Menor, Terry Acebo Davis, Bren Bataclan, Cheryl Platon, and Lorna Dietz on July-August 2002 while the group was preparing for  NaFFAA’s 5th Empowerment Conference at the DoubleTree Hotel, San Jose, California on August 28 to August 30, 2002.

“Empowerment begins with the individual in order to care for others.” – Ben Menor, Jr.

Click here for the slideshow.

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The 4th Global Filipino Networking Convention was also held in tandem with the 7th NaFFAA Empowerment Conference.