November 2, 2019 Hawaii Filipino Chronicle 1
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NOVEMBER 2, 2019 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE 1 NOVEMBER 2, 2019 SPECIAL FEATURE LEGAL NOTES HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE COURT BLOCKS NEW EXCELLENCE AWARDEES PUBLIC CHARGE RULE Q & A CFO SECRETARY FRANCISCO ACOSTA VISITS HAWAII FOR UGNAYAN SA U. S. 2 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLENOVEMBER 2, 2019 EDITORIAL FROM THE PUBLISHER Publisher & Executive Editor ur community is much stron- Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D. Publisher & Managing Editor HFC Awardees Exemplify ger when more helping hands Chona A. Montesines-Sonido work together to uplift each Associate Editors Selfless Service that Builds other. This has always been Edwin QuinaboDennis Galolo true. Sometimes help can Contributing Editor come in the unlikeliest of Belinda Aquino, Ph.D. a Stronger Community O Layout places and from people you wouldn’t neces- n the course of 25 years, the Hawaii Filipino Junggoi Peralta sarily expect. What’s also true is that good Photography Chronicle has reported on and made genuine deeds are interconnected. One person might have a unique Tim Llena connections with many individuals who have skill; and a second person another skill. Put the two together, Administrative Assistant Lilia Capalad spent a lifetime making a difference. Much too and multiply that then suddenly there is this power unleashed often, individuals who give generously to their Shalimar Pagulayan in the form of community-building. Our community’s grand- Editorial Assistant I communities go unrecognized for their efforts. est projects have followed this pattern; perhaps the greatest Jim Bea Sampaga So it’s laudable that the HFC owners and staff have decided to example is in the building and continued support of the Filipi- Columnists share their 25th Anniversary celebration by recognizing out- no Community Center. And there are many others. Carlota Hufana Ader Elpidio R. Estioko standing members in our community. For our cover story this issue, associate editor Edwin These individuals (HFC Excellence awardees) have ex- Emil Guillermo Quinabo writes about the HFC Excellence Awards that will Melissa Martin, Ph.D. celled in various fields – from medicine to law, politics to aca- be formally handed out at the HFC 25th Anniversary Gala and J.P. Orias Pacita Saludes demia, media to entertainment, culture to community service. Awards Banquet on Nov. 23 at the Ala Moana Hotel, Hibis- Not only have they made their mark in their respective profes- Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. cus Ballroom. Recipients of the HFC Excellence Awards have Charlie Sonido, M.D. sions, but they’ve simultaneously worked as community-build- been selected for their lifetime contributions to our commu- Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq. ers on their spare time with passion to commit to something nity as well as their work in their respective fields from med- Contributing Writers larger than themselves. icine to law, to education and culture, and so on. They repre- Clement Bautista Edna Bautista, Ed.D. Through each stage in life, no one does it alone but depends sent the spirit of community-building and giving. Alongside on others apart from family. These HFC awardees represent Teresita Bernales, Ed.D. the cover story is a write-up of the 35 (in total) outstanding Sheryll Bonilla, Esq. that helping hand. They’re that attorney who does pro bono Filipino individuals and organizations who will receive our Rose Churma Serafin Colmenares Jr., Ph.D. work for the underprivileged; that doctor who volunteers on HFC Excellence Award. Congratulations to our awardees; and medical missions to help the sick and poor; that academic who Linda Dela Cruz thank you for your contributions to our community. We are Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand educates our youths in the classroom and gives them skills to pleased that you and your family and friends will be able to Amelia Jacang, M.D. Caroline Julian succeed in life; that public servant who helps to run govern- celebrate with us our milestone 25th Anniversary. ment for the overall benefit of society; that community leader Raymond Ll. Liongson, Ph.D. Also in this issue, HFC contributor Carolyn Weygan-Hil- Federico Magdalena, Ph.D. who keeps us engaged by working on community events where debrand contributes an article on some of the community Matthew Mettias Maita Milallos fellowship and bonds are renewed; and that cultural expert who events that occurred around the state (Maui, the Big Island, keeps our people interested in our Filipino heritage, history, Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D. Kauai, and Oahu) during October’s Filipino-American Histo- Renelaine Bontol-Pfister and language. ry Month (FAHM) or also often referred to as Filipino-Amer- Seneca Moraleda-Puguan How does community-building work? It means service, ican Heritage month. Jay Valdez, Psy.D. participation and interaction. HFC awardees have put in tire- Glenn Wakai We also have a news feature on Fil-Am actress Sienna Amado Yoro less time, energy, ideas, knowledge, and often money to keep Aczon who will star in a fantasy action film “DEVATHA: The Philippine Correspondent: our community thriving. They have invested of themselves to Awakening,” which will premiere in Hawaii theaters and the Greg Garcia benefit others. And it is our relationships with them and each film festival circuit worldwide in the Spring 2020. Sienna is Neighbor Island Correspondents: other that make us empowered. an award-winning actress. She is a local talent who graduated Concrete examples of some HFC Excellence awardees’ Big Island (Hilo and Kona) from Punahou School. Grace LarsonDitas Udani community-building efforts: President and CEO of House of HFC contributor Raymund Llanes Liongson informs us of Kauai Finance, Inc. Roland Casamina has engineered his knowledge the Knights of Rizal-Aloha letter-writing contest open to Ha- Millicent Wellington and network to help raise funds for the building of the Filipino Maui waii residents. Participants are asked to answer: “If Dr. Jose Christine Sabado Community Center; physician-volunteers of both the Bayani- Rizal (Philippine national hero) were to write to the Filipino han Clinic Without Walls (BCWW) and the Ohana Medical Big Island Distributors women today, both in the Philippines and abroad, what would Grace LarsonDitas Udani Missions, Inc. dedicate their expertise and hard work to help he tell them given the current realities and development? Get Kauai Distributors the medically underserved and uninsured; and Owner of Group the details of this fascinating and educational contest in our Amylou Aguinaldo Nestor Aguinaldo Builders, Inc. Lito Alcantara has provided labor and construc- news section. tion for the Bayanihan Clinic Without Walls Health Services. Maui Distributors Be sure to also read our columns section, including HFC Cecille PirosRey Piros All of them know of each other’s work, some have collab- columnist Elpidio Estioko’s “Veterans Should Be Remem- Molokai Distributor orated on projects; it’s charitable interconnectedness in action. bered Every Day” and HFC columnist Atty. Reuben Seguri- Maria Watanabe And the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle over the years has worked tan’s “Courts Block New Public Charge Rule.” Seguritan’s ar- Oahu Distributors with and publicized both their charitable and professional con- Yoshimasa Kaneko ticle comes as good news for our community. A U.S. court on Jonathan Pagulayan tributions to our community. This is how community-building October temporarily stopped the implementation of the “pub- works. Remove one part then suddenly our community is that Advertising / Marketing Director lic charge rule” (pushed by the Trump Administration) that Chona A. Montesines-Sonido much less stronger. Add another helping hand in this chain, the would have prevented persons who use public benefits such Account Executives work continues and gets done. as Medicaid, food stamps or housing assistance from getting a Carlota Hufana Ader Now here we are nearing the night of the Gala and Awards green card or U.S. permanent residence status. JP Orias Banquet, about to come full circle and celebrate all our life-time Lastly, thank you for your continuing support. We hope Intern accomplishments with the community we all love dearly. It’s you will be able to attend our 25th Anniversary Gala and Mark Lester Ranchez not just about patting ourselves on the back, but about showing Awards banquet. Contact us at 808-678-8930 for details. Until the younger generations what community-building looks like next issue, warmest Aloha and Mabuhay! in the hope that they can carry on the torch and do remarkable, selfless work when their time comes to make a difference. The HFC awardees have exemplified this belief that per- sonal achievement must also include progress and prosperity for those around us; in other words our ambitions are much (continue on page 3) NOVEMBER 2, 2019 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE 3 EDITORIALS Social Media Is Being Politically Weaponized For example almost any s democracy and and ill-equipped for the im- large newspaper online are our election sys- mensity of the problems we’ve bombarded by fake social me- tem being com- acknowledged.” dia posters under the comments promised on so- He added: “Abuse, harass- section. Some posters are fake, cial media? ment, troll armies, propagan- duplicate accounts from politi- I In- da through bots and human cally radical individuals called ternational journalist Maria coordination, misinformation “troll armies;” while some are Ressa has a dire warning for campaigns, and divisive filter campaign-driven by political Americans, citing what hap- bubbles — that’s not a healthy propaganda entities that have pened in the Philippines could public square. Worse, a rela- far more nefarious goals than very well be in store for the tively small number of bad- to make a simple comment. United States. She said the faith actors were able to game Common sense tells the coordinated manipulation and Twitter to have an outsized social media user that what spread of lies on social media impact.” is being posted in the com- are not just a phenomenon to Social media companies ments section under a politi- Philippine elections.