deCeMber 7, 2013 HawaII FIlIPIno CHronICle 1 ♦♦ FEBRUARYDECEMBER 19,7, 20132011 ♦♦ POINTS OF VIEW HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS LEGAL NOTES In Favor oF FIlCoM Center to teMPorary ProteCted MarrIage as It Host Pasko, a FIlIPIno status desIgnatIon always was CHrIstMas CelebratIon For PHIlIPPInes 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 deCeMber 7, 2013 EDITORIALS FROM THE PUBLISHER Publisher & Executive Editor n case you’ve forgotten, the Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D. Hawaii Legalizes Gay 29th Annual Honolulu City Publisher & Managing Editor Lights celebration is this Sat- Chona A. Montesines-Sonido Marriages—Now What? urday, December 7, at Hon- Associate Editors olulu Hale. The ever-popular ith a stroke of a pen, Gov. Neil Abercrombie I Dennis Galolo signed SB1 HD1, the controversial gay marriage event ushers in the Christmas Edwin Quinabo season and will include the lighting of a 60- bill, into law on November 14, 2013. He didn’t Creative Designer do it all by himself of course. The 51-member foot tall Norfolk Pine on the front lawn of Junggoi Peralta W State House of Representatives and 25-member Honolulu Hale, followed by the spectacular Electric Light Pa- Design Consultant Senate passed the bill by votes of 30-19-2 and rade. After the parade, make sure to see all of the uniquely-dec- Randall Shiroma 19-4-2, respectively. Each legislative body had two members orated Christmas trees created by city employees in the Photography excused. As expected, the gay marriage debate sharply divided courtyard of Honolulu Hale. The free event starts at 7 pm, so Tim Llena the community. It was interesting to note during the seemingly come early and find a good seat! Administrative Assistant Shalimar Pagulayan endless hours of emotional testimony that traditional marriage Speaking of Christmas celebrations, don’t miss the Pasko! supporters tended to emphasize the negative impacts that legal- sa FilCom on Sunday, December 15, 2013 from 3:30 pm to 7:30 Columnists pm. The free event will feature Filipino food and holiday treats; Carlota Hufana Ader izing gay marriages would have for Hawaii, while supporters Sen. Will Espero of the measure downplayed any such effects. handicrafts and ornaments for sale; and traditional music and Grace F. Fong, Ed.D Nevertheless, all of the euphoria and disappointment of the dance. Pasko! sa FilCom is a Filipino-style Christmas celebra- Emil Guillermo past few weeks will soon die down, and life will go on. There tion in Hawaii. Please turn to page 9 for more details. Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Ph.D. Ron Menor are bills to be paid, phone calls that need returning and errands For this issue, the Chronicle delves into the controversial J.P. Orias to be run. But now that the landmark bill has been passed and and newly-enacted same sex marriage law which has dominated Pacita Saludes local news headlines for the past several weeks. Supporters from Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. enacted into law, the question begs—how then shall we live? Charlie Sonido, M.D. For Christians and the “religiously-inclined,” they would do both sides of the aisle cheered and bemoaned the passage of Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq. well to live out their faith, talk less and do more acts of random SB1 HD1 which recognizes marriages between individuals of Felino S. Tubera acts of kindness. Such heart-felt action truly speaks volumes the same sex and extends the same rights, benefits, protections Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D. and would do way more to help their cause of reaching the and responsibilities of marriage that opposite-sex couples re- Contributing Writers lost—instead of a sharp, judgmental tongue. ceive. Filipinos have differing opinions on the issue—some Belinda Aquino, Ph.D. On the flip side, the gay community needs to also under- truly respect gays and lesbians in the community, while others Clement Bautista Teresita Bernales, Ed.D stand that not everyone who speaks against them is a bigot or feel that same sex marriages do not conform to family values. Serafin Colmenares, Jr., Ph.D. hater. Some gay rights supporters are all-too-quick to vilify oth- For more on SB1 HD1, the special legislative session and the Linda Dela Cruz ers who take an opposing viewpoint. These activists demand impacts that legalizing gay marriages may have on Hawaii, Fiedes Doctor Danny De Gracia, II, MA tolerance and acceptance for their lifestyle, yet they themselves please turn to page 4 for our cover story. If you also want to Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand are unable to tolerate the opinions of others. know how your state representative or senator voted on SB1 Amelia Jacang, M.D. HD1, see page 5. We could have stopped our coverage there, Caroline Julian Let’s not forget that Hawaii is the most diverse state in the Federico Magdalena nation and a melting pot of many races, cultures and back- but we didn’t! To further enlighten our readers, we have pro- Deborah T. Manog grounds. Surely the good people of Hawaii can and should ex- vided viewpoints from key individuals in support and/or oppo- Maita Milallos sition of gay marriages. Please take time to read the four Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D. tend more aloha for each other’s differences. Tolerance and Glenn Wakai respect must go both ways if we are to continue living peace- columns on pages 6-7 and see if you agree with them. Amado Yoro fully in this land of aloha. There are other stories and columns in this issue that we Philippine Correspondent hope you will enjoy reading. As always, we invite our readers Greg Garcia to contact us at: [email protected] if you have story Big Island Distributor Grace Larson Join Relief Efforts To ideas, tips or concerns regarding Hawaii’s dynamic and vibrant Ditas Udani Filipino community. Our sincerest thanks to all of you for read- Maui Distributor Help Victims of ing and faithfully supporting the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle— Cecile Piros the state’s leading Filipino newspaper! Molokai Distributor Typhoon Haiyan This Until next time…aloha and mabuhay! Maria Watanabe Advertising/Marketing Director Holiday Season Chona A. Montesines-Sonido Account Executives e've all saw heart-wrenching, graphic images and Filipinos have a large presence such as those in Hawaii, Los An- Carlota Hufana Ader read articles of Typhoon Haiyan that tore through geles, San Jose, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Jersey, to name J.P. Orias the Philippines, leaving towns ravaged, and homes a few, will continue sustained coverage on the rebuilding process The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is published weekly by The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. flattened to rubble. One of the mightiest typhoons in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan. It is mailed directly to subscribers and dis- tributed at various outlets around Oahu and to hit land in recorded history, Typhoon Haiyan has The longer media devotes coverage on relief efforts in the the neighbor islands. Editorial and advertis- W left millions of Filipinos homeless and killed thou- Philippines, the longer much needed aid will continue to benefit ing deadlines are three weeks prior to pub- lication date. Subscriptions are available at sands. The devastation was biblical tragedy to the families affected by the deadly storm. $75 per year for Oahu and the neighbor is- many Filipinos on the islands of Leyte and Samar, with Tacloban lands, continental U.S. $80, foreign country $90. Copyright 2006-2012. The Hawaii Fil- city hardest hit and almost completely washed away. Holiday Charity ipino Chronicle Inc. is located at 94-356 Waipahu Depot, Waipahu, HI 96797. Tele- In the spirit of giving this holiday season, here are some sug- phone (808) 678-8930 Facsimile (808) 678- Sustained Media Coverage gestions to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan: 1829. E-mail [email protected]. Website: www.thefilipinochronicle.com. While the international and national media deserve kudos 1) The easiest and perhaps most reliable way to directly help is Opinions expressed by the columnists and contributors do not necessarily reflect those for excellent reporting of the Philippines' natural disaster and to make a monetary donation. Call the Hawaii Red Cross at of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle manage- helped to raise massive awareness for aid, we are all too aware 1-800-REDCROSS or go to redcross.org. If want to send a ment. Reproduction of the contents in whole or in part is prohibited without written per- how national news attention on natural disasters quickly washes check, indicate in the memo line "Philippine Typhoon mission from the management. All rights re- away. Haiyan" and send it to 4155 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, served. Printed in the U.S.A. It is imperative that media around the world that focus on HI 96816. www.thefilipinochronicle.com www.efilipinochronicle.com the Filipino community such as ours, the Hawaii Filipino 2) Organize your own mini-fundraiser among family and friends MeMber, Society of ProfeSSional Chronicle, and larger local media that serve communities where (continued on page 3) JournaliStS deCeMber 7, 2013 HawaII FIlIPIno CHronICle 3 OPINION omy: promoting growth by in- Why Can’t Congress Aim Higher? vestment in infrastructure and By Lee H. Hamilton capable of clarifying fiscal af- board budget cuts put in place in Medicare that put them on a solid basic research, providing incen- fairs. Right now, government 2011. At first, many agencies footing for decades to come. tives for entrepreneurship and ongressional agencies cannot plan ahead; they were able to defer maintenance, These are daunting chal- job creation. It could create a re- budget negotia- can’t consider long-term proj- spend money they’d squirreled lenges, but Congress’s toolbox is sponsible framework for reduc- tors are moving ects; they have trouble with away, and cut staff by attrition.