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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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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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JERSEY CITY– In an unprecedented feat for a Filipino- American newspaper, The United States Senate Executive Committee of Periodical Correspondents has chosen the Filipino Express to cover the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obaman on January 20, 2009 in Capitol
Hill.
In an approval letter received Thursday, January 8, 2009, The Executive Committee tapped this journalist to be a member of the exclusive press core that will cover the inauguration. This achievement by the Filipino Express is not easy to obtain even for the mainstream media.
Given the magnitude of the Obama inaugural, thousands of media companies from all over the world have vied for the opportunity to witness the historic moment, yet the Filipino Express, this humble but prestigious Filipino- American newspaper here in New York and New Jersey, is among the chosen few.
The Obama inaugural is a landmark moment in human history. It is one of those moments that would forever put a line between the old world and the new world– a world that existed before and existed after– a demarcation line, just like when Neil Armstrong first planted his foot on the lunar surface, or when Einstein formulated his Theory of General Relativity.
When Barack Obama places his right hand on the good book, raises his left towards the heavens and utters the oath of office that will bestow upon him the title of the leader of the free world and the most powerful man on earth, very few will have dry eyes. For people of color like us, and for those white Americans who helped the first person of color to become president of the United States, it will be a well of tears. Mind you, these\ tears deserve to be shed. For how long have we put ceilings to our dreams due to the color of our skins? How many times have we turned back every time we are almost there just because we are not comfortable with our shade? Truth is, it had been to long, hence the tears shed for finally seeing it all end.
This is how important January 20 is for Americans and for the entire human race. So it is with great pride and joy for the paper to bring this moment to you first hand, when it happens and where it happens.
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Lealfil's Family Now Accepts Her Fate
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CHICAGO – Only Lealfil G. Alforque’s half of a brand new pair of shoes was left behind when she was swept away into the Pacific Ocean slightly a month ago. Her still grieving fiancÈ Scott H. Napper recalled in
a phone call to this reporter the surreal “uncharacteristic” tragedy that snuffed out their dream of a new married life.
Mr. Napper, 45, a bachelor, said Lealfil was sitting on his lap when they started heading towards the “Proposal Rock.” It was his first time to go to that “Rock.” Lealfil was holding her new pair of gym shoes with her right hand while her left hand was holding his left hand. Scott held his own pair of shoes with his right hand. They were trying to climb the “Proposal Rock” while both of them were in bare feet. When the first rush of water came thru and because of choppy waters, “we let go off each other.”
Because both of their backs were against the Pacific Ocean side of the “Hug Point Beach” in Washington/Oregon Pacific Coast, “we did not even see the next wave of water coming and a wave came thru and took her away and when I turned to my right, she was already 30 feet floating away from me.
“She was so shocked. She never yelled nor screamed while her mouth was wide open.”
This was the recreation of that fateful day of Nov. 29, slightly more than a month ago, of Mr. Napper, who until Wednesday (Dec. 31) could hardly believe that what happened to her happened.
“But her family has now accepted the fact that she was gone,” Napper, a musician by profession, said.
A native of Salem’s suburban Astoria, Oregon, Mr. Napper said Miss Alforque, 22, a recent graduate of a four-year computer science degree from Tangub City, Misamis Occidental in the Philippines, already knew that he was going to marry her “in 90 days” as part of the bureaucratic rigmarole before the approval of her fiancÈe visa by a U.S. consul in Manila Embassy. But he still wanted to do the formalities of proposing to her at the “Proposal Rock” by presenting her a wedding band, instead of the one-carat diamond ring, “that she wanted in reverse.”
The Rock is between 100- to150-foot wide and approximately half of that is or 75 feet is the length and 50 or 60 feet in height. The tide was stable at 12:20 p.m. and to conclude at 8:20 p.m. They were 70 feet away from the rock when they started running towards it. They were about 30 feet away from the rock as they were climbing towards it when the waves struck her and carried her away.
He said it was about 3:30 p.m. when he looked at his watch. He peeled his coat and sleeves off but he did not know what was happening on the other side of the rock after they unhinged from each other’s hold. And he saw her 30 feet away being carried by the waves with her mouth wide open. A few minutes later, he saw “a girl in coat and made it back. But it was not her.” A massive search and rescue were soon mounted but yielded nothing.
He is now opening a non-tax deductible fund drive to benefit her family. Donation can be sent to the Lealfil G. Alforque Memorial Account with the U.S. BANK, West Salem Branch at 110 Wallace Road, NW SALEM, OR 97304 U.S.A. with Tel. 503.581.9994. Or the donation money can also be sent to her family care of her father, Mr. Felix Alforque at 4th South Street, Barangay Migcanaway, Tangub City 7214 Misamis Occidental, Philippines.
Mr. Napper felt very bad with what happened to Lealfil because she was taking care of her little sister, Nicole, who has epilepsy, when she became his fiancÈe. Lealfil is one of the six children of Mr. Alforque, a Tangub city government employee, and his wife, Emilia, a homemaker.
He could not hold a memorial service for her in his Silverton home because Lealfil had just arrived three days in America when the tragedy happened and only his mother, Dorothy, knew her. They would have married last Saturday, Dec. 6, at Silver Creek Falls, Lower North Falls, 17 miles from his Silverton home to coincide with second year anniversary of their first contact. On the day of their scheduled marriage, he left a rose for her and a little note.
Scott will pursue his line work as music teacher and as solo chair or second position for Salem Pop Orchestra and for Heartland Big Band as principal trumpet or fugal horn.
They first met thru online social website called “person.com” on Dec. 6, 2006. They first met in person on Jan. 15, 2008 in Manila and got together for two weeks before spending another week in her Tangub City.
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JERSEY CITY– Filipino- Americans in New York City joined thousands of anti-war activists last Saturday, January 3 in Midtown Manhattan, to demand the end of the Israel’s siege of neighboring Gaza.
The FilAm protesters, mostly from the youth group Ugnayan and Damayan, joined the multi-national assembly in a march towards the Israeli Embassy and the United Nations, then condemed what they believe as a US-led Israeli Invasion with chants supporting the plight of the Palestinian people.
“ This is a travesty,ª said one marcher, who requested for annonimity. ´ It just shows how the US can manipulate other countries to do what it wants without looking too involved. This new war has to end.”
After missle strikes in late December against Hamas targets in Gaza, Israely forces intensified their attacks just recently and conducted ground attacks inside the strip. The onslaught resulted in massive casualties totaling almost 700 as of press time.
Israel’s decision to carry out the offensive was a response to years of rocket attacks and terror plots by Hamas in Israel. The United States and the United Nations have yet to issue a condemnation on the attacks.
The FilAms that rallyied against the Gaza invasion are echoing a similar rhetoric happening all over the world. In the Philippines, protesters hurled giant shoes at Israeli flags infornt of the Israeli embassy in Manila to show their dissaproval. Some groups also picketed in front of the American embassy there to voice out their demands for the US to pressure Israel out of Gaza.
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