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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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CHICAGO – Rep. Bob Filner (Ca-51-Dem.) introduced last Monday, Sept. 15, H.R. 6897 (Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2008) bill that would appropriate a lump sum payment for non-service disability of $9,000 for each of the surviving Filipino World War II veterans “who is not a citizen of the United States” and $15,000 each for those who are citizens of the United States.
The National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity (NAFVE), a lobby group being supported by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), immediately issued a statement, saying, “NAFVE and other advocates continue to press for equity for our Filipino WWII soldiers," according to Jon Melegrito, NAFVE Co Chair.
Mr. Melegrito, who is also a NaFFAA spokesman, added, "S. 1315 remains the focus of our efforts, but we have also registered the serious concerns we have about a lump sum proposal with Chairman Filner. If there is anything that we can be sure of today, it is that Filipino WWII veterans remain on the radar screen of the U.S. Congress, but that we need to continue our work to make sure we win the day for our Filipino WWII veterans."
Senate bill 1315 which was overwhelmingly passed by the U.S. Senate by a 96-1 vote last April provides for a flat20rate of $3,600 annual non service disability pension for single Filipino veterans living in the Philippines; $4,500 annually for married veterans; and $2,400 annually for surviving spouses.
The same bill could be passed as is in the House without debate under “suspension of rules." But some congressmen, who are running for election would not like to be known to be endorsing the bill, which forced House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-8th-Dem.) to hold in abeyance in scheduling it for a House vote.
To pass the bill, the Speaker needs at least 40 more votes to muster a simple majority of 218 or additional votes of 70 to make it veto-proof for the two-thirds majority of 287. If S. 1315 does not pass next week before the House, it is very likely that this bill will die. The bill will be relegated to the backburner by the November general elections.
According to Rep. Filner, chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, the lump sum payment will be sourced from the “compensation fund $198,000,000” that will “remain available until expended, to make payments under this section.”
The press statement of NAFVE says that the bill was introduced by Chairman Filner with an amendment by HVAC Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-IN) “to release the U.S. government from further claims from veterans receiving payment.”
According to the language of the H.R. 6897, “Filipino veterans were granted benefits prior to the enactment of the so-called Rescissions Acts of 1946 (Public Laws 79- 301 and 79-391) under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, but under section 107 of title 38, United States Code, the service of certain other Filipino veterans is deemed not to be active service for purposes of such laws.”
"In an environment where the opposition has invoked divisive rhetoric to pit veterans against each other instead of having a real dialogue about the merits of this issue, HR 6897 is a reaction to the muddied political waters operating right now," said Ben de Guzman, NAFVE National Coordinator.
"We have to move on multiple fronts and while we are working with members of the House leadership, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Mike Honda (D-CA) as well as Chairman Filner to find a way for S. 1315 to pass the House, we are also making sure that we weigh in on any and all alternative proposals." (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)
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NEW YORK– The US has always been a powerhouse in figure skating. The country has developed excellent ice skaters that in return brought home countless medals from world championships to the winter Olympic Games.
Though the next winter Olympics will not be until 2010, the US has began training its future stars of the rink. Oneof the county’s best bets to win a multitude of medals in the future is a Filipina- American from Connecticut, 17-tear old, Elizabeth Mae Stern.
She is poised to be the next big thing in figure skating, however, at least for now, Elizabeth decided to carry the flag of her home country, the Philippines in the coming competitions instead of the stars and stripes.
Her decision to represent the Philippines in future events came about when she won the National championships in Manila this year. One of the major sponsors of the competition, SM (Shoe Mart) persuaded her to represent the Philippines, even though she is based in the US.
Elizabeth was born in Brooklyn, New York and began her interest with the ice skates at the age of four when her mother, Marlen, enrolled her in a learn to skate program. She has joined and won several figure skating competitions here in the US, including the North Atlantic Regional Championships, and the Eastern Synchronized Team Skating Championships.
Currently, Elizabeth is training in Monsey, New York under a team of professional and former Olympic coaches: Bev Buckley, Peter Burrows, Marylynn Gelderman, Inese Buevica, and Jana Brazee. She is working on a number of triple jumps to augment her already promising repertoire: The Loop, Toe Loop, and Flip and Lutz. She skates three hours a day and goes to school on a part time basis taking English and General Psychology.
Elizabeth will be competing for the Philippines this coming October in Vienna, Austria for the International Figure Skating Competition and in Germany at the end of the year. She also intends to compete in the World Championships in Los Angeles next year, as well as the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
If she qualifies for the Olympics, she will be the first skater to represent the Philippines in figure skating.
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