PRESS RELEASE

Vallejo, CA – Responding to the urgent cry for help of homeowners threatened with the loss of their homes, Mabuhay Alliance and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), two state and nationwide community organizations conducted the first foreclosure prevention clinic in Solano County last December 13, 2008. 

The principal sponsor of the clinic was JP Morgan Chase, which after meeting with Mabuhay Alliance, NaFFAA, and other community groups, recently developed one of the nation’s most far reaching foreclosure prevention and loan modification programs. JP Morgan has just acquired Washington Mutual.

The clinic was held at the Solano Community College (Vallejo Center) and was attended by more than 250 homeowners facing foreclosure. Also attending the clinic and endorsing it were several government officials, including Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis and Suisun Mayor Pete Sanchez.

Mayor Davis, impressed with the purpose and the turnout, requested that Mabuhay Alliance and NaFFAA coordinate another clinic soon after President-elect Barack Obama takes office. Both organizations will meet with the mayor next month to plan the clinic. It is expected that all the major banks and officials of the new Obama administration will observe the next clinic.

Mabuhay Alliance and NaFFAA predicted that if President-elect Obama follows some of the suggestions developed at the clinic, the vast majority of homeowners facing foreclosure this Christmas will have a more prosperous and secure Christmas in 2009 in their own homes. Some of the suggestions,  which JP Morgan Chase may follow or advocate are:

* A foreclosure moratorium until loans are fully and adequately modified in accordance with the FDIC/IndyMac proposal;

* Hedge fund investor pools that hold up to 80% of mortgages should be compelled to follow the JP Morgan/IndyMac approach of lowering interest rates, forgiving principal, and ensuring that no more than 31% of income should be allocated to mortgage related payments;

* Support the US Treasury’s proposal to create new homeownership opportunities free from predatory lenders. The Treasury suggestion which Mabuhay Alliance and NaFFAA fully support is to create government guaranteed 30 year fixed rate mortgages at 4.5%;

* Ensure that moderate-income homeowners are treated like  wealthy homeowners under the tax system. The method suggested is to guarantee a $5,000 a year tax credit for every homeowner.

Mabuhay Alliance and NaFFAA, along with the Greenlining Institute, plan to meet with the new Obama administration officials and the major banks in February to ensure that the goal of seeing “every family in its own home next Christmas” is achieved.

Other corporations and agencies that attended the clinic were Wells Fargo, US Bancorp, IndyMac, Washington Mutual, United Way and the FDIC. James Buckingham a real estate attorney in Benicia, CA volunteered to provide free legal advice for distressed owners at the clinic. He noted he would further provide his services on a sliding scale for homeowners of moderate means. 

DOCUMENTATION

The involvement of NaFFAA in the City of Vallejo’s Foreclosure Prevention Clinic started with an agreement among Greg Macabenta, NaFFAA National Chair, Faith Bautista, Mabuhay Alliance’s Executive Director, and Robert Gnaizda, General Counsel and Policy Director (as well as co-founder) for the Greenlining Institute to help beleaguered homeowners in Northern California. Since the City of Vallejo was the first American city to declare the “housing foreclosure crisis, supporting local, state, and federal efforts to address the crisis and urging lending institutions and loan servicers to take certain remedial actions,” Mabuhay Alliance’s first foreclosure prevention clinic in collaboration with NaFFAA Region 8 and United Way Bay Area was also held in the City of Vallejo last December 13, 2008.

Local volunteer counselors, recruited by NaFFAA, were trained by team members of Mabuhay Alliance last November 17-18, 2008. There were many lessons learned during this first collaboration which are expected to benefit the future NaFFAA-collaborated workshops in the 12 regions. The roll-out of other foreclosure prevention clinics nationwide will start in 2009.

NaFFAA Region 8 has also acquired the resolutions from Solano County and the City of Vallejo as well as the statement from local Filipino American community leaders in Solano County regarding how they took action on the housing foreclosure crisis. The Filipino American community in Solano County, led by community leaders such as Reverend Doctor Tony Ubalde, Francis Neri, Lynn Mamaril, and Eloise Escano Scott (who was instrumental in gathering over 600 signatures) were tenacious in getting their local government officials to address the crisis and declare a moratorium. Other NaFFAA regions who haven’t started working at the local legislative level regarding obtaining such resolutions will find these documents helpful.

FLIER

12132008 Flier for Today’s Foreclosure Clinic

Vallejo City Council Resolution

10102008 - Vallejo City Council Resolution

Solano County Moratorium Resolution

10282008 - Solano Moratorium Resolution 10.28.08

Statement on the Declaration of a Housing Foreclosure Crisis in Solano County

10072008 - Statement on the Declaration of a Housing Foreclosure Crisis in Solano County

Dear Santa: We, Californians, have been good even though it’s been a very difficult year.

Please tell the Governor to:

* Stop the CPUC from allowing $5,000,000,000 utility rate increases
* Help us save our homes
* Block further increases on our energy bills during a recession with record high unemployment

* Date: Thursday, December 18, 2008
* Location: 505 Van Ness Ave. (near Golden Gate St., near City Hall) San Francisco, CA

SCHEDULE:

* 8:30 am - Assembly outside the building
* 9:00am - Meeting with Mike Peevey, President of the California Public Utilities Commission
* 9:20am – Go to Auditorium for the hearing with the five CPUC Commissioners
* 9:30am – Testimonies begin; ½ hour only
* 10:00am, approximately – Press Conference outside the building

Contacts: Faith Bautista, Mabuhay Alliance - (858) 586-7382; bautistafaith@yahoo.com
Samuel Kang, Greelining Institute – (510) 926.4004; samuelk@greenlining.org
Jose Pecho, NaFFAA – (415) 240-4906; jp8cho@aol.com

12182008 - Community Protest at CA PUC, San Francisco, CA

This video was recorded by Lorna Dietz on November 11, 2008 in Salinas, CA during the formal chapter creation of NaFFAA Region 8 Monterey Bay Chapter. Elmer Dolera-Chapter chair, Orly Jimenez-Chapter ViceChair, & Susan Aremas-Chapter Treasurer.

The National Filipino American Council’s most active chapter was located in Monterey Bay. In its early years, NFAC had recognized the need for having a national organization that would somehow bring Filipino Americans on the same table in their shared advocacies. NFAC, during a historic meeting in Salinas, CA in January 1997, agreed to be a major force in convening like-minded Filipino Americans and community-based organizations in Washington DC on August 1997, and paved the way for the formation of NaFFAA in that same event that brought together more than 1,500 Filipino Americans nationwide.

Dennis Normandy was the first National President when NFAC was formed in 1987 at a convention in Anaheim, CA. Rodel Rodis was the first National Vice-President.

In 1997, Rodel Rodis, Alex Esclamado, Michael Dadap, Loida Nicolas-Lewis, and many other Filipino Americans, founded the National Federation of Filipino American Associations.

On November 11, 2008, NaFFAA Co-Founder Rodel Rodis, NaFFAA Region 8 (Northern CA) Chair Jose Pecho, NaFFAA R8 San Franciso City & County Chair Rudy Asercion, and NaFFAA R8 Vice-Chair Lorna Dietz went to Monterey County, CA to formalize the chapter formation of the Monterey Bay chapter of NaFFAA Region 8.

From NFAC to NaFFAA… We went back to the place where these historic milestones took place.

Full circle.

Congratulations to NaFFAA R8 Monterey Bay!

Lorna Dietz
Regional Vice Chair, Region 8

Joanie Cordova said: “Benedicto Menor Sr voted for Barack Obama … before he died 28 October 2008. His life inspires many of us.”

Thank you to Emil Siapno for putting this video on Vimeo.com.

TFI’s Balitang America reporter, Henni Espinosa, wrote this video story about Benedicto G. Menor.

 
“I learned from my dad that I had to make sure my younger brother and sisters ate their share of the food before I could eat. He would say to me, ‘Take care of them first,’” Rose Mary continued. The food shortage in World War II had taught Benedicto some valuable lessons in servant leadership.
 
As the family’s sole breadwinner, Benedicto barely earned enough money as a busboy at Ricky’s, a landmark restaurant in Palo Alto, to sustain his family’s growing needs. The tips he got from customers were used to purchase daily groceries, especially fresh cuts of meat. One of the children observed, “We’re not rich, Dad. We don’t have a lot of food. I have this friend who was able to get food stamps. Can we have food stamps, too?”
 
Benedicto replied, “No, there are other people who are more in need of food stamps.”
 
His physical fitness regimen included using a bicycle as his preferred vehicle, especially to work, five days a week and two miles each way. Benedicto was 60 years old when he started driving an automobile.
 
Growing up in a multi-ethnic, middle-class neighborhood amidst the cacophony of the emerging civil rights movement of the early 1960’s also meant freedom from racial and economic boundaries. Benedicto made sure his family felt the pulse of the times. He instilled these principles to his children. “Everyone is equal. Everyone is treated with respect. Always be kind and pleasant,” Benedicto emphasized. Benedicto’s kindness, generosity, and respect for his friends revealed his genuine love for them.
 
Benedicto Menor believed in the rights and privileges of American citizenship. As a true American — and a Democrat, he treated Election Day as one of the most important events in his life. Voting was so important to him that in October 2006, after a serious life-threatening fall, Benedicto, who had openly shared his disappointment about the current state of the nation, promised his family that he would live long enough to vote for a democratic president of the United States. He thought the presidential elections were going to be held in 2006 but was told it would be in 2008. Thus, Benedicto amended his promise to live long enough to vote. He voted “absentee” on October 24, 2008 and was featured on ABS-CBN International (The Filipino Channel). 
 
Although he had been diagnosed with congenital heart and kidney failure for the past few years, Benedicto Menor was a person who possessed such indomitable courage and spirit that he continually amazed his family and friends with his resilience and sheer will to live. Benedicto’s last act as a proud American was about exercising his duty and responsibility to vote for the right leader who could help poor people with opportunities to live the American Dream, thus becoming a true example of civic engagement to his eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
 
In the end, Benedicto Menor was surrounded by his wife, children and their children as he said, simply and lovingly, taking in a last breath of air — “Goodbye.” He returned to God, timeless and elegant.
  

FOR:
Wednesday, November 5, 2008: Viewing from 3-8 p.m. at the Cusimano Colonial Mortuary
96 West El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040  (650) 968-4453

Total Estimated Time: 48 minutes

Total Estimated Distance: 40.95 miles

• I-280 S.
• Merge onto US-101 S via the exit on the LEFT toward SAN JOSE. (32.3 mi)
• Merge onto CA-85 S via EXIT 398B toward CUPERTINO/SANTA CRUZ. (1.9 mi)
• Merge onto CA-237 W/MOUNTAIN VIEW ALVISO RD via EXIT 22A toward CA-82 N/EL CAMINO REAL/MOUNTAIN VIEW. (0.5 mi)
• Turn RIGHT onto W EL CAMINO REAL/CA-82 N. (0.2 mi)
• End at 96 W El Camino Real Mountain View, CA 94040-2643

FOR:
Thursday, November 6, 2008: Vigil and Rosary from 5 to 6 p.m.  Eulogies: 6-8:30 p.m.
Friday, November 7, 2008: Funeral Services start at 11 a.m. 
St. Cyprian Catholic Church, 1133 W. Washington Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 739-8506

Total Estimated Time: 51 minutes
Total Estimated Distance: 42.18 miles

• I-280 S.
• Merge onto US-101 S via the exit on the LEFT toward SAN JOSE. (32.3 mi)
• Merge onto CA-85 S via EXIT 398B toward CUPERTINO/SANTA CRUZ. (1.3 mi)
• Take the CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY exit, EXIT 23. (0.2 mi)
• Keep LEFT at the fork to go on CENTRAL EXPY/CR-G6 E. (1.3 mi)
• Take the MARY AVE SOUTH ramp. (0.2 mi)
• Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto N MARY AVE. (0.5 mi)
• Turn RIGHT onto W WASHINGTON AVE. (0.2 mi)
• End at 1133 W Washington Ave Sunnyvale, CA 94086-7019

NaFFAA has a very strong FilVOTE program.

Formed as a non-partisan program, NaFFAA’s FilVOTE not only aims to register Filipinos who are American citizens, but to make sure they go out and vote. In the 2004 presidential elections, only 594,000 Filipino Americans voted - a decline of 7 percent because 122,000 registered voters did not cast their ballots. “Potentially, there are 715,000 Filipino Americans, or 40 percent of our total number, who can be mobilized to go to the polls,” says Gloria Caoile, co-chair of FilVOTE. “But we need to register them if they haven’t done so and educate them on issues that directly affect our community so they will appreciate what’s at stake, especially for our children and families.”

Many of NaFFAA’s leadership showed up for this televised discussion sometime in mid-October, 2008.

Something to think about: When there are more Filipino Americans who take the time to speak out about what matters to them, political leaders listen. When more Filipino Americans mobilize its own communities to “rock the vote,” they allow their influence and affluence to shine brightly in the arenas of public opinion and legislative decisions.

Note: Any listed titles after people’s names are for identification purposes only.

Balitang America: Debate Night Part 1

Balitang America’s studio audience talk about the election after watching the 3rd and Final Presidential Debate between Barack Obama and John McCain.

Balitang America: Debate Night Part 2

A studio full Filipino Democrats, Republicans, and Undecideds comment on the Presidential debate, and talk about who they’ll vote for.

“How many of you think that race is a very strong factor among the Fil-Am community in making a decision in this election?” Gel Santos-Relos asked the audience.

Balitang America: Debate Night Part 3

One Filipino Republican, Rudy Asercion, and One Filipino Democrat, Rodel Rodis, duke during a special Balitang America Debate watching party shortly after the 3rd and Final Presidential Debate.

Special guest star in this segment is Ed Navarra, aka NaFFAA Region 3’s chair.

Rudy Asercion is NaFFAA Region 8’s City Chair for San Francisco (Member, American Legion War Memorial Commission) and Rodel Rodis is one of NaFFAA’s founders (Member, Board of Trustees, City College of San Francisco).

Rock the vote! Get out and vote!!!

Rodel Rodis, in his re-election bid for Board of Trustees of City College of San Francisco, is largely instrumental in proving that Filipino Americans have made a mark in the development and expansion of one of the top 10 educational institutions in the US. There’s an interesting column that he wrote here: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/mindfeeds/mindfeeds/view/20081022-167811/Boss-Dalys-revenge (check out his blog at http://Rodel50.Blogspot.com).

Myrna Lim is running for Board of Supervisors, District 11, in San Francisco (see http://myrnalim.com/).

Hermy B. Almonte, who is currently serving as Consumer Affairs Commissioner at Alameda County, CA, is running for a San Leandro School Board position. (see http://www.almonteforschoolboard.com/).

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:

Regions were not provided the final proposed NaFFAA Constitution and Bylaws change until September 20, 2008, via email by National Executive Director, Doy Heredia. Calling for a vote on the final proposed amendments, despite their having been circulated on said date, clearly violates the articles and sections: ARTICLE X – THE NaFFAA COMMISSIONS, Section 5 and ARTICLE XVII – AMENDMENTS AND EFFECTIVITY, Section 1. Having minimal time to discuss the proposed amendments unfairly penalizes the members of our organization and disenfranchises them from the process. Moving forward with a vote would not be in keeping with the spirit of the mission and vision of NaFFAA.

While we concede that thoughtful consideration was made of the proposals by the Constitution and Bylaws Commission, Region 8 respectfully disagrees with the voting of these amendments at the 8th NEC and recommends that the National Chair entertain a motion to table the voting until the 2010 NaFFAA National Empowerment Conference. Under the current circumstances and in the best interests of our organization, we believe that tabling is the most prudent course of action and will allow our members and officers at the regional level to have the right and privilege to study the final draft of the proposed amendments in a fair manner.

Let us now allow the process of strong, effective governance to work. Let us honor the right of our regional members to study and provide input on the final draft before a final consensus vote during the 2010 NaFFAA National Empowerment Conference.

We are calling for members in Region 8 to form an adhoc committee to study the proposal of these amendments to the bylaws and collect inputs from the members and valued stakeholders. The proposed amendments to the bylaws will be circulated in another email.

The “How to be a techy non-techie in using internet and technology tools for effective communications” workshop by Lorna Dietz, and her sister, Noemi Dado, in Seattle was very well-received. Members of the workshop will be invited to a by-invitation only blog where the tips and tools will be housed. Any active NaFFAA member (meaning, you’ve paid your current yearly dues) can request for inclusion in the upcoming blog, NaFFAAVoices.org, by emailing Lorna Dietz at NaFFAANorcal@gmail.com.

HERE ARE SOME UPDATES:

Plans are brewing for the 6th Global Filipino Networking Convention tentatively scheduled for Cebu on October 9-11, 2009. Lead person is Rodel Rodis, who is finalizing the business proposal. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Rodel at rodel50@aol.com.

San Francisco will be the site of the 9th NaFFAA National Empowerment Conference sometime in 2010. There is no date set up. Ben Menor has been appointed the Event Chair, you may reach Ben at bmenor2001@aol.com.

Filipino Veterans Equity Legislation (FILVET). The proposed reconcilation of both the Senate and House versions of the bill GOT LOST in the maelstorm that surrounded the Bailout Package just recently passed by both houses of Congress. In sum, the FILVET legislation never got to home base. The bill will have to be re-introduced in the next session of Congress.

More updates later! Please visit http://NaFFAAR8.com. If you have an upcoming event that you would like listed, please check out http://naffaar8.com/calendar/ and email NaFFAANorcal@gmail.com .

I look forward to seeing everyone at a community event soon.

Sincerely,

Jose Pecho, Chair
Region 8, Northern California
NaFFAA

Rozita Lee was re-elected as NaFFAA National Vice Chair. Ian Purganan was elected National Youth Chair. Our congratulations to them!

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 (more on him later). We bid “Good luck” to former youth chair, Caroline Iwamoto, who has started her college freshman classes somewhere in New York.

We found a YouTube video that features Greg B. Macabenta and his spouse, Gigi, at the 2007 Pistahan Festival, an annual gathering which is held at the prestigious Yerba Buena Gardens in the heart of downtown San Francisco, California. Listen closely to what Greg says.

Click here to go directly to creativeconceptsintl’s youtube link.

On October 1, 2008, Greg Macabenta replied to interview questions from Asian Journal. Here is a transcript of Greg’s responses.

1. What is your Vision for NaFFAA as the new national chair?

I was asked at the “debate” between me and Ernie Ramos, shortly before the election, how I would “forge a new direction” for NaFFAA. My response was that we still needed to achieve our original directions, namely, the socio-economic and political empowerment of the Filipino community in America.

When the need for NaFFAA was discussed at the planning meeting in Salinas that resulted in the first National Filipino American Empowerment Conference in Washington DC in August 1997, we all agreed that important events were happening in America that our community had no hand in shaping; that we were mere bleacher viewers rather than participants; reactors rather than pro-actors.

After 11 years, we are still struggling, but through NaFFAA, our community has gained a seat at the table in Washington DC and in many other state and city fora where once we were mere onlookers. But we still have much to do - as the Veterans Equity battle on Capitol Hill illustrates. We may lose this one again.

2. What do you think are the challenges you will face as NaFFAA’s national chair?
Why do you think it has taken long for the mainstream to recognize the significance of FilAm community/organizations?

The first challenge that we all face as community workers and volunteers is to persuade the greater number of our community to become more involved, to care more about the issues that affect all of us in the long term but only a few of us in the short term. It is the short term impact that most see, which is one reason for not being involved (”Doesn’t concern me anyway!”, they think).

If we have so much difficulty getting our own people to appreciate the importance of NaFFAA, is it surprising that the American mainstream has not recognized us enough?

3. Do you feel that the younger generation is more involved in issues affecting the FilAm community? How would NaFFAA/you encourage the youth’s participation and awareness?

The youth are the key to empowerment. We who purport to be leaders of this community are walking off into the sunset. They are the ones who will be left to carry on the mission. In fact, many of them are doing that - but in their own way, and in a manner that is largely unconnected to the efforts of the older leaders.

Our first task is to bridge the gap between ourselves and the youth - and to persuade them that they are not “the leaders of tomorrow” but that they are the leaders of today.

I believe I can understand this better than most because I was engaged, involved and battling on the frontlines of my chosen trade from an early age. I did not want wait to be invited to the table. I fought for my right to sit at it and to lead. It wasn’t easy but nothing is.

In those days, I was constantly asked why I was working so hard at so young an age (I was associate editor of a national movie magazine at 16 and an established national feature writer, screenplay writer and assistant director of LVN at 17). I said that it was a matter of survival. I was doing it for myself and my family. Similarly, the youth should be engaged and should take the lead, not simply for the sake of the rest of us but for themselves and their children.

4. What do you think are the important issues affecting the FilAm community today and what are the steps/strategies/plans of NaFFAA in resolving these issues?

The issues may be summed up under the heading of social, economic and political. Social issues involve education, health, housing, youth-senior-and-women issues. Economic issues have to do with the fact that, despite our huge numbers in America, we continue to be consumers rather than producers, workers rather than business owners. The Golden Rule states: “He who has the gold makes the rules.” We need to own the gold in order to make the rules.

Political issues are obvious but political power comes, not from the barrel of the gun but from the wallet and the vote. If we have economic power, we will have political power. And if we have voting power, the politically powerful will look to us as a source of strength.

Only by that means will be able to address our social needs more effectively, as well as our economic needs. You see, these issues are all interrelated.

The Veterans Issue is important, but it is not the only one. And the reason we have not succeeded is because we have failed to address the other issues.

Meanwhile, we will have to address them with whatever means we have on hand. I assure you, we have enough ammunition to fight a respectable battle - we just need to appreciate that fact (most of us are still praying for reinforcements instead of making do with what we have in our modest armory).

My whole life and career have been built on virtual “spit, prayer and bubble gum.” I have had to make something out of very little. Thus, the challenges we face at NaFFAA are deja vu for me.