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For the past 21 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– In the wake of controversies surrounding racial and sexual slurs by radio show hosts, a popular television program on ABC is under fire from various Filipino and Filipino-American groups for an episode that contained a derogatory dialogue against Filipinos.
On last Sunday’s premier of the hit program ‘Desperate Housewives’, Susan Mayer, the character played by Teri Hatcher, was arguing with her gynecologist who thinks she’s hitting menopause. Mayer said, “Can I just check those diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines.”
The slur against Filipino med schools caused an uproar over the Internet Monday night as an email sent by Filipino-American music artist, Kevin Nadal, urging everyone to sign a petition condemning the incident, spread.
Nadal’s email read:
“This type of derogatory remark is not only unnecessary and hurtful, but is also unfounded, considering the presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the health care industry. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the United States, with many entering the U.S. and passing their U.S. licensing boards as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians.
So, to belittle the education, experience, or value of Filipino Americans in health care is disrespectful and plain and simply ignorant.”
As of press time, there are 50,000 signatures on the online petition form. It can be found on http://www.petitiononline.com/FilABC/.
Wildfire
Reactions online from Fil Am bloggers were swift. Several comments were posted on an award winning blog called ‘Coffee with Amee’(http://coffeewithamee.wordpress.com/), one of which read:
“I just saw the episode and I was really surprised about the comment! I have a lot of respect for not just Filipino doctors, but also Filipino graduates and the comment was just disrespectful and racist. Even though it was meant as a joke, it wasn’t funny anymore.”
A comment on www.poptimesmagazine.com by a user named Kamote stated: “How can they say that Filipino doctors here are inferior? All doctors here in the States take the same exams for licensing, and Filipino graduates pass them like any Harvard or Yale graduate.”
However, some Filipinos posted otherwise.
On Multiply.com, a popular networking website, a user named Markushighway thought the comment has some bearing, he posted: “I think there’s a grain of truth in there somewhere. And the truth hurts.”
Malacañang also demanded ABC network to issue an apology. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the TV show belittled the abilities of Filipino doctors and sent a message that Philippine medical schools produced "substandard, inferior" medical practitioners.
Joining the Philippine government in protest were some medical associations like the Philippine Medical Association as well as various consular offices all over the US.
The Apology
On Wednesday the producers of the hit TV series "Desperate Housewives" has issued an apology, for an insulting line that belittled the practitioners of the medical profession in the Philippines.
"The producers of Desperate Housewives and ABC Studios offer our sincere apologies for any offense caused by the insulting remark in the season premier," ABC Network said in a short statement of apology.
ABC Network added: "There was no intent to disparage the integrity of any aspect of the medical community in the Philippines."
However, some FIl-Am groups dismissed the apology as routine and insincere. Others demanded a complete retraction of the line from the episode.
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NEW YORK–President Gloria Arroyo met major business leaders in New York Thursday at a luncheon roundtable organized by the US-ASEAN Business Council to bolster their investments in the country.
The event was attended by approximately 20 leaders of American companies such as Abbott Laboratories, AES, AIG, Altria, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Ford Motor Company, InterGen, Pfizer, and Time Warner.
“We commend President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s leadership, especially her guidance of the strong Philippines’ economy built upon sound fiscal and monetary policies. The Philippines has the fastest yearly progress in economy, smallest increase in the prices, and the most number of new jobs created in the last 20 years,” said Matthew Daley, President of the US-ASEAN Business Council.
Council members discussed their business interest, such as the President’s development plans for the five Super-regions namely: North Luzon, Luzon Urban Beltway, Central Philippines, Mindanao, and Cyber Corridor.
At a fantastic reception last night at brilliant Jade room of Waldorf Astoria, said she was happy to meet Filipino American leaders in New York and New Jersey and other cities. She said she was glad to meet former President Bill Clinton who praised the Philippines’ economic renaissance.
Backed by big investors pouring dollars in the Philippines, Ms. Arroyo said the economy grew stronger. American investors will pump $950 million to build plants in the Philippines.She focused on her smart economic strategy to get more investors.
“The Philippine economy has reached a new level of maturity and stability with some of the strongest macroeconomic fundamentals in 20 years. We have aimed high and have met the challenge: six years ago, no one thought we could get more revenues, cut down on tax cheats, strengthen the peso and move the stock market. And no one thought we could bring our budget into balance, as we did last month, prepay our debts and raise employment, but we have,” Ms. Arroyo said.
She praised the setting up of nursing testing site in Manila to encourage more nurses to work in the U.S.
President honored Filipino Americans who send dollars to the Philippines through remittances to make the economy afloat.
Awards and golden medals were also given to some Filipino leaders from New York area.
Consul General Cecilia Rebong received the highest award for service.
The president encouraged Filipinos to go back to their country and participate in its development.
She said she had a talk with President Bush during the APEC summit in Australia when she had asked Mr. Bush support to pass the equity bills for Filipino veterans of World War ll.
Ms. Arroyo also met Teletec company in New York which employs 15,000 call center workers in the Philippines.
“Let’s word hard so we can achieve more and have strong leadership in the community,” Ms. Arroyo said
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NEW YORK – Jose X is an undocumented alien from the Philippines. He migrated illegally to the US when the Greek the cargo ship he works on docked in New York harbor in 2002.
Now he works a day-to-day laborer.
Before he became a seaman, Jose X earned meager money and was able to support his family as a cab driver in Manila.
However, since the New York State’s DMV requires proof of immigration status via a valid passport with a valid visa, or a valid social security number to obtain a driver’s license, it is impossible for him to make a living that way– until now.
A new policy by New York governor Eliot Spitzer, announced last week, would allow illegal aliens like Jose X to obtain a driver’s license without showing proof of immigration status and a social security number. A valid passport will do.
“They (illegal aliens) no longer need to hide and pretend they are not here. It’s time to bring them out of the shadows and into American society”, said Spitzer.
New York has between 500,000 and 1 million undocumented immigrants, many of whom are driving without licenses and car insurance.
The AAA found that unlicensed drivers are more than five times likely to be involved in car accidents.
The new policy drew scrutiny from some conservative Republicans like Representative Randy Kuhl, who said that the policy ‘undermines the preventive measures that protect the country from national security threats.”
Nevertheless, for an undocumented immigrant like Jose X, it is an answered prayer. “It is hard to make a living using fake documents. And I never tried using fake licenses. But now, the license is available to me. Finally I can drive a taxi and send much needed money to my family in Manila," he said.
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