|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Filipinos Celebrate Historic Day as Veterans Equity Bill Passes in the U.S. Senate
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK– Two weeks after the commemoration of Bataan Day, last April 9, the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007, S.1315, also known as the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill, was passed by the United States Senate by a vote of 96 to 1. The lone dissenter was Senator David Vitter (R-LA).
S.1315 acts to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance veterans' insurance and housing benefits, to improve benefits and services for transitioning service members, and for other purposes. Prior to voting on final passage of the bill, the Senate debated an amendment to remove a provision providing a limited pension for Filipino World War II veterans residing in the Philippines. This amendment was introduced by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and was defeated by a vote of 56 to 41, with Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), leading the charge for the Filipino veterans' pension.
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) delivered a floor speech and asked his statement to be entered into record. Menendez’s statement concluded saying, “Let us show them just a fraction of the bravery they did, and vote to restore them what they were promised, what was the law and what they rightfully earned.”
“Now, like lawyers there are some who are picking on points here and there to build a case against these benefits, in my mind is a case made of sand. Let us vote to bring an honorable ending to this story and in however small a way, let us pledge now to give them dignity in the twilight of their life. I really urge my colleagues to support Senator Akaka’s bill as it is, and be able to keep our word in the world. And if I have any time remaining I yield it back to Senator Akaka.”
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, a WWII veteran, issued the following statement upon the passage of the bill. “These veterans served with honor and dignity alongside American troops and these benefits are long overdue. I am proud to support these veterans— and I will keep standing strong for all of our veterans.”
Senator Akaka, Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and primary sponsor of the bill, issued a statement upon the historic passage of S.1315. "The Filipino veterans of World War II fought bravely under U.S. military command, helping us win the war only to lose their veteran status by an Act of Congress. I commend my colleagues for supporting those veterans who stood with us," said Akaka.
Akaka continued, "I am also very pleased that the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 can finally move forward. This bill makes needed improvements to veterans' benefits by expanding and increasing support for veterans, their families, and their survivors. I urge my colleagues in the House to act swiftly on this much needed bill."
“The entire Filipino community is celebrating today!” exclaimed Ben de Guzman, national campaign coordinator for the National Alliance For Filipino Veterans Equity (NAFVE).
“The Filipino American community won today,” added de Guzman, “and at the heart of it, America won today. This shows that the Senate, when it wants to do the right thing, will do the right thing. And the right thing is to help and support ALL our veterans.”
The Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 would provide a veterans' pension to Filipino veterans of World War II residing in the U.S. and in the Philippines. Under the proposed bill, veterans residing in the Philippines would receive a smaller pension than those residing in the U.S., to account for differences in cost-of-living in the two countries.
According to a press release from Senator Akaka’s office, the Veterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 also includes a multitude of improvements to veterans' benefits, including provisions to: Establish a new program of insurance for service connected disabled veterans; expand eligibility for retroactive benefits from traumatic injury protection coverage under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance; increase the maximum amount of Veterans' Mortgage Life Insurance that a service connected disabled veteran may purchase; provide individuals with severe burn injuries specially adapted housing benefits; and extend for two years the monthly educational assistance allowance for apprenticeship or other on-the-job training
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alumni association tasked with saving school, scheduled to close in September
|
|
|
|
|
|
JERSEY CITY – Amidst a packed gymnasium at Hudson Catholic Regional High School, emotions ran high as parents, students, teachers, alumni and school supporters awaited for the opportunity to speak to representatives from the Archdiocese of Newark, to make sense of news of the closing of their school, which has arisen with much surprise to the community.
Hudson Catholic is an all-male Catholic high school operating under the sponsorship of the Archdiocese of Newark. It will permanently cease operations at the end of the current school year, June 30, 2008. Located at 790 Bergen Avenue, the school opened in 1964 to serve young Catholic men.
Rev. Kevin M. Hanbury, Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Newark, addressed a restless crowd and started by presenting various enrollment statistics, providing a backdrop of what he described as a precipitous drop in student registration.
“In 2001, there were 4,067 students enrolled at Catholic secondary schools at Hudson County,” said Rev. Hanbury. “One thousand one-hundred fifty of these students were ninth graders. Of the last 7 years, we have witnessed a decrease in both these numbers. This past September saw an enrollment of 3,484 students in this County, with only 905 students in the ninth grade. These figures along with demographic changes and the economic factors in this County and in Jersey City form the background of these evenings discussion.”
Rev. Hanbury continued to provide information on the gap between the operating costs and revenues, painting a picture of projected financial troubles. “This current school year, the cost per pupil at Hudson Catholic has been $7,533. Tuition and fee revenue amounted to $6,998 per student.”
Ultimately, according to the Archdiocese, the school is projected to face a deficit of $650,000 for the incoming year. Rev. Hanbury indicated that the Archdiocese has committed $100,000, leaving $350,000 to $400,000 to be raised by the Alumni Association, which has taken a prominent role in attempting to save the school from closure.
Eduardo Peña, a Jersey City native and Hudson Catholic Alumni of class 1990, was present at the meeting and has actively participated in spurring an awareness campaign, opening lines of communication, and harnessing resources that may prove critical in raising funds and other options to save Hudson Catholic.
Peña said he was caught off-guard with the news that his alma mater may soon cease to exist. He found out about the situation facing Hudson Catholic through developers he was scheduled to meet.
“I didn’t believe it at first and insisted that they may be mistaken,” said Peña. “Once I returned to the office, I checked on the website to verify and then started calling former classmates.”
Peña reserved judgment from what he heard from Archdiocese representatives, but felt that the answers were calculated and tempered to avoid inflammatory remarks.
A steady flow of questions streamed from the public after the presentation from the Archdiocese, which proved contentious at some points, but remained peaceful altogether. Jersey City Police Chief Tom Comey, an alumnus, was a calming factor and assigned some officers to keep the flow of public commentators orderly.
A repeating inquiry throughout the night revolved around the rational as to why the financial problems were not disclosed earlier. Archdiocese representatives reiterated the sudden drop in enrollment and that the local administration was responsible for fundraising. Questions that were deflected by the Archdiocese representatives as the responsibility of local administration could not be answered due to the absence of School President Paul Ward. It was disclosed through the Q&A that Ward has tendered his resignation.
Rumors of St. Anthony’s High School, also in Jersey City, taking over the facilities surfaced through the public comment segment. Archdiocese of Newark officials confirmed that there have been talks with St. Anthony’s regarding the Hudson Catholic property, but did not disclose details.
"The door is ajar. The door is not closed," said Rev. Hanbury, who reinforced that the Alumni Association, led by its President, Larry Basinski, is coming up with a plan to save Hudson Catholic. Rev. Hanbury cautioned though that options, such as going co-ed in 2009-2010, which was brought up in the public meeting, will be considered but without any guarantees.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MANILA -- What a group of surgeons, nurses and interns thought was just another funny case inside the operating room turned out to be a nightmare that has put a big question mark on the ethics and professionalism of the Philippine medical community. Filipinos did not hide their outrage over the rowdy surgery in the central city of Cebu, where the medical personnel joked about the misery of a gay patient while the procedure was filmed and later posted on the internet.
In the wake of the scandal, Janette Garin, a congresswoman and doctor, called for the immediate passage of two proposed laws that would impose stricter regulations and stiffer sanctions on erring medical professionals. The bills, which have faced opposition from medical professionals, have been on the back burner of the congressional agenda for several years.
"The illegal practice of medicine, the unethical practice of medicine and medical malpractice occur simply because some doctors are not worried and not afraid of the sanctions that could be slapped against them under present laws," she said.
The unauthorized video of the operation, posted on the video-sharing website YouTube since late February, showed more than a dozen people inside the operating room laughing and jeering as the surgeons removed a body spray canister from the man's backside.
The video was initially dismissed as a hoax until the aggrieved Filipino man came forward earlier in the month and admitted to the media that he was the patient. The 39-year-old man said the operation was conducted on January 3 in the government-run Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Centre in Cebu City, 585 kilometres south of Manila.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque has identified three surgeons, two nurses and 10 other medical staff in the scandal. He said administrative charges would be filed against them. Duque said their offensive behaviour has not only taken the glory from the success of the novel procedure but also cast doubts on the ethics and professionalism of Filipino doctors and nurses.
"It could have been a very good and ideal case study for people who would like to learn alternative procedures," he said, noting that the canister was removed without invasive surgery. Duque explained that the normal procedure would have required the opening of the patient's abdomen, taking out his intestine and cutting it open to remove the canister. Instead, the surgeons "directly extracted" the canister from the patient's rectum, the secretary said.
"It would have been an extremely commendable operation, but because of what they did, the plus factor was lost," Duque said, adding that it was the first time in the Philippines that such an alternative procedure was performed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
