Issue 60, February 2023
Consul
General Senen
Mangalile
New collaborations with Northeast FilAms
Jim Diego & King
Phojanakong A community in mourning
Jim Diego & King Phojanakong A community in mourning
Loida Nicolas Lewis
A memoir on love, marriage, and race
Photo by Lee White
Why are we even surprised that there’s a character named George Santos now roaming the halls of Congress? This New York congressman who took chutzpah to a new height and refuses to quit his congressional seat can only come from a line of political nuisance produced by Donald Trump.
Santos has lied about his education (no MBA from New York University), his work background (no record of employment at Goldman Sachs), among his litany of misrepresentations. The GOP is supporting Santos because he took Trump’s playbook and rode it to Congress. That playbook is lie, double down on the lie and just hunker down amid the din of outrage.
Politically though, Santos is needed by the GOP more than he needs them. The exceedingly narrow GOP majority in the House forced Speaker Kevin McCarthy to look at Santos and swallow his every falsehood. If the GOP loses Santos and a special election leads to a Democrat taking the seat, then its majority is reduced by one more.
Another election is due next year and the way it is going, there is no
guarantee the GOP retains the majority or the Democrats slam the do-nothing Republicans aside. So even though Santos is everything a politician should not be, McCarthy is forced by political expediency to keep him.
Their fallback position is "let the Ethics committee" judge Santos. The obvious question is why can't they decide what to do on the face of the admissions by Santos himself? The man already admitted to lying on his resume and his "accomplishments."
Why are we even shocked by what Santos has done? These are MAGA minions who run in elections and claim, without any shred of evidence, the vote is rigged if they lose. They all drink from the well of grievance that powers Trump.
We should expect more of Trump’s types to run in 2024. He has shown the way and George Santos has avidly followed suit.
A GOP that is morally compromised and departing from the values held by its founding president Abraham Lincoln, who led the battle against slavery, is but a shadow of its moral foundations.
The GOP is supporting George Santos because of moral degeneracy. It would rather do nothing instead of kicking him out of Congress.
Senen Mangalile, a career diplomat and a former teacher in a Catholic school for boys, is the new consul general in New York.
In a New Year’s message to the Filipino community on January 9, Mangalile said he extends “with absolute sincerity an offer of partnership” to Filipino Americans in the U.S. Northeast.
He said, “I hope that in the next 12 months, we can spark new collaborations among various organizations and individuals for a myriad of positive endeavours, such as promoting Philippine culture, protecting the rights of migrants, strengthening economic linkages, and celebrating the significant contributions of Filipino Americans to the fabric of American society.”
“And so the new mission begins,” he writes on Facebook on January 9 with a photo of the imposing Philippine Center building on Fifth Avenue. With this image, he informally announced on social media the next chapter in his diplomatic journey. He succeeds former Consul General Elmer Cato who is now the consul general in Milan, Italy.
According to a press statement, Mangalile brings with him considerable experience in the delivery of consular services, having served as assistant secretary of the DFA’s Office of Consular Affairs, consul general at the Philippine Embassy in London, and consul at the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka. He was the first consul from an ASEAN country to be elected by his peers as president of the Consular Corps of London, the oldest consular corps in the world established in 1902.
He also served as minister at the Philippine Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, and as chargé d’affaires, ad interim in Ankara, Turkey.
London was one of his memorable assignments. When Queen Elizabeth passed on September 8, 2022, he
recalled the rare occasions he had met the Queen up close: his presentations of credentials, three evening receptions for the diplomatic corps, and garden parties at Buckingham Palace and the Royal Ascot. He remembered an evening reception in 2014, when he and then-Ambassador and now Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo decided to attend wearing the Barong Tagalog instead of the customary White Tie.
He writes with deadpan humor in a Rotary Club newsletter: “And so, clad with piña fabric on that cold December evening, (we) shivered our way to Buckingham Palace. The result was worth it, indeed. In a sea of formal tails and long gowns, attendees who wore national dresses stood out.”
Mangalile was a born-and-bred Bulakeno, with roots in Baliuag and Malolos.
Before becoming a career diplomat, he worked as public relations officer at Philippine National Bank (1993-1997), Philosophy instructor at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Guiguinto, Bulacan (1990-1995), and classroom teacher at the Immaculate Conception School for Boys in Malolos.
He has a Master of Science (with Distinction) degree in Diplomacy, Statecraft, and Foreign Policy from Loughborough University (2016 –
2017). He went to the University of the Philippines for his Law studies in 1993 and before that Ateneo de Manila University where he majored in Philosophy (1990-1992).
“Incoming Consul General Senen Mangalile is a seasoned career diplomat. He has the appropriate qualifications, experience and skill set to deal with the various interests of the Filipino diaspora,” said Ambassador Mario de Leon when reached by The FilAm. “I know that he was well loved by the Filipino community when he served as the consul general in the Philippine Embassy in London. I have
no doubt that he will hit the ground running when he assumes his post in New York.”
De Leon also noted that Mangalile will be the “third consul general in the Big Apple who previously served in London in the same capacity. The others being myself and then Congen Tess de Vega.”
On departing Switzerland, Mangalile thanked the central European nation for a “short but chocolatey sweet” tour of duty. Bern is the birthplace of Toblerone.
De Leon said Mangalile has a good sense of humor.
Prominent community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis held the Bible on which Raga “solemnly swore” to support the constitutions of the United States and the State of New York and to “faithfully discharge” his duties. Hundreds of Raga’s Filipino and Asian supporters erupted in applause, storming the silence throughout the sepulchral corridors of the Queens Museum.
Raga is no longer a student activist nor community organizer. He has just become a politician! He is now a member of the state government and through his newly acquired mandate he can make things happen by way of legislation.
With trepidation, Raga acknowledged his new role and vowed not to follow the path of traditional politics by “always telling the truth” and “keeping my nose clean.”
“Make sure there’s no scandal,” he said in the debut episode of the Women & Media (WAM) podcast hosted by Marivir Montebon and Cristina Pastor.
politician, it invokes a very negative reaction.
I am in a position as an elective official. You can call me politician but I’ve seen community leaders who are more politician than the elective officials. As an elective official you hold the public trust, you advocate for those who are your neighbors, small businesses and organizations around you who are doing good work but are being kept out of the most important discussions across the city and state.”
The first-ever Filipino American elected to any state-level position in New York, Raga’s victory is considered “historic,” says the Philippine Consulate General in New York in a statement. “It is a validation of the resounding political voice of the FilAm community in particular, and the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander community, in general.
Steven told WAM he has been assigned to five State Assembly committees – Banks, Social Services, Government Operations, Veterans and
Agriculture. He shared how jobs and housing are important to his district, and that he would work to address such concerns. District 30 encompasses the neighborhoods of Woodside, Elmhurst, Maspeth, Middle Village, Jackson Heights, and Astoria, not just working-class immigrants, he
said, but also long-time residents who have made their homes and fortunes here.
“With Steven in office, the welfare and interests of Filipino Americans and the AAPI will be pushed to the forefront,” said the consulate in a statement. – Cristina DC Pastor
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Inaalagaan namin ang aming mga empleyado. Narito ang aming mga benepisyo!
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Scandals and intrigue have been a bedrock of the British Royal Family since time immemorial, but there is just something about the fallout between Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle and the rest of the royal family which has angered, intrigued and captivated public imagination.
This never-ending royal saga is even greater than the separation between Prince Charles (now King Charles III) and the late Princess Diana Spencer back in the early 1990s. The self-imposed “retreat” of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from the royal seat speaks on a deeper level about the ethnic and social contentiousness which have lingered in British society for centuries, as well as the controversial and persistent nature of the English tabloid press culture. These are issues which are addressed front and center in Netflix’s new documentary mini-series “Harry and Meghan.”
We would like to view the United Kingdom as a multi-racial, tolerant and internationalized society, and for the most part it is, at least that is the impression I got on my recent trip to London in July of this year. Yet beneath the facade lies the unmistakable historical fact that the British Empire was literally built on the back of its slaves and subjects in different continents which it had exploited for several centuries well until the 19th century. Great Britain abolished slavery in 1833, ahead of the United States.
Despite these milestone changes, discrimination and colonial patronizing attitudes associated with the British royals had persisted for years even throughout the 20th century. In this regard, when Prince Harry wed Meghan Markle, the first royal family member of color, in May 2018, there had been high hopes that this event would mark a sign of social and cultural progress both within British royalty and society as a whole. But as events would eventually unfold, this would sadly prove a gravely missed opportunity.
Watching the documentary is an in-depth revelation of the personal heartbreak which the Duke and Duchess had to endure from experiencing initial love and praise from the British public, to then feeling constant jealousy, harassment and racially biased commentaries and criticisms from the notorious
British tabloid press and paparazzi, whose members are notably overwhelmingly white and male. Hearing the up-close and personal interviews of Harry and Meghan on the engulfing pressure and fear for their own security and lives, and that of their infant children which persists even to this day is not easy to watch or listen to. Yet for lack of a better term, their stories make them all the more human and relatable.
While I didn’t get the impression that this documentary mini-series is in any way necessarily leaning towards one side, I couldn’t help but wonder why no other member of the Royal Family, especially Prince William and Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, was given an interview, or why no official comment or reaction to the televised testimonies of the Duke and Duchess was ever issued by Buckingham Palace (at least not yet at the time of writing), despite the fact that busy schedules on everyone’s part could be an obvious factor or hindrance to the matter.
Watching the interviews from the close personal friends and family members of the Duke and Duchess,
particularly that of Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland, does add so much more layers and context to understanding their upbringing. Regardless of your opinions about them, “Harry and Meghan” adds an even deeper meaning to the perils of power, prestige and position.
As if to tease that a sequel may be in the works, Harry made an allegation about a screaming fit by William during a family meeting to discuss his and Meghan’s departure from royalty.
He said, “It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father saying things that just simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.”
Completing this mini-series made me recall the personal advice Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington gave to his fellow actor Will Smith after the latter had infamously slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscar ceremony earlier this year. “At your highest moment, be careful, because that is when the devil comes for you.”
Their story has angered, intrigued, and captivated public imagination.
College-educated immigrants in the United States are more likely to have advanced degrees and to major in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and health fields than their U.S.-born peers with college degrees. For these reasons, the average monthly earnings of immigrant college graduates exceed those of U.S.-born graduates.
These findings come from a Migration Policy Institute (MPI) analysis of an innovative international survey that tests skills needed for full participation in today’s increasingly knowledge-based world.
By pooling the three most recent Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) surveys, carried out in 2012, 2014 and 2017, researchers Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix were able to examine the inter-relationships between adults’ cognitive skills (literacy, numeracy and digital) and economic outcomes, including workers’ job quality and skill underutilization.
Among key findings in “The Skills and Economic Outcomes of Immigrant and U.S.-Born College Graduates:”
• Sixty percent of immigrant college graduates have at least a master’s degree versus 53 percent of the U.S. born with college degrees. Two-thirds of immigrants in the PIAAC sample earned their highest degree in the United States.
• Immigrants’ degrees are more heavily concentrated in the highdemand STEM and health fields than those held by the U.S. born: 51 percent versus 36 percent.
• Immigrant graduates who work full time reported having higher monthly earnings than U.S.-born
workers — $7,140 versus $6,500 — in large part because immigrants are more likely to have graduate-level degrees and to have majored in STEM or other in-demand fields. Further, immigrants' self-reported job quality — their autonomy at work, managerial responsibilities and job satisfaction — roughly equal those of the U.S. born.
Despite these outcomes, the literacy, numeracy and digital skills of immigrant college graduates lag those of the U.S. born. The MPI analysis found a 22-percentage point gap in literacy and 11-percentage point gap in numeracy between immigrant college graduates and their U.S.-born peers.
These gaps could owe in part to the fact that PIAAC’s skill assessment was conducted only in English.
Lower skills help explain one trend: Immigrants’ higher educational levels do not always translate into
occupational gains. For instance, immigrants with low literacy levels were four times more likely than those with high scores (45 percent versus 11 percent) to experience “brain waste,” that is, to see their skills underutilized.
MPI has previously estimated that about 2 million college-educated immigrants in the United States worked in jobs that require no more than a high school degree or were unemployed as of 2019 — the result of lower levels of English proficiency, licensing barriers, limited social and professional networks and other challenges.
The analysis of PIAAC data found that 20 percent of immigrant college graduates were underemployed — a share equal to that of the U.S. born. With the U.S. labor market facing persistent shortages, including
in high- and middle-skilled jobs, addressing the skill underutilization for U.S. adults, regardless of nativity, should be an important consideration for policymakers and other stakeholders.
“As the number of U.S. adults with college degrees continues to grow, in part due to immigration, removing licensing barriers and helping underutilized workers acquire skills and transition into jobs where they can fully apply them represents an important strategic investment in building the nation’s talent base and competing internationally,” Batalova and Fix conclude. “And with more than two-thirds of immigrant graduates identifying as racial and ethnic minorities, supporting their economic integration is also an important dimension of advancing racial equity.”
- - Migration Policy InstituteIn 1967 a US Supreme Court ruling led to the legalization of interracial marriages. One such interracial marriage would be the union two years later of American lawyer Reginald F. Lewis and Sorsogon-born Loida Mañalac Nicolas. It would be the beginning of a beautiful and productive relationship that ended with the untimely passing of Reginald in 1993.
As a result of his entrepreneurial skills, Reginald would become among the richest Black Americans in the 1980s. A year after his death, his widow Loida would become the chairwoman and chief executive of the company her husband acquired in 1987, TLC Beatrice. Securing those leadership posts was one thing. But to be an effective executive was no easy task for Loida in what was considered to be a man’s world.
In her memoir “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun: An Asian-American Story of Love, Marriage, Motherhood, and Running a Billion-Dollar Empire,” Loida Lewis provides us with her collection of personal experiences and momentous turn of events that took place in her life. Her book features some honest introspection and remembrances, unshakable familial bonds, the sentimentality of the tender mercies that fortified her soul and spirit, and the evolution of Loida Lewis’s business acumen.
During her “joyful” childhood with her well-to-do parents in the Philippines, Loida cultivated what would
By Allen Gaborro
be a close, lifelong relationship with God. Her faith was never more conspicuous than when she narrowly escaped death from an accident involving a military vehicle. Loida writes that her father saw this episode as a blessed portent of things to come: “my escape from death is simply God's affirmation that I'm going to be a great lawyer.” In 1974, she would be the first Asian woman to pass the State of New York’s bar exam.
Loida met her future husband Reginald on a blind date in 1968. In that first encounter, the issue of race came up when Loida innocently asked him “what's it like to be a Black man in America?” A piqued Reginald responded "I'm international!’”
adding that “I don't encourage or embrace labels that allow people to pigeonhole me."
Loida astutely grasped the meaning of Reginald’s reply: “He doesn't want me dealing with him as a Black man, but as a human being. So just like that, he erases the concept of race from our conversation, which impresses me further.”
Racism would continue to be a lingering issue for both Reginald and Loida as a wedded pair but it would not deter them from future success and prosperity. With their conjugal paths blossoming together personally and professionally, Reginald and Loida would emerge, thanks greatly to the former’s highly-lucrative investments, as one of Manhattan’s “power couples.” Loida asserts that “my beloved and I are undoubtedly the only African American/Filipina duo in the mix.”
Reginald’s enterprising ascendancy would lead to the lifestyle of the rich and famous for the Lewises. Which brings me to the blind spot in Loida’s book. To be fair, Loida makes a concerted effort not to appear snobbish or haughty. And yet, more than once does she unwittingly boast about her and Reginald reaching the financial summit and acquiring the perks and extravagances that dreams are made of.
With what I would describe as her occasional subconscious victory lap taking, Loida lays out
self-congratulatory offerings like "Landed Gentry, Here I Come!” and “there's no question my family and I are bona fide One Percenters now,”
not to mention having attained the lofty status of consorting with “France’s uber elite.”
There are also casual Freudian slips if you will, that trot out a summer home in the Hamptons, a Parisian haute couture wardrobe, sumptuous art possessions, and collector’s item furniture.
Guilelessly, Loida walks a tightrope between living and breathing humility (she writes that “the rapid rise in the wealth, luxury, and privilege that I'm experiencing with Reginald is also making me uncomfortable.”) and the innate human desire to proudly tell everyone what you’ve accomplished without in her case, sounding supercilious. A handful of exceptions in her memoir notwithstanding, she does her best to manage that equilibrium.
On deeper reflection, Loida Lewis has come a very long way. The sparks of what would be her inspirational and fortuitous existence came from the humblest of origins. Now in her eighties, Loida has accumulated the wisdom of the ages and with that wisdom has realized her aspirations with the praise, respect, and admiration of her peers and loved ones.
Pre-Order her book today thru Amazon.com Search Loida Lewis , and Why Should Guys Have All The Fun?
Journalist, podcaster, and former NPR host Emil Guillermo – winner of an American Book Award – takes his truth to the stage in a comic one-man show about race, the media, Asian American Filipino history, Harvard/ affirmative action, and PETA. Yes, PETA, including an ending you won’t forget. As his Filipino father might say, “It’s all pucked up.”
Emil Guillermo tells the tale of his father who was undocumented. He didn’t need any. Documents, that is. Not in 1928. Willie Guillermo was born in Ilocos Norte in the Philippines an American national. He was colonized and arrived on a steamer from Manila with one good suit and a dream.
It’s part of the story Emil weaves with his own in a new one-man play on Asian American Filipino life, “Emil Amok: Lost NPR Host Found Under St. Marks,” running February 16 for just seven performances until March 4 at the Frigid Fringe Festival of New York.
Emil describes his journey that takes us through the media, affirmative action/Harvard and America, and how it was shaped by the history of Filipinos like his father.
“Trying to overcome history makes American Filipino life is absurd,” Guillermo says, in a show that’s both funny and tragic. “It’s our history. And it makes me go amok.”
Emil was born in San Francisco. He is an alumnus of Harvard University, where he studied history and film, and was a member of the Harvard Lampoon. He has performed his “Amok Monologues” at Fringe Festivals around the country. He’s studied storytelling at the Berkeley Rep, the Marsh, and with Mike Daisey. His shows are inspired by his weekly “Emil Amok”
columns in the Asian American ethnic media since 1995. Read them at www.aaldef.org/blog.
He hosts “The PETA Podcast,” and “Emil Amok’s Takeout” at www.amok.com. After the fringe, he appears in “The Conductor” at Theater for the New City in March.
Here’s what people are saying about his shows.
“Stand-up, monologue, rant? …Enjoy trying to keep pace with Guillermo’s brilliant mind…Funny, poignant.” – The Orlando Weekly
“Charismatic…Guillermo’s life is one worth exploring.” -- DC Metro Theater Arts
“Excellent...Emil Guillermo knows how to tell a story and that ability sets his “Amok Monologues” above other solo shows.” -- San Diego Story
Tickets: In person/$20; livestreaming/$15; student, senior, military/$12.
Available for advance purchase at www.frigid.nyc.
Venue: 94 St. Marks Place (Basement level, no elevator or wheelchair access)
Performance schedules:
Thur. Feb. 16th at 8:10 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 18th at 5:20 p.m.
Thur. Feb. 23rd at 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Feb 25th at 12:20 p.m.
Sun Feb.26th at 7 p.m.
Fri March 3rd at 8:10 p.m.
Sat. March 4th at 10:20 p.m.
Everything, from race to the media to Filipino American history, is fair game in Guillermo’s one-man play. Facebook photo
Kalayaan Hall
Philippine Consulate 556 5th Avenue NYC
February 24
Country Dance Night, Dancing with Deanna Kabayan Grill 1075 Portion Road Farmingville, N.Y.
February 4
Andres Aquino Fashion Show
Prince George Ballroom
15 East 27th Street NYC
Between Fifth and Madison avenues
February 11
Pusong Pinoy Health Fair by PAFCOM Hudson Mall Jersey City
February 17
Jo Koy World Tour Palace Theatre
19 Clinton Avenue, Albany
February 17
FACC Walk for a Cause: Charity gala for cancer beneficiaries
February 25
Giana: A birthday special Kabayan Bistro Lounge & Banquet 6912 Roosevelt Avenue Woodside, NYC
February 25
Fashion for Passion fundraising event by PNA NY
D’ Haven Ballroom 58-02 37th Avenue Woodside NYC
March 4
Moira: Live in New Jersey Margaret Williams Theatre 2039 John F. Kennedy Blvd. Jersey City
Contact Dennis Almario for tickets: 201-993-0828
March 11
Jo Koy World Tour Capital One Arena Washington D.C.
March 25
Andrew E. U.S. Tour 2023 Patapsco Arena
Baltimore, MD
July 16 to 23
44th PNAA National Convention & Cruise Aboard Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Filipina/x/o American Studies Two-volume set
Edited by Kevin Leo Yabut Nadal, Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales & E.J.R. David
“Not valid for travel to China, the Soviet Union and other communist countries” was stamped on Jaime FlorCruz’s passport. But in July of 1971, FlorCruz, then only 20, and 14 other youth leaders from the Philippines flew to Hong Kong and then to China. The students, together with scholars from other nations, were invited on an all-expense paid trip by the China Friendship Association to participate in a study tour of the Communist country for three weeks.
FlorCruz was then a senior at the Philippine College of Commerce and a member of the Movement for a Democratic Philippines, an organization of Filipino youth, many of whom were critical of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship. “Like my compatriots, I was curious to see what was going on in China… I imagined a socialist utopia where people lived simple but stable lives, where the state provided cradle-to-grave jobs…,” recalls FlorCruz.
What FlorCruz and his fellow students found, however, was an agricultural nation still recovering from famine but unbeknownst to the world, about to fast track into technological dominance.
In October of 1949, the Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong declared the creation of the People’s Republic of China. The Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan. In 1966, Mao and his allies launched the “Cultural Revolution.” Mao’s party believed that the bourgeoisie had infiltrated the government and society with the aim of restoring capitalism. Officials, scientists, and professors who were viewed as sympathetic to the West were removed from their positions or killed.
Foreign texts were destroyed. Universities were closed and the “gaokao,” college entrance exams, were canceled. It is estimated that during the 10 years of the Chinese cultural revolution, approximately 10 million urban youth were re-educated in farms.
In September of 1976, Mao passed away and in 1977, Deng Xiaoping, one of the leaders sidelined during the Cultural Revolution became the leader of the Communist Party. Deng initiated reforms and the opening up of China.
A few weeks after their arrival, the Filipino students were informed that a bombing incident occurred in Manila and that FlorCruz and four other members of the group were on the government’s list
of people to be arrested. Ten of the 15 Philippine students were able to go home. Carlos Tayag, a Benedictine deacon, was able to return that year but disappeared in 1976.
In “The Class of 77: How My Classmates Changed China” FlorCruz recounts how he made the most of his stay and thrived with China’s post-cultural revolution generation.
Like the many Chinese urban youth, the five Filipino students who stayed volunteered to earn their keep and work the rice fields, picking tea leaves, fruit, and repairing roads and ditches. Several years later, FlorCruz and his compatriots enrolled in the Beijing Languages Institute to learn Chinese. In 1977, FlorCruz enrolled in Peking University and became part of the “Class of 77” the first class of students in 12 years who took the “gaokao.”
FlorCruz breathes and lives with this generation of students famished for knowledge. He joins the basketball team, the only foreigner accepted. He signs up to be the lead in a national TV show that teaches Chinese to speak English. At the university, FlorCruz is enrolled with Li Keqiang, who is now China’s current premier and Bo Xilai, a former Minister of Commerce–now imprisoned– as well as many of the country’s current top economists, scientists, and writers.
Upon graduation FlorCruz seized another opportunity and joined Time Magazine. He became the magazine’s Beijing Bureau Chief and then later the Bureau Chief for CNN. His years of writing are made evident by this captivating memoir. FlorCruz tells us about his family and the friendships he made. He is just like us but is in an inconceivable predicament. I couldn’t help but wonder what I would have done if I was in his situation.
And in another of life’s strange twists, last November, FlorCruz was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to be the Ambassador of the Philippines to China.
Book sellers will categorize this memoir under “triumph over adversity.” FlorCruz’s fortitude, optimism, and wisdom make it a one-of-a-kind read.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning a diverse array of over 40 individuals and entities that are connected to corruption or human rights abuse across nine countries. The announcement was made in recognition of International Anti-Corruption Day and Human Rights Day on December 9.
One of the individuals the Treasury has labeled a “human rights abuser” and “corrupt actor” was Apollo Quiboloy, founder of The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (KOJC) church in the Philippines.
“For more than a decade, Apollo Carreon Quiboloy engaged in serious human rights abuse, including a pattern of systemic and pervasive rape of girls as young as 11 years old, as well as other physical abuse,” says the Treasury in a press statement.
In 2021, a federal indictment alleged Quiboloy was involved in sex trafficking “pastorals” — young women within the KOJC selected to work as personal assistants for Quiboloy. Pastorals were directed to have “night duty,” which required them to have sexual intercourse with Quiboloy on a determined schedule. Quiboloy kept pastorals in various countries, including the Philippines and the United States, it says.
Quiboloy founded the KOJC church in the Philippines in 1985.
According to the press statement, “Quiboloy exploited his role within the KOJC to rape his victims and subject them to other physical abuse, describing these acts as sacrifices required by the Bible and by God for
the victims’ salvation. The pastorals, who were mostly minors when initially abused by Quiboloy, were told by him to “offer your body as a living sacrifice.” One female reported she lost count of the number of times she was forced to have sex with Quiboloy, as it was at least once a week even when she was a minor and in every country to which they traveled. Another woman reported she was forced to perform night duty at least 1,000 times.
“Quiboloy also subjected pastorals and other KOJC members to other forms of physical abuse. Reports indicate Quiboloy personally beat victims and knew where to hit them so there would be no visible bruising. Pastorals and KOJC members who angered Quiboloy were at times sent to ‘Upper Six,’ a walled compound used solely for punishment.
“Quiboloy is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a foreign person who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly
engaged in, serious human rights abuse. Quiboloy is currently on the FBI’s Wanted List.”
The pastor has denied all charges, calling them “outrageous” and a violation of his rights. Former supporters and followers are calling on the government of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to assist in bringing Quiboloy to justice, and are dismayed by its silence. During the elections, Quiboloy appeared on stage and raised the hand of then-vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte and campaigned for the Marcos-Duterte ticket.
Over the course of 2022, Treasury took numerous actions to promote accountability for human rights abusers and corrupt actors across the world, including sanctions on dozens of individuals and entities including in the Western Balkans, Belarus, Liberia, Guatemala, the Russian Federation, Burma, and Iran. Treasury utilized various tools and authorities — including Execu -
tive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act — to demonstrate the U.S. government’s focus on promoting respect for human rights and countering corruption.
Aside from Quiboloy, also in the Treasury list of “corrupt actors and human rights abusers” are politicians, businessmen and prominent personalities from, among other countries, DPRK/North Korea, Guatemala, Iran, the Russian Federation, and China.
Said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “Over the past year, Treasury has made combatting corruption and serious human rights abuse a top priority, including through the use of financial sanctions and addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. and international financial systems. By exposing the egregious behavior of these actors, we can help disrupt their activities, dismantle their networks, and starve them of resources.” — Cristina DC Pastor
With vaccines and treatments, we’ve come a long way in preventing the worst outcomes from COVID-19. But older adults remain among the most at risk. As we gather together to celebrate Lunar New Year, there are many tools that older adults — and anyone — can use to help protect against a severe COVID infection.
Here are a few ways older adults and their loved ones can begin the Year of the Rabbit in the best health possible:
Get an updated vaccine. With Lunar New Year dinners and festivals quickly approaching, having an updated vaccine is an effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones — of all ages — as the celebrations ensue. CDC recommends people 65 and older stay current with their COVID vaccines
because they are at high risk of hospitalization, illness, and death from COVID. Staying up to date means getting an updated vaccine as soon as you can. An updated COVID vaccine can restore protection that has waned over time from earlier doses. If you've recently had COVID, wait three months before getting your updated vaccine.
Lunar New Year and New Year celebrations across the country this month and next will be offering vaccine clinics with the updated vaccine. In Manhattan, the Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival will offer vaccines at its event on Sunday, February 12, which starts at Mott and Canal streets at 1 p.m.
Continue practicing healthy habits. In addition to vaccines, there are plenty of things you can do to help protect yourself from a COVID infection. Wash your hands regularly with soap
and water. When feeling ill, stay home and rest to take care of yourself and the people you care about. Avoid crowded spaces and spaces that are not well ventilated. If you must be in those spaces, limit your time there and consider wearing a mask.
Find ways to relieve stress. The ongoing pandemic has been stressful for many people, including older adults — and admitting that is ok! Daily routines have been upended, and many have experienced increased loneliness, stress, and anxiety. Tips for coping with stress include having an open conversation with someone you trust, taking a break from the news, unwinding with physical activities that you enjoy, eating healthy foods, and finding ways to stay connected with family, friends, and community.
Updated COVID vaccines are currently free and widely available. For more information and to find a vaccine, visit www.vaccines.gov.
Chef King Phojanakong, known for his Southeast Asian specialty dishes served in his Lower East Side restaurant Kuma Inn has passed away. He suffered from a rare amoeba infection, according to a Gofundme piece written by his brotherin-law Eddie Nau.
“King was admitted to NYU hospital with inflammation to the brain among other symptoms, including slight loss of hearing and balance issues. Doctors could not figure out the root cause initially, throughout several lengthy hospitalizations. King underwent multiple brain biopsies and craniotomies that revealed inflammation and lesions found to be due to a mycobacterium and a rare amoeba infection.”
An outpouring of affection for “Chef King” welled up from his Filipino and Asian communities with whom he shared his cooking skills and “instilled the importance of community and culture.”
King is survived by wife Annabel, daughter Phebe, son Eduard and his mother Emma, who is a nurse.
He was a friend to many, a nurturing mentor to young chefs finding their way around the culinary world. He is remembered with fondness.
The running community has lost a beloved member. Jim Diego, a resident of Jackson Heights, Queens, has died at the age of 38. Cause of death remains unknown.
On Monday, the parents issued a statement regarding Jim’s sudden demise. “It is with great sadness to share the news about the untimely passing of our beloved Jim Diego. Jim was our only child and was everything to Vic and me. Not only was he our beautiful son, but he was also a faithful and loving family member and friend to all those he touched.”
Jim was from New York City and was an avid runner. He completed both a half marathon and a full marathon in all 50 states. As of January 2021, according to SNBC13.com, Jim had completed 98 half marathons and 131 marathons, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Jim was a charming and vibrant individual whom I met at the 2018 Carboloading event at the Philippine Consulate for Filipinos participating in the New York City Marathon. We didn’t have a lot of conversation at the consulate, but we did discuss his 50-state marathons and
how he had been invited to perform the national anthem in each state. He said he had already created a template for his résumé and had inquired about singing before the race with the race director.
In 2021, we shared the bus en route to the New York Marathon start, at which point he offered to crew for me in my 2022 Badwater 135 race. Unfortunately, that did not happen because of a project
that came up at his work that required him to do some traveling.
The SNBC report states that Jim had been highly recognized as a national anthem singer at road races large and small all over the country. In New York, he sang at the start of the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 TCS New York City Marathons. The report said he had sung at all 50 states by 2018, culminating at the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma in November of that year.
The globally circulated running magazine “Runners’ World” published an article detailing Jim’s journey to running and singing. Of note, he had lent his singing talents at the Lincoln National Guard Marathon and Half Marathon in Lincoln, Nebraska; the Rehoboth Seashore Marathon and Half Marathon in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware; the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon in the Texas capital, which attracted 15,000 runners in February 2017; Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota; the milestone 40th Anniversary of the Detroit Free Press Marathon in Detroit, MI, in October 2017, where he actually sang BOTH the American and Canadian national anthems for over 15,000 runners and fans cheering on runners at the start;
and at the extremely popular Big Sur Marathon in California!
Notably, for the first time in the 28-year history of the Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile
Range, New Mexico, Jim was invited to sing the Philippine National Anthem, “Lupang Hinirang,” in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the actual Bataan Death March that occurred in
the Philippines during World War II. Jim was a member of numerous running clubs, among them the New York Road Runners, Front Runners New York, and the 100 Marathon Club North America.
By day, Jim was a senior project manager for real estate development and urban planning for the not-forprofit Greater Jamaica Development Corporation in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
As a singer, he had performed with his a cappella group, Restated, since founding it in 2007; as well as with Broadway Barkada, a Filipino performance troupe which has performed at such renowned venues as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.
Everyone in the running community will remember Jim with affection for the happiness he had brought into our lives and the warmth he exuded every time he was out there running.
Gerald Tabios, is an ultramarathon runner who has made a record seven runs in the world’s toughest footrace — the annual 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, California. He is also a finisher of more than 170 marathons and ultramarathons.
Eighty-four women from different countries vied for the title of Miss Universe 2022, two of them biracial Filipinas. In the final tally, Texas beauty R’Bonney Gabriel, whose father is Filipino, went home with the crown of blue sapphires and white diamonds.
“In shock…but happy,” said her mother Dana when The FilAm asked for her reaction. Bon was overcome with joy and almost couldn’t find the words. Remigio ‘Bon’ Gabriel and Dana Walker were married in Manila.
R’Bonney, 28, is the younger of two children. She has an elder brother who is 6 foot and 4 inches tall. Height is a family asset. Said Bon, “People ask me why my son is so tall, I tell them, if you don’t have it, you give it to your kids.”
It was important to R’Bonney that Filipinos are happy. She told Good Morning America, “Filipinos are so happy. They are just over the moon about it. It's a huge win for the community and just representation. It's an honor.”
The other biracial Filipina who was an early favorite was Celeste Cortesi, a Filipina-Italian who was initially raised in Pasay City but grew up for the most part in Parma, Italy. She did not make the Top 16 and, it’s been reported, she went home feeling like she let Filipinos down.
R'Bonney is a fashion designer and runs her own clothing brand. According to its website, R’BONNEY NOLA “is an independent label from Houston practicing sustainable design methods and using repurposed/natural fabrics.” She holds sewing classes for women who are victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. She had previously interned as a fashion designer in New York.
During the pageant’s Q-A segment, she explained how she would use fashion to be a “force for good.”
“As a very passionate designer, I’ve been sewing for 13 years, I use fashion as a force for good. In my industry, I’m cutting down on pollution through recycling materials when I make
my clothing. I teach sewing classes to women that have survived from human trafficking and domestic violence. And I say that because it is so important to invest in others, invest in our
community and use your unique talent to make a difference.”
Pageants were not R’Bonney’s thing until they saw an advertisement for a local pageant, and people encouraged her to join. One of them was Sharron Melton, news anchor for Channel 39. She urged R’Bonney to “run, just for fun.”
She did and won first runner-up for Miss Houston. She surprised even herself when she was crowned Miss Texas shortly after. It led her to aspire to a higher goal until she became Miss USA. Her parents thought that was the end of it.
“Then she started looking into (Miss Universe). She saw that, you know, a lot of the women are very smart and strong. And she said she’d give it a try,” said Dana. “That was in 2020, she was 26, when she started. It’s like a whirlwind.”
Dana said she really “showed dedication for it so we are supporting her.” Bon said the family was “very thrilled.”
In New Orleans where Miss Universe became a lure for tourists, Dana and Bon stayed two weeks before the actual competition “just to be around for whatever she needs.”
“Maybe just help pack her bags, she brought a lot of stuff,” said Bon. “Some of her items we hand carried.”
Dana said her daughter did not have a team to do her hair and makeup. “She’s done quite a bit of it on her own. She’s done so much of it. I know for the Miss USA, she had to do her own hair and make-up, that was a rule.”
As Miss USA, she was provided with an apartment and a Porsche to drive. “She’s very determined,” said Dana, “and I take pride in saying, I believe it’s true that she got it from her dad.”
Much to Bon’s chagrin, he confessed R’Bonney speaks no Tagalog.
“Unfortunately just ‘Salamat’ and ‘Kumusta.’ She smacked me in the head for not teaching her,” he said proudly.
It may seem like Jerty Evan Samson has coasted through life from Pacific island to Sin City to Florida’s Gulf Coast. He was born in Saipan where his OFW parents met and married, moved to Las Vegas in his 20s, and is now a resident of Sarasota, Florida where a local magazine has recently named him one of 35 Under 35 young professionals “who are taking a leadership position at their companies and in the community.”
There was an in-between time spent in Baliwag, Bulacan where he came of age and went to computer school before returning to the North Mariana island as a teen. There, he worked as a graphic artist for the local paper.
“I was living and working in Saipan at the age of 18 away from my family,” he said when reached by The FilAm. “It taught me a lot of perseverance in life.”
He realizes now how life’s transitions have prepared him for a future of constant ebb and flow. There were periods of adjustments that were difficult and scary but Evan craved his independence more than anything in the world.
He started an online graphic tees store in the Philippines while doing freelance design and marketing. He brought his skill set with him to Vegas where he also moonlighted as a restaurant worker. In Florida, he found his bearing. He is currently
working as an Integrated Marketing Communications Officer at Diversified Material Specialists Inc., (DMSI) an international company in Nokomis specializing in fiber optic product design and manufacturing.
Evan is proud to be one of two Asians in the 35 Under 35 honor roll bestowed on him by SRQ magazine. At DMSI, he was able to redesign the company logo, branding and all marketing documents. He took over the web design and development from an outsourced company. Additionally, he initiated a couple of side projects: building young employees’ confidence through networking and providing free access to books for the staff.
“They gave me the creative freedom that made me do what I love to do,” he told the magazine.
DMSI is led by a Filipino-American CEO, Jeneth D’Alonzo, he said. “The company’s values and purpose aligned with what I would always want to do. Create solutions not only through fiber optic products but also by building the community around us.”
He believed his “formula for success” is the quality of perseverance.
He said, “I wouldn’t be where I am now if I remained complacent and did not persevere. My perseverance allowed me to improve personally and professionally by not letting adversities define me.”
On a macro level, he shared his concerns about escalating homelessness and would like to see an economy “without leaving the community behind.”
If there is one person – living or deceased -- Evan would like to meet, it would be Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American Hollywood actress. “I would ask what made her resilient and persevering in being able to do what she loves to do and break all the boundaries despite facing constant stereotyping and discrimination in Hollywood.”
Music will always be part of Evan’s life. He started singing on stage when he was 5 years old inspired in great part by his grandfather Ernesto Dela Pena who composed timeless OPM songs, such as “May Bukas Pa,” “Kapalaran,” and “Araw-Araw, GabiGabi.”
“I always wanted to be a singer. A huge part of it was my grandfather. He has been an inspiration.”
