April 16, 2016 hAwAii Filipino chronicle 1 ♦ APRIL 16, 2016 ♦ CANDID PERSPECTIVES BUSINESS FEATURE MAINLAND NEWS GriDlock thAt workS: AlohA Sweet city oF SAn FrAnciSco UnionS Get booSt From DeliteS ServeS Up ApproveS Filipino coUrt DeADlock DelectAble treAtS cUltUrAl DiStrict PRESORTED HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE STANDARD 94-356 WAIPAHU DEPOT RD., 2ND FLR. U.S. POSTAGE WAIPAHU, HI 96797 PAID HONOLULU, HI PERMIT NO. 9661 2 hAwAii Filipino chronicle April 16, 2016 EDITORIAL FROM THE PUBLISHER Publisher & Executive Editor ll eyes will be on the Philippines Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D. Filipino Voters to in the coming weeks, as frenzy Publisher & Managing Editor and interest in the national elec- Chona A. Montesines-Sonido Decide Philippines’ tions are sure to reach a fevered Associate Editors Dennis Galolo | Edwin Quinabo pitch. And for good reason. The A Contributing Editor Future in 2016 Election May 9th election will determine Belinda Aquino, Ph.D. s far as elections go, one can probably argue that the nation’s leaders in all levels and Creative Designer Junggoi Peralta the Philippines has come a long way since the days branches of government—from president to provincial, city and municipal level offices. The big prize, of Photography when grandiose showmanship during song-and- Tim Llena dance-filled campaign trails was all that mattered. course, is Malacañang, where leading candidates Manuel Administrative Assistant It has also come a long way since those days when “Mar” Roxas II, Jejomar “Jojo” Binay, Grace Poe, Rodrigo Shalimar Pagulayan A Columnists Duterte and Miriam Defensor Santiago all have their eyes electoral frauds were seen as rampant. Carlota Hufana Ader For the first time in more than two decades, the presiden- upon. The candidates hit the campaign trail in early February, Emil Guillermo tial and vice presidential candidates were able to lay out their stumping for votes in various areas of the country and will con- Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Ph.D. tinue doing so until the last ballots are received. Ron Menor plans for the country and face off with their rivals in nation- J.P. Orias ally televised debates organized by the Commission on Elec- Whoever is elected president will lead the nation forward Pacita Saludes during the next six years, so voters should choose wisely since Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. tions. These events were a great hit. Not only were they Charlie Sonido, M.D. he or she will either build upon or altogether end Noynoy Cong. Mark Takai popular among television viewers, they also became trending Aquino’s reforms for good governance. The new president will Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq. topics on social media and were talked about by the common Felino S. Tubera face the unenviable task of addressing long-standing problems Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D. people on the streets even days after they were concluded. in the areas of crime, corruption, economic inequality, lack of Whereas before it took more than a month to tally elec- Contributing Writers jobs, traffic, substandard public infrastructure—to name just a Clement Bautista tion results, today it takes just a single day, thanks to the elec- few. We therefore sincerely urge Filipino voters to see beyond Teresita Bernales, Ed.D tions being automated since 2010. Despite the system’s flaws, Rose Churma superficial qualities like a candidate’s personality or celebrity Serafin Colmenares, Jr., Ph.D. many Filipinos saw the computerization process as the status and instead wisely choose a leader who is honest, coura- Julia Crowley biggest step toward improving transparency and preventing Linda Dela Cruz geous, a good communicator and can inspire others to work to- Fiedes Doctor fraud during election seasons. After all, it has brought signif- gether on issues that have long plagued the country. Danny De Gracia, II, MA icant improvements in the speed of counting votes, thereby Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand In this issue’s cover story (see page 4), the Chronicle’s Amelia Jacang, M.D. reducing the possibility of cheating in the interim between Philippine correspondent Gregory Garcia introduces us to the Caroline Julian the closing of voting precincts and the end of vote tallying. five leading presidential candidates and their vice presidential Raymund Ll. Liongson, Ph.D. Federico Magdalena, Ph.D. But observers should make no mistake. Automation is running mates. Gregory provides detailed information on each Deborah T. Manog good, but it is not enough. For one thing, there are areas in candidates’ backgrounds, platforms and visions for the future. Maita Milallos Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D. the country where political leaders continue to benefit from If you are eligible to vote in the Philippine election but have Renelaine Bontol-Pfister the established system of command votes, in which they per- not yet cast your ballot, we urge you to study these candidates’ Seneca Moraleda-Puguan Lilia Q. Santiago, Ph.D. sist to influence or even determine people’s voting choices, profiles and choose the one who you think is best suited to lead Jay Valdez, Psy.D. thus hindering genuine exercise of the right to suffrage. the Philippines. Glenn Wakai In our previous issue, the Chronicle featured the 8th Annual Amado Yoro For another, the Philippine elections are still pretty much Philippine Correspondent: personality-driven. Historically, platforms and political party Filipino Film Festival which was held at the Honolulu Museum Greg Garcia affiliations have counted for little in the Philippines. Voters of Art. Contributing writer Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand was Neighbor Island Correspondents: generally look at individual personalities and usually elect among the attendees at the opening night of the film “Bonifa- Big Island (Hilo and Kona) someone they deem is likeable and approachable, or someone cio: Ang Unang Pangulo” in which organizers held a special Grace Larson | Ditas Udani reception themed in ode to the 1898 inauguration of the First Kauai with whom they can relate. This is, of course, not entirely un- Millicent Wellington reasonable, since they want to put into position people who Republic of the Philippines. To read more about what tran- Maui can actually help them in times of need or can make impor- spired during this special gala event, please turn to page 7 for Christine Sabado Carolyn’s news feature “2016 Filipino Film Festival Opening Big Island Distributor tant decisions for them in response to crucial situations in the Grace Larson | Ditas Udani future. Highlights History.” And in the Chronicle’s continuing coverage of Kauai and Kauai Distributor But this personality-driven character of Philippine elec- Amylou Aguinaldo its large Filipino population who deserve more news coverage, Nestor Aguinaldo tions can also put many competent candidates at a disadvan- we have included in this issue a business profile of Aloha Jimmy Iloreta tage. Since campaigns are expensive, candidates have to rely Sweet Delites, a successful bakery in Kaumakani located on Maui Distributor on the support of businesses and rich families to fuel their Cecile Piros the west side of Kauai. Co-owner Carlota Manuel Nada is orig- campaign machineries. Without the beneficence of these pa- Molokai Distributor inally from Marikina, Metro Manila and is a graduate of the Maria Watanabe trons, many of those running for office are doomed to lan- National College of Business and Arts. She and her husband Oahu Distributor guish in obscurity. But getting favors from powerful Clyde have run the bakery for the past several years and have Yoshimasa Kaneko Jonathan Pagulayan oligarchs, business leaders, and other politicians could also drawn a loyal following for their delicious baked goods among put winning candidates in a position in which they will feel Advertising/Marketing Director locals as well as first time visitors to the Garden Isle. To find Chona A. Montesines-Sonido obliged to return the favors they owe once they are finally in out what customers are saying about the bakery and its prod- Account Executives office. ucts, please turn to page 11 for “Aloha Sweet Delites Serves Carlota Hufana Ader J.P. Orias Given the nature of politics in the Philippines, the elec- Up Delectable Treats.” The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is published torate will be well advised to study their options carefully In closing, please take some time to read the other inform- weekly by The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. and is located at 94-356 Waipahu Depot, and thoroughly. The stakes are high, given the fact that the ative columns and articles in this issue, particularly our Book Waipahu, HI 96797. Telephone (808) 678- 8930 Facsimile (808) 678-1829. E-mail fil- economy has truly taken off and the country is at a crossroads Review on page 17 for suggested good summer reading. If [email protected]. Website: www.thefilipinochronicle.com. Opinions where its people must finally decide where they want their you have any story ideas, suggestions or concerns to share re- expressed by the columnists and contribu- tors do not necessarily reflect those of the nation to go. We are almost, in Malcom Gladwell’s words, at garding Hawaii’s dynamic and vibrant Filipino community, Hawaii Filipino Chronicle management. Re- a tipping point—the point at which small changes become please do not hesitate to drop us an email at: filipinochroni- production of the contents in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from significant enough to make the most important change of all [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you! the management. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. a possibility. Every vote should be counted as part of these Until our next issue…aloha and mabuhay! U.S. SBA SmAll BUSineSS JoUrnAliSt AwArdee series of small changes toward the realization of that one big memBer, Society of ProfeSSionAl change all Filipinos hope for.