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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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Consulate urges to get RP and foreign passports for easier departure
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Consul General Cecilia Rebong with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo.
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NEW YORK, January 7, 2005 --- Filipinos who have dual citizenships must present a foreign [and] a Philippine passports upon arrival and departure to and from the Philippines to enable them to stay indefinitely in the Philippines and facilitate an easier departure, according to the new set of rules announced Wednesday by the Philippine consulate here.
Those who do not have a valid Philippine passport or an Identification Certificate at the time of entry, the consulate said they will be admitted to enter the country but will be treated as an alien. During their stay in the country, however, such dual citizens can rightly apply for a Philippine passport at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs or in any of the DFA Regional Consular Officers, or for Identification Certificate at the Bureau of Immigration.
“This is the reason that we encourage dual citizens to have both the foreign and Philippine passports,” said a consular officer in New York in a phone interview. “It will save them time, money (fee of P710 will be charged for using a foreign passport upon departure) and keep them from hassles.”
Consul General Cecilia Rebong said the new set of rules promulgated by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration are certainly advantageous for dual citizens planning to stay longer in the Philippines.
“Based on the new rules, a genuine and valid Philippine passport and Identification Certificate are interchangeable proofs of dual citizenship,” she said. “A dual citizen may now freely enter or leave the Philippines with either one of the two documents as proof of dual citizenship.” Under the old rules, only the Identification Certificate was acceptable proof of dual citizenship.
The new rules contained in Memorandum Order No. AFF-04-25 dated 14 December 2004 of the Bureau of Immigration and summarized, as follows:
Arrival and Stay- Dual citizens shall present to immigration officers, upon arrival at any port of entry in the Philippines, either a Philippine or a foreign passport;
- Those who present a foreign passport may be admitted for an indefinite period of stay provided that they also possess or show a genuine and valid Philippine passport and/or Identification Certificate.
Departure- Those who presented a foreign passport at the time of their admission into the Philippines may be cleared for departure without need of surrendering a certificate, permit of proof of payment of imposable immigration fees, provided that they also show a genuine and valid Philippine passport and/or Identification Certificate. Filipinos who do not have a Philippine passport shall be charged an Emigration Certificate of Clearance (ECC) fee of Php 710.00 for using a foreign passport upon departure.
- If a dual citizen presents both Philippine and foreign passports upon arrival or departure, both passports shall be stamped for arrival or departure by Philippine immigration officers.
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The Rev. Panteleon Manalo had been charged with financial improprieties. The Filipinos in Virginia Beach split over accusations.
Photo by: The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA, January 7, 2004 --- A Filipino priest in Virginia Beach was accused of financial improrieties, primarily focusing on the clerics's material possessions, and the Catholic Diocese of Richmond threatened last Christmas to fire him.
The Rev. Pantaleon Manalo, 68, who leads the cultural center, received a letter stating the charges and asking him to leave. Details of the accusations against him were not made in public.
“We will no longer need your services at the San Lorenzo Center,” the Associated Press report quoted the Rev. Thomas J. Caroluzza in his Dec. 10 letter to Manalo. “Please pack any personal belongings that you may have stored at the Center. Keep an inventory of those things that you remove and mail it to my office along with the keys to the Center.”
As the controversy sparked, the Filipino community there had been split and threatened to tear apart the spiritual center, which took years of fund-raising and planning to build. There are about 23,000 Filipinos live in Virginia Beach.
Manalo's supporters, reports said, were disappointed by the accusations. Their protests forced the diocese a weeks ago to temporarily rescind the termination order.
A decision on Manalo's fate will be made this month, when Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, visits Virginia Beach to hear both sides of the issue.
Robin Price, spokeswoman for DiLorenzo, confirmed that the bishop has put off the matter until after the holidays, reports added.
The San Lorenzo Spiritual Center -- named after Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino to achieve sainthood -- was opened in 1994. Since then the place has been the place for gatherings of the Filipino community.
City Councilman Ron Villanueva, who is Filipino, said the center was created with much help and support from Manalo. He described Manalo as “one of the strongest pillars” in the community.
But one of the accusers of Manalo said in a Virginian-Pilot report that the Filipino priest has an out-of-town time-share condominium, some real estate holdings and a Mercedes-Benz. Most of those possessions, the accuser said, were bequeathed to Manalo by people he has helped over the years. — Anthony D. Advincula contributed to this report
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NEW YORK, January 7, 2005 --- Eager to mobilize support to President George Bush, hundreds of Filipino- Americans will gather on Jan. 19 in the inaugural celebration in Washington, D.C.
The Filipino-Americans want to reaffirm their commitment to participate in Bush's programs and to push for an agenda that would promote Filipino-American issues.
“The new administration of President Bush will be able to perform effectively, because he got a second mandate. He is no longer running for re-election and it means he could make decisions more effectively,” said Ernesto Gange, co-founder of National Federation of Filipino American Republicans (NAFFAR).
Gange said the dinner- reception will be held at the Philippine Embassy building, Romulo room from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
“It’s the right opportunity for the embassy to host this event to network with Filipino Americans coming to the Capital. This will build a rapport to bring everybody together,” he said.
The bright and festive reception is also being initiated by newly-established group called FilVets Taskforce to help Filipino American veterans, who are clamoring for Equity Bill that would give them benefits. This lobby group was created in view of Congress failure to pass a bill that would help the ailing Filipino-American veterans.
Susan Relston, an aide of President Bush, and the highest-ranking Filipino-American in U.S. government has been invited to attend the reception. Other important guest is Eddie Badrina, top director of the White House initiative on Presidential Advisory Commission on Asia Pacific Islander.
“For one thing, the Embassy must reach out to Filipino Americans to reinforce important issues,” said Gange.
NAFFAR is pushing for immigration, veterans and medicare issues that would benefit Filipinos and would improve the bilateral relations of U.S. and the Philippines.
Filipino-Americans coming to Washington, D.C. will witness Bush solemn oath taking and would join the gala and parties to hail Bush reelection, slated on January 18 to 20.
In related development, Asian Americans will also hold a dinner-dance in Crystal City Marriott Hotel on Jan. 19 , 7 p.m., to celebrate the second inaugural of President Bush. Political leaders who want to build a stronger base among Asian Americans have confirmed their attendance on the gala.
The gala will focus on the growing and increasing political clout of all Asian- Americans.
For those interested to attend the Philippine Embassy Reception, call (202) 467-9318.
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TARLAC CITY, January 7, 2005 --- Unidentified men, for still unknown reasons, shot at a group of striking Hacienda Luisita workers and wounded two at the West Gate of the Las Haciendas.
Ernesto Ramos and George Loveland were both hit on the chest, following the shooting at around 11 p.m. on Jan. 5.
At the Ramos General Hospital, Loveland said that two men came from nowhere while they were taking a break at the West Gate. When the strikers approached the men to ask what they wanted, Loveland said the suspects suddenly drew out their guns.
Ramos was reported to be in critical condition after a bullet was lodged near his lungs.
“They said they would kill us if we were blocking the road,” Loveland said.
He said police in civilian clothes in the area pleaded with the gunmen but the suspects started shooting. Loveland said they were shot at while they were running away.
He said the gunmen fled on a brown Nissan Patrol toward the direction of the national highway.
Tarlac City Councilor Abel Ladera asked for the security log of vehicles coming in and out of the hacienda.
The West Gate is a major entry point to the Las Haciendas, an exclusive residential enclave here and to the Luisita Golf and Country Club. Strikers put up blockades there as it also leads to the sugar factory passing through the tightly secured private roadways within the vicinity of the private homes of the Cojuangcos, the hacienda owners, and into the back entrance of the factory.
Police recovered four spent shells from a .45 caliber pistol at the scene of the shooting.
“We are investigating the incident,” Central Luzon Police Director Rolan Albano said.
Another striker, Marilou Ricardo, claimed that police guarding the picket lines at the hacienda’s West Gate did not respond quickly. “Police just let the suspects escape,” she said.
But Albano dismissed Ricardo’s claim as “baloney,” adding security in the area had been stepped up following the shooting.
In November 2004, a violent dispersal of striking workers at the sugar mill left at least seven people dead and hundreds injured. (MNS)
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