Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan

RECLAIM 4: RETURN, REFLECT, RISE UP, RESIST

2011-10-27T00:54:00.007-04:00

Ugnayan presents Reclaim 4 from Glenn G. Gapultos.

PRESS ADVISORY
November 10, 2011
Contact: Chevy Evangelista, reclaim4@ugnayanyouth.org, (347) 298-7964

UGNAYAN PRESENTS
RECLAIM 4: RETURN, REFLECT, RISE UP, RESIST

A Night of Cultural Resistance

NEW YORK, NY – Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan / Linking the Children of the Motherland is proud to announce its fourth installment of RECLAIM, a night of Filipino empowerment and cultural resistance. Filipino second-generation and im/migrant youth in New York and New Jersey are organizing to produce an evening of multi-media, multi-cultural performances including spoken word, conscious hip hop, dance, documentary film, visual arts and live bands. Inspired by the long history of progressive Filipino struggle as well as the recent wave of the Occupy Wall Street movement across the globe, event organizers anticipate a transformative evening of individual empowerment and community building.

When: Saturday, November 19, 2011

Time: Doors open at 6:30pm for the art gallery, program 7pm-10pm

Where: 410 West 40th Street, New York City, NY 10018

Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at the door (RSVP through form below)

In affinity with the New York City and global grassroots movements demanding social change, RECLAIM 4 aims to inform and raise awareness of youth and the community about the realities and urgent issues of Filipinos locally and in the Philippine motherland. It is also a celebration of Ugnayan's founding anniversary and the birth of Andres Bonifacio, a revolutionary leader of Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng̃ mg̃á Anak ng̃ Bayan (the K.K.K. or the Highest and Most Honorable Society of the Children of the Nation). Founded in 1892, the K.K.K. was a national organization that defeated over 333 years of Spanish colonization in the Philippines. RECLAIM is proudly produced in the same unrelenting spirit and aspirations of genuine liberation.

The evening is set to open with a gallery visual artwork created by mostly women and LGBTQ-identified second generation Filipino Americans, Filipino im/migrants and hapas (of Philippine and other ethnic ancestry). Featured cultural workers include Rand Alegre, Kim Baglieri, Emmy Cathedral, Anang Palomar, Shannon Holloway and Jana Lynne Umipig. Performers range from New York University’s International Filipino Association acapella group, Pinakapella, an all-LGBTQ ensemble Sining Pandayan (Forging Art) multimedia performance, Ugnayan’s Philippines 101 Workshop Series graduates with an originally choreographed dance depicting decolonization, professional dancer Mica Bernas, hip-hop artists Kilusan Bautista, Hydroponikz and Ill-Poe, and live bands Happy Analogues and Rebstar and the Muffin Men. A documentary film by Glenn Gapultos will also showcase Ugnayan’s Justice for Adriane Campaign, an ongoing young restaurant worker’s quest to retrieve stolen wages.

RECLAIM 4’s array of cultural workers illustrate the event’s key message: take back what was once ours. Reclaim is a process in which vibrant, progressive youth repair the severed and lost ties to our roots. For some it means understanding where we came from, for others it can mean understanding why we left the homeland to begin with. Whatever your experience, whatever your journey, you are a part of this night of cultural resistance and empowerment. As youth and as a community RECLAIM aims to take a glimpse into what it means to RECLAIM and re-root to the true history of the Filipino people – the Filipino struggle.

Let us understand how our personal & local issues are interconnected with the struggles back home. Let us find comfort and connections in the music that comes from within and the raging words that come from our hearts. Let us seize this moment to collectively build a movement and Return, Reflect, Rise Up, and Resist!

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;
Ugnayan ng Mga Anak ng Bayan [UGNAYAN] or Linking the Children of the Motherland is a comprehensive grassroots organization of Filipino youth based in New York and New Jersey dedicated to educating, organizing, and mobilizing for the rights and welfare of the Filipino youth. Through collective leadership, progressive culture and community engagement, we strive to reclaim and re-root to the true history of the Filipino people to better understand how our local and personal issues are interconnected with the struggles at the Philippine motherland. We support the struggle for justice, peace, and genuine liberation of the Filipino people wheresoever we may call home and build our community.

Reserve your discounted tickets for AMIGO today!

2011-08-12T20:21:00.008-04:00

Register for Philippines 101 Workshop Series!

2011-07-08T16:35:00.006-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2011
Contact: Karen Hanna, Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, 347-298-7964, contact@ugnayanyouth.org

Filipino Youth to Decolonize and (Re)Educate Themselves through Philippines 101 Workshops

New York, NY -- Starting July 28th, Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan will be offering a 4-part workshop series entitled, Philippines 101: Rooting in our Filipino/a History of Resistance and Resilience. The workshop series will be held every Thursday from 7pm-9:30pm in midtown Manhattan near Times Square. The workshop series is geared towards youth, students and young professionals who want to learn more about the history and current situation of Filipinos in the Philippines and the US.

"We're very excited to offer the Philippines 101 workshop series," says Karen Hanna, Ugnayan organizer and workshop co-facilitator. "It is a labor of love that we are happy to provide as a service to Filipino youth who seek truth and inspiration from our people's history."

The Philippines 101 workshop series was conceptualized more than seven years ago. It is a product of years of painstaking research, community investigation, and organizing. A key component in Ugnayan's Education for Action program, it was first initiated by eight Filipino women in their early 20's who were in search of their roots. In the summer of 2004, a 9-member collective traveled to the Philippines for an exposure trip to immerse with marginalized sectors of the Philippine society – the youth, workers, peasants, and women. The collective experience enabled the group to visualize the strategic importance of a grassroots Filipino youth organization in the US, which led to the founding of Ugnayan in November 2004.

"We wanted to learn more than just the typical cultural dances, food and language," says Ana Liza Caballes, Ugnayan founder and workshop co-facilitator. "We were thirsty for something more meaningful."

Ugnayan founding members imagined their task to be a daunting one: how to engage, motivate and organize young Filipinos in the US to go beyond an identity politics and popular Filipino culture. Looking at their own personal experiences, Ugnayan members realized they had to create opportunities for youth to unlearn and re-educate themselves about the real history and situation of the Filipino people, a process the group refers to as decolonizing.

"Decolonizing means that we are able to look at how Spanish, Japanese and US colonization has impacted and continues to impact us," explains Ms. Caballes. "Why do we not learn about our history? Why are spam and Jeepneys such iconic mainstays in Filipino society? Why is light skin adored in our culture? Why are Filipino women considered exotic and prized wives? To grasp these phenomenon, we have to critically reflect on our past, confront our present conditions and collectively find solutions. This is how Philippines 101 developed."

Ms. Hanna describes, "Philippines 101 is unique because it offers a comprehensive, progressive, pro-people perspective that is not widely available, especially to Filipino youth in the US. We share our history of migration and trace it back to the Philippines. We tackle history and current events and why millions of our sisters and brothers continue to live in poverty, don't have adequate job opportunities and are migrating abroad only to become low wage service workers. We also incorporate a strong working class, women and LGBTQ analysis."

Since 2004, there have been more than 300 graduates of the Philippines 101 workshop series. While the workshop series has transformed over the years, the one consistent factor is drawn from the wealth of experiences of the facilitators and participants. Facilitators have at least 5-20 years experience organizing youth, students, women, workers, professionals, LGBTQ, im/migrants, undocumented, second generation, children adopted by non-Filipino parents, and hapa (of more than one ethnic background) individuals of Philippine ancestry. Additionally, both facilitators and participants are driven by the common interest of mutual understanding and cooperation towards improving the situation of the Filipino people.

"In our process of learning about our history and the current situation, we also learn about ourselves, our family and our community," says Ms. Caballes. "We are able to connect our experiences, see ourselves as part of the fabric of our people's struggle and, ultimately, fulfill our role in advancing social change."

The Philippines 101 workshops will be held July 28, August 4th, 11th and 18th. The workshop series will commence with a cultural show and graduation that will be organized by participants. Registration is required with a sliding scale of $20-35. Resource packets will be available. Participants who register by Friday, July 15th will receive a $5 discount towards the resource packet. For more information and to register online: ugnayan.blogspot.com/p/phils101.html.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

A Successful Journey Completed

2011-06-22T10:09:00.008-04:00

Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan deeply appreciates all the participants, volunteers, performers and allies for joining us on Sunday, June 19th for Journey of a Brown Girl Performance and Workshop. The event was well attended not only by young Pinays but also by a diverse spectrum of allies who were multi-ethnic, multi-generational, multi-lingual and multi-gendered. With a venue brightly decorated with malongs, banners and art, the event was filled with an afternoon of activities that facilitated critical thinking on the experiences and social expectations on Filipino women as youth, students, migrants, workers, mothers and also as gender non-conforming individuals. Through a visual art installation, theater performance, participatory image theater workshop and feasting on homemade Filipino food, the event brought to light Filipino women's issues and created a momentum to continue to discuss, tackle and organize around gender-based challenges in our community.

We began the afternoon with an art installation featuring young women visual artists of Philippine ancestry. Cultural workers who exhibited their visual art include Kimberly Baglieri, Jana Lynne Umipig and Vanessa Ramalho. The themes the young cultural workers incorporated in their pieces included but were not limited to violence against women, the violent nature of body fluids and the actions that release them from our bodies, and images of proud Filipino women. While viewing the artistic works, participants ate a meal prepared by volunteers from Ugnayan’s sister organization, DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association.

Ugnayan would like to specially thank the performers for a thoughtful and creative one hour theater piece of Journey of the Brown Girl. For all your hours of dedication to memorizing and rehearsing, we give recognition to Brown Girls Krismin Inocentes, Vanessa Ramalho and Jana Lyne Umipig.

Immediately after the Journey of a Brown Girl piece, participants were encouraged to take part in small groups that enabled them to more intimately reflect on the issues highlighted in the theater performance and draw in their own experiences. In the "Pinay Box" exercise, individuals were able to visually illustrate who are Filipinas and to develop a collective understanding of messages that mold Filipinas and structure gender, systematically giving power and privilege to heterosexual men at the expense of women, especially LBTQ and gender non-conforming women. To better understand the extent the varying degrees of power and privilege in our community, a large group exercise, "Stepping in/ Stepping Out," showed solidarity among participants about their experiences with race, gender, and class discrimination. The workshop ended with another exercise on depicting theatrical images of marginalized stories of Filipino women. Participants used their bodies to create group tableaux that vividly captured women's oppression and liberation.

The Journey of a Brown Girl Performance and Workshop was a huge step forward in addressing Filipino women’s issues -- especially for the youth and workers. It also inspired Filipino men and LGBTQ participants to consider taking on a similar project to delve into exploring and organizing around specific challenges faced by them. Participants agreed that the cultural event sparked a need to collectively confront issues discussed in Journey of a Brown Girl and to organize the community.

Ugnayan organizers encouraged participants to take part in another Education for Action program later in the summer: Philippines 101. For more information and to register for the workshop series, please visit ugnayan.blogspot.com/p/phils101.html.

For more pictures, visit the Ugnayan Facebook Page.
Photos by Riya Ortiz.

For a Journey of a Brown Girl program book, [click here].
Program book design by Ana Liza Caballes.

Read more »

Register for a 5-week Refresher on Conversational Filipino, Starts June 30th

2011-06-22T09:40:00.003-04:00

Pssst!....Mag-usap tayo sa Pilipino! “Let's Speak in Filipino!"

* Do you know some Filipino words and phrases but are not sure in what context to use them?

* Have you ever taken a Beginner's Filipino class and now want to sharpen your working knowledge of conversational Filipino?

* Are you interested in meeting in a small group setting that would help you build your confidence in speaking Filipino?

* Do you simply want to communicate with your family or engage in conversations during Filipino gatherings?

Please join us for a 5-week refresher on conversational Filipino. We will review basic sentence structure, commonly used phrases, take up commonly used verbs and build your vocabulary that will have you speaking comfortably when ordering food at a Filipino restaurant or have a casual conversation with native speakers.

We will meet on the following Thursdays from 6-8pm:

June 30th

July 7th

July 14th

July 21st

July 28th

In order to hold the class we will need a minimum of 5 students to enroll and a maximum of 10. We strongly encourage you to register for all the sessions.

We are offering a very reasonable yet competitive fee for the 5-week course for $200. That is merely $20/ hour while other language programs ask for a minimum of $35/hr.

Location: John Jay College of Criminal Justice

For a registration form [download here].

Please also complete the diagnostic test [download here].

Send completed applications ASAP to lorial[at]babaylan.net.

Check out the article about the class held last February 2011.

Is it okay to lose your language? Not for these Fil-Ams

Filipinas to Produce a Theater Performance and Workshop About Young Women’s Issues

2011-06-10T01:15:00.004-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 10, 2011

Contact: Karen Hanna, Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, 347-298-7964, contact@ugnayanyouth.org

Journey of a Brown Girl:

Filipinas to Produce a Theater Performance and Workshop About Young Women’s Issues

New York--On Sunday, June 19, young Filipino women will stage the performance piece The Journey of a Brown Girl, which debuted last fall at the Brecht Forum. The theater piece is an extension of the one-woman performance piece by Jana Lynne Umipig, that originally featured conversations with Pinay women who have developed their own means of empowerment through dialogue and education, exchanges and connections, and loving of their Filipino sisters.

During the second half of the year, the theater piece transformed when a collective of Filipino women met in solidarity to examine the experiences, perceptions, struggles and triumphs of the Pinay body and spirit. Through a series of workshops facilitated by Ms. Umipig, Journey of the Brown Girl was staged in November.

Immediately after the one hour performance, a workshop will be facilitated by performers and members of Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan NY/NJ a Filipino Youth based organization that serves the greater New York boroughs and neighboring New Jersey communities, who are sponsoring the performance.

“I’m very proud of this experimental theater piece because it uniquely examines the exploration of the Pinay body and how our journey starts in being aware, owning and loving our physical beings,” says Ms. Umipig.

“We have seen a compelling need in our community for young Filipinas to have a space to talk about our identity and sexuality,” says Karen Hanna, Ugnayan member and organizer. “There’s a huge void in addressing young women’s issues and this event aspires to begn to fill that gap.”

In a sweeping outreach by Ugnayan during the Philippine Independence Day Parade last Sunday, initial results of an Ugnayan survey showed that a majority of Filipino women between the ages of 15-26 years old felt mediocre about their body image, had experienced sexual harassment and felt discriminated against as a woman.

“As Filipinos in the US, we usually understand our issues in terms of racial discrimination or class exploitation but we don’t talk about how being a woman impacts us. Why is that?” asks Ms. Hanna. “We hope to provide a venue to ask each other questions about being a woman, find commonalities in our struggles, root them to systemic issues and deepen our organizing work so that we can tackle our issues as young Filipinos and women.”

Vanessa Ramalho, a member of the original collective that developed and performed the piece last year, says, “[The piece] means freedom. You can’t be free until you learn your history and discover your roots. You can’t be free until you understand your trauma and heal. You can’t be free until you become unafraid to find your voice, and to refine what being a brown woman means to you. I haven’t figured it all out yet, but Journey of a Brown Girl has brought me so much closer to freedom.”

“We are so honored to work with Ugnayan on the next steps of introducing this project,” says Umipig. “It will serve many young Filipino women in the future.”

Journey of a Brown Girl, a free event open to women and men, will be held at 410 West 40th Street in Manhattan from 3:30pm-6:30pm, with doors opening at 3pm. Filipina performers include Czareena Dotchev, Krismin Inocentes and Vanessa Ramalho. To RSVP, or for more information, please call Ugnayan at 347-298-7964, or visit www.ugnayan.blogspot.com.

Please RSVP for The Journey of a Brown Girl Performance & Workshop [click here].

PROGRESSIVE FILIPINOS SHED LIGHT ON REALITIES OF MIGRANTS AT PIDC PARADE

2011-06-10T00:59:00.004-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2011
Contact: Leah Obias, DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, 212-564-6057, contact@damayanmigrants.org

PROGRESSIVE FILIPINOS SHED LIGHT
ON REALITIES OF MIGRANTS AT PIDC PARADE

New York--Last Sunday, on Philippine "Independence" Day, Filipino domestic workers, youth, women, LGBTQ, children, and allies marched alongside thousands at the largest gathering of Filipinos on the east coast. DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association and Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan marched on Madison Avenue to raise awareness about the pressing issues that plague Philippine society, and Filipino communities abroad, due to the remnants of foreign domination.

The parade is an important gathering of Filipinos of varied socioeconomic backgrounds. Over 75 domestic workers, youth, women, LGBTQ, children, and allies marched donning sashes with slogans exposing the plight of migrant workers separated from their families, the lack of jobs for Filipino college graduates in the Philippines, and the exploitation of youth workers and women worldwide.

The contingent performed a flag dance, which expressed their sincere patriotism to the Philippines and earnest call for change. Awareness of the exploitation of OFWs, women, youth workers, and trafficking survivors fosters a deeper understanding amongst the Filipino community.

Upon arrival at the grandstand, the group was disappointed by the behavior of PIDC staff, who physically shoved and verbally harassed the workers mid performance.

Read more »

Be part of a Sizzling Summer with Ugnayan!

2011-06-08T19:48:00.004-04:00

turn up the heat another degree higher

by joining Ugnayan

as we educate, organize and mobilize our community

to collectively confront our common challenges.

become a formal member.

volunteer 2 hours a week during your free time.

attend an event.

outreach in our neighborhoods.
contribute to social change.

Download this flyer (here) and post it up on your Facebook, school, workplace, home and/or neighborhood.

Progressive Filipino Americans Demand Genuine Independence Towards Genuine Change

2011-06-08T19:37:00.002-04:00

Kung overseas workers ang ating mga magulang... If our parents are overseas workers...
Kung tayo ay dumaranas ng human trafficking... If we experience human trafficking...
Kung may pagsasamantala sa kababaihan... If there is exploitation of women...
Kung hindi makapagtrabaho ang college graduates... If college graduates cannot find work...
Kung naaabuso ang mga kabataang manggagawa... If youth workers are abused...
Kung papet ang ating pamahalaan... If we have a puppet government...

... HINDI TUNAY ANG KALAYAAN.

... OUR INDEPENDENCE IS NOT GENUINE.

Progressive Filipino Americans Demand Genuine Independence Towards Genuine Change

DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan and our allies join the celebration and commemoration of the Filipino people’s continuing struggle for genuine national independence. We pay tribute to Filipino heroines and heroes who fought and perished !for the liberation of the motherland. We stand in unity with our compatriots in the homeland and overseas, particularly the migrant workers who despite great difficulties continue to work and be part of the economic and social change in the Philippines, here in the US and the 196 different countries where Overseas Filipino Workers are stationed.

Until today, the Philippine government continues to claim fake independence. But the Filipino masses know that our country is without real economic, political and national independence. Over seventy percent of our people, the vast majority are workers and farmers are in deep poverty, surviving on $2.39 or less per day.
Read more »

Are you ready for THE JOURNEY...?

2011-06-05T09:52:00.012-04:00

Join Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan [Linking the Children of the Motherland] for a participatory community event...

The Journey of a Brown Girl
is an experimental theatre piece that examines the exploration of the Pinay Body
and how our journey starts in being aware, owning, and loving our physical beings.

Sunday • June 19 • 3PM-6PM
Doors open at 3pm. Performance starts promptly at 3:30pm.
Light food and refreshments will be available.

410 West 40th Street
New York City
between 9th & 10th Avenues
7 train to 42nd Street-Times Square
A/C/E to 42nd Street-Port Authority

FREE. Limited seats.
Please RSVP.

Artwork by Jana Lynn Umipig and Vanessa Ramalho.

In the summer of 2010, a collective of Pinay womyn from New York and New Jersey met in solidarity and sisterhood to examine the experiences, perceptions, struggles and triumphs of the Pinay body and spirit. From their exploration this piece has been developed as a means of reflection, confrontation and healing.

On June 19, 2011, Ugnayan and the Journey of a Brown Girl collective also invite the audience to take part in a community dialogue and workshop that touches on the issues that the curriculum and the performance piece seek to address.

Directed and produced by Jana Lynn Umipig. Performances by Czareena Dotchev, Krismin Inocentes and Vanessa Ramahlo. Workshop co-facilitated by performers and members of Ugnayan.

Additionally We would like to request that the audience please bring with them a photo of a womyn who in their lives has played the role of a warrior, teacher, sage, and/or healer, to be included in an alter that is meant to include their spirits in this journey.
*Photos will be returned upon exiting the space.

If you you additional questions or concerns, please contact Ugnayan at (347) 261-3042 or email at uganayan.nynj [at] gmail.com. You may also RSVP through our Facebook invite (requires a Facebook account, click here).

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Show Your Pilipin@ Pride Through Seeking Genuine Freedom for Our People

2011-06-03T02:00:00.012-04:00

Want to express your love and pride of our beloved Philippines?
Looking for a dynamic, fun group to march with?

Then join...

DAMAYAN and UGNAYAN AT THE PHILIPPINE "INDEPENDENCE" DAY PARADE!

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2011
Meet at 37th St, btwn 5th & Madison Aves.
7 Train to 42 St/Grand Central

11:30 AM Assembly Time
11:45 AM Flag Dance/Line Dance Practice (come on time if you want to participate!)
12:15 PM March begins

Read more »

Young Pinay Asserts Her Rights to Retrieve Her Stolen Wages, Reaches Out to Others on Restaurant Workers Appreciation Day

2011-05-18T01:22:00.017-04:00

Neither rain nor an unusually cold May afternoon could dampen the determination of Adriane Padilla in celebrating a victory in her Wage Theft Campaign. On Sunday, May 15th, Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan members were joined by domestic workers of DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association in supporting Ms. Padilla. The vibrant 30-member contingent spread the news of a victory, delivered letters of support for Ms. Padilla at her former employers’ home and visited nine restaurants along Roosevelt Avenue, in the hub of the Filipino community in Woodside, Queens as part of Restaurant Workers Appreciation Day.

“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Ugnayan, DAMAYAN and the community for the endless support,” says Ms. Padilla. “This would not have been successful without all of you. It was such an empowering experience for me.” An eager Ms. Padilla led the way in distributing flyers, collecting letters of support and talking to passersby on the way to San Sebastian Church.

Read more »

Filipino Community to Celebrate Adriane’s Wage Theft Campaign Victory and Recognize the Service of Filipino Youth Restaurant Workers

2011-05-17T18:53:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2011
Contact: Kim Baglieri, (347) 298-7964, ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com

Filipino Community to Celebrate Adriane’s Wage Theft Campaign Victory
and Recognize the Service of Filipino Youth Restaurant Workers

Do you believe in fair treatment and pay for the young workers in our community? On Sunday, May 15th, join in the “Justice for Adriane Campaign Celebration and Restaurant Workers Appreciation Day,” a day to provide resources to Filipino youth restaurant workers and to unite our community in the just and equitable treatment of workers. Adriane Padilla, a former restaurant worker who has been seeking compensation from her former employers at Barrio Fiesta in Woodside, will be sharing her experience and the victories of her case. This event is organized by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, a community-based rights and justice organization for Filipino youth based in New York and New Jersey, with a strong base in Queens.

“I'm going to support restaurant workers based on a fair and just conditions of workers,” says Ms. Padilla.

As a 19 year-old restaurant worker at her former employment at Barrio Fiesta, Ms. Padilla experienced abuse and workplace violations. She won a final judgement by Honorable Ramon E. Reyes, Jr., US Magistrate of the Eastern District of New York in September 2010 and was awarded $26,000. Included in the summary judgement is for Manlapaz and Reyes to pay Ms. Padilla's legal fees. This huge victory that Ugnayan celebrates with Ms. Padilla and the community reveals the just, collective struggle of youth, Filipinos, women and workers.

Adriane Padilla is not alone. In 2010 workers in low-wage jobs lost more than $18.4 million per week as a result of employment and labor law violations. 21% of workers were paid less than minimum wage and 77% of those who worked more than 40 hours a week did not receive overtime pay. Amongst young workers in our Filipino community, this has a negative effect, impacting their ability to thrive, pay for school, and support their families. Like Ms. Padilla, women workers are additionally vulnerable to sexual harassment. Undocumented workers, often unaware that they have the right to get paid legal wages regardless of their immigration status, often suffer the worst abuses. Because of the impoverished conditions in the Philippines, Ms. Padilla is part of a community of youth who are forced to migrate abroad; and upon arrival in the US, are pushed into low-wage work where abuses, exploitation and discrimination are prevalent.

“We collected letters of support to seek one thing,” says Ms. Padilla, “and that's JUSTICE.”

Led by Ms. Padilla, Ugnayan members and supporters, the group will send off 100 letters, signed by community members, to her former employer in order to demand a written apology for the workplace violations Ms. Padilla experienced while working three years in Barrio Fiesta.

Ugnayan and community members will gather at 12pm, at the Woodside Plaza, on Roosevelt Avenue and 59th Street. As fair labor practice is in the interest of all community members, Ugnayan will end the day by conducting street and restaurant outreach on fair labor practice. A workshop will be conducted in partnership with Senior Staff Attorney, David Colodny of the Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center. The Know Your Rights Workshop will start at 3:30pm at Ugnayan’s ally organization, DRUM, 72-18 Roosevelt Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jackson Heights, NY.

Ms. Padilla concludes, “I may have won the civil court lawsuit but justice doesn't end there. Justice is creating awareness for all youth on their rights as restaurant workers.”

###

FILIPINO MIGRANT WORKERS & YOUTH DEMAND FULL RIGHTS FOR IMMIGRANT WOMEN WORKERS ON MAY 1

2011-05-05T14:33:00.008-04:00

New York—Last Sunday, on International Workers Day, Filipino domestic workers, youth and allies joined thousands of workers in Union Square and marched to Foley Square to demand full legalization for all immigrants and an end to deportations and detentions.

The rally comes at a time when politicians have started building their campaign funds for the 2012 elections, while an end to the economic crisis is nowhere in sight. Over 80 domestic workers, youth and allies seized the opportunity to march militantly and demand full rights and protections for immigrant workers. Demands included money for jobs and education, and an end to the squandering of workers’ taxes for US wars abroad.

The contingent marched under the flags of DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association and Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan.

Cita Brodsky, Chair of DAMAYAN, addressed the crowd from the stage at Union Square. “We are the backbone of the US economy,” exclaimed Brodsky. “Women’s work in the home allows our capitalist employers to go out to work. For one job I worked 7 days a week for $300 a month. No one deserves to be treated like a slave!”

The lively contingent included domestic workers who had won wage theft cases against their employers, trafficked workers, young restaurant workers, students and youth organizers. Several DAMAYAN and Ugnayan members formed a street theater piece at the head of the contingent, depicting Uncle Sam dancing and jeering while pulling workers and youth on a chain. The contingent marched with thousands from the immigrant rights movement down to Foley Square to join the trade unions rally.

The joint rally between the immigrant rights movement and the unions reflects a growing understanding that there is a need to unite different sectors of the working class. The anti-union attacks on public sector workers in Wisconsin, the massive job loss and unemployment, and increased anti-immigrant enforcement measures such as Secure Communities, potentially linking local police to federal immigration enforcement, are all part of the global economic crisis.

“No worker and no human being is illegal,” continued Brodsky. “We are not to blame for the economic crisis … Enough of the anti-immigrant, anti-workers attack!”

In continuing celebration of International Workers Day, Ugnayan is organizing a Restaurant Workers Appreciation Day on Sunday, May 15. Ugnayan's Justice for Adriane Campaign recently won a victory when US civil court awarded youth restaurant worker Adriane Padilla with $26,000 in stolen wages and compensation from her former Barrio Fiesta restaurant employer Sonny Manlapaz. On May 15, Ugnayan will recognize restaurant workers in the Filipino community in Woodside, Queens, for the labor and service they provide. Participants are welcome to join and assemble at 12pm at Woodside Plaza, along Roosevelt Avenue, between 59th and 60th Street. To volunteer or participate, please contact Chevy Evangelista, Mass Campaigns Officer, at (347) 298-7964 or ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com.

Filipinos join protests against US intervention in Libya

2011-04-15T18:49:00.007-04:00

New York—Last Saturday, Filipino youth, workers and allies joined the massive rally and march against US intervention in Libya, and against all war and occupation in the Middle East and the Philippines. The action was organized in response to US missile strikes in Libya, an oil-rich country in northern Africa where the US has strategic interests.

DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association and Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, local member organizations of the national coalition Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (Alliance Philippines), led a group of over 50 people behind a hand-painted banner with portraits of youth and community leaders. The banner bore the words “Stop the War On Libya”.

The Filipino organizations were part of a larger contingent of over 500 working class people, anti-war activists, students and immigrants with their families, members of the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), VAMOS Unidos (Street Vendors Mobilizing and Organizing in Solidarity) and CAAAV-Organizing Asian Communities.

“We're here to say, stop the war, spend the money on the people,” said Chevy Evangelista, spokesperson for Ugnayan, during the rally last Saturday. “Stop bailing out the banks, bail out the people. They say the country is bankrupt and that we don't have money. A lot of people are losing jobs, and those who have jobs are exploited in their work. Ironically, the Filipino World War II veterans who fought in another dirty US war are still fighting for equity and benefits. Meanwhile, the US government has all this money for even more war.”

Members of DAMAYAN and Ugnayan drew connections between all the military interventions in the Middle East—the recent attacks on Libya and the now 8-year occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan—and the continuing US military presence in the Philippines. Just four days prior to the rally in New York last Saturday, service members from the Republic of the Philippines and the US military participated in the Balikatan 2011 opening ceremony at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippines. 

“The US has been exploiting our country economically, socially, culturally,” continued Evangelista. “And now, the US government just sent more military to fight our Muslim brothers and sisters in the Philippines. We will continue to demand an end to this in the Philippines and everywhere the US has occupied.”

DAMAYAN and Ugnayan will continue to bring these issues to the forefront and highlight the demands of the overseas Filipino workers at the mass mobilization on May 1, International Workers Day. To join DAMAYAN or Ugnayan, or to volunteer, call 212-564-6057, or email contact@damayanmigrants.org.

Filipino/Fil-Am Youth and Students Will March to End Racist Wars at Home and Abroad

2011-04-07T16:23:00.003-04:00

End the Racist Wars at Home and Abroad
Nationally Coordinated March & Rally

Saturday, April 9, 2011
12PM – 4PM
Union Square Park
New York City

March with our dynamic contingent!
Assemble at 12PM on 17th Street and Broadway
(North West Corner of Union Square Park)
Be part of our cultural, colorful and militant contingent of workers, youth, womyn, im/migrants, LGBTQ & allies. This event is part of the nationally coordinated action by the United National Antiwar Committee.

“The war against working people should be understood to be a real war… Specifically in the U.S., which happens to have a highly class-conscious business class… And they have long seen themselves as fighting a bitter class war, except they don’t want anybody else to know about it.” — Noam Chomsky

In the last decade, the world has seen war intensified at home and abroad. Whether one considers Baghdad, Tunis, Manila, Gaza, New York, or New Orleans as one’s home, economic and political hardship has become more severe for the majority of the 6.91 billion people in the world. Since President Obama has taken into office in January 2009, little has changed from the Bush administration’s foreign policy of war and militarization. With US troops in 150 countries and after spending $1.17 trillion in Iraq and Afghanistan — murdering hundreds of thousands of civilians, including innocent women and children — the US government has expanded its racist-imperialist conquest and repression by heightening a call for new wars in the interest of controlling oil and natural gas reserves in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen. The quest for profit through waging war on sovereign nations renders no one safer or more secure.

The US Government has not only expanded the war against sovereign countries like Libya — the largest oil-producing country in Africa — but it has intensified the war waged on US soil. Public schools are shut down while net assets of billionaires shoot up. With $14 trillion in bailouts for banks and corporations, the general public is told that the US economy is bankrupt and must shoulder sacrifices in the form of lay-offs, decreased benefits and union busting in Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey and other cities in the US. During the financial crisis of 2008, when workers experienced the highest unemployment rates since the 1930’s Great Depression, the top 400 richest Americans have increased their wealth by $30 billion — with a combined wealth of $1.57 trillion, the top 400 in the US have more than 50% of the 300 million total US population. It is clear that the economic crisis is aimed at further debilitating the already marginalized sectors of society.

If poor, working and middle class people are going to have a future, we must collectively voice our opposition to the ongoing war at home and abroad. We must challenge the bleak circumstances that we are presented with today. This can only happen through educating, organizing and mobilizing in the streets, our neighborhoods, workplaces and wherever we experience injustices. We must do this if we expect to have a life of decency and dignity for us, our global community and generations to come.

* No to US War on Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan & Everywhere!
* No more blood for oil! Bombs won’t liberate Libya!
* From Palestine to the Philippines, end US intervention now!
* Money for jobs & education, not for war & occupation!

To march with us or for more information, contact DAMAYAN/UGNAYAN: (212) 564-6057, contact@damayanmigrants.org, ugnayan.nyj@gmail.com

UGNAYAN HAS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION: TWO IMPORTANT VICTORIES FOR FILIPINA YOUTH

2010-12-11T02:21:00.004-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chevy Evangelista, (347) 298-7960, ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com
December 10, 2010

ON THE 6TH ANNIVERSARY OF YOUTH ORGANIZATION UGNAYAN, TWO IMPORTANT FILIPINA YOUTH VICTORIES

Jackson Heights, Queens, NY – On Saturday, December 11, New York/New Jersey Filipino youth & students organization Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) will hold its 6th year anniversary at an event entitled “MAGDIWANG”. The organization celebrates its 6th anniversary with two key victories for Filipina youth: an Ugnayan member’s dismissal of charges against her by the racist and sexist criminal justice system, and an important advance in the case of Adriane Padilla, youth restaurant worker who filed a civil suit against her former employer last 2008, for withholding wages.

Magdiwang is a Filipino word meaning "celebrate". November 30, the date Ugnayan celebrates as its anniversary, marks the birth of Andres Bonifacio, leader of the 1896 Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonialism. Bonifacio led the Katipunan (“Movement”) that fought the Spanish colonizers and formed Magdiwang, asserting the leadership of the Katipunan. Since its inception in 2004, Ugnayan has followed this tradition through educating, organizing and mobilizing for the rights and welfare of Filipino youth in New York/New Jersey and demanding genuine change in the Philippines.

Continuing Ugnayan’s legacy from the Philippines to the immigrant community in the US, this anniversary is significant and historical because of the two important victories by Filipina youth against racism and exploitation. On November 24, Joana Palomar, Ugnayan member and former spokesperson, was arrested and detained at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport on falsified charges of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree. Due to the heightened security caused by the “War on Terror”—started by former President George W. Bush but continued in practice today by current President Barack Obama—the Transportation Security Administration employs racist police-style searches and scanners, violating rights to privacy. Women and gender non-conforming immigrants are particularly vulnerable to these searches.

Palomar, also known as Anang in the Filipino community, was on her way to the Philippines to spend the holidays back home, when she was abruptly taken away in handcuffs when a self-defense tool Anang had been carrying was mistakenly put in the X-ray. Several months prior to the incident, Anang had been sexually harassed and chased by three men on the NYC subway, and had filed a report with the local police.

Leveraging the legal network and support of Ugnayan, all charges against Anang were dismissed at a court hearing yesterday, the self-defense tool determined by the judge to be completely legal.

Adriane Padilla, another triumphant Filipina youth, is an at important juncture in her civil case of wage and hour violations including minimum wage and overtime violations, tip stealing, illegal wage deductions, retaliation and hostile work environment. The results of the case will be revealed at the anniversary celebration.

Magdiwang will be held at DRUM Center, 72-18 Roosevelt Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jackson Heights, New York at seven o’clock to ten in the evening, take E/F/M/R/7 trains to 74th Street-Roosevelt.

###

Preview: International Workers Day 2010

2010-05-04T03:04:00.000-04:00

Preview: International Workers Day 2010 from Anang Chuva on Vimeo.

GMA’s Handling of Typhoon Ondoy is the Real Disaster

2009-09-28T19:54:00.002-04:00

For immediate release

Contact: Al Garcia (Los Angeles), People’s Community Organization for Reform and Empowerment, 213-241-0906; Leah Obias (New York), Damayan Migrant Workers Association, 212-564-6057, sagip.tulong@gmail.com

September 28, 2009

GMA’s Handling of Typhoon Ondoy is the Real Disaster

New York, NY—In response to the devastation of Typhoon Ondoy, members of the national Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) and the Filipino youth-based Daluyong Coordinating Committee are organizing Sagip-Tulong Sa Pilipinas (STP) Emergency Relief Fund Campaign.

This campaign will raise material and monetary support for the typhoon victims and aims to raise $5,000 by Monday, October 5, and another $5,000 by Friday, October 16.

As overseas Filipinos rush to assure the safety of their loved ones back home and come to the aid of the hardest-hit victims, a disturbing narrative of government incompetence and neglect, in the wake of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s lavish foreign trips, reveals the true character of the present regime the same way George W. Bush was exposed for his handling of Hurricane Katrina.

With maximum winds of 85 kilometers per hour, the storm was not as powerful as many of the typhoons that have hit the country. But by Sunday evening, the National Disaster Coordinating Council reported that at least 330,000 residents had been displaced, 73 people had died and 23 more went missing. In the days following the storm, the death toll has risen, including a four-year-old girl who was killed when a wall, weakened by floodwaters, collapsed on their shanty along NAIA Road in Barangay Piñahan in Quezon City.

The response of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s government, both prior to the flood and after the disaster, is one aspect of the tragedy of the typhoon. The chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) blamed the public for not heeding storm warnings. And yet no evacuation order was made prior to the flood. Local government units were paralyzed at the onset of the flood and were not able to issue official advisories on what the vulnerable population should do. As floodwaters receded, hundreds were still stranded. Residents saw overwhelmed rescue choppers leaving many people behind. In Barangay Payatas, Quezon City, the parish priest, Fr. Orlando Noriella, claims that while a state of calamity had been declared to facilitate the release of funds, no food and medicines had reached the affected residents. The government admitted that they do not have enough rescue vehicles or facilities.

Consistent with the utter lack of preparedness, the stage had been set for disaster even before the typhoon hit. The massive land conversion of the Marikina watershed and the mountains of Rizal put people in imminent danger, especially those living near riverbanks and mountain slopes. Despite warnings by community groups of the danger of high-risk projects, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources did nothing to put in place protections for residents in these areas. According to local community groups, powerful foreign corporations, granted permission by GMA, are engaged in housing projects and quarry operations and have been leveling the mountains of Rizal for years. GMA’s administration continues to allow big time loggers, commercial miners and other developers to cause massive ecological devastation in the country, making the Philippines even more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. And with climate change, as typhoons and hurricanes worsen and sea levels rise, communities are being forced to relocate to vulnerable and poverty-stricken areas.

The GMA regime, the International Monetary Fund’s structural adjustment program, and foreign countries such as the United States and Japan have this devastation on their hands. Their criminal negligence and destruction of the environment such as continued quarrying, illegal logging and land conversions from farmlands to subdivisions contributed to the environmental disaster of Typhoon Ondoy. For over a century, the mineral resources of the Philippines have been extracted largely for export, for the benefit of foreign countries and mining corporations. As a result, communities are displaced and forcefully evicted, and environmental devastation such as the Payatas landslide and Typhoon Ondoy’s floods flow uncontrolled down the plundered land, causing the death and destruction we are witnessing today.

The member organizations and endorsers of the Sagip-Tulong sa Pilipinas (STP) Emergency Relief Fund Campaign stand in solidarity with the people of the Philippines who continue to suffer from this tragedy. The STP relief fund campaign is organized by Damayan Migrant Workers Association (NY) and Ugnayan ng mga ng Anak ng Bayan (NY), KmB/Pro-People Youth (CA), People’s Community Organization for Reform and Empowerment (CA), and Justice for Filipino American Veterans (CA). The list of endorsers is still in formation.

To donate online or be part of the Facebook Cause: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/362079?m=40c37195

To organizationally endorse or take part in the STP Campaign, please email us at sagip.tulong@gmail.com.

In Los Angeles: Send cash or check donations to People's CORE, 1610 Beverly Blvd. Suite No 2, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Donations more than $50 are tax deductible. Material donations drop off (donations; shoes, clothes, canned goods. medicines etc. ) at ANSWER LA office at 137 Virgil St. Room 203 , Los Angeles, CA 90042; Contact: Al Garcia 213.241.0995

In New York: Send cash or check donations to DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, 406 West 40th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10018. Donations more than $75 is tax deductible. Donated materials (clothing, shoes, canned goods, etc) can be dropped off on Saturday, October 3 from 11 am until 7 pm at Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, 53-22 Roosevelt Avenue, 2nd floor, Woodside, Queens (between 53rd and 54th streets). After October 3, materials can be dropped off at the DAMAYAN Office, 406 West 40th Street, New York, NY, 10018). Contact: Leah Obias, Chevy Evangelista, 212.564.6057

One hundred percent of the cash and material donations will be directed towards those affected by victims of typhoon Ondoy.

--

Press Release: With the Passing of an Icon, Filipino Youth in America Uphold a Legacy

2009-08-12T19:45:00.004-04:00

For Immediate Release

August 6, 2009

Contact: Chris Araquel (CA), Demetrio P. Maguigad (IL), Anang Palomar (NY)
Web:www.daluyong.com
E-mail:daluyong.filamyouth@gmail.com
Los Angeles: 213.241.0906 (phone), 213.241.0944 (fax), propeopleyouth@gmail.com
Chicago: 312.324.0129 (phone), masa@bagwiscollective.org
New York: 212.564.6057 (telefax), ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com

With the Passing of an Icon, Filipino Youth in America Uphold a Legacy
National Filipino American Youth Consultation Creates Action Plan to Serve Their Community, Struggle for Their Future

Los Angeles, CA - As Filipinos across the world mourn the loss of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, a new voice echoes to reclaim the legacy of the Filipino people – proud, indignant and courageous in the face of struggle. From July 26th through the 28th, over 75 Filipino American youth leaders, workers, students as well as parents, Filipino WW2 veterans and their widows, domestic workers, laity, and allies gathered and participated in the national youth consultation “DALUYONG: Surging to Confront the Crisis of Our Times” to address and link local, national and international issues concerning their community.

The consultation was jointly organized by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan based in New York and New Jersey, Kabataang maka-Bayan (KmB) in California, and Bagwis Collective and Committee on Pilipino Issues (CPI) based in Illinois under the auspices of the Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines.

“The consultation was a necessary evolution that has formalized relationships not only among Filipino American youth and student organizations across the US, but also among organizations representing women, domestic workers, cultural groups, veterans and more,” says Demetrio Maguigad, co-founder of the cultural collective Bagwis. “The passing of Cory Aquino does not declare an end of an era in Filipino history, but it is a call for us now to unite, uphold the legacy of peace and justice generations have written before us, and for us now to be the creators of our destiny.”

Featured keynote speaker Christine Araquel, Chairperson of KmB, spoke about the current economic crisis affecting Filipino Americans today and the centrality of youth in effecting social change. A multi-generational panel presentation consisting of five speakers from different regions in North America synthesized the current global economic crisis, US foreign policy in the Philippines, the effects of forced migration and assimilation on youth, the resurgence of youth activism through the anti-war movement, and the role of culture as a tool for creating positive social change in our communities.

“DALUYONG was one way that we intend to build a strong Filipino American community that is socially conscious, critical, and equipped to advocate for the needs of local and international community,” said Araquel. “It strengthened our organizational ties with all like-minded youth who share our sense of social responsibility to our community, while relating back to the struggle of the Filipino people in our homeland.”

Participants further examined the keynote address and panel synthesis through a series of youth-led workshops highlighting topics on Family Separation and Reunification, Education, Labor, and Women’s Issues.

“In the Women’s workshop, a space was created to build trust among young Filipino American women to share personal stories and issues that wove together with the collective experience of all women. In the end, the workshops developed individual and collective solutions to combat women’s oppression and exploitation,” said Joana Palomar, spokesperson for Ugnayan.

“In the Labor workshop, we explored the broader context of racism in the workplace through an interactive people’s theater exercise, collectively arriving to an analysis of society’s power structures as they exist today. Participants then used the same process to envision the ideal power structures, and discuss ways to get there,” said Raven Guerrero of the Bagwis Collective.

Participants celebrated DALUYONG on Saturday night through a cultural event at Remy’s on Temple in LA’s Historic Filipinotown where Bagwis, Bambu, the Fighting Cocks, the Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble, and members of the Women’s workshop performed. It was a diverse and energetic lineup representing the stories and aspirations reflected in the stories shared throughout the day and an affirmation of commitment towards social change.

Films created by the youth in People’s CORE’s Youth Media Arts Project were showcased, some of which included teen suicide and high school drop out rates. Solidarity messages were also read by the youth organizers and participants.

PLAN OF ACTION

Participants resolved to continue working together as a national Filipino American youth formation and crafted a national plan of action for the coming year. It included further investigating the situation of Filipino American youth and coordinating an educational curriculum that serves the needs and interests of youth and their families. The DALUYONG organizers will also be releasing a summary report in the fall containing the speeches, workshop outcomes and resolutions, plan of action, and photos from the consultation.

Although Filipinos continue to mourn the loss of Corazon Aquino who became a symbol of the people’s uprising against the fascist Marcos dictatorship, youth participants and their allies in the DALUYONG national consultation are focusing on how they will confront and tackle the crisis of their times.

“It’s been amazing,” said Kim Baglieri, Ugnayan organizer and a young mixed-race second-generation queer Filipina from New York. “It’s transformative to be able to voice our concerns and come together with a plan of action to change our society for the better! If not youth, side by side with the other sectors in our community, then who?”

For more information, please visit the official website at www.daluyong.com or contact 213.241.0906 or daluyong.filamyouth@gmail.com.

Regional speakers available for interview upon request.

###

Los Angeles and Chicago are on board for Daluyong!!!!!

2009-07-20T13:30:00.002-04:00

Upcoming Event -- UGNAYAN'S SUMMER WALK-A-THON (A fundrasing event for DALUYONG)!!!

2009-07-10T00:21:00.014-04:00

You can still donate to this fundraising event for DALUYONG: Surging to Confront the Crisis of Our Times, a National Filipino American Youth Consultation that will be held on July 24-26, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA!

Donations can be made until Sunday, July 26.

Proceeds will help fund the transportation costs of low- and no-income Filipino American youth who'll be participating in the consultation.

DONATE NOW AND JOIN THE FUN!!!!

Filipino American Youth Across the U.S. Come Together to Address National Issues – Build National Movement

2009-07-09T18:25:00.006-04:00

DALUYONG: Surging to Confront the Crisis of Our Times

Los Angeles, CA – Filipino American youth, both immigrant and US-born, are agitated and getting ready to tell the rest of the country where they stand and how they are to respond to the current economic crisis affecting their families, their education, their work, and their rights. They are concerned over current immigration policies, race relations, exploitation of women and children, and how these and other issues are linked to the broader global economic crisis and war. They are surging forward to claim what is inherently theirs – the future.

On July 24-26, a three-day consultation bringing together grassroots Filipino American youth organizations to build mechanisms of coordination on national issues, and bridge the divide amongst the Filipino Diaspora in addressing Philippine and International concerns. The national consultation, “DALUYONG: Surging to Confront the Crisis of Our Times”, is organized by the Bagwis Collective (IL), Committee on Pilipino Issues (IL), Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (NY/NJ), and the host organization Kabataang maka-Bayan (KmB or Pro-people Youth, CA) under the auspices of the Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (Alliance Philippines). The event is also endorsed by a number of other progressive organizations across the U.S. and Canada (see complete list of current North American endorsements).

In a new era, with a growing community along with expanding issues and concerns, an African American president who promised “change” and a global economic crisis, it is essential for immigrant and US-born Filipino youth nationwide to come together to assess, share and plan the essential steps to advocate for our community’s concerns and build a broad movement and program towards fundamental and genuine change.

“Ugnayan recognizes the impact of the economic crisis on Filipino American youth locally, especially on the undocumented immigrant youth, who suffer lower wages, are denied of benefits, experience cutbacks of working days, as well as discrimination and racism in the workplace. International student graduates struggle to find a job so they stay in the US, nursing graduates are left with working on lower wages and are exploited by agencies,” said Gladys Fontanilla, a young immigrant Pinay and Ugnayan organizer. “We do not see these stories in the mainstream media… this is the venue to share our stories and come up with a plan of action for our community,” she added.

The number of Filipinos leaving the Philippines daily reached a staggering 4,100 in 2008, forced to migrate because of the chronic economic and political crisis in the Philippines. Here in the US, Filipino Americans comprise the second largest Asian population in the US, poised to become the largest Asian group by 2010, with over 100 years of significant Filipino American presence on US soil.

Other results of forced migration are the “generation gap” and the divisions in our community among immigrant Filipinos and US-born Filipinos. This consultation aims to bridge the ever growing disconnect

Filipino Americans have by building a sense of social responsibility and embracing our culture of resistance. US-born Filipino American youth have one of the highest high school dropout rates in the nation. Generally,

their levels of educational attainment yield the lowest socioeconomic returns with respect to jobs and salary levels among all racial or ethnic groups.

“In turn, we aim to open up opportunities and outlets for US-born and Filipino immigrants to unite in addressing local issues as well as to connect back to the Philippines by advocating for the interests of the Filipino people who face rampant political repression,” said Christine Araquel, Chair of KmB (Pro-People Youth), a Filipino American youth organizer born in the US.

Despite our historical and cultural contributions in this country as well as our labor supporting a century of US economic development, the Filipino American community remains economically, politically and socially marginalized.

DALUYONG will bring together organized immigrant and US-born Filipino groups from the East Coast, the Midwest and West Coast to Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles in order to address community concerns through workshops, panels sessions, cultural sessions, and group discussions to outline concrete steps in formulating a new progressive and united Filipino American movement in the United States.

For more information, please visit the official website at www.daluyong.com or contact 213.241.0906 or daluyong.filamyouth@gmail.com.

INITIAL ENDORSING ORGANIZATIONS:

CHICAGO: Alliance For Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE), Center for Immigrant Rights and Community Arts (CIRCA), Chicago Pinoy Music Scene, and Pintig Cultural Group

LOS ANGELES: Beatrock, Echo Park Community Coalition, Dekada 70, Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV), Mindanao Bangsamoro Caucus, People’s Community Organization for Reform and Empowerment (People’s CORE), Philippine Peasant Support Network, and The Park’s Finest

NEW YORK: Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition, DAMAYAN Migration Workers Association, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), Poptimes Magazine, and Sulu Series

SAN DIEGO: Hip Hop Karaoke San Diego (HHKSD), Kamalayan Collective, and Pnoy Apparel

USA: Gabriela Network of the Mariposa Alliance

CANADA: Kabataang Montreal (Montreal Youth)

###

Filipino Youth of NY & NJ to March on International Workers Day... Assert Full Workers' Rights & Full Legalization NOW!

2009-04-30T23:14:00.006-04:00

May Day Statement
AJLPP-USA
May 1, 2009
FIGHT FOR FULL RIGHTS FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS NOW! END US IMPERIALISM!

This May Day, 2009, the Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) celebrates with pride and honor International Workers’ Day in the United States. Today, we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters worldwide commemorating working-class struggle against US imperialism. We march in almost all the major cities and towns of the US where there is a Filipino American community.

The Alliance-Philippines calls for full rights for all immigrants and an end to US imperialism in the Philippines, the root cause of the Filipino people’s forced migration.

We join the 14 million undocumented immigrants in the US demanding genuine, comprehensive and humane immigration reform, full legalization, amnesty, a stop to racist enforcement measures like deportations, detentions and border militarization, and full protections for all workers.

This marks the fourth consecutive May Day that the Alliance has demanded full rights for immigrants, echoing the call of millions that immigrants’ rights are workers’ rights. On May 1, 2006, in response to the anti-immigrant Sensenbrenner-King bill, millions of immigrant workers and advocates surged into the streets in historic nationwide marches. By that time, the US economy had already begun to slow down, US public outcry against President Bush and the war was at its height, and immigrants refused to be scapegoats.

Amidst a deeper economic crisis today, their demands are even more urgent.

From the Bush regime to the Obama administration, more than $13 trillion have been given to corporations and banks. Using US taxpayers’ money, bailout after bailout is passed—Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, AIG, auto industry, Citigroup, Bank of America. It has meant the largest transfer of wealth from the working to the ruling class by state intervention in history.

Meanwhile, more and more people have to fight to meet their basic human needs. There are more than 19 million people losing their homes and cannot pay rent, while there are at least 13 million unsold homes. Pay cuts, budget cuts, terminations, lay-offs and less and less entitlements plague the people.

Immigrant workers, mainly women, are on the frontlines of this crisis. They contend with all of these so-called new indicators of economic crisis in addition to lack of status and lack of basic recognition as a labor force, as well as separation from family. The crisis merely threatens to push immigrant communities further into the shadows. More than 46,000 Filipino World War II veterans continue to struggle for recognition as veterans. Instead of lifetime pensions, they were given a one-time lump sum with a quit claim, without recognition. And roughly 1.4 million domestic workers nationally—of which between 15 and 20 percent are Filipino women—continue to work under dirty, dangerous and exploitative conditions with no labor protections and under constant threat of deportation.

Abroad, US imperialism is propping up cruel dictatorship in the Philippines, backing the Arroyo regime’s proposed change to the Philippine constitution in a bow to US corporate interest. This will aggravate more exploitative conditions, in favor of extracting wealth and natural resources. It results in more wars like in Mindanao where there is 600,000 refugees, human rights violations, export of labor, exploitation and trafficking of women and children and exodus of overseas labor.

For too long, US imperialism has exploited immigrant workers while continuing to profit from their labor. This worsening crisis marks the decay of imperialism and the opportunity for genuine change.

This May Day, demand that Obama keep his promise of immigration reform! March for full rights for all immigrants and for the interests of all workers! March towards liberation and a better tomorrow!

FIGHT FOR GENUINE WORKERS LIBERATION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE!

FULL RIGHTS FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS!

MAKIBAKA, HUWAG MATAKOT!

DARE TO STRUGGLE, DARE TO WIN!

Media Coverage: Fil-Ams bring protest vs VFA to Pentagon

2009-03-26T14:10:00.002-04:00

Fil-Ams bring protest vs VFA to Pentagon
By RODNEY J. JALECO, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau | 03/25/2009 9:57 AM

WASHINGTON D.C. - Militant Fil-Ams brought their clamor for scrapping the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) to the Pentagon, joining thousands of anti-war protesters marking the 6th anniversary of the US war in Iraq last Saturday.

“We’re here to denounce the continued occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the US support for Israel against Palestine,” said Chevy Evangelista of Alliance Philippines.

“But most of all,” he added, “we’re here to oppose the Visiting Forces Agreement in the Philippines that is a source of attacks on the people of Mindanao.”

“We want the VFA scrapped. No US troops in the Philippines, they have no business there,” Evangelista told ABS-CBN’s Balitang America.

It was no surprise his message resonated with Americans gathered for the large anti-war rally, the biggest yet since President Obama was swept to power, partly on a platform of ending the US war in Iraq.

Organizers put their numbers at 10,000 but police pegged the crowd at a lower 3,000.

The police also came in full force, blocking freeway exits and roads around the Pentagon. Backed by fire trucks and a Huey helicopter that circled continuously above the marchers, the policemen were in full anti-riot regalia.

But this didn’t stop some demonstrators from taunting the cops.

Some rode on motorcycles and squad cars, others on horses. Using binoculars, some officers took vantage positions on rooftops of office buildings, keeping a wary eye on the protesters.

The police also threw a protective ring around the offices of big US firms like Boeing, SAIC and KBR that have huge contracts with the Pentagon.

Demonstrators accused them of supporting US wars abroad.

The day’s protest action started with speeches near the Lincoln Memorial. Evangelista, who together with other Filipino protesters, came all the way from New York, was among the speakers at the makeshift stage.

“It’s very important to be here because Filipinos are affected by the US war in Iraq, especially our migrant workers in the Middle East,” Mona Lunot of the Damayan Migrant Workers told Balitang America.

“The US economic crisis is rooted in the unbridled spending for America’s wars around the world,” she averred.

Lunot blames the war for the loss of jobs as America’s recession adversely affects the rest of the world.

She asserts that the US has used the global war on terror as a pretext for posting troops in “frontline” countries, including the Philippines.

VFA tied to ‘Nicole’ saga

“American soldiers are going to the Philippines, for what? Para magkalat ng lagim?” she asked.

The VFA sets the rules of engagement and conduct for US troops posted in the Philippines. The RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty calls on the American military to come to the Philippine’s aid if it is attacked by another country, and lays the basis for annual joint training exercises.

But the accord has come under steady attack from militants back home, especially in the wake of the “Nicole” saga.

US marines Lance Corporal Daniel Smith was convicted of raping ‘Nicole’ inside the former US Navy base in Subic, Zambales.

Smith’s trial and conviction were all covered under the VFA. Invoking the agreement, however, the Philippines was only able to take brief custody of the accused before he was whisked off in the middle of the night to the US embassy in Manila.

Even after he was convicted, Smith remained in US hands.

Earlier this month, Nicole signed a new affidavit that cast doubt on her own testimony of rape. The assertion was made public by Smith’s Filipino lawyers. Before that, news leaked that ‘Nicole’ was now living somewhere in the US.

“She was pressured by both governments to withdraw her case even though in 2006 Daniel Smith was convicted because of the evidence,” declared Catherine Judge, GABRIELA Network coordinator for New York-New Jersey.

“Some people may see this as intimidation of a powerless woman because of the lack of justice in the Philippines and US,” Lunot declared.

“Some foreigners may also now see Filipinas in a bad light, as someone who can be paid off,” she said, adding, “it all depends on who is looking.”

Judge said all future military pacts by the Philippines should have clear guarantees against abuses.

“We demand clauses in all military agreements to protect women against violence from the military,” she stressed.

As the protesters snaked through DC’s streets and across the Memorial Bridge to Arlington, Virginia, they carried symbolic coffins, including one that bore the Philippine flag.

They stood for the human cost of America’s wars, waged in the name of global security.

“We don’t need them there. We can protect ourselves, we don’t have to depend on America,” Lunot declared.

From Iraq to Philippines to Palestine... Occupation is a Crime!

2009-03-15T15:26:00.002-04:00

On the 6th Anniversary of the War on Iraq, we call on immigrants/migrants to speak out and make our voices heard...

FROM IRAQ TO AFGHANISTAN,
PHILIPPINES TO PALESTINE,
OCCUPATION IS A CRIME!

Get on the bus on Saturday, March 21, to Washington DC!
630 AM bus leaves from Dunkin Donuts at 74 St & Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights, Queens
1130 AM Bus arrives at DC | 5PM Bus leaves from DC

$40 Bus ticket (Seats are limited; please reserve at 347.298.1968)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What’s special about March 21?

March 21 marks the sixth anniversary of the current US war on Iraq. Organized by the Act Now to Stop the War and End Racism (ANSWER) Coalition, simultaneous rallies will be held in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other major cities across the US.

In New York City, Queens-based organizations Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the children of the Motherland), Damayan Migrant Workers Association, and Gabriela Network / Mariposa Alliance are urging immigrant communities from the borough and in New York and New Jersey to join the March on the Pentagon in Washington DC on Saturday, March 21.

Filipino Americans, who comprise the base constituency of these organizations, have a stake in making their voices heard, as US troops pour into the Philippines, Filipinas are subjected to military rape with impunity and the war between the Arroyo Government and the people of Mindanao escalates. We do not want our ancestral country turned into a war zone for the profit of US weapons manufacturers and Blackwater mercenaries.

Obama promised that the US occupation of Iraq will end in August 2010. So why should we still join in the anti war rally on March 21?

The continuing US led wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Philippines impact the current US economic meltdown. Obama has allotted $200B for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the next two years - that's about $100M a day at the back of the already suffering tax payers. This includes immigrants who are the first to lose jobs, homes and government services and suffer the higher cost of living.

How are our immigrant communities affected by the war on Iraq?

While the US government is allocating more money to fund the war in Iraq, the budget for social services are being slashed. The State Medical Insurance for Children was severely limited to children whose parents are "legal" or "documented" immigrants. This means that hundreds of thousands of children, born in the USA, will grow up without medical assistance.

With the pending budget cuts in New York City, tuition fees are projected to go up astronomically by next semester. This endangers the ability of young people, especially Filipino Americans, to acquire an education which would enable them to compete in the job market.

The Filipino American community also suffers from the highest drop-out rate among Asian American communities. We Filipino Americans are practically invisible in the US society. That’s because we occupy mostly service jobs – not jobs of decision-making status.

How are we as women affected by the war on Iraq?

Women comprise the majority of the world's population. Violence against any nation impacts women exponentially. War increases violence against and trafficking of women. Women and children comprise war's collateral damage; they lose their value as human beings and become commodity who are bought and sold for the pleasure of those with power. Even women soldiers suffer from the violent machismo that is a sub-culture of militarism. American women soldiers are raped by their fellow soldiers, while military wives are often subjected to domestic violence and murder.

How are other members of the Filipino American community affected by the war on Iraq?

While the US government bails out capitalist banks and corporations, it only gives pennies to Filipino American World War II Veterans. These are former Filipino soldiers who fought during World War 2 in the Philippines under the US army. However, they are not treated equally as US veterans and are deprived of all benefits and entitlements because “their military service were not deemed active”.

Sixty-three years later, the US government would only give $15,000 lump sum for each Filipino veteran without any recognition to our US veterans. They are also being forced to agree to the the "quit claim" provision. This means that upon acceptance of the lump sum, the veterans will release future claims including lifetime pension.

As the US government continues to humiliate the Filipino veterans, they will keep funding the War on Iraq.

Money for Workers' Rights & Compensation, Not for War and Occupation!
Solidarity with the Women of Iraq, Aghanistan, Palestine & Philippines!
War Kills the Filipino & Working Class Youth!
Money for the Filipino Veterans, Not for the War!
Stop the War in Mindanao!

To join us on the bus from Jackson Heights, Queens, please contact:

Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines Member-Organizations:
Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan - ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com | 347.298.1968 | www.alliancephilippines.blogspot.com
Damayan Migrant Workers Association - damayanmigrantworkers@gmail.com

Gabriela Network NY/NJ of the Mariposa Alliance: nynj@gabnet.org | www.gabnet.org

Join Ugnayan in celebrating Damayan's 6th Annual General Assembly, Dinner and Dancing

2008-11-25T18:51:00.004-05:00

Wishing ya'll Filipino Youth and Allies a good holiday!

Our sister organization's 6th Annual General Assembly, Dinner & Dancing Holiday Party is almost here!

Join us at Damayan Migrant Workers' annual general assembly, dinner & dancing holiday celebration to end a successful year of building our community and forging unity against the economic crisis...

MISASANMETUNG*
BUILDING COMMUNITY IN A TIME OF CRISIS
DAMAYAN ANNUAL ASSEMBLY, DINNER AND DANCING
*kapampangan word for "unity"

When: Sunday, November 30
4:30pm membership assembly (domestic workers only)
6:00pm doors open to the public
6:30pm dinner and socializing
7:30pm program and dancing

Where: Judson Memorial Church, Manhattan, 55 Washington Square South between Thompson and Sullivan Streets

Train: A/C/E/F/B/V/D to West 4th St & 6th Ave; from Jersey City, PATH Train to 14th St. and then take subway

Holiday dinner, music and dancing to have fun and build community //
// Strengthen our mutual support through expanding and consolidating our organization // Annual board election and annual membership meeting //

To help defray the cost for this exciting year-ender, we are selling tickets--$20 for members, $25 for non members. To buy a ticket, or if you can help the organization by buying or selling the tickets, respond to this email or call the Damayan office at 212.564.6057.

*Damayan Migrant Workers Association is a sister-organization of Ugnayan based here in New York. DAMAYAN is an independent workers grassroots organization that uphold and promote the rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers. They continue to raise awareness, organize and mobilize around issues of migrant workers, particularly domestic workers and aim to challenge the root causes Filipino's forced migration. Damayan is Pilipino word which means, "helping each other.".

Fight Racism and Discrimination! Recognize the Filipino American Veterans as American Veterans, Now!

2008-11-21T11:48:00.002-05:00

AJLPP Statement
Veterans Day, 2008

Fight Racism and Discrimination!
Recognize the Filipino American Veterans as American
Veterans, Now!

The US Congress passes SB 1315 Veterans Echancement Act but excluded the remaining 18,000 Filipino World War II veterans. This is 2nd recession act (the first passed as a rider in 1946) in tne 21st century. A blatant act of racism and discrimination.

Some says we should abolish affirmative action because Americans elected Barack Obama as president. But this is not true. The fact tht racism is still alive in the case of Filipino American Veterans. Many of them became naturalized American citizens but still treated as second class American citizens because they are not recognized as American veterans although they fought as American nationals during World War II.

In fact, they were conscripted into the military service when the Philippine army and constabulary and later 200,000 FIlipinos fought as guerillas under the American flag from
1941-45.It isnot fiction but a fact that America promised them citizenship and the benefits under the G.I bill. But later recinded under the 1946 recission act.

The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) fully and strongly supports the Justice for Filipino American
Veterans(JFAV)-salutes and commends its 10 years of strong unfliching and militat advocacy for the Filipino Veterans (JFAV)

AJLPP is aware that JFAV was formed by People's CORE in 1998 to carry on the work of the December 7th Movdement(D7M) that led the first political demonstration of the Filipino
Veterans in Los Angeles in December 1993.

The AJLPP therefore commends People's CORE and everyone in the Filipino American community for never letting up its advocacy. Despite division in tactics, we are united and one
in fighting for the democratic rightds of our veterans and the community.

The core of the veterans movement then was strong with 36,000 Filipino veterans from the Philippines who came to the United Statesm from 1991-1993. But now there are less
than 18,000 living veterans both in the Philippines and in the United States but still the United States wont recognize nor give them the benefits they deserve.

The AJLPP salutes the Filipino American youth and community who now are carrying the torch for the remaining veterans. It is just right for JFAV to fight for recognition, highlight the contributing of the Filipinos to the victory of World War II in the Pacific and Southeast Asia and democracy.

It is your educative and militant advocacy that will carry the struggle to victory. Intergenerational mentroring and cultural work is needed to educate the American public of
the valor and heroism of the Filipino American World War II veterans and the need for them to regain their honor and dignity deneid to them and their community.

Fight for recognition, justice and equity!

Full benefits for Filipino veterans now!

JFAV Statement

2008-11-21T11:46:00.001-05:00

OUR DEMANDS: CONVENE THE JOINT US CONGRESS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE , RECONCILE ALL VETERANS BENEFITS BILLS INTO A SINGLE BILL AND PASS THIS BILL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

The veterans and their advocates very hopeful that the US Congress will convene the joint conference committee to reconcile the three separate bills for Filipino veterans on the last Congress session of Nov 17-19. At present the S. 1315, HR 6897 and the Chat Edwards bill that appropriated $198 million for the veterans needs to be reconciled.

- Last Sept 22, The House passed the S.1315 but excluded the FiIipinos by removing the section that pertains to the recognition and benefits for Filipino World War II veterans. The House perpetrated the 62 year injustice that does not recognize war time services for the Filipino veterans. This is a blatant act of racism and discrimination – an echo of the Jim Crow laws. A direct insult to the Filipino American community and the Philippines.

- And then the house approved HR 6897 that will give a lump sum - $ 15,000 to US based and $ 9,000 to Philippine based veterans. This in exchange of a quit claim that will renounce any claims of being an American World War II veteran. Adding insult to injury the widows and relatives are excluded to any benefits and there is no appropriations for the bill. The house on the last moment passed the Chat Edwards bill of $ 198 million that will revert to the national coffers on March 2009 if no bill will be reconciled The money can be appropriated to any of the bills that will reconciled.

Therefore JFAV and the Filipino American community Demands:

1. That the Filipino veterans wartime services be recognized.

2. That any lump sum no matter what the amount is should be just an additional benefit and there will be no quit claim attached to their benefits. All additional benefits should not be taxable and their other benefits should remain.

3. This will be the subject of the reconciled bill that the veterans want. We want a single unified reconciled bill signed into a law this year. These are our just demands!

Recognition, Justice , Equity, NOW!

No Justice, No peace!

No to racism and discrimination! Bail out the Veterans not the Banks and Big Business!

MAKIBAKA, HUWAG MATAKOT!

Obama's victory and its Challenge for the Empowerment of the Filipino American Community

2008-11-21T11:38:00.002-05:00

Arturo P. Garcia
Alliance-Philippine s (AJLPP)

Many have been said about the historical significance of the election of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States Some says that the this is the apex of the four centuries, of African Americans enslavement, Jim Crow segregation, lynch mob terror and racist discrimination manifested in countless ways.

Other says a final blow to racism against African Americans and other oppressed nationalities that has in reality been far more integral to so called American democracy.

It will not suffice to say millions of people yearned for real change, for an end to war, unemployment, foreclosures, and more. The popular revolt expressed in millions of voters turning out, millions out in the streets waiting for the result of the election is an outpouring never seen before in American history. The sight of millions out in the streets of major cities like Washington DC, New York. Chicago and other areas for sure, send jitters to some of the ruling class who labeled Obama as “socialistic” and left of the far left”.

This was expressed in the second largest voters turnout of 82% less than the 1968’s 86% in a country where the usual presidential elections merit less than 30% turnout. We credit the Democratic Party who learned its lessons from two election beatings from the Republicans and the more aggressive progressive organizations and unions who mobilized for Obama.

Challenges to the Filipino American Community

But for the Filipino American community the challenges as well as the opportunities are enormous. The Democratic Party is as much a party of the bankers and bosses as is the Republican Party. McCain and Obama shared a common list of corporate and banking sponsors. The only difference is that, in the 2008 election, the Democratic candidate received more of the big money donations than the Republican did.

The Filipinos and other minorities shared an affinity to Obama and the fact that an African American has at long last been elected to the highest office in the United States is being greeted with euphoric celebrations in our communities across the country.

Obama’s victory was a big blow to Filipino racist especially in the upper middle class. The Filipino racist who made joke about “the White House will be a black house” are now subdued keeping their colonial mentality and pro-White bias very low nowadays.

For those who are euphoric and are hoping for the best must expect the worst for the coming years.

Obama’s record is clear:  Obama and the Democratic Party ran his campaign, however, by distancing himself from affirmative action, the struggle against police brutality, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and other issues and images historically associated with the struggle of the Black and other nationalities community.

Obama and McCain, along with Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress, have backed and defended the bailout plans in the face of widespread popular anger. Obama, along with McCain, opposed inclusion of a provision in the bailout bill that could have made it possible for millions of people facing foreclosure to remain in their homes. Why? Because the big banks were against it.

Obama is quiet on genuine immigration reform. Although he supports the DREAM Act and in favor of giving licenses to immigrants in California and other states, he must make himself clear on the issue of amnesty to 12 million human beings.

Still there is the lingering and unresolved issue of the 18, 000 Filipino veterans recognition, justice and equity. This clear issue of racism and discrimination for 62 years must be settled once and for all by the US Congress. This is an outstanding issue for the Filipino community both in the Philippines and the United States.

How Obama will engage the present US-Arroyo regime is another issue. Obama made clear that he supports Arroyo’s war on terror as its policy in Southeast Asia. On how he will react to the current war in Mindanao human rights abuses and human and women trafficking in the Philippines is an interesting to watch.

For the Filipino-American community the time for its empowerment has come. Struggle for Filipino Studies must be pursued in all states most especially where Filipinos abound. We should not be relegated to the minority of the minorities because we have the numbers and needs to acquire and build more power.

New Situation, New tasks

Overall. The new situation presents great challenges and opportunities for the Filipino American community and the progressive movement as a whole. As the crisis deepens, more and more workers, students, and others will be open to a socialist critique, not only of policies, but also of the system itself. The crisis creates the possibility for the emergence of a truly mass, working-class movement.

We must take full advantage of these opportunities that requires tactics and slogans that address the unfolding crisis of capitalism at a time when many progressive sectors will be generally supportive of the incoming president.

We are highly optimistic that the masses will engage in struggle to demand the new administration carry through this program that addresses their needs. To the extent that an Obama White House resists these demands, it will be exposed as another agent of the capitalist bankers and corporate bosses.

As our American comrades say “ revolutionary party can not skip over this stage of the political process. It cannot function as a "radical substitute" for the masses” Real changes in consciousness on a mass scale can only come about by large numbers of people going through their own experiences in the struggle. The tactics of the coming period must be created with that essential fact in mind.

Kabataang maka-Bayan (KmB, Pro-people Youth) USA Solidarity Statement to Ugnayan NY/NJ on RECLAIM 3

2008-10-29T17:23:00.004-04:00

Warm and militant greetings from Kabataang maka-Bayan (KmB, Pro-People Youth) USA! KmB congratulates Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan NY/NJ on Reclaim Volume 3! We wish Ugnayan a successful cultural event that will continue to expose the issues facing our communities in order to encourage new youth to fight staunchly for justice everywhere.

KmB stands in solidarity with Ugnayan as our long history of revolutionary struggle is celebrated through spoken word, song, theatre, and visual arts. We praise Ugnayan's ability to unite the many, different artists to embrace our culture of resistance. We look forward to eventually witnessing their mass style that reflects the thoughts and feelings of the communities that Ugnayan works very closely with.

We anticipate that Reclaim Volume 3 will continue to generate rewarding outcomes in advancing youth contributions to our people's long fight for life and liberation. We know that the cultural representations of struggles affecting first and second generation Filipinos will activate new youth to organize and mobilize for change locally - whether it's fighting for improvements in education, for better wages, or against systemic racism. We celebrate Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan NY/NJ in continuing to advance our struggle by reaffirming our culture of resistance to fight unwaveringly for justice with one heart and one mind!

*KmB is a sister organization of Ugnayan based in Los Angeles that aims to raise the social consciousness of the youth to organize and mobilize in response to issues affecting our local communities and the oppressed people of the Philippines and other pro-people issues around the world.

Get on the Guest List for RECLAIM 3! And Join Us for the Official After-Party! (10/25)

2008-10-24T14:11:00.007-04:00

Haven't bought your RECLAIM 3 ticket yet? Then email ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com to get on the guest list, and pay only $10 at the door!

DON'T MISS Ugnayan's biggest event in 2008!

COMMEMORATE the Filipino American Heritage Month. CONTINUE the Filipino people's history of struggle in the US and in the Philippines. Experience...

RECLAIM: (Re)Affirming Our Culture of Resistance, Vol. 3

SATURDAY, OCT 25
Doors 6:30 pm | Show 7-11:30 pm [After 11:30 pm - 21+ only]
HK Lounge 405 W 39 St, btwn 9 & 10 Aves

A/C/E to 42 St/Port Authority
N/Q/R/W/1/2/3/7/ to 42 St/Times Square

Performances by:
Koba & DJ Boo (hiphop)
Kilusan1898 (hiphop/spoken word)
Wonder Marq (acoustic pop)
John-Flor Sisante (acoustic rock)
Kay Barrett (spoken word)
Qwadra (rock)
Kayumanggi (rock)
Sining Pandayan (street theater) and more!

Visual art exhibit by:
Anang Palomar Soulfire and more!
$10 (advance or if on the guest list) | $15 (door)

WHY RECLAIM 3?

First organized in 2003 & then in 2006, RECLAIM fused poetry, hiphop, rock & visual art that reflected the collective stories of the Filipino youth and our community in the Philippines & in the US. The highly publicized events drew more than 150 & 250 youth & allies on each year. RECLAIM is organized by Filipino American youth & has featured some of the best young Filipino & non-Filipino American spoken word artists, emcees, rock bands & visual artists.

Now, in 2008, RECLAIM 3 will continue the tradition of celebrating the collective history, power and strength of the Filipino American youth through revolutionary art & culture! Join our cultural night of resistance!

WHAT'S RIGHT AFTER RECLAIM 3?!

If you're up for it, please join us for RECLAIM 3's Official After-Party at Deep Foundations' "The First Draft" Album Release Party!

After 11:30 pm, we'll be heading to Club Vesta to celebrate with Ugnayan's long-time allies and our brothers from Deep Foundation -- Ceejay, Mark, Ro & Leiland! It's at 390 8th Ave, btwn 29 & 30th Sts (walking distance from the RECLAIM 3 venue). Say "RECLAIM" at the door & get in for $10! If we go in groups of 5, we can get in for $5 each. Regular admission is $15 each. Must be 21 to enter. Dress code for guys - collared shirts (no hats).

It's a fitting ending to a night (and morning) of reclaiming our culture of resistance!

++++

Organized by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) | Co-sponsored by Damayan Migrant Workers Association, The Five Points NYC, Gabriela Network - NYNJ, Liga Filipina - Columbia University, Poptimes Magazine, The Sulu Series, Kabataang maka-Bayan (Pro-People Youth), & the National Asian American Student Conference (NAASCON)

ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com | 212.564.6057 | www.ugnayan.blogspot.com

Filipino Youth to Commemorate Filipino American Heritage Month and Reclaim History of Resistance

2008-10-16T19:00:00.003-04:00

For Immediate Release
October 16, 2008
Contact: Chevy Evangelista, 212.564.6057, ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com

New York City – On Saturday, October 25, Filipino youth, musicians, cultural workers, activists, and allies will come together to commemorate and reclaim the Filipino history of resistance in the US. The event, RECLAIM: (Re)Affirming Our Culture of Resistance, Vol. 3, will bring together education, celebration and community empowerment through poetry, hiphop, rock, street theater, and visual art.

The significance of the month of October dates back to the earliest known record of Filipino presence in the US. October is celebrated in Filipino communities in Hawaii and on the West Coast but has yet to become an East Coast tradition. Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland), a Filipino youth organization based in New York and New Jersey, seeks to integrate the heritage month into the Filipino community in NY/NJ – but with a twist.

“Filipino American Heritage Month is usually a celebration of individual accomplishments by Filipino-Americans. It should also be a reflection of the true Filipino experience and the collective accomplishments of our community against racism and other forms of oppression,” says Gladys Fontanilla, a young immigrant Filipina organizer with Ugnayan.

RECLAIM, first held in 2003 and 2006, attracts Filipino youth from across the five boroughs and New Jersey. This year’s line-up for the cultural night includes high-energy performances by some of New York’s finest Filipino musicians and cultural workers, interspersed with community history highlighting the people and events who have stood up for Filipino rights in the US.

“Our history shows that since the first wave of migration to the US in the early 1900's, Filipino immigrants have had to struggle against racism, glass ceilings, deskilling, and family separation,” says Fontanilla.

The reality of the American experience also burdens the second and third generations.

“Filipino history isn’t taught in schools. Many second-generation Filipinos don’t know their parents’ language. How can we have a strong community without these connections to our roots?” says Melissa Gibson, a second-generation Filipina youth.

For many Ugnayan members, re-rooting in Filipino collective history is part of connecting with current issues that Filipinos face today in the US.

“The divide between immigrants and second-generation youth is superficial. We are all part of the same history of migration, and we should continue to struggle together for just wages, compassionate immigration policies, and quality education that reflects our history and culture,” adds Gibson.

Saturday’s performances will feature Koba & DJ Boo, Kilusan1898, Wonder Marq, John-Flor Sisante, Kay Barrett, Qwadra, Kayumanggi, and Sining Pandayan. Visual art exhibit by Joana Palomar and Soulfire.

RECLAIM 3 will take place Saturday, October 25, 7-11:30 pm, at HK Lounge, 405 W. 39th St., between 9th & 10th Aves. in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan (A, C, E, 7, 2, 3 to 42nd St ). Tickets are $10 in advance (or if in the guest list) or $15 at the door. All ages are welcome, and 21 years and older to drink.

To purchase tickets, get on the guest list or for more info, please email ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com or visit www.ugnayan.blogspot.com.

Podcast - Art for the Masses: Reclaiming History and Empowering Our Community through Culture!

2008-10-14T18:42:00.004-04:00

Podcast courtesy of D of Bagwis, Chicago Pinoy Music Scene

Community Movement Building Through Music Series 1: While in New York, I had the chance to meet and chat with Ugnayan organizers Riya and Anang and talked about how they have been working on building a movement for Filipino youth in New York and beyond. What is “art for the masses?” and how can we as musicians participate in empowering our community and create art that speaks from our experiences….?

RECLAIM means to embrace our people’s history in the Philippines. Learn our history of migration to the US. Assert our right to quality education that reflects our history and culture. Relearn the native tongue that has been denied to us. Struggle for decent jobs & just wages. Embrace the cause of Filipino World War II veterans & domestic workers. To be free from fear of deportation & detention. Fight for equality & respect for our Pinay sisters & queer brothers & sisters. RECLAIM is promoting justice and liberation for our people!

WHY RECLAIM 3?

First organized in 2003 & then in 2006, RECLAIM fused poetry, hiphop, rock & visual art that reflected the collective stories of the Filipino youth and our community in the Philippines & in the US. The highly publicized events drew more than 150 & 250 youth & allies on each year. RECLAIM is organized by Filipino American youth & has featured some of the best young Filipino & non-Filipino American spoken word artists, emcees, rock bands & visual artists.

Now, in 2008, RECLAIM 3 will continue the tradition of celebrating the collective history, power and strength of the Filipino American youth through revolutionary art & culture! Join our cultural night of resistance!

Organized by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) | Co-sponsored by Damayan Migrant Workers Association, The Five Points NYC, Gabriela Network - NYNJ, Liga Filipina - Columbia University, Poptimes Magazine, The Sulu Series, Kabataang maka-Bayan (Pro-People Youth), & the National Asian American Student Conference (NAASCON)

To listen to the podcast, please visit:

http://chicagopinoymusic.com/2008/10/art-for-the-masses-reclaiming-history-and-empowering-our-community-through-culture/

Experience... RECLAIM: (RE)AFFIRMING OUR CULTURE OF RESISTANCE, VOL. 3!

2008-10-03T17:27:00.003-04:00

COMMEMORATE the Filipino American Heritage Month. CONTINUE the Filipino people's history of struggle in the US and in the Philippines. Experience...

RECLAIM: (Re)Affirming Our Culture of Resistance, Vol. 3

SATURDAY, OCT 25
Doors 6:30 pm | Show 7-11:30 pm
[After 11:30 pm - 21+ only]

HK Lounge
405 W 39 St, btwn 9 & 10 Aves
A/C/E to 42 St/Port Authority
N/Q/R/W/1/2/3/7/ to 42 St/Times Square

Performances by:
Koba & DJ Boo (hiphop)
Kilusan1898 (hiphop/spoken word)
Wonder Marq (acoustic pop)
John-Flor Sisante (acoustic rock)
Kay Barrett (spoken word)
Qwadra (rock)
Kayumanggi (rock)
Sining Pandayan (street theater)
and more!

Visual art exhibit by:
Joana Palomar
Soulfire
and more!

$10 (advance) | $15 (door)

WHY RECLAIM?

For the Filipino youth, RECLAIM means to take back what was once ours!

RECLAIM means to embrace our people's history in the Philippines. Learn our history of migration to the US. Assert our right to quality education that reflects our history and culture. Relearn the native tongue that has been denied to us. Struggle for decent jobs & just wages. Embrace the cause of Filipino World War II veterans & domestic workers. To be free from fear of deportation & detention. Fight for equality & respect for our Pinay sisters & queer brothers & sisters. RECLAIM is promoting justice and liberation for our people!

WHY RECLAIM 3?

First organized in 2003 & then in 2006, RECLAIM fused poetry, hiphop, rock & visual art that reflected the collective stories of the Filipino youth and our community in the Philippines & in the US. The highly publicized events drew more than 150 & 250 youth & allies on each year. RECLAIM is organized by Filipino American youth & has featured some of the best young Filipino & non-Filipino American spoken word artists, emcees, rock bands & visual artists.

Now, in 2008, RECLAIM 3 will continue the tradition of celebrating the collective history, power and strength of the Filipino American youth through revolutionary art & culture! Join our cultural night of resistance!

++++

Organized by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) | Co-sponsored by Damayan Migrant Workers Association, The Five Points NYC, Gabriela Network - NYNJ, Liga Filipina - Columbia University, Poptimes Magazine, The Sulu Series, Kabataang maka-Bayan (Pro-People Youth), & the National Asian American Student Conference (NAASCON)

ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com | 212.564.6057 | www.ugnayan.blogspot.com

View Photos from the Pre-Reclaim 3 Fundraiser Show!

2008-10-03T16:53:00.006-04:00

Ugnayan would like to thank all the youth, domestic workers, women, babies, allies, hiphop heads, rockers, musicians, New York transplants, Jerseyites, and everyone who supported the Pre-Reclaim 3 Fundraiser Show last Saturday!

People came in waves but there were more than 80 youth and allies who came through despite the rain. Ugnayan was also able to raise more than $600. Our deepest gratitude to everyone, including the domestic workers who brought their check books! =)

The night was filled with poems and songs of resistance. It was also a commemoration of the anniversary of martial law in the Philippines which victimized thousands of innocent Filipino civilians. Martial law was declared on September 21, 1972 by the late US-backed dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It abruptly ended because of the People Power Uprising led by the strong national democratic movement.

Shout-outs to the following:

The youth! Ugnayan members and supporters who volunteered and who came through that night;

Gladz, Melissa & Ryan of Ugnayan for emceeing;

The strong women of Damayan Migration Workers Association and Gabriela Network;

Bem, Fritz, Geomar & Kendal of Qwadra for lending their equipment for the bands, setting up the stage, and playing 2 songs at the last-minute (!);

Ana Liza, Tonette, Renee from GabNet, NYFP, ML, Taiyo Na, The Kuwagos, and The Happy Analogues for contributing their time and talent;

Linda Abad for speaking about her experience during the Martial Law in the Philippines during the 1970s;

Sheryl Garcia and Charmaine Celis of Poptimes Magazine; and,

Janet & Eddie of ANSWER-NY.

Ana Liza opening the show with her spoken word pieces

Tonette Mariano

Leah Obias speaking about the Justice for Marichu Campaign

Gatchie of The Kuwagos

Cho of The Kuwagos

Nu York's Finest Pinoyz (NYFP)

ML aka D' Rebel Music

Qwadra

The Happy Analogues

Ugnayan banner hanging prominently in Terraza Cafe

To view more photos, please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/ugnayannynj/sets/72157607582439710/

Press Release - Filipino Youth to Reclaim History of Cultural Resistance Against Martial Law

2008-09-25T11:55:00.003-04:00

For Immediate Release
September 25, 2008
Contact: Riya Ortiz, 347.525.6727, ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com

New York City – On Saturday, September 27, local Filipino musicians and youth will come together to reclaim a piece of the Philippines’ history of resistance through poetry and music.

The event will commemorate US-backed dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law on September 21, 1972, and kick off a season of cultural work towards the building of a vibrant, progressive Filipino youth culture here in the US.

The event is organized by local Filipino youth organization Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland).

In recognizing that cultural resistance had an important place in the Filipino people’s struggle against Martial Law, Ugnayan seeks to revive this culture of struggle locally. Reclaiming a culture of struggle, according to Ugnayan, means not only learning about Filipino history but also recognizing that the struggle continues.

“Even now, in the Philippines, standing up for affordable education or a decent wage can put your life at risk,” says Chevy Evangelista, an immigrant youth Ugnayan organizer. As President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visits the United Nations this week, Ugnayan members and allies will speak out against the political killings that continue under her presidency. Human rights organization Karapatan has recorded 910 victims of extrajudicial killings and 195 victims of enforced disappearances.

“As a Filipino in the US, knowing my history, our collective history, helps me to see how I’m connected to Filipinos in the Philippines today. We’re all part of the same struggle for justice,” says Melissa Gibson, a second-generation young Filipina and Ugnayan organizer.

The fall season of cultural work in the spirit of collective history and resistance will culminate in a larger event, RECLAIM: (Re)Affirming Our Culture of Resistance, Vol. 3, on October 25, in HK Lounge, Hells Kitchen, New York City. First held in 2003 & 2006, RECLAIM will once again fuse poetry, hiphop, rock & visual art that reflects the collective stories of the Filipino youth and our community in the Philippines & in the US.

This Saturday’s pre-RECLAIM 3 fundraising event will continue the tradition of celebrating the collective history, power and strength of the Filipino American youth through art and culture. The event will feature spoken word artist Ana Liza Caballes, singer/emcee Taiyo Na, emcee ML, hiphop group New York’s Finest Pinoyz, rock bands The Happy Analogues and The Kuwagos, and more.

Pre-RECLAIM 3 will take place Saturday, September 27 from 7pm-12am at Terraza Café, 40-19 Gleane St, Elmhurst, Queens (7 train to 82nd St.). Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. All ages are welcome, and 21 years and older to drink.

Baoanan Demands Meeting with Dept. of Foreign Affairs Secretary as Filipinos & Allies Worldwide Step Up Call for Immunity Waiver

2008-09-25T11:00:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2008

Contact: Leah Obias, DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, 212-564-6057, contact@damayanmigrants.org

New York—It has been ninety-one days since former Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Lauro Baja has been charged with trafficking, forced labor and racketeering by domestic worker Marichu Baoanan.

The Philippine government has so far done nothing to ensure the pursuit of justice.

This week, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo are in New York City for the United Nations 63rd General Assembly. Marichu is seizing the opportunity and demanding a meeting with top Philippine officials to directly deliver a message: waive Baja's diplomatic immunity so that the legal case can proceed. Bajas is attempting to invoke diplomatic immunity to dismiss the charges against him, his family and his business.

"Pakiramdam ko walang silbi ang Philippine Mission at Philippine Consulate," says Marichu. "Wala silang ginagawa." (I feel that the Philippine Mission and Consulate are useless. They are not doing anything.)

The case and campaign, led by DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, has drawn international news and front-page headlines, as well as international outrage. More than 30 organizations from across North America have endorsed the campaign and are supporting the call to waive Baja's diplomatic immunity.

"The Bajas' receipt of 250,000 pesos from Marichu and use of the Labaire travel agency to traffick Marichu to the United States clearly lies outside his diplomatic responsibilities," explains DAMAYAN organizer Ana Liza Caballes. "The Philippine government must act to hold Baja accountable for violating the human rights of Marichu."

Last August 1, Marichu formally submitted a letter to the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Baja's former post, requesting assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs, via the Philippine Mission.

"Parang nagbibingihan sila at binabalewala nila ang civil suit ko," adds Marichu. "Pag tinatawagan namin sila, nilalaro-laro kami, ginagawa kaming tanga ." (They really do not listen and do not care about my civil suit. When we call them, they just play with us and make us feel stupid.)

Though the Philippine Mission publicly claims that this is an isolated incident, DAMAYAN asserts that the abuse of Filipino domestic workers by diplomats is a much larger problem—commonly-known among DAMAYAN's 500-plus membership and affirmed by the Government Accountability Office report released last July 29.

DAMAYAN is calling for faxes and emails to be sent to Philippine consulates and UN Missions worldwide supporting Marichu's demand for a waiver of Baja's diplomatic immunity.

Marichu concludes, "Pag nabalewala ang kaso ko, mas lalong mang- aabuso sila Baja. Kailangang magkaroon ng hustisya para magkaroon ng pag-asa ang mga ibang inaabuso." (If the case is dismissed, the Bajas will continue to take advantage. There needs to be justice so that there can be hope for others who are also abused.)

The seven days of action to waive diplomatic immunity is from September 23rd to October 1st and is part of the Justice for Marichu! End Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery of all Domestic Workers Campaign. To take part in the international action, please visit www.endtrafficking.blogspot.com or call 212-564-6057.

Upcoming Event - Pre-RECLAIM 3 Fundraiser Show Now Open to ALL AGES!

2008-09-18T00:20:00.011-04:00

\ri-‘klām\ : to demand or obtain the return of; to regain possession of; in tagalog, muling angkinin!

saturday, sept 27, 7pm-12am
terraza cafe, 40-19 gleane st, elmhurst, queens
7 train to 82nd st.

featuring:
ana liza caballes (spoken word)
taiyo na (hiphop/soul/blues)
ML (hiphop)
new york's finest pinoyz (hiphop)
the happy analogues (rock)
the kuwagos (rock)
& more!

$8 (advance) $10 (door) [open to all ages; 21+ to drink]

first held in 2003 & 2006, RECLAIM 3 will again fuse poetry, hiphop, rock & visual art that reflect the collective stories of the filipino youth and our community in the philippines & in the US. it will continue the tradition of celebrating the collective history, power and strength of the filipino american youth through revolutionary art & culture!

RECLAIM 3 is you. RECLAIM 3 is we. join our cultural night of resistance!

Organized by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) & co-sponsored by Liga Filipina, Columbia University

ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com 212.564.6057 www.ugnayan.blogspot.com

(image by soulfire - www.myspace.com/soulfire4ever)

Ugnayan Congratulates our fierce sisters of Gabriela Network's 10th Congress and Chair-elect Ugnayan supporter DJ Kuttin Kandi

2008-09-17T15:17:00.011-04:00

Jollene Levid, secretary general, GABNet
secgen@gabnet.org
tel: 323-356-4748

NEW GABNet CHAIR-ELECT IS WORLD-FAMOUS HIP HOP ARTIST; 10TH CONGRESS UNVEILS PLAN OF ACTION AGAINST SEXISM, MILITARISM AND TOWARD INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

SAN DIEGO, CA, 1 September 2008 – The 10th Congress of GABNet USA elected its new national council and laid down the new focus and direction for the largest and oldest continuously operating all-women's organization led by women of Philippine ancestry. Members from seven cities attended the three-day gathering.

Candice "Kuttin Kandi" Custodio, world-famous hip hop artist, was voted GABNet National Chair-Elect. Her formal oath-taking will take place at an event to be designated by the organization.

Kuttin Kandi, as Ms. Custodio is known in the hiphop communty, is a world champion hiphop dj and a renowned spoken word artist. She is one of only half-a-dozen female dj's who "battle" in both national and international competitions. More importantly, Ms. Custodio is a committed activist and community organizer who utilizes hip hop to educate, build solidarity, create awareness and fight for social justice, especially among the youth. She was recently a 2007 Black Lily Music and Film Festival Recipient alongside Jill Scott and Toshi Reagan and received the Social Change in Music Award.

"I am extremely honored to have been given this opportunity," said Ms. Custodio, "I have been involved with GABNet as a supporter and a member since 2000 and I look forward as National Chair-Elect to join my sisters in the struggle and usher in a new era of activism for the organization."

As National Chair-Elect, Ms. Custodio continues GABNet's tradition to cull exceptional women leaders from a variety of women's sectors; they include the novelist Ninotchka Rosca, union organizer Clytie Causing and Professor Annalisa Enrile.

GABNet member Rebecca Dean saw Ms. Custodio as the "perfect" choice. "Kandi is a tireless activist who has always brought GABNet's work for women to the public," said Ms. Dean, "from the stages of hip hop to the community and to class rooms, Kandi has always encouraged us all to feel the joy of resistance."

Catherine Judge, another Congress attendee, said, "we as an organization are very excited about Kandi's new role. As an artist who combats misogyny, sexism and racism, Kandi demonstrates the kind of alternative feminist culture which GABNet has always represented and instilled in its members. We know that she and the newly elected national board will continue to stregthen women's work and put it always front and center."

Ms. Custodio heads an impressive national council that includes union organizer Jollene Levid as GABNet secretary-general; Executive Director of the University of California San Diego Women's Center Emelyn de la Pena as campaign director; youth organizer Ivy Quicho as organizing director; writer and paralegal Olivia Quinto as education director and civil engineer Laureen Abustan as finance director.

The National Council will have a term of two years during which it will lead GABNet in mobilizing women to intensify the Purple Rose Campaign Against the Trafficking of Women and Children; to protest US militarism and expose its devastating effects on women; and to defend defenders of women's rights and freedoms around the world.

The National Assembly also approved the 2nd North American Consultation of Women of Philippine Ancestry and expressed its determination to support the embattled Muslim women of Mindanao, Philippines, in their struggle for peace and equality in the face of the global war on terror. The National Assembly also affirmed the right of women to self-organize and to govern themselves, in the face of a resurgent patriarchal tendency that refuses to recognize either the validity of women's issues or the specific characteristics of women's oppression.

From engagement in the discourse of and mobilization for immigration reform, to developing women's contingent for anti-war mobilizations, to unleashing a massive campaign to free Philippine Congresswoman Liza Maza from attempts by the Philippine military to jail her; to the vigil for the GABNet 3 who were targeted by the Macapagal-Arroyo government for their consistent support for the Philippine national democratic movement; and to building solidarity work with allies to fight for issues ranging from women's reproductive rights and justice for political prisoners, the chapter reports presented at the Congress by members demonstrated the astonishing expanse and creativity of women's work as practiced by GABNet.

"GABNet is confident that it will be around another two decades," said outgoing chair Dr. Annalisa Enrile as the National Assembly drew to a close. "It has never and will never compromise its character as an organization of militant anti-imperialist women who believe that no genuine change can happen without women's emancipation."

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing! Sign up now for the PROGRESSIVE THEATER WORKSHOP!

2008-09-15T17:13:00.006-04:00

We youth of Philippine heritage have a long history of culture of resistance! So get your creative juices flowing & sign up for...

PROGRESSIVE THEATER WORKSHOP

Dates/Times:
Friday, Oct 3, 6:30-9:30 pm - Orientation
Saturday, Oct 4, 11:00am - 6:00 pm - Session 1
Sunday, Oct 5, 1:00-5:00 pm - Session 2

Venue/Directions:
Metro Baptist Church
406 W 40 Street, between 9 & 10 Aves
A/C/E train to 42 St/Port Authority

Registration:
$40 (General) | $30 (Students/Low-wage workers/Unemployed)
No one will be turned away!
To cover materials and other expenses for all classes

Don't miss this rare opportunity to learn about Basic Integrated Arts Approach. Understand how to use your voice, body and integrate music, poetry, and even objects to create a great performance.

Build and share with other young Pinoys and Pinays! Learn how our reality is connected to the larger Filipino community in the US & in the Philippines, especially the most marginalized sectors, and collectively express our stories through artistic means!

If you're an emcee, musician, educator or organizer, you'll learn in this workshop how to incorporate theater in your music, organizing or education work.

And, if you're up for it, join Sining Pandayan (Forging Art), the cultural group that Ugnayan is a part of, to create a performance for the upcoming Reclaim: (Re)Affirming Our Culture of Resistance, Vol. 3!

~~~~~

SIGN UP NOW COS SPACE IS EXTREMELY LIMITED (only 14 slots are available). Workshop is open to everyone interested, but priority will be given to young Pinoys & Pinays. Participants are required to attend 3 sessions.

All participants must sign up no later than Tuesday, September 30. To register, please fill out the form at the bottom of this email (or visit www.ugnayan.blogspot.com) and send it to ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com. Final list of participants will be confirmed on or before Wednesday, October 1.

The workshop will be facilitated by Bing Magtoto. As a resident artist and senior faculty member of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) from 1978-1996, Bing has developed training modules using theater processes as an interactive and experiential approach to learning, organizing and programming. Bing is also an Adjunct Instructor at Asian/Pacific/American Studies Program at New York University’s Department of Social and Cultural Analysis.

Let's raise our consciousness collectively through creative means!

Organized by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland)
www.ugnayan.blogspot.com | ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com | 212.564.6057

~~~~~

THEATER WORKSHOP INTEREST FORM

Name:

Date of birth:

Place of birth:

Phone Number:

Email address:

School (if a student):

Occupation (if any):

What sessions will you be able to attend? [ ] Fri, Oct 3 [ ] Sat, Oct 4 [ ] Sun, Oct 5

Please answer the following questions in 1-2 sentences. Your answers will help us tailor the workshop to maximize the experience of our participants.

1. What are your expectations for participating in this class?

2. Is there anything that you want the organizers to know about you?

* Please email to ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com. Thank you!

(Photo of Ugnayan members performing in the Sandugo Festival in Quezon City, Philippines, 2004)

View the Justice for Marichu Video!

2008-08-07T12:30:00.001-04:00

Ugnayan's Speech on the Justice for Marichu Community Speak Out

2008-08-01T12:20:00.001-04:00

Delivered by Riya Ortiz, Mass Campaigns Officer
Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan
In front of the Philippine Consulate, New York City
August 1, 2008

Mula sa hanay ng mga progresibong kabataang Pilipino at mga anak ng mga Pilipinang domestic workers, isang militanteng pagbati sa inyong lahat!

From the ranks of the progressive Filipino youth and sons and daughters of Filipina domestic workers, a militant greeting to you all!

Filipina domestic workers like Tita Marichu are called "modern-day heroes" in the Philippines. In reality, they are literally modern-day slaves. They are slaves not just to their employers like Lauro Baja, a former UN diplomat who allegedly engaged in trafficking and forced labor. More so, domestic workers are slaves to the system that allows the "slave masters" to continue to strip them of their dignity as humans and as workers.

Let us not forget though that these hardworking Filipina domestic workers are also mothers. And they are OUR mothers. Like Tita Marichu, they are mothers who have made the sacrifice of being separated from their families back home to work abroad and ensure their economic survival.

We can only imagine the pain that Tita Marichu went through during the three months that she worked for the Bajas. But who could fathom the unbearable pain that she endured when she could not send money to the Philippines to sustain her family? Her family in the Philippines had to sell their TV just so they could eat. Her children were forced to stop going to school because they don't have enough money for their tuition.

We from Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan who are also children of domestic workers and who were separated for years from our parents are familiar with the struggle that Tita Marichu's children went through.

While our mothers do the dirty and dangerous jobs and take care of rich white blond babies abroad, we were left behind in the Philippines and had to deal with the impacts of family separation. We were raised by our father or an auntie or uncle. Some of us were prone to abuse - even sexual abuse - from the people who were supposed to take care of us.

Our mothers sent their hard-earned wages to sustain us when we were in the Philippines. They sent us to good schools to receive "good education". But even if we graduate, the inutile Philippine government cannot give us jobs with decent wages. And with the ever-worsening crisis in the Philippines, we too are hit by the crisis and are forced to go abroad.

The struggles of the children of Filipina domestic workers don't end when we are reunited with our parents. Most of us become undocumented workers. As new immigrants, we enter the pool of cheap immigrant labor in the US and become inheritors of our mothers' low-wage jobs. We end up doing service-sector jobs where we work as warehouse workers, food-service workers or domestic workers. Like our domestic worker mothers, we work for long hours, low wages and don't receive benefits that we deserve. We also face the added struggle of supporting our families and relatives who are still in the Philippines.

That is why the struggle of the youth whether we are immigrsants or born and raised here is highly integral to the struggle of the domestic workers. We are one with Damayan and all its allies in calling justice for Marichu!

Let us also bear in mind that Baja is just another dog that feeds off the flesh and labor of its people. Let us hold Baja and his family accountable. Let us also hold who has the dog's leash accountable and that is the Philippine government under the equally corrupt Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo!

To the Bajas, bahang-baha na at nag-uumapaw ang pagkakorap ninyo! Bajas, you are overflowing with corruption!

Bakit kayo pilit na nagtatago sa likod ng inyong diplomatic immunity? Why do you hide behind the cloak of diplomatic immunity? If you really have nothing to hide, then let justice takes its course and let the truth prevail!

No diplomatic immunity to Baja and his family!
Justice for Marichu and all Filipina and non-Filipina domestic workers!
End trafficking of all domestic workers!

Alliance Philippines Stands Solidly with Marichu Baoanan and Damayan on her Case Vs Lauro Baja Jr., Et Al

2008-07-11T10:42:00.001-04:00

The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) expresses militant solidarity and support to compatriot Marichu S. Baonan and the Damayan Migrant Workers Association based in New York on the case filed by Ms. Baonan against former United Nations Ambassador Lauro Baja, Jr., Norma Castro Baja, his daughter Maria Elizabeth Baja Facundo and the Baja-owned Labaire International Travel Inc;

The case filed last June 24 exposes the hypocrisy of the US-Arroyo regime and its policies and its bureaucracy in its failure to protect Filipino workers abroad and the sad fact that its instrumentalities who are supposed to safeguard their rights are the ones who oppresses them and take advantage of them like in the case of Marichu Baoanan from New York..
It is also a hard fact to note that Baja Jr, a holdover from the US-Marcos regime owned the travel agency and like other DFA and Philippine government officials and oppresses and exploit their country mates with impunity.

The AJLPP expresses contempt over the highhandedness of Baja who said that “in this case, he is the victim, not Marichu Baoanan”

How can Baja say that he is the victim when Baoanan who was recruited as a nurse was made to work as a maid. Baonan also said she was made to work 18 hours daily, seven days a week, in the Baja household and was paid only a total of $100 for three months of work and suffered abuse from the Baja family.

The AJLPP is aware that the Baonan case is not isolated like what Baja or the US –Arroyo regime potrays. There are still many cases out there here in the United States and all over the world.

As the US-based Mariposa Alliance and GABRIELA Network USA, pointed out :"There have been innumerable stories of Filipinas seeking sanctuary from their brutal employers at consulates and embassies only to be returned to the same employers; of Filipinas funneled into the sex trade by embassy and consular personnel; of Filipinas traded as domestic workers by embassy and consular personnel to their relatives and friends as favors; of Filipinas coerced into paid-for marriages and sex work to enable embassy and consular personnel to make enormous profits".

The AJLPP and all its organizations expresses wholehearted support and will extend all necessary means and resources to help Marichu Baoanan and all compatriots to seek justice and equality in the United Sates and will fight systemic racism everywhere it rears its ugly head.

Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP)

July 10, 2008

Progressive Filipinos in Canada support the complaint of Marichu Suarez Baoanan against Baja family

2008-07-09T17:06:00.002-04:00

National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada

SIKLAB – Canada (Advance and Uphold the Rights of Overseas Filipino Workers)

Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance - Canada

Press Statement

Canada - As progressive Filipinos in Canada, we support the civil complaint of Marichu Suarez Baoanan alleging trafficking, forced labour, peonage and racketeering against her former employer, Lauro Liboon Baja Jr. and his family. Baja is a 71-year old retired former Philippine ambassador to the United Nations and current foreign affairs consultant of Philippine Senate President Manuel Villar.

According to reports, Baoanan, a 39-year old nursing graduate from the Philippines, arrived in the United States in January 2006 with a diplomatic “red” passport and visa, as a “personal employee” of Ambassador Baja. She says she paid P250,000 to Baja’s wife, Norma Baja in agreement for exchange of transportation to the U.S, a visa, work authorization and help in finding a nursing job. Instead, she says she was forced to work in the five-story Philippine consular residence 16 hours a day, seven days a week and only received $200 for three months of work. She says she also received abuse from Baja’s grandson who was allowed to hit her.

It enrages us that many Philippine government officials continue to live in over-indulgence and splendor, exploiting and oppressing women workers who are forced to leave the Philippines in order to support their families back home.

The chronic economic crisis under the government of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo continues to force over 3,000 Filipino workers abroad every day. Her anti-people policies and the continuing plunder of the country’s wealth and resources by the elite few and foreigners push us abroad in droves.

The case of Baoanan is similar to countless other cases of Filipina live-in caregivers in Canada. We recall the case of “Precious” a live-in caregiver in Canada who was forced to work for her Taiwanese employer in 2004 for 17 hours a day at 59 cents per hour for two months with no overtime or holiday pay. She was also only given one day off in two months of work. Reports of her case sparked a resolution in the Philippine House of Representatives by progressive party-list representatives of Anakpawis, Bayan Muna and Gabriela party-list groups to call on the Department of Foreign Affairs to investigate and protect women workers in Canada under the LCP.

Since the early 1908’s, nearly 100,000 Filipino women have come to Canada under the Canadian government’s Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). The LCP sentences these women to a lifetime of deskilling and low-wage work, strips them of their dignity and leaves them vulnerable to all forms of abuse at the hands of their employer.

Organizations across Canada, namely under the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada, SIKLAB (Advance and Uphold the Rights of Overseas Filipino Workers) and Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance have been calling for the scrapping of the racist and anti-woman LCP because of the negative short and long-term impacts we have seen on our women and community over the last three decades.

The recent deaths of live-in caregivers like Editha Mangaoang, Jocelyn Dulnuan and Arcelie Laoagan, and the children of former live-in caregivers: Jomar Lanot, Deeward Ponte, and Charle Dalde point to the harshest impacts of the LCP.

It is only from the collective empowerment of the women themselves that they are able to learn and assert their rights against abusive employers. Over the past few years, several SIKLAB members in BC including “Precious” have been able to win back pay and compensation from their former employees by filing complaints with the labour board.

We salute the bravery of Marichu Baoanan to stand up against the abuse and exploitation she faced from the Baja family! We support her demands for unpaid wages and other compensations, a public apology from the Baja family and that the DFA conduct a full investigation of Baja and other diplomats with domestic workers and hold them accountable for any abuse.

Makibaka! Huwag matakot!

Scrap the racist and anti-woman Live-in Caregiver Progam!

End forced migration from the Philippines!

Justice for Marichu Baoanan and all Overseas Filipino Workers!

Statement issued: July 8, 2008 by the following organizations:

National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada

SIKLAB – Canada (Advance and Uphold the Rights of Overseas Filipino Workers)

Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance – Canada

Member organizations:

Vancouver: Kalayaan Centre

Philippine Women Centre of BC

SIKLAB-BC

Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance –BC

Filipino Nurses Support Group - BC

BC Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines

Montreal: Kabit-Bisig Centre

Philippine Women Centre of Quebec

Kabataang Montreal

SIKLAB – Quebec

Filipino Nurses Support Group – Quebec

Toronto: Magkaisa Centre

Philippine Women Centre of Ontario

SIKLAB – Ontario

Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance – Ontario

Winnipeg:

Philippine Women Centre of Manitoba

Justice for Marichu! End Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery of All Filipina Domestic Workers!

2008-07-08T11:48:00.007-04:00

MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday July 8, 2008

For more information, contact: Leah Obias, DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, 212.564.6057, contact@damayanmigrants.org

New York, NY— Filipina domestic worker and DAMAYAN member Marichu Baoanan has sued Lauro Baja, former United Nations ambassador from the Philippines, and his family for violating US federal anti-trafficking laws and subjecting her to involuntary servitude, forced labor, debt bondage, and slavery and to retrieve her unpaid wages. Marichu, who came to the US in January 2006 seeking employment as a nurse, was forced instead to serve as a domestic worker for the Ba0jas.

DAMAYAN will launch a coordinated campaign to help Marichu win lawful compensation and retrieve unpaid wages, get a public apology from the Bajas, and demand full investigation and accountability of the Baja family by Phil. Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

Event: Press conference to announce the filing of anti-trafficking lawsuit; Filipina domestic worker speaks out against forced labor and exploitation by diplomat and family; launching of a campaign against modern-day slavery and human trafficking by former United Nations ambassador from the Philippines

Date/Time: Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 1:00 PM

Speakers: Marichu Suarez Baoanan, Plaintiff

Ivy Suriyopas, AALDEF Staff Attorney, Counsel for Plaintiff

Ana Liza Caballes, DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association

Aaron Mendelsohn, Troutman & Sanders, pro bono co-counsel

Location: 99 Hudson Street, 14th floor (at Franklin Street), Lower Manhattan

(#1 train to Franklin St., #2, 3 to Chambers, #A, C, E to Canal St.)

Abuse and corruption run rampant in Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s government in the Philippines and its embassies and consulates abroad. Last year, the mother of a consul in the San Francisco Philippine Consulate was made to pay $78,000 for exploiting the Filipina domestic worker who worked for her. The trafficking of Filipina domestic workers by top Philippine diplomats will indeed be the worst form of betrayal and exploitation. Living extravagantly on the Filipino people’s tax dollars while abusing their power and public trust, the Bajas are accountable not only to Marichu, but to the entire Filipino people.

In New York, about 30,000 Filipinos are domestic workers who like Marichu work for very long hours and low wages. They suffer from lack of fair labor standards and protection and are excluded from major federal and state labor laws. They are also subjected to discrimination and harassment due to their immigration status.

Like Marichu, 3,400 Filipinos, mostly women, are forced to leave the Philippines every day because of extreme poverty and unemployment. The majority are educated professionals who end up as domestic workers abroad. Under the Philippines’ Labor Export Program (LEP), they become the country’s number one export and the lifeline of its economy. This year, overseas Filipino workers are expected to remit $16 billion dollars, and more than $20 billion including informal channels. The export of the Filipino people is a highly profitable industry not only for the Philippine government but also for diplomats and consular officials, staff and their families.

DAMAYAN Migrant Workers association is a grassroots organization that fights for the rights, dignity and empowerment of Filipino migrant workers, primarily women domestic workers. We educate, organize and mobilize the Filipino community to challenge the root causes of Filipino forced migration.

# # #

Filipino Community "Detain and Deport" Phil. Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from New York City

2008-07-03T15:50:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2008

Contact: Leah Obias, Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines—New York (AJLPP-NY), 212.564.6057, contact@damayanmigrants.org

New York City—Last Thursday, June 26, Filipino domestic workers, youth, women and allies gathered at the Philippine Consulate in New York City to "detain and deport" Phil. Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a sign of their disgust for her 10-day visit to the United States, and to show that she should be held accountable for the conditions of overseas Filipino workers and im/migrants.

Organized by the Alliance for a Just and Lasting in the Philippines-New York, and co-sponsored by A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and Gabriela Network, the street action in front of the consulate included speeches, poetry, song, and street theater staged by Filipino youth to symbolically detain Macapagal-Arroyo and deliver her with deportation orders to leave New York City immediately.

"We wanted to expose Macapagal-Arroyo as a U.S. puppet," said AJLPP-NY organizer Leah Obias, "and at the same time bring attention to issues plaguing our community here. Macapagal-Arroyo was here to meet with Bush, politicians and businesspeople in the U.S. to continue the subservient and unequal relationship between the two countries. Yet she plays blind to the fact that our community is under attack by immigration authorities."

In order to ease the burden of the U.S. economic slowdown, immigrant communities in the U.S. have been the targets of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on homes, buses, trains and workplaces. The numbers of deportations and detentions have doubled in the past year, affecting the Filipino community as well as other immigrant communities. Recently, members and contacts of DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, member organization of AJLPP-NY, have been subjected to such violations of their civil rights and have been conducting a campaign to assert their rights as immigrants.

"Members of our community are afraid to travel, and are pushed into low-wage jobs—mostly domestic work—because of their immigration status," continued Obias. "We support the Philippine economy with their remittances, and the U.S. economy with our labor. And what kind of support do we receive from Macapagal-Arroyo? Nothing. She shakes hands with the same U.S. politicians responsible for the poor conditions of our people, both here in the United States and in the Philippines."

Several speeches and testimonials last Thursday highlighted the conditions of the Filipino community, both locally and in the Philippines.

Monica Lunot, worker organizer and member of DAMAYAN, spoke about the experiences of exploitation and abuse endured by Filipino domestic workers. Clara Santos, Board of Directors member of Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, also a member organization of AJLPP-NY, spoke on the continuing struggle of Filipino World War II veterans for their benefits. Though Macapagal-Arroyo was here to thank Bush for the veterans bill, Santos said, she is claiming credit for decades of the veterans' struggle, and the bill has yet to be passed in Congress.

Doris Mendoza, Secretary General of Gabriela Network, highlighted the conditions of women who experience intensified attacks not just as poor or working people, but also as women. Mendoza cited cases of the US military men who raped Filipinas in the Philippines and in Japan and have received slaps on the wrist as punishment for their criminal behavior.

Ben Becker of A.N.S.W.E.R. spoke about the need to build solidarity among communities, because of common experiences in the U.S. with racism, as well as U.S. tax dollars supporting corrupt governments all over the world.

Linda Abad, worker organizer of DAMAYAN, spoke on behalf of AJLPP-NY about the unequal U.S.-Philippines relationship, the U.S. War on Terror and its effect on the Filipino people. According to AJLPP-NY, The Visiting Forces Agreement, the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, and the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) Exercises have converted the Philippines into a giant U.S. military base as a way to protect U.S. interests at the expense of the Filipino's people's own dignity and national sovereignty.

This year, the Philippines received $30 million in American tax dollars towards Foreign Military Financing, despite Macapagal-Arroyo's heinous human rights record showing 1,000 activists killed, more than 200 missing, and more than 200 detained.

Meanwhile, Macapagal-Arroyo's visits to the business community in the U.S. only resulted in the peddling of the Philippines' natural resources while the lack of industrialization, lack of employment and poverty in the Philippines continue to send approximately 3,400 Filipinos abroad every day. In the end, said Abad, with an estimated $16 billion in remittances sent to the Philippines through formal channels by the end of 2008, and more than $20 billion including informal channels, Macapagal-Arroyo continues to sink the Philippines deeper into crisis so long as she prioritizes foreign investments and help from outside the Philippines.

"We dream of a homeland that has genuine democracy, food on every table of Filipino families and education for every Filipino child and the welfare of all our people," Lunot concludes. "We condemn the Macapagal-Arroyo administration and insist that she step down from her throne – and in doing so, it will be like a life jacket for every Filipino to survive the total collapse of our beloved homeland."

###

For photos, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/ugnayannynj. Photos are by Maria Gonzales, member of Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan.

The Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines is a national alliance of US-based organizations and individuals in support of a peaceful, just, free, democratic and prosperous Philippines. AJLPP was founded in 2002 and is currently composed of 12 organizations from five major US cities.

Last Week to Register -- SALITA (WORD): A Beginner's Filipino Language Class

2008-07-01T16:56:00.001-04:00

Do you feel lost at your Filipino family’s gatherings?
Do you miss out on important conversations spoken in Filipino?
Have you always wanted to learn the Filipino language?
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!

SALITA (WORD): A Beginner’s Filipino Language Class

Dates/Times:

Sessions 1-4 (Learning the building blocks of the Filipino language including vocabulary, grammar, etc):
Tuesday, July 8, 7-9pm | Thursday, July 10, 7-9pm | Tuesday, July 15, 7-9pm | Thursday, July 17, 7-9pm

Session 5 (Workshop on the need to reclaim the Filipino language and history of struggle):
Tuesday, July 22, 7-9pm

Venue:
Barnard College, 3009 Broadway & 117th Street, New York, NY (Room to be announced later)

Registration: $40 (General) | $30 (Students)
To cover materials and other expenses for all classes

The Filipino language may be melting away from America’s melting pot, but the need to learn it and speak it persists in the consciousness of many Filipino American youth!

Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland), in coordination with Bing Magtoto, New York University (NYU) faculty member who teaches Elementary Filipino I & II, bring you five language classes that aim to teach the basics of the Filipino language and provide a framework for further study.

SPACE IS EXTREMELY LIMITED (only 20 seats are available). Classes are open to anyone interested, but priority will be given to second-gen Filipino youth.

All participants must sign up on or before Friday, July 4. To register, please fill out the form at the bottom of this email (or visit www.ugnayan.blogspot.com) and send it to ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com. Final list of participants will be confirmed on or before Monday, July 7.

Participants are required to attend all five classes, and will receive a Certificate of Completion at the end of the class. A summer socialization will also be held in August where the participants will get to meet and speak with Filipino domestic workers and practice their new language skills. Participants who will also write a cultural piece in Filipino will be given a chance to be part of “Reclaim 3: Rerooting in Our Culture of Resistance”, the grand cultural event organized by Ugnayan that will be held in the fall.

Background:

Separated from their roots, majority of second-generation Filipino youth grew up not knowing how to speak and/or understand the Filipino language. The language loss usually begins at home when the Filipino immigrant parents would not teach their children so they could assimilate immediately into mainstream US society and be spared from the racism that the parents experienced themselves. This loss of the native tongue contributes to a “generation gap” between the youth and the parents. This is made worse by the culture of silence in the family where the parents’ stories of struggle and survival in the US are often left unspoken and not shared to their children. The second-gen youth become detached and feel like outsiders in their own homes or family gatherings.

The second-gen youth, uprooted from their heritage, would grow up not knowing about their ancestors’ history and culture that have been also systematically erased from the US education system.

(Re)Learning the Filipino language then becomes an important part of any second-generation youth’s process of (re)claiming their identity as Filipinos and (re)connecting with the stories and struggles of their families and communities, both in the US and in the Philippines.

Magsalita. Speak Up. Register now!

Organized by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland)
www.ugnayan.blogspot.com | ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com | 212.564.6057

===================================

SALITA (A Five-Part Beginner’s Filipino Language Class) Registration Form

Name:

Date of birth:

Place of birth:

Phone Number:

Email address:

Street address / City / State / Zip:

School (if a student):

Organization/ Position (if any):

Occupation (if any):

What workshops will you be able to attend? [ ] 1 [ ] 2 [ ] 3 [ ] 4 [ ] 5

Please answer the following questions in 1-2 sentences. Your answers will help us tailor the workshops to maximize the experience of our participants.

1. What are your expectations for participating in this class?

2. Is there anything that you want the organizers to know about you?

* Please email to ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com. Thank you!

(A more in-depth questionnaire will be sent to the confirmed participants.)

Alliance Philippines - NYC's "Detain and Deport Gloria" Covered by Balitang America

2008-07-01T15:00:00.003-04:00

Leah Obias of Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, a member-organization of Alliance for a Justice and Lasting Peace, is interviewed by Balitang America during the "Detain and Deport Gloria from NYC" rally last Thursday, June 26th, in front of the Philippine Consulate, New York City. Segment startst at 3:04 minutes.

Alliance Philippines - NYC, "Detain and Deport Gloria from NYC!"

2008-06-26T15:49:00.004-04:00

Statement of the Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace (Alliance Philippines) on the Recent 10-Day Visit of Phil. Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the US

The 10-day visit of U.S.-backed Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) and ten of her Cabinet members to three states in the U.S. is nothing more than a spectacle starring a puppet president and her masters in the White House, the Capitol, and in the offices of Wall Street. The Filipino people have nothing to gain from this visit.

In his meeting with GMA last Tuesday, June 24, U.S. President Bush called Filipinos his “friends”, and congratulated GMA on her "effective stand on counterterrorism" and for "laying out a vision for peace." This "effective stand" on "peace" has resulted in more than 1,000 activists killed, more than 200 missing, and more than 200 detained, in the most blatant form of state violence and appalling human rights record the Philippines has ever seen, surpassing even U.S.-backed dictator Ferdinand Marcos in sheer brutality.

Despite this record, the U.S. continues to support the GMA regime in order to maintain its military outpost in the Pacific. In the name of the U.S. War on Terror, U.S. military personnel enjoy unrestricted access to the archipelago, protected from legal accountability even in incidences where the rape of Filipina women was irrefutable. The Visiting Forces Agreement, the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, and the Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) Exercises have converted the Philippines into a giant U.S. military base as a way to protect U.S. interests at the expense of the Filipino’s people’s own dignity and national sovereignty.

With $30 million in American tax dollars funneled towards Foreign Military Financing that the Philippines received this year, the U.S. Senate withheld $2 million contingent on GMA’s human rights record, as a recognition of the politically-motivated human rights violations documented by organizations in the Philippines, as well as international outcries and a report by United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur Philip Alston.

But the military is just one way that GMA ensures the continuing subservience of the Philippines to the U.S. In part, she is in the U.S. to meet the business community and to court investors in order to sell offthe country’s rich natural resources. Keeping the Philippine economy afloat has been GMA’s justification. Yet when giant oil reserves were discovered off the Philippine island of Palawan last year, the GMA regime’s priority was to sell the oil to foreign companies. The average Filipino using jeepneys, buses, tricycles and cars continue to contend with soaring gas prices, while 450 million barrels of the Philippines’ own oil are exported to the highest bidder.

GMA has no intention to develop national industries or to develop the natural resources of the Philippines. It is the sweat and labor of overseas Filipinos workers—mostly women doing grueling and devalued domestic work—that are truly propping up the Philippine economy. Approximately 3,400 Filipinos leave the Philippines every day, and over ten percent of the population lives in 192 countries around the world. An estimated $16 billion in remittances was sent to the Philippines as of June this year, and is expected to reach $25 billion by the end of 2008. About half of those remittances came from the United States. Compared to the millions in U.S. military financing that GMA receives, the export of Filipinos is a windfall. The latest burden on overseas Filipino workers, the rice and oil crisis in the Philippines and the general economic slowdown, has forced Filipino migrants to work harder, work more and make more sacrifices in order to maintain their families’ standard of living in the Philippines and to survive here in the U.S.

Since the start of the U.S. War on Terror, immigrant communities have increasingly become the targets of racial profiling in the false name of security. Recently, the U.S. economic downturn has further scapegoated immigrants. The Filipino community has been under attack, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on homes, buses, trains and workplaces as part of the U.S. government’s tactic of deporting and detaining immigrants to ease its economic crisis. The simultaneous decline of the U.S. dollar and the Philippine peso reveals the complete dependence of the Philippines on the U.S. With a looming recession, the Filipino community in the U.S. will bear the burden of both economies.

Separated from their families and forced into the margins of American society by their immigration status, it is these same immigrants who build, clean and maintain America’s homes, raise America’s children, care for America’s elderly, and serve America’s take-out and dine-in food.

And now GMA is in the U.S. meeting with top politicians and businesspeople. What has been her response, and the response of her local arm, the Philippine consulate, to the treatment of Filipino migrants, without whom the Philippine economy would collapse within just three days? Neglect, lack of accountability, and outright callous disregard.

It is therefore fitting that GMA is thanking Bush for passing the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill, a bill still in Congress and yet to be passed in the Senate. Justice still needs to be served for the Filipino World War II Veterans 62 years after the Rescission Act declared they are not considered U.S. veterans, depriving them of benefits. The neglect and disregard of the Filipino people by the Philippine government is a legacy that GMA has no intention of correcting.

It is up to the Filipino people themselves, with the support of their allies internationally, to fight for life and livelihood, and to change the rotten system perpetuated by GMA. The Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines vows to continue educating, organizing, and mobilizing the Filipino community in the U.S., and echoing the demands of the Filipino people for justice, dignity and freedom from foreign domination.

STOP THE POLITICAL KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES!
STOP THE CRIMINALIZATION OF FILIPINO U.S. IMMIGRANTS!
JUSTICE AND EQUITY FOR THE FILIPINO WORLD WAR 2 VETERANS!
RIGHTS, DIGNITY AND LIBERATION FOR FILIPINO MIGRANT WORKERS!
OUST THE U.S.-BACKED GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO REGIME!

Filipinos and allies in New York City to "DETAIN AND DEPORT GLORIA!"

2008-06-25T17:47:00.001-04:00

JOIN ALLIANCE FOR A JUST & LASTING PEACE IN THE PHILIPPINES - NEW YORK, GABRIELA NETWORK AND A.N.S.W.E.R. (ACT NOW TO STOP WAR AND END RACISM) TO SYMBOLICALLY DELIVER DEPORTATION ORDERS TO PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

WHEN: Thursday, June 26th @ 6:30pm (flyering starts @ 5pm)
WHERE: The Philippine Consulate, 556 Fifth Avenue (between 45th and 46th Street), Manhattan
SUBWAY DIRECTIONS: 7 to 5th Ave; 4/5/6 to Grand Central-42nd Street, B/D/V/F to 47-50th Rockefeller Center.

Progressive Filipinos and allies in New York City will "detain and deport Phil. Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA)" in front of the Philippine Consulate TOMORROW, JUNE 26. The cultural street action, along with speeches and statements from various Filipino and allied organizations will illustrate the criminalization of Filipino im/migrants and serves as an act of protest to GMA's 10-day visit to the U.S. She will be in New York City on June 26-28 to meet with US politicians to ensure continued U.S. military support, and to court investors in a bid to further sell off the natural resources of the Philippines. So the existing colonial puppet-master relationship continues.

In his meeting with GMA last Tuesday, U.S. President Bush congratulated GMA on her "effective stand on counterterrorism" and for "laying out a vision for peace." This "effective stand" on "peace" has resulted in more than 1,000 activists killed, more than 200 missing, and more than 200 detained, in the most blatant form of state violence and appalling human rights record the Philippines has ever seen.

Recently, the U.S. economic downturn has scapegoated immigrants locally. The Filipino community has been under attack, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on homes, buses, trains and workplaces as part of the U.S. government's tactic of deporting and detaining immigrants to ease its economic crisis.

On GMA's agenda is to thank Bush for passing the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill, a bill still in Congress and yet to be passed in the Senate. Justice still needs to be served for the Filipino World War 2 Veterans 62 years after the it was declared they are not considered as U.S. veterans, depriving them of benefits.

The Filipino community in New York City refuses to allow GMA to continue to sell of the natural resources of the Philippines and tout the U.S.-Philippines "friendship", while neglecting the conditions of the Filipino im/migrant community.

STOP THE POLITICAL KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES!
STOP THE CRIMINALIZATION OF FILIPINO U.S. IMMIGRANTS!
JUSTICE AND EQUITY FOR THE FILIPINO WORLD WAR 2 VETERANS!
RIGHTS, DIGNITY AND LIBERATION FOR FILIPINO MIGRANT WORKERS!
OUST THE U.S.-BACKED GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO REGIME!

Filipino youth to stand against the fake and US puppet Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and echo the Filipino people's call: OUST GLORIA!

2008-06-21T22:22:00.005-04:00

JOIN UGNAYAN NG MGA ANAK NG BAYAN, DAMAYAN MIGRANT WORKERS ASSOCIATION AND A.N.S.W.E.R. (ACT NOW TO STOP WAR AND END RACISM)TO OPPOSEPHILIPPINE PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO'sVISIT TO NEW YORK CITY

WHEN: Thursday, June 26th @ 6:30pm (flyering starts @ 5pm)
WHERE: The Philippine Consulate556 Fifth Avenue (between 46th and 47th Street)Manhattan

SUBWAY DIRECTIONS: 7 to 5th Ave; 4/5/6 to Grand Central

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will pay a visit to the United States next week to "reinforce" Philippine-US relations. As if the $30 million "appropriated grants" given this year by the US to the Philippine government to "finance the purchase of American-made weapons, services, and training" wasn't enough. Colonial master and puppet relations such as these only lead to the further detriment of the Filipino people.

GMA will be meeting President Bush to supposedly discuss issues such as anti-terrorism and human rights. Considering the fact that over 1000 activists have been killed and over 400 have been missing or detained during this so-called "war on terror" and since GMA has been in office, it is obvious who the real terrorists are.

Meanwhile, GMA has shown a callous disregard for the true experiences of the Filipino im/migrant community in the US: forced migration, exploitation, racism, family separation and lack of healthcare experienced by Filipino im/migrants.

Filipinas Join Historic National Congress of Domestic Workers and Elected to National Coordinating Body

2008-06-10T14:45:00.003-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2008

Contact: Ana Liza Caballes, (347) 261-3042, analiza@damayanmigrants.org

New York City – This past weekend, Filipino domestic workers of DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, based in New York and New Jersey, joined about 100 participants from 10 cities around the country to attend the first-ever National Domestic Workers Congress, held in Barnard College.

The Congress was organized by the National Domestic Workers Alliance (The Alliance/NDWA). Taking place from Thursday through Sunday, the Congress brought together 18 workers' organizations to develop a national agenda to reverse the history of injustice and exclusion of domestic workers from laws and recognition. According to NDWA, one-third of all domestic workers face some form of abuse from their employers. Most domestic workers have no paid vacations or holidays, and the vast majority work without health insurance or paid sick days.

In the New York City area, there are an estimated 200,000 domestic workers who are vulnerable to the informal and unprotected domestic work industry. Filipinos comprise at least 15 percent of this invisible workforce.

"We were able to connect the local and regional work of each organization towards a common fight for recognition, labor protection, respect and dignity for domestic workers," says lead worker organizer Linda Abad of DAMAYAN. "Through the formation of a national body, we are able to unite the power of immigrant women workers and speak in one voice."

To address the rampant workplace violations and labor exclusions, local domestic workers' organizations have been working on a comprehensive Bill of Rights since 2004, legislation that would establish labor standards for New York's domestic workers. The New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights is the first state bill in the nation that would create labor rights for this growing workforce. The Alliance anticipates that the initiative will set the stage for similar initiatives around the country.

This past weekend's Congress was convened in part to support the demand for a New York state-wide legislation, and to build the national movement of domestic workers.

To lead the national organizing and implement a program of action, NDWA's membership elected six organizations to the national coordinating committee – three from the west coast, one from Maryland and two from New York. Representing the New York area in the coordinating committee are Domestic Workers United (DWU) and DAMAYAN, ensuring Filipino participation in the lead coordinating body.

According to Abad, the Filipino people's experience is critical in contributing to the domestic workers movement. Ten percent of the Filipino people live and work abroad in 192 different countries. Seventy percent of the 3,400 Filipinos who leave the Philippines every day are women, the majority of whom become vulnerable to abuse and violence as domestic workers.

"We drew the connection between advancing our rights and welfare and giving a global perspective on the roots of our problems: the extreme poverty and lack of employment back home," states Abad.

According to DAMAYAN, the crisis of migrant women domestic workers is due to globalization and US-led plunder of Third World countries like the Philippines. "Women's oppression also intensifies our exploitation because domestic work has historically been devalued as 'natural' and unpaid women's labor," adds Abad.

Congress sessions also included educational workshops on the history of domestic work in the US, gender and sexuality in relationship to the exploitation of domestic workers, and panel presentations on the role of allies in supporting the cause of domestic workers. DAMAYAN contributed by taking on key roles facilitating workshops and moderating panels. Members of DAMAYAN offered their experiences over the past five years in building a 400-member strong Filipino domestic worker-led organization in New York and New Jersey.

On Saturday, along with the Congress participants, DAMAYAN and Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, the local Filipino youth organization supporting the domestic workers, rallied at City Hall to support the passage of the New York State Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.

Abad spoke from the stage on behalf of DAMAYAN. "We all came here for the American dream but all we got is the nightmare. Our fight for a Bill of Rights challenges centuries of slavery and racism in the US. It embodies the struggle of immigrant domestic workers for equal recognition, protection and fair labor standards normally accorded to American workers. But this fight goes beyond our rights and welfare. It is a struggle against globalization that exploits our labor, and patriarchy that oppresses us as women."

This weekend's Congress came on the heels of two visits to Albany, on April 15 and May, 20, when more than 300 domestic workers and their allies, including DAMAYAN and Ugnayan, met with more than 50 legislators to call for respect and recognition and to gather support for the Bill of Rights. The Bill currently has 42 Assembly co-sponsors.

In the next year, The National Alliance anticipates deepening and broadening its membership towards strengthening the movement of domestic workers. High in its priorities is to build the leadership of the domestic workers organizations and the passage of the Bill of Rights.

"I have personally seen the strength and passion of the women domestic workers to fight for their rights and liberation," Abad concludes. "The Congress served as a catalyst in advancing both a national domestic workers movement and for invigorating a working class women's rights movement in the US. We will make sure the Filipino domestic workers will be a vital part of this struggle."

####

About DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association

DAMAYAN was founded in 2002 and is a grassroots membership based and led organization, mostly of Filipino domestic women workers – fighting for the rights and welfare of migrant Filipino workers and challenging the root causes of forced migration.

New York Times: "Domestic Workers Organize to End an ‘Atmosphere of Violence’ on the Job"

2008-06-09T16:00:00.015-04:00

(New York Times article about the National Domestic Worker Alliance Conference and March/Rally on June 5-8, 2008 . Photos care of Ugnayan.)

By CARA BUCKLEY and ANNIE CORREAL

The women’s stories seemed to come from a backward country, or from a shameful time in the United States that many would sooner forget.

One woman, too scared to give her name, told of being struck by her employer in Bethesda, Md., as she scrubbed her hands raw polishing the floor. Another woman, Violet Anthony, who is 29 and from Mumbai, said her face became marbled with bruises after her employer in Queens slammed her into a wall and slapped her. Araceli Herrera said some of her employers inspected her bags before she left their homes and refused to drive her to or from the bus stop, a half-hour’s walk away. One employer, she said, fired her after she had a gallbladder operation and needed a month’s rest.

“With each job, I was exploited more. The thing is, the more you suffer, the harder it is to defend yourself,” said Ms. Herrera, 48, who trained to be an optometrist in her native Mexico and now works as a housekeeper in San Antonio. “We come from an atmosphere of violence, of blows, and we think we have to tolerate that.”

All three women were in Manhattan over the weekend for the first National Domestic Workers Congress, four days of workshops, meetings and a rally to demand rights for a work force that organizers describe as splintered, almost invisible, and staggeringly difficult to organize.

“Collective bargaining is not possible,” said Ai-jen Poo, an organizer with Domestic Workers United, an advocacy group for nannies, caregivers for the elderly, and housekeepers in New York. Workers usually achieve rights through strength in numbers, Ms. Poo said, banding together to pressure an individual employer to change. But in the New York City area, she estimated, there are 200,000 domestic workers working for perhaps as many employers.

“The power dynamics are different,” Ms. Poo said. “If you try to negotiate, you’re out.”

The conference drew about 100 women, most of them representatives from domestic workers’ groups in about 10 cities. Nearly all of them were immigrants, from Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Philippines and India. They came together to build alliances and hone strategies to demand benefits that many of their employers almost assuredly take for granted: paid vacations and holidays, cost-of-living wage increases, health benefits and advance notice of termination. The workers threw their support behind a proposed New York State Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, which, if passed, would be the first in the nation.

“Right now, it’s like the wild, wild West — anything goes,” Ms. Poo said. “Our point is that there needs to be a basic standard of protections, because the majority fall under employers who abuse, and everyone is vulnerable.”

Ms. Anthony said she was duped into working for next to nothing after responding to an ad in India that promised her $600 a month for baby-sitting in the United States. Instead, she said, her employer took away her passport after she arrived in 2004, paid her $100 a month for her first job, in New Jersey, and later forced her to work without pay from 7 a.m. to midnight at his home in Queens, cleaning, cooking and baby-sitting. The man also threatened to tie her up in the basement, she said. After his wife beat her, she said, she fled to a neighbor’s home. Ms. Anthony later learned of a group for South Asian workers that helped her move on to a better job as a mail clerk at a law firm.

The woman who said she was beaten by her employer in Maryland has been living at a shelter. At the conference, she drew small hearts on her name tag, but fearing repercussions from her former employer, asked that her name not be made public. She is 37, a slight woman with small hands and a stud adorning her nose. She is from Kanpur, India, and arrived in Bethesda in December 2007 to work, she said, for a man who worked at the Indian Embassy. Her days started at 6 a.m. and lasted well into the night, and she said she was paid $200 for three months’ work. Exhausted, sickened by the chemical cleaning solutions that seared her lungs and burned her hands, she ran away in April and was placed in a shelter. “At first I had many dreams,” she said. “But I have let go of so many dreams.”

Casa de Maryland, an immigrants’ advocacy group, and its Committee of Women Seeking Justice took on her case and sent her to the conference.

Other women told less harrowing tales that still evinced how little their work was valued, and how little recourse they felt they had. One woman, who wore a yellow T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “Tell Dem Slavery’s Done,” said she used to baby-sit full time in New York City for $275 a week, and was pushed to work for less. Georgia Danan, a 76-year-old who works as a caregiver for the elderly, said an agency in California paid her $70 for working a 24-hour shift; she is fighting for several months of back wages. Martha Alvarado, who is 41 and from Peru, said that in her first housekeeping job in the United States, in 1994, she was forced to live in a basement and work six days a week, until 11 p.m. at night.

Ms. Alvarado, like many of the women at the conference, said she considered herself lucky to be there because untold thousands of domestic workers remained exploited and deeply isolated.

“Many women feel they are alone,” she said, “and don’t dare come out in the light and speak.”

To read the article in New York Times, please visit:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/nyregion/09domestic.html?scp=1&sq=domestic+workers+bill+of+rights&st=nyt

To view more photos taken by Ugnayan, please visit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ugnayannynj/sets/72157605503371865/

Workshop on gender, sexuality, patriarchy and domestic work

Workshop facilitators Ana Liza from Damayan and Harmony

Filipino domestic workers and allies, represent!

Rights, dignity and liberation for Filipino domestic workers!

Free domestic workers! Tell dem slavery done!

Surviving the 90-degree weather

Ana Liza from Damayan doing her thang

Marching for justice and dignity

Riya holding up high the Damayan flag

Tita Zelem and Tita Linda from Damayan representing the Filipino domestic workers from the stage

Tita Nanay speaking about the struggles of Filipino domestic workers

Filipina and Latina domestic workers, presente!

Representing the revolutionary tradition of the Filipino peple

News from the Home Front: "Cartel, GATT-WTO, Gov’t Polices to Blame for Rice Crisis"

2008-06-09T12:40:00.005-04:00

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the Philippines) said that the current rice crisis is a result of hoarding by the rice cartel, loopholes in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, and the government’s policy of liberalization, deregulation, and privatization, which is in line with its commitment to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade-World Trade Organization (GATT-WTO).

BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat
Vol. VIII, No. 18, June 8-14, 2008

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the Philippines) said that the current rice crisis is a result of hoarding by the rice cartel, loopholes in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, and the government’s policy of liberalization, deregulation, and privatization, which is in line with its commitment to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade-World Trade Organization (GATT-WTO).

This crisis, KMP said, cannot be solved neither by the government’s aggressive importation of rice nor by the extension of the CARP.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, early last week, certified as urgent House Bill No. 4077, which provides for a five-year extension for CARP. HB 4077 provides for an allocation of P100 million ($2.27 million at the June 6 exchange rate of $1:P44.14).

The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was signed in 1988 and was intended to be in force until 1998. CARP expired in 1998 but was extended for another 10 years. It expires again on June 10 this year.

Based on DAR data, only 3.96 million hectares out of the target 5.16 million hectares, or 77 percent, under CARP have been redistributed.

Usec. Gerundio Madueño of the Department of Agrarian Reform supported the extension of CARP saying that extending CARP will help improve the country’s rice production.

“By completing CARP, it will help in the increase in the production of rice ‘cause the farmers will be given the basic rural infrastructure, technology, the training and support for their cooperatives and training for themselves,” Gerundio said.

But Madueño’s claim was belied by KMP secretary-general Danilo Ramos. He pointed out that the country had experienced rice crises under CARP. This, he said, does not give a promising picture of CARP’s supposed ability to solve the rice crisis.

“When did we first experience a rice crisis?” Ramos said. “That was during FVR’s (Fidel V. Ramos) time (as President). 1994-1995. CARP ended only in 1998, before it was extended for another 10 years. That means that experience shows that CARP is not a solution to rice crises.”

The rice cartel

“In fact, during FVR’s time, rice supply increased by 350 percent, but prices nevertheless soared,” he added. “Why? Because of the cartel.”

The rice crisis of 1994-1995 was largely a result of the partial privatization of the National Food Authority (NFA), which then procured only 0.5 percent of total palay (unhusked rice) production. Private traders took advantage of the situation, creating an artificial rice shortage by hoarding supplies. This caused rice prices to jump by 90-100 percent.

The present rice crisis is also largely traceable to the activities of a rice cartel, known as the Big Seven, whose members, aside from being able to channel production to itself through a network of traders, are also allowed to import heavily.

The members of the Big Seven have been identified in Senate investigations as Joaquin Go Soliman (JOMERCO Trading), Pio Sy Lato (PNS Grains Center), Ramon Ang Syson (Family Native Supply), Gil Go (Jocardo Merchandising), Leoncio Tan/Janet Tiu (Leoneco Merchandising), Santos See (Manila Goodyear), and Teofredo Co (Teofredo Trading).

CARP and GATT-WTO

The depredations wrought by the rice cartel are aggravated by CARP’s loopholes and the government’s implementation of liberalization, deregulation, and privatization policies in accordance with the GATT-WTO (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade-World Trade Organization) framework.

The Philippines is now the world’s top importer of rice, according to the socio-economic think tank IBON Foundation – a far cry from its status as a self-sufficient, rice-exporting country in the 1980s. IBON Foundation’s research also shows that the Philippines devotes only 4 million hectares to rice production – contrasting sharply with Vietnam, with more than 7 million hectares planted to rice, and Thailand which devotes more than 10 million hectares.

Lands planted to cash crops are exempted from CARP. The owners of lands planted to rice and corn, which are subject to CARP, have found a way out of the government’s agrarian reform program through crop conversion. This contributed to the decrease in rice production.

Under the WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture (AoA), which the Senate ratified in 1995, the Philippines has been forced to meet a minimum rice importation requirement, whether or not the country has sufficient rice yields. The Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), which Ramos signed into law in 1997, aims for further privatization of the NFA and increased private-sector participation in rice importation.

The NFA is mandated by law to procure at least 12 percent of palay production. From an average of 7.95 percent of palay production in 1977-1983, the NFA’s procurement dropped to 3.63 percent in 1984-2000 and from 2001-2006 was only 0.05 percent of total production.

Rice imports have increased from 257,260 metric tons (MT) in 1995 to 1.7 million MT in 2006. This year, the government has secured the importation of some 2.2 million MT of rice from Vietnam, Thailand, and the U.S. – the country’s largest volume of rice importation since 1998.

“The government’s ratification to the GATT meant full liberalization of Philippine agriculture, particularly the emphasis on export crops and, on the other hand, rice importation,” Ramos said. “That is why in 1994, when the GATT was being deliberated upon in the Senate, we put forward a position urging them to reject it.”

The government’s Medium-Term Agriculture Development Plan (MTDAP) aims to reduce rice and corn production from 5 million MT to 3.1 million MT. Meanwhile, the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) for 2004-2010 aims for “the development of 2 million hectares of new agribusiness lands through multi-cropping, the cultivation of idle and marginal lands, the expansion of fishery production in unutilized offshore and inland waters, and expansion of the product mix through high value crops and value-adding through innovative packaging and agro-processing.”

The reduction of rice production and the country’s increased dependence on rice importation have placed the people more and more at the mercy of private traders, who control rice prices.

HB 3059

The KMP is calling for the passage of House Bill No. 3059, or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill. Principally authored by the late Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Rep. Crispin Beltran, the bill provides for free distribution of land to farmers, the expansion of agrarian reform coverage to include all agricultural lands, and government support services for beneficiaries. Bulatlat

News from the Home Front: "More Students Transfer from Private to State Schools"

2008-06-09T12:36:00.003-04:00

But fee hikes, limited slots force transferees to dropout, says youth group

A growing number of the country’s college students are transferring from the private schools to state colleges and universities due to rising costs of private-school education. But state schools have been increasing their tuition and other fees in recent years. Because of this, thousands of college hopefuls might be forced to drop out of school this year.

BY BULATLAT
Vol. VIII, No. 18, June 8-14, 2008

A growing number of the country’s college students are transferring from private schools to state colleges and universities due to rising costs of private-school education. But state schools have been increasing their tuition and other fees in recent years. Because of this, thousands of college hopefuls might be forced to drop out of school this year.

Citing recent trends in enrollment, youth group Kabataang Pinoy revealed that due to the rising cost of education, more and more students enrolled in private higher education institutions are either forced to transfer to state schools or find themselves dropping out altogether.

Records from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) show that in 1980, only 10 percent of college students were studying in state schools. By 1994, the number went up to 21 percent and at present already accounts for almost 40 percent of the country’s tertiary-level student population.

"But many of these transferees will find themselves dropping out of college. The problem is, there are no more rooms in state schools either," Kabataang Pinoy President Dion Carlo Cerrafon said.

"State universities and colleges (SUCs) are confronted by similar problems. Poor education spending and annual budget cutbacks force state schools to impose enrolment quotas and increase fees, forcing many state scholars to leave," he added.

As a result, Cerrafon said, access to public higher education institutions, which is the last resort for students who want to obtain a college degree, has become impossible to many college hopefuls.

"While it is true that SUCs offer tuition lower than private schools, tuition rate and miscellaneous fees in state schools and universities have seen the biggest increases in recent years, thus making SUC education also inaccessible to ordinary students," he explained.

Last year, the University of the Philippines (UP) increased its tuition by 300 percent, from P300 ($6.50 at last year’s average exchange rate of $1:P46.15) to P1,000 ($21.67) per unit.

Another state institution, the Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) in Manila, implemented a 600-percent tuition hike, resulting in a 50-percent drop in enrollment last school year. From last year's P15 ($0.32) per unit, EARIST now charges P100 ($2.27 at the June 6 exchange rate of $1:P44.14) per unit. Laboratory fees also increased from P25 ($0.54 at 2007 rate) to P500 ($11.33 at June 6 rate).

The Philippine Normal University (PNU) had already increased its tuition by 400 percent in 2003.

The country's biggest state school in terms of population, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), was also poised to hike its tuition by 525 percent last year but was forced to shelve its plan due to massive student protests. It would have increased tuition from P12.50 ($0.27 at 2007 rate) to P75 ($1.62) per unit.

Cerrafon said state schools are also forced to accept only a limited number of students due to budget cuts.

Last year, the University of the Philippines (UP) Office of Admissions said some 66,000 high school graduates all over the country applied for the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT). But only an average of 12,000 applicants are admitted each year. For example, some 14,000 applicants on the average seek to enter the UP College of Nursing but only 70 or 0.5 percent are admitted.

The same goes with PUP. PUP has 16 branches and extensions in Luzon and each unit conducts its own PUPCET (Polytechnic University of the Philippines College Entrance Test). In PUP's main campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila, more than 50,000 thousand students take up the entrance test every year but only 10 to 13 thousand on the average are admitted. One of the lowest passing rates in PUPCET history was recorded in 2006, when only 7,357 examinees passed the entrance test.

Cerrafon added that the increases in tuition and other fees would certainly have an effect on the enrolment of poor but deserving students coming from the provinces.

"Rising fees will certainly daunt bright students from depressed and remote areas of the country from enrolling in UP or other big state schools and eventually force them to settle for poorly-maintained state colleges in the provinces or worse, give up their college dream."

Studies from private think-tanks and international organizations show the effects of rising cost of education, even in public higher education institutions. In June 2004, the Wallace report pegged college dropout rate at a staggering all-time high of 73 percent. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Commission of the Philippines, on the other hand, reported a measly 22-percent overall student survival rate from 1st to 4th year college. Bulatlat

"Phil. Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo" Makes Appearance as Director of a Movie at the Philippine "Independence" Day Celebration

2008-06-05T12:00:00.008-04:00

New York City—Last Sunday, at the Philippine "Independence" Day Celebration on New York City’s posh Madison Avenue, "Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo" made an appearance as the director of a movie—with a cameraman clad in military clothing and a cast of characters representing different sectors of Philippine society in the Philippines and abroad.

In the center of the street fair, crowds of Filipinos from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and surrounding areas watched progressive Filipino youth from the organization Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan perform a guerilla street theater piece depicting Arroyo barking commands at the characters and ordering her military/cameraman to harass them when they broke out of character and attempted to rebel against the roles they were forced into playing.

"Youth are very creative and energetic," said Joana Palomar, spokesperson for Ugnayan. "Through the street theater performance last Sunday, we tried to translate what is happening in our community here in the US and also back in our homeland into a creative form of resistance that utilized the talents and skills of the youth."

In a twist of a traditional street fair activity, the Ugnayan youth painted their faces with colors, symbols and words to illustrate the struggles of the sectors they represented. The peasant had the words “lupa ay buhay” (land is life) painted on her forehead; the domestic worker had “family separation”; the Filipino World War II veteran had “equity”; the youth restaurant worker had “edukasyon” (education); and the human rights worker had “karapatan, sahod at trabaho”.

"We wanted to show the range of experiences and struggles faced by the Filipino people. We wanted to illustrate that our people are not truly free as long as our peasants still do not own the land they till, our "lolos" are still denied their veterans benefits, our education is only enough to get our youth low-paying jobs as waiters and fast food servers, our mothers are still forced to leave their children to go abroad and work as domestic workers, and our people are still getting killed for demanding their rights."

The youth began the performance with one character running through the crowd, chased by the military. Illustrating the nearly 1,000 human rights violations that have taken place since Arroyo assumed the presidency, the running character was eventually caught and killed as the crowd looked on and Arroyo gave her directorial orders.

In the next scene, a peasant who was farming, a youth restaurant worker serving beverages to customers, and a nanny caring for a 5-year old child were each working in their separate sectors, and were each harassed by the military/henchman following Arroyo’s orders. When the military attacked an aging World War II veteran for asking for his benefits, the youth restaurant worker came to the veteran’s aid and all the sectors united, linked arms and surged forward to confront Arroyo and her fascist military. In the final scene the people united to eventually bring Arroyo and her military to their knees.

"The performance ended with victory for the people," Palomar concluded. "Now more than ever, progressive Filipino youth overseas need to connect our experiences with the current homefront issues such as the rice shortage, because migrant families bear the burden of sending more money than usual to their families back home, and to battle the economic crisis here in the US at the same time. Filipinos in the US are not living the American dream, we are living the American nightmare. We need to wake up and carry forward our people's struggle for genuine independence and liberation."

In addition to the street theater performance, Ugnayan also conducted a petition-signing in support of the Justice for Adriane Campaign, which successfully gathered around 100 signatures. The campaign is centered on winning unpaid wages for Adriane Padilla, a young Pinay restaurant worker who worked for three years at $3/hour, and was not paid for the last eight months of her employment. Her former employers, Sonny Manlapaz and Lilia Reyes, owners of the restaurant and bar formerly known as Barrio Fiesta in Woodside, Queens, threatened to fire Padilla when she asked for her wages. Like so many educated Filipino immigrant youth, Padilla worked as a waitress, and in addition to her low wage, she was not given overtime pay or benefits, and was forced to share her tips with the other restaurant workers. With Ugnayan's support, Padilla has filed a legal case against Manlapaz and Reyes.

About 25 youth performed and outreached the entire day, and also volunteered to help Ugnayan's sister organization DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association to carry out a successful health fair that provided free health services to about 125 community members.

To get in contact with Ugnayan, or to get involved, please email Ugnayan at ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com or call Ugnayan at 212.564.6057.

To view more photos, please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ugnayannynj/sets/72157605398970075/

GMA ordering her fascist military

GMA oppressing the landless Filipino peasant

GMA turning its Filipino youth into low-wage workers abroad

GMA sending its professionals abroad to work as domestic workers

GMA ignoring the Filipino World War 2 Veterans' struggle for equity

GMA being held accountable by different sectors of the Filipino people

Educating the crowd about the issues that plague the Filipino people in and out of our country

Prof. Jose Maria Sison, "Message to the League of Filipino Students (LFS)

2008-05-31T18:09:00.000-04:00

MESSAGE TO THE LEAGUE OF FILIPINO STUDENTS
By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Founding Chairperson
Kabataang Makabayan
31 May 2008

Dear Fellow Activists,

Militant greetings of solidarity to the leadership at various levels, chapters and members of the League of Filipino Students!

The schools are about to open this June. Expectations are high among the students and the people that the LFS will take a leading role in arousing, organizing and mobilizing the students against the US-directed Arroyo regime in order to advance the people's struggle for national freedom and democracy. The students are indignant over the reactionary and profit-driven policies of certain school administrations and the anti-national and anti-democratic content of subjects and study materials. They are outraged by the rapid worsening of their study and living conditions. The tuition fees and other costs of study are ever rising even as school facilities are deteriorating. The real incomes of the parents of students are plunging as the prices of basic goods and services are rising.

The students are revolted by the curtailment of their democratic rights. They detest the shadow cast on them by state terrorism. They are being subjected to gross and systematic human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances, torture, brutal disruption of mass actions, repressive school regulations, suppression of student governments and publications and the intimidating presence of the armed personnel and spies of the state on campus.
The extreme exploitative and oppressive conditions that the Filipino students suffer are the outcome of the rabidly canine devotion of the Arroyo regime to the US-dictated policies of "neoliberal globalization" and "permanent global war on terror". These have started to unravel. But the Arroyo regime continues to follow them and shifts to the broad masses of the people the mounting burden of the grave crisis of the domestic ruling system and the world capitalist
system.

The League of Filipino Students is expected to reinvigorate the student movement and play a major role in the people's movement to oust the Arroyo puppet regime, as in the overthrow of the Marcos fascist dictatorship in 1986 and the Estrada regime in 2001. The LFS and student masses are called upon to act in the great tradition of the First Quarter Storm of 1970 when the student youth linked up with the youth in other classes and sectors to conduct giant rallies and
marches in the national capital region and other regions.

The LFS can arouse the student masses by taking up the burning issues against the semi-colonial and semi-feudal ruling system, against the current regime and against the reactionary policies and conditions in schools. It can always highlight the defense and promotion of the rights and interests of students in the handling of on-campus and off-campus issues. By doing so, it can engage the student masses in sectoral and multi-sectoral issues. It can use a wide range of methods
in the work of agitation, propaganda and education.

The LFS can organize more chapters in universities, colleges and high schools. Wherever a chapter exists, this can be enlarged or more chapters can formed at the level of colleges in a university or departments in a college. The point is to recruit a certain percentage of the student population within a given period. Why not ten, then twenty and still further thirty per cent? Students can become LFS members by understanding and accepting the LFS Constitution and Program and participating in LFS activities. Upon the increase of the chapters, the LFS leading organs and organizations at the national, regional, district, provincial, city and municipal levels can become stronger.

The LFS can engage in various kinds of campaigns in order to demonstrate its significance and usefulness and thereby attract an increasing number of students to join its ranks and its activities. It can mobilize the existing LFS members during the school enrollment period to serve the students, especially the new ones. It can engage in information and recruitment campaigns. It can somehow participate in campus elections and in preparing editors and writers for the student publication. It can initiate meetings and mass actions to take up the burning issues on and off campus.

It can engage in alliances at every level with other student and youth organizations and with sympathetic teachers and school administrators in order to maximize the participation of students in mass mobilizations of any kind, be it for a protest rally, a nationwide or local boycott campaign or the entire campaign to oust the Arroyo regime. The mass mobilizations have the objective of mustering the biggest possible strength at a given time, demanding change for the
better for the benefit of the students and the people, attracting more students to join LFS and rising to a new and higher level of strength in subsequent mass mobilizations.

I hope that this message can shed some light on what the LFS can do to strike deep roots among the students and strengthen itself and the student movement in order to advance student rights and interests and to maximize the role of the student masses in the people's movement to oust the Arroyo regime and to carry forward the long-term struggle for
national freedom and democracy against imperialism and local reaction.###

The highest and most revered salute to Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran, Working class hero of the people

2008-05-30T17:30:00.001-04:00

Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan mourns the loss of a great proletarian leader, Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran (see statement below). Last Saturday, May 24th, Filipino youth who participated in Ugnayan's BBQ and street theater practice lit candles and held a moment of silence in memory of Ka Bel. Then on Tuesday, May 27th, members of Ugnayan, Damayan Migrant Workers Association and Gabriela Network held a memorial in his honor. Leah Obias, Ugnayan Publicity Officer, read a personal reflection on the life of Ka Bel and how it has impacted her. Riya Ortiz, also an Ugnayan officer, read the statement written by Prof. Jose Maria Sison.

Ka Bel, mananatili ka sa aming ala-ala.
Ka Bel, you will always remain in our thoughts.
Onward with the people's struggle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
KILUSANG MAYO UNO (May First Movement Labor Center)
TAGAPAMANDILA NG TUNAY NA UNYONISMO
No. 63 Narra St. Bgy. Claro, Proj. 3 Quezon City, Philippines
Telfax (632) 421-0768; Ph: (632) 421-1049 / 421-0986 Email: kmu.intl@gmail.com

KMU is a founding member of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle

21 May 2008

“A hero serves the people to his very last breath.” - Jose Maria Sison

It is with this inspiring message that the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May First Movement Labor Centre) and the whole Filipino working class mourn the sudden demise of Anakpawis (or Toiling Masses) Representative and KMU Chairperson Emeritus Crispin Beltran. He died at 11:48am at the Far Eastern University hospital in Quezon City today due to severe head injuries after falling 14 feet from the roof of his house, trying to do some repair work. He was 75.

Affectionately known as “Ka Bel” by the multitudes in factories, workplaces, urban poor, and migrant worker communities throughout the Philippines and solidarity networks around the world whom he staunchly served, he has withstood the test of time, pressure, even under political persecution, in standing up to injustice in whatever form to fight for national freedom and democracy in the Philippines, and for a just and fair society for workers and people of the world.

KMU expresses its deepest and sincerest condolences to the family of Ka Bel. We join all comrades and friends in honoring him for his countless contributions and achievements as a patriotic, anti-imperialist, and democratic worker, labor leader, lawmaker, and activist. His working class commitment inspires us to advance the fight for genuine, militant, and anti-imperialist unionism.

While we are enveloped in grief with the tragic loss of this highly esteemed comrade, KMU is reminded of the legacy he has left behind which resonates throughout the working class movement. From the time he worked as a young taxi driver and becoming a labor leader in 1955, Ka Bel was instrumental in continuing the labor movement’s militant tradition and helped found the KMU in 1980. After being arrested under the Marcos regime in August 1982, Ka Bel escaped in November 1984 and organized among workers and peasants in the countryside. He then selflessly stepped up into the chairmanship of KMU when Rolando “Ka Lando” Olalia was brutally murdered in 1987. He was the chairperson of KMU until 2003 when he was bestowed as Chairperson Emeritus of the organization.

As an elected representative of the party list group Bayan Muna (or People First) in 2001, then later Anakpawis (or Toiling Masses) in 2004 and 2007, Ka Bel steadfastly carried the interest of the workers to the halls of the Congress. Among the bills he has filed are the PhP 125 daily wage increase for private sector workers and PhP 3000 daily wage hike for public sector workers, the repeal of the Assumption of Jurisdiction, the abolition of the Electric Power Reform Act (EPIRA), the abolition of the oil deregulation law, a bill against massive labor contractualization practices and many others. At the time of his death, he was set to file a bill calling for the repeal of the extended value added tax for oil products which is causing very high prices of oil.

Ka Bel is also a true internationalist and carried the spirit of proletarian internationalism to his heart. He became the founding chairperson of the International League of People’s Struggle, as well as a leader and member of various international and regional formations. Unmindful of his old age and deteriorating health condition, Ka Bel traveled to various countries upon invitation of migrant workers and solidarity networks to speak at conferences, fora and meetings on the plight of the Filipino workers and the struggle of the working class against imperialist globalization.

KMU will pay its highest tribute to Ka Bel, a great labor leader and a courageous hero of the working class and people. The tribute will be held at the Philippine Independent Church (PIC) along Taft Avenue, Manila at 8:00 – 10:00pm on May 21 (Tuesday). His remains will stay at PIC until May 26.

Internment schedule:

May 20: Funeral service at Funeraria Paz Memorial Homes; remains to stay at Ka Bel’s residence for the night at Lot 16, Blk 30, Francisco Homes 3, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan

May 21: Trade Union night. Tribute to be led by Kilusang Mayo Uno.

3:00 pm assembly at Plaza Salamanca, Kalaw, Manila to wait for the remains of Ka Bel then short march to PIC

7:00 pm – public viewing

8:00 – 10:00 pm – workers’ tribute

May 22: Tribute by progressive party list groups sponsored by Anakpawis, Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women’s Party

May 23: Tribute sponsored by youth groups Anakbayan and others

May 24: Tribute sponsored by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan

May 25: Tribute from Ka Bel’s family and relatives

May 26: Remains to be brought to the House of Representative for a tribute and will be brought back to PIC final tribute sponsored by Anakpawis, KMU, COURAGE (government employees’ organization), KMP (peasants’ organization) and others

May 27: Cremation

Please join us in paying the highest honors to this selfless and dedicated man who served the Filipino people and the whole working class for more than five decades of his life.

Messages of solidarity and condolences can be sent to Mr. Elmer Labog, KMU Chairperson, at kmu.intl@gmail.com. We will read excerpts of your messages at tonight’s tribute to Ka Bel and at other tribute programs. We also wish to thank all those who have already sent in their messages. We have forwarded them to the family of Ka Bel and they are sending their appreciation for your solidarity during this trying moment of their lives.

Financial donations for the funeral service and other related burial expenses of Ka Bel are very much welcome. Please write us for inquiries on how you can forward your donation. You may also call KMU at (632) 421-1049, 421-0986 and 421-0768.

Thank you.

In solidarity,
Tess Dioquino
Secretary
International Department, KMU

Boycott: Don't Shop at Dunkin' Donuts! Say No to Anti-Arab Racism!

2008-05-30T17:24:00.003-04:00

A message from our kasamas/comrades in ANSWER:

Dunkin Donuts pulled this advertisement after right-wing racists complained that the scarf in the ad was a kaffiyeh.

The ANSWER Coalition and others are calling for a worldwide boycott of Dunkin’ Donuts. The boycott intends to send a powerful message to Dunkin’ Donuts and other corporations that engage in racism or pandering to anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racists.

Please lend your name to the boycott by clicking this link and send a letter to Dunkin' Donuts. Be sure to circulate this call to your friends on list serves and social networking sites.

Here’s the background:

Dunkin’ Donuts has capitulated and withdrawn an advertisement for its products following the allegation by a right-wing hack, Michelle Malkin, that the spokeswoman in the ad was pictured wearing a kaffiyeh, a scarf which is a staple of clothing traditionally worn by Palestinian men.

The scarf pictured in the ad is not actually a kaffiyeh. But the anti-Arab racism of the right-wing, pro-Bush ideologues like Malkin is so extreme that they launched their campaign because they “thought” the scarf was this traditional Arab garment. Dunkin’ Donuts pulled their ad apologizing that the scarf might even resemble a kaffiyeh.

In Malkin’s twisted world anything “Arab,” even a scarf, is “terrorist.” This is the same line of thinking promoted by the Bush administration in the wake of 9/11, when thousands of Middle Eastern men living in the United States were rounded up and falsely imprisoned. Some were even tried on phony “terrorism” charges. It is the same line of thinking that was used to promote the racist war drive against Afghanistan and then Iraq.

The fact that a giant corporation like Dunkin’ Donuts quickly pulled the advertisement is a sign that the pervasive racism, chauvinism and xenophobia peddled by right-wing bigots is a real danger. This is a classic tactic of fascist intimidation and demonization of an entire population.

We demand that Dunkin’ Donuts immediately apologize to the Arab-American community for this disgraceful surrender to racism. Until that apology is issued we will refuse to shop or buy any products marketed by the Dunkin' Donuts Corporation.

Please lend your name to the boycott by clicking this link and send a letter to Dunkin' Donuts. Be sure to circulate this call to your friends on list serves and social networking sites:

https://secure2.convio.net/pep/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr007=ynxph0fkl3.app8a&cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=221

Please make an urgently needed donation right now to help build this boycott and important campaign against racism.

DRUM Youth Win Immigrant Education Victory!

2008-05-29T17:47:00.003-04:00

A message from our youth kasamas in Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM).

~~~~~~~~~~

On Thursday, May 15, 2008, DRUM - Desis Rising Up & Moving's YOUTHPOWER! won the signing of the FIRST IMMIGRANT SAFE ZONE in a New York City public school.

Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, Queens, with over 3,500 largely immigrant students, became the first school to create protections and needed services to immigrant students to be able to access education without fear.

DRUM YouthPower!'s Education not Deportation campaign, launched in 2006, will keep organizing to declare more schools across the city as Immigrant Safe Zones.

COME OUT & SUPPORT:

Wednesday, June 4th at 3:30 PM
PRESS & COMMUNITY SIGNING OF IMMIGRANT SAFE ZONE DECLARATION
Hillcrest High School
160-05 Highland Avenue
Jamaica Estates, New York 11432
[Take the F train to Parsons Blvd. in Queens]

Thursday, June 5th
Youth Rally against Education Budget Cuts
City Hall
(time & details TBA)
*Organized by Urban Youth Collaborative & NY Student Union

BACKGROUND:

* Since 2005, South Asian immigrant youth leaders of DRUM have been surveying hundreds of immigrant students about the fears and access barriers they face in schools, particularly for undocumented students and their families.

* In 2006, DRUM released a ground-breaking report called "Education not Deportation: Impacts of New York City School Safety Policies on South Asian Immigrant Youth".

* 51% of youth reported exposure to harassment by authorities.

* Nearly half of youth (45%) reported being asked about their immigration status by authorities.

* Most NYC public schools, which are already underfunded and over-policed, have little to no ability to deal with undocumented students.

* Undocumented students don't get financial aid and most scholarships, so many can never afford college.

The Immigrant Safe Zone at Hillcrest High School will:

1. Ensure city and DOE laws are actually being followed to protect immigration status information of students and their families- that immigration status is not being asked, compiled, or reported at all

2. Train school workers in the full rights of immigrant students to education and to better serve immigrant youth

3. Create services for immigrant youth and families within the school in partnership with community organizations- DRUM will begin regular programs for youth and parents at Hillcrest High School this year including immigration and deportation advocacy and Know Your Rights trainings

This first victory would not have been possible without the fierce organizing of our South Asian immigrant youth members of DRUM across the city and their families and:

The Community Development Program of the Urban Justice Center
The students and administration of Hillcrest High School
The following endorsing organizations:

Adhikaar
CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities
Center for Immigrant Families (CIF)
Each One Teach One
FIERCE
Families United for Racial & Economic Justice (FUREE)
Independent Commission on Public Education (ICOP)
National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI)
Queens Community House
Prison Moratorium Project (PMP)
Teachers Unite
Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan
Urban Justice Center (UJC)
Urban Youth Collaborative (UYC)
VAMOS Unidos
YA-YA Network

Contact us to endorse, donate, or bring people to the action:
roksana @drumnation.org
(718) 205-3036

Inquilaab Zindabaad!
Immigrant Youth Power Zindabaad!

Shirt The Kids 2008

2008-05-28T21:04:00.003-04:00

Event: SHIRT THE KIDS 2008 Date: May 20, 2008; 10 PM
Veue: Rewind NYC 137 Essex St.,
Lower East Side
Donation: $5.00

PNOY Apparel is giving back to its homeland in a HUGE way. In 2003, almost 23.8 million people lived below the Philippines' poverty threshold with 44 percent of the population living on US$2 or less a day. Majority of children in the Philippines are raised without essential needs for survival, food, clothes, and a future outside of economic deficiency. How can PNOY Apparel help?

PNOY Apparel's Shirt The Kids 2008 Charity Campaign will release a new design that will be available for $5. All shirts purchased via www.pnoyapparel.com, festivals, online affiliates, etc will be donated to a child in the Philippines via The Philippine Children's Fund of America. At the end of every month, PNOY Apparel will tally, pack, and ship to the Philippines where the shirts will be allocated among impoverished children. A monetary percentage will also go the charities to help with any financial need, school supplies, food, and/or extra clothes for the needy children. PNOY Apparel also acknowledges that our current home away from home is the United States and cannot over look the millions of under privileged children within the country. PNOY Apparel will also donate a monetary percentage of the Shirt The Kids $5 tee to a children's charity here in the United States.

Supported by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan.

Upcoming Skeds - Ugnayan's Summer Slamming Events! (May-June 2008)

2008-05-19T20:01:00.010-04:00

PHILIPPINE “INDEPENDENCE” DAY STREET FAIR
Sunday, June 1
Madison Ave, btwn 24th & 26th Streets
Manhattan, New York City
Take the N, R, W or 6 train to 23rd Street

Join progressive Filipino American youth in calling for the continuation of the Filipino people’s unfinished fight for genuine independence and liberation that began over 100 years ago! Join Ugnayan at the Philippine “Independence” Day Street Fair!

Health Fair, “Ang Kalusugan ay Karapatang Pang-Tao! Health is a Human Right!”
10:30am – 4:30pm, east corner at 26th Street & Madison Ave

Ugnayan is proud to volunteer at the health fair that provides free services to hundreds of our marginalized kababayans who don’t have health insurance. Services include: Screening and testing on blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose; height and weight measurement; schedules for pap smear, mammogram, breast exam; doctor’s consultation. Organized by Damayan Migrant Workers Association in collaboration with the University of the Philippine Medical Alumni Society in America (UPMASA) – NY/NJ Chapter and other groups.

Ugnayan’s Guerrilla Street Theater (time to be announced)

Through guerrilla street theater, Filipino American youth who promote a progressive brand of nationalism will show the issues that are plaguing the Filipino community here and back home, and how we can only achieve true independence and liberation through collective strength and action. Watch out for us!

The Philippine “Independence” Day Parade/Street Fair in New York City is fast approaching. Beyond the hype & celebration, what does “independence” really mean for our people? And why should it matter to the Kabataang Pinoy/Pinay or Filipino Youth?

Philippine Independence means celebrating our Filipino ancestors’ victory over the Spaniards who colonized our motherland for 3 centuries. The Philippine Revolution of 1896 was the first-ever successful anti-colonial revolution in Asia. But soon after the Filipino people’s victory, US colonizers invaded the Philippines in the late 1900s and declared it a colony. Today, the US government continue to greatly influence the Philippine economy, politics, culture and foreign affairs.

UGNAYAN BBQ / STREET THEATER WORKSHOP & PRACTICE
Saturday, May 24 | 12-2 pm chill | 2-6 pm workshop & practice
Ree’s Crib, 32nd Ave btwn 92nd & 93rd Streets

Enjoy the warm weather with the Ugsters with some BBQ and pot luck food. Learn about the roots of Philippine independence. Participate in a workshop and practice for Ugnayan’s guerilla street theater on June 1st!

UGNAYAN’S SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Saturday, June 21
Venue to be announced

Learn more about what Ugnayan is about. Become a member and elect the next Board of Directors. Revise the constitution and by-laws. End the day with a Solidarity Night!

JUSTICE FOR ADRIANE IS JUSTICE FOR FILIPINO YOUTH RESTAURANT WORKERS!

Adriane Padilla, a young Filipina restaurant worker, is seeking compensation from her former employers, Sonny Manlapaz and Lilia Reyes, who owned a Filipino restaurant in Woodside, Queens where she worked for three years. Throughout her employment, she was not paid the minimum wage, overtime pay, and experienced other violations. Adriane demands that her employers pay her unpaid wages, issue an apology letter, and commit to respecting the rights and dignity of all restaurant workers.

Adriane is also one of the thousands of educated, skilled youth from the Philippines who are forced to migrate Because of lack of opportunities in the country. Upon arrival in the US, Filipino youth like Padilla are pushed into low-wage service work where they are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

LEARN MORE about the Justice for Adriane Campaign. GET INVOLVED!

The Fight for Filipino Veterans Equity and Struggle against Racism

2008-05-14T16:43:00.003-04:00

By Arturo P. Garcia, Alliance Philippines

On April 24, 2008, after 63 years, the US Senate finally passed the Veterans Expanded Benefits Bill with a vote of 96-1. But can this act of Congress give back justice and equity for Filipino WW2 veterans who were denied their rights for 63 long years?

The question is still unanswered. Why did the U.S Congress single out the Filipinos out of the 66 nationalities that served during the war “their military service deemed inactive”?

Conscription by Force

The Phillipines was a colony of the United States when the Second World War broke out in 1941. In a hurry to defend its colonial possessions in the Pacific, the President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt, formed the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) and integrated the 70,000-strong commonwealth army of the Philippines with the 30,000 US army in the Philippines on July 26, 1941,five months before the war broke out.

With these acts of conscription, the Philippines became the largest US army garrison outside of the United States with almost 120,000-strong but ill-equipped and under-led army in Asia. This was proven when the United States abandoned the defense of the Philippines and ordered General Macarthur to leave and defend Australia in March 1942. Bataan fell after a four-month siege and later the whole Philippines on May 6, 1942.

But Filipinos formed independent guerilla armies and fought the Japanese for three years. One of the largest groups who fought the Japanese was the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP or the People’s Anti-Japanese Guerilla Army) under the Communist Party of The Philippines. Even though the US abandoned the Philippines to Japan, the Filipinos fought valiantly against fascism.

Never mind if they lost more than a million people during the war. Never mind if Manila was the most devastated city during the war, destroyed by the American liberation forces after the war. Manila lost 300,000 lives during the brutal battle of Manila in February 1945.

These guerillas swelled the ranks of the American-led forces during liberation or the re-occupation of the Philippine since 1944-1945 to almost 500,000. They enlisted in the US Army and helped in the battle for the liberation of the Philippines from 1944-1945 and even served as occupation forces in Japan after the war as “Philippine Scouts.”

Betrayal by the US and the Philippine Government

Right after the war, six months before the United States gave the Philippines nominal independence, the 79th US Congress passed the Rescission Act of 1946 that declared “the military services of Filipinos deemed inactive”.

The Rescission Act of February 18, 1946 was a rider inside the appropriations law that scaled down the US armed forces from 20 million to 5 million and gave all the excess war materials after World War II to their allied nations. With the stroke of a pen, the Filipino veterans lost their rights and privileges under the G.I. bill.

The puppet Filipino government kept quiet because of the US pressure and were too afraid to lose US reparations needed to rebuild the Philippines. By their betrayal, all the Philippine presidents since 1946 until Marcos misrepresnte4d the issue of veterans equity as an issue of “back pay” and “reparations" and chose to beg US Congress for “war damages claims" for the next 50 years.

The Veterans Struggle for Equity

It was only through the active advocacy of Filipino Veterans associations and social justice groups like People’s CORE and the Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines in the United States that revived the struggle for equity and justice in the early 1980s. The Filipino American and the Asian community picked up the issue and fought for reforms and benefits in the late 1980's.

In 1990’s the US Congress passed the Immigration Reform Act of 1990. The law enabled 30,00 Filipino veterans to gain US citizenship by naturalization. They were not recognized as American veterans and were given Social Security Incentive. This situation created more social problems for Filipino veterans in the United States and the Filipino comnnunity.

In 1993, the first political demonstration by the Filipino veterans was held in Los Angeles by more than 600 veterans. Since then the struggle for equity and justice and against racism took a more active form and content and was integrated to the struggle of the community.

Out Of the original 200,000 Filipino World War II veterans who fought side by side with the US veterans are now mostly octogenarians. Barely 18,000 are alive. More than one million Filipinos died during World War II.

Struggle and Work Ahead

“Our work has just begun. Our next target will be the House of Representatives to pass the bill and give justice, equity and correct the errors of racism against the Filipino World War II veterans” Arturo Garcia, Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) and People’s CORE Coordinator, said.

Senator Inouye, in a very emotional speech in the US Senate, reminded legislators about the bravery of Filipino soldiers during the Bataan Death March. According to Inouye, "for their courage and contributions during World War II the Filipino veterans deserve to live in dignity and that passing the bill shall restore their honor."

Senator Akaka (D-HI), Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, showed full support not only to the Filipino veterans but to all US war veterans. He said that the "passage of S. 1315 is about honor and is the right thing to do. This is America's moral obligation. No fellow warrior shall be left behind."

For more than half a century, the Filipino World War II veterans have been seeking for just and equal recognition as US veterans. The house bill HR 760 should continue to gain support from legislators in the House with the passage of S. 1315 in Senate.

To read more about the struggles of Filipino WW2 Veterans, please visit www.alliancephilippines.blogspot.com.

View Photos from Ugnayan's Workshop at the NYC Asian American Student Conference!

2008-04-16T11:13:00.007-04:00

Ugnayan had a packed week last week!

On April 7th, the third workshop for Philippines 101 called "Landlord, Loopholes and the Prevalence of Corruption" was held at John Jay College. During the workshop, the facilitators and participants talked about the three root problems of Philippine society that keep the country under a perpetual state of poverty, namely, foreign domination, land monopoly and the rule of the local elite. One of the facilitators also celebrated her birthday that night when the other Ugnayan members busted out a carrot cake with lit candles. We were advised not to disclose her age. =)

The following day, April 8th, Ugnayan was invited by Liga Filipina - Columbia University and Asian American Alliance - Political Committee to a candle vigil to commemorate the fall of Bataan. Riya Ortiz, Ugnayan Mass Campaigns Officer, delivered a short speech about the continuing struggle of Filipino World War 2 veterans who remain to be compensated for their service to the US government to this day (please see the previous blog entry for the speech).

Then, on April 12th, Ugnayan gave a workshop at "Redefine", the 2nd NYC Asian American Student Conference held in the Kimmel Center, New York University. Ugnayan members Saffiyah Madraswala and Riya Ortiz facilitated the workshop entitled "Organizing in Times of War (The Filipino Youth Perspective and Experience)". Through an activity, presentation and discussion, they related the participants' personal experiences to why we need to collective organize around issues that affect us as youth. They also talked about the principles of organizing and connected it to Ugnayan's practice by discussing the Justice for Adriane Campaign, an unpaid wages campaign about a young Filipina worker who is demanding compensation from her former employers who owned a Filipino restaurant in Queens. Some Ugsters stayed for the rest of the night to watch the Quiz Bowl and the concert. Check out the photos below!

Saffiyah facilitating the opening activity, "Where You At?"

Riya discussing about the principles of organizing

Learning with the participants

Participants listening intently

Heather Park

Reggie Cabico hosting the concert

Taiyo Na

DJ Boo

To view more photos, please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ugnayannynj/sets/72157604543051938/

(Photos by Eynang and El Riya)

Justice for the Filipino World War 2 Veterans! Money for the Veterans, Not for War!

2008-04-09T12:30:00.012-04:00

Delivered by Riya Ortiz, Ugnayan Mass Campaigns Officer
On April 8, 2008 at the vigil hosted by Liga Filipina and the Asian American Alliance - Political Committee in Columbia University, New York City

Isang militanteng pagbati sa inyong lahat, mga kasama! Warm and militant greetings to everyone who attended this vigil to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan.

As many of us know, on April 9, 1942, the province of Bataan in Central Luzon, northern Philippines, was the bastion of the US forces in the Far East. But after six months of fighting with the Japanese colonizers, more than 70,000 American and Filipino soldiers surrendered and were forced to march to the prison camps in Capas, Tarlac, also in northern Philippines.

Known as the Bataan Death March, more than 10,000 American and Filipino soldiers died of Japanese brutality, hunger and disease during the 65-kilometer march from Bataan to San Fernando, Pampanga.

Imagine college-aged Filipino men in their late teens or early 20s who were casually shot, beheaded, stabbed by bayonets, and not allowed to eat or drink as they marched for a week under intense heat. Those who fell were ran over by Japanese trucks or were left to die. Such was the plight of the Filipinos who showed extreme bravery in the face of the imperialist colonizers.

One would think that such bravery would at least be rewarded by the American government. But, who would have known that the Filipino soldiers including those who survived the Bataan Death March would suffer a far worse form of brutality… one that that would last for more than 60 years?

That time, the oppressor was Imperial Japan. This time, the oppressor is the imperialist US government who would deny them their rights and dignity as soldiers and as human beings.

In 1946, the US Congress approved the Rescission Act that took away the dignity of 250,000 Filipino soldiers who fought during World War 2. They were not considered as US veterans and deprived of all benefits and entitlements. Why? Because “their military service was not deemed active”.

Only the Filipinos were excluded from their benefits and recognition out of all the 66 nationalities that fought for the US.

There is a name for this, and it is systemic racism. What else would you call the systemic and institutionalized marginalization of an entire generation of Filipinos robbed of their rights and dignity?

Sixty-two years after the Rescission Act was passed, the surviving Filipino veterans in the US are in their 80 and 90s – many are sick, living alone, and separated from their families back home.

The US government said that there just aren’t enough funds. I mean, do we really believe that the US doesn’t have enough funds when it can spend trillions of dollars to support the war on Iraq? Meanwhile, many veterans are in hospital beds waiting for recognition and family reunification.

You know what is the US government’s tactic on this issue? Wait it out and let the veterans die… one by one… until there’s no one left. When that happens, the US will just give them recognition… but not benefits. This is practically the Bataan Death March all over again except that instead of walking for 65 kilometers, the end of their suffering is nowhere in sight.

But they’re not gonna die in vain. WE WILL NOT let them die in vain because the battle did not end in Bataan.

As Filipino American, Asian American youth and allies who are a generation detached from the stories of the Filipino soldiers who suffered, died or survived the Bataan Death March:

1. Let us continue to be inspired by the heroism and courage by these brave men;

2. Let us take on the responsibility in demanding for the recognition and justice that the Filipino veterans deserve;

3. Learn first-hand the experiences of the Filipino veterans;

4. Support the great work that various organization are doing in upholding the rights and welfare of the Filipino veterans such as the Justice for Filipino American Veterans or JFAV based in LA;

5. Support the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill that would recognize them as US veterans and give them the pension that they rightfully deserve.

6. Support the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Bill that will allow children of the veterans to be reunited with their fathers.

Lastly, we know that the US will not give these demands on a silver platter. We will have to struggle hard for it!

Kaya tuloy ang laban! Continue with the struggle!

Justice for the Filipino veterans now!

Money for the veterans, not for the war!

Ang tao, ang bayan! Ngayon ay lumalaban!

The people united will never be defeated!

Maraming salamat po. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember Bataan – A Vigil and Commemoration

1941: Approximately 250,000 Filipino soldiers are inducted into the U.S. Armed Forces by military order of President Roosevelt during World War II

1942: Approximately 70,000 Filipino and American soldiers walked over 60 miles to prisoner of war camps after the fall of Bataan in what is now known as the Bataan Death March of WWII

Over 10,000 Filipino and American solders died along the course of this 3-day trek.

1946: The 1946 Rescission Act stripped these Filipino solders of their veterans’ status and deemed their service “inactive”.

Filipinos are the only national group singled out for denial of full U.S. veterans’ status.

1990: The Immigration and Nationality Act granted US citizenship to Filipino veterans.

Upon arrival, Filipino veterans received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) rather than military benefits. SSI can only cover basic necessities such as medication; the majority of veterans live in poverty.

Since 1993, an “Equity Bill” that would enable Filipino veterans to become eligible for US veterans benefits has been introduced but unsuccessfully passed.

The latest measures – Congressional Bills H.R. 760 & S. 1315 – seek to give pension benefits and full healthcare to Filipino veterans living in the Philippines.

The living Filipino veterans are in their 80s and 90s and are passing away at the rate of 7-8 per day. Today, less than 20,000 of these solders remain – still waiting and fighting for their recognition and equity.

The U.S. must own up to the injustice it has inflicted upon Filipino veterans. It is our responsibility and obligation to keep fighting until full equity is achieved.

No justice, no peace.

Statement by by Liga Filipina (liga@columbia.edu) and Asian American Alliance Political Committee

(Photo courtesy of the Justice for Filipino American Veterans)

DEADLINE EXTENDED - Register Now for PHILIPPINES 101 WORKHOP SERIES!

2008-03-13T11:50:00.002-04:00

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! REGISTER NOW!
Deadline is extended on Thursday, March 20. Registrants will be confirmed on Friday, March 21.

Concerned why poverty continues to exist in the Philippines?

Interested to know about the Filipino people's history and our history of migration?

Want to learn about the Philippine progressive movement now and then?

SIGN UP NOW FOR PHILIPPINES 101!

Jointly sponsored by Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland) and John Jay College of Criminal Justice Puerto Rican/Latin American Studies Department

Philippines 101 is a four-workshop series that tackles Philippine history, the roots of the socio-economic problems in the country, and the Filipino progressive movement's response. Previous classes were composed of people from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities ranging from activists to professionals to college students, including US-born and immigrant Filipinos. Philippines 101 also aims to raise the participant's consciousness to actively take part in the transformation of the Filipino community here and abroad.

WHEN: Four Mondays: March 24, March 31, April 7, April 14, 2008, 6:30-9:00 PM

WHERE: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 445 West 59th Street at 9th Ave

Classes are free and open to anyone interested but space is extremely limited. Registration is required to attend (no walk-ins, please).

Participants are expected to attend all four workshops and will be given a Certificate of Attendance by the end of the workshop series. All participants must register on or before Monday, March 17.

To register, please fill out the form at the bottom of this email and send it to ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com. Your registration will be confirmed by email by Wednesday, March 19.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Started in 2001, Philippines 101 is a four-part series composed of the following workshops offered this spring:

Workshop 1: Weaving Our Collective Story (Paghahabi ng Ating Kolektibong Kuwento)

Monday, March 24, 6:30-9:00pm, John Jay College, (Room TBA), Manhattan

We can begin to weave our collective story by looking at our personal experiences as Filipin@ youth. In this workshop we tackle the critical issues that affect us as Filipino youth, from our education and jobs to our encounters with US institutions such as the mass media and the justice system. What have been the community's common experiences throughout our history of migration?

Workshop 2: Revisiting the Past (Muling Pagbisita sa Kasaysayan)

Monday, March 31, 6:30-9:00pm, John Jay College, (Room TBA), Manhattan

Building on the first workshop, we begin to uncover the roots of our migration and explore: pre-colonial history, colonization and occupation up to the current socio-economic and political state of the Philippines. What are the underlying problems that have kept at least 75% of the population in perpetual poverty? This workshop covers our people's history with a focus on western economic and military intervention and issues of globalization, military bases and international trade.

Workshop 3: Landlords, Loopholes, and the Prevalence of Corruption (Mga Panginoong Maylupa at ang Pananatili ng Korupsyon)

Monday, April 7, 6:30-9:00pm, John Jay College, (Room TBA), Manhattan

The third session will allow us to gain an understanding of the two other major issues faced by Philippine society: land control and the power of the local ruling elite. Well over half of Filipinos are farmers yet most do not own the land they till. Who controls the land and how does the system affect the Filipino people?

Workshop 4: The Filipino People's Response (Ang Tugon ng mga Mamamayang Pilipino)

Monday, April 14, 6:30-9:00pm, John Jay College, (Room TBA), Manhattan

How have Filipinos responded to the problems the Philippine nation faces? Examine the approaches the progressive movement in the Philippines has taken over the years, from lobbying for legislative reforms to armed struggle. We will discuss the many different sectors, from farmers and indigenous peoples to women to the GLBT community and how they work together for social justice. Finally, we will discuss how local organizations, including Ugnayan, have responded to political and social issues in the Philippines and linked our people's history with our experiences in the US and the NYC/NY area.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPRING 2008 PHILIPPINES 101 REGISTRATION FORM

Name:

Phone Number:

Email address:

Occupation (If a student, please indicate school/major):

Organization/position, if any:

How did you hear about Philippines 101? (name of friend, name of listserve, etc.)

What are your reasons for wanting to participate in P101? (Please rank from 1 to 6, with 1 being the most important to you.)

[ ] To satisfy my intellectual curiosity 

[ ] To know more about Philippine history  

[ ] To learn about the different forms of resistance

[ ] To better serve the Filipino youth and/or Filipino community

[ ] To stand in solidarity with the struggles of the Filipino people

[ ] To equip me with knowledge as I do my organizing work

What workshops will you be able to attend? (Please mark what workshops you will be able to attend.)

[ ] W'shop 1: Paghahabi ng Ating Kolektibong Kuwento: Weaving Our Collective Story

[ ] W'shop 2: Muling Pagbisita sa Kasaysayan: Revisiting the Past

[ ] W'shop 3: Mga Panginoong Maylupa at ang Pananatili ng Korupsyon: Landlords, Loopholes and the Prevalence of Corruption

[ ] W'shop 4: Ang Tugon ng mga Mamamayang Pilipino: The Filipino People's Response

Will you be attending with someone else? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Is there anything else that you want the organizers to know about you? Please give a brief response.

Please fill out the form at the bottom of this email and send it to ugnayan.nynj@gmail.com. Your registration will be confirmed by email by Friday, March 21.