FILAM Ffebruary 2019

Issue 12, February 2019

More stories on the web @ TheFilAm.net

Photo by Wendell Alinea

Wit and humor in Gina Apostol’s ‘Insurrecto’ p14

What is the endgame

for Manny Pacquiao? p2

Marc delaCruz: The 1st Filipino Alexander Hamilton p3

Letter from the Publisher

What is the endgame for Manny Pacquiao ?

F

irst off, congratulations to Manny Pacquiao for his unanimous decision win against Adrien Broner. Sports journalists are highlighting how Pacquiao, 40, “cruised to victory” against his much younger opponent who is 29.

I have a lot of mixed feelings when it comes to Pacquiao. While I was truly happy he won yet again, I am bothered that he continues to subject his body to savage battering at his age.

I am one of legions of Filipinos who have seen the highs and the lows of this boxer who brought fame for the country. He is the best Pinoy fighter ever, surpassing even the sainted Flash Elorde in the pantheon of Filipino boxers. Unlike other Pinoy boxers who would win a world title, defend it once or twice and then fail as they lose their edge, Pacquiao remained driven and won – sometimes lost -- in spectacular fashion.

The Philippines would literally shut down and crime come to a halt when he has a match as millions filed into theaters to watch live feeds of his fights in the gambling mecca of Las Vegas.

And then he ran for the Philippine Senate and won handily. Now, he is thinking of becoming President and he would have a shot at that after President Rodrigo Duterte indicated he wanted Pacquiao to succeed him.

"Many of you know me as a legendary boxer, and I'm proud of that," Pacquiao told a Chinese publication.

"However, that journey was not always easy. When I was younger, I became a fighter because I had to survive. I had nothing. I had no one to depend on except myself. I realized that boxing was something I was good at, and I trained hard so that I could keep myself and my family alive."

Founding Editor Cristina DC Pastor Business & Advertising Manager Rene Pastor

Pacquiao wins unanimous decision in defense of his welterweight title at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Photo by Wendell Alinea/MP Promotions He is now 40 years old and still getting in the ring to fight.

Pacquiao the eight-division title boxer is, of course, much much bigger than Pacquiao the public official.

He spouts off against gays and LGBT folks, has little understanding of legislation, and shows for all to see that public policy is something way over his weight grade. He is an ardent supporter of capital punishment, and parrots biblical passages in arguing for putting criminals to death. He has tried his hand

at professional basketball, and, at one time, threw himself into acting.

In a Philippine political culture that is notable for its banality and tolerance of corruption, Pacquiao is more an oddity than anything else. Of course, if he wins the presidency, all bets are off. The thing is, one cannot cleave Pacquiao the boxer from Pacquiao the senator and wannabe-president. That likely accounts for the mixed feelings I have for the man. He made Filipinos proud as an athlete in a sports where you become outstanding and win renown by bashing the other guy into unconsciousness.

In a world where Filipinos are sometimes taken for granted, Pacquiao gave us a fleeting feeling of immense pride, no matter how perverse boxing is as a sport.

When he retires from fighting – and it will come sooner than later – I hope he finds contentment in the pride Filipinos feel toward him. I wish he would momentarily step back from his coterie of whisperers admonishing him to do this, do that, and be only with himself and his family as they reflect on what’s next.

He can remain a politician in Congress, build a school where he can mentor young boxers who want to follow him to the ring, do product endorsements, etc.

So many things to do with the time he has. Whatever it is, he will try to be good at it. But he needs to remove from his head the notion that he is a savior of the country.

I want desperately for Pacquiao’s legacy and legend to be preserved and honored. Let him be that rare sports hero to retire while still on top and revered by his fans.

Rene Pastor

Contributing Writers

Address P.O. Box 8071 New York, NY 10116 Contact Editorial: 848-219-0069 Advertising: 732-428-6318 Thefilamny@gmail.com

Tricia J. Capistrano

Elton Lugay

Joel David

Ludy AstraquilloOngkeko

Wendell Gaa Maricar CP Hampton

The FilAm is a publication of A&V Editorial THE FILAM |

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Mariel Padilla Lindy Rosales

Marc delaCruz makes history as the first Filipino Alexander Hamilton

By Cristina DC Pastor

When he is not playing Alexander Hamilton’s father-in-law, Philip Schuyler, or the doctor to his eldest son, actor Marc delaCruz is just happy being in the wings, listening to the show’s songs every night, bobbing his head or dancing.

“S

uch a joy!” he proclaimed.

Marc joined “Hamilton” in November, making him the third Filipino American in the cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s avant-garde Broadway musical, a mish-mash of R&B, hip hop and rap. (There are two other cast members, Karla Puno Garcia and Christina Glur, who are FilAm.) He plays a variety of roles, such as the revolutionary general Philip Schuyler; the man who blackmailed Alexander Hamilton over a sex scandal James Reynolds; and Philip Hamilton’s doctor. He also understudies the roles of the “Founding Father without a father;” his son Philip Hamilton; King George; and the temperamental statesman from South Carolina John Laurens. On January 19, he made history as the first actor of Asian descent to play American Alexander Hamilton on Broadway.

“I am over the moon to be a part of Hamilton,” he said in an interview with The FilAm. “I’ve been a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda since I saw ‘In the Heights’ and I always wondered at the possibility of being in something he created.”

He actually expressed disbelief when he learned he had passed the auditions and that he would be playing multiple roles. “As my manager was explaining the offer to me, I kept saying ‘Wait. What?’”

Just to audition was a thrill, he said.

“I had been listening to the cast recording for so long and had become such a fan of the music. Suddenly I’m finding out that I’m going to be singing it every night on Broadway—it all took a second to sink in. After getting off the phone with my manager I think I just sat in my living room for a long time in silence. I had been given such a gift and I immediately felt grateful. Then I told my parents and they freaked out!”

He described the series of auditions as getting more intense over time.

“I was given more and more materials to learn every time,” he said. “My first appointment was sort of a general audition where I was given cuts from two songs to perform. Then for every role

I auditioned for after that I was given a pretty dense packet of song cuts. Over the next series of appointments, I was given the Aaron Burr music, then Hamilton, then King George materials. I was eventually brought in for a work session with Patrick Vassel, the associate and supervising director, and Matt Gallagher, the associate musical supervisor. By the time I had my final audition with (co-creators) Tommy Kail and Alex Lacamoire I had so much material in my head, I was praying I could keep it all straight.”

“Everyone in the room at all of my auditions was absolutely wonderful—warm, encouraging, gracious,” he continued. He was all praise for the creative team members and casting directors Bethany Knox and Lauren Harris from Telsey + Co. “They pushed me to try different choices and worked with me as a collaborator, to see what I bring that’s uniquely me to the material.”

||Youngest child

Marc is the youngest of three children of Roy and Rochelle delaCruz. He was born in Hilo, Hawaii.

When he was 4 years old, the family moved to Seattle where he came of age and went to college.

His father immigrated from the Philippines when he was a kid. His grandfather served in the U.S. Army and was a survivor of the Bataan Death March. After the war, they all settled in Seattle.

Roy was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force.

Rochelle, who is of mixed race from Hawaii, was an English-as-a-Second-Language teacher for 30 years.

“My parents met at the University of Washington which is also where my brother, sister and I went to school,” he pointed out. “They are now both retired and live on the Big Island of Hawaii.”

It was his mother who brought Marc to see local stage productions as a young boy.

He told writer Walter Ang in 2015, “I was lucky enough to grow up watching a lot of theater. My mother felt it was important to expose her children to as much culture and art as possible.”

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‘I am over the moon.’ Instagram photo While studying at the University of Washington, he trained in dance and joined singing groups. He was cast in his first professional production, “The Fantasticks,” with the Northwest Asian American Theater Company.

He was cast in more productions after leaving Seattle. He joined the world premiere of “Allegiance” at San Diego, a national tour with Disney’s “High School Musical,” and a tour with the musical “If/Then,” which was his Broadway debut.

He considers it an honor to be cast in the critically acclaimed “Hamilton” which he described as groundbreaking in its artistry. “It has changed the landscape of musical theater and created a movement,” he said.

With profuse admiration for Lin-Manuel Miranda, he hailed the creator and composer for his tenacity, and musical and linguistic virtuosity.

“He is the voice of a generation.”

Darren Criss dedicates

Golden Globe award to Filipino mom

By Ruben V. Nepales

LOS ANGELES – The day after the annual Golden Globe Awards is always like a movie in Technicolor, with random moments popping up in my mind. My body aches all over from working all day, my sleepy eyes trying to shut tight.

L

ast Sunday, January 6 was the culmination of our preparations for the 76th edition of the awards, which we began as early as October last year.

The Golden Globes may be dubbed Hollywood’s party of the year, but there’s serious hard work involved in staging the night that honors excellence in film and television.

The day does not end with the intense, crazy red carpet scene and the show inside the International Ballroom of The Beverly Hilton. This year, there were seven after-parties, all within the complex, including the adjacent The Waldorf Astoria. It was a challenge to anyone’s stamina, especially to our guests who flew all the way from Manila and were battling jetlag: Francis Libiran, Arsi Baltazar, Victor Harry, Christian Mark, TG and Helen Limcaoco.

As the last song is played by the deejays at these bashes, workers immediately began dismantling the elaborate settings, from HBO’s covered pool to Netflix’ majestic tent on a nearby hotel construction site.

By the morning after, all I have are the images (plus these photos that somehow I was able to take amid the craziness) and words that flash in my Multi-awarded FilAms Criss and ‘Miss Saigon’ actor Jon Jon Briones celebrate at a Golden Globe after-party mind.

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‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ actor Darren Criss is the first Filipino-American to win a Golden Globe Award.

Photos by Ruben V. Nepales What stands out is Darren Criss’ shout-out to his Pinay mom, Cerina, who was watching the show in Fox’s viewing party at the Hilton with his dad, Charles William, during his acceptance speech on his historic win as the first Filipino-American to win a Golden Globe.

The charismatic actor said, “This has been a marvelous year for representation in Hollywood, and I am so enormously proud to be a teeny-tiny part of that as the son of a firecracker Filipina woman from Cebu who dreamed of coming to this country and getting to be invited to cool parties like this. So, mom, I know you’re watching this.

You are hugely responsible for most of the good things in my life. I love you dearly. I dedicate this to you…This is totally awesome.”

This column, reprinted with permission from the author, Ruben V. Nepales, originally appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Consul Khrys Corpuz Popov: Finding love in Gotham

By Cristina DC Pastor

Some diplomats fell in love with the country they were sent to, the culture and its people. Consul Khrystina Corpuz just fell in love. Period.

K

hrys is returning to Manila, after six years in New York City, with her Ukraine-born American husband Dmitry Popov. She’s put in her time, carried out some fresh and innovative projects, made a lot of friends, and earned a promotion. Not bad for her first diplomatic assignment.

When she learned she was going to NYC, Khrys recalled she almost could not believe it. “New York is a coveted post, and I did not consider myself as a standout. I did not come from a high-profile office in the DFA, I was a ‘long shot,’” she said while sitting on an exercise ball behind her desk.

She remembered being interviewed for the position of junior female officer in charge of Public Diplomacy by then Consul General Mario de Leon Jr. sometime in March 2012. On their wedding reception, Ambassador De Leon, who stood as one of their Ninongs, revealed she wasn’t his first choice but the post dropped on her lap anyway because his favored candidate was on study leave and unavailable.

Khrys was hard to bypass. She was in her early 30s, smart, exuberant, willing to learn, polite and pleasant.

I first met her when she was still learning the ropes. At a book launch for former President Fidel Ramos, she was supposed to open the program. Her voice quivered a bit. In time, opening an event has become a breeze.

She was cracking jokes and knew to keep her audience in stitches. She has become confidently in charge.

“I just became comfortable over the years,” she said. “Comfortable, not confident.”

has always been the issue,” she pointed out.

Less than one year in, Khrys garnered the friendship and cooperation of some young community leaders and together they organized the Philippine Graduation (PGRAD) on the East Coast in June 2013.

For the next six years, they would make more collaborative programs, such as the Leadership and Mentoring Seminar Series, the Dual Citizenship initiative, and the Innovators Network.

In July this year, Khrys pioneered a heritage tour for young Filipino Americans called Diskubre.

She led a group of millennials traveling around the Cordilleras for 11 days, trying their hand in farming, preparing a boodle feast, sharing in the rituals and traditions of the communities while learning about their homeland’s history.

“It is one of my proudest accomplishments,” she said.

She met Dmitry – nicknamed Dima -- an IT professional from Brooklyn, via a dating app she tried on the suggestion of a friend. Their first dinner was at Purple Yam during Filipino Restaurant Week.

||Corporate job

After graduating from UP Diliman with a bachelor’s degree in Tourism, Khrys took her MBA at De La Salle University. While in school, she worked for a travel management company and earned a badge from the Australian Tourist Commission as an ‘Aussie specialist agent.’ She traveled to Australia once or twice a year to upgrade her knowledge about the travel industry.

“I like the travel, the perks,” she said. “After about five years it dawned on me that corporations are really just for profit. I wanted to do something else.”

In New York, Khrys became the consulate’s point person with the millennial community.

“I dealt primarily with the young FilAms. The millennials, they excel at doing things on their own. It’s so hard to attract them to join the mainstream community. That

Khrys and Dima during the Explore Islands Philippines dinner gala at Cipriani’s.

||Living abroad

While they were dating, she asked if he was willing to live abroad. Around this time, her recall to the home office was imminent. Dima was not too thrilled.

“He said ‘no’ right away. I said ok. I just let it simmer, I just sat on that information,” she said.

Dima’s idea was for the two of them to get married and for her to live with him in Brooklyn as his wife.

Khrys’s preference was to continue to “live the diplomatic life.”

Where to live and how to proceed became an unsettled issue but the two got married anyway. When he saw the Philippines – they had a second wedding in Tagaytay — he felt an instant connection with the country and the people.

She said, “He loved the country from the get-go.

We were biking in Intramuros during Diskubre, we were biking around the slums with kids playing in the streets, and he said, I have a weird feeling about this place. I feel so at home. People are so warm.” Dima is coming around to the idea of working remotely or finding a job with a local IT company.

||Russians similar to Filipinos

Her last Philippine Independence Day reception in 2018.

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“What I found early on was that Russians are very similar to Filipinos. They’re very close to family,” she said.

Dima grew up in Ukraine when it was still a state within the Soviet Union. He was 9 years old when his family fled to the U.S. and settled in Brooklyn.

“His first language is Russian,” said Khrys. “The Russians are very close to family. I have noticed this about his friends too. Within three weeks of dating him, I already met his grandparents.”

Khrys and Dima look forward to restart a new life together in the Philippines.

Artemio John Tecson:

Connecting with people through music

By Cristina DC Pastor

“Every concert is nerveracking,” declared Artemio John Tecson, who is coming up fast in the FilAm music scene.

T

he 25-year-old rising star who admires Stevie Wonder recently held his first solo concert, “With Love, Temi,” on February 2 at DHaven in Woodside, Queens.

Although he has performed at prestige venues, such as Carnegie Hall and Atlantic City, and opened for heavy hitters like Sarah Geronimo and Martin Nievera, Temi was still overcome with some form of stage fright and a little bit of restlessness common among limelight legends like Adele and Lady Gaga. He only begins to relax when he sees his audience connecting with his music and singing along.

Temi’s talent began to emerge when he was 1 year old, according to his mother Miles Dela Cruz.

“At the age of 1, he had signs of being a performer. He used to stand on top of a table Carving his place in the pop and R&B music scene. or couch dancing and singing,” she said.

Photo by RJ Ensalada A little over-the-top, said Temi amused at his mom’s endearing recollection. His own memory as wings. After about three years, he got noticed a budding musician is maybe 5 years old, humming for his voice — as well as his boy-next-door “My Heart Will Go On” from the movie “Titanic.” looks. He was cast in TV and print commercials Vacationing in Rome with mom Miles Dela Cruz: ‘She’s done “That’s the earliest I can remember, humming and appeared in “Maala-ala Mo Kaya” drama so much for our family.’

Celine Dion,” he said when interviewed by The anthology series.

FilAm. Temi stopped singing when he came to the The concert on February 2 was a fundraiser The youngest of five boys, Temi’s interest in U.S. in 2010. He was focused on getting his life for his upcoming trip to Hollywood in July music was nurtured early by his family. At age 8, started in a new country. That did not stop where he is slated to compete at WCOPA — or the he joined the St. Andrew’s School Children’s Choir him from watching area concerts like those by World Championships of Performing Arts. He where he debuted as a “formal singer” until he had Ed Sheeran and PJ Morton of Maroon 5, and remembered watching Jed Madela on TV in 2005 gathered enough confidence to sing solo at school meeting local talents. He continued to be a fan of and marveled at how Jed swept six gold medals in affairs, weddings, and parties. He competed in OPM’s Christian Bautista, Eric Santos, and Gary six musical categories. contests, notably placing second in the ABS-CBN Valenciano. Gary’s “How Did You Know?” was a “I watched Jed become world champion. That’s Duet Bulilit contest. favorite song in high school. how I knew about WCOPA,” he said.

A choir director known for spotting raw talent One day, he was invited to perform at the OPM Temi works as a supervisor for receptionists for invited him to join a boy band he was forming.

Icons Live concert with Hajji Alejandro, Marco a media advertising investment company. Singing Temi joined XY Kidz with three other boys and Sison, and Nonoy Zuniga. Since then, producers will always play a huge part as he transforms into together they were billed Asia’s Youngest Boy have cast him in concert after concert – Wency the consummate artist he aspires to be.

Band. They did mall tours of SM and Robinson’s Cornejo, Sarah Geronimo, Martin Nievera, Jenn “Since I was a kid, I wanted to sing,” he said. wearing Garfield clothing, and making some Cuneta, and performed at The Outstanding “I’ve seen people performing on stage. I told pocket money.

Filipinos in America at Carnegie Hall for two myself I wanted to be like them because they make He took voice lessons, with Ryan Cayabyab and consecutive years. Until it came time for Temi to people happy. I wanted people listening to my ABS-CBN’s Talent Center taking him under their hold his own. songs and feeling connected with my music.”

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Lilwyn Dyer: Educating nurses on how to prepare for retirement

By Cristina DC Pastor

When Lilwyn Lucas Dyer of Ridgefield, CT came to the U.S. in 1992 and was looking to start a career for herself, she studied to become a nurse at first.

“I started (with Nursing) because I thought it didn’t involve complicated Math subjects,” she said. Ironically, she ended up with a BSBA in Finance degree.

Fate played a karmic prank and led her to a career where she is surrounded by nurses.

As an agent at New York Life Insurance Company in the Westchester General Office, business and health care co-exist beautifully in her chosen world.

Her clients are mostly Filipino nurses, a client base she has carefully cultivated for almost 17 years with the company.

“Most of my clients, about 80 percent, are Filipino nurses and their families. I love working with them, they’re compassionate, they care for their families, and they know the importance of saving,” said Lilwyn, whose parents are from Pampanga. “Many of the nurses I’ve met have no life insurance from work, and many of them are supporting families in the Philippines.”

One aspect of her job is very personal: She engages her nurse clients in frank, heart-to-heart talks about their future. It can be about preparing for and making sure they do not run out of money during retirement.

She stresses the importance of having their income protected “if something happens to them prematurely.” It’s like Lilwyn is their guide and confidant.

“My clients have become my friends.”

Because she is Filipina, nurses trust her immensely. She understands the importance of providing for family back in the Philippines, while making sure they are also saving and taking care of themselves here. She attended the recent Philippine Nurses Association of New York Christmas party in Manhattan, where she celebrated with friends, her client base, and potential referrals.

“We’re comfortable with one another, because we share the same culture. We speak the same language,” she said. “I understand their needs.”

To new nurses, Lilwyn emphasizes the importance of preparing early for their future. “I educate them that now is the best time to save when there are not too many expenses yet (like schooling for the kids, mortgages, etc.). They understand the importance of saving.

I feel they’re willing to save, they just need someone to guide them,” she said.

Some nurses leave such financial decisions for later in life, in their 60s or when they are already in retirement. “Although starting early is the best time, it’s never too late,” she said, cautioning also about health conditions to consider when deciding at an advanced age.

Starting a retirement plan is easy depending on how much they want to save for their future income, she said. “I don’t want to push them. I want to make sure they’re comfortable.” She stressed how some nurses don’t have work life insurance, and even if they do, usually “it’s not enough.”

She said she is fortunate to work with New York Life that gives her the option to have flexibility with her schedule.

“I appreciate that I have the ability to customize my career to the various stages and seasons of my life. I have the ability to pursue a career while being a mother, taking care of my family, and I can serve the community,” she said. “The most sacred aspect of my life as a woman is being a mother. I’d like my soul to be measured by my compassion in shaping my children into adults and not just by my professional and financial success. Therefore, work-life balance is very important to me.”

She has three children named Kyle, Summer and Autumn Raine. Paul Dyer, her husband, also works with New York Life as a Corporate Vice President in the Northeast zone.

With husband Paul Dyer, a San Francisco Bay Area native. They work in the same company.

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‘Work-life balance is important.’

She met Paul, a San Francisco Bay Area native, when they both took the role of development managers with the company. They wed in California, lived in Seattle for eight years, and moved to Connecticut in August 2018.

“I am inspired by this career to serve my clients with intensity and passion, to work with all my heart, with a commitment to a greater cause. This is part of my calling,” she said.

Lilwyn Lucas Dyer can be reached at 408-813-0441 or at LLucas@ft.newyorklife.com.

Children Kyle, Summer and baby Autumn Raine.

Queer Pinays yearn for unconditional love,

acceptance from family

By Cristina DC Pastor

Two activists shared their personal journeys as queer Pinays and their thoughts on gender violence and the culture of silence within the Filipino American family.

R

iya Ortiz, lead organizer and case manager of Damayan Migrant Workers, and artist-activist Mary Ann Ubaldo — who is known on social media as Panday Banale — were interviewed on Makilala TV for the episode “Queer Pinays: Pride and Prejudice” slated to air on Manhattan Neighborhood Network on January 24. The TV talk show, now on its sixth year, is hosted by three women, namely public health professional Rachelle Ocampo, book author and fitness coach Jen Furer, and community journalist Cristina Pastor.

The women stated how they would like to be identified. Panday said she identifies as “queer, gay, dyke and lesbian.” Riya said she would like to be known as a “queer immigrant Filipina butch.”

They said gender identity is a spectrum where a person has the freedom to assign any role to himself/herself.

“It’s a spectrum, not a box…and it’s fluid.” said Riya.

Both women had their coming-out moments, first in the Philippines and then the U.S. Panday came out in the Philippines around the age of 27 when she wanted to live with her girlfriend at the time.

“My parents said no,” she recalled.

When she immigrated to the U.S. some years later, and came out, it’s like a dam broke. She gravitated toward other lesbian FilAms, and they founded Kilawin Kolektibo, the first Filipina lesbian organization in the U.S. For her groundbreaking militancy, she was featured in Filipinas magazine and became the poster child of the Filipina lesbian. Although she felt free and happy, her family did not feel the same way.

“When my sister faxed the article to my mother, she didn’t talk to me for a while. My elder sister also didn’t want to talk to me,” said Panday. “You are happy but they’re not.”

For a long time, the family gave her the silent treatment and no one spoke about Panday’s declaration of gender independence.

Riya, who knew at a young age that she was ‘different,’ also came out twice. “I was crushing on my kindergarten teacher when I was 5. I remember this photo of me holding her hand like I was feeling something,” she shared with an almost embarrassed smile.

When it was time for her to come to the U.S. as

an adult, she decided to present herself looking like a girl so as not to disappoint her mother who has been in the country as an immigrant.

“I was actually very afraid meeting my mother.

We’ve been separated; I didn’t want her to feel like she failed because I became queer. So, I started becoming more feminine. I bought these baby tees, my hair was longer, I started acting more feminine,” she recalled with amusement her awkward attempt to appear female. In the end, she had a feeling her mom knew.

Riya shared a narrative of how a gang of four young men surrounded her in an E train because she was a “woman, brown and gay.” All because she spoke up in defense of an elderly woman the boys were bullying.

“I said stop bothering her. They surrounded me.

I really felt threatened…That’s the reality of queer people,” she said.

Mundane acts, such as the use of public restrooms, can be, at times, problematic.

Panday remembered how some women would suspect she strayed into the wrong toilet and tell her the Men’s Room is next door. “They would say ‘over there,’ and I’d say ‘no.’ It’s funny. I don’t take it seriously.”

Riya’s rule of thumb is to enter the public toilet after everyone has left or when no one is using it. “Under Donald Trump, I’ve experienced extra anxiety,” she said, especially with the current administration enabling attitudes promoting white supremacy, homophobia, and heterosexism.

Makilala co-host Cristina Pastor acknowledged how she was “gripped with fear” when her daughter told her she was gay. She and her husband worried their daughter would be ridiculed, discriminated based on gender, and that she would be the target of bias. “As a mother you don’t want any of that on your children,” she said.

In a surprise, unprompted moment, co-host Jen Furer revealed how her son came out as transgender just two weeks before the talk show went live to drive.

“My child just came out two weeks ago, and there were no signs,” she began an emotional narration.

“He told us he’s transgender. As a mother you love them unconditionally. But then you have all these emotions. I went through the process of denial, anger, bargaining, depression. I don’t know how long it takes.”

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Long-time friends in the LGBTQ movement Riya Ortiz (left) and Mary Ann Ubaldo aka Panday Banale.

Riya addressed Jen’s anxiety by offering her congratulations for having a trans child. It’s ok, she said, for the parents to grieve because “as your child is in transition, you are also in transition.”

When questioned by co-host Rachelle Ocampo what advice to give to parents of gay children, Panday urged them to be more understanding and make time and space until their children are ready to proclaim and assert their new identity.

“It’s a process that doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “Read up on the issue, make friends with other queer people.”

Support from the family is very important, stressed Riya. “What I would like to hear from my mother, whether verbal or in writing, is that ‘I don’t completely understand what’s going on, but I support you.’

A Santo Niño procession in Jersey

By Cristina DC Pastor

A religious devotion that began in the early 1500s when Spain colonized the Philippines.

A modern-day Santo Niño

A Santo Niño wore an Old Navy cap. Another had a missing hand. Another accidentally dropped on the church pavement and broke into many tiny pieces. They were among nearly a hundred images brought by families to the Divine Mercy Parish in Rahway, New Jersey to be blessed.

I

t is only the Filipinos who have this strong devotion to the Santo Niño, said Fr. Alex Cruz, who officiated the mass followed by the blessing with holy water. Other cultures do not have a Santo Niño in their Faith although some of them worship a version of the Christ Child and call Him the Infant King.

History tells us that our fervor for the Santo Niño goes all the way back to the 1500s when Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan gifted the image to Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana, the rulers of Cebu, when they converted to Catholicism. Lapu-Lapu, a rival of Humabon,

resisted the coming of the foreigners and put up a fight in the Battle of Mactan. Magellan perished in that battle.

As the Spanish colonizers advanced, Cebu was one of the provinces they attacked and torched. Amid the debris, the Santo Niño gift from Magellan had remained intact.

The tale that the Santo Niño was a miraculous image had spread all over the country generating legions of followers and devotees.

“My Santo Niño came from Spain,” said Virginia Jacobson, a retired art designer from Clark. “It was given by my in-laws as a pasalubong from their travels.”

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Her Santo Niño, one of the tiniest in the procession at three inches, is made of wood and shows an image painted in red. Jacobson keeps the image, wrapped in cotton, in a small box.

Jerel Malapit, who is chairperson of the Aklan Association USA, brought with her one of the biggest Santo Niño images dressed in yellow and topped with a red velvet cape. The statue is 2.5 feet tall.

“I bought it for myself on my birthday,” said Malapit, who works in the medical staff of Huntington Hospital.

The Santo Niño showed up in many different shapes, sizes and artistic styles – wearing a cape, carrying a cross, with arms outstretched, wearing a native Filipino hat instead of a crown, painted in all white, lying on a crib, with wig-like hair, etc.

In whatever form, the Santo Niño image will continue to be venerated by religious Filipinos all over the world.

A bite of the Big Apple

By Edwin Josue

One of the most emotional and financially important decision in a person’s life is a purchase, sale or lease of a home especially if one is to live in the greatest capital of the world: New York City. Dubbed as the vertical city, one has to learn a whole gamut of contract and legalese terms, possession of a deeded title or buying of shares, representation, closing and other related real estate matters.

Managers for their individual units.

Real estate taxes may be deductible, however common charges are not.

The Board of Managers is elected by the condo residents to oversee building operations and enforcement of the “house rules.” The board uses the common charges to pay employees, as well as repair and improve the building.

Condominium transactions include a “right of first refusal” by the Board within 20-30 days from receipt of a completed application.

Cooperatives

Cooperatives, or co-ops, comprise a significant portion of New York City’s real estate market. When purchasing a cooperative apartment, one purchases shares of stock in a

corporation that owns the building and usually the land beneath. A stock certificate representing the purchased shares and a proprietary lease giving the right to occupy the apartment are conveyed at closing.

The size of the apartment and its amenities determine the number of allocated shares, which therefore determines the amount of maintenance. Maintenance fees cover the operating costs of the building such as upkeep of common areas, staff salaries, as well as payment of real estate taxes and interest on any underlying building mortgage.

A Board of Directors, whose duty is to conduct the business of the corporation and oversee the management company of the building, is

elected from among the shareholders.

Typically, the Board or an interview committee reviews the application of each prospective shareholder or lessee and presides over a personal interview prior to approving any purchase or lease. The Board has the right to approve or deny any applicant without cause.

Most co-ops require shareholders to occupy their apartments as primary residences; however, depending on the building, there may be an allowance for subletting.

A prospective lessor is required to submit a formal application and personally interview with the Board for its approval. Duration varies from building to building, so be sure to ask your agent to confirm.

FEATURED PROPERTY 166 East 63rd Street, Apt 3C NY/NY 10065 Postwar Condo $2.4 M

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t is highly recommended that one has to select a team of real estate professionals to guide you throughout the process – a team usually composed of a real estate broker, a real estate lawyer, and a bank loan officer or mortgage broker.

New York City is comprised mainly of cooperative and condominium apartments with a smaller selection of private homes, which we call townhouses or brownstones. It is important to understand the differences among these types of building apartments if one is to find a place in Manhattan or its surrounding boroughs.

||Types of Ownership Condominiums

The ownership of a condominium apartment is similar to the ownership of real property. A purchaser of a condo takes title by deed for not only the apartment but also a percentage of the building’s common areas. Each owner pays property taxes to the city and common charges to the Board of

Living Room. Comfortable Living on the Upper East Side

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windows, outdoor structures, hot water, electrical systems, video monitor and anti-theft systems are maintained by the homeowner, unless a property manager is hired. In addition to single family townhomes, some properties are designated as multi-dwelling, i.e., 2- to 4-family homes. Check with your attorney about the possibility of increasing or decreasing such designations. Keep in mind that homes which are larger than 4-family are considered a commercial purchase.

Edwin Josue is a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker at Halstead Manhattan, LLC located at 499 Park Avenue, 14th Fl., NY, NY 10022.

He can be reached at O: 212-381-3304 C: 917-560-6874 or at ejosue@halstead.com. www.halstead.com Kitchen

Condops

By definition, a condop is a residential cooperative where the ground floor (typically commercial units) is converted into a separate condominium owned by either an outside investor or the original sponsor of the building. Because the owner of the condo is not the owner of the co-op, the co-op does not receive the benefit from the condo income.

Cooperatives that operate in the style of a Condominium are commonly yet inaccurately referred to as condops.

Townhouses and Houses

A purchaser of a townhouse or house receives “fee simple” ownership of real property. The owner is responsible for payment of real estate taxes and common charges such as but not limited to water, electric, gas, as well as insurance.

The owner is also solely responsible for approving the sale or lease of the property. When owning your home, all equipment, repairs and upkeep such as roof, heating/cooling,

Bedroom

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Lawyer and brother killed in family dispute;

another sibling is arrested FilVetREP has announced that its general counsel Enrico “Erick” Soriano and his brother, Felicito, both passed away at their home in Marikina, Philippines on December 21.

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hey died as a result of a family dispute, which is currently under investigation. Both were laid to rest in Christ the King Columbarium in Quezon City on December 27.

Erick and Felicito were born in Manila, Philippines, but were U.S. citizens. They were among 12 children of Mariano Soriano and Mercedes Castor, also from Manila. Erick was 59 and Felicito was 72.

According to an Inquirer report quoting police officers, the U.S. citizen brothers were shot by an older brother Nilo, 77, over a dispute on the ownership of their house, which he later allegedly set on fire.

It appears that Nilo, a retired maintenance engineer, lives in the Philippines. He has been arrested.

The report states that, “(suspect) Soriano ‘mercilessly shot’ his younger brothers, Felicito, a 72-year-old businessman, and Enrico, a 60-yearold lawyer, whose scorched remains were discovered by police operatives after firefighters had put out the flames…According to the (Eastern Police District) EPD, Soriano ‘threatened to kill his brothers due to a dispute in the ownership of their house’ while the three were having breakfast on Friday.”

A housemaid was the lone witness. “(She) told the police that before she fled outside the house, she saw Soriano pouring gallons of gas on his dead brothers’ bodies,” adds the report.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic news,” FilVetREP Chairman Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret) said. “We convey our deepest condolences to the Soriano family. FilVetREP respects the family’s privacy during this very sad time, especially that Erick and Felicito’s deaths happened during the holidays.

Please include the Soriano family in your thoughts and prayers.”

FilVetREP – or the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project – is the organization that campaigned that Filipino veterans of World War II be honored with Congressional Gold Medals in recognition of their service. In October, or after a year-long campaign, surviving veterans received their medals.

A published bio states that Erick Soriano was a partner in the D.C. office of Garvey Schubert Barer.

Before that, he served in senior capacities with several of the nation’s largest and most reputable law firms, including Reed Smith, Kelley Drye & Warren, and Fleischman and Harding (now Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge).

In addition to his private practice, Erick represents several nonprofit organizations pro bono. He is a member of several bars and voluntary bar associations.

Erick obtained his J.D. from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University in 1991 where he was, among other roles, Editor-inChief of the International and Comparative Law Journal and a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. He also has an M.A. in Communications from the University of Oklahoma.

A memorial service is being planned to celebrate Erick’s and Felicito’s lives. Both brothers have many friends across the country and especially in the Washington D.C. area, according to a statement from FilVetREP. To send your sympathies for Erick and Felicito, please address them to Ms. Priscilla Sutherland c/o Ms. Margaret Lacson-Ecarma, 2116 South Columbus Street, Arlington, VA 22206.

Lawyer Erick Soriano. He was known for representing several nonprofit organizations pro bono.

Retired Maj. Gen. Tony Taguba (2nd from left) with World War II veterans Jesse Baltazar and Ray Cabacar who received their congressional gold medals, a flagship project of FilvetREP. Also in photo are Senators Tim Kaine of Virginia and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii who supported the legislation. Photo: FilvetREP THE FILAM |

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||February 10 to April 28

Calendar

of Events

||April 27,

7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

PNA New York Spring Conference: Reimagine and Transcend the Culture of Nursing NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital 301 East 17th Street, Manhattan, NYC

Winter/Spring Sayawan Na! Philippine Folk Dance Program (in Bergen County and Rockland County) Sundays 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Sukha Arts Center 76 Schraalenburgh Road Harrington Park, NJ 07640

||May 5,

Sundays 4 to 6 p.m.

8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Surge Studio 285 N Route 303 Congers, NY

Rooftop Penthouse Spring Fling Party 230 5th Ave. Penthouse, 20th fl.

||February 15,

||May 13,

7:30 p.m.

Kevin Obate: Jazz for Love Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel 135-20 39th Ave, Flushing

||February 15,

||February 16,

8 p.m.

7 p.m.

The Sleeping Beauty New York City Ballet 20 Lincoln Center

Geo Live at 54: The Encore Feinstein's/54 Below 254 W 54th St.

||February 16,

||February 19 & 26,

Manhattan Fashion Week VHV Fashion Pages 4 W 43rd Street

Beginner Open Role Tango Series (for LGBTQ and straight allies) 12 St. Marks Place Studio 4f

7 p.m.

||February 16 & 17, 9:30 p.m.

Harlem Fashion Week Museum of the City of New York

8 p.m.

||February 20, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Recipe for Success: Business Conference Hilton Garden Inn Lakewood Hotel 1885 RT-70, Lakewood, New Jersey

||April 14,

||February 15,

6 p.m.

7 p.m.

Gary V Live in New York The Town Hall 123 W 43rd St, NYC

Free Days at the Museum Whitney Museum of American Art 99 Gansevoort St.

||April 26,

||February 15,

9 a.m.

7 p.m.

Organizing 2.0 Annual Training Event The Murphy Institute, CUNY SLU 25 W 43rd St, Fl 19th

Afterwork Seafood Fridays at 95 South 778 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn

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7:30 p.m.

Lea Salonga in The Human Heart Tour Sony Hall 235 West 46th St.

||June 12, 7:30 p.m.

Selected Shorts: A Celebration of James Baldwin Symphony Space 2537 Broadway

||August 30 – September 2

20th Grand Reunion and Convention, University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America, Inc. Crowne Plaza Hotel at San Francisco Airport, Burlingame, California

||2020, July 1

Filipino American National Historical Society Metro NY Chapter National Conference Waikiki Marriott Beach Resort & Spa

A touch of dry humor in Gina Apostol’s ‘Insurrecto’

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By Eileen R. Tabios

ina Apostol’s novel “Insurrecto” started receiving plaudits as soon as it was released, including citation in Publishers’ Weekly’s Best Books of 2018. Praise, the novel does deserve, for its masterful language as it presents a multi-layered and consistently energetic disquisition on a Samar Massacre during the Philippine-American War. From the 1901 incident in Balangiga, Apostol spirally addresses a multitude of topics and themes through the characters of a U.S.-American filmmaker Chiara Brasi with translator and expatriate (residing in Queens) Filipina writer Magsalin. Both are researching, and competing with each other, as they The award-winning author. Her humor occasionally becomes poetry. explore the story of Casiana Nacionales who had strategized the decimation of implication of a person’s “thinking” as this phrase: “dwarves in space (a an occupying American garrison. being a “terrible condition.” It’s the physicist’s dream).” I’m no physicist Appropriately, critics have noted and type of phrasing that generates readso I don’t necessarily understand that will note the novel’s importance—its erly affection for its many applications phrase, yet it makes me laugh. necessity even—as a rare treatment of beyond the novel’s narrative (including Apostol’s humor bears that element a war, The Philippine-American War, in a reader’s own life). that maximizes the funny: dryness. that stubbornly has been, to quote Apostol’s humor also sources wonHere’s an example about one of the proApostol, “unremembered.” But neither derful metaphors. For instance, this tagonist’s ways of conducting research, do Philippine-American relations— sentence that takes place in a house which should be appreciated by all of us relations, not just that early 20th bearing soaked carpets from a rain: netizens: century war—constrain the novel’s “An obscene dead cockroach, its gen“After clicking on all the Balangiga narrative. The novel also ranges over italia splayed out for the world to see, items in her Google search, as far as film-making techniques, Muhammad is coming and going in waves, like an page 102, Chiara says she cheated and Ali and Joe Frazier, Elvis Presley, upturned boat with frail masts.” Not began a new search. She finds fifcolonialism, Pres. Duterte’s rule as well only is that sentence picturesque but ty-seven articles by an Iranian journalas the natures of art, memory, desire, it’s grin-cracking droll. ist named Samar, and twenty more by family, culture-making, and other Similarly, Apostol’s humor enlivens her Jordanian counterpart also named elements of the human condition. her similes. For instance, the second Samar, before she narrows her search What has received less critical attenreference in the phrase “as ordinary as to ‘Balangiga Samar 1901.’ It is embartion so far—so that I choose to focus stirring coffee or scratching an armpit.” rassing to note Chiara’s unscholarly on it—is Apostol’s keen sense of humor The latter’s slyness brings in a welcome search habits but I imagine no one is that is of immense help in harnessing impishness to a scene describing a unfamiliar with her process.” this rambunctious novel into a manwhite celebrity filmmaker maneuverOne of the most effective ways to ageable and then enjoyable read. ing through Manila. enhance the effect of a joke or a witty Apostol’s humor helps in characteriApostol’s humor, perhaps despite remark is to underpin it with deep zation. For instance, in describing the itself, even occasionally becomes thoughtfulness; multiple layers of character Ludo, his wife Virginie at poetry: “Emotion will lie in the film’s significance elongates resonance—it can one point observes that Ludo “is still structure, like a silent grenade.” make unforgettable a joke or other manithinking, a terrible condition”—an Apostol can even elicit a laugh over festation of humor. Apostol’s humor is so observation that makes the reader something that may or may not be smart it seamlessly and often transitions pause to laugh as one considers the understood by a reader. For instance, to meta. For instance, “he laughs as if he THE FILAM |

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The ‘rambunctious’ novel is a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice. has invented the act that will follow and that, soon enough, swallows him.” That’s a statement that can linger or come up unexpectedly as a recall, given its penetration as an observation.

“Insurrecto’s” story is wide-ranging, thus, contains many dark elements because such is the 20th-21st century history of the Philippines. Apostol’s sense of humor helps us bear the darker aspects even as it highlights the darkness of such aspects, from colonizing wars to contemporary horrors ranging over incompetent bureaucrats wreaking havoc on Manila’s traffic or extrajudicial killings. Apostol clearly conducted her research well; one can discern that her own sense of humor was helpful for processing discoveries that led to this novel. It’s unfortunate that humor, while helping us to bear negative situations, doesn’t necessarily translate to solutions for such situations. Thus, “Insurrecto’s” story ends in song, and (or, but) it is karaoke.

Eileen R. Tabios has released over 50 collections of poetry, fiction, essays, and experimental biographies from publishers in nine countries and cyberspace.

More information about her work is at http://eileenrtabios.com.

A visit to ‘Lord of the Rings’ set in New Zealand

By Wendell Gaa

Thanks to “The Lord of the Rings” films based on the classic novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, the remote, beautiful island country of New Zealand is portrayed as the fantasy world of Middle Earth. Kiwi director Peter Jackson filmed every one of his Tolkien-inspired movies in his native homeland.

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he sites for Jackson’s Middle Earth movies were located in different parts of New Zealand, yet a majority of them, save for one, needed to be taken down due to environmental concerns. That one production site, which is open for the public to explore, is the Hobbiton movie set in the Matamata area, which is some two hours driving distance from Auckland. Being a huge fan of the Tolkien movies, as well as his novels, visiting Hobbiton was a high priority on my itinerary.

It was super convenient that Auckland was the final destination in the two-week cruise my mother and I took from Australia. We hired the same cab driver who took us from the city’s seaport to our hotel to drive us all the way down to Matamata. An Indian immigrant to New Zealand, he was well aware of which highway route to take, given that the road networks in the countryside appear quite simplistic and well organized.

The scenery which greeted us was tranquil, green and rugged. I saw how the open space was quite ubiquitous, which is another urban landscape characteristic that New Zealand is renowned for. Our driver stopped over at a lookout point from where we could take a few selfie shots with the breathtaking landscape.

On arriving at the entrance to the Hobbiton movie set, I was already charmed by the location itself, rich with green rolling hills and pastures.

From first glance, I could immediately understand why Peter Jackson and his crew settled upon this exact site to film the hometown scenes of the Hobbit characters.

Our young Kiwi tour guide was no doubt an expert on Jackson’s Middle Earth films. We walked inside the narrow pathway leading to the “hobbit hole” houses that were constructed during the filming of “The Hobbit” trilogy, which began in October 2011 and took only 12 days to complete. The entire filming set indeed does have a fascinating history which has become legendary amongst the locals. We learned how at the peak of filming, 400 people — comprising actors, filmmakers and crew members — were on site, including at various times the cast members

Sir Ian McKellen who played the benevolent wizard Gandalf, and Elijah Wood, Martin Freeman and Sean Astin, who respectively portrayed the Hobbit heroes Frodo, Bilbo and Samwise.

The guide further narrated to us how Peter Jackson and the New Line Cinema studio “discovered” the filming area — or the Shire as it is called in the books and movies — which is a broad 1,250-acre sheep and beef farm, during an aerial scout for ideal filming sites. Actual construction of the Hobbiton set began in March 1999. The New Zealand Army provided the heavy earthmoving machinery in developing the set, as well as built a 1.5 km road into the site.

Each of the small 40 hobbit hole houses we saw were well intact and complete with actual props used in the movies. Even though the interiors for each of them were barren, taking selfies outside the houses was more than a satisfying experience for us. A couple of the houses we saw had chimneys with actual smoke coming out! Needless to say, we imagined how laborious yet enjoyable it must have been for the filmmakers and actors when they were shooting here and seeing how small in height many of the houses were.

We heard from our guide how special camera visual effects were used to make the actors, who portrayed the Hobbit characters, appear smaller onscreen.

A few of the houses were big enough for us to pose in front of, and the guide graciously took a few photos of my mother and I standing at the doorstep of one such house, which by itself was already the perfect souvenir of remembrance for me after finally seeing for myself New Zealand’s only permanent movie tour set of one of the greatest fantasy film epics of all time.

The author is about to enter one of 40 hobbit hole houses constructed in the town of Matamata and used in Peter Jackson’s films.

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Mormon AG, Christian pastor named to Trump commission on AAPI

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wo prominent Filipino Americans were named to President Trump’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). They are Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and Herman Martir of Texas.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) National Chairman Brendan Flores hailed the appointments. He said, “Attorney General Reyes and Pastor Martir are dynamic leaders of our community, equipped with a unique understanding of the issues and policies that affect the more than four million Filipinos and Filipinos Americans that call the United States home.”

“We are proud that President Trump has selected two exceptional Filipino American leaders to represent our vibrant community on his AAPI Advisory Commission,” he continued.

Reyes, according to the website of the Attorney General’s office, was appointed Utah’s 21st Attorney General in 2013, the first ethnic minority to hold the position.

In 2015, he was selected by the Republican National Committee as one of its rising stars. Reyes graduated summa cum laude from Brigham Young University in 1994, and earned his law degree with honors from U.C. Berkeley in 1997. He and his wife have six children, and

they are members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints.

The website said he “practiced for nearly 14 years at Parsons Behle & Latimer, the largest law firm in Utah, where he became one of the first minority lawyers to make partner at a major Utah firm…He is the son of a Spanish-Filipino immigrant father, who fled the Marcos regime, and a Japanese-Hawaiian mother.”

Among his hobbies are playing basketball, coaching his kids, dancing with his wife Saysha, watching Sports Center, cooking, shooting guns and rapping on Bloomberg News.

Martir is a pastor of a multi-ethnic church in Fort Worth, Texas. He is also the president of Asian Action Network and Asian Prayer Network, organizations seeking to connect Asian American Christians to “pray and work together to see reformation in America.” He is the founder of Emerging Leaders International, a coalition of leaders working together to “bring transformation in the seven spheres of society, namely Church, Family, Government, Education, Media, Entertainment, and Business.”

Donald Trump’s 12-member Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was previously known as the White House Initiative on AAPIs (WHIAAPI). The initiative was created by President Bill Clinton in 1999 to advise on issues facing the AAPI community.

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes (left); Pastor Herman Martir Several NaFFAA leaders have served at WHIAAPI in various capacities: • Gloria Caoile, founding NaFFAA Vice Chair, served as a Commissioner under President Clinton • Angelo Dalmacio, current NaFFAA Communications Director, served as Communications and Policy Advisor of WHIAAPI under President Obama • Rozita Lee, former NaFFAA Vice Chair, served as a Commissioner under President Obama • Jason Tengco, current NaFFAA Executive Director, served as Deputy Director of WHIAAPI under President Obama

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The bells of Balangiga and their long journey home U.S. Air Force veteran R Sonny Sampayan-Sampayan spent 21 years working on the return of the bells of Balangiga. The journey of the bells lasted 117 years. A grand-nephew of noted novelist Carlos Bulosan, he was born in Binalonan, Pangasinan and migrated to California at the age of 10 in 1969. Below is his account of the three bells’ long journey home.

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By R Sonny Sampayan as told to The FilAm

t began as a personal pursuit in 1997.

I was on active duty assigned to Ramstein AB, Germany, when during Commander’s Call, my commander told all of us that we were the unofficial ambassadors of the United States and that we should try to improve relations with our allies.

I thought, hmm.

I was travelling to the Philippines to find out who Edith Sampayan — who was to become my wife — was.

I was curious because we share the same surname.

I’ve seen her name on credits of several ABS-CBN programs. Upon arrival in San Francisco en route back to Germany, I picked up a copy of Philippine News and read about the plight of World war II veterans and the Balangiga bells.

I began to spend long hours in the Ramstein library researching the story of the 1901 Balangiga Incident in Samar. The incident would take on two related narratives: The brutal killings of nearly 50 American soldiers at the hands of Filipino guerrillas — some dressed in women’s clothing — and the killings by U.S. retaliatory forces against thousands of Filipino villagers. Filipino guerrillas fleeing Balangiga burned the village and the U.S. forces also torched Samar when General Jacob Smith ordered his men to “turn Samar into a howling wilderness.” As a result, religious artifacts, including church bells, were found on the ground. U.S. forces brought them back as war trophies and also to prevent Filipino guerillas from melting them for ammunitions.

This is a common practice during wars.

Private Adolph Gamlin and other survivors went back to Balangiga after the massacre to bury their comrades. He drew a map of the village and identified landmarks and locations where all the Filipino and Americans were buried. His daughter, Jean Wall, who was with us during our research, kept that map and shared it with us.

||Return one bell, keep the other

Something curious happened around 1998. Then Philippine Ambassador Raul Rabe visited Wyoming and spoke with Wyoming veterans who were adamant about keeping the two bells at the F.E. Warren Air

special assistant and senior adviser to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi in 2002. Swede became fascinated by the story of the bells which he often heard from me.

In 2002, Swede and I reached out to California philanthropist Dr. Tom Stern, his Filipina wife Yolanda Ortega Stern, and Maria Lazaro-Elemos, a registered nurse who helped in the lobby effort. Our small group met in the Sterns’ home in Napa. We were joined by Jean Wall, who briefed the group on the history of Balangiga.

||The ‘Bible on Balangiga’

‘It is my duty (as a Catholic) to forgive those who were involved in the Balangiga incident.’

Force Base in Cheyenne. (The third bell is in Korea.)

He showed the documentary, “Savage Acts: Wars, Fairs and Empire,” produced by the American Social History Project of the City University of New York to the veterans. The film about America’s campaign of expansionism, with a narrative on the Philippine-American war from 1989 to 1902, did not sit well with the veterans. Before the documentary was shown, the veterans had supported returning one bell and keeping the other one. The return of one bell did not happen.

||Quiet years

Nothing was heard for several years, although quiet diplomacy continued away from the attention of the public and the media. I met with several individuals who would join the Balangiga Bells crusade.

I came to know Erwin “Swede” Huelsewede, another U.S. Air Force man, who would become a THE FILAM |

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I hated her guts in the very beginning then I began to understand her. We became wonderful friends despite long heated debates over the phone and e-mails.

She wanted to educate researchers on the true story of Balangiga. She also wanted to clear the name of her father and Company C, 9th Infantry; many of the soldiers died in the attack. I’ve visited Jean and saw original letters in her possession. Jean is the “bible on Balangiga.” Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

In 2003, then-Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato and Bishop Leonardo Medroso of Borongan asked the Vatican to intervene. The Apostolic Nunciature endorsed their request – contained in endorsement letter #20.901 — “to have the bells of Balangiga returned to the Church to which they originally belonged.” That request fell on deaf ears.

Vice President Cheney is from Wyoming.

In 2004, Swede and I traveled to Wyoming for the very first time. We were shocked and angered when we saw the Balangiga church bells. I thought the bells belong in the church not on a parade ground. We met the 12 Wyoming Veterans Commissioners (WVC) and pleaded that the church bells be returned. The WVC appointed Joe Sestak as the committee chair to look into the Balangiga bells issue. Sestak was at the forefront of the campaign to keep the bells in Wyoming.

Around this time, Jean Wall was invited to attend the next WVC meeting. She presented newly discovered facts but refused to take sides. After her presentation, Sestak made a motion for the return of the two church bells and put it to a vote. The motion won.

Sestak did a 180-degree turn. I was ecstatic. I thought the return was going to happen soon.

||Poisoned the tree

Not yet. Those who opposed the return continued their campaign to keep the bells. Wall and Sestak were scheduled to meet with then-Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, shortly after the vote but that meeting was abruptly cancelled. The antis had poisoned the tree.

The years 2010 to 2012 were crucial. I formed the Balangiga Reconciliation Initiative (BRI) with Jim Flynn and John Dickson. We continued to lobby in Congress, and some lawmakers who believed in our cause filed resolutions of support. We met with then-Ambassador Jose Cuisia and Delfin Lorenzana, who was at the time head of the Office of Veterans Affairs at the Philippine Embassy. I have known Secretary Lorenzana for many years because of the veterans issue. Lorenzana went on to become Defense Secretary under President Rodrigo Duterte. The bells brought us back together again last March in his office in Manila.

In 2012, we learned that then-President Barack Obama had given the green light for the return of the bells. It would have been the highlight of former Philippine President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino’s state visit to Washington D.C. The bells was among the top three topics in the agenda.

Our group was reminded that the U.S. government could not spend a penny for the return of the bells.

Our group, with support from unnamed members of the Filipino American community, began to receive pledges; we needed to raise funds quietly anticipating the return. It may not happen before or after the Aquino visit but it was going to happen. We were both thrilled and challenged because the project was becoming more complicated — and expensive. At the time, we were working on a potential budget of anywhere from $250K to $500K for the cost of removing

The author and Joe Sestak, Wyoming Veterans Commissioner, met for the first time at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming in 2004

More stories on TheFilAm.net FILA

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||Green light from Obama

two bells from Wyoming, one bell from Korea, crating them, and shipping them to Samar. Our group was able to receive pledges of up to $70K from the FilAm community. But again, three Wyoming delegates got into the act. They introduced a rider to the NDAA or the National Defense Authorization Act which prevented the return of the church bells.

The language on the subsequent 2018 NDAA was the turning point because Congress gave the authority to Secretary of Defense James Mattis to return the bells if certain pre-conditions were met. By this time, several groups of people working independently of each other had been coordinating with top-level officials for the return. They had access to high-level officials of the U.S. government and funds available to pay for the required cost. We didn’t coordinate with them, they didn’t coordinate with us.

On November 14, Mattis announced the return of the Balangiga bells to the Philippines in a ceremony at Warren Air Force Base. I credit Mattis, Dr. Joseph Felter, who is his Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Southeast Asia. I also credit Secretary Lorenzana and members of the U.S.-Philippines Society for the turn of events.

One month later, my wife Edith and I visited the tomb of Company C Commander Capt. Thomas Connell at West Point. The Roman Catholic faith is a forgiving institution. As a Special Envoy of the Diocese of Borongan in Samar, it is my duty to forgive those who were involved in the Balangiga incident.

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Issue 12, February 2019

Consul Khrys Corpuz Popov: Finding love in Gotham p5

Brother kills brothers: Nightmare before Christmas p12

R Sonny Sampayan tracks Balangiga Bells’ long journey home p18