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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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To tell us what you think about Filipino Express Online or to comment on the stories published here, E-mail us at Filexpress@aol.com
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Filipino man from Staten Island bags grand prize
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NEW YORK, January 20, 2005 --- MetroBank New York and Metro Remittance Center, Inc. jointly held its Annual Handog Saya, Pasko Papremyo Raffle Draw at MetroBank’s midtown offfice on Jan. 15, 2005.
The Grand Prize was a round-trip ticket to the Philippines (or its cash equivalent), won by Dante Salamat of Staten Island, NY. Second Prize of $500.00 was won by Florencia Yee of Elmhurst, NY. Third Prize of $300.00 was won by Linda Encarguez of Chesapeake, Virginia.
There were 40 consolation prizes of $50.00 each, won by remittance customers and participants from New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Chicago, Las Vegas, and even California.
The promotion ran from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2004. On hand to draw the grand prize was the guest of honor, Alice Martinez of REAL Entertainment. Assisting her were General Manager Alfred V. Madrid, Assistant Vice President Roger Solis, Manager Rudy Soriano, and Junior Assistant Manager Elena Wong.
Alfred V. Madrid, on behalf of Metrobank management, thanked the remittance customers in particular and paid tribute to all Filipino remitters as the heroes of the Republic of the Philippines, being the largest group of investors in the country for significant amounts of funds sent back home annually. In fact, it is repeatedly cited that the aggregate remittance from Filipinos overseas (the Filipino Overseas Investors) of more than $8.0 billion per year is larger than the total direct foreign investment in the largest Philippine project, the Malampaya Natural Gas Project, of $5.0 billion.
A full-service commercial bank, MetroBank NY is the U.S. branch of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company, the largest bank in the Philippines with over 700 Metrobank and PSBank branches, 500 Metrobank Electronic Tellers (ET) and over 2000 BANCNET ATMs nationwide.
Metrobank NY has been an outstanding corporate citizen and a strong resource for Filipino communities throughout the USA since opening its doors for business in 1979.It continues to be the #1 remittance bank in the Philippines.
MetroBank NY also offers its fast, secure and reliable Money Remittance service to other Filipino communities in the US through its subsidiary, Metro Remittance Center Inc., which maintains its own remittance centers and remittance correspondents network in the States of New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Nevada and District of Columbia.
For more information about its various banking and remittance services, please call 1-800-863-8762 or check its websites at www.MetrobankNY.com and www.MetroRemittanceNY.com.
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Jersey City, NEW JERSEY, January 21, 2005 --- Signifying the Filipino-American’s political strength, former deputy mayor Ador Equipado, 60, has been appointed as an aide to Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy.
 Equipado is tasked to act as a liaison and recommend solutions to Jersey City’s water concerns.
During the bi-weekly constituent day, Equipado helps the mayor in dealing with residents’ problems like disposal of debris and hazardous waste.
He will also represent the Mayor in some city functions, including but not limited to Filipino events, as well as oversee all mayoral ambassadors or honorary deputy mayors. His appointment started in January 10.
“It’s seldom that you could get the same position you had, many are called but only few are chosen. I’m happy about my appointment,” he said.
Equipado was appointed as a deputy mayor by former Mayor Bret Schundler in 1997 to 2001. He started as an aide to Schundler in 1992 and rose to become the assistant director of the city’s department of public works from 1994 to 1997. He was also appointed as director of the water department in Jersey City.
Prior to his appointment in government, Equipado used to work as a chemical engineer to private companies. He is also an active member and was a former president of civic group Garden State Filipino-Americans Association.
Many Filipino- Americans in the city believe that Equipado’s varied and length of government service made him an ideal choice as an aide to the Mayor. He campaigned tirelessly for Healy during the last campaign, knocking on every door of both Republicans and Democrats in his district.
In the past years, Equipado run as a Freeholder and as a Republican Assemblyman candidate, but lost in the elections. He has no plans of running again in the near future.
“I’m glad that we have a representation in the city government,” Equipado said.
He will also handle special projects of the city like the coming get together of political parties’ representatives and the recommendation of many commissioners in the city. “It would give people a chance to be part of legislative body and to allow them to give back to the community,” said Equipado who is a bright and talented government operative.
With the increasing population of Filipinos and other Asian groups in Hudson County, Equipado said these communities expect a stronger voice in government. Filipino American voters represent 10 percent of the voting population of Jersey City.
“My appointment gives me a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction,” he said.
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He vows to increase number of participating organizations
in independence day parade
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Jersey City, NEW JERSEY, January 21, 2005 --- For his exemplary service in the Filipino community, ZG “Zonny” Lerum, Jr. has been named as the Philippine Day Organizing (PDOC) 2005 Grand Marshal.
 Lerum will be inducted at a Grand Marshals Night ceremony to be held on April 2, 2005, from 7:00 p.m. to midnight, at Wayne Manor, Wayne, NJ.
A successful architect, Lerum involved himself in Filipino-American community and social affairs, helping Filipinos to have better lives in the US.
“I’, deeply honored to be given this opportunity to lead the PDOC’s annual parade,” he said. “There’s no amount of words to express my feelings for this honor that has been bestowed upon me.”
Lerum said he plans to double the number of Filipino-American organizations that will participate in this year’s celebration of the Philippine Independence Day parade in Manhattan.
“My target is to have more organizations signed in for the parade. We have now about 50 organizations, although not all of them have participated in the Independence Day celebration. Within my term, I will do my best to come up with 100 organizations.”
Lerum said he will invite his friends, relatives and colleagues to the Grand Marshal Night to introduce them to the PDOC, hoping to boost the attendance of the parade.
With his special traits as father, husband, and a leader, he was voted by Filipino-Americans as “Man of the Year,” in 2002. He is considered to be the role model for arriving immigrants and for the next generations of Filipino-Americans.
Lerum came to the US in 1970, and worked for Architect Istband Botond in Washington, DC doing some works in the Potomac River Development Project for the Smithsonian Institution.
In New York, he found a job at Katzman Associates, an architectural firm specializing in shopping mall designs.
Aside from his career achievements, Lerum said he, along with Cong. Manny Sanchez and Speaker Joe de Venecia, helped bring the omnibus bill on dual citizenship, which was passed last year by the Philippine Congress.
He said he was also one of those who took the effort to file a $65 million discrimination law suit against radio host Howard Stern. The suit was sparked by Stern’s allegedly malicious sexual comments on Filipino women.
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