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For the past 17 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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This website includes selected articles from this week's edition of the Filipino Express. Not all the stories published in the printed version appear on this site.
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NEW YORK --- The Philippine American Friendship Committee, Inc. (PAFCOM), led by this year's overall chair Ludy Corrales, did it again! Last Sunday, June 27, the Exchange Plaza in Jersey City was filled with Filipinos and Filipino-Americans with some guests coming as far as San Diego, Calif. participating in the festivities.
Corrales and her team delivered a splendid and spectacular event, which is very much unlike its New York City counterpart, the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) and its celebration committee.
And I believe it's all because of leadership, a sense of purpose and unity that the group had in accomplishing its task. That could be the reason that PAFCOM has been pulling off its event to success, year after year, not to mention the good weather.
"Perhaps when PIDCI organizers have learned to be united, the sun will also shine at their event," someone said, making reference to PIDCI's experience for the past two years.
"Learned?" another one replied. "It doesn't have to be learned. Unity should be the first order of business when its officers meet the first time. Unfortunately, some have other reasons to join," he continued.
Well, that's true. And we all can recall once more what we've said about inggitan, pagalingan, pataasan, sipsip, pasikatan and payabangan.
Which I think none of the PAFCOM organizers has ever had in their minds or had showed in their behavior.
They simply did what the community deserved at that special day. Instead of working on their personal agenda, each committee member contributed his and her skills and talents to a collective effort devoid of any pretense. As they say, it is the team that matters not individual superstars; it is not the "I" but "we" that binds the group.
Like PIDCI, PAFCOM is a 501(c) tax-exempt organization, too. But PAFCOM's fund-raising is superb and their financial reporting is prompt. That's the difference between the two organizations.
And I'm almost confident that with Corrales at the helm, a financial report will be made available in weeks, not in a year or more, which has been the norm in PIDCI.
The choice of a grand marshal should not be discounted as well. Dr. Baby Bleza, this year's PAFCOM grand marshal, was a good one, too. Instead of holding a grand marshal event at a posh place, Dr. Bleza had it at a less expensive venue. As a result, the purpose \of holding the event, which was to raise funds, was successful.
I understand Dr. Bleza was able to raise close to $8,000 from that gathering alone. Is there a record of such feat in recent memory? And to top it all, it turned to be a fun-filled, enjoyable, less tense, and less "political" event. Even Dr. Bleza's speech was not too long but witty and direct to the point -- no beating around the bush, delivered in our own language, straight from the heart.
In accepting such an honor, her sincerity showed just like when she delivered her speech when her selection as grand marshal was announced to the public. There was no shade of pretense in her only a humble acknowledgment of her accomplishments and any desire to help our community and the less fortunate in our homeland.
This is what I saw in Corrales' leadership as well. She kept her team to a grip, not in a way to impose herself upon others but to keep them focus to their goals. She showed her openness to criticism, if there were any, and took it as part of her role as a community leader.
Although she could be sometimes petulant and blunt, I think, she has somehow learned to hold herself in high esteem by not engaging in petty squabbles. It seems she listens to suggestions and decides which course of action is appropriate to every situation.
One of the difficulties that face a leader is assembling a team to accomplish a mission. And to me, I think Corrales has done that starting with the choice of the grand marshal. And from what I hear, she has taken a big role on who her likely successor would be, which every leader must be concerned about. Without that in mind, her success and that of the organization is no success at all.
This brings me to Nelsie Parrado, PIDCI's secretary, who was recently elected president of the Filipino American Association of Fair Lawn (FAAFL). This is her third term as president and if you recall, it was during her term some years ago when a supposed candidate of the association's scholarship program, Binhi, was denied the honor due to an alleged rigging in the selection process.
Joseph Tieng, a member of FAAFL, who believed that the selection committee had changed its rules to accommodate someone else, continues to seek the truth behind that process. Tieng believes that Parrado knows what happened and expects her to shed light into it.
Now that Parrado is the president, perhaps it is time to put her leadership to a test. Not only that, perhaps Parrado should now show how transparency works. Failing that, Tieng has every reason to demand what is just and right.
Sometimes, leaders are confronted with issues like that of Parrado’s and they don’t die nor go away easily. These may continue to haunt leaders until resolved.
On the other hand, leaders would deal with problems squarely and promptly just like what Corrales has done as PAFCOM overall chair this year, it ensures the continued success of the organization, which the community could be proud of.
Truly PAFCOM deserves to shine as a model community organization. And so does Corrales and her team.
Send comments to rickyxpres@aol.com or visit Website at PinoyOnBoard.com.
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“A foreigner asked me what I thought was the biggest problem in the country. My answer was breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” — Fernando Poe Jr. on the presidential campaign trail.
When my son tries to persuade me to buy sugar laden Brand X cereal because it is “part of a good breakfast,” I am suddenly aware of two things - he is watching too much TV and he is not eating enough good breakfasts. This American style-just-one-bowl o’ cereal-shaped like your favorite cartoon character du jour for your first meal of the day isn’t working for me. Although I’ve modified my own breakfast habits since moving Stateside to pieces of toast or frozen waffles, I still hanker for a good ol’ plate of tapsilog with a small side of atchara (pickled veggies). For me, your breakfast meat of choice (tapa, longanisas or tocino), with garlic fried rice (sinangag) and an egg (itlog) downed with Kapeng Barako or Nescafe Instant Coffee is still tops. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So it’s best to get your fill.
I suppose a full-on meal first thing in the morning is too much to ask for when accustomed to the fast-paced American lifestyle. There just isn’t time to fry the meat, prepare the rice, or chop up the garlic. There just isn’t time to sit leisurely and eat with you family before starting your work or school day. Heck, there might not even be time for breakfast in the first place. Hence the grab and go convenience of donuts, pop tarts and meals in a bar, imbibed with a bottomless cup of coffee. Choose your poison.
Ironically, though sugar and caffeine may jumpstart your day, they only do so temporarily. Studies show that even worse is skipping breakfast because it lowers your blood sugar level and slows you down the rest of the day.
For Filipinos, almusal (breakfast) is not just about food. It’s all about ritual that starts from the cock’s first crow at dawn. There is the preparation that goes into it which requires more than popping something into a toaster. Then there are the aromas that fill the air — whether its garlic fried in a pan or the sweet fragrance of pan de sal straight from the pugon. Ah breakfast. Add some morning conversation between students barely awake and their elders reminding them, “kumain ka hija!””Ginawa mo ba yung ‘assignment’ mo?” and you’re set. Finally, remember the gracious paalam (goodbye)with besos (kisses) on the cheek, or blessing on the hand “Mano po” that start the day on the right foot.
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And since we are on the topic of food (which is often on this space), here are the results of last week’s polls (Nope, not the presidential one). The five things Filipinos should know how to cook are: Adobo, Sinigang, Afritada, Pinakbet and Dinuguan - runners up include Kare-kare, Pansit and sweet stuff like palitaw or bilo-bilo (is that ginataan?) And the Five things Filipinos Should Eat at least once in their lives include (Drumroll, please): BALUT! Dinuguan, kilawin, papaitan, and number four is a toss-up between street food like chicken/pigs’ feet and isaw (intestines).
Here’s the next question: Name 5 places Filipinos should tell non-Filipinos about, 5 places Filipinos should visit at least once in their lives and finally 5 places Filipinos WISH they could visit at least once in their lives. Keep those e-mails coming and please state where you’re from (so I can give you all a shout-out when you write).
Talk to me at manilagirl01 [at] hotmail.com Maraming Salamat!
END
www.missingmangoes.com, www.manila-girl.com
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