Filam 03-24

NYC subway

A cautious, courageous return

Comedian Rich Kiamco

Attack of the bike-gang teens

Dr. Dely Go

Billboard honors her philanthropy

Letter from the Editor

Character, not age

By Rene Pastor

Alot of times, the smart money in political punditry gets it wrong.

That happened in the last election cycle when practically every pollster underestimated how many voted for Donald Trump, but they were overwhelmed by the turnout for Joe Biden.

In 2024, TV’s talking heads seem to go overboard about the age of Biden in his run for reelection. This time, they feel that Americans would hesitate voting Biden back to the Oval Office in November. Again citing polls, that may be wrong.

The concern over age extrapolates those worries with the idea they would not vote for someone old in 2024.

Can the so-called ‘concern’ really be that decisive? When it comes time to yank that lever in November, will that be reason enough for people to vote differently than they did in 2020? Age may be a valid concern, but is misidentifying world leaders or switching their names by mistake huge enough to warrant a diplomatic crisis? We don’t think so. But borrowing millions from world leaders or threatening them with sanctions just to get even, is. By most accounts, the biggest voting group in elections is ‘seniors’. They have the time and make it their commitment

not be trusted to run the affairs of the country. That an old person is senile or unable to run for public office?

That is really what being too old is telling them. That they are too ancient and should be put out to pasture. In other countries, the question is not age. The question really is one of competence.

It is insulting for seniors when the issues are framed that way. One suspects that seniors would react by blasting the ‘he is too old’ argument when November rolls around at the polling booth.

The age of the two candidates is being characterized in a way that smacks of ageism and is increasingly offensive for that reason.

The real issue, therefore, is who has run the affairs of state better. As Michael Douglas intones in the “The American President,” Being President of this country is entirely about character.

Founding Editor

Managing

to go to the polls. Somehow, they muster the energy for a patriotic duty.

How would seniors feel when they are being told that because of their age, they no longer make good decisions and can-

Character means someone who did not commit rape in the dressing room of a shopping mall, did not ‘lie’ 30,000-plus times in more than four years, according to the Washington Post, did not incite an insurrection. Character means respecting women and upholding their rights, reproductive and political.

Seniors make it their commitment to go to the polls. Photo: istock

Comic Rich Kiamco attacked by gang of bike-riding teens

By Cristina DC Pastor

What happened to standup comic Rich Kiamco the afternoon of February 10 was no laughing matter.

As he wrote on Facebook, “i got jumped by a gang of teens en route to my club SAT, daylight 5:19pm…i was using a citibike Electric BIKE, fast 20-25mph, especially downhill. this group came running after me on street, they seemed 2be stealing from citibike docks… after i outpedalled one of them, others came biking after me…

“it would b funny if they were NOT chasing me thru traffic / side slamming into me trying get me killed.. it was like MAD MAX meets E.T… crazy violent i did not know how to get them to stop chasing me… i biked into oncoming traffic - they STILL followed me, ran me over the curb- slammed me into fence and stole the EBIKE.”

Rich said anywhere from eight to 12 teens hanging out at the Citi Bike station in Jersey City came after him. He did not think it was an aggression motivated by antiAsian hate.

“They may have targeted me because I had an Electric Citi Bike,” he said when interviewed by The FilAm. “It looked like that were trying to steal the e-bikes.”

At the end of the 1.5 mile chase there were only two teens left. They were side swiping Rich from another e-bike.

“It was confusing, terrifying because they could have been killed too trying to smash me into traffic,” he said.

Nobody came to the rescue. “It would be hard to rescue an e-bike chase, nobody knows why this crazy chase against traffic was happening.”

E-bike theft is on the rise. In New York City, more than 4,000 cases were reported in 2020 during the

pandemic, according to reports. Electric bikes are a premium because thieves can break them up and sell the parts.

Rich said the Jersey City police officers and detectives who responded to his 911 call “were thorough.”

“They were tracing the area,” he said. “The bike has a GPS on it and the cops could see on the phone where they were headed.”

Rich gave them a description of the teens, and a bunch of them “in possession of several stolen E-bikes” were apprehended. He hid inside a tinted window car and identified them in a lineup, he said.

Otherwise, he is not too badly hurt, sustaining only a minor gash, a shoulder bruise and some neck pain.

He returned to the precinct the following day to work with the detectives.

“They all wanna come to the club now LOL,” he says on Facebook.

Rich Kiamco is one of eight LGBTQ individuals whose stories were put on spotlight in the ABC’s special series “Our America: Who I’m meant to be.” It aired in 2022.

Another officer drove him to “with flashing lights” to the Laugh Tour Comedy Club just in time to do two shows.

“I talked about it on stage, to process the crime,” he told The

FilAm. “The late show was my 51st sold-out show. It's strange to have both things happen in the same day.”

Rich said he continues to experience PTSD flashbacks “raging and (having) weird tears.”

He performs in comedy clubs across New York City and Jersey City. Catch him at West Side Comedy Club, Stress Factory, Bananas, Broadway Comedy Club, Greenwich Village Comedy Club, Gotham Comedy Club, Stand Up NY. He is full-time at The Laugh Tour Comedy Club inside Dorrian's Jersey City. He will be at Park West Theater Chicago March 20 to 21, featuring Indian comedienne Zarna Garg.

The gash on Kiamco’s forehead. Facebook photos

Kiamco is a regular on comedy clubs across New York City and Jersey City.

Alice Balbuena: Overseas Filipina Hero

On Tuesday, February

13, Alice Balbuena, my housekeeper died suddenly of cardiac arrest due to severe pneumonia after a two-day stay at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. From a part time housekeeper in 2001, she became full time in 2021.

Everyone who has known Alice was devastated by her abrupt death. Her BFF and my executive chef Delia Juarez cried inconsolably when she saw her friend connected to all the medical equipment at the hospital and was near death.

I myself was incredulous because four days before, Alice and Delia served lunch in my apartment for Los Angeles television personality Janelle So Perkins. “Over a Glass or Two” anchor persons Jessy Daing and JCas with producer JV Valino, my media director Lora Nicolas Olaes were also in attendance. Alice as usual was assistant chef to Delia and baked her tasty brownies and chocolate chip cookies for Jannelle’s kids. As she would do without instruction in her unobtrusive way.

Four days later, she has gone to God’s kingdom.

In her humble way, she did not die on February 10, my daughter Leslie’s birthday nor on February 11, wedding anniversary of my beloved’s parents Carolyn and Jean Fugett. Not on February 12, my daughter Christina’s birthday. Even in death Alice was considerate and thoughtful by choosing February 13 on Valentine’s Day eve.

My dear friend Angie Cruz asked Franciscan priest Fr. Julian Jagudilla to give her the Holy Oil in her hospital bed. Alice was probably just waiting for that. Because she expired shortly after.

So many emails mourn her passing. My son-in-law Dan Halpern quoted their daughter Sasha who said, “Although I am very sad, I could also be glad that Alice is in heaven.” We all agreed that if anyone deserved to be there, it was Alice, owner of one of the kindest hearts we have ever known.

Alicia Rosales Balbuena was born on January 8, 1953 in La Purisima, Nabua, Camarines Sur. She

studied at Agupit Elementary School and La Purisima High School.

Her mother is Antonia Baldon Rosales, a housewife, while her father is Vicente Dante Balbuena, a farmer. She is the fifth among her nine siblings who are Gloria, Gelacio “Lacio”, Remedios “Edios”, Beatriz “Betty”, Letecia “Letty” B. Yanzon, Gerardo “Gerry”. Two have died earlier.

In 1983, Alice became the housekeeper of Ina Dizon whose husband was the owner of a coffee production company in Manila. It was at that time that Delia Juarez of Iloilo was hired by Ina to oversee laundry duties.

Thus started a friendship of Delia and Alice that endured for many decades.

In 1985, both were hired by Ada Ledesma Mabilangan, whose husband was Ambassador Philip Mabilangan assigned to the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, China. They stayed in China until 1994.

In 1995, Ambassador Mabilangan was transferred to New York as Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations. So Delia and Alice came with Ada Mabilangan where they remained in their employment until 2001.

Ambassador Philip and his family were returning to Manila as a retired diplomat. It was at that time that Ada Mabilangan asked me if I needed a chef because Delia was trained by her as a chef. She also recommended Alice as my housekeeper. Perfect timing. I needed them. My chef Gloria Joshua decided to resign to care for her then 12-year-old daughter Adeline or “Addie” who now works for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Ada’s eulogy struck a chord. “Tita Alice significantly contributed to the love and laughter that made our Brooklyn house a home, and my family and I are forever grateful.”

Alice was an excellent housekeeper and Delia became my executive chef whose delectable dishes have become legendary.

Through the years of Alice’s employment, she has been able to send many nieces and nephews to school. She is the go-to kin when a sibling is sick or a cousin needs financial help. Lyra Balbuena Yanson has finished her college studies and is gainfully employed. Her other niece Gemalyn Balbuena, daughter of Alice’s youngest brother Gerry, is graduating with a Nursing degree from Far Eastern University in June. Sadly, Alice’s plan to attend it will no longer happen.

Alice’s special project was the Chapel in Nabua, Cam Sur. By collecting empty cans, empty bottles of soda and water, and exchanging them into cash, she was able to help the chapel in her barangay so that the electricity, the benches, the flowers and the decorations in the chapel are testament to her stewardship.

Everyone who knows Alice has only beautiful words for her: a quiet soul, a joyful spirit, always with a smile, never a complaint nor a harsh word, a hardworking employee, a faithful friend.

Delia has said, “I lost my BBF of 40 years, she has been my companion in all the places we lived in, China and the USA, longer than any of her relatives. I am very glad she did not suffer too long.”

Her only niece Mary Jane Flotildes with her husband Patrick McFarland flew in from Texas to attend the memorial service I arranged with Peter Deluca Funeral Home.

Alice will be buried in her hometown of Nabua, Camarines Sur not too far from the chapel she helped care for.

BFFs of 40 years: Alice and Delia Juarez (left).

Alice gets a tight hug from Philippine TV celebrity Boy Abunda who was a dinner guest at Loida Nicolas Lewis’s Manhattan home. Photo by Edwin Josue

‘ You're the coffee that I need in the morning’

By Angelito Cabigao

“Best Part” by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. holds a special place in my heart.

Every time I play it on Spotify and hear the line "You're the coffee that I need in the morning," it instantly brings to mind my wife, Bianca. The song beautifully captures the moments of our "coffee dates," creating our own sweet soundtrack.

I met Bianca Romano, a dietician for Unilever BGC, when I was living and working in Bonifacio Global City. She lived in Cavite at that time, and I, a New York-born FilAm, was a BGC resident working for TaskUS, an outsourcing firm.

When we started dating, one of our favorite spots was a coffee shop in BGC called Elephant Grounds. Both of us had just started new jobs in the area, and Monday mornings were our rare times together.

The best part for me was when Bia's iced latte was served at our table. I can still vividly recall that beautiful smile on her face as she admired the perfect harmony of milk and coffee, and her initial sip that effortlessly consumed half the cup. Even before taking my first sip, I was already wide awake and completely present in the moment with Bia, all thanks to that radiant smile of hers.

I kept asking her out for Monday morning dates at Elephant Grounds. I wanted to keep experiencing her smile and seeing her happy.

These dates became our weekly “coffee dates,” where we would dedicate our time to having iced lattes and spending time getting to know each other more and more.

Over time, our coffee dates expanded beyond the confines of Elephant Grounds. We shared more than just a fondness for iced latte. We are PADI-certified scuba divers and we would go

on diving trips in Batangas. We love to travel, our favorite place to visit is La Union. We love to watch basketball. Go Lakers!

| The proposal

When I felt it was time, I bought an engagement ring in NYC with my mom. It was memorable because she was with me. Then I went back to the Philippines and proposed to Bia in a remote beach in Puerto Galera before a scuba diving adventure. We got married in New York City.

We both love food and travel and are proud of our Filipino family values. Best of all, I like her Adobo cooking.

Now, a married couple, we persist in enjoying our morning coffee dates across the Philippines, Singapore, N.J., and NYC.

Coffee dates go beyond enjoying cups of coffee; they taught me to value time with the person I

love. For Bia and me, we realize that coffee dates provide an opportunity to enjoy our favorite coffee together, support local coffee businesses, and start off mornings spending time with each other. It could be spending hours at % Arabica coffee in Brooklyn, chatting about the Manhattan skyline, a few minutes at our favorite local Dunkin' Donuts spot in N.J., or spending a few seconds making our 3-in-1 coffee before a dive trip in Batangas.

All these coffee dates result in more time I get to spend with the love of my life. Bia is the metaphorical coffee that I need every morning, a source of warmth and joy that I strive to cherish in every shared moment.

Angelito ‘Gino’ Cabigao is the founder of Kulture Ko, a business consulting firm focused on workplace culture and human resources. Gino and Bianca live in Clifton, N.J.

The engagement proposal in Puerto Galera

At Elephant Grounds in Bonifacio Global City where it all started.

was born and raised in Cebu City, Philippines. She came to the U.S. in 1993 and earned her accounting degree from Marquette University where she also took creative writing courses. She has published her works both in the Philippines and in the U.S. Her book, The Fiancee, recently received a Bookfest award in the romance, multicultural category. She is an active member of the FilipinoAmerican community and being proud of her culture and heritage, she incorporates them into her books of romantic fiction and poetry. She also serves as VP-Operations and Education Director of the nonprofit, Global 1nspiration. She calls Waukesha, Wisconsin her home and lives with her husband and their three sons.

Photos by Dominika Fitzgerald

Dr. Connie Uy steps down as PAFCOM board chair after 10 years

Speech delivered during the 2024 PAFCOM Turnover Ceremony held January 20 at the Hank Gallo Community Center at Lincoln Park, Jersey City. Connie S. Uy, MD was board chair from 2014 to 2023.

Today is a personal milestone for me with ambivalent feelings of joy and sadness as I end my 10 years of being the chair of PAFCOM’s Board.

As I traveled my road in PAFCOM , there were crossroads that I’ve encountered. Not only was I the chair of its board, I found myself at times to be a dreamer, guidance counselor, event planner, finance advisor, mediator when there were conflicts, compliance officer and whatever needs to be accomplished. Being in this position for a decade, I was able to witness the products of all the innovative projects that we planned. That is what is so rewarding that I loved as PAFCOM chair. Just like what Steve Jobs told the 2005 graduates of Stanford University: “You’ve got to find what you love.”

PAFCOM is different from the other nine organizations that I have served as president and as board member of 10 foundations and advocacy groups. It is a community serving the Filipino people not only in Hudson County and the Tristate area but also in the Philippines.

As I moved on with my career in academia, I found myself involved with the community and the professional organizations where I could serve and contribute to make a difference, to make things happen. In serving I learned a simple truth. We need each other and we need to care for one another.

As leaders, we must understand the different generational mindsets.

We must be willing to forego old habits and comfort zones to the more fertile grounds of innovation. Leaders need to align the creative energy of the younger generation, and the experience of the seasoned workers to the organizational values and vision. Failure to do so brings trouble to the organization.

I say that no matter which generation we belong, we share the same values and ideals that have enabled us to move ahead to where we are today. Such values include personal commitment, motiva-

tion, compassion, cooperation and dedication.

According to John Quincy Adams: “You are a leader if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more. Good leaders are trailblazers, making a path for others to follow.”

And John Seaman Gams said: “Real (good) leaders are ordinary people with super ordinary determinations.”

Six important points from Michael Dell that we can apply to our everyday experiences:

1. Build a vision of how it could be better and work like hell to make it happen.

2. There is no such thing as a self-made success.

3. The greatest mistake you can make is thinking you can do it all by yourself.

4. Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, you invite smarter people or find a different room. In professional circles, it’s called networking. In organizations, it’s called team building. And in life, it’s called family, friends and community.

5. Always remember where you came from…. Of

the places that helped shape us.

6. Count our blessings that our path has taken us through.

Let us be cognizant of the love, support and sacrifice from our families as we spend countless hours of work in the pursuit of our dreams and goals.

Let us be thankful to our friends and colleagues who have given us encouragement and assistance in pursuing our vision and

Let us pray to our Almighty Lord for giving us the strength and wisdom to travel the road to success.

In closing, allow me to share this poem by Susan Staszewski:

If you have a dream alive in your mind,

Bring it to the world, give it life.

Too often the treasures which are ours alone to give Are never given the chance to grow.

We each have a unique gift to bring to this world

It is our purpose in life to offer this gift

For even only a few people benefit from our offering, The world is then a better place to live.

Thank you and have a wonderful afternoon.

‘You’ve got to find what you love.’ Photos by Ness Bantog

With outgoing and incoming PAFCOM presidents Roxanne Cajigas (left) and Maricar Taino, respectively.

It’s back to the subway, courageously, optimistically

By Maricar Tangonan

Since the pandemic lockdown, I switched and relocated my career to the suburbs. I now rarely take trips using the subway. Somehow I miss the feeling of being part and center of the daily NYC bustle. NYC transport system is an impressive combination of trains, buses, ferries, shuttles, tramway and underground tunnels and overhead bridges that all operate 24/7.

So tonight, I again dared dear life by courageously standing a foot away from a train running at 45 mph, my face and body perilously close and fanned by the wind the speed generates, knowing full well that it only takes one lunatic to shove me down the tracks and end all, including this rather nostalgic reunion with my fellow straphangers. Ironically, I felt safe in the 12 inches of distance from the platform edge because behind me was a solid stairwell wall, effectively working as a personal fort. The only chance I can fall onto the tracks is if someone pulls me in. The lunatic has to go in first, then pull me into the tracks. On this perfect winter night in the city, what are the chances! I’m that optimistic. I had to be because I was never wrong about my feelings about NYC. And for this ride, the subway door stopped right in front of me! For a New Yorker, that’s like winning our daily subway roulette. It’s a good omen.

As the express train sped away, I stood with one sweaty hand anchored onto the cold subway railing, a piece of thin tissue paper in between. I am a slight germophobe. For short subway rides, I wouldn’t sit. I do not want my jacket to be unnecessarily exposed to unseen colonies of organisms that we battle daily at work as healthcare workers.

I chuckled as the charismatic voice of the subway PA filled the train: “A crowded subway is not an excuse for an unlawful sexual conduct …” By the end of the public announcement, as if on cue, my attention was caught by this affectionate

couple seated to my front right, the lady’s hand secretly, or so she thought, groping something under the winter coat and inside the man’s pants. I didn’t want to pry so I closed my eyes, slowly breathing in the enclosed train air, noting the intermingling smell of acrid urine, expensive perfume and collective scent of humans coming in from every direction. I was thinking how one sense quickly compensates in the absence of another.

Then finally it was time to change trains. The required walk to transfer from Queens-bound R train to uptown A train at Times Square was more than half a mile of confusing subterranean stairs, crowded platforms and century-old grimy tiles. Being a new nurse, I’m still fascinated by the littlest medical changes in my body as I perform mundane activities like walking. Using my smart watch, I tracked my own heartbeat while I expertly zigzagged my way to the next train. The heart beat started at 66 and shot up to 110 beats per minute. Suddenly, it felt hot. I stopped to remove the first layer of winter clothing. I muttered, “You still got it, MerryCar!” Despite the thick crowd and slow-moving tourists, I transferred fast like I was 27 years young once again.

Returning underground. Photo by Unsplash

The author (far right) with bass-baritone Enrico Lagasca and friends

The next and last train ride was a chance to recover. I sat literally half-assed on the subway seat. I was already tired, but still careful not to expose too much of my pants fabric. I started writing this lengthy post on my iPhone. Each word releasing the day’s accumulated stress, my way to calm the midlife nerves. Time passed quickly. Tonight on this train ride, and from that very first time my plane landed at JFK Airport more than 20 years ago.

My destination, a large gothic cathedral on Amsterdam Avenue, was a half mile of uphill walk from my last stop. I went past a man who animatedly talked on his phone as he sat on his double-parked truck, probably to deliver goods to the bodega right across. He spoke fast in Spanish. I can only understand the part when he cursed President Biden. His voice was so impassioned and angry it pierced through at least three blocks of the gentrifying Upper West Side neighborhood. I had to scurry away. I voted for Biden.

I arrived 30 minutes late for the 7 p.m. concert of a friend. It rarely happens that I’m late. In this instance, my unintended tardiness was fortuitous. There was no line at the box office.

Almost immediately, I was inside the cathedral. I threaded the long nave to the gothic altar where the choir was, my thoughts swallowed by a harmony of voices. The cathedral ceiling was extraordinarily high. It was so high I craned my neck to admire the vaulted ceilings, so common in Europe, but a rarity in ultra-modern New York.

Eventually, I sat. And listened. Minutes later, as I continued typing this, I heard my friend’s solo voice singing a song in a language I couldn’t understand, in a melody I am not familiar with. His trained voice sounded calm and steady, a welcome treat after an hour of my chaotic commute. I enjoy the experience of this polarity. I am addicted to this contrast. This is New York. I want more of it.

Maricar Primero Tangonan, a former educator in the Philippines-turned-healthcare worker, is an avowed lover of culturally diverse New York City. She enjoys the city’s unparalleled art scene, diversity and abundance of opportunities for career enrichment, and amazing stories. This piece originally appeared on Facebook and is being republished here with permission. To share your story, you may contact her at ilocanoyork@ gmail.com

The Cathedral of St John the Divine is the destination.

Dr. Dely Go: Times Square billboard pays tribute to her philanthropy

By Cristina DC Pastor

It is not every day that one sees the picture of someone you know flashing a smile on the Times Square Billboard. And here you thought these giant panels are only for celebrities and breaking news.

On February 10, I saw (on Facebook) the image of nursing educator and philanthropist Dely Go on the billboard on 1560 Broadway intersecting with 42nd Street. She was wearing her sash of when she was Philippine Independence Day Council Inc. Grand Marshal in 2023. Her image was on lights for a couple of minutes. Many of her friends from FilAm community organizations, like Alakdan and JCI Philippines, milled around the vicinity waiting for her billboard appearance to go live. It was an exciting time for them to capture the moment digitally.

Dely was there too with her family. Her daughter Dr. Hadel Go caught some snaps of her avidly pointing to the billboard in front of her.

For two days the billboard was shown every 15 minutes from February 9 at 10 p.m. till February 10 at 10 p.m. According to the Times Square Billboard website, the cost for billboard advertising starts from $150 for “15 seconds every hour throughout the day.” It could go up to $4,500 depending on length of time and frequency and how many photos or videos are used.

“The billboard was totally a big surprise,” said Dely when reached by The FilAm. “I was just told by (photographer) Troi Santos that I will be in the Time Square Billboard. Not until the day of the showing, did I meet the person responsible.”

That “person responsible” is Grace Brucal, popularly known in the FilAm community as Grace Steadfast. It appears she has a company called Steadfast Creative Organization and is involved with projects promoting for New York Fashion Week.

She has a wellness blog called “Flip the Switch with Grace” where she is

identified as a “physical therapist and an autism specialist.” She is also a fashion designer using woven fabric from her Bicol hometown for her clothing collection.

“I believe the billboard is related to her company’ s fashion show and the awarding event that night (of February 10),” said Dely.

On February 10 on the same day as the billboard presentation, Steadfast organized a fashion event at the Philippine Consulate. There, Dely was awarded the New York Glam Philanthropy Humanitarian Award at Kalayaan Hall. Five other community personalities – hair and makeup artist Victor Palmos, Kinding Sindaw founder Potri Ranka Manis, former PAFCOM President Roxanne Cajigas, choreographer Pierre Santos, and finance professional Maine Anderson – were named New York Glam awardees for 2024.

“My heartfelt thanks to Grace for spending that kind of money, for the recognition, awarding me at the same time and creating (something) no one else has done before,” said Dely. “It was such a great honor to be at the Times Square Billboard watched by many people in Times Square, in the Philippines, Japan, Australia. The

Nursing educator, philanthropist and advocate for diversity and equality in the AAPI community. Photos courtesy of Dely Go

New York Glam awardees for 2024: Hair and makeup artist Victor Palmos, Kinding Sindaw founder Potri Ranka Manis, former PAFCOM President Roxanne Cajigas, choreographer Pierre Santos, and finance professional Maine Anderson.

impact of the billboard was so great, it is inspiring to so many!”

Her image was captioned: “Congratulations Dr. Dely Po Go: A Pillar of Philanthropy and Humanitarian Excellence.”

| Diversity, AAPI advocacy

Dely’s support for community organizations is legend and so is her advocacy for diversity, equality and cultural preservation.

“Our Lord God and Mother Mary have blessed me with so much that I need to share it with people who need it,” she said when interviewed by The FilAm.

On February 13, she was honored at the State Capitol in Albany for her “remarkable commitment advocating for the Asian American Pacific Islander community.”

The proclamation was signed by Assemblymember Steven Raga. It reads in part: “We have an outstanding individual worthy of the esteem of both the community and the 30th Assembly District.”

The recognition spotlights her contributions to numerous humanitarian causes…and for “fostering AAPI political awareness, representation and social progress.”

The honorees were surprised, wondering how they were handpicked for the recognition. They did not spend a cent to be on the billboard.

One of them, Victor Palmos, said he did not remember who Grace Brucal was, but he suspects they may have met at an event in Maryland.

“Naniniwala ako na merong anghel,” he told The FilAm. “She said she’s been following me on Facebook and Instagram for the past year.”

Dely, who is president and founder

of Nursing Network LLC, and one of the Best 50 Women of New Jersey in 2010, said she is grateful to Grace for the recognition of her contributions to the community

and the organizations that seek her support.

“I have been blessed with so much in life that I need to share it with people who need it,” she said.

The billboard. ‘Inspiring.’ Photo by Dr. Hadel Go

Receiving her plaque from the State Capitol in Albany from New York Assemblymember Steven Raga. Husband Harry Go to Dely’s right. Photo by Troi Santos

When she was PIDCI Grand Marshal for 2023.

March 3

Performance for Pets (to benefit local animal shelter)

With special guest performer Ferlie Almonte, Ms. New Jersey Senior America 2023

Encore at Leisure Village West Manchester, N.J.

March 4, 11, 18

Exploring Filipino American History through Storytelling & Literature

Online event

Contact Venessa Manzano of The Filipino School of New York & New Jersey

March 8

Jo Koy World Tour

TD Garden

100 Legends Way Boston, MA

March 9

JCI Philippine-New York Induction of Board of Directors and Officers

For further questions, email induction@philnyjaycees.org

Calendar of Events

March 9

Unique Salonga, The Juans, Adie and Kean Cipriano

La Boom New York

56-15 Northern Blvd

Woodside NYC

Contact Amor Yu: 818-818-4301

March 9, 16, 23

Candle-making, a creative and relaxing candle-making experience by PAFCOM

Rewax and Unwine

2 Division Street Jersey City

March 16

Pia Pascual

58 Manor (formerly D’ Haven)

58-02 37th Avenue

Woodside Queens NYC

March 22

Jo Koy World Tour

Wells Fargo Center

Philadelphia, PA

March 23

D amayan’s We Rise Nanny Training

-CPR + First Aid training

The People’s Forum

320 W. 37th St. NY, NY

March 23

2024 PACCAL Awards: International Women’s History Month celebrating women of courage, character and commitment

The Holiday Inn 160 Frontage Road Newark N.J.

April 19-21

Redacted, a musical directed by Tatiana Santos Mroczek Columbia University

April 21

Live in New York: With Jo Awayan

Astoria Manor

25-22 Astoria Blvd.

Queens NYC

April 27

Damayan’s We Rise Nanny Training-Community Organizing

The People’s Forum

320 W. 37th St. NY, NY

May 5

2nd Asian Street Food and Music Festival @ Harvard Square

Harvard Square on Church Street Cambridge, MA

For inquiries, visit Harvard Square

Philippine American Alliance website www.hspaa.org

May 11

Sounds of Manila 15th Anniversary with The Dreamboats and Johnny Pandora

Breslin PAC

Felician University

262 S. Main Street

Lodi, New Jersey

Contact Amor Yu: 818-818-4301

May 30

Reception for Harvard’s Philippine Collection (over 8,000 ethnographic and photographic materials)

Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology

Harvard University

June 3 to August 2

Summer 2024 IMPACT!

Filipino-American National Internship Program Participants come to Washington,

Cathy Rose Garcia named editor of BusinessWorld Manila

BusinessWorld Publishing Corp. has announced the appointment of Cathy Rose Garcia as editor-inchief, effective March 1.

Garcia has been managing editor since January 2020, steering the newsroom through the challenges of the pandemic.

She started her journalism career at BusinessWorld in May 1998, where she covered Malacañang, the House of Representatives and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In 2005, she worked as a reporter for The Korea Times in Seoul. She was the first Filipino journalist to work for South Korea’s oldest English-language newspaper. During her six-year stint, she covered the growing popularity of K-pop and Korean entertainment, as well as art, fashion, food and the international business community in Seoul.

In 2011, she returned to the Philippines and joined ABS-CBN’s news website as deputy editorin-chief for business and global Filipino. She rejoined BusinessWorld as associate editor and Corporate News editor in 2015.

Garcia graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Mass Communications with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1998.

D.C. to gain a firsthand look at the American government and political system, engage civically, and reflect on the role they, as future leaders, might play in strengthening Philippine-U.S. relations

Visit: www.usasiainstitute.org

June 8

Philippine Independence Celebration on Staten Island

Sacred Heart School

350 Castleton Avenue

Staten Island NYC

Email: info@Picosi.org

August 17

8th Kids Philippines

Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Pequot Golf Club

127 Wheeler Road

Stonington, CT

Contact Cherry at 860-234-4607

‘Come on over,’ Dr. Rolando Solis bravely said to the Aquino family in 1980

On August 21, 2023, the 40th anniversary of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination, Dr. Rolando Solis posted a photo of himself, a radiant Cory Aquino, Solis' wife, Dr. Margarita ConananSolis, and Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino.

The photo was taken in May 1980 in front of the Solis residence in Dallas, Taxas. Ninoy Aquino had just had a successful triple coronary bypass surgery at Baylor University Medical Center.

Fast forward to 2023. In an interview with this writer, Solis reminisced about the meaningful role he had played in Philippine politics.

In March 1980, Ninoy Aquino, leader of the political opposition in the Philippines, suffered a heart attack while incarcerated at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.

“The doctors in Fort Bonifacio examined him and told him that it might have been a muscle spasm because he exercised too much," wrote President Cory Aquino in her memoir “To Love Another Day.”

Ninoy Aquino's health continued to deteriorate, and after much rigmarole he was transferred to the Philippine Heart Center.

"On May 8, Ninoy observed that someone important might be coming because the guards were all dressed in barong and they were all cleaning with such meticulous care...lo and behold, there was Imelda (Marcos). She told Ninoy that she was sorry to

By Tricia J. Capistrano

see him looking so poorly. Ninoy, in reply, could not help saying that he was that way because of her."

During that visit Mrs. Marcos asked Ninoy if he wanted to leave on

a Philippine Airlines flight that night for the U.S. Ninoy Aquino immediately said yes.

Cory Aquino then called Dr. Rolando Solis, a Filipino American

cardiologist based in Dallas, Texas and a family friend. "Come on over," Dr. Solis said to Ninoy. "I'd be happy to help you."

Rolando M. Solis, was born in Looc, Romblon Philippines. After completing medical studies at Far Eastern University (FEU) in 1963, he flew to Philadelphia to complete a one-year internship at Albert Einstein Medical Center. He subsequently chose to specialize in cardiology at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Dr. Solis and his wife, Dr. Margarita Conanan-Solis, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, established roots in Dallas. Solis was the first to perform a coronary balloon angioplasty in North Texas and was also the first cardiologist to perform transfemoral and transradial left heart catheterization procedures at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. He also played an instrumental role in establishing the interventional Cardiology Program at the Philippine Heart Center in Metro Manila.

Though Solis had long been a friend of the Cojuangcos, he had never met Ninoy until the Aquino family arrived in Dallas on May 10, 1980. After seeing the senator walk, he clinically determined that he had a major heart problem and needed urgent heart catheterization. On May 13, a triple coronary bypass surgery was successfully performed by the late Dr. Ben F. Mitchel, then Baylor’s chief of cardiothoracic surgery.

As Ninoy recovered from surgery, he and Solis spent a lot of time together. Having been incarcerated for seven years and seven months, he released his pent-up emotions by talking at length about family and Philippine politics. “We became fast friends,” Solis recalled.

"Tito Rolly and Tita Margie took us to church every Sunday, introduced us to their friends in Texas, and took us to their favorite restaurants," Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, the eldest child

Cory Aquino, Solis, and Butz Aquino after a political rally in Makati.

Photo taken in May 1980. From left, Dr. Rolando Solis, Cory Aquino, Solis' wife Dr. Margarita Conanan-Solis, and Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino. Photos courtesy of Dr. Rolando Solis

of the Aquinos, recalls. She was 24 at that time. "Even if they were so successful, walang kayabang yabang."

When asked if he was scared to have had President Marcos’ top opposition leader residing in his home, Solis said he wasn’t. Later, however, he found out that his home has been under surveillance the entire time.

Subsequently, as Aquino’s personal physician, Solis accompanied Ninoy Aquino to Hong Kong, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. "He was such a wonderful guy. He could talk your ears off," he recalled laughing.

On that fateful night of August 21, 1983, Solis received a frantic call. "Tito Rolly, my dad was shot in the head."

Solis immediately flew to Boston to be with Cory and the family, then accompanied them on their flight to Manila.

When Cory later decided to run for president in 1985, Solis temporarily left his medical practice in Dallas and voluntarily served as volunteer campaign physician. He was one of the four who traveled all around the Philippines with her. The four

Ninoy’s inscription to his doctor: ‘To Rollie, who gave me my second life. Ninoy, Dallas, Texas, May 1980’

included President Aquino’s sister Teresita Cojuangco, friend Fritzie Aragon, Solis, and son-in-law Eldon Cruz, husband of Ballsy.

“Every night there was talk of an assassination plot but Cory would say, ‘I am not scared.’ In fact, the security guards of Cory wanted her

to wear a bulletproof vest for her protection. But she refused to wear it. ‘I would look fat on TV, I would not want that,’” he recalled Cory saying. So instead Solis wore the vest. When Cory learned about it, she said, “Rolly, talagang sira ka, if they want to kill us, they will shoot us in the head."

The elections and then the People Power revolution resulted in President Corazon Aquino being sworn in as President in 1986. In spite of several coup attempts she completed her term. She passed away from colorectal cancer in August 1, 2009.

Today, Solis and his wife continue to reside in Texas. After practicing cardiology for 57 years, he no longer does cardiac catheterization procedures but now serves as medical director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Department of Baylor Scott & White Heart Hospital in Plano, Texas.

In concluding our interview, Solis said, “I feel grateful to have had the chance to be part of Philippine politics and have shared my history with my grandchildren. They are proud of it.”

ConGen Elmer Cato is cleared in illegal recruitment allegations in Milan

One of the developments in the Feb 13 hearing of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers was that it cleared the name of Consul General Elmer Cato in Milan as far as profiting financially from alleged illegal recruitment.

Cato was previously head of the Philippine Consulate in New York.

No less than Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said, “There was no evidence he made money.”

Echoed an official of Department of Migrant Workers: “Sa aming… walang ebidensiya na siya ay sangkot sa katiwalian,”

The committee is headed by Senator Raffy Tulfo.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, with his mad dog style of questioning accused the Daily Tribune of engaging in a “demolition job” against Cato. He said the newspaper continued to attack the diplomat accusing him of “dereliction of duty and corruption for supposedly sitting on their complaints” without attempting to get his side of the story or to speak with his superiors.

Cato has filed a cyber libel case against the newspaper and the three migrant workers who gave them an interview for what he believed were defamatory statements. The paper denied any

did as head of the consulate, including reporting the actions of “patronatos” to Italian authorities. He asserted the consulate was “not sleeping on the job and that the actions we took since the first complaint was brought to our attention five months ago have resulted in the filing of 94 cases of aggravated fraud against those involved.”

When asked by Senator Risa Hontiveros what kind of relationship he had with Alpha Assistenza recruitment company, Cato said the company was among those that responded when the consulate organized businesses and travel agencies into one community organization in Milan in Italy.

It was learned during the committee hearing on February 7 that Alpha Assistenza co-CEOs Krizelle Respicio and Frederick Dutaro have fled to Saudi Arabia since December 2023. It is not known if that is their final destination or if they are on their way to another country. The committee also learned the Philippines has no extradition treaty with Riyadh.

Alpha Assistenza has been accused of selling fake work visas to Italy and collecting large amounts of money. At least 400 people have fallen victims, according to the investigation by the Senate committee.

Committee member Hontiveros asked Cato if he could withdraw the defamation lawsuit against a woman, a recruitment victim, who cried during the Senate hearing. He said he was willing to consider dropping the case if the woman would issue a statement taking back her accusations.

suggestion of a "demolition job."

Cato said the Daily Tribune and the three supposed victims of Alpha Assistenza recruitment

company who gave interviews seeming to accuse him of not doing anything about their complaints. He described the actions he

Tulfo said Cato could proceed with his case if he continued to believe in its merits. But he warned he would provide the victims a lawyer who would represent them in court against Cato’s charges.

Committee Chairman Senator Raffy Tulfo and member Senator Risa Hontiveros at the February 7 hearing of the Senate Migrant Workers Committee. Photo: Risa Hontiveros/ Facebook

Consul General Elmer Cato (2nd from right) is seated next to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega. Screenshot from video of committee hearing

‘Remittance:’ A film about the lives of domestic workers

“Remittance” is a story about a young Filipina domestic worker in Singapore trying to cope with the hardships and abuse faced by low-wage migrant workers while balancing living for herself versus living for her family.

The film stars Angela Barotia as Marie, who works as a domestic worker and moonlights as an actress in her spare time. She told a Singapore paper she earns $600 a month and is fortunate to have employers who allow her time to pursue acting. The directors are Patrick Daly and Joel Fendelman.

The film seeks to raise awareness about the lives of migrant workers in Asia, according to a press statement.

Here’s a synopsis:

When Marie takes a job as a maid in Singapore to support her family in the Philippines, she trades one set of hardships for another. When her husband back home abandons her family, she needs to choose between her personal aspirations and her family responsibilities.

The domestic worker learns to cope with demanding employers, long hours of work, and separation from family. Photos courtesy of ‘Remittance’

“Remittance” follows Marie, a Filipina domestic worker who struggles to cope with demanding employers, long hours of work, and separation from her family. Breaking from the conventional image of maids as exploited labor, the story explores the transformations Marie goes through as a woman dealing with conflicting obligations and aspirations.

Marie finds work with a wealthy expatriate family as a maid. Her days are spent cooking, cleaning and caring for 5-year-old Jack – an exhausting schedule that is compounded by the challenges of adjusting to a new environment and living away from her family for the first time. She has to grind it out to support her family and pay her daughter’s college tuition.

Marie’s life becomes more bearable when she

falls in with a group of more experienced maids who show her the ropes and introduce her to the world of Singapore’s low paid migrant workers. She spends her off days with her new friends, enjoying a taste of freedom, and getting involved in activities offered by an NGO at her church.

Everything is upended when she is told by her employer that her first eight months of salary is being withheld to pay the employment agency that arranged the job – a bill she was not anticipating. With tuition bills piling up and constant pressures to send more money to her family, Marie is forced to sneak out at night to work as a hostess in a karaoke bar, entertaining men and fending off their sexual advances.

Marie learns how to compartmentalize her life –shifting between maid, mother and bar-girl, as she stoically works to care for her employer’s family. Her triumph at finally paying off her debt is stolen

when her daughter Rosa tells her that Edwardo, her husband is seeing another woman in the Philippines and misusing the money she is sending home. Frustrated and hurt, Marie cuts him off and puts her daughter Rosa in charge of the family finances. Emboldened, Marie confronts her husband and tells him that she is moving on. All of her plans are disrupted when Rosa calls and says that she is pregnant. Driven by guilt and reminded of why she came to Singapore in the first place, Marie breaks her contract and goes back home.

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The filmmakers

Patrick Daly is a trained anthropologist and environmental scientist, with a PhD. from the University of Oxford. He splits his time between teaching and academic research at the National University of Singapore and independent filmmaking.

Joel Fendelman comes from a film background and has worked 10 years in the film industry in New York City producing content for companies such as A&E, PBS, American Express, Ovation TV, Allure. MTV. His films have shown around the world at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Chicago, Miami. He is currently pursuing an MFA in Film at the University of Texas.

“Remittance” can be screened either through Kanopy or through a streaming platform.

Marie, as portrayed by a migrant worker in Singapore Angela Barotia.

Atty. Lara Gregory receives award for her support for people with disabilities

Counselor Lara Gregory was the recipient of the Claire Shulman Award and honored on February 27 by the Queens Centers for Progress in an “Evening of Fine Food” at the Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens.

The second Claire Shulman community award awarded to Gregory for her work in supporting individuals living with developmental disabilities. Gregory, a Queens community leader and QCP board member, is the principal attorney at Lara Gregory and Associates.

The event also honored two “Chefs of the Year,” people who have made an impact and a difference in the community: Frank J. Quatela, owner and principal architect at Frank J. Quatela Architect, P.C., and Hersh K. Parekh, Esq., deputy chief of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. The “Chefs” will give back to the community in a different way — by cooking a family specialty!

Gregory’s awareness of developmental disability began in her family when her older brother Melvin was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in the 1960s.

“As I receive the Claire Schulman Spirit of Community award, I think of my brother Melvin, who had cerebral palsy,” said Gregory when reached by The FilAm. “I became a lawyer because of him.”

Growing up, she was the younger sister who defended Melvin from kids who teased him.

“I had someone in our family who had less in life and there was a part of me that wanted him to have more in law. Whenever I think of him, invariably my thoughts turn to my mother

who loved and served my brother as only a mother can. She loved him until the very end.

“After our mother passed away in 2014, her love for Melvin continued through my only sister and I until Melvin passed away in 2020 at the age of 58. Though my brother never traveled to the United States

Gregory visits children with disabilities at the Natalie Katz Rogers Training and Treatment Center in Queens. Photo courtesy of QCP

Flowers for the Claire Shulman Award honoree. Photos courtesy of Lara Gregory.

With Rebecca Seidel who also has a sibling on the autism spectrum helped by QCP programs.

nor lived in New York, the impact of his life through me can be felt through the Claire Schulman Spirit of Community Award that I’m deeply honored to accept,” she said in her acceptance speech.

The Queens Centers for Progress has assisted more than 1,200 individuals with developmental disabilities to lead more independent lives.

The Claire Shulman Award was established in 2022 to honor the legacy of the late Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, the first female Borough President in New York city, a past “Chef of the Year” and supporter of the QCP. When the award was established, QCP Executive Director Terri Ross said: “There is no one who embodies the spirit of the Queens community more than Claire Schulman did. We could not imagine this event without her, and selfishly, this is our way of making sure she is here with us every year going forward.”

Gregory has been serving the Queens community since 2017. A lawyer by profession, she is admit-

Gregory’s Kuya Melvin who is diagnosed with cerebral palsy in the 1960s in the Philippines.

ted in the State of New York and practices in the Supreme, Surrogate and Immigration courts. She has presented numerous “Know Your Rights” immigration seminars and has helped educate and best advise new immigrants.

During the pandemic, and before the availability of vaccines, Gregory launched “Swab and Save Lives” through Legal Good, an initiative which offered free COVID-19 testing directed toward the most vulnerable in the AAPI community regardless of immigration status and at one point tested one hundred (100) individuals with the United Sherpa Association and the GPK Foundation.

Together with the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NAFFAA), she helped launched the nationwide vaccination campaign, “Don’t Hesitate, Vaccinate!” For her community work during the pandemic, Gregory received the “Bayani” or Hero Award in 2021 from the eminent Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS-NY Metro). In 2022, she was also awarded a citation of honor by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards for her outstanding community work and in 2023, she received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for her community service.

As part of the Hate Crimes Task Force of NaFFAA and of the Filipino Americans for Racial Action (FARA), Gregory has been at the forefront of the AAPI efforts to combat hate. She organized AAPI women-led self-defense classes participated by an intergenerational and diverse group of women.

She serves on and was the immediate past chair of the Public Safety Committee of Queens Community Board 4, is a member of AAPI Advisory Board of the Queens District Attorney, and a member of the Queens Borough President’s Civic Engagement Committee.

On accepting her award, she said: “It’s an honor to receive the Claire Shulman Spirit of Community Award. Indeed, service to one another and our community is the universal love language that unites us all, regardless of food preference, mother language, religion, or ethnicity. I applaud QCP for their life-changing work and for this honor." – Cristina DC Pastor

Issue 73, March 2024

ConGen Elmer Cato Cleared in alleged job scams in Milan

Ninoy’s doctor and his place in history

Atty. Lara Gregory

Claire Shulman awardee for her role in disability support

Dr. Rolando Solis