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AUGUST 6, 2011 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE 1 ♦ ♦FEBRUARY AUGUST 6,19, 2011 2011 ♦ ♦ Photography by Tim Llena LEGISLATIVE CONNECTION HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS FEATURE WHAT IS ASIA-PACIFIC TOPAZ FERNANDEZ CHEM PROFESSOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION CROWNED 2011 MISS WINS TEACHING ALL ABOUT? HAWAII FILIPINA AWARD HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE PRESORTED STANDARD 94-356 WAIPAHU DEPOT RD., 2ND FLR. U.S. POSTAGE WAIPAHU, HI 96797 PAID HONOLULU, HI PERMIT NO. 9661 2 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE AUGUST 6, 2011 EDITORIAL FROM THE PUBLISHER Publisher & Executive Editor ou’ve probably heard the old say- Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D. State Tax Director ing “Nothing lasts forever.” Well, for morning commuters, the Publisher & Managing Editor Ready for Challenges smooth-flowing morning traffic of Chona A. Montesines-Sonido the past few months will soon ight months ago, Fred Pablo assumed his new posi- Y Associate Editors come to grinding halt as school re- tion as the state’s new tax director. Not much was Dennis Galolo sumes for tens of thousands of known initially about the former budget director Edwin Quinabo students. On the bright side, it was good while from Maui county who served under Mayor Char- it lasted! Creative Designer maine Tavares from 2007-2010. Junggoi Peralta E For this issue, we have highlighted two Filipinos who have Those from Maui, however, know and appreci- risen to the top of their respective fields. The first is Fred Pablo— Design Consultant ate his efforts in keeping Maui county fiscally- Randall Shiroma the State’s Tax director who was tapped by Gov. Neil Abercrom- sound. As budget director, he provided outstanding oversight and bie to join his administration. And for good reason. Pablo brings Photography management of both revenue and expenditure concerns during a wealth of tax and management experience to the table that can Tim Llena those years of economic difficulty. According to recent forecasts, only serve to benefit the entire state. Please read more about him Administrative Assistant Maui has not only weathered the storm, but is expecting a budget in a candid interview on page 4. Mahalo to our contributing Shalimar Pagulayan surplus for the next fiscal year. Those “in the know” say it did not writer Caroline Julian for an interesting and informative exclu- happen overnight or by accident, but rather through a careful and Columnists sive interview! Carlota Ader timely reaction to financial conditions. The second is Leticia Colmenares, an associate professor of Carlo Cadiz, M.D. After serving in the army, Pablo began working for the IRS Sen. Will Espero chemistry at Windward Community College who recently re- on a career that took him from Honolulu to Washington D.C. and Grace F. Fong, Ed.D ceived an award for excellence in teaching. While there are many around the world, where he was involved in many aspects of tax- Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Ph.D. such awards for educators, hers is significant in that she is rarity J.P. Orias ation from taxpayer service and collections, to auditing and ap- among college faculty—a Filipina in the field of chemistry. More Pacita Saludes peals and to dealing with issues in international taxation. Pablo’s Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. on Colmenares is available on page 9. She and Pablo are excel- experience in the federal and international arena is comple- Charlie Sonido, M.D. lent examples and role models for our youth to follow. We en- mented with involvement in tax matters at the State and at the Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq. courage young Filipinos to set their goals high and be the best at Felino S. Tubera County levels. whatever they choose to do in life. If Pablo and Colmenares can Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D. Pablo also holds a reputation for working well with admin- achieve their dreams, surely you can also! istrators and the legislative branch—as well as an ability to com- Speaking of dreams, one young Filipina made her dream Contributing Writers municate complex issues to the community. Coupled with four come true. Topaz Fernandez was crowned 2011 Miss Hawaii Fil- Belinda Aquino, Ph.D. decades of tax experience and fiscal expertise, it’s readily ap- Clement Bautista ipina in a recent pageant sponsored by the United Filipino Coun- parent why Maui’s loss has been a tremendous gain for the Aber- Teresita Bernales, Ed.D cil of Hawaii. Good things are in store for this Kauai girl who crombie administration. Linda Dela Cruz aspires for a career in broadcast journalism. Congratulations to Fiedes Doctor His priorities as tax director are simplifying the tax system, Topaz and fellow contestants Leonevi Mabiog and Shelby Ban- Danny De Gracia, II, MA modernizing the department and fostering community outreach Amelia Jacang, M.D. tilan. Good luck to all three young women! initiatives—simple yet effective goals for a no-nonsense director Caroline Julian In closing, there are other columns of interest in this issue Maita Milallos like Pablo who brings a blue-collar work ethic along with im- that we hope you will enjoy reading—columns like “Legislative Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D. pressive credentials and a good track record. Connection” (page 3), “Immigration Guide” (page 7), “Food and Glenn Wakai As perhaps Gov. Abercrombie’s most highly-appointed and Amado Yoro Leisure” (page 8), “Family Corner” (page 12) and “Legal Notes” visible appointee of Filipino ancestry, the Filipino community (page 13). Thank you once again for faithfully supporting the Philippine Correspondent should be extremely proud of Pablo. His is the classic local suc- Gregory Bren Garcia Hawaii Filipino Chronicle. As always, we invite our readers to cess story—the son of immigrant plantation workers who grew contact us at: [email protected] if you have story Big Island Distributor up in Palama and advanced himself through a solid education, Grace Larson ideas, tips or concerns regarding Hawaii’s dynamic and vibrant determination and hard work. We wish him all the very best and Ditas Udani Filipino community. are confident that he is more than up for any and all challenges Maui Distributor Until next time…aloha and mabuhay! that may come his way as State Tax director. Cecile Piros Molokai Distributor City Departmental Merger Maria Watanabe Advertising/Marketing Director Chona A. Montesines-Sonido Makes Good Sense than anticipated, while others noticed definite improvements. A Account Executives consultant hired by the City recently released a re- few years later in 2006, the City’s Charter Commission voted Carlota Ader port on a proposal to merge the Honolulu Fire De- down a proposal to undo Harris’ reorg, citing the cost and time in- J.P. Orias partment with the Emergency Services Department volved to reconfiguring the departments. (ESD). In a detailed 222-page report, Emergency In the proposed merger with HFD and ESD, which includes Services Consulting International (ESCI) determined ambulance and ocean safety/lifeguard personnel, the potential The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is published A weekly by The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. that such a merger is not only feasible, but would im- $10 million in savings should be music in the ears of both the ad- It is mailed directly to subscribers and dis- ministration and members of the City Council. Both sides went tributed at various outlets around Oahu and prove the delivery of emergency services to both residents and the neighbor islands. Editorial and advertis- visitors in a cost effective and efficient manner. Doing so would through a particularly difficult process for the City’s Fiscal Year ing deadlines are three weeks prior to pub- also eliminate duplication of services. In fact, ESCI estimates 2012 budget. lication date. Subscriptions are available at $75 per year for Oahu and the neighbor is- that in the next five years, the proposed merger, if approved, There are obstacles to overcome, namely collective bargain- lands, continental U.S. $80, foreign country could save taxpayers a total of $10 million. ing agreements with the United Public Workers and Hawaii Gov- $90. Copyright 2006. The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. is located at 94-356 Waipahu Such mergers or “reorgs” are nothing new at the City. The ernment Employees Association. Both unions may have their Depot, Waipahu, HI 96797. Telephone last major departmental reorg occurred in 1998 when then-Mayor own economic incentives to resist the merger. To alleviate the (808) 678-8930 Facsimile (808) 678-1829. E-mail [email protected]. Web- Jeremy Harris eliminated several departments and centralized concerns of the incumbent workforce, the consultant recom- site: www.thefilipinochronicle.com. Opinions City services. The two biggest and most controversial moves in- mends implementing the merger over time and in a phased-in ap- expressed by the columnists and contribu- tors do not necessarily reflect those of the cluded merging the Department of Planning and Permitting (for- proach based on demonstrated efficiencies and organizational Hawaii Filipino Chronicle management. Re- merly Department of Land Utilization) with the Department of commitment. production of the contents in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from Planning, and merging the Budget Department into the Depart- The proposal deserves serious thought—particularly with the the management. All rights reserved. ment of Budget and Fiscal Services (formerly the Department of City so strapped for cash. We encourage the administration to Printed in the U.S.A. Land Utilization). carefully evaluate the consultant’s report and consider its rec- www.thefilipinochronicle.com www.efilipinochronicle.com Critics said the massive reorg created more inefficiencies ommendations. AUGUST 6, 2011 HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE 3 LEGISLATIVE CONNECTION Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation workforce for most APEC mem- common standards. Differing this day of internet communica- APEC is comprised of Australia, bers. The sheer collective size standards is a real barrier for tions.