PCGSF holds human trafficking seminar with JAL

THE Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco organized and held a seminar on human trafficking for consulate personnel on May 12, 2023 at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Center, in partnership with Justice at Last (JAL), an independent nonprofit law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area exclusively serving the legal needs of trafficked survivors.

The seminar discussed the issue of human trafficking at the global, national, and state levels, as well as the pertinent U.S. laws on human trafficking. It touched on the barriers to disclosure and/or victim identification, the indicators that an individual may be in a trafficking situation, the barriers to seeking assistance, and the procedure for reporting cases of trafficking to law enforcement. Based on their experience working with trafficking victims, the resource speakers provided useful information on empowering victims of trauma, promoting a rightsbased advocacy, and addressing the common legal and non-legal needs of trafficking victims. They also discussed the forms of immigration relief available to the trafficking victims, and gave a brief introduction to the U.S. criminal legal system.

In his remarks during the activity, Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer noted that the seminar was in line with the consulate’s mandate to protect the rights and promote the welfare of Filipinos overseas. He mentioned that it was also in pursuit of its anti-trafficking mandate under relevant Philippine laws. He thanked the resource speakers for sharing their time and expertise to help build and enhance the capacity of consulate personnel to improve their services and to provide assistance to victims of trafficking.

Atty. Rose Mukhar, executive director and principal attorney of Justice at Last, and Kendall Anderson, client advocate at the same organization, served as resource speakers during the seminar. Atty. Mukhar is a social justice, human rights, and crime victim’s rights attorney with experience in cases involving children, women, refugees, and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, torture, and human trafficking. Ms. Anderson is an anti-human trafficking and social justice advocate.

Mayor Breed celebrates grand opening of... Comic troupe of Lassy, MC and Chad...

Francisco. It transforms a former military base into a restorative place for veterans,” said

Michael Blecker, Executive Director at Swords to Plowshares.

“It is a fitting tribute to its namesake, Swords to Plowshares’ first director of housing, Maceo May, who was a trailblazer for supportive housing. We couldn’t be prouder to serve these veterans alongside Chinatown CDC, the Mayor’s Office, and the many other supporters of this project.”

"Getting Maceo May to the finish line was not an easy task, but in the end, we were able to complete the project with the help of our partners who provided essential support,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at Chinatown CDC. “The most important partner was the community of veterans who repeatedly spoke in favor of this project. This project shows that where there's a will, there's a way, and our veterans certainly embodied that will.”

“Maceo May Apartments is the first new affordable housing development on Treasure Island which rightly serves those who have served their country,” said Sherry Williams, Executive Director of One Treasure Island. “This building represents just the beginning of the exciting growth of this equitable, diverse and thriving San Francisco neighborhood.”

Funding for the project included $39.2M from the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) and a $43.7M tax exempt construction loan from Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank.

Additional financing support comes from TIDA, the State of California Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program, Raymond James, Ally Bank, and the California Commu- nity Reinvestment Corporation. Operating subsidies are provided through the city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing’s Continuum of Care program and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program. Designed by local architecture firm Mithun and constructed by general contractor Cahill Contractors, Maceo May Apartments feature a range of common areas, from gathering spaces to healing gardens, to serve a diverse population of veterans who have recently experienced homelessness and families with young children. The project is designed to meet GreenPoint Rated certification and incorporates several design elements guarding against disaster and climate change impacts, such as seismic events and sea-level rise, and prioritizes healthy and du-

‘yung noon pa magkasama Si Chad naging anak-anakan namin, lalo na ako kasi madalas ako ang nag-di-direk ng anniversary shows ng Punchline at Laffline. Siya ‘yung laging writer ko kasi ‘yung mga hindi ko naiisip, naiisip niya,” MC enthused.

“Chad really has a brilliant mind. He was second runner-up in Miss Q&A (one of the popular segments of It’s Showtime). And then, Chad is also into vlogging and it was him who convinced me to try it because according to him, I’m so talkative,” he added.

MC was initially not interested because he was occupied with many projects back then. But with much prodding from Chad, he agreed to do it only if the three of them would be together in one channel. “I asked him what our name would be and Chad suggested that we call ourselves the Beks Battalion. So, a month before the pandemic, we uploaded our first video which became a trending topic. Kami ang kauna-unahan sa comedy bar na nag-YouTube,” MC offered.

The trio then convinced their friends in comedy bars to also try vlogging after they were left without work during the height of the lockdown.

Chad couldn’t be any happier at the way things have gone so far in their careers. “When we celebrated our first anniversary, we dreamt of having a concert, and it became a reality. Then while we were in Singapore, I had this story concept in mind and I told MC about it. Last thing we knew, we were both crying. But it took two years for it to be translated into a movie due to funding. Syempre, hindi basta-basta makakahanap ng taong magtitiwala sa‘yo at first time ko pa mag-di-direk, ” he stated.

Chad was referring to their first movie, Beks Days of Our Lives, which also happens to be his di- rectorial debut. Released under Viva Entertainment, Beks Days of Our Lives tells the story of three close friends, Richard (Chad), Melvin (MC) and Reggie (Lassy). When one of them is diagnosed with a serious illness, the trio embarks on a vacation to experience what they described as “beks days of our lives.”

Chad said he almost gave up on his dream of directing a movie. He would try getting into different film productions but luck seemed to be elusive. However, director Roman Perez Jr. encouraged him to hold on to his dream. “Noong nagkita kami sa isang party, sabi niya, ‘Huwag kang tumigil. Pitch lang ng pitch hanggang may makuha,’ kasi for a time hindi ko na binalikan ‘yung concept.”

Chad’s winning moment can serve as a good reminder for everyone to just keep on going no matter what because success truly comes to those who dare and act.