National Federation of Filipino American Associations

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To read September 30 updates, click here.

This posting is updated as fast as we can humanly possible. Thank you for your patience.

IN THE NEWS

MEDIA ADVISORY / OCT. 9 BENEFIT FOR VICTIMS OF TYPHOON KETSANA

Updates from Keith Kamisugi (through Odette Keeley of New America Media):

The highlights:

Tonight, Friday, October 9, 2009 - 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Program starts at 7 p.m.

* Senator Leland Yee, Assemblymember Jerry Hill, S.F. Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, AC Transit Board Member Joel Young, S.F. City College Board Member Steve Ngo and Philippine Consul General to San Francisco Marciano Paynor, Jr. are expected to attend.
* Proceeds will be donated to ABS-CBN Foundation for the typhoon victims.
* Event chair Keesa Ocampo will be available on-site for interviews.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Assemblymember Fiona Ma, S.F. Dist. Attorney Kamala Harris, S.F. Board of Supervisors President David Chiu Serve as Honorary Co-Hosts of Oct. 9 Benefit for Victims of Typhoon Ketsana. Honorary co-hosts also include S.F. Assessor Phil Ting, S.F. school board vice-president Jane Kim and member Hydra Mendoza; more than 20 community organizations part of event coalition.

SAN FRANCISCO (Revised Oct. 9, 2009) - A coalition of community leaders and organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area have teamed up to help raise awareness and funds on behalf of more than 700,000 people displaced as a result of the floods that inundated 80 percent of Metro Manila in the Philippines last week. Typhoon Ketsana (known in the Philippines as Ondoy) claimed the lives of hundreds of Filipinos in the worst such calamity in the region’s history.

WHAT: Benefit for Victims of Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy)
WHEN: Friday, October 9, 2009 - 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Lot 46, 46 Geary Avenue, San Francisco, Calif.
WEB: http://hapihour.org/ondoy - for radio/audio, BayAreaBenefit.org should be used.
EDITORS: Event chair Keesa Ocampo and other organizers are available for interviews.

The event will be hosted by Aimee Allison, host of KPFA’s Morning Show with featured DJs Chief Xcel of Blackalicious, DJ Big Rich, DJ Romeo and peformances by Kristine Sinajon, Gabe Bondoc and Patrick Landeza.

The “Benefit for Victims of Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy)” is supported by a number of elected officials serving as honorary co-hosts, including U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Board of Equalization Chair Betty Yee, Senator Leland Yee, Assemblymember Fiona Ma, Assemblymember Jerry Hill, SF. Mayor Gavin Newsom, S.F. District Attorney Kamala Harris, S.F. Assessor Phil Ting, S.F. Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, S.F. Board of Education Vice-President Jane Kim, S.F. Board of Education Member Hydra Mendoza, AC Transit Board Member Joel Young and S.F. City College Board Member Steve Ngo. Philippine Consul General to San Francisco Marciano Paynor, Jr. is also an honorary co-host.

Community organization partners for the event include: ABS-CBN Foundation-USA, Asian American Bar Association, Asian American Journalists Association, SF Chapter, Asian Business League, Bay Area Asian Pacific American Legislative Staffers, Bliss Entertainment, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Citizen Hope, Clubworks, DineForChange, Drink for a Cause, Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce Santa Clara, Filipina Women’s Network, Filipino American Arts Exposition, Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco, Filipino Bar Association of Northern California, hapihour.org, Inspire Hope Institute, Kaya: Filipino Americans for Progress, Manilatown Heritage Foundation, National Federation of Filipino-American Associations, Philippine American Press Club USA, Philippine Consulate General - San Francisco, San Francisco Fil-Am Jazz Festival Community, San Francisco-Manila Sister City Committee, Soulciety.org and Young Filipino Professionals Association.

Organizers are requesting a $20 donation at the door. Proceeds will be donated to the ABS-CBN Foundation, which has served over 100,000 families to date. Advance tickets available, as well as complete event and contact information, at http://hapihour.org/ondoy.

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Version 10/09/09

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From: Jacqui Conclara
Date: Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 2:02 PM
Subject: URGENT: FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE:

Dear Friends in the Fil-Am Media,

Please find attached the latest press release on LBC’s Typhoon Ondoy Project. Starting October 8, LBC can no longer accept donations containing used clothing in behalf of the Typhoon Ondoy victims.

Sincerely, Jacqui

Jacqueline P. Conclara
Coordinator, Marketing Dept.
LBC Mundial Corporation/LBC Foundation
363 East Grand Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Tel. No. (800) 338-5424, ext. 3040
Fax No. (866) 647-3561
www.teamlbc.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Patricia G. Garcia/Jacqueline P. Conclara
Tel. No. (650) 876-0410; 1-800-338-5424, ext. 3024/ext. 3040
Email: tricia@teamlbc.com; jacqui@teamlbc.com

HANDS TIED BY A PHILIPPINE LAW, LBC CAN NO LONGER
ACCEPT DONATIONS OF USED CLOTHING FOR ONDOY VICTIMS

South San Francisco, Calif. – By virtue of Republic Act (RA) 4653, which was passed in 1966, LBC Mundial Corporation (LBC USA) can no longer accept donations of used clothing in behalf of the victims of Typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) beginning October 8.

LBC was informed of this directive from the Philippine government only last October 7 at a community meeting at the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in San Francisco.

The meeting, organized by local Filipino community leaders, was held to discuss fundraising activities for the families affected by typhoon Ondoy.

“Used clothing as donations is prohibited under Republic Act No. 4653, thus the Bureau of Customs can seize/apprehend said importation,” stated a letter to the community from Consul General Marciano A. Paynor, Jr.

The letter further explained that “donations in kind (except used clothing) shall be exempted from custom duties and taxes provided that these are directly addressed to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.”

LBC wants to apologize to all individuals and Fil-Am organizations that have shown their solidarity to their “kababayans” affected by the flood.

“We understand and appreciate how much time and effort were spent by Filipinos in the U.S. to gather these donations of used clothing. We are all heroes to Ondoy’s victims. Unfortunately, we need to follow the law and the directive from Malacañang,” said Hugo Bonilla, LBC USA’s president and CEO.

Alternatives

Meanwhile, LBC will still continue to provide free sea cargo and money remittance services to other in-kind and cash donations to the typhoon victims.

Cash donations sent through LBC USA will still be remitted to the Sagip Kapamilya project of ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc.

According to the PCG in San Francisco (PCGSF), the Department of Social Welfare and Development has released a list of priority relief items for the typhoon victims.

These includes: food, non-food, mats, blankets, flashlights, emergency lamps, tents, generators, water container, hygiene kits (bath soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, laundry soap, feminine napkins) baby diapers, and slippers.

The PCGSF also released a separate list of priority relief needs from the Department of Health.

These includes medicines for wounds, the common colds, skin diseases, diarrhea, typhoid fever and cholera as well as intravenous supplies, and other medical supplies and equipment.

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Typhoon Ondoy - Congresswoman Jackie Speier of 12th District Introduces House Resolution 800

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For the complete slideshow, click here.

PRESS RELEASE

Philippine Consulate General
447 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94108
415-433-6666 ext. 313 (public information section)
*www.philippineconsulate-sf.org

San Francisco, 07 October 2009 – The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) donated several boxes of canned goods, noodles, candies, and other food items as part of their humanitarian assistance to victims of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines.

SFPD Captain Eric Quema, a Filipino American and one of the ranking police officers in the Bay Area, handed over the donations to Philippine Consul General to San Francisco Marciano A. Paynor, Jr. today at the consulate.

The donations from the SFPD included food items given by Captain Quema, Inspector Milanda Moore and other personnel of the Special Investigations Division as well as those collected from Lt. Louis Espinda, Sgt. Ray Cruz, Officers Dizon and Gummo and police personnel from the Bayview Police Station.

Consul General Paynor, Jr. welcomed the donations from the San Francisco police force as “indicative of their concern for the situation in the Philippines.”

“We have a number of Filipino Americans in the San Francisco Police Department who still have families and relatives in the Philippines. Their and their colleagues’ immediate response to the call for humanitarian assistance for the flood victims will add to the on-going relief effort being undertaken by the Bay Area Filipino American community,” he said.

Captain Quema is one of the founding members of the SFPD Police Exchange Training Program (PET) with the Philippine National Police (PNP). The program, conceptualized nine years ago by SFPD officers with Filipino ethnicity, has now expanded to include other police officers from San Francisco’s culturally diverse communities. Under the exchange program, the SFPD and their PNP counterparts share best practices on key areas as counter-terrorism, defense and security, and law enforcement. END

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FROM THE AYALA FOUNDATION USA’S E-BULLETIN
October 6, 2009

Announcement!

AF-USA is waiving its 5% service fee on all donations for Typhoon Ondoy until the end of October 2009!

AF-USA Partners with Companies for their Employee giving program

10/5/2009

Ayala Foundation USA

Some of the biggest and most prestigious names in the world of business are listing Ayala Foundation USA in their employee giving and corporate matching programs. Chevron, AmGen, Microsoft and PG&E are just some of the companies that have listed AF-USA as another vehicle by which their employees can spread the fire of volunteerism.

Continue reading here.
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From: FILIPINA WOMEN’S NETWORK
FWN 100 Selection and Gala Awards Host Committees
Date: Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 1:40 PM
Subject: Invitation to the Awards Gala (Oct 30) honoring The 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S.

Greetings!

URGENT APPEAL: Women and girls in the Philippines need your support - many of them single mothers and shelters for domestic violence, rape victims and survivors - affected by the typhoons that recently hit the Philippines - the worst in 40 years.

Filipina Women’s Network has collaborated with Feed the Hungry to ensure women, girls and the shelters are not neglected. To donate, please go to http://feedthehungryphil.org and indicate on your donation “FWN Women & Children Fund Disaster Relief”.

Maraming salamat!
The FWN Board

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PHOTO RELEASE
Philippine Consulate General
447 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94108
415-433-6666 ext. 313 (public information section)
*www.philippineconsulate-sf.org

06 OCTOBER 2009

PCMB DONATES $5,000
TO VICTIMS OF TYPHOON ONDOY

San Francisco, California - Upon instructions from PCMB Chairman and Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy C. Gaa, the Philippine Center Management Board issued a resolution allocating the amount of US$5,000.00 as a corporate donation to the victims of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines. Photo shows PCMB Business Manager Roberto de Lara handing the check donation for the National Disaster Coordinating Council of the Philippines (NDCC) to PCMB Vice Chairman and Consul General to San Francisco Marciano A. Paynor, Jr. Also in the photo are Deputy Consul General Wilfredo Santos, Consul Alfonso Ver, Police Attache Edwin Erni, PCMB Director and DOT Director Rene de los Santos, and Ms. Rosalie Say representing PCMB Director and DTI Commissioner Josephine Romero. END

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OP-ED
By Laymon Jones and Alice Bulos

The President and The Congress of the United States should do what is right for the Philippines, its ally, at a time of extreme calamity.

This is a call for the President of the United States to direct the Secretary of State to immediately send the Undersecretary of State for East Asia and the Acting Director of the USAID to the Philippines to make an assessment of the damages of the typhoon in the Philippines. They should be instructed to report to the President, Secretary of State and the Foreign Affairs Committees in Congress how the United States can render assistance in terms of aid for recovery and rebuilding efforts.

The Philippines has been our ally in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. President Roosevelt drafted Pilipinos into the Philippine Army and thousands died in the inhumane Bataan Death March and throughout the duration of World War II. The civilian population was brutalized by the occupation forces of Japan. In Manila alone, over 100,000 Pilipinos died as the Japanese forces were being defeated by allied forces.

After the recent natural disaster, Asia’s oldest democracy is suffering the loss of over 1.5 billion dollars of infrastructure and 3.2 million dollars in agriculture crops. The statistics verify that over 5,000 homes, schools and buildings have been destroyed and approximately 700,000 people have been evacuated or displaced. The total effected population is estimated to be 2,254,915. The government has already expended over a half a billion in American dollars for recovery and relief operations but this is still not enough. More assistance is needed before recovery can be accomplished.

Billions of our tax dollars have been expended since 9/11 to assist countries that are antagonistic to the United States in order to build their infrastructures of roads, schools, and water and sewer systems. In return for our generosity, the people of these countries kill our soldiers and terrorize our citizens. Pakistan has received billions more to prop up a government that repays us with ingratitude and complaints when we kill the terrorist that they ignore. We certainly understand the rationale of these actions and there is no doubt that these actions are necessary to protect the national security interests of our country, but we should not treat our ally, the Philippines, worst than we treat our enemies. All of our allies deserve more of our support not less since they promote and achieve peace and stability to their part of the world. An ally like the Philippines has expended blood and treasure and deserves the very best of our resources in times of great calamity.

It is noted that the US Embassy in the Philippines has expended to date $100,000 for the relief and recov ery efforts of the typhoon. Wells Fargo’s employees have already contributed $100,000 to the victims of the typhoon. The USAID has expended $404,496 and will be making available $1,000,000 to the Philippine Government and non-profit organizations in the coming days for recovery and relief purposes which is commendable. The United States Department of Defense has also provided equipment, transport, logistics support and 3,000 troops to participate in relief projects, as well $4,000,000 of medical supplies which is at this point the largest dollar amount of assistance from the United States government. The Philippine government and its people are grateful for the assistance provided by our government but it is less than the amount expended by our government to foreign countries that have killed or maimed our sons, daughters, husbands and fathers who are fighting against terrorism in their countries.

Today an ally like the Philippines relies on the continued aid and generosity of the United States and we call upon our government to increase the aid to the Philippines.

Laymon Jones, Chairman of Inspire Hope Institute, Oakland, California and Alice Bulos, former member of the Federal Council on Aging, appointed by former President Bill Clinton. Email: laymon@laymonjones.com

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FUNDRAISING

Everyone’s a Hero

From: Tricia Garcia, TEAM LBC
Date: Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Subject: YOU’RE INVITED: EVERYONE’S A HERO FUNDRAISER

I would like to invite everyone to a fundraising event on Thursday (details below). All cash donations will be given to ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya. Cash donations will serve as cover charge. The lounge will be donating $1 for every drink purchased. Hope you guys can make it.

Fundraiser to support the victims of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines

Start Time: Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 8:00pm
Location: Level 236 (Formerly Azuli Lounge)
Street: 236 South B St.
City/Town: San Mateo, CA

BE A HERO ON THURSDAY!!!

Please join us as we try to raise funds for the rehabilitation of Manila and it’s surrounding areas affected by Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana). Watch live bands, enjoy drinks, and be a hero to the Philippines.

Lineup for the evening:

Richard Fianza
Kapakahi (www.kapakahimusic.com)
Basti Artadi with The Beerhouse Gypsies

Isabel Lozano