ALL SET FOR NOVEMBER 11 12th JFAV PROTEST MARCH/RALLY IN HOLLYWOOD (tags)
They Served, they Deserved Benefits.” The Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) and its allied organizations announced that they are all set for the biggest demonstration, the 12th JFAV Protest March/Rally in the entertainment capital of the world-Hollywood on Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 12;00 noo at Holywood and Vine intersection. For the first time, the JFAV march and rally in Hollywood and not in front of the Federal building in Downtown LA. as it usually does since 1997. Arturo Garcia, JFAV National coordinator explained the rationale for the change in venue : “ The Federal Building in downtown LA is usually closed for the November 11 holiday so all the rallies there are symbolical. Now we will bring it to the eyes entire world an not an empty edifice.” After the post-election victory of re-elected President, the JFAV wrote an appeal and demand letter asking the president to issue an executive order for full recognition of 43,000 Filipino World War II Veterans and their survivors who for more than 66 years were still unrecognized American veterans. Post Obama Election Protest Rally The JFAV stopped the lobby on the US Congress for HR 210 after the GOP controlled House of Representatives refused JFAV a hearing on HR 210 at the House Veterans Affairs Committee last August 2012 even with 96 co-sponsors for the bill.
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.
Los Angeles City Council Passes Resolution to Support AB 199 and AJR 6 for Filipino WWII V (tags)
The Los Angeles City Council today unanimously approved the resolution in support of California AB 199 and AJR 6 in a legislative effort to recognize the presence and contribution of Filipino World War II veterans in our history books, To support Asssemblyperson Fiona Ma?s effort City Coouncil member Richard Alarcon introduced the resolution. It was seconded by Councilmen Tom Lebonge, Eric Garcetti, Jose Huizar,Ed Reyes and Bill Rosendhal, a Vietnam War veteran. All of them spoke to support the resolution to the delight of the crowd.
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.
JFAV/AWARE REMEMBERS BATAAN DAY IN FACLA, APRIL 10 (tags)
“Old soldiers never die, they just fade away...” On April 9, 1942, the United States Army Forces Far East (USAFFE), the largest US army garrison in the Pacific, surrendered its 90,000 troops to the Japanese Imperial Army. More than 30,000 US Army and 60,000 Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Commonwealth surrendered after holding out for more than four months. This past Saturday, April 10, 2010, with over a hundred veterans, widows, and advocates in attendance, Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) and the Association of Widows, Advocates and Relatives for Equity (AWARE) remembered Bataan Day at the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, California. With the American and Philippine national anthems, the commemoration began with the acknowledgement of our mother nations for which these veterans had fought and sacrificed so much. Next, Pastor Sonny Rivera of the Walk by Faith Church of the Nazarene gave the invocation.
JFAV/AWARE REMEMBERS BATAAN DAY AT FACLA (tags)
“Old soldiers never die, they just fade away...” On April 9, 1942, the United States Army Forces Far East (USAFFE), the largest US army garrison in the Pacific, surrendered its 90,000 troops to the Japanese Imperial Army. More than 30,000 US Army and 60,000 Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Commonwealth surrendered after holding out for more than four months. This past Saturday, April 10, 2010, with over a hundred veterans, widows, and advocates in attendance, Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) and the Association of Widows, Advocates and Relatives for Equity (AWARE) remembered Bataan Day at the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, California. With the American and Philippine national anthems, the commemoration began with the acknowledgement of our mother nations for which these veterans had fought and sacrificed so much. Next, Pastor Sonny Rivera of the Walk by Faith Church of the Nazarene gave the invocation.
WIDOWS AND RELATIVES OF FILIPINO VETERANS FORMED AWARE DEC 8 IN LA (tags)
The Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) together with the Society of Guerillas and Scouts (SGS) formed Association of Widow and Relatives of Veterans for Equality or AWARE last Monday, at 10:00 AM December 8, 2008 at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (HPMC) at Fountain St/Vermont, CA 90027. This as they commemorate the formal entry of the United States into the Second World War with the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, 67 years ago.