LINGERING THOUGHTS
tribute to pacita cabulera SaludeS and the halo halo art exhibition
ELECTION NEWS
OPEN FORUM
Why Should the filipino coMMunity Support WorkerS on Strike?
truMp defeatS harriS, haWaii congreSSional incuMbentS
SWeep, filipino candidateS Score WinS NOVEMBER 9, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Shrouded in MyStery –the unveiling of the hanapēpē MaSSacre
Publisher & Executive Editor
Perpetuating our Filipino culture, passing aspects of it down generationally – no matter how important we think they are – is always at risk and not as unshakeable as we think. For Filipinos in the diaspora who are removed from the Philippines (where our culture is the dominant one there), our unique ethnic culture is at even greater risk of surviving in our new social environment in the U.S. and elsewhere.
To begin, characteristics of our ethnic culture at times differentiate from the greater society and there is a high level of expectation for assimilation. In the process of assimilation, our culture, our parents’ ways of thinking, what they value are challenged where there are contradictions. This is already an innate challenge from generation to generation in mainstream American society as old ideas are replaced with new ones. So, how much more successful can certain beliefs from another country like the Philippines be passed down to our children?
Often certain traditions are deemed “old fashion,” “illogical,” or worse off, “superstitious.” In such situations, there is a separation between us and of our heritage, a separation from our past, and even more personal at times, a separation from our parents or ourselves. First generation children often describe this and say they experience a sense of alienation. Then the course they often take is to abandon tradition to squash this alienating feeling.
Passing on culture generationally takes work and role modeling
The reality is it takes work, nurturing and role modeling to successfully transmit through generations the ethnic culture we cherish. Not only must we articulate to our children and younger generation the reason behind certain expressions of culture, but to be specific as to why they are important and beneficial in the context of today’s society.
Take for example the recent Undas observance (Nov 1 and 2) or in the West it’s called All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Filipinos each year celebrate Undas to pay our respects and appreciation for our dearly departed by visiting their grave and attend Mass or hold a vigil in their honor. The celebration could be more elaborate and involve a family get together over lunch or dinner where storytelling and reflection of our dearly departed takes place.
The why or reasons for celebrating Undas are straightforward and clear as stated above. However, a deeper explanation of what’s really happening reinforces the true importance of Undas and increases this tradition’s chances of transmission generationally. And parents should articulate them to their children. What’s really happening with Undas? What are its practical benefits?
Studies show that social support helps in the grieving process. In times when the death of a loved one is fresh, Undas is an ideal social setting for the bereaved to lean on each other and ease the tenderness of their souls hurt by loss. Through sincere caring, empathetic words and the physical embrace or wiping off of tears there can be profound healing. In a setting like a cemetery where the remains rest
(continue on page 3)
November is known for Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. But to millions in the Philippines and Filipino diaspora, November is also a special time when Undas, or more commonly referred to as All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, is celebrated on Nov 1 and 2. Promoting our Filipino culture is important to us, and we want our youth in Hawaii to learn more about this very old tradition in which we honor our deceased loved ones.
HFC associate editor Edwin Quinabo explains the significance of Undas like its psychological-emotional healing benefits and effectiveness in cementing family cohesion. He also reports on the many ways Undas is practiced in Hawaii, the Philippines and mainland as told by a few members in our community. Undas, which has its roots in the Catholic tradition, is truly a cultural-religious treasure. Fr. Jason Laguerta, parish priest of St. Maria Goretti Parish in Manila, described Undas, “It’s not that they are dead [our departed],” he said, “because we know they have been in heaven. But we visit their final resting place because human beings that we are, we would like to always remember and we would like to give our respects, and also to connect with them even if they are long gone from us.”
Also in this issue, we have three articles on high-profile worker strikes locally. Our Filipino community has a long history in the local labor movement as workers and leaders. First, HFC columnist Dr. Arcelita Imasa writes about the Hilton Hotel Waikiki strike in which close to 2,000 hotel workers are seeking pay raises and more staffing at the hotel to offset inflation, lessen the work burden and improve services to guests. Dr. Imasa says thousands more hotel workers in Waikiki are readying to strike over these same issues. Second, HFC columnist Raymund Liongson, PhD, writes about his experience in support of the recently concluded nurses strike at Kapiolani Medical Center. Third, Sergio Alcubilla, Esq. contributes an opinion piece on why our Filipino community should support workers on strike.
On the same topic of labor, HFC columnist Rose Cruz Churma contributes a Book Review “Shrouded in Mystery--The Unveiling of the Hanapēpē Massacre.” Last Sept. 9, 2024, the County of Kaua’i held a special ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Hanapēpē Massacre of 1924—a flash point in Hawai’i’s history of labor movements. Get the details of this historical event.
The election is over, but Gary Hooser (former state senator) contributes an important commentary, “The Fight for Justice Never Stops” in which he calls for an end to the funding of the killing of innocents in Gaza and throughout the Middle East.
Lastly, we have an article by columnist Will Espero that pays tribute to Pacita Cabulera Saludes who recently passed away. Saludes was an iconic Filipino community leader, UH educator, author of over 20 books, and a HFC contributor-columnist for many years. Her Ilokano column was well-received and popular among our readers. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the Saludes family and are extremely grateful for sharing her talent with our readers.
Thank you for your support over the years. Remember, HFC can be accessed for free on our website. For your advertising needs, contact us at: filipinochronicle@gmail.com. Until the next issue, Aloha and Mabuhay!
Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D.
Publisher & Managing Editor
Chona A. Montesines-Sonido
Associate Editors
Edwin QuinaboDennis Galolo
Contributing
Editor
Belinda Aquino, Ph.D.
Design
Junggoi Peralta
Photography
Tim Llena
Administrative Assistant
Lilia Capalad
Editorial & Production Assistant
Jim Bea Sampaga
Columnists
Carlota Hufana Ader
Rose Cruz Churma
Elpidio R. Estioko
Willie Espero
Perry Diaz
Emil Guillermo
Gary Hooser
Arcelita Imasa, M.D.
Seneca Moraleda-Puguan
J.P. Orias
Charlie Sonido, M.D.
Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq.
Contributing Writers
Clement Bautista
Edna Bautista, Ed.D.
Teresita Bernales, Ed.D.
Sheryll Bonilla, Esq.
Dr. Dylan Bothamley
Serafin Colmenares Jr., Ph.D.
Linda Dela Cruz
Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand
Amelia Jacang, M.D.
Caroline Julian
Max Levin
Raymond Ll. Liongson, Ph.D.
Federico Magdalena, Ph.D.
Matthew Mettias
Maita Millalos
Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D.
Renelaine Bontol-Pfister
Seneca Moraleda-Puguan
Mark Lester Ranchez
Jay Valdez, Psy.D.
Glenn Wakai
Amado Yoro
Philippine Correspondent:
Greg Garcia
Neighbor Island Correspondents:
Big Island (Hilo and Kona)
Grace LarsonDitas Udani
Kauai
Millicent Wellington
Maui
Christine Sabado
Big Island Distributors
Grace LarsonDitas Udani
Kauai Distributors
Amylou Aguinaldo
Nestor Aguinaldo
Maui Distributors
Cecille PirosRey Piros
Molokai Distributor
Maria Watanabe
Oahu Distributors
Yoshimasa Kaneko
Shalimar / Jonathan Pagulayan
Advertising / Marketing Director
Chona A. Montesines-Sonido
Account Executives
Carlota Hufana Ader
JP Orias
By Edwin Quinabo
The 2024 presidential election undergone multiple political shifts that ultimately landed in Donald Trump’s favor that will place the 45h president once again in the White House to become the 47th president,
It is the second time in U.S. history for a president to win two non-consecutive presidencies. Grover Cleveland did it first as the United States’ 22nd and 24th president. Trump is the first U.S. president with a felony conviction.
CBS News has projected Trump as the winner in the battleground states North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — enough for a 270 electoral vote win. As of early Wednesday morning, a winner has not been projected yet in Michigan, Arizona or Nevada.
Speaking on stage the night of election from West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump offered conciliatory remarks to all Americans, “It’s time to put the divisions of the last four years behind us. It’s time to unite. We’re going to try. Success will bring us together.”
(What’s Really ....from page 2)
of our loved ones, there are feelings of closeness to the departed that makes such expressions of care and empathy even more profound emotionally and psychologically. Undas provides a safe and appropriate place and time for both – group healing and at a cemetery -- to happen.
If that isn’t utilitarian enough for Undas to be valued and passed on generationally, this second reason perhaps is more powerful than the purpose of healing.
Undas strengthens family bonds. Think about what this tradition is saying – that even beyond death, family unity remains intact. As long as Filipino culture values the cohesive unit of family, the practice of Un-
He adds, “We’re going to help our country heal. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help badly. Every single citizen, I will be fighting for you and your family, every single day. This will be truly the golden age of America.”
His call for unity and healing is a break from the divisive remarks of his campaign which leads some to be skeptical. Other Americans welcome these conciliatory words.
Trump’s victory came on an America-first economic populist platform and a conservative culture agenda. As of press time, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has not commented on the election.
U.S. Senate, House AP reports Republicans seized control of the U.S. Senate late election night, wresting away the majority for the first time in four years. Highlighting two major races: Democratic efforts to oust firebrand Republicans Ted Cruz of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida collapsed.
Democrats last hope for power in Washington is winning the House. They need a net gain of just four
das in its many expressions, can survive.
When children accompany their parents to a cemetery to honor their deceased grandparents, they are taught a lesson of life’s fragility and the inescapable reality that their parents, too, will be in that situation. Furthermore, that eventually they will assume the role of their parents, place flowers and say prayers over their parents’ tombstones. Undas, in this vein, is role modeling honor, respect and gratitude.
There are modern practices of Undas that do not involve a cemetery visit. In today’s trend where migration is commonplace and many of us are living in states away from our decea-
House seats to wrest the slim majority from Republicans. Analysts predict Democrats will retake the House majority, but that has yet to be confirmed as of press time.
Kamala Harris has won the Hawaii contest and secured the state’s four Electoral College votes. Late Tuesday night Office of Elections results show Harris with 61.6% to Trump’s 35.8%.
Democrat congressional incumbents Sen Mazie Hirono, Reps Ed Case and Jill Tokuda won their respective races.: U.S. Senate: Mazie Hirono (D) 283,454, 65.5% to Bob McDermott (R) 135,761, 31.4%; U.S. House, District 1: Ed Case (D) 149,244, 72.7% to Patrick Largey (R) 56,154, 27.3%; U.S. House District 2: Jill Tokuda (D) 139,982, 67.4% to Steven Bond (R) 61,407, 29.6%.
Filipino candidates: State Senate (Fil candidate listed first)
- Gabby Macaraeg (R) 4,488, 24.1% to Lynn Pualani Deconte (D)12,662, 67.9% District 7 (Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Molokini)
sed loved one’s burial site, Undas can still be practiced effectively like holding a vigil and luncheon or dinner in honor of our deceased loved ones.
Beyond the cultural expression and psychological benefits of Undas, parents should be teaching their children that ultimately Undas is a religious practice of our Catholic faith and that our prayers are reaffirmations that we believe in God, we believe in an afterlife, and that we believe in our eventual reunification with our loved ones who’ve passed on. Let’s keep our Filipino culture alive, our Undas celebrations.
- Brandon Elefante (D) 14,735, 70.4% to Pat Beeman (R) 5,088, 24.3% District 16 (Aiea, Aiea Heights, Halawa, Pearlridge, Newtown, Royal Summit, Waimalu, Waiau, Momilani, Pacific Palisades, and Pearl City)
Filipino candidates: State House (Fil candidate listed first)
- Margaret Lim (R)
3,128, 28.6% to Jenna Takenouchi (D) 7,356, 67.1% District 27 (Pacific Heights, Nuuanu, Liliha)
- Ikaika Hussey (D)
3,604, 65.3% to Carole Kaapu (R) 1,667, 30.2% District 29 (Kamehameha Heights, Kalihi Valley, portion of Kalihi)
- Shirley Ann Templo (D) 2,942, 64.6% to P.M. Azinga (R) 1,320, 29.0% District 30 (Kalihi, Kalihi Kai, Keehi Lagoon, Hickam Village)
- Nancy Valdez (R)
2,222, 28.9% to Linda Ichiyama (D) 5,116, 66.5% District 31 (Fort Shafter Flats, Salt Lake, Pearl Harbor)
- Micah Aiu (D) 4,028, 46.9% to Garner Shimizu (R) 4,088, 47.6% District 32 (Fort Shafter, Moanalua, Aliamanu, Foster Village, portions of Aiea and Halawa)
- Trish La Chica (D) 8,041, 64.1% to Taylor Kaaumoana (R) 3,577, 28.5% District 37 (Portions of Mililani Town, Mililani Mauka, Koa
Ridge, Waip io Gentry)
- Rose Martinez (D) 3,434, 44.8% to Julie Reyes Oda (R) 3,743, 48.9% District 40 (Portions of Lower Village and Ewa Beach, Iroquois Point)
- Diamond Garcia (R) 3,942, 53.5% to Anthony Paris (D) 3,116, 42.3% District 42 (Portions of Varona Village, Ewa, and Kapolei, Fernandez Village)
- David Alcos (R) 4,782, 55.2% to John Clark (D) 3,460, 40.1% District 41 (Portion of Ewa Beach, Ocean Pointe, Barbers Point) Josiah Ubando RUNNING FOR: District 49 (Kaneohe, Maunawili)
- Greggor Ilagan (D) 5,485, 67.1% to Keikilani Ho (R) 2,267, 27.8% District 4 (Black Sands Beach Subdivision, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Beaches, Kalap ana, Koae, Leilani Estates, Nanawale Estates, Pahoa, Pohoiki, Seaview Estates)
Filipino candidates: City Council Keani Rawlins-Fernandez 20,542, 42.4% to John Pele 16,141, 33.3% Maui County Council (Molokai) Abe Apilado Jr. finished 10th with 4,394 2.6% Kauai County Council
Addison Bulosan finished 6th with 9,605 5.7% Kauai County Council
*All local races reporting has been last updated as of Nov. 6, 7 a.m.
By Edwin Quinabo
Flashback to the 1960s, under the bright light of the moon, Roberta and Filomeno Pascual gather at the barrio cemetery in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, their grandchild Diana Enrico recounts the story told to her by Roberta when she was alive.
When they lived in the Philippines, the Pascual’s cemetery gathering would take place each evening of Nov 1 where they and close-knit family paid honor to their deceased loved ones just as their ancestors have done for generations. It’s a time-honored tradition called “Undas,” the Filipino name for All Saints’ Day (Todos Los Santos) and All Souls’ Day, both Catholic religious observance days held on Nov 1 and 2 respectively that’s still practiced by millions of Filipinos in the Philippines and in the diaspora.
“Laughter and storytelling could be heard throughout the entire cemetery, my grandmother would tell us,” Diana said. “From a distance, my grandmother Roberta described how she saw rows of tombs adorned with flowers, candles, drinks. Clusters of families surrounded each tomb singing and praying.”
Diana’s mother Lodia adds, “Before the cool, breezy night gathering, earlier in the day, my mother would prepare bibingka (rice cake) ginataang (rice pudding), and suman (sticky rice) to bring to the cemetery. The desserts were not only for the living. But each sampling of deserts was placed on a plate for the deceased as some offering,” she said.
While Undas has Catholic roots, the commemoration employs a mix of native Filipino roots such as food offerings. Historians say the Undas tradition was brought over during the Spanish colonial period from Mexico when both the Philippines and Mexico were part of the Manila Galleon Trade route operated by Spanish merchants. The Mexican El Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a celebratory practice to remember the dearly departed with music and feasting, similar to the Filipino Undas.
Fr. Jason Laguerta, parish priest of St. Maria Goretti Parish in UN Avenue, Manila, described Undas, “It’s not that they are dead [our departed],” he said, “because we know they have been in heaven. But we visit their final resting place because human beings that we are, we would like to always remember and we would like to give our respects, and also to connect with them even if they are long gone from us.”
Filipino culture experts say Undas ultimately is about cementing the bonds of the family unit. And family transcends time, even death itself –this is what parents are really teaching their children, the power of family unity. The tradition carries on because family is at the heart of Filipino culture.
“From the cemetery in Ilocos Sur where my grandmother Roberta honored my great grandparents, my mom and our family each year celebrate Undas to honor my grandparents Roberta and Filomeno whose remains lay at Mililani Cemetery,” Diana said. The Pascual family moved to the U.S. in 1968, taught their children to practice Undas; Lodia is now doing the same with her daughter Diana. “That’s how tradition survives,” Diana said.
“My grandparents were hardworking, brave and adaptable – traits of immigrants from the Philippines. My grandfather prioritized family above all else and spent most of his time with us when he wasn’t working. My grandmother was a devoutly religious Catholic and taught my mom to pray each night and to attend Mass,” Diana said.
The official Roman Catholic All Saint’s Day on Nov. 1 is a Christian solemnity dedicated to all saints, martyrs, and holy individuals both known and unknown. All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2 is called the commemoration of the faithful departed, where people remember their departed loved ones along with the souls in purgatory.
However, in practice, most of the festivities typically take place on Nov. 1. Fr. Laguerta explains, “We refer to the Communion of Saints, meaning there are among us members of the Church who are in heaven, there are among us who are preparing for heaven in purgatory, and those among us who are here in this world journeying to the end.”
This describes three of four states or places of existence to the Catholic faithful: heaven, purgatory (a transition to heaven) and the living on earth. The fourth is hell, but that’s not a consideration to families honoring their deceased loved ones on Undas.
Besides the seemingly morbid excursion to the cemetery in the evening that non-Undas practitioners might perceive of this tradition, in the day of Nov. 1, typically, Filipinos would also attend and offer Masses and vigils for the souls of their dearly departed.
“At Mililani cemetery, we start off saying a rosary, praying to Jesus and an intercessional appeal to Our Holy Mother, to keep my grandparents in the care of God in heaven and that they remain in eternal bliss and love,” Diana said. “As we reflect on my grandparents’ lives and share stories, while the overall mood is one of joy and laughter, we do shed tears, as well. The range of emotions brings us to a feeling of closeness to them.”
On All Souls’ Day it is customary that Pope Francis visits a cemetery in Rome to celebrate Mass and lead prayers for the dead. This year, Pope Francis selected the Laurentino Cem(continue on page 5)
(Undas ....from page 4)
etery. All Souls Day is observed by Catholics around the world and is common specifically in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Brazil, the United States, Mexico and the Philippines.
Regional expressions of Undas Undas in the Philippines has a few unique regional practices.
In Metro Manila, graves are adorned with huge floral arrangements. In the Ilocos, they have an atang ritual or food offering meant to appease spirits; in Bicol they call this food offering practice pagtatawid, in the Visayas it’s called pagdadayaw. While in the Cordillera, their Undas gathering is called panagdedenet. In Pampanga, villagers host a pre-Undas prayer gathering called lumang
Sense of community, songs, gifts
Socorro Maniquis Painter, Livermore, California, describes her Undas experiences while she lived in the Philippines. She said of the two days, more significance is placed on All Saints’ Day than All Souls’ Day because everyone likes to think of their deceased relatives as saints. Others say the celebrations are really seen as one and that choosing Nov 1 is based on practicality because the next day becomes a rest day before resuming the work week.
Painter was born in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija but spent the first five years of her life in Rizal, Nueva Ecija, her mother’s hometown. Rizal is located near Pantabangan where she has many relatives. Rizal and Pantabangan have become more prominent now that they are located on the national highway to Baler.
“All our relatives live in Rizal and my great grandparents and grandfather, and great uncles and great aunts are buried at the Rizal town cemetery. I remember when I was young, we would go to
pantas. In Cebu, Cebuanos typically stay overnight at the cemetery.
In Negros Occidental, their offering called pang-alay typically includes a miniature altar created atop of or in front of a tombstone. In Zamboanga, they create paper flowers called flores para los Muertos. In Iloilo, they believe their offerings called palihi will bring good luck and peace to the family. In Samar and Leyte, they practice pangalag-kalag or “soul-calling” in which the names of deceased are called out by relatives. In Bohol, they do a reenactment of saints’ lives which is called tigkalalag.
In the Philippines Undas (Nov 1 and 2) is a national holiday designed to ensure that these festivities dear to the communities and families can be properly observed.
Rizal early in the morning and spend the whole day at the Rizal cemetery. We brought picnic lunches. We also brought big candles that lasted the whole day. The children love to make balls out of the candle drippings.
My grandmother knows everyone in the cemetery. Most of the people are our relatives. We go around blessing everyone’s hands (called mano in Tagalog) in the cemetery. The whole thing has an atmosphere of community and togetherness. Some of these relatives we only see once a year at the cemetery on Nov 1,” Painter recalls.
Undas is often a reunion to many Filipino families that find attending this family function takes precedence over others that they can skip over. Some historians believe Undas as a Catholic import to the Philippines matched up well with the already existing indigenous practice of ancestor veneration of the dead that’s typically found throughout North and Southeast Asia.
On the evening of All Saints’ Day, Painter and family would visit relatives’ homes for dinner and rice cakes. “Everyone
“Anything that brings focus to God, prayers, the soul and the afterlife, that is spirit-based as opposed to most of our daily tasks that are worldly-oriented. In Undas, we look to our own mortality as we celebrate our deceased ones. And there is a hope that in the afterlife, we will be reunited with those we lost to earthly death. Undas is a two-day break from the mundane and instead we embrace spirituality in its place. This is meaningful and is worth becoming a lasting Filipino tradition. It is that hope of reunification that we find joy and why we celebrate with rice cakes, food, prayer and songs. Undas is that space between our time left here to when we are united with loved ones in heaven.”
– Lodia Enrico Pearl City
has a special rice cake. My mother’s aunts were known for their special rice cakes because they grew up in Bulacan and learned how to cook all these special rice cakes or kakanin in Tagalog. It felt like a fiesta. Then the children would go around the neighborhood doing a Filipino version of trick or treat but no costumes. It was just neighborhood children going around asking for money. It is called nangangaluluwa (souls wandering around asking for money).”
Painter said the children would sing this song while wandering around: Kaluluwa’y Dumaratang (the souls are passing by)
Sa tapat ng durungawan (in front of the windows)
Kampanilya`y tinatangtang (we are ringing the bells)
Ginigising ang may bahay (waking up the residents of the house)
Kung kami po`y lilimusan (if you are planning to give us money)
Dali-dalian po lamang (please hurry)
Baka kamiý magpagsarhan (they may close on us)
Ng pintuan ng kalan-
gitan.........(the doors of heaven)
“When I was young, meeting the relatives in Rizal Cemetery gave me a sense of belonging. Since we have moved to Cabanatuan City, seeing all these relatives on November 1st in Rizal made me so happy,” Painter said.
Today her family continues the Undas tradition in the U.S. where she visits her parents and grandmother’s tomb at Skylawn in San Mateo, California. They have a special program at Skylawn on All Saints’ Day – a Mass and people wear costumes for Dia Del Muerto. She said they have a taco truck that day to accommodate the multitudes of visitors. Like in the Philippines, Painter said they bring flowers to their deceased relatives.
Interestingly, Mexicans that originally brought over Undas centuries ago to the Philippines, have their descendants – Mexicans and Filipinos – practicing their shared traditions alongside each other in communities throughout the U.S., which explains the taco truck at Skylawn.
Painter shares fond
memories of her family buried at Skylawn. “My grandmother was 80 years old when she died in 1994. She raised all of us eight siblings when my mother went to the United States. She was a very special woman. Beside her is our long-time maid who took care of my mother and her siblings and stayed with us until her death. She never married. My parents are also buried at the same place. My mother came to the U.S. in 1969. My siblings and I thank her for all the sacrifices she made so we could have a better life in the U.S.”
She adds, meeting her siblings at Skylawn reminds her of how long ago it has been since the gatherings in Rizal cemetery. “Here in San Mateo, California, we are doing another version of that get together in Rizal, Nueva Ecija.”
Undas and coping with grief
For families who are suffering from the fresh loss of a dearly departed, Undas can be a healing experience, mental health professionals say.
Dr. Ingrid Reyes, a psychologist, believes (continue on page 6)
By Will Espero
The passing of the beloved Pacita Cabulera Saludes from Badoc, Ilocos Sur marks the end of a long, accomplished journey for the 94-year-old iconic leader of Hawaii’s Filipino community.
Her lasting legacy continues through her nine children, 22 grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, and several great-great-grandchildren.
Nana Pacita arrived in Hawaii in 1970 with eight of her children to join her husband, Fred Saludes, who was born on Kauai. Nana was also a foster parent in Hawaii to two girls.
Her first job in Hawaii was as a co-announcer with KAIM radio. As a popular radio personality, she also went on to work at KORL radio and KISA
(COVER STORY: Undas ....from page 5)
Undas helps families deal with grief. It’s a celebration of life amid loss, but it also creates a space for mourning and emotional support, she says. “By coming together as a family [for Undas], not only do you keep your loved one’s memory alive, but you also strengthen bonds, promote emotional healing, and resilience. Acceptance is crucial. It doesn’t mean you’re happy about the loss, but acknowledging the pain allows you to start moving forward.”
She says shared grief can be transformative to healing. The exchange of stories during Undas strengthens the feeling of unity and a feeling that they are not alone in their grief.
radio where she was a fan favorite for 47 years.
Nana was able to secure a position with the University of Hawaii (UH) where she taught nutrition education and parenting, and during her time with UH, she was able to take courses so she could teach in local schools. She went on to work at KCAA pre-school and St. Lukes School.
She also worked as a social worker at Susannah Wesley Community Center in Kalihi, where she was a caseworker for many newly arrived Filipino immigrants and was seen as a caring and thoughtful individual who always helped these new arrivals with their problems, concerns, and needs.
Nana Pacita had a passion for writing and was a successful writer and the author of over twenty books that detailed Filipino history, events, and people. Always so involved, she also contrib-
Lodia said when her father passed away, it was difficult, but she and her siblings were comforted that their mother was around who they saw as an extension of their father. “It is easier after the first passing of a parent. But when the last parent dies, it’s like you are an orphan, no matter how old you are. It’s life changing and one of the major passages we go through in our lifetime,” she said.
Painter said her mother died on Sept 11, 2002, the first-year anniversary of 9/11. “When she died, it felt like I lost an entire month. I felt that I slept in September and woke up and it was already October. I was not sure how my children went to school, and so forth.
uted and wrote for BANNAWAG, Mahogany, and the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle.
As a community leader, Nana Pacita founded Gumil Hawaii and Anak ti Kailokuan Iti America, perpetuating Filipino culture throughout Hawaii.
She also had her own show, Ilokaniana Variety Show, on Olelo community television where she interviewed local residents and discussed important matters for her viewers.
Nana Pacita will be dearly missed in Hawaii and the Philippines. She
It was a big shock to me. Since I was the oldest of eight children, I had to make all the arrangements for the funeral, the service, the internment, and the reception after the internment. I did all these tasks on autopilot, doing everything like a robot. It was very hard to lose one’s mother even though we knew time was running out because she had cancer.”
Lodia, Diana and Painter attest to Undas as being a part of their healing process.
“Undas is a smart cultural-religious tradition because of the psychological and emotional support that comes of it. I
touched the lives of many and was a respected pioneer and trailblazer.
When I first watched her on her Olelo television show, she was the only Filipina on the air. Once we met and I got to know her better, I could see why she was so respected and admired. She was a strong but gentle woman with a compassionate, friendly personality.
I know she is resting in peace and love now reunited with her husband, Tata Fred.
On another note, the second annual Halo Halo Art Exhibition has opened at the Minasa Art Gallery in Waipahu. The Minasa Art Gallery is Waipahu’s only privately owned gallery partnering with Minasa Restaurant at 94-866 Moloalo Street.
Bryzanne Lagmay (Minasa Art Gallery) and Ann Ginoza (Minasa Restaurant) are the visionaries responsible for promoting local Filipino art-
don’t have children of my own yet, but I think when that time comes when my parents pass on, I’m certain that it will be something I want my children to value and practice,” Diana said.
Lodia believes beneath the cultural and religious expressions of Undas, there is spirituality in it. “Anything that brings focus to God, prayers, the soul and the afterlife, that is spirit-based as opposed to most of our daily tasks that are worldly-oriented. In Undas, we look to our own mortality as we celebrate our deceased ones. And there is a hope that in the afterlife, we will be reunited with those we lost to earthly death. Undas is a two-day break from the mundane and instead we
ists and others through this exhibition and art show.
The artwork will be available to the public for viewing from October 26, 2024 to early 2025. I am happy and honored to say I have a painting on display in the showcase.
As the holiday season has arrived, don’t forget to buy Made in Hawaii products and services. Purchasing local products helps small businesses, hard-working entrepreneurs, and local families. Since many businesses earn the majority of their revenues during the Christmas season, your assistance and patronage can make a difference for our economy and the well-being of Hawaii residents.
WILL ESPERO retired from the Hawaii legislature after serving 19 years in the state House of Representatives and State Senate. He is currently a novelist, poet, and supporter of the arts. Lingering Thoughts provides a glimpse of his perspective on current events and issues
embrace spirituality in its place. This is meaningful and is worth becoming a lasting Filipino tradition. It is that hope of reunification that we find joy and why we celebrate with rice cakes, food, prayer and songs. Undas is that space between our time left here to when we are united with loved ones in heaven,” Lodia said.
Painter said, “Undas is important for the next generation to continue the Filipino cultural-religious traditions. That’s why I bring my children to the cemetery and what I let them know when we observe the death anniversary of my parents and my grandmother. In that way they will continue to observe the traditions even when I am gone.”
By Emil Guillermo
Donald Trump has found a way to deflect all those new “f” word charges that hang around his neck like a medallion of Hitler’s head.
He’s hoping you’ll forget his fascist tendencies by surrounding himself with racist, sexist hate talk that is vile and vulgar.
His best defense is to share the stage with his mignons who call Kamala Harris a prostitute; Hilary Clinton a b—tch; And then there was Tucker Carlson purposefully misidentifying Harris as a “Samoan, Malaysian” and not as a South Asian.
And this was supposed to make us all feel better about a second Trump presidency?
Dictator Dreams
You’ll recall last week, there was that New York Times report citing Trump’s former chief of staff Gen John Kelly who believes Trump met the definition of a fascist and would rule like one.
Then there was General Mark Milley’s declaration in Bob Woodward’s new book that Trump definitely was a fascist.
Finally, there was the Atlantic’s story that not only revealed a racist President Trump reneging on paying for the funeral of a female Army recruit, a Mexican American killed to death by a fellow soldier, Trump saying, “It doesn’t cost $60,000 to bury a fucking Mexican.”
Of course, Trump was just getting warmed up, as the story also revealed how Trump as president said, “I need the kind of generals Hitler had.”
Those are all charges
that would be hard to drop off unless none of us really care.
But we all should.
Especially Asian Americans. Many of us are in the U.S. because we escaped more current (post-World War II) and no less offensive despots than Hitler.
China has oppressed the Tibetans and the Uighurs. My late friend Dith Pran would always remind me of Pol Pot of Cambodia. And let’s not forget Bangladesh, Burma, the list goes on.
But the Philippines’ Ferdinand Marcos is always near and dear to our hearts. An authoritarian puppet supported by Reagan and Bush, big Daddy Marcos had human rights stats from the ‘60s to the ‘80s in the Philippines that are monumental: 3,257 known extrajudicial killings, 35,000 people tortured, more than 700 people disappeared, 70,000 people incarcerated.
Most of them were political opponents who dared to cry out for freedom.
Could this happen in America? It happened in the Philippines where we saw what happened to those deemed “the enemy from within.” Ironically, that’s now a favorite Trump phrase.
And there’s no taking it back.
Instead of denying his fascist tendencies when the news stories came out last week, Trump went after the generals and reporters, who frankly have more credibility than he does.
And then just to prove who he really is, Trump followed up all the fascist talk with what he must consider his best defense—an unabashed
cranked-up Madison Square Garden party of racism, sexism, and hate last weekend.
For longtime political watchers, it had to be like attending their first soft Klan rally. This was a non-hooded, but still inappropriate display, more fitting perhaps at a comedy club, not a political rally.
In fact, some observers saw it eerily similar to the second coming of a neo-Nazi assembly at the old Madison Square Garden in 1939.
The most offensive and ill-advised joke/ comment may have been from Tony Hinchcliffe, the comedian/host of the podcast “Kill Tony,” and a Tom Brady Roast standout.
He’s become a key gatekeeper of young comedians who seek his blessing to launch their careers. In the comedy world, Hinchcliffe is seen as a kingmaker.
But Hinchcliffe’s “Kill Tony” magic was more like “Kill Trump” as Hinchcliffe rocked the political world with this joke:
“There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now, trash in the middle of the ocean and I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
Funny at a comedy
venue maybe, but at a Trump event in New York City, it’s a joke that could cost the former president.
Consider that in the battleground state of Pennsylvania there are nearly 500,000 Puerto Rican voters.
Nationwide. there are about 5.9 million Puerto Ricans in the U.S. If they’re naturalized, they can vote, and in a close race like this year’s presidency, Trump needs all the votes he can get.
But if they live on the island, Puerto Ricans are second-class Americans who have no vote and no representation in Congress.
Either way, there’s nothing funny about Puerto Rico’s status. The joke was offensive.
It’s why Puerto Ricans, about five times smaller than the Asian American vote, immediately raised a stink with members of Congress who were highly critical of Trump and the jokesters. But so were those like Florida’s Republican Senator Rick Scott who needs the Puerto Rican vote.
That’s some leverage on the part of the Puerto Ricans. Bad Bunny to the rescue.
Did any AAPI person except me raise an issue about the misidentification of Harris by another Madison Square Garden speaker Tucker Carlson?
Trump publicists disavowed the Hinchcliffe joke and the others in an attempt to make the problem go away.
But they sure didn’t disavow Trump and his speech advocating for racist policies like the largest deportation program in American history.
There was also nothing to soften Trump’s
“enemy from within” talk that includes not just immigrants, but politicians and “the press.”
What are we left with? Just what Trump wants: Fear, hate, racism, sexism, misogyny.
It’s Trump’s closing argument. He didn’t want to have another debate or a rigorous interview, Trump wanted his garden party to showcase his detestable MAGA-based rhetoric.
With all the media and most Americans expressing disapproval, how can voters still say they prefer the jokers’ inspiration, Donald Trump?
Trump’s first words after he came to the stage were a question: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Frankly, four years ago we were relieved thought to were done with Trump.
But when Trump continued to lie after his election loss and even staged an attempted coup, the country’s been in a funk, living in the shadow of Trump’s whining and historic criminal prosecution.
To date, Trump still hasn’t learned his lesson on the peaceful transition of power. A new poll says nearly 70% fear if Trump loses this time he won’t concede.
So, are we better off now than we were four years ago?
As long as Trump is kept in check, for democracy’s sake, yes, we are. If not, that Trump rally signals we could have a long and ugly four years ahead.
EMIL GUILLERMO is a journalist and commentator. His talk show is on www.amok. com.
By Sergio J. Alcubilla, Esq.
If you walk around Waikiki or stay at a local hotel, it’s very likely you’ll see Filipino faces there to greet you, help you with your bags, or provide clean towels.
If you’ve ever been admitted to the hospital, likely, your nurse who is helping you to the restroom, providing your medication, and checking your vitals has roots in the Philippines.
With nearly 25% of the state’s population of Filipino ancestry, or 1 in 4 people you meet, Filipinos make up a substantial portion of workers all across Hawaii. These workers are our neighbors, our family, our friends.
Recently, 1,800 hotel workers at Hilton Hawaiian Village, the world’s largest and most profitable Hilton resort, won a new labor agreement after 40 days on strike.
Represented by UNITE HERE Local 5, workers called for fair wages to keep up with inflation, proper staffing and fair workloads, and the full return of guest services such as daily room cleaning that were cut or reduced during the pandemic.
On the 40th day of the strike, community members organized a solidarity march to show support for the workers. Labor unions and community groups including Hawaii Filipinos for Truth, Justice and Democracy, Anakbayan Hawaii, and the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Hawaii joined the hundreds of Filipino workers on the picket line.
The power of the community to support the workers helped push the hotel to realize that they were not only dealing with workers and hotel guests but the community as well.
In September, hundreds
of nurses at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children were locked out for nearly three weeks as they bargained for a new contract and safe staffing ratios at the hospital.
Ten community members supporting the nurses were arrested for allegedly blocking a busload of temporary contract nurses. Those arrested included Filipino community members Raymund Liongson, Nadine Ortega, and Ikaika Hussey. The next day, Governor Green asked the hospital and the Hawaii Nurses Association, the union representing the nurses, to meet with federal negotiators to resolve the lock-out. In the end, the nurses won
the safe staffing ratios they who fought so hard.
It took members of the community to once again show their support for the nurses for the hospital to realize that the nurses were not only workers but very much part of the community as well.
Through both of these historical labor wins, the Hawaii Workers Center (HWC) continues to be at the forefront in bringing community support and solidarity through its work with the “Defend and Respect Hawaii Workers Coalition,” a coalition of nearly 50 unions, labor, and community advocacy groups. HWC empowers low-wage workers who are not part of
a union to organize for their own economic, political, and social well-being.
Many of these workers are from the Philippines and are working many of the low-paying jobs in the back of the restaurants, caring for people in the nursing homes, and working the late shifts at the gas stations.
This year, HWC will be celebrating significant victories in the labor movement by honoring the nurses for finally winning safe staffing ratios and the kitchen workers from Max’s Restaurant who won a substantial wage theft case.
Please join the Hawaii Workers Center on Friday, November 15 from 5:307:30pm for its third Annual Workers Victory Celebration.
The theme this year is, “When We Fight, We Win!” When we stand together with our Filipino brothers and sisters in the picket lines, we all win. For more information, please visit www.hawaiiworkerscenter.org.
By Raymund Liongson
IIt was a Monday morning, September 23, 2024.
Nurses at the Kapiolani Medical Center staged a demonstration in protest of their illegal and morally indefensible lockout by the hospital management.
That was the tenth day the Hawaii Pacific Health (HPH) prevented them from doing the work they love —i.e., providing the best nursing care to their patients.
That same day, ten members of the community, all coming from different sectors — decided to join the demonstration to support the Hawaii Nurses Association (HNA). We had retirees, labor activists, academics, lawyers, and yes, even legislators —in many cases, a crisscross of
these capacities.
The group included veteran activists John Witeck and Lori Treschuk; labor leader Sergio Alcubilla and Yoko Liriano; University of Hawaii professors Kyle Kajihiro and Nadine Ortega; church leader and community organizer Cassie Chee; State Representative-elect Kim Coco Iwamoto; and legislative candidate Ikaika Hussey.
I am honored to be part of the protesting group.
These community protesters — now referred to as “Kapiolani 10” — have decided to send a strong message to the hospital management and HPH that the community is standing with the nurses and demanded that the retaliatory lockout be ended.
By 8:00 that Monday morning, two tourist buses were arriving carrying scabs. That is when we
moved to block the driveway, effectively obstructing two scab buses from entering the hospital compound. We were aware that for as long as there were scabs, the illegal retaliatory lockout could go on indefinitely.
We want to make it clear, however, that contrary to the insinuation or claim of the hospital management, neither of the demonstrating nurses nor the Kapiolani-10 obstructed any patient, their families, or hospital vehicles like ambulances.
In fact, the locked-out
nurses were ushering and helping patients get through the crowd and into the hospital facility. They were there ready and eager to get back to work and provide quality nursing care to their patients.
What Kapiolani-10 obstructed was injustice and corporate greed. What Kapiolani-10 did was demonstrate the community’s strong support for the locked-out nurses.
It was a peaceful, non-violent civil disobedience demanding that people are placed first before profits.
The demonstrating nurses and Kapiolani-10 did not disrupt health care delivery. It was the hospital management that disrupted the delivery of quality nursing care by unreasonably and illegally locking out their regular nurses.
So, we sat firm across
the driveway. Then Hawaii Police Department cops began arriving.
By 8:30 am, we were warned to break the barricade or face arrest. The warning was echoed twice more, but it only cemented our resolve to keep the “barikada.”
Our chants got louder: “END THE LOCKOUT NOW!” “NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!” HNA! HNA! HNA!
We were given our last ten minutes, which was extended to another ten minutes. Then the final arrests began. One after the other, we were cuffed and loaded into the police paddy wagon — the five women on one side, and the five men on the other, separated by a solid walling in between.
For some good reason, I felt no fear during the arrest. We were arrested by police officers who were, to my assessment, courteous and polite — one of them (continue on page 11)
By Elpidio R. Estioko
n my last column, I featured San Diego having a Filipino mayor in the person of Todd Gloria.
This week’s issue features another FilAm making history as the leading candidate, and most likely the first Filipino to be elected to the Los Angeles City Council.
FilAm candidate Ysabel Jurado rallied voters to get out last week to be part of the historic event of unity and cross-racial solidarity in a district roiled by scandal, division, and corruption in the city’s 4th district.
The last-ditch threepronged strategy by Jurado called for a rally, a
get-out-the-vote canvass, and a new ad “Your Story is My Story!”
Jurado called for “a show of unity for Angelenos from all walks of life to come together to support the CD-14 frontrunner, highlighting her growing multigenerational, multi-ethnic coalition” in her quest for her candidacy to the LA City Council.
Since Jurado tested positive for COVID-19, she was not physically present during the rally but addressed the crowd virtually via a projector.
The rally served as a powerful testament to the broad, multicultural, multigenerational support Jurado has gained across the city—from families, young activists,
and working-class Angelenos to labor unions, respected institutions, elected officials, and community leaders.
The powerful ad “Your Story Is My Story” was directed and produced by born-andraised Northeast Los Angeles filmmaker Rocio Paredes and filmed by lifelong Boyle Heights resident Armando Velez.
The ad featured images of Jurado as a teen mother on food stamps, her immigrant parents upon their arrival in the United States, and historic photographs of civil rights icons Dolores Huerta and Larry Itliong as well as recent footage of Jurado alongside Huerta, highlighting the deep connections between Latino and Filipino struggles for justice.
The release of the video ad “Your Story Is My Story”, came almost exactly two years after the infamous “leaked-fed tapes” that surfaced on October 8, 2022, where Kevin de León and other City Council members were caught making anti-indigenous, homophobic, racist remarks and conspiring to gerrymander districts to dilute
Black voting power.
Two years later, the district is still healing from the wounds inflicted by De León’s rhetoric and corrupt efforts to manipulate the redistricting process.
The ad also came just a day after a bombshell report from the Los Angeles Times unveiled a new development following California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s investigation into Los Angeles’ contentious 2021 redistricting process.
The report revealed that De León and his colleagues likely violated the Voting Rights Act and, in fact, actively disenfranchised Latino voters to enrich their own political power.
As the LA Times reported, “This is sadly not the first time Eastside voters, especially Latino residents, have been used as political pawns by City Hall insiders’ intent on enriching themselves or increasing their own power,” said Ysabel Jurado.
“That’s why now, more than ever, we must come together as one community to unite against the systems that try to divide us, exploit us, and hold us down. That’s the message we’ve been projecting for the entirety of this race, and that’s the message we hope to share in our new ad.”
A lifelong resident of CD-14, Jurado, brings both personal and professional experience to the race. And, as an eviction defense attorney, single mother, and daughter of immigrants, she has lived the challenges
faced by many residents in the district.
Jurado’s campaign earned first place in the primary election in a crowded field of eight candidates.
Supporters came from Los Angeles District 1 Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, Los Angeles District 4 Councilmember Nithya Raman, Los Angeles District 13 Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia, the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Dolores Huerta, State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon, SEIU 2015, SEIU 721, CHIRLA Action Fund, 2022 mayoral candidate Gina Viola, LAUSD School Board member Rocio Rivas, LAUSD Board President Jackie Goldberg, the East Area Progressive Democrats, UTLA, the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, California Women’s List, Run for Something, Initiate Justice, former Los Angeles District 11 Councilmember Mike Bonin, Culver City Mayor Emeritus Dr. Daniel Wayne Lee, Stonewall Democrats, LPAC, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), SEIU/ CIR, UAW6, EAA, PALAD, Democratic Socialists of America - LA, and Ground Game LA.
ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and a multi-awarded journalist here in the US. For feedbacks, comments… please email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com
By Gary Hooser
Iremember as if it was yesterday, saying to my daughter: “Aren’t you glad the campaign’s over?”
Her instant reply: “Are you kidding Dad, it’s never over.”
She’s correct, of course.
While November 5, 2024 is past and gone, the fight for justice must never stop.
Regardless of who sits in the Oval Office, we must continue to beat the drums on behalf of people and the planet.
Ok, rest. Take a breath if you must.
Now let’s get back to work. Innocent women and children are dyingthe madness must stop.
Two important actions must be taken now, before the dust settles, before the pomp and circumstance, and before they are settled into their new terms of office.
First
Join me in contacting
even saying: “I am sorry, sir, we are just doing our job. But we have nurses in my family, too.”
They were short of saying, we understand why you are doing this. I thought that was a loaded and powerful statement.
Where I came from (in the Philippines), labor protesters may be confronted by rough cops or horrible armed goons. And when they cart you away, you can fear that you might not see the light again.
I also remembered that on that very same day 52 years ago, on September 23, 1972, martial law took effect in my homeland, and we were pursued by the military by order of a strong man who wanted to cling to power for the rest of his life. That dreadful nostalgia would be another story.
At the police station, we were searched, booked,
our Hawai’i Congressional delegation TODAY. Tell them to stop funding the killing of innocents in Gaza and throughout the Middle East.
Senator Brian Schatz(808-523-2061) brian_schatz@schatz. senate.gov
Senator Mazie Hirono - (808) 522-8970 mazie_hirono@hirono.senate.gov
Representative Jill Tokuda - (808) 746-6220 jill.tokuda@congress. gov
Representative Ed Case - (808) 650-6688 ed.case@congress.gov
Yes, we must support Israel’s right to defend itself but we must vehemently oppose the use of U.S. weaponry and U.S. money - to support the retaliatory killing of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.
According to Reuters, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have killed over 41,500 people in Gaza
photographed, and fingerprinted. Then we were separately locked in a 20’ x 10’ cell — the five men together in one cell, and the five women together in the adjacent cell, separated by a solid concrete wall.
We stayed in jail for over three hours until our bail was processed. Our arraignment is on October 22. We do not know what’s going to happen by then.
The community arrest and detention generated a tidal wave of awareness of the nurses’ plight. The very next day, the governor finally intervened and made the HPH and HNA agree to enter into federal mediation.
Nine days later, HNA announced that Kapi’olani nurses won a monumental agreement that includes the first contractually enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios in Hawaii’s history.
You may ask: why did
alone, with the majority of identified victims being women and children.
The U.S. funding of this killing must stop.
And second
Please also let our congressional delegation know you oppose the extension of U.S. military leases at Makua Valley, Kahuku, Kawailoa-Poamoho and Pohakuloa Training Areas AND ask them stop the bombing of Ka’ula which is just 23 miles southwest of Kaua`i County.
The U.S. has the largest military force on the planet. Here in Hawai’i, we must lead by telling them, enough already.
As of September 2022, there were approximately 750 U.S. military bases with active-duty troops stationed across 178 countries
In 2022 the U.S. spent $877 billion on defense/ war – spending more than China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, the U.K., Germany, France, South Korea, Japan, and Ukraine combined. http://www.glo-
we do what we did? And why am I sharing all these details?
The short answer is that we — you and I — the community, have a role to play in creating a better world and a brighter future. This is mostly true with you, the young blood — from the millennials to the Gen Zs and the younger generations.
I shared some details of a recent struggle to provide you with an illustrative narrative of what it may cost to take a stand.
Let us not forget that our valued ideals are not free; they can be costly and we have to be prepared to pay the price.
There is an old song “No Man Is An Island” (1965). The lyrics goes:
No man is an island
No man stands alone, Each man’s joy is joy to me,
Each man’s grief is my own.
balaffairs.org
Heads up. The elected will respond with words like “This is about national security,” “This is more complicated than you know,” or “This is really out of my control.”
The answer is “hogwash.”
The United States is the largest provider of weapons, and has more troops, stationed in more bases, in more countries, than anyone else on the planet.
Do our U.S. Senators and Representatives support or oppose the continued U.S. funding of Israel’s military offensive operations and the IDF’s indiscriminate killing of civilians?
Do they support or oppose extending military leases at Makua Valley, Kahuku, Kawailoa-Poamoho, and Pohakuloa Training Areas AND the bombing of Ka’ula?
Fair questions deserve honest answers.
Readers - please help me out on this. Our com-
This echoes an ancient African philosophy — ubuntu — which is a reminder that “I am what I am because of who we all are”. It is a concept of common humanity and oneness and is integral to many sub-Saharan African cultures.
The “barikada” or human barricade staged by Kapiolani-10 was an elevated community response. It also underscores that we are part of one social system where an “injury to one is an injury to all.” That we have a responsibility to stand with and defend those who are treated unjustly.
Unprecedented as it is, the lockout should teach us that such illegal and morally indefensible labor assault on nurses can happen to anyone. It can happen to any one of us.
The nurses’ lockout was only part of the matrix of corporate control and unjust machination. In other labor
bined energy, phone calls, and email - can make a difference.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address of January 17, 1961rings more true today than ever.
“Now this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence—economic, political, even spiritual—is felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal government…
“We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex…
“Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together…”
GARY HOOSER is ta former Hawaiʻi State Senator and Majority Leader.
disputes elsewhere, intimidation, harassment, termination, assault, and other horrible acts are employed. Corporate greed and insatiable power are the roaring demons in our society today. And the parties controlling these demons want to extract more from society — from all of us, thus putting profits over people. It is the desire for immense wealth and power that lead them to devaluating labor and workers.
But the issues facing our population are more than labor issues. There are forces assaulting our basic human and civil rights — our humanity.
Across the nation, certain sectors are being robbed of their voting rights; immigrants are demeaned and vilified; women are denied their right to decide for their bodies; science is dismissed while (continue on page 15)
By Rose Cruz Churma
Last September 9, 2024, the County of Kaua’i held a special ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Hanapēpē Massacre of 1924—a flashpoint in Hawai’i’s history of labor movements.
Aside from the customary gathering and speeches by dignitaries, the authors of this book released a limited edition of 100 copies in observance of the centennial of the Hanapēpē Massacre.
As the authors noted in the introduction, it is imperative to commemorate the centennial and “honor the 20 precious lives that were cut short on that tragic day.”
More than half a century after this tragedy occurred, the University of Hawai’i’s Ethnic Studies Oral History Project published The 1924 Filipino Strike on Kaua’i in two volumes.
The publication contained the results of the interviews of Filipino plantation workers who knew about the strike and massacre, or those who heard about it including prominent individuals of the community during the strike.
A total of 34 individuals were interviewed. Photographs were also taken of the interviewees.
This 1979 publication would serve as a crucial reference for recent researchers in helping them identify the 16 workers and four deputized police who died in that confrontation and confirm their burial sites.
The names of the deputized police were published in the newspapers in 1924. Still, the Filipino plantation workers were not correctly identified by the Honolulu newspapers, and the local The Garden Isle did not even publish their names.
The gravesite of the 16 workers was also left unmarked and was shroud-
ed in mystery for almost a century—until now.
What led to this massacre?
The territory-wide Filipino sugar plantation strike of 1924 led by Pablo Manlapit started on O’ahu in April and gathered momentum in the following months on the islands of Hawai’i, Maui, and Kaua’i.
Kaua’i was the last island to strike. Near Hanapēpē was Makaweli Plantation where striking workers were mostly from the Visayan region of the Philippines. Some workers from the Ilocos region were reportedly unwilling to join the strike.
Two non-striking Ilokano workers from Makaweli Plantation biked into Hanapēpē to buy shoes and were captured by the Visayan strikers and held at the strike camp located at the Japanese Language School.
On September 9, 1924, West Kaua’i’s sheriff along with armed deputized special police arrived at the strike camp to “arrest” the captured men, the only legal means to retrieve them, and the two were turned over by the strikers to the authorities.
The strikers followed the authorities as they led the two away and a confrontation started the violence between the police and strikers, resulting in the death of 16 Filipino strikers and four policemen.
Certain portions of the interviews with witnesses were quoted in the book which infer what had precipitated the shooting from the sharpshooters positioned on the hills above the area of confrontation.
More than a hundred strikers were arrested, and most were indicted for rioting. Those who offered a guilty plea received prison sentences. The strike leaders were jailed and some were deported, including
Pablo Manlapit.
Filipino workers made great sacrifices for Hawai‘i’s working class, organizing 12 strikes between 1920 and 1940 which laid the groundwork for productive worker-management agreements in the 1960s to the 70s, and its impact is still felt today as the struggle shifted from the sugar plantations to the “new plantation” of the visitor industry.
The Hanapēpē Massacre is a tragic event in the history of labor movements in Hawai’i.
Not much was known about the 16 workers who lost their lives, and would probably continue to be shrouded in mystery—as the title of the book states— until now.
For this we need to thank the authors, particularly Catherine Pascual Lo, whose labor of love, patience, and perseverance unraveled the mystery.
Born and raised in the Ilocos region of the Philippines, Catherine’s father came to Hawai’i in 1946 and the family joined him in 1954.
After graduating from Kaua’i High School, she attended college in Pennsylvania but transferred to the UH Manoa during her senior year. She received her Master of Librarianship from the University of Washington and retired as head librarian from Kaua’i Community College after close to two decades as an
academic librarian.
It was Catherine’s familiarity with Filipino names and the way they are typically spelled helped in “what seemed like a futile exercise…”
We honor the 16 Filipino workers who gave up their lives in 1924 by providing their full names and their personal stories, thus they cease to be ciphers in history but real people who fought for the dream of a better life.
Salvador Acupang was one of the strike leaders. A native of Capiz, he enlisted in the US Army in 1911. He died at 35 from a gunshot wound in the head.
Elias Amor arrived in 1922 with his wife and two children. Originally from Cebu, he died the day following the massacre from shock and hemorrhage due to his gunshot wounds.
Gregory Anoy was a native of Iloilo. He enlisted in the US National Guard in 1917 and was honorably discharged in 1919 after WWI. Married and one of the strike leaders, he died at the scene from a gunshot wound in the chest.
Gregorio Atis was from the province of Cebu. He arrived in the islands in 1921 and was sent to Koloa Plantation. He died at the scene from a gunshot wound in the head.
Juan Balas came to Hawai’i in 1922 and was assigned to the Hakalau Plantation in Hilo. He was born in Cagayan and is the only Ilokano in the group. The 24-year-old may have come from Hilo to join the strike. He died from a gunshot wound in the neck.
Andres Butron arrived in January 1924 with his wife, Anastasia Jaspe, from Bohol. He died the next day from shock and hemorrhage due to a wound to his leg which was amputated.
Isidoro Cabalida and his wife Valerina Lastimo-
sa arrived in Hawai’i from Cebu in December 1923. He died from a gunshot wound in the abdomen.
Andres Canete arrived with his wife Feliciana Ortiz and nine-year-old daughter in 1922. The family hailed from Cebu. He died from a gunshot wound in the head the next day, September 9, 1924.
Leoncio Laspina was a native of Siquijor Island, single, and at 24 was employed at Koloa Plantation. He died from a gunshot wound in the chest.
Pedro Montecillo was married and hailed from Leyte. He died on September 10 from gunshot wounds to the lungs.
Potenciano Peson of Cebu arrived in Hawai’i in 1917. He and Casiano Jambo arrived on the same steamer and both would lose their lives at the massacre. He died from gunshot wounds to the lungs.
Roque Ramos was a native of Cebu and was married to Apolonia Garcia. The couple arrived in January 1922. Based on the UH Oral History project, witnesses claim that he was “shot in the lower back and the bullet exited through the stomach.” He left behind a wife and a 1-1/2-year-old toddler.
Teofilo Sacarias of Iloilo was 24, single, and lived at Makaweli Camp 4. He died from gunshot wounds to the back and abdomen.
Valentin Tindoy, single was from Bohol and arrived in Honolulu in 1922. Employed by Koloa Plantation, the 24-year-old died from a gunshot wound to the lungs.
Santos Zacarias, single, was a native of Bohol. At 22, he lived at Makaweli Camp 4 and died from shock and hemorrhage from gunshot wounds to the back and abdomen.
By definition, a “massacre” is “an indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of people.” The authors insist that what happened in Hanapēpē was a massa-
(continue on page 13)
By Seneca Moraleda-Puguan
The heartbreak of losing family, livelihood, and home in an instant is an experience no one should endure.
Yet, this was the harsh reality for Reynaldo Dejucos, a resident of Talisay, Batangas, who lost his wife and five children when their home was swallowed by a landslide as Typhoon Kristine ravaged the Philippines in late October.
His story, one among countless others, embodies the suffering of Filipinos who, year after year, lose everything to violent storms, relentless flooding, and landslides across the nation.
This typhoon hit close to home, striking the region where my parents grew up: Bicol. As a child, I spent summer days there, surrounded by family, climbing fruit trees, and gazing at Mount Mayon.
Now, seeing the streets I once played in turned into rivers of devastation, I felt a profound ache. The typhoon, which began with the deluge of Bicol, spread its fury across Lu-
zon and Visayas, leaving a trail of destruction and desperation.
The flooding was merciless, and entire communities were stranded, their only refuge a roof, clinging to it as their final shelter from the torrents below.
Sleeping in the comfort of a dry bed, I was humbled, haunted by the thought of my kababayans shivering through the night, hungry, terrified, and waiting for rescue.
Watching the news coverage brought back memories of the typhoons that marked my childhood, the relentless cycle of preparing for one storm after another.
But this time, all I could do was pray—for the rain to stop, for the floodwaters to recede, for lives to be spared.
But with each moment of helplessness came a swelling anger. The disaster response, or lack thereof, left me frustrated and disillusioned. Typhoon after typhoon, year after year, we face the same devastation, but where is the change?
(BOOK REVIEW: Shrouded ....from page 12) cre, contrary to what some historians claim. The 16 Filipinos died from gunshot wounds on different parts of their bodies.
This book was supposed to be part of an anthology. A volunteer committee was formed in 2019 to research and understand the 1924 Filipino Strike in Kaua’i and “look into the Hanapēpē Massacre.” Each committee member wrote independently of their research “without pretense of being scholarly.”
Thus, this publication is free of academic jargon, but each bit of information presented is credited with properly acknowledged and vetted sources.
Each time, government officials offer relief operations, but these are band-aid solutions. Where is the prevention? Billions of pesos are allocated to flood control and infrastructure projects, yet all we see are broken promises and substandard work.
Politicians show up when cameras roll, hoping to capture a “moment of compassion,” yet disappear when the real work begins.
How much more devastation must we endure before our leaders act responsibly?
The negligence, the inaction, the performative empathy—each fuels the cycle of suffering that my country endures.
Compassion, however, tempers my frustration. I ache for my kababayans who deserve so much
The book’s co-author is Karl H. Y. Lo who was with the US Coast Guard for 20 years. He was born in Makaweli, Kauai—in what was the Makaweli Hospital where the wounded were treated after the massacre.
A graduate of Kaua’i High School, he also attended Kaua’i Community College. Since retirement as Senior Chief from the US Coast Guard, he picked up a lot of hobbies, one of which is in photography—which proved providential for the book. His photographs of the committee’s efforts to find the graves of the victims are well documented.
In the book’s preface, the authors wrote: “Then
more than the resilience they’re forced to display.
Yes, the geography of the Philippines means we will inevitably face natural disasters, but resilience should not be our only defense.
Filipinos deserve leaders who will fight for them, will invest in longterm solutions and not just band-aids that last until the next news cycle.
Each flood, each typhoon leaves behind not only debris but fragments of people’s lives, and we need leadership that understands the gravity of that loss.
This fight isn’t just about survival; it’s about transforming a nation’s future.
First, we need to educate people to vote wisely—to elect leaders who value accountability, and who won’t exploit tragedy for personal gain.
We need leaders who offer not just empty promises but action, who won’t buy loyalty with quick fixes and gestures, but who will build a sustainable future for those they serve.
Agencies like the Department of Public Works and Highways need to be held accountable, ensuring that public funds create an infrastructure that stands the test of time and
Filipino plantation workers who dared to go on strike in 1924 left a legacy of activism worthy of praise.”
On another section of the book, they wrote: “Their story must be told…(and) should be part of Hawai’i’s written history so it becomes common knowledge.”
In this, they succeeded.
ROSE CRUZ CHURMA established Kalamansi Books & Things three decades ago. It has evolved from a mail-order bookstore into an online advocacy with the intent of helping global Pinoys discover their heritage by promoting books of value from the Philippines and those written by Filipinos in the Diaspora. We can be reached at kalamansibooks@gmail.com.
tempests.
Climate change only worsens these disasters, and we cannot ignore its role in escalating this crisis. Each of us must recognize our part in this issue and take actions, small and large, that contribute to a healthier planet.
The path to resilience lies in accountability and in acknowledging that the Earth’s health is inseparably linked to our people’s survival.
Despite everything, the Filipino spirit endures. The storms may bring darkness, yet we choose to rise again and again. When the sun breaks through after each storm, hope returns with it.
Even in the face of overwhelming adversity, our determination remains unbroken.
For Reynaldo, who has lost the irreplaceable, I grieve deeply. May he find the strength, in time, to rebuild from unimaginable loss.
And for my beloved Philippines, I pray for healing, for change, and for the resilience not just to survive—but to truly thrive, protected and respected by leaders who honor the people they serve.
Lord, have mercy on the Philippines. Please, come and heal our land.
By Dr. Arcelita Imasa
am a Filipino worker in a restaurant in Kalihi. What are the workers at the Hilton Hotel in Waikiki striking over?
I– Reader
Dear Reader,
The hotel workers, like the Kapiolani nurses, have made enormous
sacrifices in opposing corporate greed and seeking to improve the working conditions and living standards of Hawaii’s workers.
Less than 2,000 striking Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel workers are seeking pay raises and more staffing at the hotel to offset inflation, lessen the work burden, and improve services to hotel guests.
Thousands more hotel workers in Waikiki are ready to strike over these issues if this is what they
need to get what they deserve.
After the Covid pandemic, most hotels never restored staffing to pre-Covid levels while maintaining or hiking room rates for guests. The workers have had to pick up the slack with no increase in pay.
The profits of the absentee hotel owners, usually large finance or insurance companies on the continent, soared. Meanwhile, many workers in tourism, our leading industry, have to work two or three jobs to support their families.
Workers need to have wages that are good enough to support decent living in the islands.
We should support our hotel workers!
The Hawaii Workers Center and the Defend and Respect Hawaii Workers, a coalition of many unions and community organizations fighting for our workers, have been supporting the Hilton workers in their demands.
Please come out and show up at the picket lines of the workers whenever you can.
Picketing is healthy,
By NAPCA Staff
The annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15, 2024, to December 7, 2024. Additionally, the State Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period takes place from November 1, 2024, to December 15, 2024, with some states extending it to January 15, 2025.
If you have additional questions about Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace, Social Security Retirement Benefit, Supplemental Security Income, or COVID/Flu vaccination, there are 3 ways you can reach us today:
Call: 1-800-336-2722
Email: askNAPCA@ napca.org
Mail: NAPCA Senior Assistance Center, 1511 3rd Avenue, Suite 914, Seattle, WA 98101
Question: Why is this fall’s Medicare Open Enrollment Period especially important?
Answer: Positive changes to Medicare make
it especially important to check your plan. Starting in 2025, the annual out-ofpocket limit for all Medicare-covered prescription drugs will drop significantly from $8,000 to $2,000. This means that no matter how many medications you need, you won’t pay more than $2,000 for your prescriptions in a year. The $2,000 cap coupled with the ability to spread out payments means that high out-of-pocket costs many refer to as “Donut Hole” are gone in 2025.
Next, make sure to check if you can receive full Extra Help assistance. Beginning in 2024, if you are single with a monthly income up to $1,883, or a couple with a monthly income up to $2,555, you could qualify for Extra Help which covers most of your prescription drug costs such as deductibles and copayments as well as premiums. Take a close look at your current plan’s coverage, costs, the medications it covers, the doctors and hospitals in its network, and your personal health needs to see if your plan is still the best fit for you.
By comparing other available options during the OEP, you might find one that offers better coverage, saves you money, or both. Please call us if you need any help.
Q: If I am under 65 and uninsured, but not yet eligible for Medicare, can I still enroll in a health plan?
A: Yes, anyone who is uninsured and not yet eligible for Medicare can sign up for health insurance during the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Open Enrollment Period (OEP).
This period is also a great chance for people who missed signing up during their Special Enrollment Period (SEP), which may have been offered to them after reporting specific life events such as marriage, childbirth, or job loss.
For 2025, OEP runs from November 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024 (or January 15, 2025, depending on your state). If you apply for a health plan and select your plan within this time window, your new plan will begin on January 1, 2025 (or February 1, 2025).
but corporate greed is NOT. Be part of the Solidarity Squad of individuals who support the workers all over Hawaii! Get in touch with us at www. hawaiiworkerscenter.org. When they win, we all win!
Sincerely,
Hawaii Workers Center
Dr. ARCELITA IMASA is a practicing family physician and the secretary of the Hawaii Workers Center’s Executive Committee of the Board. She grew up in the Philippines before migrating to Hawaii with her family more than a decade ago.
During this period, you can explore various health plan options through the state’s Health Insurance Marketplace. If you are single with an annual income under $60,240, or if you’re a married couple earning less than $81,760 per year, you may be eligible to lower your premiums or out-ofpocket costs based on a sliding scale. If your income is low enough, you might also qualify for Medicaid.
It’s important to check your STATE’s specific dates and enrollment guidelines to ensure you don’t miss the opportunity.
Q: I haven’t heard much news about COVID-19 these days, but do I still need to get vaccinated?
A: COVID-19 is still a serious health risk, causing thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from October 1, 2023, through June 1, 2024, approximately 44,000 people died from COVID-19 in the US. Immunity acquired from vaccination or prior infection may decrease over time, and new variants of the virus can make earlier vaccines less effective. This
is why it’s recommended to get the COVID-19 vaccine each year, like the flu shot, to protect yourself and your loved ones.
This is especially important for older adults, as they often have chronic health issues and weaker immune systems, which makes them more vulnerable to severe illness and slower recovery.
Also, keep in mind that Medicare and most private health insurance plans cover the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. It is still a good idea to check with your specific insurance plan for any exceptions or provider network rules.
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of AANHPI older adults and their families. We operate a NAPCA Senior Assistance Center for Older Adults and Caregivers and is available in 5 different languages.
NATIONAL ASIAN PACIFIC CENTER ON AGING (NAPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of AANHPI older adults and their families. We operate a NAPCA Senior Assistance Center for Older Adults and Caregivers and is available in 5 different languages.
LET’S ZUMBA | Filipino Community Center | Every Monday starting January 8, 2024 at 6:15pm | FilCom Center, Consuelo Courtyard, 94-428 Mokuola Street, Waipahu | Need to unwind in movement and dance after a long workday? Join the community as we Zumba through the evening. Only $5 per class. Proceeds go to support these program-types for FilCom Center.
PASKO SA FILCOM | December 1, 2024 from 4 to 9pm | FilCom Center | Pasko sa Filcom brings together Filipino and non-Filipinos for a day of cultural exchange and experience through singing, dancing, crafts, foods and exhibits.
HONOLULU MARATHON 2024 | Honolulu
Marathon Organization | December 8, 2024 at 5am | Starting location at Ala Moana Blvd/ Queen St. Extension, Honolulu | The Honolulu Marathon is the fourth largest marathon in the
U.S. after New York, Chicago, and Boston. There is no time limit and everyone is allowed to finish - just Aloha Spirit. Register for the 2024 marathon at www. honolulumarathon.org.
SAKADA DAY | December 15, 2024 from 5:15 to 9pm | FilCom Center | Gov. Ige proclaimed December 20 as “Sakada Day’ in Hawaii to honor the first sakadas and the contributions of the Filipino Community.
By Bermie Dizon
With all the terrible things going on in the world today, I find myself whispering in prayer “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth…”
What comes out of my mouth is not a simple memorized recited prayer but a heartfelt call coming deep down for peace to prevail.
When I read the news of lives being lost, it truly saddens me. That’s why I sometimes shout: “Lord, Thy Kingdom come...”
Deep down, I am deeply longing for God’s righteous and just rule to be established on this earth. Why?
Because I know His kingdom represents peace, love, and righteousness. Just like you, I am yearning for a world where His presence is evident, where His glory shines, and where His
(OPINION: Standing....from page 11)
unfounded conspiracy theories are promoted; critical books are banned; cultish and violent behavior is normalized . . . and the list goes on.
And beyond our shores? Murderous thirst for power. Displacement of people. Brute force. Genocide. And in our ancestral land — corruption has shamelessly become a normal part of life.
Meanwhile, the extra-judicial killings of tens of thousands of Filipinos remain tragically unresolved. The injustice is stunning.
So, how do we — as a community, as citizens — defend ourselves? What is the
love reigns supreme.
When I say “Thy will be done on earth,” I recognize that God’s wisdom surpasses my own, and His plan is perfect.
I deeply understand that man’s ways are not God’s. Man does not have a solution to the problems confronting us.
And so when I say, thy will be done, I am thirsting for His guidance and direction in our lives and the world at large.
For “the world at large” because this is not merely about me. It’s for all people. We need God’s intervention.
By praying for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we hope to see God’s perfect plan unfold. We long for the day when all things will be made new, and His will is fulfilled without hindrance.
One of my favorite things to do in the morn-
ing is to sit down with a cup of my best-loved green or chamomile tea and write my weekly devotional. This usually happens before anyone else in the house wakes up, so it’s become a very personal time for me.
My life can get busy. Often there are distractions. These often make me feel overwhelmed, stressed, and disconnected from my inner self.
And so, taking time intentionally in a quiet place helps me find peace, strength, and spiritual guidance.
In my case, I enjoy thinking about my own life stories and seeing how God is a part of them. In any situation I go through in life, I ask, “What is God teaching me here?”
I think of devotionals as a way to connect our daily lives with what is spiritual. They give me a space to think and meditate. I love it when I can pause, take a breath, and connect with the deepest parts of my heart.
Writing or reading devotionals are like little reminders for me to take care of my spiritual well-being.
They give me a chance to create routines that help me stay committed to growing my relationship with Jesus.
In writing a devotional, meditation and prayers are mixed together.
I’ve written in a previous devotional that God speaks to us in both calm and chaotic times. Today, I like to focus on having a quiet time for personal devotion.
role of the community in these struggles?
Collective response is our only defense — our collective voice, our collective energies, our collective acts. This is why big corporations do not like unions. This is also why they fear a united labor force — a united community, a united public.
This is why we, the public, witnessing corporate oppression against workers must come together and stand with the workers — this time, with the hotel workers in Waikiki and all the working class. This is why we — the community, you and I — must join hands
and expose and actively resist injustice in all its forms.
It is you and I — all of us — standing to injustice, xenophobia, misogyny, and corporate greed.
It is you and I — all of us — standing for truth, justice, and common sense who can create a better world and a brighter future.
This is our collective defensive weapon. And this is where the real power of a nation and the real power of a people lies.
RAYMUND LLANES
LIONGSON, PHD is a retired professor from the UH-Leeward CC
Writing down our thoughts, insights, and experiences in devotionals (or spiritual journals) creates a real record of our spiritual journey. Some of my devotionals are shared with my friends. Some of them might find them comforting. I do hope so.
BERMIE DIZON is a retired pastor of Grace Communion International at Glendora, California, and a former writer for USA Tribune for 9 years.
The past few weeks have been tough for me, especially when I read about all the bad news happening in the world. When I see innocent people, including children, women, and the elderly, losing their lives, it makes me sad. I’m a person who feels things deeply, so in tough times, devotionals give me comfort and encouragement. They remind me that we’re not alone and that there’s always a source of comfort and strength to turn to – a Higher Power.
and a former member of the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission. He is a member of the Hawaii Filipinos for Truth, Justice and Democracy and a past president of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Hawaii.
