On the 70th Year of Pearl Harbor Day, Filipino Veterans Reclaim Their Dignity As American (tags)
Remember Pearl Harbor! On December 8th, Filipino WW II veterans and widows marched to the offices of Senators Boxer in San Diego and Los Angeles, and Feinstein in San Francisco in support of simultaneous talks in their DC offices. Lobbyists will ask both Senators to co-introduce a companion bill to HR 210 “The Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2011.” In Los Angeles, six delegates from JFAV led by its National Coordinator Arturo Garcia and S4PACE Vice presiden Jovy Alejandrino met with Rafi Nazarians, District head of Senator Boxer's office at 312 Spring St.Los Angeles, CA 90012 at around 9AM. In Washington DC, Atty. Arnedo Valera met with Ryan O'Reilly, military Legislative fellow of Senator Boxer at Hart Senate building while JFAV San Francisco leaders Ago Pedalizo and Violy Reyes,met with Senator Feinstein staff in her San Francisco office.
FILVET WIDOWS PRESS RIGHTS, BACK LAWSUITS (tags)
The lawsuits were borne out of the deep frustration, anger and longing of veterans and families to seek recognition and justice. The US Congress failed to deliver justice and so people have the right to seek the power of the courts to tell Congress to do its job.” That was the response sent by three veterans groups to this writer’s blog last Nov. 17 that discussed the repercussions of lawsuits filed by Filipino World War II veterans, their widows and supporters on Capitol Hill. The rejoinder bore the names of Dolly Castillo, Coordinator of the Filipino-American WWII Veterans’ Widows of Washington in Seattle, WA; Maria Galang, President of the Association of Widows, Advocates and Relatives for Equality (AWARE) in San Francisco, CA; and Jovy Alejandrino, Vice President of the Senior Pilipino-Americans for Community Empowerment (SPACE) in Los Angeles, CA.
JFAV Updates November 29, 2010 FILVET WIDOWS PRESS RIGHTS, BACK LAWSUITS (tags)
“The lawsuits were borne out of the deep frustration, anger and longing of veterans and families to seek recognition and justice. The US Congress failed to deliver justice and so people have the right to seek the power of the courts to tell Congress to do its job.” That was the response sent by three veterans groups to this writer’s blog last Nov. 17 that discussed the repercussions of lawsuits filed by Filipino World War II veterans, their widows and supporters on Capitol Hill. The rejoinder bore the names of Dolly Castillo, Coordinator of the Filipino-American WWII Veterans’ Widows of Washington in Seattle, WA; Maria Galang, President of the Association of Widows, Advocates and Relatives for Equality (AWARE) in San Francisco, CA; and Jovy Alejandrino, Vice President of the Senior Pilipino-Americans for Community Empowerment (SPACE) in Los Angeles, CA. In our blog, we reported how some key supporters on Capitol Hill, principally Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye, chairman of the influential appropriations committee, were hurt by the lawsuits that appeared to criticize shortcomings in the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation (FVEC) bill which provided a single lump-sum payment for surviving veterans here and in the Philippines.
Filipino Americans Nationwide Stand Up Against War and Occupation-- March 20, 2010 (tags)
As the invasion of Iraq enters its eighth year, the Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (Alliance Philippines) expresses their solidarity with the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines and every place there are occupying US forces. “Ordinary people are rallying across the country and around the world demanding an end to wars of aggression and longstanding imperialism”, says New York-based Ugnayan Interim Spokesperson Chevy Evangelista. Queens-based organizations Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) and Damayan Migrant Workers Association as well California-based organizations, Kabataang maka-Bayan (KmB, Pro People Youth) Los Angeles and San Diego, are urging Filipino and other immigrant communities to join coordinated DC/West Coast anti-war rallies on Saturday, March 20, 2010.
JFAV ACTIVIST CONTINUE PROTEST ACTIVITIES (tags)
JFAV activists here continue their unrelenting advocacy in support of various causes and in protest of other issues even as the community savors Christmas and the advent of a new year. The Filipino Veterans Support Bill, or SB 3689 that passed the Senate hearings last November 17 remains as the foremost concern of the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV). Despite failing energy, living FilVets and their young advocates stay active on the road, making their presence felt in mass actions and community gatherings, and taking the opportunity to speak their minds.
ACTIVIST CONTINUE PROTESTS THROUGHOUT CHRISTMAS (tags)
Activists here continue their unrelenting advocacy in support of various causes and in protest of other issues even as the community savors Christmas and the advent of a new year. The Filipino Veterans Support Bill, or SB 3689, remains as the foremost concern of the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV). Despite failing energy, living FilVets stay active on the road, making their presence felt in mass actions and community gatherings, and taking the opportunity to speak their minds. On December 8, JFAV announced the formation of a partner organization, the Association of Widows, Advocates and Relatives for Equality (Aware) at a meeting held at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (HPMC) here. In San Francisco, FilVets Gomer Bondad and Reggie Nacua, with activists Ago Pedalizo and Violy Reyes, discussed the seemingly unresolved impasse on the lump sum clause of SB 36879, now pending in the US Congress, at a community meeting held at the ABS-CBN studio in Redwood City last December 10
JFAV Represents in Big Events (tags)
The Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) continues it unrelenting advocacy even in the advent of the Christmas season 2008. While the Filipino Veterans Support Bill, SB 3689 hangs in the balance like SB 1315, different JFAV chapters continued it activities everywhere.
JFAV Represented in Big Events in WAshington DC and SFO (tags)
The Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) continues it unrelenting advocacy even in the advent of the Christmas season 2008. While the Filipino Veterans Support Bill, SB 3689 hangs in the balance like SB 1315, different JFAV chapters continued it activities everywhere.
Faith Based Groups Add Their Support to Prominent Union’s Platform for Change (tags)
Faith based organizations from across the country have lent their support to a California union’s fight to keep the labor movement democratic. United Healthcare Workers–West (UHW–West) is involved in a major dispute with its international union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) over member involvement and democracy. The UHW–West Executive Board, led by President Sal Rosselli, recently ratified a Platform for Change that outlines a strategy to build a democratic, member-run union with the mission of truly improving workers’ lives. The faith based groups supporting this effort believe that UHW-West’s platform is the best way to ensure that workers have a real voice in running their unions. “The absence of individual voice leads to a dictatorship, said Archbishop Eric Tan Ong Veloso. “That is the reason we support UHW-West leaders Sal Rosselli and Administrative Vice President Jay Valencia’s principled stand for the union and its members.”