JulY 4, 2015 hAwAii filipino ChroniCle 1 ♦ JULY 4, 2015 ♦ NEWS FEATURE LEGAL NOTES MAINLAND NEWS rizAl Youth GettinG A Green lAwmAkers renew push for leAdership CArd despite ConGressionAl Gold medAl institute seminAr petitioner's deAth for filipino VeterAns 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 JulY 4, 2015 EDITORIALS FROM THE PUBLISHER Publisher & Executive Editor e hope that you enjoyed a Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D. Adjusting to Ban on long and relaxing Fourth of Publisher & Managing Editor July weekend! Summer is in Chona A. Montesines-Sonido Plastic Bags full swing and it sure has Associate Editors been unbearably warm and he City & County of Honolulu has joined the W Dennis Galolo growing list of municipalities in the U.S. and humid the past few weeks. Edwin Quinabo around the world in banning the use of plastic Fortunately, forecasters say cooler weather Contributing Editor bags which scientists say is a scourge on the en- is ahead. Belinda Aquino, Ph.D. T vironment. When carelessly-discarded, these Speaking of July, your shopping experience has been for- Creative Designer wind-driven bags can be seen everywhere on ever changed with a new City law prohibiting the use of plas- Junggoi Peralta Oahu—on streets, sidewalks, fences, bushes and trees, where tic bags. In our cover story, the Chronicle interviewed several Photography they are difficult to remove. For an island state like Hawaii, Filipino shoppers and businesses about their efforts to comply Tim Llena these single-use plastic bags are especially problematic since with this ban (see page 4 for “Plastic Bags No Longer Option Administrative Assistant they end up in landfills and take an extremely long time to for Oahu Shoppers”). If you purchased reusable cloth or other Shalimar Pagulayan biodegrade—about 1,000 years, some scientists say. Perhaps insulated bags, remember to wash and clean them regularly Columnists to prevent contamination, especially if you use them to hold Carlota Hufana Ader worst of all, they end up in the ocean, where they entangle Emil Guillermo marine life and are mistaken for food by fish, turtles and raw meats, fruits and vegetables. Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Ph.D. birds. The rest break down into smaller pieces that pollute In other news, the rail project has been in the headlines Ron Menor J.P. Orias our oceans and the food chain. lately, particularly the negative impact the construction work Pacita Saludes A handful of shoppers were prepared well in advance for is having on businesses in Waipahu. The Honolulu Authority Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. the new law, which took effect on July 1st. Most found the For Rapid Transit (HART) is offering free social media work- Charlie Sonido, M.D. shops for businesses to help them weather the impacts of con- Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq. new law inconvenient but they complied and even purchased Felino S. Tubera reusable cloth bags. And to many stores’ credit, they initially struction. If you know of or work for a business along the rail Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D. offered customers steep discounts on reusable bags and line, I encourage you to attend this workshop set for Saturday, Contributing Writers thicker plastic bags allowed under the new law. July 11th at the Filipino Community Center. Please turn to Clement Bautista Realistically, it will take some time to adjust to life with- page 10 for more details on how to register for this event. Teresita Bernales, Ed.D out plastic bags, especially for an entire generation raised on Last month, a bill was introduced in Congress that would Serafin Colmenares, Jr., Ph.D. receiving plastic bags at the point of purchase. The plastic award Filipino veterans of World War II with the Congres- Julia Crowley Linda Dela Cruz bags with their convenient handles are used for a myriad of sional Gold Medal for their service. The bipartisan measure Fiedes Doctor purposes, such as packing school lunches, picking up pet has the full support of Hawaii’s congressional delegation. Fil- Danny De Gracia, II, MA ipino veterans groups will lobby Congress in the coming Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand waste and lining trash cans. The adjustment period, some re- Amelia Jacang, M.D. searchers say, will take a minimum of 21 days—the amount months to approve the measure. Barring objections from se- Caroline Julian of time needed for most people to form a new habit. A paltry lect House and Senate members, supporters expect the bill to Raymund Ll. Liongson, Ph.D. Federico Magdalena, Ph.D. three week period is well-worth it for the sake of a cleaner, receive approval by late 2015 or early 2016. Deborah T. Manog safer environment. Hawaii has a strong tradition of caring for Lastly, we have on page 9 a news feature by Dr. Raymund Maita Milallos the ‘aina and the new law is quite fitting for a state that prides Liongson on the recent Rizal Youth Leadership Institute. The Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D. Seneca Moraleda-Puguan itself on a healthy and happy population. event brought together many young Filipinos who learned Lilia Q. Santiago, Ph.D. We have no doubt that Oahu residents can make do with- valuable leadership and life skills, along with a greater under- Jay Valdez, Psy.D. out plastic bags. Think of it as a small sacrifice that delivers standing of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippines’ national hero, and Glenn Wakai Amado Yoro big environmental benefits. Kudos to our beautiful City and the values that he espoused. A big mahalo to the many volun- Philippine Correspondent residents who are willing to ditch the use of plastic bags. Our teers who made this event possible! Greg Garcia island home will be much better off without them. That’s all for now. Please take some time to read the rest Big Island Distributor of this issue. As always, we are grateful for your continued Grace Larson support. If you would like to share a story idea, suggestion Ditas Udani A Case For the Philippines’ or concern, please email it to our staff at: filipinochroni- Maui Distributor Cecile Piros [email protected]. National Women’s Soccer Molokai Distributor Until next time…aloha and mabuhay! Maria Watanabe Team Advertising/Marketing Director Chona A. Montesines-Sonido eam USA’s 5-2 victory over Japan in the 2015 Account Executives Women’s World Cup of Soccer was seen by vast 2 win against Côte d’Ivoire of Africa. Carlota Hufana Ader numbers of people across the globe. Even Fil- In case you’re wondering, the Philippines does in fact J.P. Orias ipino-Americans, whose sport of choice is most field a women’s national soccer team—the Malditas (mean- The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is published weekly by The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. likely not soccer, had a reason to pause and cheer ing “bad” or “rough” girls). The Malditas are a growing pro- It is mailed directly to subscribers and dis- T tributed at various outlets around Oahu and for Team USA. Other than the Olympic Games, gram which competes in several regional tournaments and the neighbor islands. Editorial and advertis- ing deadlines are three weeks prior to pub- few sports events can unite an entire country and illicit rap- championships, including the Asian Football Federation lication date. Subscriptions are available at $75 per year for Oahu and the neighbor is- turous celebrations like the World Cup of Soccer can. (AFF), the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Football lands, continental U.S. $80, foreign country $90. Copyright 2006-2014. The Hawaii Fil- In the midst of the euphoria, the question really begs…why Conference (AFC). While basketball is the primary team ipino Chronicle Inc. is located at 94-356 not the Philippines? If fellow Asian nation and 2011 Women’s sport of interest in the Philippines, soccer’s popularity con- Waipahu Depot, Waipahu, HI 96797. Tele- phone (808) 678-8930 Facsimile (808) 678- World Cup champion Japan can enjoy tremendous success in tinues to grow each year. 1829. E-mail [email protected]. Website: www.thefilipinochronicle.com. the world’s most popular sport, why not the Philippines? In 2012, the Philippine Women’s National Soccer Team Opinions expressed by the columnists and contributors do not necessarily reflect those Japan’s national players were noticeably shorter than the U.S. made its first ever appearance on U.S. soil, participating in the of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle manage- ment. Reproduction of the contents in whole team and other opponents, yet that has not stopped them one LA Viking Cup held in Southern California and representing or in part is prohibited without written per- mission from the management. All rights re- bit. Soccer does not belong to strongest, the tallest or heavi- the AFC. The Malditas won the tournament by defeating the served. Printed in the U.S.A. est—but to the swiftest and the most technically-sound. Ask California Cosmos in a penalty shootout. The team finished www.thefilipinochronicle.com Thailand’s women’s soccer team, which made its debut on the the tournament with three wins and one draw—an impressive www.efilipinochronicle.com MeMber, Society of ProfeSSional world stage. The Asian newcomers even managed to log a 3- (continued on page 3) JournaliStS JulY 4, 2015 hAwAii filipino ChroniCle 3 CANDID PERSPECTIVES HED: Same-Sex Win a Personal Victory in abiding connection between the ruling were unlikely to pre- her spouse, Jill Togawa, in San My Family marriage and liberty is why vail, and that calls for constitu- Francisco, when civil unions Loving invalidated interracial tional amendments were were seen as the solution of the lasting change in this country, marriage bans under the Due "utopian arguments." He also day.