The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle through its Filipino Media Foundation (HFC scholarship non-profit) for a fourth consecutive year since its inception will be awarding a scholarship of $2,500 to a Filipino col lege student majoring in journalism, mass commu nications or a media-related major from an accredit ed four-year university or college in Hawaii.
The publishers of HFC Dr. Charlie and Chona-Montesines Sonido (also managing editor) should be commended for con tinuing this scholarship tradition that helps a deserving college student and uplifts our Filipino community by ensuring our eth nic representation in a career field underrepresented by Filipinos.
Raising funds to support FMF scholarship program since the outbreak of the pandemic to the current high inflation times has been difficult which makes the 2022 scholarship endowment per haps even more significant in terms of the publishers’ commit ment to giving back to our community and promoting the jour nalism-mass communications profession.
Montesines-Sonido said, “The support for the scholarship program is a support to our Filipino youth and the community. We are in dire need of Filipino journalists. We hope you will be able to contribute and donate to the scholarship program for our future journalists who will be our voice and advocate in the com munity in the years to come.”
Alyssa Acob, FMF’s first scholarship recipient, said “I hope more people can donate to our scholarship program. It’s beyond just the financial aspect of it. With this scholarship, you get to be a part of investing in the future of upcoming writers, journalists, media managers, news anchors, radio hosts, etc. By donating, you also get to be a part of encouraging and uplifting students who may not feel like they deserve it, but they get to know there are people who do believe in them and want to set them up for success.”
Clearly a scholarship lessens the financial strain on students. It helps by enabling students to spend more time focusing on studying than working a side job. It drives down student college debt. In some situations specific to need-based scholarships, they make the difference on whether a high school student can attend college or must enter the work force full-time immediately.
But beyond monetary value there are other very profound, impactful ways a college scholarship helps a student. The schol arship endower is like a boss, mentor, coach saying to the stu dent: “You’re doing well. We like your work. We believe in you, your future, and would like to help you succeed because we have faith in your potential, talent and discipline.”
To the hardworking college junior or senior receiving that schol arship, that financial reward is far different from the money they’ve been earning while working part-time in a non-career job and going to school. That scholarship money represents the future and spe cifically rewards the student’s college work related to the student’s future career – be it journalism, engineering, medicine, etc.
A scholarship is validating to the student. It makes the stu dent feel empowered, that he or she is making it happen and on the way to achieving a dream career -- something that perhaps was imagined over and over for years as a teen.
A scholarship builds confidence because scholarships are usually competitive with many applicants. The student-awardee – chosen in most cases in a fairly rigorous process -- feels a de gree of accomplishment even before starting a career.
And like that “career boost” new workers talk about after finally achieving management or “titled” position at a company,
Part of our mission when starting the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle has been to encourage our Filipino youths to pursue higher education. In over two decades, we’ve done articles track ing progress in the number of Fili pinos earning their college degrees, published articles on the increasing cost of college and how students are managing their work and school load, etc. Last issue we covered in detail the new Biden Federal College Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Program (visit thefilipinochronicle.com for archived ar ticle) that we know many in our community will take advantage of.
For our cover story this issue we have yet another article relat ed to higher education. HFC contributor and Journalism Scholarship Chair Edna Bautista, Ed.D. writes about the Hawaii Filipino Chron icle’s scholarship program. For the fourth consecutive year, we are pleased to offer a $2,500 scholarship to a deserving Filipino student majoring in journalism, mass communications or media-related ma jor. For interested applicants, find out the details, other requirements and deadline in the sidebar on page 5. Even though it’s been difficult to raise funds for our scholarship program, my husband (Dr. Charlie Sonido) and I are passionate about supporting Filipino future journal ists, especially since there is underrepresentation of our community in this profession. We recognize the critical importance of having mem bers in our community be insiders in media to be able to advocate for fair and ample coverage of Hawaii’s Filipinos, to be a voice for our people, especially when considering that Filipinos are the largest ethnic group in the state of Hawaii. If you agree with our scholarship program’s mission, we ask that you consider donating to our Filipino Media Foundation (HFC scholarship non-profit). You can visit the Chronicle journalism scholarship webpage at https://www.thefilipi nochronicle.com/scholarship.
Complementing our cover story, we have a special feature “Jour nalism Scholars Grateful for Tuition Assistance, Writing Opportuni ties and Filipino Connections” written by Jasmine Sadang, our 2021 journalism scholar. Sadang features Alyssa Acob (2019 scholar) and Brenna Flores (2020 scholar). All three scholars give their person al advice for young Filipinos interested in careers in journalism and mass communications.
Remember Corky Trinidad, the well-known editorial cartoonist for the former Honolulu Star Bulletin from 1969 to 2009? In this issue HFC contributor Rose Cruz Churma does a Book Review on Marcos by Corky, a book that remains one of his more prized publi cations and has become a collectible. Corky was the first cartoonist of Asian ancestry to break into American journalism. By 1965, he was one of the most widely read in Asia, his cartoons reprinted in publications in Europe and the U.S. His big break was a twice-aweek spot in Chicago Sun-Times which led to national syndication by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post Syndicate, the first ever for any Asian cartoonist. His work has been featured in other presti gious newspapers including the New York Times.
Also in this issue we have a special translation in Tagalog and Ilokano of the 2022 Charter Amendments that will be voted on in the General Election. We have a Ask A Dentist article “Dental Implants and Teeth Fixing” written by Dr. Michael Dang. Be sure to read our other interesting columns and news.
Lastly, a reminder, for your convenience each issue of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is archived on our website. For our advertisers, this is a bonus and means greater exposure of your company’s ser vices or products. It’s a smart business move to target Hawaii’s huge Filipino community. Please call us for your advertising needs. Thank you for support. Until next issue, Aloha and Mabuhay!
to the college junior or senior receiving a scholarship, he gets a “college boost” – that leads to increased motivation and fo cus during the last and most critical stage of the student’s higher learning experience.
Scholarships help students to graduate and on time. It lessens the likelihood of dropping out due to finances.
A scholarship recipient also learns the value of philanthro
Publisher & Executive Editor
Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D.
Publisher & Managing Editor
Chona A. Montesines-Sonido
Associate Editors
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Contributing Editor
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Design
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Pacita Saludes
Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. Charlie Sonido, M.D.
Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq.
Clement Bautista
Edna Bautista, Ed.D.
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Rose Churma
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ach election year
ERepublican politi cians will play up a migrant horde crisis at the south ern border, that car avans of illegals are invading our country and pose a threat to national security.
Republican Govs. Greg Abbott (Texas) and Ron De Santis (Florida) recently ele vated the theatrics further in what some are calling a public ity stunt by busing migrants to Democrat havens NYC, Wash ington, DC, Chicago and Mas sachusetts, and leaving them there without local authorities or shelters being notified ahead of time to prepare. The surprise drop-offs caused overcrowding and chaos at sites and reignited debates between Republicans and Democrats over how to deal with migrants crossing the southern border.
Those to the political right praised Abbott and DeSantis for the bus drop offs saying it’s high time that other non-border states get a taste of migrants and the resources they require. But those on the political left called the busing trips a sick ploy that used human beings as puppets for political gain as the midterm election approaches.
The reason the migrants-atthe-border issue remains effec tive at scaring voters (especially
Now....from page 2
py and giving back. In a world centered on self-advancement, self-promotion, often success ful people with means justify their selfishness with an atti tude of: “no one helped me, why should I care about some one else?”
But if a student did in fact receive some financial assis tance that truly made a dif ference and provided oppor tunities that otherwise would not have been available, that is laying down the foundation for stronger communities and a better world because more than likely this now towering successful figure can and will be inspired to help others out
if they happen to be xenopho bic) is because there actually is a real problem. Since Biden became president more than one million undocumented im migrants seeking asylum have entered the country by cross ing the southern border. But record-breaking numbers have been occurring for decades, un der both Democrat-led and Re publican-led administrations.
Migrants from around the world has caught on to this way of entry into the U.S. via Mexico. U.S. Figures from in ternal Homeland Security data and court filings show asylum seekers are from more than 150 countries.
It should be mentioned that claiming asylum is legal under current law but it’s arguably be ing abused as a method of entry – as Republicans say it is.
However, Republican pol iticians – great at pointing out the problem – have not been willing to work with Demo crats on immigration reform, which raises the question ex actly how much do Republi cans really want to solve the migrant crossings at the Mex ican border since raising alarm has been so successful in get ting many of them reelected.
Just recently in 2017-19, Republicans had the presi dency and full control of Con gress. What did they do on comprehensive immigration reform? Nothing. The same for Democrats with their full con
side the family circle.
There is a special, reward ing feeling when people also contribute to a scholarship foundation or program. People might not have enough in re sources to give a large amount of money to benefit a hard working deserving student. But in their small way that they can afford and donate perhaps $10, $30 or $100. These dona tions add up and could deter mine if a foundation or charita ble non-profit can continue to offer scholarships. If you would like to make
trol these past two years – they accomplished nothing as well.
Immigration reform is nec essary to deal with the backlog of cases that have immigrants going through legal channels waiting at times for years to be able to enter the U.S. And waiting for such a long time to enter the conventional way is one reason why many of these migrants are desperate to go to border checkpoints and use the asylum avenue, even though, technically, many of them do not meet the criteria for what a legal refugee is.
Besides addressing back log, comprehensive immi gration reform should also consider an annual cap on mi grants seeking asylum that is reasonable and does not over burden local communities as it is now doing.
gued that the southern border “invasion” (this specific word commonly used) is really hy perbole. It’s true that process ing, housing, and providing a court hearing for asylum seek ers is costly. But an “invasion” is inaccurate. And those who genuinely have the right to be here after a thorough investiga tive process are few in the over all scheme of U.S. immigration.
While busing migrants to other parts of the country be yond the border states is stir ring controversy of late, it’s actually been standard practice for decades.
border crossings – because of the huge number of migrants -- is a national concern. Asy lum-seeking migrants are now everywhere in this country.
Being that it’s election time, so who’s really to blame for al lowing this situation to worsen year after year? Ultimately both political parties should share the blame because both parties have failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
It should be noted that most asylum seekers will have their cases dismissed and be forced to leave the country. Being granted asylum is rare from only 15-28%. And outside of asylum seekers from China, Venezuela, and Turkey (these three have the highest approval rates), chances for getting legal asylum is even lower.
In this light, it could be ar
a donation to the Filipino Chronicle’s FMF Scholarship Program, please call (808) 284-4185 or send an email to filipinochronicle@gmail.com. Any amount is welcomed. And donations are 100% tax-de ductible.
We wish continued suc cess to our first three FMF awardees: Alyssa Acob, Bren na Flores and Jasmine Sadang. Applications are now being accepted until Nov. 15 for our 2002 scholarship. For more in formation and details, visit the Chronicle journalism scholar ship webpage at https://www. thefilipinochronicle.com/ scholarship
Democrat mayors of bor der states (not just Republi cans) also have bused migrants as a means to help them get to their sponsor/relative living in other parts of the country or to have them be relocated to a specific place that they want to be until their court hearing date. Busing is entirely voluntary and the state and counties are often reimbursed by the federal government for this service.
At times, a vast majority of asylum-seeking migrants will not stay in a border city no longer than 24-48 hours before being bused out. It is exactly for this reason that the southern
Possible reasons for in action: 1) Republicans get votes by sensationalizing the southern border crisis; and 2) Democrats fear that enacting either too strict or too lenient comprehensive reform could alienate sectors of their base and centrist voters.
If immigration were the only and sole issue from which voters should judge who should get their vote, neither party has done enough to get an advan tage. For Republicans to use it as their first and primary goto each election cycle – the migrant scare at the southern border – this says more about inciting fear than actually hav ing plans for the country. Both parties must come together af ter the midterm and finally pass a comprehensive reform bill.
A vast majority of asylum seekers will not be granted approval to stay in the U.S.
For the fourth year in a row, notwith standing the fi nancial impact of a global pandem ic, the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle (HFC) continues to offer a $2,500 scholarship to Hawaii’s fu ture journalists.
The publishers, editors and staff of the newspaper, now in its 29th year, believe that the journalism scholar ship program is an investment in its future and in the field of journalism and mass commu nications (JMC), especially in the 50th state. Filipino and Filipino-Americans represent the fastest growing ethnic group in Hawaii and make up 23% of the state’s population. They comprise the largest Pa cific Islander cultural commu nity in America yet are sorely underrepresented in JMC and the media.
“This is why it is im portant for the Chronicle to continue to offer a scholar ship program for Fil-Ams so that we have people who share our interests and needs and advocate for the Filipi no community,” said Chona Montesines-Sonido, publish er and managing editor of the Chronicle. “Without a voice and our voice being silenced due to underrepresentation in the media, we are at the mer cy of other people. To be em powered, Filipinos must have a strong representation in the media to control their destiny and future in the scheme of things in our community.”
The journalism scholar ship program was established in 2019 as a culmination of the Chronicle’s year-long celebration of its silver jubi lee. The newspaper was able to survive and flourish while
numerous other print publi cations have ceased due to a drastic shift to digital com munication consumerism.
Grateful for its longevity, but also realizing the decline of enrollment of JMC majors in higher education, especial ly Filipinos, the Chronicle wanted to give back more to the community.
Declining enrollments in JMC schools adversely affect the number of qualified grad uates entering the workforce. The Chronicle hopes that this journalism scholarship pro gram is a good motivator for local Filipino students to study and work in Hawaii’s media and reverse the situation.
Journalism, mass com munications and media-re lated majors of Fil-Am heri tage are strongly encouraged to apply for the scholarship for a chance to win financial assistance for tuition and the opportunity to write for the Chronicle, which showcases their writing skills and gets them established as profes sionals with byline credits. They can also tell stories from their perspectives and experiences of being young Fil-Ams in Hawaii.
“We need future Fil-Am writers and leaders in the fields of journalism and mass communications. We are short of Filipino journalists who will continue our work and serve the Filipinos and our community-at-large in the future,” Sonido said.
The journalism scholar ship is funded through the Filipino Media Foundation, a nonprofit organization that administers the annual pro gram. The Chronicle was able
to raise funds for the scholar ship and award its first winner, Alyssa Acob, at its 25th Anni versary Celebration, Excel lence Awards and Gala Dinner in November 2019. A mere few months later, COVID-19 hit the world, affecting people physically, socially, mentally and economically.
Since then, “due to the pandemic, we have not done any fundraising activities and it is very timely to do one this year and continue on next year. We need to continual ly replenish and sustain the foundation so we can contin ue offering the scholarship program,” Montesines-Soni do said.
There were enough funds to award scholarships to two more winners, Brenna Flores in 2020 and Jasmine Sadang in 2021. But more money is needed to help future Fil-Am JMC scholars in Hawaii.
During the early times of the pandemic, when in-per son classes moved online, students were able to get a few financial breaks as some universities and colleges froze tuition rates or offered refunds and discounts. Forbes has re ported that “for both students and colleges, the coronavirus crisis has created a massive disruption in the financial ‘norm’ of higher education.”
Now, as the nation adapts to living with ongoing COVID cases as well as faces infla tion, most financial breaks are over. College tuition and fees have long been a concern for students and their families and the outlook for the affordabil ity of higher education is un favorable. It is expected to get even more expensive.
Declining enrollments, shortages of staff that put pressure to increase wages
and benefits and the overall higher costs of food (meal plans), housing and technolo gy are some of the factors that necessitate a tuition hike for schools to stay in business, according to The Hechinger Report, a national nonprofit news organization that focus es on inequality and innova tion in education.
In efforts to address the skyrocketing costs of high er education in America, the Biden-Harris Administration recently decided on a con troversial loan forgiveness plan. The three-part Student Debt Relief Plan aims to help working and middle-class federal student loan borrow ers transition back to regular payment as pandemic-related support expires, according to the U.S. Department of Ed ucation (DOE) Federal Stu dent Aid Office. The Chroni cle’s Sept. 17 edition covered this plan more in depth.
Part 1 of the plan is to extend the student loan re payment pause (originally the end of August but extended one last time through Dec. 31, 2022). Part 2 of the plan is to provide targeted debt relief to low- and middle-income fam ilies; DOE will provide loan forgiveness of up to $20,000 to eligible borrowers. Part 3 of the plan is to make the student
loan system more manageable for current and future bor rowers; as of press-time, the Biden-Harris Administration is currently working on pro posing rules to create a new in come-driven repayment plan. For up-to-date information and additional details about eligibility relief, go to https:// studentaid.gov/debt-relief-an nouncement/.
Meanwhile, because not everyone may be eligible for student loan forgiveness, the Chronicle’s journalism schol arship can be considered as an excellent source of financial aid in these challenging and uncertain economic times, and Montesines-Sonido is making an appeal to the pub lic on behalf of the Filipino Media Foundation to help Hawaii’s Fil-Am JMC stu dents financially and make an investment in them.
She said, “We ask our pre vious supporters and past do nors to please contribute again to support our youth who will be the future gatekeepers and leaders of our community. They will be our ‘eyes’ and ‘ears’ looking after the welfare and benefit of our community.”
Since 2019, three young
The first HFC scholar in 2019, Alyssa Acob(HFC’s....from page 4)
Filipinas have been award ed the Chronicle journalism scholarship.
Acob, who graduated with a double major in Integrated Multimedia and Mass Com munication from Hawaii Pacif ic University (HPU) in 2020, worked as the digital media manager at Pearlside Church in Pearl City before becoming a full-time campus missionary for Every Nation Ministries.
Flores, who graduated with a Communication-Mar keting degree from Cham inade University of Hono lulu in 2021, now works as a project coordinator for TransPerfect, the world’s largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business.
Sadang is the first scholar who won as a junior in 2021. She is majoring in Communi cation Studies and Practices at HPU and is set to graduate a semester early at the end of this year. Since winning the scholarship, she was able to apply what she learned in school and has written some articles which were published in the Chronicle, giving her byline credits for her port folio. One of the articles she wrote is a follow-up story about her fellow scholars in this edition. (See Jasmine’s story, page 6)
She also learned more about the journalism process outside of school by writ ing for an actual community newspaper. She said, “Devel oping stories isn’t something you can do overnight. I’ve had to gather interviewees and sources, establish an interview method and develop a writing schedule. This all takes time, so you have to make sure you manage your time wisely. I’ve also learned that it’s good to have a fresh pair of eyes look ing at your work because they give so many fresh ideas and helpful feedback to elevate your work.”
Moreover, Sadang not only learned about the JMC field but about being a Filipi no-American as well.
“Being exposed to differ ent cultures that weren’t mine kind of strayed me away
from my Filipino culture and heritage,” she admitted. “So when I won the schol arship and got the chance to write stories for the Filipino Chronicle, I was able to find ways to connect and become more close with who I am and have always been. The topics I’ve written about are things that I rarely share with others…. I never thought that they would be able to relate because they were either not Filipino or on the same boat as me. The Chronicle has in a way given me the platform to share topics that are near and dear to me and has made me more vocal about the things I am passionate about.”
During the summer, Sadang secured an intern ship at Six Pillars Market ing. She said, “My responsi bilities as an intern included performing audits, giving suggestions for their clients’ Instagram pages, updating websites, creating repost ed content on social media and assisting with various campaigns. I had to put my journalistic/writing skills to use when I was creating captions and writing content for social media posts. These caption projects required me to use the art of storytelling to find ways to promote their clients and their tenants.”
As graduation in Decem ber nears, Sadang has been very grateful for the Chron icle scholarship experiences and opportunities, reflecting that it provided her with use ful skills and motivation to continue her work and educa tion in this field.
“I’m excited to contin ue the work I’ve been doing this past year and to look for opportunities with other or ganizations and companies where I can apply my skills,” she said. “After graduating from HPU this year, I plan to dip my talents and skills more in the journalism/mass comm/media fields by taking internships and looking for job opportunities while also working on my social media presence to show that I am able to create content and engage users.”
Journalism and mass communication majors—claim money now for tuition assistance! Applications are being accepted until Nov. 15, 2022, for the 4th annual $2,500 journal ism scholarship program sponsored by the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle.
• Filipino or part-Filipino
• U.S. citizen
• Hawaii high school graduate
• Full-time college student (at least 12 credits undergraduate/non-graduating senior) en rolled at an accredited four-year public or private college/university in the United States by the 2022 fall semester (preference is given to local students but mainland students intending to return to Hawaii and work in local media after graduation are encouraged to apply)
• Journalism, mass communications or media-related major (declared on transcript)
• 3.0 cumulative GPA (on 4.0 scale)
Please send the following directly to hfcnews@yahoo.com by the Nov. 15 deadline.
• Completed application form (download from the website)
• Copy of recent college transcript (finalists may send official transcripts later for verifica tion)
• Two reference forms (also downloadable from the website)
• Two news or feature writing samples with interviews—one story must focus on a Filipi no topic (please no reviews, Q&A style, listicles, first-person accounts, opinion pieces or fiction) [may email attachments or provide weblinks]
• 1,000-word essay (details on the application form)
One winner will be selected by the scholarship committee and notified by December 2022. He/she will be profiled in an article with excerpts of his/her essay published in the Chronicle. Part of the scholarship money ($2,000) must be used toward the spring semester. The remaining $500 will be paid to the winner after he/she writes at least one story per sea son (a total of four articles) to be published throughout 2023, giving him/her more practice to showcase his/her writing skills and get established as a professional journalist.
For more information and details, visit the Chronicle journalism scholarship webpage at https://www.thefilipinochronicle.com/scholarship.
The scholarship recipi ents expressed their deepest appreciation for the opportu nities they received from the program and encourage con tinued support and donations.
“From the beginning, thank you so much, HFC, for giving me this opportunity. It’s been a blessing from the mo ment I received word of win ning the scholarship to now being able to see others im pacted by this program. Thank you!” Acob said. “I hope more people can donate to our scholarship program because I shared how the scholarship has helped me. It’s beyond just the financial aspect of it. With this scholarship, you get to be a part of investing in the future of upcoming writers, journalists, media managers, news anchors, radio hosts, etc. By donating, you also get to
be a part of encouraging and uplifting students who may not feel like they deserve it, but they get to know there are people who do believe in them and want to set them up for success.”
Flores also appealed to others to “please donate to the HFC scholarship program because your donation gives Filipinos like me, Alyssa, Jas mine and all those scholarship recipients who come after us the opportunity to immerse in our Filipino culture while also exploring our passion for writing and connecting with a mass audience through the gift of storytelling. Your do nation gives us that chance,” Flores added. “As a scholar ship recipient, I could not be any more grateful for your gift and for giving me a voice through my writing, which I have done for the Hawaii Fili
pino Chronicle. Please donate what you can to ensure young Filipino writers in Hawaii can follow their passion.”
“The support for the scholarship program is a sup port to our Filipino youth and the community,” Montes ines-Sonido said. “We are in dire need of Filipino jour nalists. We hope you will be able to contribute and donate to the scholarship program for our future journalists who will be our voice and advo cate for us in the community in the years to come.”
Donations in any amount are welcomed, appreciated and 100% tax-deductible. Please contact the Chronicle office to get more informa tion about the Filipino Me dia Foundation or to donate by calling (808) 284-4185 or sending an email to filipino chronicle@gmail.com.
When an op portunity presents it self, one should take it. Who knows what could happen once one takes that moment to seize the opportunity? Who knows where those opportunities may lead? Such opportunities sometimes come in the form of scholarships.
The Hawaii Filipino Chron icle established an annual jour nalism scholarship program in 2019 for Filipino-American college students from Hawaii majoring in journalism and/or mass communications (JMC) who plan to use their educa tion to seek careers in the JMC field. Since then, three students, including myself, have won $2,500 to help pay for tuition as well as the opportunity to write and develop stories for the newspaper about Filipino topics we are passionate about.
Dr. Edna Bautista, the Chronicle’s journalism schol arship chairperson, said the ed itors and committee are pleased to give money to students—fu ture journalists and mass com
municators—and help them succeed.
“Our scholarship program is more than just about giving financial aid. It is about giving these budding writers a medi um to use the skills they learned in the classroom and apply them in the newsroom. It is also about reconnecting them with their Filipino roots and branch ing out to the younger genera tion,” Dr. Bautista explained.
In exchange, we scholars contribute stories about our generation and broaden the Chronicle’s audience. Plus, we get byline credits and news clips in a real newspaper for our portfolios and resumes that give us an edge in applying for internships and JMC jobs.
Before the Chronicle awards another scholar next month, I followed up with my predecessors to see where life has taken them post-graduation.
Alyssa Acob from Kapolei double-majored in Integrated Multimedia and Mass Com munication and graduated with honors in 2020 from Hawaii Pacific University. The novel
coronavirus forced her to fin ish her senior spring semester classes all online. She did not even have a traditional gradu ation ceremony. But she main tained a positive outlook and found employment at Pearlside Church in Pearl City as the dig ital media manager. This past June, she became a campus missionary for Every Nation Ministries.
“At work now, I didn’t re alize that journalism/writing/ mass communications educa tion and skills are weaved into every part of my job,” Acob said. “As a digital media man ager, I oversaw the church’s website, app and social media. Being able to make sure in formation is correct, cohesive, clear and simple enough for others to understand was a vital part of my job. Also being able to capture people’s life stories/ testimonies to be able to share with others through social me dia definitely brought out the skills I’ve learned in all three areas.”
As a campus missionary, she explained that she still uses these skills in communicating with people and distributing information to those within the ministry. She said, “These skills will definitely continue to be expanded and sharpened no matter in what job or career God places me.”
Looking back on her schol arship experience, Acob said that the Chronicle’s journalism program has helped lighten the financial hardship that would have been even greater due to the pandemic.
“Winning the journalism scholarship not only helped
me financially, but it gave me hope and encouragement to know that there are people out there—especially in the Filipi no community—that want to invest in the next generation,” she said. “It also allowed me to meet new people and make new connections that I would not have made if it wasn’t for the scholarship. It’s also so awesome to be able to meet and connect with other scholar ship winners—and with future ones—to share our experiences and know that a career in this field is possible!”
Brenna Flores from Waipa hu majored in Communica tion-Marketing and graduat ed with honors in 2021from Chaminade University of Ho nolulu. She was fortunate that she could attend commence ment in person, although social ly distanced and with limited guests. Following graduation, she found a job as a project coordinator for TransPerfect translation company.
“My job is at an interna tional company, so I have to communicate with a mass au dience on a daily basis. My mass communications degree has prepared me to communi cate effectively and efficiently to a wide range of people. My background has also taught me when to modify my commu nication style in various ways depending on the audience I am communicating with,” she said.
Flores also reflected on her scholarship experience and said it “gave me the freedom to be creative and brainstorm my own ideas for stories rather
than have a topic assigned and graded.”
While expanding her jour nalism skills at the Chronicle, she was given the chance to learn more about her Filipino roots, as she is also half Portu guese.
“This scholarship also presented me with a platform to explore my Filipino heri tage and learn more about it. As I wrote stories of my Fil ipino background, I was able to do research and better my understanding of my culture and learned from some peers like Dr. Bautista who not only helped with the editing of my stories but also shared with me different ways she engages in her Filipino background and the specific Filipino traditions she and her family share,” she said.
Acob and Flores also shared their advice to young Filipinos interested in careers in the journalism and mass com munications field.
“If it’s something you’re really interested in and pas sionate about doing, go for it! Don’t worry about figuring out what’s going to happen after you graduate college. You’ll get there when you get there,” Acob said. “But for now, if wanting to learn more about journalism/mass comm/media is something that is placed in your mind and heart to do, go all in and just keep taking the next steps you need to take. All the knowledge and skills you learn from it is so valuable in any job or career. Everyone’s
Alyssa Acob ׀ 2019 Scholar Brenna Flores ׀ 2020 Scholar Jasmine Sadang ׀ 2021 ScholarOn February 26, 1986, when for mer Philippine President Fer dinand E. Mar cos arrived at Hickam Air Force Base and Hawaii Governor George Ari yoshi was putting a lei on him, a defrocked priest from Vigan, Ilocos Sur called me saying:
“Awan kwenta yo nga taga Ilocos Norte, agtaray kayo met y*t.” (You people from Ilocos Norte are worthless, you run away f*ck.).
“Marcos did not run away, he was kidnapped,” I told him and hung up.
When I visited President Marcos at his home on Makiki Heights in Honolulu, I asked him: “Is it true that you told the pilot at Clark Air Base that you wanted to go to Paoay, but he misunderstood you and thought you wanted to go to Hawaii?”
“Who told you that? It’s not true. Maybe you concocted it. I was kidnapped,” Marcos said, raising his voice.
“Let’s go, Jun,” I said to my companion, former Rom blon Assemblyman Nemesio Ganan, Jr. “Please sit down,” said Marcos, “I’m sorry I raised my voice.”
I asked him why he did not order his soldiers to disperse the EDSA demonstrators. Even Bongbong was ready to fight; he was in fatigue uni form and carried a submachine gun, I said. Marcos replied that he did not want bloodshed. “So, you followed what Sena tor Paul Laxalt told you to ‘cut and cut cleanly,’” I said.
I asked Marcos why they left Malacanang Palace when the Army and the Air Force were still for him. “You ask the First Lady,” he said.
“Ma’am, we asked the President why you left the Pal ace, and he told us to ask you,” I asked her.
Mrs. Imelda Marcos said that an American claiming to be from the U.S. Embassy had
gone to Malacanang and told them to leave. If they did not leave, they would kill them, hang their bodies upside down (ala Mussolini and his mistress) and say that the Filipinos did it.
“And you believed him?” I asked.
“Why not,” said Mrs. Mar cos, “don’t you know what they did to Ngo Din Diem?”
Questions have been raised about whether the U.S. had a hand in the 1963 assas sination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Din Diem who was considered an autocratic ruler and had become unpopu lar with the people thereby be coming ineffective in fighting the communists.
I asked Marcos why they rode on the American heli copters in leaving the Palace instead of the Philippine Air Force helicopters. He ex plained that an American offi cial told him that he should not trust the Philippine Air Force pilots because they might now be for Cory Aquino. The Americans offered their heli copters which would be safer.
The Marcos group of around 90 people included his immediate family, General Ver and his children, security per sonnel, maids, food taster, and others. They left Malacanang around 9:00 P.M. aboard four helicopters. The understanding was that they would be brought to Laoag, the capital of Ilocos Norte, which is Marcos’ baili wick having been born in his mother’s hometown Sarrat which is next to Laoag.
Instead, they were flown to Clark Air Base about 40 miles northwest of Manila. When they reached Clark, the Mar coses and their entourage were told to board an airplane for the trip to Laoag.
While inside the plane, Marcos felt apprehensive that the Americans might bring them to Hawaii or the U.S. So, Marcos asked Imelda to look outside to see how many en
gines were there on the plane. Imelda reported that there were two. Marcos then felt a little less apprehensive believ ing that a twin-engine plane could not reach Hawaii.
The C-130 which the Mar cos entourage boarded has four engines, with two on the left and two on the right. Imelda saw only one side, so she re ported to Marcos that there were only two engines.
After almost two hours in the air, the plane had not reached Laoag which is about 207 miles from Clark with a flying time of less than an hour.
And it seemed that it was flying eastward instead of northward. So, Marcos asked an aide to call the pilot. The pi lot came and Marcos asked why they had not reached Laoag and why they were flying eastward.
The pilot told Marcos that the Laoag airport was sur rounded by NPA rebels, so it was not safe to land there, and they were instructed to fly them to Hawaii.
Former Mayor Ed Quilala of Currimao, Ilocos Norte told me that he and the Marcos loyalists were at the Laoag Airport that night. There were no NPAs.
There is a doc ument stating that Cory Aquino told the U.S. Ambas sador to the Phil ippines that he did not want Marcos in the Philippines. It was shown to me by our friend Ron Oldenburg, a Honolulu attorney.
Oldenburg had helped the Marcoses and their entourage in their immigration cases. It was he who suggested to Marcos that at least one of the members of their family must leave Hawaii to be able to pro tect their interests. Imee was chosen to leave.
Eduardo “Danding” Co juangco, Jr., one of the rich est men in the Philippines and “boss” of the inner circle of Marcos, had organized a group of armed men to escort Marcos from Manila to Ilocos Norte as planned. They were waiting in Paniqui, Tarlac to join the Marcos convoy.
When Danding learned that Marcos was in Clark, he went there. Marcos told him that they were going to Laoag. Danding said that they would join him there. When Danding attempt ed to leave the plane to go back to Paniqui, he was barred.
Danding was forced to fly with Marcos to Hawaii. Dan ding told me the story when
we became friends during his forced exile in California where I used to live.
When he ran for Philippine president in 1992, Danding asked me to recommend him as the candidate of a powerful re ligious organization that votes solid in every election. (Part II is on next issue)
ATTY. TIPON was a Fulbright and Smith-Mundt scholar to Yale Law School where he obtained a Master of Laws degree specializ ing in Constitutional Law. He has a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, New York, and the Philippines. He practic es federal law, with emphasis on immigration law and appellate federal criminal defense. He was the Dean and a Professor of Law of the College of Law, Northwest ern University, Philippines. He has written law books and legal articles for the world’s most pres tigious legal publisher and w rites columns for newspapers. He wrote the best-seller “Winning by Know ing Your Election Laws.” Listen to The Tipon Report which he cohosts with his son Attorney Em manuel “Noel” Tipon. They talk about immigration law, criminal law, court-martial defense, and current events. It is considered the most witty, interesting, and use ful radio show in Hawaii. KNDI 1270 AM band every Thursday at 8:00 a.m. Atty. Tipon was born in Laoag City, Philippines. Cell Phone (808) 225-2645. E-Mail: filamlaw@yahoo.com. Website: https://www.tiponlaw.com.
*DISCLAIMER: Information and opinions of columnists are their own and do not necessarily repre sent those of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle editorial board.
Former Philippines first couple Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos
On the occasion of the 50th anniver sary of the decla ration of Martial Law in the Phil ippines, Corky Trinidad’s selected cartoons from this publication was ex hibited as part of a series of dis plays to highlight a landmark event in Philippine history.
In the introduction to this book, Trinidad notes that Mar cos was an ideal subject for cartoonists because “he was always so blatant. So abso lute. So bigger than life. Not an epic or heroic sense but in that everything about him bordered on the caricature. Every act was a hyperbole, every speech a swagger. So, he always embellished facts to excess until the redundance made everything suspect.”
In the early years of his dictatorship, Marcos had a whole mountain reshaped as a tribute to his face. This became the subject of another cartoon and became Trinidad’s choice for the cover of this book.
The location was a park that consisted of 300 hectares of land; tribes and locals of the region were displaced from their homes so that when com pleted, the Marcos bust would sit on an entire mountain and
the surrounding land converted into a golf course and convention center.
With this design, the massive sculpture could be seen from all angles to a distance of 10 to 15 miles.
This monstrous bust, located in Tuba, Benguet, about two hours from the City of Baguio, was 100 feet high and 70 feet wide. It was cemented and not sculpted, based on a scale model of an original statue in Manila.
The facial surfaces were formed by creating huge molds and the cement blocks were transported 270 miles away from Manila to the site and took one month to move the parts. These were then cemented on the mountain slowly, slab by slab, section by section. The whole struc ture was cast in concrete with steel reinforcements and took five years to complete.
It cost a staggering $8.5 million in 1980s costs and utilized hundreds of workers, military supplies and person nel and the resources of two government agencies.
The Ibaloi tribe that used to live in the affected area
and were displaced due to the bust’s construction was forced to sell their lands for outrageously low prices. After the People Power Revolution of 1986, the Ibaloi peoples slaughtered a pig and carabao and poured the animals’ blood into the bust to “exorcise” it and later filed a case to re claim their land.
The bust was bombed in 1989 by leftist rebels, who managed to blast a hole in the bust’s left ear. Eventually, the bust was destroyed using dyna mite, before dawn on Decem ber 29, 2002, by suspected trea sure hunters who thought that the bust contained parts of the rumored Yamashita treasure.
The book contains a brief history of the regime from the declaration of Martial Law in 1972 to the Marcos ex ile to Hawaii in 1986. The cartoons were ar ranged chronologically reflecting the history of the dictatorship—its start in the Philippines, and its end in Hawaii.
Trinidad was Ho nolulu Star-Bulletin’s editorial cartoonist from 1969 to 2009 when Ho nolulu had a morning paper (The Honolulu Advertiser) and an af ternoon paper (Honolu lu Star Bulletin).
He was the first cartoon ist of Asian ancestry to break into American journalism. He was born in Manila, Phil ippines and graduated from Ateneo de Manila University in 1960 with a B.A. degree in journalism, beginning a ca reer that same year as political cartoonist for the Philippines Herald at the age of 20.
By 1965, he was one of the most widely read in Asia, his cartoons reprinted in publications in Europe and the U.S. His big break was a twice-a-week spot in Chicago Sun-Times which led to na tional syndication by the Los Angeles Times-Washington
Post Syndicate, the first ever for any Asian cartoonist.
Trinidad joined the Star-Bulletin in 1969 and since then had received nu merous awards and authored four books. His cartoons have appeared in major newspapers nationally and in Canada in cluding The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Time; as well as abroad, like Punch of London, Politiken in Copenhagen, Paris Herald Tribune, Hongkong Standard and Buenas Aires Herald.
Trinidad created the syndi cated comic strip “Zeus!” and the Pacific Stars and Stripes only Vietnam war daily car toon, “Nguyen Charlie.” He died in Hawaii in 2009 at the age of 69. He is survived by his wife, Hana, and five children.
This book remains one of his more prized publications and has become a collectible—so if you own one, keep it. If you don’t have one, there are still copies available—inquire at ka lamanasibooks@gmail.com.
ROSE CRUZ CHURMA estab lished a career in architecture 40 years ago, specializing in judicial facilities planning. As a retired ar chitect, she now has the time to do the things she always wanted to do: read books and write about them, as well as encourage others to write.
Dental implants are a modern and effec tive way to replace missing teeth and restore the function and beauty of your mouth.
Dental implants are com prised of two parts: a titanium screw that replaces the root of the tooth and an implant resto ration (usually a crown, bridge, or denture) that replaces the vis ible portion of the tooth.
Dental implants, when placed, can effectively restore stability, strength, support, and resilience to the jaw and mouth. At our Honolulu dental practice, we use Nobel Biocare implants for optimal results.
Dental implants are placed over several visits to our office during the course of six to eight
months.
First, the titanium implant post and anchor are surgical ly placed in either the lower or upper jawbone. Over the next several months, the bone will fuse with the titanium implant in order to restore security and stability.
After the implant has fused with the jawbone and your mouth has healed, your implant restoration will be placed on top of the post and anchor for op timal cosmetic and functional results.
The implants are placed sur gically on the upper and lower jawbone of your teeth. When complete, your dental implant will look and feel like a natural
part of your smile.
We may recommend dental implants for one or more of the following reasons:
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Sparkling tiaras, fancy gowns and dresses, extravagant balls and par ties, towering castles, gallant carriages, a mighty and handsome prince – becoming a princess is every little girl’s dream.
I remember pretending to be one when I was young. And now, I see my daughter love wearing princess dresses and tiaras. I loved Cinderella. She adores Elsa.
We love fairytales and we dream of the “happily ever af ter” they offer. But the reality of royalty is far from the fairy tales Disney and Hollywood portray.
The late Princess Diana was my ever first realization of this. When I was in 5th grade, my whole family watched her funeral with the whole world. We were so emotional as we listened to Elton John sing ‘Candle in the Wind’.
Diana, the Princess of Wales lived the life every girl wanted. She was married to a future king. She wore beauti ful dresses. She wore a crown. She lived in a castle with her husband and two handsome boys who are in line to sit on
the throne.
Princess Diana, the En gland’s rose, was very popular and she was loved by people all over the world. She was the most photographed woman in her generation. She was all smiles in front of the camera but the hurt she was feeling in side was reflected by the sad ness in her eyes.
She had everything the world could offer except for one thing. It was the most im portant of all – the love of her prince for he was in love with another.
Being a princess doesn’t make one happy after all. Her consolation? Her two boys, now incredible men, who adored her so much.
Looking at William and Harry, Princess Diana had proven to be an amazing mother.
Fortunately, Kate Middle ton, now Princess of Wales is a redemption of Diana’s beau tiful but tragic life. Prince Wil liam, the man Diana raised, though coming from a broken family, loves Kate. And togeth er they are raising a beautiful family– intact and flourishing.
Princesses Diana and Kate – same calling, different out comes. One thing they shared – the burden to raise future
(SPECIAL FEATURE: Journalism ....from page 6)
path is also different, so don’t compare your journey with someone else’s. Your journey is meant especially for you!”
Flores also encouraged young FilAms to follow their passion and what their hearts desire. “I think it is very evident in Filipino cultures especially, where Filipino parents try to steer their children in the direction of high-pay ing successful careers like the medi cal field. While the money may sound tempting, it can lead to a life of mis ery and a lot of stress,” Flores said. “I highly encourage you young Filipinos to follow your heart and your passion because ultimately, I do believe it will lead to a life of happiness and truly en joying what you do for work.”
I agree with my fellow scholars and share this advice with young Filipinos considering careers in JMC: “Follow your heart. I know that sometimes a ca reer path in the engineering or medical field looks better because of the pay.
countless challenges that needed her strength and sta bility. At the same time, she was confronted by scandals that plagued her family and rocked the monarchy.
According to the Nation al Geographic Documentary, Being the Queen, Queen Eliz abeth II “sacrificed her fami ly in a way. Duty really came first before personal happi ness, and she had her work and that came first. As head of state and of the Church of England, the Queen must make difficult choices for her family.”
public scrutiny. They are always expected to follow protocols. They are always held to higher standards. Yes, always. They are royalty. Ordinary is not part of their vocabulary.
Cameras will always follow them. Criticisms, intrigues and scandals will inevitably hound them. I guess this is the price of royalty. It is a great privilege to be bestowed but a heavy burden to carry.
kings and rulers of their na tion, such a big responsibility to bear.
But I realized, how much more the queen who had the whole nation on her shoulder?
On September 8, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest serv ing monarch, breathed her last. Of them all, she had the heavi est burden to carry.
She was supposed to live a (relatively) normal life be cause her father was not the one next to the throne. But with her uncle’s abdication of his title, young Elizabeth’s life changed forever. Unlike other children, at the age of 25, she was thrust into a position she had no choice to take – be the queen of England.
For 71 years, she had a whole nation to look after and eventually a family to nourish. As she ruled, her nation faced
But you should really consider doing something that you love. If you love writing, storytelling or anything media related, you definitely should try out the JMC field because who knows? You’ll probably love it! You don’t want to live your life thinking that you should’ve taken the other road.”
It has been a positive experience for Alyssa, Brenna and me to have won the journalism scholarship. We encour age others to apply and spread the word about the opportunities that this news paper can provide.
“We are currently looking for JMC majors to join our prestigious ‘Scholars Circle’ and the Chronicle ‘ohana (fami ly),” Dr. Bautista said. “We can help fi nancially and professionally. Just seize the moment, take advantage of what we offer and apply for our scholarship to day.”
In her obituary, the New York Times wrote that her “reign of almost seven de cades survived tectonic shifts in Britain’s post-imperial so ciety, inspired broad affection for her among her subjects and weathered successive challenges posed by the ro mantic choices, missteps and imbroglios of her descen dants.”
Princess Diana, Prin cess Kate, Queen Elizabeth – three women, three differ ent destinies, three different stories. They have the world at their disposal. They have people who will serve them at their every beck and call. They have riches, lavish life styles, huge castles and prop erties. One thing they will never have- a normal life.
Eyes are always on them. They are always subject to
Wearing tiaras, wearing expensive gowns, living in cas tles, riding horses – carriages will only be a distant dream or a mere imagination for many and the privilege is only given to a few. But these are not what defines royalty. Royalty entails character and strength. Royalty requires wisdom and sacrifice.
To Queen Elizabeth II, thank you for your service and inspiration.
Queen Elizabeth II
The Russia-Ukraine war is entering its seventh month of hostilities and is contrary to the ini tial claim of Rus sia to end it in a month.
Ukraine even showed new vigor and enthusiasm by pushing Russian troops backward and regaining some cities controlled by the Rus sians.
So, is the war coming to an end? As I See It, I don’t think so!
Even with the renewed vigor being displayed by Ukraine forces pushing the Russian soldiers backward, Russia is not conceding, and I think they are trying to re group and buying time to strike back… again!
Besides, a superpower like Russia won’t easily give up to a small fry like Ukraine, although technically it’s al ready Russia vs the rest of the world… indirectly.
Ukraine soldiers have shown better war strategies, a stronger will to fight, display ing a unified stand, and re newed courage to sustain and ultimately end the war which Russia refuses to accept.
Recently, Ukraine sol diers recaptured Izium and bombarded occupied Kher zon, damaging administration buildings sympathetic to Rus sia. They found a mass-burial site with 440 bodies and are searching for more.
The dead were killed by shillings and airstrikes, ac cording to authorities, but the Ukrainians are not discount ing the possibility that tor ture must have killed some of them because there were signs of torture in Bucha and other
previously occupied territo ries, according to chief police investigator for Kharkiv prov ince Serhiy Bolvinov.
Ukraine has reasons to believe torture was inflected to some when President Volo dymyr Zelenskyy likened the discovery of dead bodies in Izium to what happened in Bucha in his recent video ad dress:
“Russia is leaving death behind it everywhere and must be held responsible. The necessary procedures have already begun there. More in formation – clear, verifiable information – should be avail able tomorrow.”
Many world leaders are eager to end the war and for Russia to face the interna tional court. The European Union chief, Ursula von der Leyen, said she wanted Putin to face the international crim inal court over war crimes in Ukraine.
“That Putin must lose this war and must face up to his ac tions, that is important to me,”
she told the TV channel of the German news outlet Bild. In deed, this is a tall order for the lady European Union chief.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary general said Ukraine’s counterattack against Russian troops had been very effective but warned nations should prepare for the long haul as this did not signal the beginning of the end of the war. He said:
“We need to understand that this is not the beginning of the end of the war, we need to be prepared for the long haul.” Indeed, it’s not ending as we used to predict.
The Vatican seems to be sympathetic to Ukraine too! Pope Francis said it was mor ally legitimate for countries to provide weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself from Russian aggression.
“This is a political deci sion which it can be moral, morally acceptable if it is done under conditions of mo rality … Self-defense is not only licit but also an expres
sion of love for the home land,” he said. “Someone who does not defend oneself, who does not defend some thing, does not love it. Those who defend [something] love it.”
Germany will continue to supply Ukraine with ad ditional armored vehicles and rocket launch systems but will not provide the bat tle tanks that Kyiv has long asked for, says the German defense minister, Christine Lambrecht. She said that Soviet-made BMP-1 infan try fighting vehicles would also “very quickly” head to Ukraine from Greece. Other nations are continuing their support for Ukraine too!
According to Reuters, the United Nations nuclear watch dog’s board of governors passed a resolution demand ing Russia end its occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. This was the second resolution on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
arate groups: the sniper group, the rifle group, scouts, and for ward observer group.
Each group had a radio op erator, a medic, and a runner who would act as a messenger between the groups.
and .50 caliber guns.
while the sniper team provided support. Two hours after their initial attack, Ramos and his men successfully captured the strategic hill.
(PHILCAG). His team was as signed to a tiny province at the Cambodian border – the socalled Alligator Jaw.
The death of Fi del V. Ramos on July 31, 2022, at the age of 94 brought sad news to Filipinos who remembered him for his hero ism, patriotism, and leadership. He died at the Makati Medical Center in Makati, Philippines as a result of an unsuccessful battle with COVID-19.
Ramos began his military career in 1950 when he grad uated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
When he went back to the Philippines, the newly ap pointed Secretary of National Defense Ramon Magsaysay was so impressed with 2nd Lieutenant Ramos that he of fered him to be his aide-decamp.
But Ramos respectfully declined and told Magsaysay that he’d rather be sent to war. Magsaysay sent him to serve in the Korean War under the Philippines’ 20th Battalion Combat Team of the Philip pine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK).
Ramos was assigned to lead a company of 44 men into the highly contested Eerie Hill, which was overran by Chinese forces. He led his company to sabotage the enemy in Eerie Hill.
Prior to his taking com mand of the company, his com pany attempted nine times at capturing Eerie Hill and failed. He was then picked to lead the assault on the position.
The U.N. forces needed to pass through Eerie Hill before they could push forward into the north. Capturing it was therefore essential, and they primarily relied on the 44-man team Ramos assembled for this objective.
Ramos, who was untest ed, proved his mettle when his team was tasked to attack and capture Eerie Hill. According to historical account, Ramos divided his men into four sep
What happened was a brilliant execution of warfare. For two hours, they crawled through mud, barbed wires, and rice paddies
Then, Ramos called for air and artillery support, which were promptly delivered by the U.S. Air Force. Positions on Eerie Hill were bombard ed with napalm but were not enough to drive out the ma jority of the Chinese inside the bunkers.
After the battle, the Filipi nos only suffered one injury, while the Chinese forces lost 1,100 men and 2,540 wound ed.
When they arrived at Ee rie Hill, the forward observers and scouts reported that it was heavily fortified by the Chi nese communist forces that were armed in bunkers with howitzers, mortars, rockets,
Ramos and his men then charged forward and resorted to close-quarter fighting in or der to capture the front trench es. Surprisingly, they were able to drive back the Chinese forces.
Ramos then ordered the rifle team to assault the flank
Once again, Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s famous declara tion was proven: “Give me ten thousand Filipinos and I will conquer the world.”
He was belittled by the press at home for his role as a non-combatant civil military engineer. He responded by saying: “Of course, we were physically there as non-com bat troops. But you try to be a non-combat troop in a combat area – that is the toughest kind of assignment.”
By Perry Diaz (continue on page 19)
Ramos also served during the Vietnam War as a non-com bat member of the Philippine Civil Action Group to Vietnam
During the presidency of Cory Aquino, Ramos person ally handled the military oper ations that crushed nine coup
The American Academy of Oph thalmology states that one in six Americans ages 65 and older have a vision impairment that can not be corrected with glasses or contact lenses alone.
The chances of getting an eye disease or vision impair ment increases with age, and yet despite this, many older adults neglect to schedule an nual or bi-annual eye exams or seek out medical attention from an ophthalmologist for proper eye care.
“As we age, there are many different conditions and dis eases that may affect our eyes and vision. Some of the com mon age-related conditions we advise our older patients to look out for are cataracts, glaucoma, macular degener ation, and diabetic retinopa thy. However, even if you are prone to these conditions, with early detection and treatment, we can prevent severe vision loss from occurring,” said Dr. Steven Rhee, Medical Director at Hawaiian Eye Center.
When discussing age-re lated health conditions, it is crucial to note that while small changes to our health are nor mal, vision loss and poor eye
health is not. Loss of or low vision is a result of eye diseas es, injuries, or both.
This means there are steps we can take to avoid or lower the risks, symptoms we may be able to spot or look out for, and most importantly, it means vision loss is NOT inevitable as we age.
Common symptoms to watch out for are loss of cen tral and/or peripheral (side) vision, blurred or hazy vision, night blindness, or requiring harsh light to see. If you expe rience any of these problems, it is important to see your oph thalmologist, who will be able to check for and treat any un derlying conditions.
Along with being aware and checking for symptoms of vision loss, there are also countless precautionary steps you can take (many of them are simple and yet extreme ly effective) to ensure good eye health and strong vision throughout your life. Our es sential tips include:
An ophthalmologist can diagnose eye diseases and in struct a treatment plan. Make sure you maintain annual or bi-annual eye exams to pre vent any severe damage or ir reversible vision loss.
By giving your body the right nutrients it needs, you can improve the metabolism in your retina, and lower the risk of severe eye problems and diseases. Foods to pro mote strong eye health include leafy greens, carrots, salmon, nuts, citrus, and more. It’s also important to note that research has linked simple carbohy drates, such as white bread and pasta, as well as sugar, with a higher chance of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and vision loss.
Unfortunately, the soil is not the same as it used to be and neither is the nutrition in our foods. Deficiencies in vi tamins B2, B3, B6, and B12 are all associated with eye in fections, eye diseases, deteri oration in eye tissue, and pos sible vision loss. Make sure you are getting these vitamins along with others to ensure strong eye health. This should be through both diet and add ed vitamins or supplements as needed.
As we age, it is impera tive to our health that we re main active and participate in some sort of regular exercise. This will increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your optic nerves and retina and is espe cially important for those with underlying health conditions such as glaucoma. Regular exercise also helps keep our weight in the normal range, which reduces the risk of dia
betes and of diabetic retinop athy which can affect your eyesight.
Our eyes are surrounded by fluid and staying hydrated is your body’s way of main taining a healthy balance of fluid in the eye. Without ade quate moisture your eyes can become dry and your tear films can become deficient, which results in irritation and blur ry vision, and increases your chance of an eye infection.
As we sleep, our bodies go to work repairing cells in our eyes for better vision quality. Our eyes also enjoy continu ous lubrication, allowing them to clear out irritants such as dust, allergens, or smoke that may have accumulated during the day. Some research sug gests that light-sensitive cells in the eye are important to our ability to regulate our wakesleep cycles.
UV exposure can cause cataracts, corneal sunburn, macular degeneration, pteryg ium, and skin cancer around the eyelids. This damage is oftentimes irreversible but can be easily prevented by wear ing proper eyewear such as sunglasses and wide brimmed hats that can block out the sun’s harmful rays. Howev er, we would like to note that while it’s important that we protect our eyes from over-ex posure to UV light, our eyes also need exposure to some natural light every day to help maintain normal sleep-wake cycles, so we advise protective gear, eye wear, or shade.
Smoking increases your chances of macular degener ation, cataracts, and other eye diseases that can affect your vision. According to the CDC, you are 2x more likely to de velop AMD compared with people who do not smoke, and
2-3x times more likely to de velop cataracts compared with people who do not smoke.
It may seem like an extra chore but learning your fami ly’s health history can be the key to protecting your future! This information allows you to take the proper precautions in preventing eye threatening diseases that you and your family may be prone to.
Along with hereditary health issues, there are also systemic health problems like high blood pressure and diabe tes that may be diagnosed or become more problematic in midlife as they also affect eye health.
One warning sign of both high blood pressure and diabe tes is the ability to see clearly changes frequently. Be sure to keep your ophthalmologist in formed about your health con ditions and use of medications and nutritional supplements, as well as your exercise, eat ing, sleeping and other life style choices.
Another factor to keep in mind is that women are more likely than men to have glau coma and women are also more likely to be visually im paired or blind due to glauco ma.
Cataracts are also some what more common in wom en—and less likely to be treat ed. This means women should be sure to adhere to their oph thalmologist’s follow-up ap pointment recommendations and treatment plans.
Finally, we want to reiter ate that the easiest and most effective step you can take as you age to prevent vision loss and maintain good eye health, is to schedule annual eye ex ams with your ophthalmolo gist, or sooner if you feel there is a concern or injury.
Having an expert check for age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degen eration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye conditions is the surest way to diagnose these problems and begin treating them.
We want everyone to look forward to the future as we age, and that includes strong vision for years to come!
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TASTE OF OAHU | Millwood Ohana Productions | First Friday of the month until December 2022, 4-10pm | Aloha Stadium | Enjoy a night with Hawaii’s best entertainments, family fun activities and over 50 food, craft and retails vendors. Tickets starts at $15 for ages 12 and older. For more information, contact (808) 533-9016.
HAWAII TRIENNIAL 2022 | Hawaii State Art Museum | Until December 3, 2022 | 250 South Hotel St Second Floor, Honolulu | Even though the HT22 even officially closed on May 8, Hawaii State Art Museum will be keeping their HT22 exhibit on display until December 2022. View the unique exhibits showcasing the fluid concept of Pacific Century interweaving themes of history, place and identity. Entrance is free.
YOUR HOME: THE JOY OF GETTING ORGANIZED | AARP Hawaii | October 11, 12:30-1:30pm | Free virtual workshop | With
(AS I SEE IT: Ukraine....from page 12) passed by the Internation al Atomic Energy Agency’s board.
For his part, US president Joe Biden announced a new $600 million arms package for Ukraine, according to a recent White House memo sent to the State Department. Reuters reported the memo does not detail how the money will be used, but sources said it was expected to include munitions and more Himars rocket sys tems.
As to the latest on the war, The Guardian continues to re
A Tribute ....from page 13)
attempts against the Aquino government.
In December 1991, Ramos declared his candidacy for president. On May 11, 1992, he won in a seven-way race, narrowly defeating Miriam Defensor Santiago.
The first three years of his administration were charac terized by an economic boom, technological development, political stability, and efficient delivery of basic needs to the people. He advocated party platforms as an outline and agenda for governance.
Contrary to expectations as a former military general, Ramos made peace with the country’s various armed rebel groups, kickstarting the process by creating a National Unifica tion Commission (NUC).
Upon the recommendation of the NUC, Ramos eventual ly decided to grant amnesty to the rebel military officers of the Reform the Armed Forces
the busy season ahead, it’s time to stay ahead of house organization techniques to maximize our space. Join this free workshop to learn more. Register at https://states.aarp.org/hawaii/eventshi.
20TH PUMPKIN FESTIVAL | Aloun Farms | October, 15-16, 22-23 and 29-30, 8:30am to 5pm | Aloun Farms, 91-1440 Farrington Hwy, Kapolei | Harvest your own pumpkins, corn, stringbeans and sunflowers! There will be food and craft vendors, free hayrides, keiki activities, entertainment and a farmers market. Admission is $5 per person. Free parking. To stay updated, follow Aloun Farms on Instagram @alounfarmshawaii.
CULTURAL WORKSHOPS | Ilokano Language and Literature Program & Timpuyog Organization | October 26, November 30 and December 6 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Connect with Filipino culture in this monthly cultural workshops from the
port the latest in the field.
“It’s our job,” the news paper Guardian said, “to de cipher a rapidly changing landscape, and report the facts in sober fashion, with out getting carried away. Our correspondents are on the ground in Ukraine and throughout the globe deliv ering round-the-clock report ing and analysis during this fluid situation.”
They were there during the 1917 Russian Revolu tion, the Ukrainian famine of the 1930s, the collapse of the
Movement (RAM) led by Col. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan.
Ramos was instrumen tal in the signing of the final peace agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari in 1996.
Under his administra tion, the Philippines enjoyed economic growth and stabil ity. The Philippine Stock Ex change in the mid-1990s was one of the best in the world and his visions of ‘Philippine 2000,’ which led the country into a newly industrialized country in the world and the “Tiger Cub Economy in Asia.”
Although he battled Com munist rebels as a young lieu tenant in the 1950s, Ramos signed into law the Republic Act No. 7636 that repealed the Anti-Subversion Law. With its repeal, membership in the once-outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines be
Soviet Union in 1991 and the first Russo-Ukrainian conflict in 2014.
“We have an illustrious, 200-year history of reporting throughout Europe in times of upheaval, peace and every thing in between. Now, they are in the Ukraine- Russia war displaying fearless journalism policy that made them trust worthy to millions of people since they started publishing 200 years ago,” the paper add ed.
NATO continues to sup port Ukraine, so with the Eu
came legal.
I have the honor of hosting Ramos in Sacramento several times beginning on May 14, 2005. I remember that day be cause my eldest daughter Lara gave birth to her first-born child.
Ramos arrived in a lim ousine at the restaurant where we held the dinner reception. I invited the Filipino-Amer ican community leaders that included then-Judge Tani Can til-Gorre – now California Chief Justice – Davis Mayor Ruth Asmundson, West Sac ramento City Council Member Christopher Cabaldon and a retinue of the leaders of vari ous community organizations.
After his presidency, Ra mos founded the Ramos Foun dation for Peace and Develop ment (RPDEV).
The foundation is a non-partisan, nonprofit, nonstock organization dedicated to promoting peace and devel
UHM. Students are encouraged to register using their hawaii.edu email. Register at https://forms. gle/o14dP8MaeG7urDqJA. Here are the various workshop details: Tinikling, October 26, 2-5:30pm at Moore 117; Kadaanan Nga Agas (Ancestral Medicine), November 30, 1:30-2:45pm at Webster 116; and Eskrima, December 6, 3-5:30pm at Moore 253.
HOLIDAY TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS FROM THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION | AARP Hawaii and Alzheimer’s Association Hawaii Chapter | December 6, 10-11am | Webinar | Get tips for caring for your older family members over the holidays. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/ DEC6ALZAARP. Fo inquiries, call 808-591-2771.
ropean community, and the United States, among others. They all believe that the war is unprovoked, unnecessary, dividing the international community, not called for, and should be ended soon!
For as long as Russia continues to believe that as a superpower, it will not bow to a smaller country such as Ukraine. The thing is, Rus sia’s Putin will not pull out his troops just like that. He will continue to fight and bul ly smaller nations in Russia’s favor.
opment in the Philippines and the larger Asia-Pacific region.
RPDEV supports Phil ippine national interests and people empowerment. Operat ing as a network of individuals and institutions inside and out side the country will serve as a catalyst for constructive change, a me dium for fos tering unity, stability, and progress, and a force for mutual under standing.
Ramos left us a lega cy of heroism, patriotism, and leader ship. He’ll be long remem bered as the president who brought peace and economic
His bloated ego and super power mentality are instilled in his mind that no amount of de feat in the Ukraine-Russia war zone at this time will change his mind. He is committed to destroying Ukraine!
So, when will it end? There are so many factors to consid er, but your answer is as good as mine!
OCTOBER 1, 2022 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE 19 ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a vet eran journalist in the Philippines and a multi-awarded journalist here in the US. For feedbacks, comments… please email the author at estio koelpidio@gmail.com.
stability to the country. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
PERRY DIAZ is a writer, col umnist and journalist who has been published in more than a dozen Filipino newspapers in five countries.
