Press Release

March 16, 2012

Contact: Jun Cruz NAFCON Public Info Officer

info@nafconusa.org / 415.333.6267

Banish the Snakes from the Philippines

Commemorating Flor Contemplacion on Saint Patrick’s Day

On March 17^th, many Filipinos will wear green for Saint Patrick’s Day. The day is named after Saint Patrick who is accounted to have banished the snakes from Ireland. Although the story is a myth, and in fact snakes have never existed in post-glacial Ireland, metaphorically speaking, there are many snakes that exist today in the Philippines that must be banished.

On the same day as Saint Patrick’s Day, Filipinos remember the anniversary of the wrongful and unjust execution of Filipino migrant worker Flor Contemplacion. Flor was convicted and sentenced to death for murder in Singapore despite a wide array of evidence pointing to her innocence as well as mass appeals throughout the world asking for clemency. All pleas were denied and on March 17^th, 1995 Flor was executed.

The day before Flor’s execution, she expressed that she had already prepared herself for death after all efforts to save her life had been denied. She thanked Filipinos for trying to save her but preferred to end not only her own agony but that of all who supported her as well.

Yet, even close to two decades after her execution, Flor’s story continues to touch many because it is intimately connected to the over four thousand Filipinos who leave the Philippines every day and the over eleven million who have already left. Filipinos continue to leave, with little to no choice, to feed their families because the government has failed for decades to develop a sustainable economy and instead relies on what is called a Labor Export Program (LEP) to hold the country afloat.

Despite the dark reality of facing low wages, horrid working conditions, little protection for human rights, exploitation, harassment, threats, illegal arrests, imprisonment, criminalization, and deportation, like Flor, Filipinos make the sacrifice that at times costs even their life due to lack of decent employment in the Philippines.

It is because of this situation that on Saint Patrick’s Day and the anniversary of Flor Contemplacion’s execution, Filipinos must remember we have our own snakes to banish from the Philippines.

It is important to know and remember that our country is in fact very rich with a vast array of natural resources. The primary reason for the Philippines pervasive poverty is all the “snakes” in government. For too long they have pushed the LEP and failed to implement genuine land reform as well as develop a national industry to harness our nation’s wealth. Throughout the decades the snakes have instead sold our nation’s wealth, including its people, to the elite of other countries and foreign multi-national corporations, pocketing the profits and cheating the Filipino people.

The irony of the situation is that while the estimated 23 billion dollars in 2012 remittances holds the Philippine economy afloat during an economic crisis, the current President Aquino uses the same crisis as basis to increases taxes on OFWs while reducing funds available for basic services and protection.  Yet, it is certain that in tougher economic times the conditions that Filipino migrants face will only worsen and their need for support will increase.

So on the day where the unwritten memo says wear green or get pinched, and people all over have Irish coffee in the morning and a tall one at night, Filipinos should also remember that we have work left to do together.

Currently, the Aquino regime has no policy to end the LEP. Consequently, he has no plan to carry out genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization. His plan is to continue to rely on OFWs to hold up the country’s economy while still decreasing the governments support for them.

So it is imperative that Filipinos throughout the world continue advocating for the Philippine government to end the LEP, to focus on developing a sustainable economy, and to increase support for Filipino migrant workers. We must affirm that not only our remittances matter but so does our voice. This is especially true for Filipinos in the United States since our remittances make up fifty percent of all the money sent back to the homeland.

Of equal importance, we cannot only rely on the Philippine government to protect the many Filipino migrants in the U.S. and throughout the world – their record before and after Flor’s execution in this respect is failing. Everyday Filipinos must unite and work together to defend the rights and welfare of our kababayan until people power eventually can banish the snakes from the Philippines. ###

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At this year’s SanDiwa Conference, we hope to bring together youth and students from all over the Bay Area to discuss immigrant issues, with the aim that this shared experience will make us realize that we, as youth, are part of the migrant struggle and we have a role to play in advancing the rights and welfare of immigrants. Not only will participants be educated about the issues that the Filipino community face, but resources will also be provided to them to take the next steps in addressing these issues. The program of events has been carefully crafted to serve this purpose through the incorporation of this year’s theme: Kababayan, Kabataan, Kumilos. In light of these concrete goals, we strongly request all participants, if capable, to attend the entirety of SanDiwa Conference. Full participation of the conference is recommended in order to best experience and benefit from the program. Participants will have the opportunity to connect issues affecting us as youth living in the United States to issues affecting the larger community, and what we as youth can do to promote and advocate for the rights and welfare of our people both here and in the Philippines. We hope that the participants leave the conference feeling fulfilled, empowered, and united with our role as youth.

Schedule of conference

8:00 – 8:45 Registration
9:00 – 9:30 Welcome and Opening Keynote
9:45 – 11:15 Round 1: KABATAAN (Youth) Workshops
11:25 – 12:55 Round 2: KABABAYAN (Community) Panel and Discussion
12:55 – 1:50 Lunch
2:00 – 3:30 Round 3: KUMILOS (Take Action) Workshops
3:30 – 4:10 Panel: NAFCON Campaigns
4:15 – 5:00 Small Group Discussion
5:15 – 5:45 Closing Keynote and Video
5:45 – 7:00 Dinner
7:00 – 9:00 Sumisigaw Cultural Solidarity Night

Dearest Filipino,

I love you with all my heart and soul!

I have always admired you and felt inspired by your many wonderful talents; your voice so beautiful it gains the most votes in American Idol; your fantastic ability to move to the rhythm of the music you shine to the top of America’s Best Dance Crew, your intellect so smart you invented the karaoke sing along system.

But what I love about you the most is your courage to face the hardships and challenges of our people because our love is born in the hope and struggle for a better future.

I adore that you have critical thoughts about what is going on in the Philippines and I think it’s so sexy that you won’t accept the corruption of the Philippine government. You inspire me most by your commitment to not only talk about the problems but to do something to resolve them.

Darling, I affirm my love and commitment to you and I promise that I will stand by you and continue to fight for you to protect you no matter where you are.  When you were in the U.S. and the authorities threatened to deport you, we organized together, we gathered thousands to stand beside you, and together we succeeded in giving you the choice to stay.

But even after this one success you impressed me so much because you knew our relationship had higher mountains to climb.  You knew that the true fruit of our love was to not only keep you in the U.S. but to one day raise a child who could grow up in a vibrant homeland where all our children wouldn’t have to make the difficult decision to migrate in order to survive.

I know you are the one for me my sweet because our love inspires me to action, motivates me to make a change, and gives me the hope that we can make a difference in the lives of many. You and I together remind me of a famous saying that someone once said, “Justice is what love looks like in public!”

Happy Valentine’s day, mahal!

Mahal kita sa aking puso!

NAFCON!

CLICK HERE to join NAFCON’s Brand New News List!

Hey everyone!

The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) is an alliance of organizations, institutions, and individuals throughout the United States committed to protecting the rights and welfare of the Filipino community in the U.S. and around the world. SanDiwa is the youth arm of NAFCON, and the Northern California chapter consists of the following youth and student organizations:

· Pilipino American Student Union (PASU) of Stanford University

· League of Filipino Students (LFS) of San Francisco State University

· Active Leadership to Advance the Youth (ALAY) in San Francisco

· Filipino Youth Coalition (FYC) in San Jose

· Pagkabata in San Jose

· Anakbayan Silicon Valley

We are pleased to invite you to the SanDiwa-Northern California Regional Conference, which will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at Stanford University. The theme of the conference will be “Kababayan, Kabataan, Kumilos” (Community and Youth, Take Action!).

This day-long conference will feature speakers, workshops, performances, and community organizations. It aims to bring together youth and students around Northern California to learn about and find ways to address pressing issues affecting the Filipino and Filipino American community, covering topics such as education, mental health, workers rights, identity, and particularly immigration.

The regional conference will also feature “Sumisigaw,” SanDiwa’s cultural solidarity night, showcasing the talents of youth and students in NAFCON and ally organizations and among conference participants.

Click the following link to register: http://www.sandiwa.org/?page_id=222! For more information, email us at sandiwa2012@gmail.com.

www.sandiwa.org 40-21 69^th St. Woodside, NY 11377 sandiwa.national@gmail.com

Solidarity Message to the Migrant Filipino Teachers of PG County, Maryland on their Struggle for Justice.

August 1, 2011.

We, the youth and students of Sandiwa, the National Alliance of Filipino American Youth strongly express our firm solidarity with the hundreds of migrant teachers of PG County in Maryland who are struggling for justice.

We are outraged at the conditions that over 500 migrant teachers face right now with the termination of their contracts; cases of detention, deportation, criminalization and intimidation of many of these migrant workers intensify.  We are furious at the US government’s deceit and discriminatory actions against migrant workers as clearly manifested in the cases of these migrant teachers.

Offensives on Filipino migrants in US, like the PG County teachers increase. Cases of labor trafficking such as that of Sentosa health workers, Florida, Arizona and Los Angeles trafficked workers pile up including cases of slavery and dehumanization such as that of Moratal. We criticize the inaction and neglect of the Philippine government to protect these migrant workers whom they pride as heroes of the nation.

Despite these attacks on migrant workers, it is more apparent that the people are organizing, building stronger unities and are empowered to stand up, link arms and directly confront these attacks.

The unity that the migrant teachers of PG county have forged with other workers, students, migrants and other sectors of society to assert your rights and welfare truly inspires us, the youth and students. Let us continue to bring forth a blazing might by fostering a stronger sense of community in tackling concerns and asserting our demands collectively.

We, the sons and daughters of migrants and the migrant youth and students, raise our fists and voices with you in your struggle… In our struggle. We look forward in building with you a vibrant movement of migrant workers who will genuinely fight various forms of aggression and repression against migrants.

Protect the rights and welfare of our teachers!

No to wage theft, joblessness and deportation!

MGA GURO NG BAYAN, NGAYON AY LUMALABAN!

Ms. Anne Beryl Corotan

National Chairperson

SANDIWA; the National Alliance of Filipino American Youth

Migrant Filipino Teachers of PG County, MD: A Primer On Their Struggle for Justice

The recent settlement agreement between the U.S. Department of Labor and PG County Public Schools (PGCPS) pushed hundreds of Filipino migrant teachers Filipino migrant teachers and their supporters to demonstrate in front of the DOL’s main headquarters in Washington, DC two weeks in a row. In April, the DOL determined that PGCPS had willfully violated laws that govern the H‐1B temporary foreign worker visa program. DOL’s investigation discovered that foreign teachers <http://www.penusa.org/> were, in effect, underpaid because they were required to provide for fees that are the responsibility of the employer. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, in a self‐congratulatory manner, celebrated the settlement agreement reached on July 7, 2011 as a victory for the protection of workers’ rights. Many teachers affected by the settlement see it differently. Included in the settlement, PGCPS had agreed to be debarred for two years from filing new petitions, requests for extensions or requests for permanent residency for foreign workers under any employment ‐based visa program. As a result, although 1000+ foreign teachers stand to gain an average payout of $4,044, hundreds have or will see their contracts terminated, and could face deportation or become undocumented. A PGCPS spokesperson acknowledged the contribution and value these teachers brought to the school system and expressed disappointment with the decision but in the same breath admitted it was too costly to continue to sponsor foreign teachers. In June, given a decreased budget, PGCPS faced the decision to cut as many as 700 teaching positions. They were able to encourage more than 500 teachersto accept an early retirement deal leaving around 200 jobs to cut. This is about the same number of foreign teachers whose jobs are immediately impacted by the settlement. The PGCPS spokesperson said, “This decision is in the best interest of our school district and marks the end of a challenging chapter in our school district’s efforts to meet the mandates of the federal government’s No Child Left Behind Act.” But how is cutting the highly qualified migrant teachers brought to PG county to raise the quality of education and with a track record of positive results and dedication supposed to be in the best interest of the students and their families? The PGCPS feels ” now it is time for us to move forward ,” but for the teachers who have gotten the short end of the stick, “moving on” is not an option. The costs they incurred to come to the US both financially and emotionally as well as the economic prospects awaiting them in the Philippines are pushing the teachers to fight for their interests since neither party engaged in settling the issue had the teachers’ best interests at heart. The teachers are not alone in their struggle. The Filipino American community in the DC/MD/VA are has rallied around them. The Philippine embassy has been voicing their plans to exert diplomatic efforts to assist the teachers in their quest to stay. As one of the supporters of these teachers, Katarungan strongly advises the embassy to also advertise, mobilize, and make easily accessible the appropriate resources and programs in place for these “modern Filipino heroes” so that any teacher that chooses to return or is forced to return to the Philippines is properly supported. Katarungan is not blind to the fact that the Philippine government, even under President Aquino, has used Filipino OCWs and im/migrants the world over to prop up the ailing economy through state exactions and remittances. Instead of relying on a labor export policy with unacceptable social costs, the Philippine government should genuinely focus on providing decent and competitive jobs in the Philippines. In the coming weeks, the teachers and their supporters vow to escalate protests, educate and form solidarity with fellow teachers, their students and the broader public for their struggle. Katarungan vows to exert maximum efforts for this cause and predicts that this struggle may unfortunately be a precursor to more Filipino migrant teachers in other cities losing their jobs in a like manner as the economic crisis in the US continues. There is estimated to be over 19,000 migrant teachers in the US. The majority of these teachers are Filipinos.

###

Useful contacts to learn more about the issue:

PEN

‐USA (Pilipino Educators Network)

The Pilipino Educators Network is a dynamic alliance of Filipino educators in in Prince George’s County,

Maryland geared towards the advancement of professional excellence and advocacy of Filipino heritage.

PEN is a public voice of Filipino educators that provides leadership and networking opportunities. It

establishes means for mutual assistance, collaboration, and cooperation and initiates programs and

activities, which promote Philippine culture and traditions.

Website: http://www.pen‐usa.org/

Contact person name: Mr. Carlo Parapara

Email: cbparapara@yahoo.com

Katarungan: Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights in the Philippines

KATARUNGAN was formed in 2006 in response to the international campaign to stop the extra‐judicial

killings and other human rights violations in the Philippines. Since then, it has transformed from an adhoc

committee to a center that would promote peace, justice, and human rights in the Philippines through research, education and grassroots advocacy.

Website: http://www.katarungan‐dc.org/

Contact person name: Jo Quiambao

Email: katarungan2009@gmail.com

NAFCON at PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE 2011!

This Sunday, June 5, please join the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) at the Philippine Independence Day Parade! Let us wear our brightest RED shirts to symbolize our message: STOP TRAFFICKING OUR PEOPLE and STOP THE ABUSE OF OVERSEAS FILIPINO WORKERS (OFWs)!

 

Meeting place at 37th St between Madison and Park Avenues @ 1030am. Look for NAFCON flag. See you there! Please pass! Thank you!

 

Some photos of NAFCON contingent from previous years:

PIDC 2007 (Justice for Sentosa Nurses ++!!!)

 

PIDC 2008 (Got rice? Got independence?)

 

PIDC 2008 (Got rice? Got independence?)

 

PIDC 2009 (NO to CHA-CHA! NO to CON-ASS!)

PIDC 2009 (NO to CHA-CHA! NO to CON-ASS!)

 

PIDC 2010 (Bagong Pagbabago!)

 

PIDC 2010 (Bagong Pagbabago!)

 

 

Let us continue marching for the rights and welfare of Filipinos abroad and at home! This year, let us march for our trafficked brothers and sisters and say “STOP TRAFFICKING OUR PEOPLE!”

 

Mabuhay ang manggagawang Pilipino! Mabuhay ang Migrante!

 

www.nafconusa.org

Filipina/o-American Youth Commemorate December 10, International Human Rights Day, with Reaffirming Commitment to the Protection of Rights and Welfare of All People

December 10, 2010

Reference: Ryan Leano, Secretary General, SanDiwa National Alliance of Fil-Am Youth
Email: sandiwa.national@gmail.com

SanDiwa National Alliance of Fil-Am Youth joins all human rights defenders and supporters around the world in commemorating International Human Rights Day. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was signed December 10, 1948 by 48 countries, including the Philippines and United States. 62 years later, despite these countries’ ratification of the UDHR, human rights violations continue at an alarming rate. With the ongoing abductions, torture, and extrajudicial killings of civilians & activists under the Philippine government’s counter insurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya (Operation Freedom Watch) in connection to the unilateral Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the U.S. and the Philippines, the recent attacks on Filipina/o nurses & domestic workers in the U.S., the suicides & hate crimes against LGTBQ youth in the U.S., and the slashing of the education budgets in the Philippines and the U.S., the task for Filipina/o youth & students to defend and uphold human rights comes with great and imperative urgency.

During the presidency of U.S.-supported Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, over 1,000 cases of abductions, torture, and extrajudicial killings of activists and civilians occured. The much-hated Arroyo administration was replaced in June 2010 with now President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III, under the campaign of hope & change, mirroring the presidential campaign of U.S. President Barack Obama. However, in Noynoy’s first 100 days in office and continuing after, at least 25 cases of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings have occurred, which by witnesses’ accounts point to the Philippine military as responsible. To date, not one person has been tried or convicted in any of these crimes against humanity. These human rights violations occurred during Arroyo’s counter-insurgency campaign of Oplan Bantay Laya, a bloody campaign that continues today with the Aquino administration. These campaigns of the Philippine military, in cooperation with the VFA, operate under the guise of fighting the “war on terror.” However, the VFA makes the entire Philippines a virtual military base for the U.S. and funds the Philippine military, effectively subsidizing human rights violations.

Because of these rampant human rights violations and worsening massive poverty, nearly 4,000 Filipina/os make the forced choice to leave the Philippines for literal livelihood. With a population of over 4 million, the U.S. is home to the largest Filipina/o population outside the Philippines. Despite contributing to U.S. society as hardworking nurses, domestic workers, and youth & students, Filipina/os in the U.S. face countless racism and discrimination issues, many in 2010 alone. Anti-immigration legislation such as Arizona SB 1070 have become rally points for rising anti-immigrant sentiment.  Filipina/o nurses have face discriminatory hiring practices and “English Only” work policies at various hospitals in the U.S. Filipina/o domestic workers & caregivers are forced to work 24-hour workdays with pay being withheld. Education, a very prominent value among Filipina/os, has been continually slashed in its budget, rendering college unaffordable to many working class students, including Filipina/o Americans. In the LGBTQ community, suicides and hate crimes have become an epidemic. For many Filipina/o American LGTBQ youth, the double discrimination of being Filipina/o and queer is an unfortunate and unneeded burden. We must ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and non-gender conforming rights and commit to dismantling homophobia, heterosexism, and transphobia.

Despite human rights violations across all sectors, the vibrant people’s collective action have gained several human rights victories in 2010. In New York, the Domestic Worker’s Bill of Rights was signed into law, ensuring the rights of privately-employed housekeepers, nannies, and caregivers. Filipina/os constitute a significant population of domestic workers in the U.S. A growing campaign of Filipina/o nurses in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Virginia are currently addressing discriminatory policies at various hospitals. The youth & student movement in the Philippines and U.S. have grown tremendously in aggressively addressing the slashing of the education budget and rising tuition costs. More recently, President Aquino ordered the dismissal of the trumped-up charges against the Morong 43, effectively ensuring their freedom. The Morong 43 are health workers who have been political prisoners since February 2010, accused by the Philippine military of being insurgents against the government. During their illegal detainment, they were physically and mentally tortured by the Philippine military. Two women of the 43 gave birth while in detainment. Aquino’s order of dismissal of charges against the Morong 43 came as a result of immense pressure from human rights defenders and supporters in the Philippines and internationally clamoring for their unconditional release. The Morong 43 are hoped to be released very soon and be reunited with their families in time for Christmas.

SanDiwa celebrates the victories in the cause for human rights, commemorates the victims of human rights violations, and reaffirms its staunch and unwavering commitment to defending and protecting the rights and welfare of all human beings, and will continue to do so until true justice is served to the victims and their families. While these victories should be celebrated, it must also be recognized that there are much more human rights battles to be fought, whether they be institutional, interpersonal, and/or internal. SanDiwa will continue to link arms with its kababayan in the Philippines and human rights defenders and supporters around the globe, moving forward with the struggle, upholding the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and recognizing and protecting the dignity of every human being.

###

SanDiwa, the youth and students arm of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), is a national alliance of youth, students, activists, and community youth organizations, united to (re)educate, celebrate, and advocate for issues that affect our Filipino communities in the United States and in the Philippines. As an alliance, we seek to work cross-culturally in reclaiming our humanity and to work collaboratively with “other” minority groups to protect the rights and welfare of young Filipinos all over the United States.

Press Statement

Reference: NAFCON National Office

Email: info@nafconusa.org

people and displacing thousands more. Although many consider Ondoy as one of the

worst “natural” catastrophes in Philippines history, Rev. Benjamin Alforque, NAFCON

President commented, “The real catastrophe is not the typhoon but the government

neglect and corruption that led to the overwhelming number of avoidable casualties.”

For decades, members of the government profited by selling mining and logging rights to

foreign corporations without regard for its people. The irresponsible mining and logging

destabilized the soil where thousands of Filipinos live. Soil destabilization created places

prone to severe mudslides that toppled over and wiped away entire communities during

Ondoy. Rev. Alforque continued, “If the government acted in the interests of its people,

they would have prohibited the mining and logging to protect our kababayan.”

The government-made catastrophe continued when Ondoy hit and the nation had no

money for emergency relief. Anne Beryl Corotan, Chairperson of SanDiwa (NAFCON’s

youth and student arm) commented, “The government could not even afford to purchase

rubber boats to rescue survivors of the floods.” The President at the time, Gloria

Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), spent the entire P800 million relief fund on extravagant trips

throughout the world.

The government’s role in creating disaster became clearer when a blogger named Ella

released pictures of entire government warehouses filled with rotting relief goods. Even

after people throughout the world responded in force to assist victims of the typhoon, the

government could not deliver.

In the face of the GMA administration’s failures, NAFCON organizations coordinated

relief work independent of the government. NAFCON initiated BAYANihan for

Philippine Disaster Relief. In partnership with Migrante International, a migrants’

organization working directly with the communities most effected, whom are also

families of migrant workers around the world, NAFCON made sure that the donations

gathered would be distributed immediately to those people who needed them.

As part of NAFCON’s relief effort, money along with hundreds of balikbayan boxes

began piling up at the different drop-off sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los

Angeles, and New York/New Jersey. In the end, BAYANihan for Philippine Disaster

Relief generated 750 boxes of goods as well as over $50,000 in cash.

In June 2010, Ryan Leano of SanDiwa, visited with Migrante. Leano commented,

“Migrante took me to visit the communities that received our donations. The people sold

much of the donated clothes to help buy beds, building materials and tools. They are still

rebuilding.”

One year after Ondoy, former President and now Congresswoman Arroyo still needs to

be prosecuted for her role in the government-made catastrophe. Rev. Alforque said,

“Arroyo needs to be held accountable, not only for her failures in the wake of Ondoy, but

for the series of corrupt practices throughout her administration.”

###

The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) is a national network of Filipino

organizations, institutions, and individuals committed to advancing the rights and

welfare, celebrating culture and history, and building unity among Filipinos living and

working in the United States. Founded in 2003, NAFCON members are based in over 23

cities across the country. Member organizations include: SanDiwa National Alliance of

Fil-Am Youth, National Ecumenical Forum for Filipino Concerns, Filipino Community

Center–San Francisco, Filipino Community Support–Silicon Valley, Philippine

Forum—New York and New Jersey, F.I.R.E.—New York, Habi Arts—Los Angeles,

Liwanag Kultural Center—Daly City, Filipino Ministry of DSB—San Bernardino,

Fellowship for Filipino Migrants—Illinois, and Filipino Migrant Heritage Commission—

Virginia.

SanDiwa, the youth and students arm of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns

(NAFCON), is a national alliance of youth, students, and community youth

organizations, united to (re)educate, celebrate, and advocate for issues that affect our

Filipino communities in the United States and in the Philippines. As an alliance, we seek

to work cross-culturally in reclaiming our humanity and to work collaboratively with

“other” minority groups to protect the rights and welfare of young Filipinos all over the

United States.