By JUN MEDINA
SAN FRANCISCO – Ethnic Filipinos across the United States are pitching in to a movement to support the presidential tandem of Philippine senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, Jr. and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, and help them win the Philippine national elections May this year.
Central to achieving this mission are the Pinoy votes the movement must be able to secure for the Aquino-Roxas tandem, as well as the financial and logistical support it could provide to help move a robust, winning campaign all over the Philippine archipelago.
Initially, the movement has set a target of $2 million, to be raised out of contributions from Filipinos in the United States.
With “Ituloy ang Laban!” (Continue the struggle!) as their battle cry, members of the U.S. Pinoys for Noynoy-Mar (USP4NM) want to make a difference in boosting the Liberal Party bets’ bid in the May 10 Philippine elections, organizers said.
Rodel Rodis, chair of the Northern California chapter, said they decided to support the Aquino and Roxas tandem because they think the duo has the leadership qualities that would move the Philippine forward.
“We are greatly impressed with the competence and integrity of both Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas,” Rodis said from San Francisco.
Organized by members of the Ninoy Aquino Movement, USP4NM group is now a full-fledged national organization with chapters already formed, and are being formed in cities and states throughout the United States.
The movement was born during an informal get-together sometime in September at the South San Francisco home of Gloria Navarette among old friends, who had fought for justice following the August 21, 1983 assassination of Filipino icon Benigno Aquino Jr.
Today, the Noynoy-Mar movement has chapters in key cities all over the U.S., such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Las Vegas, according to its website.
The organization’s goals, as announced in its website, Noymar2010.com, are to campaign among registered Filipino voters in the U.S. to vote for the Noynoy-Mar tandem and to rally U.S. Pinoys, whether registered voters or not, to contact their relatives, friends, and acquaintances all over the Philippines to vote for Noynoy-Mar.
$2-M pledge
The group has also pledged to raise $2 million for the Noynoy-Mar campaign by getting at least 100,000 U.S. Pinoys to contribute $25 each.
There is “unprecedented” interest in the May elections among Filipinos in America, Rodis said, adding that such attitude reflects their desire for meaningful change in the homeland.
“No other political campaign has mobilized the Filipino community in the U.S. as much as the Noynoy-Mar campaign has,” said Rodis, who said none of their members are getting paid and come to help as volunteers.
NorCal chapter
Rodil said he hosted members of the Northern California chapter of the USP4NM on December 30, 2009 at his residence to map out plans for the 2010 campaign.
Membership committee chair Emmie de La Cruz reported that the chapter now has 148 registered members. Among the 40 members at the meeting were Filipinas Magazine publisher Greg Macabenta, Philippine Medical Society past rresident Dr. Carmelo Roco and Integrated Bar of the Philippines California chapter president Rene Pascual.
In that meeting, the NorCal chapter decided to continue the series of town hall meetings for Noynoy-Mar, which have already been held in four counties – San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa.
Under the committee chaired by Mike Macapagal, the group has scheduled town hall meetings in the next two months in the following cities: San Jose, Alameda, Vallejo, Sacramento, and San Ramon.
Community leader Alice Bulos of South San Francisco said a key objective of their group is to educate and empower U.S.-based Filipinos on how best to help their countrymen across the Pacific.
“Every one of us wants good and honest men to lead the Philippines,” Bulos said by phone. “And the best way to achieve that is by helping elect leaders who are committed to the common good – leaders who will put the interests of the nation above all else.”
The 79-year-old Bulos, considered the “Grand Old Dame” of the Bay Area Filipino community, thinks the estimated 2.4 million plus ethnic Filipinos in America can make a difference in the coming elections because they have relatives, friends and acquaintances in every barrio, town, and city in the Philippines.
Bulos, a former professor at the University of Santo Tomas before immigrating in 1970, observed that most Pinoys in America have strong ties with relatives and friends in the old country, which they could use in effecting electoral change.
“If we can get Filipinos in the U.S. to use their influence to persuade their relatives, friends and acquaintances in the Philippines to vote for Noynoy-Mar, then our influence will affect the outcome of the elections,” Rodis added.Cory Aquino memorial
The NorCal group has agreed to celebrate the birth anniversary of Cory Aquino on Sunday, January 24 (January 25 in the Philippines) with a memorial Mass at St. Patrick’s Church in San Francisco.
That will be followed with a fund-raiser for the Noynoy-Mar campaign on January 31 at Edna’s Ichiban restaurant in South San Francisco. Chairing the fundraising committee is Charito Benipayo, assisted by Marian Catedral-King and Erlinda Galeon.
Plans were also presented to hold a People Power for Noynoy-Mar rally at San Francisco’s Union Square on February 25 to coincide with the 24th anniversary of EDSA People Power, the military-back civilian uprising that toppled then strongman Ferdinand Marcos.
The event will simultaneously be celebrated throughout the United States and throughout the Philippines.
At the December 30 meeting, chapter chair Rodis also provided the members with an update on the move to get the Philippine Supreme Court to order the Comelec to extend the voter registration deadline for overseas Filipinos.
Members Ted Laguatan and Fluellen Ortigas reported on their recent trip to the Philippines and on their meeting with Sen. Noynoy Aquino to update him on the activities of the group.
NY group launches website
The New York chapter of USP4NM was formed on December 12, 2009 when community icon Loida Nicolas-Lewis and her sister, Imelda Nicolas, hosted a town hall meeting attended by 75 members of the Filipino community.
At the meeting, Lewis announced the launching of the group’s website, NoyMar2010.com, which will be used to inform the community about the activities of the group and on the reasons for supporting the Noynoy-Mar ticket.
The website has also been connected to Paypal to allow Philippine citizens, including dual citizens, the opportunity to financially contribute to the Noynoy-Mar campaign.
After forming the New York chapter, Lewis also set up Noynoy-Mar chapters in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut. Filipinos in other East Coast cities have contacted her about organizing chapters in their localities.
Lewis also plans to visit Michigan and Texas to help set up Noynoy-Mar chapters in those states.
SoCal Pinoys organize
Filipinos in Los Angeles met on December 13 at the residence of Rocio Nuyda in Reseda to form the Southern California chapter. Aside from Ms. Nuyda, the principal organizers and convenors of the group are Wally Reyes, Josie Castro and Prosy de la Cruz.
At their initial meeting, chapter fundraising chair Leo Maranan announced that the group had raised $1,533 to contribute to the Noynoy-Mar campaign. The group laid out plans to host a series of “Salo-Salo for Noynoy-Mar” events in cities throughout Southern California.
“We believe that the tandem of Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas can provide the political change in the Philippines come 2010, resulting in a corruption-free and morally-upright government,” Reyes and Nuyda said.
Among those who attended the rally were members of the USA Pinoy Pinay, the U.S. La Salle Alumni Association, and private individuals.
Also introduced during the affair were the various committee heads of the southern California chapter, as follows: Secretariat and overall coordination, Wally and Maryrose Reyes and Herbert Wenceslao; fund raising chairperson, Leo Maranan; publicity, Val Abelgas; finance, Jerry Hermogino; legal affairs, Chito Barredo; logistics, Rocio Nuyda; special events, Grace Walker; associations coordination, Josie Castro.
Copies of the candidates’ platform, entitled “A Social Contract with the Filipino People” which speaks of the national leadership in need of transformational change and about a people crying out for change, were distributed to the attendees so that they could explain the platform of Aquino and Roxas to Filipinos in Southern California.
Also during the afternoon event, video clips showcasing the candidates’ speeches were played. To start off the fund-raising, official yellow campaign shirts of the Noynoy-Mar team and other campaign items were offered to those who attended the event.
Las Vegas activities
A Las Vegas chapter of U.S. Pinoys for Noynoy-Mar was also organized over the Christmas weekend by Wally Reyes at the home of Nanette Alcaro.
Heading the Vegas chapter is Dr. Philip Chua, chair of the Filipino United Network (USA) with Dr. Danny Fabito as his vice-chair and with Ms. Alcaro, Louie Macapinlac, Noly Malig and Jen Salgado assisting in the chapter formation.
The group discussed plans to celebrate Cory Aquino’s birth anniversary at a memorial Mass on Sunday, January 24.
Chicago rally
Filipinos in Chicago also announced plans to hold their Noynoy-Mar rally on Saturday, January 23, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Westin Hotel- Chicago North Shore in Wheeling, Illinois.
The Chicago chapter is being organized by Marlon Pecson, Bart and Yoly Tubalinal, and Jerry Clarito.
Filipinos in the city of Detroit, Michigan, under the leadership of Willie Dechavez, will meet on January 22, at 6:00 pm, with a Prayer and Birthday Celebration for President Cory Aquino.
A Noynoy-Mar townhall meeting will be held at the Fuji Japanese Buffet on Madison Heights, Michigan with Lewis, from New York, as the principal guest.
Rodis urged Filipinos throughout the US who are interested in joining the U.S. Pinoys for Noynoy-Mar to check out the group’s website, NoyMar2010.com, to find out the contact information of the convenors in their areas.
He added that he would be happy to help Pinoys get organized in towns and cities where there are yet no existing chapters, by getting in touch with him at Rodel50@aol.com.
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