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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 JERSEY, January 7, 2005 --- Filipino-Americans from New York and New Jersey areas are among the delegates to the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention set for Jan. 20-22 at the Waterfront in Cebu City.
With this year’s themes “Pinoy Power Worldwide” and “Gathering of Heroes”, the delegates are from the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and countries in Asia.
Like the first convention held in San Francisco in late 2002 and the second, staged in Manila in Dec. 2003 (sponsored by the Department of Tourism), the objective of the 3rd Global is to enable Overseas Filipinos, through networking, to help each other and to help the Philippines.
The 3rd Global will have various Filipino overseas groups (professional clubs, provincial organizations, alumni associations, and religious, cultural, and service groups) holding their international/annual meetings in Cebu City and all of them coming together for the common opening and closing plenary sessions, breakout seminars, receptions and cultural activities.
Overseas Filipinos or Global Filipinos, in the 3rd Global’s point-of-view, are composed of immigrants, second-or-third generation foreign nationals of Filipino ancestry, Overseas Filipino Workers, and their guests. For many Global Filipinos, a trip to the Philippines for the 3rd Global symbolizes a “paying forward” or “giving back” mission that emphasizes a sharing of experiences without the “holier than thou” attitude. A vacation, a reunion, or a medical mission with a planned side-trip to Cebu are some of the primary reasons for attending the convention. Another motivator is their genuine desire to engage in discussions and conversations with other Overseas Filipinos and Philippine-based Filipinos as a foundation in gaining first-hand knowledge and insights so they can assist each other in shared causes and programs or projects.
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NEW YORK, January 7, 2005 --- A number of Filipino nannies, domestic workers here joined Monday a co-worker who exposed an alleged exploitation by employers and demanded for justice.
In a press conference, Filipino domestic workers gave support to Marina Lopez as she broke her silence and told her story of abuse, with the support of local public officials and advocates.
While working for a Queens business-owner as a housekeeper and caregiver for her disabled child in her College Point and Long Island homes, Marina said she was paid below $2.00 per hour for working eighteen hours per day, six days per week. She said she was forced to sleep in quarters where an overflowing toilet routinely flooded the floor by her bed with sewage.
On Monday, while the press conference took place, Marina’s lawyers filed a complaint in federal court for the wages and damages owed to her under state and federal labor laws.
“I worked so hard for them. I cleaned, cooked, and took care of their child like he was my own,” Lopez said in a statement. “I know that I am not the only domestic worker who has suffered. It’s very important that my story helps others speak out.”
Advocates said that live-in domestic workers in New York commonly work around the clock for meager wages. They believe Lopez’s case is a classic example of the need for new legislation to protect domestic workers, a workforce with unique vulnerabilities and a history of widespread exploitation, and exclusion for existing worker protections.
Domestic Workers United, a group that successfully fought for and won legislation protecting the rights of domestic workers on a City level, planned to speak out about a proposed statewide Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (including mandating livable wage, paid vacation and sick days, and protection from discrimination and unjust firing), that they believe will preempt these forms of abuse.
“Our children read in the history books that slavery was abolished in the 19th century, but Marina and other domestic workers’ story shows us that there are people in this city of great wealth, who are still treated as less than human,” said Erline Brown, nanny and member of Domestic Workers United.
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NEW JERSEY, January 7, 2005 --- Heritage Tagalog courses are offered at Portland State University this winter term. The class starts this coming Tuesday, January 4, 2005 at 6:40 p.m.
Tagalog is one of the most spoken languages in the Philippines.
According to the 1990 United States Census, Tagalog is the second most commonly-spoken Asian language in the United States, and the sixth non-English language spoken in America.
The course will give participants the opportunity to learn conversational Tagalog and learn Philippine culture/traditions at the same time. Included in this course will be lessons about the Filipino people, other Philippine languages, literature, movies, history, songs, business and more.
Enrollment is limited.
For more information about the course, contact Jun Pioquinto at (503) 522-3620, or send an e-mail: junpioquinto@yahoo.com
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