aPril 6, 2013 haWaii FiliPino ChroniCle 1 ♦ FEBRUARY♦ APRIL 6, 19, 2013 2011 ♦ ♦ FEATURE LEGAL NOTES FOOD & LEISURE Feeling good Contentious issues BaCalao: With emerge in immigration PenanCe or Jay Flores reForm ProPosals indulgenCe? 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 6, 2013 EDITORIALS FROM THE PUBLISHER Publisher & Executive Editor ith spring break now over, Charlie Y. Sonido, M.D. War and Remembrance schools are headed into the Publisher & Managing Editor he celebrated novelist Herman Wouk starts his fa- fourth and final quarter of the Chona A. Montesines-Sonido mous work War and Remembrance with this unfor- year. For students, it’s cer- gettable line—“The beginning of the end of war is tainly tempting to put it in Associate Editors W Dennis Galolo remembrance.” The “remembrance” may be full of “cruise control” for the few re- Edwin Quinabo pain but is also fraught with pride and honor, espe- maining months. We encourage you to fin- T cially for the hundreds of thousands of Filipino vet- Creative Designer ish strong and study hard to the very end. Junggoi Peralta erans who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with U.S. armed forces You’ll be glad you did. in World War II in the Pacific theatre. Speaking of the end, our cover story for this issue is about Design Consultant Randall Shiroma U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa has introduced twin bills in the on-going saga of Filipino veterans of World War II. Now in Congress designed to honor the Filipino veterans for posterity their twilight years, these aged soldiers continue to press for the Photography and to reunite the surviving ones with their children who have benefits that were promised to them decades ago. A handful of Tim Llena been waiting. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono has likewise introduced a bills have been introduced on their behalf by U.S. Rep. Colleen Administrative Assistant Shalimar Pagulayan companion bill for family reunification in the Senate, the first Hanabus and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono. Unfortunately, these vet- legislation she has put forward in the Senate since assuming of- erans face an uphill battle in Congress where its members have Columnists fice in January. little to no military experience and for whom even Vietnam is a Carlota Ader We fully support the twin bills introduced by members of our Sen. Will Espero faintly remembered secondhand experience of the horrors of congressional delegation in hopes that these would finally bring Grace F. Fong, Ed.D war. Please read about the plight of these veterans beginning on some closure, or a least an adequate reward for the longtime suf- Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Ph.D. page 4. We are indeed grateful to Belinda Aquino, Ph.D., for Ron Menor fering that our veterans have endured for more than 70 years— her expertise and insight on our veterans. J.P. Orias an awfully long time by any human reckoning. Many of our loyal Pacita Saludes veterans have died “without seeing the dawn,” as penned by Fil- We also have in this jam-packed issue a recap of the Fil- Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. ipino novelist Stevan Javellana. ipino Chamber of Commerce’s 23rd Trade Mission to the Charlie Sonido, M.D. Philippines, which was held February 1-11, 2013 and headed Emmanuel S. Tipon, Esq. While there has been a partial resolution of some of the basic Felino S. Tubera issues related to the veterans’ plight, much remains to be done in by Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui. The mission was his first trip ever to Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D. the interest of justice and equality. The Congressional Gold the Philippines. The delegation included more than 40 business Medal is a symbolic honor but loaded with meaning for veterans executives representing a diverse group of business interests Contributing Writers and their families. As with all symbolic action, the medal some- from the president of an electric company on Maui to a military Belinda Aquino, Ph.D. contractor. More on this successful trade mission is available Clement Bautista how eases the painful “remembrance of things past.” The medal Teresita Bernales, Ed.D is the highest civilian honor that has also been given to other on page 6. Serafin Colmenares, Jr., Ph.D. groups that saw action in World War II, such as the Japanese- On the lighter side, contributing writer J.P. Orias introduces Linda Dela Cruz American veterans of the 442nd regiment. us to Jay Flores, a licensed physical therapist and an extremely Fiedes Doctor Danny De Gracia, II, MA And the Family Reunification bill which is related to the talented stage performer who has appeared in numerous musi- Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand broader contentious immigration reform agenda is now being de- cals around town. Turn to page 8 for J.P.’s article “Feeling Good Amelia Jacang, M.D. bated in the halls of Congress and other circles. It envisions a with Jay Flores.” We also have in this issue an update on the Caroline Julian happy ending for the surviving veterans of Filipino ancestry to Maita Milallos rail project (page 12), timely advice on how to retire on your Paul Melvin Palalay, M.D. see their long-absent families in their twilight years. own terms (page 5), as well as other useful articles. Glenn Wakai Sadly, the World War II generation, often referred to as the In closing, we’d like to send our belated congratulations to Amado Yoro “Greatest Generation”, is dying off. In a few more years, mor- the Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii on the occasion of Philippine Correspondent tality will make this issue moot. We therefore call on Congress to their 35th Anniversary (page 11). Congratulations also to Toy Greg Garcia give Filipino veterans their due—before they’re gone. Arre who was recently appointed as a member of AARP Big Island Distributor Hawaii’s Executive Council (page 12). Grace Larson Ditas Udani That’s it for now. As always, if you would like to share a Mabuhay , story idea, suggestion or concern, please send it to our staff at: Maui Distributor Cecile Piros [email protected]. Until next time… aloha and Pope Francis mabuhay! Molokai Distributor Maria Watanabe or the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world, a ride Advertising/Marketing Director of confusion and hope could best characterize this re- Chona A. Montesines-Sonido markably dynamic 2013 Lenten season. First no one expected the resignation of Pope Account Executives Carlota Ader Benedict XVI in late February, and second, his rea- name Pope Francis "the most stunning" choice and "precedent J.P. Orias soning of poor health for quitting somehow didn't shattering." "The new pope is sending a signal that this will not be F The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is published seem believable, especially given recent memory of business as usual," he said. Based on who St. Francis of Assisi weekly by The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. It is mailed directly to subscribers and dis- his immediate predecessor the late Pope John Paul II who con- was, the name Francis symbolizes "poverty, humility, simplicity, tributed at various outlets around Oahu and ducted mass well into the late stages of his Parkinson's disease. and rebuilding the Catholic Church." the neighbor islands. Editorial and advertis- ing deadlines are three weeks prior to pub- Not to mention that no pope has vacated the papacy by resigna- At a time when economies around the world from Europe to lication date. Subscriptions are available at tion in over 600 years. the United States are reeling in trouble; at a time when economic $75 per year for Oahu and the neighbor is- lands, continental U.S. $80, foreign country Then on March 13 cardinals from around the world delivered inequality is so pervasive that 99 percent of the population are dis- $90. Copyright 2006-2012. 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The Argentine is the first non-European cietal ills from unethical gambling in Wall St. that cost millions of Opinions expressed by the columnists and contributors do not necessarily reflect those to be elected pope in over 1,200 years and the first pope from the jobs and foreclosures to drug running and killing in the streets that of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle manage- Americas, the New World. Also a historic first and perhaps more have already claimed the lives of over 70,000 in Mexico from ment. Reproduction of the contents in whole or in part is prohibited without written per- significant is the name Bergoglio has chosen for himself, Pope 2006 to present -- perhaps, now, at this time, the world needs mission from the management. All rights re- "Francis," in deference to the much beloved St. Francis of Assisi. someone like a pope who possesses the character of St. Francis of served. Printed in the U.S.A. Assisi. www.thefilipinochronicle.com www.efilipinochronicle.com Why Francis is so fitting Like the saint he is named after, Pope Francis as a world fig- MeMber, Society of ProfeSSional CNN Vatican analyst John Allen called the selection of the (continued on page 3) JournaliStS aPril 6, 2013 haWaii FiliPino ChroniCle 3 OPINION Global Networking: Widespread Philippine appointment.