may 9, 2015 haWaII fIlIPIno ChronICle 1 ♦ MAY 9, 2015 ♦ COMMENTARY LEGAL NOTES GLOBAL NEWS US PInoyS: Pray to ID CarD QUeen elIzaBeth II BleSSeD mother to for the honorS fIlIPIno ProteCt US from ChIna UnDoCUmenteD CanCer PatIent 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 may 9, 2015 EDITORIALS FROM THE PUBLISHER Publisher & Executive Editor anny Pacquiao’s loss to Floyd Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D. Rail Construction Mayweather by unanimous decision was a bitter pill to Publisher & Managing Editor Chona A. Montesines-Sonido Disrupts Waipahu swallow for Filipino boxing fans. What made it especially Associate Editors aipahu residents and small businesses owners are M Dennis Galolo agonizing was that May- Edwin Quinabo finding their patience stretched to the limit as con- weather refused to box straight up whenever struction of the rail project winds its way along the Pac Man pressed in, choosing instead to Contributing Editor Belinda Aquino, Ph.D. Farrington Highway, the main arterial through dance around the ring and hold on. Had Mayweather done so, their neighborhood. Residents have had to adjust we all know that Pacquiao would have emerged victorious. Nev- Creative Designer W travel times, seek alternate routes and endure Junggoi Peralta ertheless, Filipinos are still extremely proud of Pacquiao and all noise, dust and sleepless nights, while some businesses have seen that he has accomplished inside and out of the boxing ring. Photography customer traffic slow to a trickle, prompting reduced store and This Sunday, May 10th is Mother’s Day. In honor of Tim Llena employee hours. Mother’s Day, we have included in this issue a special supple- Administrative Assistant Waipahu is the first community to feel the full brunt of the ment dedicated to our moms. We hope that you will enjoy read- Shalimar Pagulayan heavy construction work and its disruptions. In fact, what’s now ing the various stories, profiles and personal quotes from people Columnists happening in Waipahu is a good indication of what will unfold in young and old who share what their moms mean to them. Happy Carlota Hufana Ader Emil Guillermo urban Honolulu when construction reaches the area—but on a Mother’s Day to our moms and a heart-felt “thank you” for all much bigger and uglier scale. But if there is a silver lining, Hon- Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Ph.D. that you have done and continue to do for your families. Ron Menor olulu Authority For Rapid Transit (HART) officials can certainly Our cover story, written by associate editor Dennis Galolo, J.P. Orias learn from construction mitigation efforts in Waipahu—what focuses on Honolulu’s fixed rail project and the impacts of con- Pacita Saludes Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. works and what hasn’t in terms of engaging the community and struction work on Waipahu’s residents and businesses. If you’ve dealing with complaints. Charlie Sonido, M.D. traveled to Waipahu recently via Farrington Highway, you’ve Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq. As construction progresses through Waipahu and reaches probably wished you took another route since you were no doubt Felino S. Tubera neighboring Pearl City and Aiea, HART needs to continue to do stuck in traffic. In all fairness, the Honolulu Authority For Rapid Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D. all it can to address complaints and inconveniences and be as Transit (HART) is doing all it can to respond to complaints. Contributing Writers forthright as possible about the full impacts. In other words, Some say more can and should be done, but HART and contrac- “under-promise and over-deliver”—which may prove to be the Clement Bautista tor Kiewit are doing their best. For an update on the construction Teresita Bernales, Ed.D best approach for the long-term, especially since too many dead- work and suggestions on how to cope with its impacts, turn to Serafin Colmenares, Jr., Ph.D. lines have been unmet and uncertainty continues to cloud the pro- page 4 for our cover story “Rail Construction Grips Waipahu Julia Crowley Linda Dela Cruz ject’s funding and duration. By under-promising and Residents and Businesses.” over-delivering, the public’s expectations are tempered but can Fiedes Doctor On page 12 is an Open Forum article submitted by Ewa Danny De Gracia, II, MA hopefully be exceeded some time later. Making ambitious claims Makai Middle School student Jazryn Nagum who shares her Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand and failing to live up to them will only result in a increasingly ir- thoughts and suggestions on homelessness. She and several Amelia Jacang, M.D. ritated and misled public. Caroline Julian classmates recently toured Honolulu Hale and testified on a City Dr. Raymund Liongson If it’s any comfort for frustrated Waipahu residents and small Council resolution dealing with homelessness (see page 7). Federico Magdalena, Ph.D. businesses, there will be the proverbial light at the end of the tun- Kudos to these exceptional students from Ewa Beach for their Deborah T. Manog nel. If other communities have suffered through rail construction interest in what goes on in our government! Maita Milallos in their neighborhoods and survived, they can too. We urge them Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D. Lastly, the month of May also marks the annual Flores de Seneca Moraleda-Puguan to remain patient and continue to weather the storm. The incon- Mayo celebration which has become a popular event enjoyed by Lilia Q. Santiago, Ph.D. veniences will pay off eventually in the form of transportation Hawaii’s Filipino community. Special events celebrating the Jay Valdez, Psy.D. Glenn Wakai options, new investments and development in the neighborhood week-long Flores de Mayo kicked off on May 2 with a Fil-Am and a more economically vibrant transit corridor. Amado Yoro Young Leaders Conference and will culminate with the ever- Philippine Correspondent popular 23rd Annual Filipino Fiesta on Saturday, May 9 at Ka- Greg Garcia piolani Park from 10 am to 5 pm. Hope to see you there! Big Island Distributor CEOs Ought To Set A Moral That’s all for now. Our sincerest thanks to all of you for read- Grace Larson ing and faithfully supporting the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle— Ditas Udani Example And Accept the state’s leading Filipino newspaper! Until next time…aloha Maui Distributor and mabuhay! Cecile Piros Molokai Distributor Reasonable Salaries Maria Watanabe Advertising/Marketing Director cross the board surveys have shown – from Democ- Chona A. Montesines-Sonido rats to Republicans, to people making more than Account Executives $100,000 a year to those just scraping by financially Princeton University Study on Well-being and Income Carlota Hufana Ader – a majority of Americans believe that top corporate He added that a compelling motivation factor came from a J.P. Orias executives and CEOs are paid too much. study he read by Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is published A So when Dan Price, founder and CEO of credit of Public and International Affairsthat found income level is weekly by The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. It is mailed directly to subscribers and dis- card processor Gravity Payments, made national news with a sur- linked to people’s emotional well-being and happiness. The study tributed at various outlets around Oahu and the neighbor islands. Editorial and advertis- prising announcement very atypical for a CEO, people paid at- factored that $75,000 was the ideal annual income. Happiness de- ing deadlines are three weeks prior to pub- lication date. Subscriptions are available at tention. clined the father away people’s income was from that point, either $75 per year for Oahu and the neighbor is- lands, continental U.S. $80, foreign country Price announced that he was cutting his nearly $1 million lower or higher. Those farther lower and farther higher had higher $90. Copyright 2006-2014. The Hawaii Fil- salary to $70,000 and use the difference of that money to pay his stress levels that interfered in happiness. ipino Chronicle Inc. is located at 94-356 Waipahu Depot, Waipahu, HI 96797. Tele- 120-person staff pay raises. He will raise the salary of all his em- The study shows that high income buys life satisfaction but phone (808) 678-8930 Facsimile (808) 678- 1829. E-mail [email protected]. ployees over the next year to a minimum of $70,000. The current not happiness, and that low income is associated both with low Website: www.thefilipinochronicle.com. Opinions expressed by the columnists and average salary at the company is $48,000. At least 30 employees life evaluation and low emotional well-being. In times of misfor- contributors do not necessarily reflect those will double their salary. tunate such as divorce, illness, and being alone, low income ex- of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle manage- ment. Reproduction of the contents in whole “There’s greater inequality today than there’s been since the acerbates the emotional pain associated with those down times. or in part is prohibited without written per- mission from the management. All rights re- Great Recession. I’d been thinking about this stuff and just In addition to helping Price’s employees live more stress free served. Printed in the U.S.A. thought. It’s time. I can’t go another day without doing something and emotionally fulfilling lives, his move toward more equitable www.thefilipinochronicle.com about this,” Price said. pay in his company could be a sound business move as well. Em- www.efilipinochronicle.com MeMber, Society of ProfeSSional (continued on page 3) JournaliStS may 9, 2015 haWaII fIlIPIno ChronICle 3 CANDID PERSPECTIVES Does Bruce Jenner as Trans Poster Boy Tell the Story Better than a Filipina? ways wear this t-shirt on my class and celebrity.