Issue 28, June 2020
Peque Gallaga
Understanding his legendary rage
FilAms in Real Estate The future will be very different
Laura Garcia, DNP, RN
The nurse as a political organizer
Letter from the Editor
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What is it about Filipino nurses and courage ?
n 2012, when Hurricane Sandy hit the New York area with devastating fury, the world came to know of the heroism of Menchu de Luna Sanchez. Menchu was the quick-thinking Filipina nurse from NYU Langone Medical Center who saved 20 infants when the city lost power and was plunged into darkness. She led her unit in carrying the babies in incubators and transferring them one by one to a facility that had electricity. They had nothing but cell phones lighting their tricky rescue mission. In his 2013 State of the Union, President Barack Obama honored Menchu and urged the nation to “follow her example.” Menchu is not the first Filipino nurse to exhibit bravery and presence of mind to save lives. There are countless others, like Corazon Amurao in the 1960s who survived the slaughter of 8 nurses in her Chicago dorm by hiding under her bed. Her testimony led to the arrest of troubled carpenter Richard Speck. In recent weeks, the media had reported on the stories of numerous nurses across the U.S. who died while caring for COVID patients. So, what is it about Filipino nurses and courage? These twin traits of steely resolve and fearlessness seem to be ingrained in Filipino nurses from the moment they make the decision to leave their families to work abroad. Those qualities stay with them as they carry on with their job of caring for their patients. The FilAm sought the scholarly insights of nursing historian Ren Capucao from Virginia to understand why the Filipino nurse is an exceptional health care professional. We ask him: Why is nursing the default career for many Filipinos? Is nursing a pathway to
Hero Nurse Menchu Sanchez, RN with former President Obama. ‘Follow her example.’ better paying jobs or are Filipina nurses in demand because of their reputation around the world as warm, motherly, and nurturing. Capucao – who will be joining the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System in June as a pediatric nurse – examined how Filipino nurses have been “alternately hailed and tormented” throughout history. He took note that today’s racial bias related to the pandemic is more pronounced than when Filipinos came to work in the U.S. shortly after World War II.
Contributing Writers Tricia J. Capistrano Ludy AstraquilloOngkeko Joel David Mariel Padilla Wendell Gaa Maricar CP Lindy Rosales Hampton Danielle Vania Angelito Cabigao Bonus
Founding Editor Cristina DC Pastor Address P.O. Box 8071 New York, NY 10116
He walked us back to the colonial history between the U.S. and the Philippines. At the time, the nursing profession was still relatively new in the Philippines, and many families found nursing no different from servile work. He said: “I think the main appeal of nursing then was it was something new. It allowed women to escape the domestic sphere, learn modern knowledge, and provide a way to make sense of the new imperial regime.” The first postgraduate education for nurses in the Philippines wasn't established until 1922. This necessitated study at U.S. nursing schools if Filipino nurses wanted to be considered for leadership positions in the Philippines, which was slowly undergoing the Filipinization of the bureaucracy. “Anastacia Giron-Tupas who became the superintendent of the PGH School of Nursing in 1919, I believe, was paid almost as high as a Philippine senator. So, there was that economic allure of nursing early on,” he said. “But as more nurses, as well as other pensionados, returned from their studies in the U.S., they propagated American values and knowledge and curiosity among younger generations. Yet the idea of women traveling independently was queer to the traditional Philippine values, but I'd argue that brave Filipino nurses began permanently relocating to the U.S. before the passage of the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934.” Between the 1920s to 1950s, the agrarian economy of the Philippines was unable to accommodate the output of nurses, so many of them were unable to practice. The U.S., facing a critical shortage, turned to its former colony who had a surplus of nurses. Said Capucao, “Maybe it’s a historical accident, but the mid-century changed everything.”
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At ‘drive-by parties,’ cars honk Happy Birthday
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nce upon a time, children reveled in the passage of each birthday celebrated with friends and relatives over grilled hotdogs and parlor games. COVID-19 has changed all that. Two families shared with The FilAm how they organized their daughters’ ‘drive-by parties’ where guests stayed in their cars honking their greetings and gifts were sprayed with Lysol. Abigail Lauren Sy of Bergenfield, New Jersey, celebrated her 15th birthday with about 30 cars lined up in front of their house honking and making all sorts of noise. Inside the cars were friends and families greeting her a Happy Birthday on May 17. Abbey was by the door of the family residence smiling, waving and air-kissing her well-wishers. The gifts were handed by the front lawn and Abbey would pick them up with a quick ‘thanks.’ No extended conversations, no hugs and kisses, which is the “challenging part,” according to her mother Cheely Ann Sy. Cheely, who works as a Talent Acquisition Consultant, decorated everything. There was no time to order a cake, so she and her daughters baked one. Abbey is the second of the Sys’ five children, including Cassie, 18; RJ, who passed away from a rare type of cancer in 2014; and twins Samuel and Raphael, 3. “We had over 30 cars show up including two fire trucks and police cars, the former Mayor who is a great friend, and most of our local friends,” she said. “The cops and the firemen gave the freshman at Bergenfield High School, a fist bump. “Everyone was just craving the human touch,” she said. The neighbors came out of their houses wondering what the noise was about and eventually joined the festivity from their front steps. The Sys served light snacks of cupcakes, pancit, and leche flan to show their appreciation. “Everything was grab-and-go,” said Cheely. After circling around the block three to four times,
By Cristina DC Pastor
the vehicles left. The envelope gifts were put in a basket and wiped clean. “She didn’t think anyone would show up,” said Cheely of Abbey’s initial reaction to the idea of throwing a weird gathering where guests came but stayed in their cars. “It was an amazing feeling that they all got out of their houses to honk their love for her.” Over in Long Island, Emily Victoria Reyes turned 5 years old on May 11 surprised by the honking of cars the afternoon of her birthday. Her mother, Charina Reyes, led a caravan of friends’ cars that drove in front of their house noisily honking their birthday wishes. “I invited Emily’s friends, family friends through Facebook so they could RSVP,” shared Charina, a physical therapist who works in the family-owned Reyes & Reyes Physical Therapy clinic in Baldwin. “I included a rain date in case of bad weather.” The guests assembled at the town Abigail Sy’s drive-by party was attended by 30 cars. pool parking lot where they festooned cars with posters and balloons. When everybody was ready, a portable Bluetooth played Happy Birthday and Charina led the pack of vehicles to their house where Emily was excitedly waiting with her father and elder sister Lauren. “We told them they didn’t have to bring any gifts, just handmade posters or banners with birthday greetings,” said Charina. Still, there was a stream of presents which she sprayed with Lysol before handing to Emily. “Wearing masks, my husband and I approached each of the cars and handed the passengers – who were also wearing masks — their goody bags to thank them. After a good 20 minutes from the meeting place, everyone left to go home,” she said. Emily was ecstatic seeing her friends and realized how different this birthday celebration was. Said her mom, “I thought drive-by is so sweet. It’s good to Emily Reyes was ecstatic to see her friends at her Princess-themed party. have this touch of comfort.” THE FILAM |
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From the slums of Iloilo comes Broadway producer Jhett Tolentino
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hen Jhett Tolentino debuted on Broadway in March 2013 for producing “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” that starred Sigourney Weaver, he received his first Tony Award. He was in a daze and had to pinch himself but was also aware that he was the first Filipino producer to receive a Tony Award in that category. When Jessie Eisenberg announced the winner for Best Play, Tolentino ran towards the Radio City Music Hall stage, turned to the TV cameras and waved knowing that he was honoring the Filipinos and the Philippines at that moment. After all, it was 22 years prior since the first Filipino, actress Lea Salonga, won a Tony Award. As it turns out, two more Tony Awards followed him (both in one night) for producing the 2014 Best Play Revival “A Raisin in the Sun” with Denzel Washington, and the 2014 Best Musical “A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.” Not only that, he is also the first Filipino producer to win a Grammy Award for the 2017 Best Musical Theater Album “The Color Purple,” featuring Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks and Jennifer Hudson. That win made him the first Filipino citizen to win both Tony and Grammy Awards. So when asked by Boy Abunda on The Bottomline on what Tolentino considers his highlight, he said, “my walking to school in flip flops in the heat of the sun.” His father is a jeepney driver, his mother was a beautician. Born in 1976, he is the youngest of four children. The family lived in the slums of Iloilo. “What nails me to the ground is my beginning. It molded me to what I am now,” he said. Tolentino was told by his parents to stop after elementary school because his parents could afford to send only his three older siblings. When they finish school and would be working, they would be able to finance his schooling. With due diligence, he found the Meguko Society, a student organization at the Sophia
University in Tokyo, and it supported his high school and college education at the University of Iloilo where he finished his accounting degree. He worked in Hong Kong in 1999 before coming to the U.S. At the time he had six jobs at the same time: four in the Philippines and two moonlighting jobs in Hong Kong for American and Japanese companies. The path to Broadway was paved with many twists and turns and a crazy quilt of jobs that brought him across two coasts and three states.
Tolentino during his high school graduation at the University of Iloilo High School Department in 1993. He came to the U.S. in 2002 and worked in California in sales and marketing of consumer electronics. He was 25 years old. On the side, he babysat and waited tables. Two years later he moved to the East Coast and landed a home mortgage job in Hamburg, New Jersey followed by a position as an Accounting Manager for a high-end Persian rug company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Tolentino arrives at the 40th Olivier Awards in London where his produced show ‘Hand to God’ was nominated for Best New Comedy in 2016.
A scene from ‘Life Is What You Make It,’ where Tolentino visits his beloved Alma mater Calumpang Elementary School during his first comeback to the Philippines after 13 years. THE FILAM |
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When a friend invited him to come to the Big Apple, he did not think twice. He became a personal assistant to the Rich and Famous, managing several homes for his employers in Manhattan and the Hamptons, and riding their private jets. He also became a licensed caregiver. One of his clients was a cantankerous man who had lung cancer. When he passed away in the Hamptons, the widow remained friends with Tolentino until her sudden death last year. He became a Broadway habitué, watching the latest musicals with friends. He was very articulate and truthful with his remarks that his friends encouraged him to write a blog. He did. As a blogger, he was known for being precise, candid and merciless in his reviews. He got invited to readings, rehearsals, and opening nights. When he realized how hurtful his reviews were to some industry people, he decided to shut down his blog. And thus, began his life as a producer. He had a knack for identifying which shows would be viable to bring to Off-Broadway and to Broadway and discuss production possibilities with his employer and other well-heeled friends. “The financing of each play or musical is expensive. From $3 million for straight plays to $10 million at the very least for a musical because of live orchestra,” he said. “The fact is: Only 20 percent of all theater shows become profitable and able to recoup the investment; the other 80 percent are losses and are tax writeoffs to the investors.” In 2018, Tolentino wrote, produced, and directed his first film “Life Is What You Make It,” a documentary highlighting the importance of education in his life. The documentary has won multiple Best Documentary awards in 11 countries, including Russia, Netherlands, and Taiwan. His advice to Filipinos who dream big: “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
My body, my pregnancy By Danielle Vania Bonus
A little over a year ago, I went on an exciting trip to Siargao, Philippines for my best friend’s wedding. In writing the story for The FilAm, I left out all the romantic details of the trip. The romance continued and transferred itself over to Hawaii where he is from and the adventure eventually led to my next article entitled, “Reckless in Oahu.”
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few months later, I found out I was pregnant with my first child. Yup, I know what you are thinking: That was quick. I was living in New York at the time and the uncertainty of my future lingered in my head. Time passed and what seemed like a blink of an eye, nine months went by. My baby girl was born. I was a mother at 34. My editor reached out to me with a request for an article on my pregnancy. The task seemed emotionally challenging due to the countless angles to consider and reflecting on some of those moments seemed daunting. However, I was not going to let a mere request for an article rob me of my joy. I went through a whole year of spiritual toughening and to revert to silly thoughts seemed counterproductive. But I will state this: there is value in the traditional customs of dating and marriage. My hardships are my own doing, and for those affected by my choices, I am sorry. Nonetheless, there is still a story to be told and lessons to be learned from my experience. Once a woman becomes a mother, her world begins to change from the inside out. Her perception of life begins to shift as her heart gears toward protecting herself and her baby, leaving what once was important by the wayside. The first trimester goes by, and if she is anything like me, she has already spilled the beans to her closest friends and family. Then the kind and unsolicited advice begins. They all have an opinion about mommy and baby. Mothers, let me save you some energy and say that if this person does not have a vagina, is not a medical professional or does not have any children, don’t even consider what they have to say unless they are backing you up 100 percent. Protect your maternal space. Of course, we have the friends that think they are looking out for your well-being, but when a child is involved, everyone needs to respect mom. Motherly instincts are designed to benefit and protect the mother and her child. Mothers need to listen to their hearts. I get it though, during these nine months a mother is only doing the best she
can to keep it together. That is why when all else fails, you get down on your knees and pray. My pregnancy was the dream pregnancy. No morning sickness or cravings. Maybe some leg pains here and there during my 3rd trimester, but nothing major. One time, I had unbearable stomach pains that turned out to be just gas. Luckily, my mother was there to diagnose the problem and burp me. My baby girl stretching towards opposite ends of my stomach was probably the most uncomfortable feeling, yet I found it overwhelmingly satisfying to know she was alive and well. At times I thought to myself, I am completely undeserving of such an easy baby, but that is what made my experience incredibly powerful and beautiful- I was walking to the rhythms of God’s grace. Comfort in my pregnancy flowed out in abundance. Considering the battles, I had to face, I knew someone up above was fighting them for me. A few weeks before my due date, I found out that my baby girl was growing at a much slower rate than most babies. Her movement and heart rate were evaluated for abnormalities and fortunately, everything was normal. There was a huge possibility that my placenta was not giving the nutrients my baby needed to grow, so, the doctor scheduled me for induction on my 38th week. The news came at me like a pile of bricks. I was already mentally managing so much; I did not need the excess weight, but the unsolicited advice came as hard as the comfort and support. Once again, I had all the power in the world to choose how to respond and that time, I chose to worry. For nothing! From the time I started pushing up to the time my baby girl came out was 36 minutes. She was itty bitty weighing in at 5 lbs 2 oz. She was perfect — so perfect that any pain or exhaustion caused by over 24 hours of induction and labor combined was depleted. I named her Emmanuelle, meaning, “God with us.” She is my constant reminder of God’s grace upon my life. I want to acknowledge my biggest supporters all the way down to the one person who offered to keep me balanced as I struggled to put my shoes on. It really did take a village. Thank you. THE FILAM |
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The author celebrating the life within her.
Emmanuelle at 4 months. The name means ‘God is with us.’
PAL Group passes global safety audit Philippine Airlines and PAL Express have successfully completed the 2019 IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), confirming both airlines’ strict compliance with the highest international aviation safety standards.
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he IOSA is the internationally recognized safety evaluation system of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that rigorously assesses the operational management and control systems of an airline. The audit is conducted every two years and is accepted by top government aviation authorities as the gold standard in airline safety assessments. The IOSA audits for PAL and PAL Express started in November 2019 and ended in the first quarter of 2020. PAL has completed its seventh consecutive IOSA renewal, marking
14 years of full international safety compliance by the country’s flag carrier. PAL was the first Filipino airline to be IOSA-registered for safety, and for eight years was the sole airline in the country to earn and sustain that distinction. PAL Express was the second Filipino airline to be included in the IOSA Registry in March 2014, and earned its first renewal in March 2016. It has now completed its fourth consecutive certification with the recent successful Audit. “The IOSA registration affirms that safety is Philippine Airlines’ topmost priority and at the heart of our
THE FILAM |
operational culture,” said PAL President Gilbert F. Santa Maria. “In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, that safety culture is what drives us to spare no effort in ensuring the safety of all the travelers who put their trust in our airplanes and our people when they travel. We look forward to the opportunity to resume flying so that we can serve the Filipino people and help in the coming recovery of the Philippine economy.” The consistent IOSA renewals of PAL and PAL express were among the key factors that earned them the maximum rating of “seven stars” rating for safety, as announced last year by the international rating organization AirlineRatings.com. PAL is a certified 4-Star Global Airline and was ranked 30th best airline in the world by Skytrax in 2019, along with the World’s Most Improved Airline honors.
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Passing the audit and the resulting inclusion in the IOSA Registry confirms that the PAL Group airlines conform with industry safety standards particularly on the following crucial disciplines – Flight Operations; Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance; Organization and Management (including the airlines’ Safety Management System and Quality Management System); Operational Control and Flight Dispatch; Cabin Operations; Ground Handling Operations; Cargo Operations; and Security Management. Both airlines operate under the common brand name “Philippine Airlines” and serve 76 destinations in the Philippines and abroad, although regular flights had been temporarily suspended since March 2020 due to the lockdowns and travel restrictions under the ongoing global pandemic. -- Philippine Airlines
Author Roselle Lim gives voice to the Filipino-Chinese By Lynn Alejandrino-Topel
Aspiring Filipino authors take inspiration and hope in the number of published works by writers of Asian descent. One such author is Roselle Lim. Her first book entitled “Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune” has spawned a second book in the same universe called “Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop” which is due for release this summer. Her books feature characters, settings, and elements from both her Filipino and Chinese heritage.
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er journey to published author status was not easy. It took her 10 years, seven manuscripts, a change of agents, a switch in literary genre, and multiple revisions before finally seeing her first book out in print in January 2020. Her books allowed her to give a voice to the Filipino-Chinese whose traditions are subtly different from mainland Chinese and distinct from the Filipinos they grew up with. Though her family migrated to Canada when she was just 10 years old, she has been able to keep up with many traditions. She said in an interview with The FilAm, “My family held tight to our mishmash of Chinese and Filipino customs. We always had our food and continued to practice our own brand of Catholicism mixed with Chinese beliefs. My parents learned English, but continued to speak Hokkien and Tagalog at home. It helped that most of my mother’s family had also moved to Toronto. We gathered every week to eat, talk, and play mahjong.” Even with the presence and support of family, moving to a new country is not without its challenges. Though English is taught in Philippine schools, Roselle’s teachers in Canada “questioned” her command of the language. She took this to heart which led her to think that she “could never be good enough.” On top of that, she had to learn French— which was “Greek” to her. Her dreams to become an author were set aside as she dived into arts and crafts instead. But the nagging desire to put words on paper remained, and she was able to work with a therapist to lift the “artificial limitations” she had imposed on herself. Roselle honestly explained, “It’s a daily battle against self-doubt. Some days I win the battle. Some days I don’t. But each day, I again face off against my inner critic.” Her first book tackles anxiety and depression which are often taboo subjects in many Filipino-Chinese households.
In her latest book, Vanessa Yu travels from the familiarity and comforts of her Palo Alto community to enter into a quest for understanding her gift of fortune-telling. Under the tutelage of her Aunt Evelyn (a supporting character in the first book), she learns more about her secretive aunt and discovers that she may not always fight fate but fate always finds a way to fix things in the end. In both books, Roselle adds magical elements. “I feel that magic exists in ordinary life. I’ve lived with Chinese superstitions, and this is an extension of it. My grandmother fed me stories about women spirits who separated their bodies and about flying vampires who feasted on internal organs. Whether it’s driven by fear or wonder, believing that magic ‘Speak your truth and it will find an audience.’ exists makes life more colorful and a little more Website photo awesome,” she said. Food is another common thread in her stories. In the first book, Natalie Tan introduces readers to many Filipino and Chinese dishes, while in the second book, Vanessa Yu explores all that Paris haute cuisine and patisseries have to offer. This line from her first book seems to explain why food is such an important part of her writings: “Food possessed the power to evoke memories. I associated every dish with a moment of my life. Nothing transported me faster and more vividly.” When asked what her favorite dish is, she replied, “A bowl of salted duck egg congee served with noodle-covered oil sticks (youtiao). I crave this Chinese dish every fall and winter. It’s the perfect warm hug.” And for dessert, “My favorite It took 10 years, seven manuscripts, a change of agents, and Filipino food is the cake of my dreams: sans rival. multiple revisions before seeing her first book ‘Natalie Tan’ It’s perfect! Crushed cashews, rich buttercream, published. ‘Vanessa Yu’ followed shortly after. and fluffy meringue layers! There’s nothing else like it. I order a whole cake as a birthday gift to myself each year.” Lynn Alejandrino-Topel is a Maryland-based public Roselle has this to say for aspiring writers: “Write school teacher and a mother of twin boys. She graduated your truth…Your story is a living, breathing entity from Ateneo de Manila University and when not teaching, waiting to be in the world. Have courage. Know that she writes about local food eats as well as travel tips for your voice is important and that if you speak your visitors to the Washington, D.C. area. Contact her through truth it will find an audience.” her website www.the-mama-travels.com. THE FILAM |
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When ‘staying home’ redefines the meaning of real estate
“S
By Cristina DC Pastor
tay home.” The cautionary phrase seems to have flipped real estate on its head in New York City where property is one of the hottest selling commodities aside from Broadway. People are selling homes and fleeing homes; they are renting instead of buying homes. Real estate has been “significantly shaken” by the vicious coronavirus, with property professionals interviewed by The FilAm predicting a future that will look very different. “It will not be the same as before,” said Nonoy Rafael, a licensed real estate salesperson with Charles Rutenberg Realty Inc. Right now, the changes are easily visible with real estate showings being conducted online through virtual tours, and meetings between agents and buyers done through Zoom or Facetime. “Currently, all Open Houses in New York have been ‘closed,’” he said. Limited showings are scheduled and sellers, buyers, landlord, tenants, and brokers cannot be in the same place at the same time due to the nationwide implementation of social distancing. Not to mention that when a meeting does take place, everyone must wear a mask. “Electronic and digital contracts are the new norms,” he added. “Welcome to the new normal,” said Edwin Josue, an Associate Real Estate Broker at Halstead Property where property tours are done via Instagram, Facebook Live, and YouTube. “It’s the world of virtual reality with virtual showings, virtual communications, and virtual closings.” COVID has harshly impacted the industry, especially a luxury market that is at its weakest in years, according to Stevenson Van Derodar, a licensed real estate salesperson of R New York, formerly Charles Rutenberg Manhattan. In the luxury market, he said: “There has been an average 21 percent drop in average price per square meter at the end of the 1st Quarter. Overall
inventory across market levels is down. Listing inventory was down 8 percent year-on-year since the first quarter and even more down for the 2nd Quarter with COVID-19 and with reduced person-to-person meetings.” He shared how a colleague was showing a building listing at a multi-million price and it was taking a longer time in the market than usual. “Real estate in New York is in a frozen zone,” said Rafael. As for rentals, Van Derodar said few landlords are offering concessions and reducing prices to accommodate the adjustments in the market. He knows though of a landlord who did not raise his rentals as an incentive to excellent renters with no delinquencies or as a condition for updated due date payments. Josue noted how real estate has been picking up in the 1st Quarter of 2020 despite months of tepid market activity in the previous quarters, both in terms of sales and rentals. “Then the lockdown happened,” he said. “The market was in a standstill, but there were sales and rentals that continued to happen as contracts were in place prior to it.” He said Halstead has reported an uptick in traffic of interest especially among buyers and renters. In the high-end market, there are still people who inquire especially families in need of space as a result of the lockdown, he said. There is interest also coming from renters as some apartment prices have remained unchanged. “It’s all based on supply and demand.” Rafael pointed out how real estate contracts now include a disclosure of COVID history of all people involved as implemented by the State. The COVID-19 Disclosure form notifies the seller and buyer of the risks of potential exposure to the virus associated with permitting an individual to enter the property. “Things are changing,” he stressed. With resilience a hallmark of New York, all three agree it is a just matter of time for the industry to recover. THE FILAM |
Stevenson Van Derodar: Seven years in the industry with a focus on Manhattan Sales & Rentals. Photo by Fidel Mercado
Nonoy Rafael: Fifteen years in the property business. Facebook photo
Edwin Josue: More than 25 years in real estate. Facebook photo “New Yorkers are well-known to be resilient from the myriad dilemma we have faced. Hopefully, with God’s blessings, we will have a formidable surge of activity when normalcy returns,” said Rafael. It will not be the normal we know, but a 9
new mode of social interaction where people are meters apart from each other, said Josue. It will likely be implemented in commercial establishments like movie houses, schools, banks, or churches. Said Josue with a touch of resignation: “We need to find a cure soon.”
COVER STORY
Laura Garcia, DNP, RN: The nurse as a political organizer By Maricar CP Hampton & Cristina DC Pastor
For almost 23 years, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations-New York has been mobilizing the community to get people to vote, increase Filipinos’ political representation, and fight discrimination.
The nurse educator in 2010. Today, she says: ‘I teach the frontliners.’
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aura Garcia, DNP, RN, who is serving her second term as State Chairperson, has added another important concern: Eliminating hate and racism. “I would like NaFFAA Eastern Region at the White House led by NaFFAA National Chair to highlight this message (on my Brendan Flores (4th from left). Laura is at center. second term),” she said. If you told Laura, a registered nurse, that she would “We focus on issues that are important and valuable one day become a political advocate, she would probably like leadership development, civic engagement and have the heartiest laugh. Even now that she has made national advocacies. Some of NaFFAA-NY’s advocacies significant inroads as a community leader, she has never include promoting collaboration on issues affecting viewed her organizing work as “political” in nature. It’s Filipino Americans in the areas of education, health, because, to some, being political is often misconstrued as the youth, the elderly, employment and training, civil being electorally partisan, something NaFFAA-NY isn’t. rights, immigration, discrimination, and many more. “To be clear, NaFFAA is a non-partisan, tax-exempt, All of these have political pathways,” she said. non-profit association that promotes the active participation of Filipino Americans in civic and national ||Grandfather was a town mayor affairs,” she said when interviewed by The FilAm. Laura’s maternal grandfather, Don Aguilino Garcia, “NaFFAA, however, is full of individuals who have was mayor of his town in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur (1920strong convictions – political or otherwise,” she made 1925). She said jokingly, “I must say, I still have to the distinction. research whether there is a strong correlation between The National Federation of Filipino American genetics and political predisposition.” She preferred to Associations was founded in 1997 by a group of leaders sketch herself as the type of person that “when I see a known for their pronounced political views: Philippine problem, I like to find a solution.” News publisher Alex Esclamado, TLC Beatrice CEO She remembered a momentous time in 2010. She Loida Nicolas Lewis, acclaimed guitarist Michael was an Assistant Professor at the Long Island College Dadap, and San Francisco State College Board PresHospital School of Nursing (LICHSON) in Brooklyn. She organized a campaign to halt the closure, over ident Rodel Rodis. The broad stroke was to promote financial difficulties, of the hospital and the school the welfare and well-being of all Filipinos and Filipino where she worked for almost 20 years. Americans. How to make it happen would depend on “I even wrote a personal letter to Governor Cuomo to the succession of leaders that helmed it over the years. help save the school,” she said. It did not help, but it was The federation is organized into 13 regions with each region comprising several states. NaFFAA-NY is under an eye-opener of an experience on campaigning over issues. The school eventually closed in 2013. the Northeast region. THE FILAM |
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With Fernando ‘Nanding’ Mendez in Times Square’s Theater District where the couple has an apartment. LICHSON means so much to Laura. LICH is said to be America’s first teaching hospital, the same institution that filed an employment petition for her to work in the United States. At the time, she was teaching Obstetrics and Midwifery in Cebu province. “Recruiters from the Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn came to Cebu to interview nurses. I was interviewed and hired on the spot.” She arrived in the U.S. in 1985. In the U.S., she wasted no time and went back to school for advanced studies. She completed her Master’s of Science in Nursing (majoring in Women’s Health) from Seton Hall University, and earned a Doctor in Nursing Practice degree from Farleigh Dickinson University. She is currently a clinical educator at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and Pace
University. She has opted to take a temporary leave of administrative position to teach future nurses and give more time to her community service. She became active in the FilAm community around 2013 as she was winding down her doctoral studies at Farleigh Dickinson. She was thinking it was time to venture out of her personal zone and learn more about Filipino Americans, their contributions, and how the community came into its own in the State of New York. She became an “avid” community advocate by way of engagement in various organizations, and with the encouragement and support of life partner Fernando ‘Nanding’ Mendez, founder of Fiesta In America expo. In 2017, she was conferred an Academic Excellence and Community Leadership Citation from New York State Assemblyman Brian Barnwell. She also accepted the invitation to be a member of the Advisory Council for New York State District 30. In 2019, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, appointed her to the NYC Community Board District Five. In between these two milestones came NaFFAA-NY when in 2018, she was elected State Chairperson for the first time. On
Proud grandma to Tyler and Layla, two of four grandchildren.
May 16, she took her oath as second-term State Chair before Congresswoman Grace Meng. Consul General Claro Cristobal was the inspirational guest speaker. “My background in nursing and as a professor of nursing certainly helped in areas of health and education, which are two important elements of NaFFAA-NY’s activism,” she said. Laura is blessed with two adult children, Teresa Esperanza Anderson who lives in New Jersey, and Pablo John IV who lives in the Philippines. “I have four grandchildren, Nicolo Andreas, Mateus Blue, Layla Mackenzie, and Tyler Jayden, who are my pride and joy,” she said. She and Nanding enjoy going to art shows, going dancing, and watching sports. She roots for her favorite football teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets, and loves watching the Super Bowl. She wants to be remembered for her “service to humanity.” “People may forget what I have accomplished or the contributions I made, but I want them to remember that I dedicated my life to service with compassion, humility and love. Sounds corny but that's me.”
Filipinos are the 3rd largest Asian group at 4.1M
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n 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/ Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/ Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed May 10, 1869. The following facts are possible thanks to the invaluable responses to U.S. Census Bureau surveys.
Did You Know?
||22.6 million
group in combination with one or more other detailed Asian groups or another race(s).
||2.5%
The percentage of Asian alone-or-in-combination military veterans in 2018.
||53.9%
The percentage of the Asian alone-or-in-combination population age 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education in 2018.
||88.1%
The percentage of the Asian alone-or-in-combination population age 25 and older who had at least a high school diploma or equivalency in 2018.
The estimated number of Asian alone-or-in-combination residents in the United States in 2018.
||555,262
The estimated number of the Asian population of Chinese, except Taiwanese, descent in the United States in 2018. The Chinese (except Taiwanese) population was the largest Asian group, followed by Asian Indian (4.5 million), Filipino (4.1 million), Vietnamese (2.2 million), Korean (1.9 million) and Japanese (1.5 million). These estimates represent the number of people who reported a specific detailed Asian group alone, as well as people who reported that detailed Asian
Did You Know?
||5.2 million
The estimated number of Asianowned employer firms in the United States in 2016.
||1.6 million
The estimated number of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone-or-in-combination residents of the United States in 2018.
||626,457
The number of Native Hawaiian residents of the United States in 2018. The Native Hawaiian population was the largTHE FILAM |
est detailed Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) group, followed by Samoan (213,439) and Guamanian or Chamorro (182,584). These estimates represent the number of people who reported a specific detailed NHPI group alone, as well as people who reported that detailed NHPI group in combination with one or more other detailed NHPI groups or another race(s). 11
||7.6%
The percentage of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone-or-in-combination military veterans in 2018.
||24.4%
The percentage of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone-or-in-combination population age 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2018.
How the pandemic tests the resilience of Asian Americans Asian Americans in medicine, business, and education demonstrate the importance of an accurate 2020 Census count
Small businesses account for 44 percent of U.S. economic activity
Asian Americans make up 9 percent of the hospital workforce.
||Healthcare workers
We’re talking about “essential” workers like health care professionals, business owners, and educators, who are all on the frontlines of this global emergency and adapting creatively to keep the American economy going. From coast to coast, Asian Americans are doing their part to feed our communities, save lives, and support our students. Health care workers are helping people navigate the health care system during this time. And Asian American health professionals are providing accurate information about COVID19 to their patients in various Asian languages. Asian Americans make up 9 percent of the hospital workforce, according to 2019 CPS data. These medical professionals are doing what they can to support their patients, recognizing there are gaps out of their control. “We know there are subsets of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders that have disproportionately suffered during this pandemic, and that has been hard for all of us,” said Dr. Winston Wong, family physician and chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP). That’s why Nadia Islam, an asso-
ciate professor at the NYU School of Medicine, believes community health workers are the key to reaching those in need because they offer an understanding of the communities they serve through shared ethnicity and experiences. “Community health workers serve as a bridge between communities and healthcare systems. In the COVID-19 pandemic, they play a critical role in facilitating access to culturally relevant resources and information, and mitigating fear and stigma communities may be facing.”
||Business owners Asian-owned small businesses are innovating with the help of community development organizations like National CAPACD. Across the country, their member organizations are assisting mom-and-pop businesses to boost their social media presence, hold pop-up stores online, pivot operations to curbside pickup, and partner with local organizations to get meals to those in need and frontline medical staff. “These business owners are amazingly resilient and are doing what they can to keep things going. Our members are doing all they can to THE FILAM |
help the businesses survive this pandemic, knowing that without these businesses, our neighborhoods and communities will never be the same,” said Joyce Pisnanont, director of economic empowerment at National CAPACD. “We risk losing much of what makes our communities authentic, unique and full of flavor.” Small businesses are the backbone of local economies, accounting for 44 percent of U.S. economic activity, and creating two-thirds of net new jobs, the Small Business Administration reported. The 2016 Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs reported that in the United States, there are 555,000 Asian-owned businesses, but they are now at risk because of COVID-19.
||Educators As many Americans have shifted to remote work, teachers have had to move their classes online and adapt their teaching styles to suit the virtual environment. They have also offered emotional support as kids try to make sense of these uncertain times. “[Educators] are helping to provide some sense of normalcy at a time when nothing is. They are also doing this through their own grief, stress, anxiety, and racialized trauma to bring hope and comfort for their students,” said Sarah Ha, vice president of the National Community Alliances team at Teach For America. Asian American teachers may also serve as role model to an Asian 12
student has in their lives. Research has shown that students’ educational outcomes improve when they have teachers who share similar identifies and life experiences to them. Yet only 2.5 percent of teachers nationwide identify as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander (AANHPI), Teach For America reported.
||Why the 2020 Census matters
Census data allow the health sector to stay prepared for emergency relief and recovery, such as determining the number of hospital beds needed and medical supplies in an area. Demographic statistics can help health care providers, hospitals, and healthcare systems improve their response to public health disasters. Dr. Wong, from NCAPIP, said he is reminded that an accurate census count “will be foundational to protecting the health of all of us because we can then plan to put the resources where they are needed most.” Census data can help organizations assess language needs for informational materials and interpretation services in a neighborhood. Detailed race and ethnicity data can also help communities identify which racial groups are faced with higher infection rates and inform how the health sector would create solutions. You can respond now online at my2020census.gov by phone, or by mail. For more information, visit https://2020census.gov/.
‘Crazy Rich Asians’ success failed to boost APA presence on TV: media group The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC)— the only organization to have graded the top four television networks since 2001—issued its annual Report Cards for the past 2018-19 season, assessing the four major TV networks on their progress toward diversity and inclusion of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) onscreen and behind the camera.
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lthough ABC and CBS maintained their same grades for Actors and NBC increased (from C to C+), the Coalition fears that the unprecedented success of Crazy Rich Asians in the Summer of 2018 failed to boost significantly the number of APA-led series on network TV. ABC had three pilots in contention that would have starred APAs (first name in the credits), including two that would have featured Asian American families. NBC had a pilot about an Asian American magician, and CBS was considering an Asian American family sitcom including Ken Jeong as a cast member. But none of them made the 2018-19 line-up. What’s more, with the cancellation of ABC’s “Fresh Off The Boat” and “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” the number of APA regulars is expected to fall in the 2020-21 season. “Since the APAMC began meeting with the networks in 1999,” noted APAMC chair Daniel Mayeda, “we have generally seen an improvement in the various categories (such as Actors, Unscripted, Writers/Producers, Directors). For example, in the 2002-03 season, onscreen representation of APAs was so bad, we gave two networks Fs in the Actors category. As part of the larger Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition (MEMC)— which also includes the NAACP, National Latino Media Council, and American Indians in Film/TV—we pushed the networks to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), create diversity departments, actors showcases, writers and directors programs, and other pipeline programs.” But progress has plateaued in many cases for the networks, with Fox recording its lowest grade in the Actors category (D+) in the past 18 years.
The biggest gains for APAs now seem to be happening in non-network media, including streaming services Netflix (“Master of None,” “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” parts 1 and 2, “Ugly Delicious,” “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj,” “Always Be My Maybe,” “Tigertail,” “Never Have I Ever,” “The Half of It”), Amazon Prime (“Man in the High Castle,” “Warrior”), and Hulu (“PEN15”); cable channels The recently cancelled ABC sitcom ‘Fresh Off the Boat.’ APAMC’s Report Card below shows Comedy Central (“Awkwafina is diversity grades for the major networks. Nora from Queens,” “Ronny Chieng: International Student”), AMC (“Into the Badlands,” “Killing Eve,” “The Terror: Infamy”), Bravo (“Family Karma”), and Disney Channel (“Andi Mack,” “Mira, Royal Detective”); and theatrically-released motion pictures (“Searching,” “The Farewell,” “Plus One,” “Stuber”). “While we continue to advocate Report Cards for Networks 2018-19 Season for the networks to feature more APAs in leading roles, the Coalition (Grades for 2017-18 in parentheses) applauds the increased inclusion of APAs in other venues,” Mayeda said. “We recognize that many of these ABC CBS FOX NBC programs and films would not have Grades Grades Grades Grades been possible without the training and opportunities created by the Actors A- (A-) B- (B-) D+ (F) C+ (C) networks’ diversity efforts. But the (regular/recurring) networks themselves need to redouble Unscripted C- (C) C+ (C-) C+ (F) D+ (C) their efforts to avoid slipping behind (hosts/contestants) their streaming and cable counterWriters/Producers B (B) C+ (C+) C+ (F) C (B-) parts in representing APAs.” “Given the backlash many Asian Directors (incl # of B+ (B) B+(B+) B (F) C+ (C) Americans have faced because of episodes directed) COVID-19, we urge the networks to Development B+ (C+) B (B) F/I* (F) C- (B-) also produce news stories on this rising concern as well as the remarkCommitment to Diversity A- (A-) B (B) D+ (F) C+ (B-) able contributions our communities Diversity Dept. B-(B+) B (B) C- (F) C+ (C-) have made to this country,” added ReLationship Rita Pin Ahrens, executive director of OCA—Asian Pacific American OVERALL GRADE B (B) B-(B-) C-(F) C (C) Advocates, an APAMC member orga* Incomplete, no data provided by network nization. — Asian Pacific American Media Coalition THE FILAM |
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Well-liked NYPD Sgt. Chris Traumer announces retirement By Wendell Gaa
Having served the New York Police Department (NYPD) for 21 years, police officer Chris Traumer recently retired with the distinguished rank of a sergeant.
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his towering 6’7 Filipino American is known to be one of the friendliest and most helpful law enforcement officials ever, one who has loyally served the City of New York as well as the FilAm community through some dark and challenging times, such as 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. From the beginning to the end of his career, Traumer has given his utmost to assist the community in ensuring safety and security in both normal and extraordinary times. He was born in Angeles City, Pampanga. His father James Traumer, an American plane mechanic stationed at Clark Air Base, married a Filipina woman, Lourdes. The family moved to New York when Chris was barely one year old. He attended the Bronx Community College and Mercy College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Attempting to use his height to his advantage, he had tried out for a spot on the Philippine Basketball League and Philippine National Team in 1997 but was unable to make the cut. He then went on to pursue his alternative career goal to become a police officer for the NYPD. “I had a vision of working with the youth and cleaning up neighborhoods of drugs and gangs, because I grew up around that and wanted to make a difference,” he said. It was in the late 1990s when I had the pleasure to meet him, just as his career as an NYPD officer was coming
He would like to get back to mentoring at-risk youth again. Facebook photo to fruition. My late father, Ambassador Willy C. Gaa, was the Consul General in New York at the time, and he had the honor of receiving Traumer for courtesy calls at his consulate office. I fondly recall meeting Chris quite a few other times whenever he would grace numerous community events. Among the plentiful projects which he worked on with the FilAm community includes sponsoring several 1st responders church masses at New York’s Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz. On many occasions, he would speak to basketball youth groups and warn them about the risks of doing drugs and joining gangs in Staten Island and Queens. Traumer had traveled to the Philippines where he gave a presentation about building a stronger mentoring connection with the youth through programs like Law Enforcement Explorers. While on the police force, he had further been honored to assist numerous celebrities and public personalities who would take trips to New York THE FILAM |
from the Philippines. One memorable moment for him was working with the security detail at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx when Pope Benedict XVI was there for a visit in 2008. Seeing the head of the Catholic Church up close is something Traumer will never forget. Traumer has expressed a desire to get back to mentoring at-risk youth again. Eventually, he would also like to move from New York and take his parents to a warmer climate city, as well as starting a family of his own. Aside from playing basketball, his favorite hobbies are fishing in fresh water lakes. At some point, he would like to try fly-fishing in a stream. He feels his greatest accomplishment throughout his years serving the NYPD and the community was guiding the youth in a positive direction. “I was fortunate to be working with the right people to take down several violent organizations that were terrorizing neighborhoods in the Bronx. I felt that by sharing my story with the FilAm youth in the community about 15
The author with Sgt. Traumer at a Philippine Independence Day parade on Madison Avenue. growing up in public housing with the temptations of drugs and crime that I was able to plant a seed in their minds of avoiding trouble to become a productive person,” he said. When he joined the NYPD, he said there were not too many Filipino youths in the force. As a police officer, he followed his voice and dared to be different. He said, “When I started a boxing program for the at-risk youth, I was told ‘why would you do that, so the kid can punch us out.’ One kid in the group became a professional and his younger brother, who is doing really well, followed. But be humble about the way you carry yourself. I spoke to the officers mostly in a calm manner, letting them know what I was trying to do, as some people are just stuck in their ways. Seek out the people in the police force and in the community that will have the same ideals as you, but most importantly just start the process. You will be amazed at how people will come out of nowhere who are willing to help you.”
When Georgio Dano, RN prayed the Last Rites over a patient By Cristina DC Pastor
In a rare moment, Georgio Dano, RN of Northwell Health Staten Island University, did something he has never done in his 10 years as a health care professional: He performed the Last Rites over a dying patient.
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he patient was an elderly man who came to the hospital for shortness of breath. For a week he was not getting better despite wearing a non-breather mask to pump him with a higher concentration of oxygen. The family decided to respect his wish not to be intubated but to die naturally and peacefully. It was midnight on a weekend, recalled Georgio. Being in an isolated unit at Northwell, his department does not allow family or clergy. “The patient knew he was going to die as his breathing was getting worse. I knew then it was a matter of time.” What he did next was a combination of common sense and resourcefulness: He messaged two priests he knew and sought their guidance. Then, he Googled “Roman Catholic Last Rites.” He recited the Prayer for the Dying while one of the priests prayed along with him. “I went to Catholic school all my life so I With family at Christmas: Father George, know some prayers,” he said when intermother Georgina and wife Lauren. viewed by The FilAm. Georgio acted with calm, concern, and correctness: He offered spiritual comfort. It was not His life echoed the story shared by many Filipino part of his job, but given the circumstances, it was nurses of how their mothers encouraged them to find something he felt he had to do. “I’ve held patients’ jobs that would be considered “recession proof.” hands as their families couldn’t. I hope that we’ve “Nursing wasn’t my first choice for a career,” he said. helped ease their pain.” “I actually contemplated on becoming a priest. She Mother was a nurse motivated me by saying, finish your nursing education In the 10 years he has worked as a nurse, Georgio, first then you can proceed to do anything you want. 34, keeps going back to his mother’s words for his daily But I’m glad I became a nurse. It’s a tiring but fulfilling reminder: “Make sure you go the extra mile for your profession. You have the power to heal.” patients.” Priesthood is no longer an option. Georgio married Georgina Dano worked as a nurse for 30 years. She in 2017. His wife Lauren Capdevielle works for the New was a head nurse at the Post-Partum/Labor & Delivery York City Public Library. at HHC Kings County when she retired on February 28, “It’s a scary time being in the health care industry,” just as the deadly coronavirus swept across the country said Georgio who has been treating COVID-positive with New York City registering the most number of patients since March. “COVID-19 knows no boundaries. It can take anyone’s life — young, healthy or old infections. She immigrated to the United States back in — at any time.” the late 1980s. She and her husband George – who share He said many health care workers go out every day the same February 22 birthday as George Washington — scared to go on the frontlines but selflessly risking their are from Cebu City. lives so others may live. “New York City lost 24 nurses “She greatly influenced my decision to become a and counting, fighting this pandemic. Many of them are nurse,” he said. THE FILAM |
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‘I actually contemplated on becoming a priest.’
He remembers a time PPEs were in short supply. Things have gotten better, he says. sick at home or fighting for their lives in hospitals.” He remembered when Protective Personal Equipment (PPEs) were in short supply. Things have gotten better, he said. “I’ve assisted in many intubations in two months more than in the last 10 years as a nurse,” he said. Dying patients have become the recurring image. Usually, the health care worker is the only person standing between them and death. “Most often we were the last faces they saw,” he said.
Peque’s rage: A retelling By Joel David
I will admit that I tried, for the longest time, to keep distance between myself and Peque Gallaga. During the publicity blitz for his first solo film, Oro, Plata, Mata (1982), I preferred to interview his wife, Madie, the film’s producer who also happened to be the daughter of my mother’s supervisor at what was then the government sugar institute. He had a reputation for being temperamental and I preferred to avoid celebrity types.
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ince this was the “new cinema” moment when the film world lavished adulation on auteurs, and OPM was a star turn more for its director than for any of its actors, Peque became as much the star of one of the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines’ initial productions as Nora Aunor was (then-already) the star of the other, Ishmael Bernal’s Himala. In fact I’d made his acquaintance earlier, when I had just joined a then-still-studious critics group that decided to invite the members of the newly formed production designers’ guild in order to get pointers on how to properly evaluate their category – for an annual awards system that I also soon repudiated. When the guild president kept insisting that PD practitioners insist on lavish adornments in order to shame producers who skimped on production budgets, Peque spoke out and said that the best kind of mise-en-scéne was one that did not draw attention to itself. In effect, he stated that PDs should learn to welcome the challenge of working within narrow budgets. On another occasion, in one of those many self-congratulatory receptions the then-booming industry loved to sponsor, I had occasion to mention to him that I attended the rescreening of a film where he participated as actor. This was Mario O’Hara’s Tatlong Taóng Walang Diyos, which came out in 1976, the same year he won the critics’ prize for production design for Eddie Romero’s Ganito Kami Noon … Paano Kayo Ngayon? Over coffee after the screening, one of the founding members asked me if I’d seen it before (I had), and what impressed me about the present viewing. “Peque’s performance,” I said, and he agreed. My workplace, the Manila Film Center, was abuzz over the premiere of Scorpio Nights, not because of the film but because of an event that occurred right before the pricey but expectedly jampacked screening. Those who’d attended said that when it was Peque’s turn to speak, he let go of a volley of curses,
Peque Gallaga, 1943-2020. He passed away on May 7 due to complications from past health conditions. Photo: National Commission for Culture and the Arts naming specific individuals who were officials in the ECP and/or colleagues of mine in the critics’ group. Despite the fact that I’d already forsworn participation in the group’s annual awards after extreme frustration with not just the individual choices but also the hypocrisy and cynicism behind the process, Peque’s outburst made me anxious. At that time, I guessed that it had to do with the backlash by left-leaning critics against OPM, to which our group had given its highest prizes; some of the OPM-bashers were former members, others were later invited to be part of the group. I got some measure of assurance later, after I completed the film program and worked up enough nerve to contact him to tell him how much I appreciated Scorpio Nights, how I disagreed with the critics locking it out of their major awards categories, and how relieved I was to drop out of the group so I could finally criticize them as an independent entity. He was effusive with praise for me, pointing out something that didn’t occur to me up to that point: “those people,” he said, “should have done what you did – study the field that they were dabbling in, so they’d know what they’re talking about and earn the right to call themselves qualified.” After returning from graduate studies about a decade later in the early 2000s, my most intensive interactions with Peque consisted entirely of social-network exchanges. I knew I could get a great interview out of him, but in the meanwhile what I needed was some information for the book on Manila by Night (1980) that I was writing. I knew THE FILAM |
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some of his stories as its production designer, and I was aware that he was referring to his work on it when he articulated his principles during the critics’ soirée with the PD guild several years earlier. So one of my long-term to-do projects was an all-out Peque Gallaga interview, covering the full spectrum of his participation in film and film-related activities: as project conceptualizer, director (for film, TV, and theater), performer, visual and sound designer, theater-guild founder, professor, and whatever else he might remind me. I just needed to muster the guts to handle what I thought was his contempt for film critics, since he never failed to blast my older colleagues even after they handed him a well-deserved life achievement award about a decade ago. I also take every opportunity to point out their shortcomings, so at least we could have that useful convergence as starting point. The final factor that eliminated all my misgiving regarding his belligerence occurred via a casual conversation I had late last year with his co-director, Lore Reyes. I mentioned in one of my recollections of the ECP screenings Peque’s flare-up during the Scorpio Nights premiere. Apparently, according to Lore, everyone else had forgotten about it – but of course I couldn’t, since I had to steel myself for a Peque interview that was never to be, as it turned out. From our November 21, 2019, exchange: “Did you know? I caught Hammy [Agustin Sotto] cutting Scorpio Nights near dawn on the morning before its ECP premiere. I told Hammy I was going to fetch Peque, he said go ahead, fetch Peque. So I did. Peque punched him and kicked him in the head. It was a scene straight out of a cheap indie movie: a 5,000-foot reel unspooling all over Jess Navarro’s editing room in [the Regal office in] Valencia as Jess and I tried to stop Peque from beating up Hammy. Later that day, [unknown to Manila Film Center head] Johnny Litton and Hammy, Jess restored all the clips that Hammy had cut (we brought a Steenbeck to the ECP parking lot and bribed the ECP projectionist so we could borrow the premiere print). That was where Peque’s rage was coming from, when he cursed all those personalities who were right there in front of him on the first row. They tried to cut his film without his knowledge.” Goodness, I realized, I had nothing to fear at all about the man. He would defy hell itself to fight for something he thought was right. About that interview… Joel David is Professor for Cultural Studies at Inha University in Korea and was the recipient of the 2016 Gawad Lingap Sining (Art Nurturer Prize) of the Filipino Arts & Cinema International Festival in San Francisco, California. He holds a PhD in Cinema Studies at New York University and maintains an archival blog titled Ámauteurish! where this article was originally published.
COVER STORY
Son of a homeless immigrant runs the NYC.gov website
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By Cristina DC Pastor
ometime in the ‘80s, his father was a homeless migrant trying to survive in the subways of New York City. Today, Sherwin Reyes runs the official website NYC.gov as a senior IT engineer. “He was homeless for a while until he found a job and built himself up,” said Sherwin in an interview with The FilAm. His father was able to support himself and eventually petitioned to bring his three children to the U.S. His wife joined them later. Sherwin was 6 years old at the time. Today, Sherwin, an engineer at the Department of Information Technology and Telecom for five years, has been providing support to all agencies under the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio. Two people report to him on abnormally busy days, such as when the city is buried under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic. Otherwise he works by himself, his job to make sure the city runs with ease and “key critical connections” among agencies are functioning. In a city declared to be the hotbed of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. — 6,182 confirmed deaths out of 104,410 cases as of April 12, according to NYC.Gov data — his department ensures communication is flawless and that services are delivered promptly and efficiently. “What’s important is we’ve made a difference to improve not just ourselves but society,” mused Sherwin, looking at a dismal past when his family was struggling to find a way to bring itself together. “It worked out pretty well; I’ve always been glad of my roots.” Today, two of his sisters are Nurse Practitioners, one of them working at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital’s Neurology department. Sherwin, the youngest, holds a bachelor’s degree
in both Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications from a CUNY school. “It is education that has guided me to be an engineer for the greatest city in the world,” he said. Previously, he worked at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn as a Medical Media Specialist. He explained how his job as an IT engineer is vital to the survival of the city. “We are the support hub of DSNY (New York City Sanitation Department), FDNY, NYPD, 311, 911, OEM (Office of Emergency Management ), OCME (Office of Chief Medical Examiner), Department of Finance, and other key critical agencies in New York City…I hold the key systems that allow most of the
His job is to make sure the city runs with ease and that services are delivered promptly and efficiently.
Sherwin rides his bike around Rockland County where he has a weekend home. THE FILAM |
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city to function, from the financial systems to the emergency services.” Wherever one sees an NYC.gov logo, Sherwin stressed, “I assure you I am in the back along with my team of specialists keeping all of NYC connected through its complicated networks.” One example: When the mayor requests information on what city hospitals are in need of Personal Protective Equipment and how much is required, Sherwin’s unit coordinates the message to the appropriate agencies and submits the information as quickly as possible for the next round of press briefings. Data is constantly updated to ensure that supplies are reaching the facilities, and if not, to determine where the backlog is. His work was set to function in stages. It started with preparing
for the onset of the pandemic, followed by communicating with city agencies despite some technical issues slowing the system, and finally, running diagnostics and support for continuity throughout the pandemic. “With this disaster, I may have the slight upper hand of knowing what is to come, but my job is to ensure that people in the city with their own families have the same benefit of knowing transparently that we are in the scenes supporting other frontlines and essential workers who must see the information from experts in real time,” he said. A Brooklyn resident during weekdays, Sherwin now works from his weekend home in Rockland County. So does his wife Judith, an accountant. They welcome the self-isolation directive as an opportunity to stay close to their infant son Brandon, who is 11 months old. But his work demands a lot of his waking hours, and the couple take comfort in just being together as a family in these anxious times.
“At first like a regular person I spend my waking hours running an eight-hour day shift like all other normal jobs with the occasional overtime option. But because of the lack of qualified individuals I had to take on the role of using my expertise in the field to better bring NYC systems together,” he said. “Now that I’ve established and reconnected my systems, I am able to safely work at home with a weekly Thursday visit to the city’s data centers.” The COVID-19 outbreak is similar to 9/11 which happened almost 20 years ago and “hit New York hard at the core,” said Sherwin. He believes New Yorkers, like most people, are generally frightened of the unknown and do not like living a life of uncertainty. “They do not like to be unsure of the end results, and in these moments we try to find out who is to blame.” As a family man, he too is afraid for his own family and his friends. Sherwin though shunts all emotions aside because “we have a job to secure this city in need.” With wife Judith and their 11-month-old son Brandon in Christmas of 2019
Protesting in a time of social distancing
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n International Workers Day, about 30 people mobilized in front of Elmhurst Hospital calling for the protection of health care workers. The protesters from progressive organizations railed against what they called the “inherent rottenness of a health care system that does not prioritize the health and safety of their workers.”
Photos by Lugao Kasberg and EL Teodoro The activists maintained a safe distance from one another as they chanted and carried placards that read “Protect Elmhurst Hospital Workers! Get them PPE now!” and “All Workers Are Essential! Trump and Duterte Are Not!” Said Queens resident Janella Lopez of Anakbayan Queens: “The origin of this global pandemic is a global system wherein we have unlimited resources to pour into THE FILAM |
banks and the war machine but frontline health workers who heal the world are being left vulnerable.” Nikki Pagulayan of BAYAN-USA Northeast elaborated on how the “systematic suffering” of Filipino workers requires unity in fighting against the global economic system. “It is our unity that will not only help us weather this pandemic but will also help us build the system that we’ve been dreaming of. We must not only 19
fight to demand these immediate needs of PPE and protections but fight the system that begets these problems.” The rally was organized by BAYAN USA Northeast member organizations--Migrante New York; GABRIELA New York; and Anakbayan Queens and Anakbayan Manhattan. Organizations represented in the protest were the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines and Sige!, an LGBTQ community organization. Scores of Elmhurst Hospital workers, having just finished their shifts, left the building in groups and were visibly elated to see the rally and banners waiting outside for them. They took pictures and videos, raised their fists, waved, and cheered--all to express their solidarity and gratitude. One worker upon leaving the hospital, cheered and yelled, “Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!” before making her way home.
Issue 28, June 2020
Roselle Lim
Giving voice to the Filipino Chinese
Georgio Dano, RN
Prayed the Last Rites over a patient
Sherwin Reyes
Son of a homeless immigrant runs NYC.gov