Author: Anakbayan New Jersey

Forum on Temporary Protected Status for Philippines Now

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TPSNowForum

WHAT: Community Forum on TPS for Filipinos and 
Candlelight Vigil for Victims of Typhoon Haiyan
 
WHEN: Saturday, February 8th, 2014, 5-7pm
 
WHERE: Pope Lecture Hall – Saint Peter’s University
2641 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07306
 
SPONSORED BY: Taskforce Haiyan NJ &
St. Peter’s University Social Justice Program
 

It has been over two months since super typhoon Haiyan devastated the eastern region of the Philippines and left massive devastation to livelihood and lives. Throughout this time, our communities have come together to help out in solidarity with the typhoon survivors.

Anakbayan NJ recently initiated Taskforce Haiyan NJ, part of a national network that campaigns for sustained fundraising and relief for the Philippines.  We are inviting you to learn about Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Filipinos Now Campaign, and how you can get involved.


*If granted by the Department of Homeland Security, TPS would grant immigration relief to Filipinos here in the U.S. One of the objectives of the campaign is extensive public education to address the Filipino community’s concerns about the possible program.

On behalf of the Taskforce, we would like to invite you to a public educational forum being held on the 3rd month since Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines.

Thank you for your continued support!

For more information, visit:
Taskforce Haiyan- http://taskforcehaiyan.org/
TPS for Filipinos– http://immigranation.com/tps-for-philippines-now/

F3: Filipino Film Festival

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F3frontF3BACK

SPONSORED BY: Anakbayan New Jersey | Film Crafting Collaborative | Taskforce Haiyan New Jersey | Jersey City Public Library

RSVP HERE
FEATURED FILMS 


Mga Liham Mula sa Alaska (Letters from Alaska), 2010 | 11:00AM
8 mins, Directed by Roberto Reyes Ang
Approximately 10 million Filipinos are living and working abroad. LETTERS FROM ALASKA is a bird’s eye view of the stories of these immigrants and migrant workers. It tells the story of Arvi, an immigrant from a small province in the Philippines called Mindoro, who left his hometown for America in search of a better life. Now working as a seafood processor in Alaska, he finds that life can be just as difficult in the US, if not more, than in the Philippines.

This Bloody Blundering Business, 1971 | 1135AM-1205PM
30 mins, Directed by Peter Davis
An incisive and humorous satire on American foreign policy, THIS BLOODY BLUNDERING BUSINESS traces the history of American intervention in the Philippines following the Spanish-American War. A silent movie format with lively ragtime piano music is combined with a dramatically understated narration and excerpts from “newsreels” of the period to reveal the nature of American attitudes toward Third World peoples and cultures. While the film provides an impressively documented analysis of America? “Manifest Destiny,” it also offers compelling insights into that period? significant parallels with contemporary American foreign policy.

Bleached, 2010 | 1210-1235PM
15 mins, Directed by Jess dela Merced
BLEACHED: A young Filipino-American girl loses her identity when she uses a bleaching cream to lighten the color of her skin in order to gain her mother’s approval.

The Brothers of Kappa Pi, 2009 | 1240-0100PM
20 mins, Directed by Roberto Reyes Ang
A documentary that focuses on gang involvement of Filipino immigrant youth and their discovery of a unique brotherhood that left an indelible impact in their lives.THE BROTHERS OF KAPPA PI is the story of a fraternity based in Queens, New York. Kappa Pi is composed of young Filipinos, mainly immigrants, fostering the ideals of their Philippine revolutionary heroes.

Arnis Exhibition by Guro Arnulfo “Dong” Cuesta, Philippine Integrated Martial Arts Academy | 0105-0205PM


Eskrimadors, 2010
66 mins, Directed by Kerwin Go
A look into the ancient and deadly Filipino Martial Art of Eskrima/Kali/Arnis. Eskrimadors traces the development of the fighting art from its roots in tribal warfare, to its evolution into a sport practiced in over 30 countries worldwide. Shot entirely in the island of Cebu, the birthplace of this fighting art.

Pagpag (The Refuse), 2012 | 0210-0225PM
15 mins, Directed byJohn Paul Su
PAGPAG is a story of love and survival in one of the most dangerous landfill slums located in Manila, Philippines. Perla, a 70-year-old ‘pagpag’ –garbage food– vendor, seeks a better life for her granddaughter, and financial relief for herself, by setting up an “audition” to win over adoptive parents from abroad. The resulting clash of cultures (and expectations on both sides) provides an utterly surprising meditation on the nature of family love, and the harrowing effects of desperate poverty.

Kuya Ko (My Big Brother), 2012 | 0230-0245PM

12 mins, Directed by Dean Banting
After being humiliated and bullied on the basketball court, the only thing that 14 year-old Daryll wants is a new pair of sneakers. Instead, he comes home to an older brother who he hasn’t seen in five years. With a language barrier, cultural differences, and a small room the brothers must share, Daryll will learn an important lesson about family.

Sounds of a New Hope, 2009 | 0250-0320PM
40 mins, Directed by Eric Tandoc
SOUNDS OF A NEW HOPE is a documentary film about the life of Filipino-American MC, Kiwi, and the growing use of hip-hop as an organizing tool in the ongoing people’s struggle for national liberation and genuine democracy in the Philippines.

Red Saga, 2004 | 0325-0345PM
16 mins, Directed by Kiri Lluch Dalena
A vivid landscape of metaphor, and a timely and poetic take on the contemporary peasant struggle and the protracted people’s war in the countryside.

0400PM: Closing

~~~~~~~~~

FEATURING ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Adrienne Pamintuan | Roberto Reyes Ang | Christine Fabro | Neil Trope

Thank you for an inspiring 2013! Dare to struggle! Dare to win!

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To all of our friends, family, supporters and allies,

As we are in the first few days of 2014, allow us to say: THANK YOU! Thank you for your continuous support and belief in Anakbayan New Jersey’s work and vision. 2013 wouldn’t have been as successful without you all. Because of this, we are confident to say that we are so ready for 2014. Together, we will continue to dare to struggle and dare to win!

Here are some of our accomplishments this past 2013:

  • Early this year, the Florida 15 Trafficked Filipino workers were granted their T-Visas which allows them to work, adjust their immigration status and even petition their families. Anakbayan NJ played a role in drumming up their case in the media and raising awareness in the community about the realities of labor trafficking. [1]

  • Fought for and won the establishment of the first “in-state” Immigrant Affairs Commission in Jersey City. [2]

  • Raised awareness about the Filipino immigration experience and build support for genuine immigration reform throughout Jersey City and across New Jersey. [3]

  • Helped in gathering support for the Bayanihan Relief & Rehabilitation effort and have successfully convened the first meeting of Taskforce Haiyan New Jersey

  • Last but not the least, Anakbayan NJ helped lead the campaign and win the historic passing of the Tuition Equality Act in New Jersey also known as the New Jersey DREAM Act. [4]

Here are some things we are planning to work in 2014:

  • NJ DREAM Act 2.0! Together with other youth & students in NJ, we’ll be fighting for access to state financial aid for undocumented youth.

  • Student Debt – We are also aiming to take part in the campaign against student debt

  • Help for the Philippines – Organizing for a solidarity & relief mission to the victims of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

  • We’ll be continuing our work on immigrant and workers rights by organizing Filipino immigrants and workers

  • We will continue educating, organizing and mobilizing the youth for the rights and welfare of our communities here in New Jersey and back home in the Philippines.

We wouldn’t have accomplished all of these without you. We hope you continue to support our work through 2014 and beyond in serving our people. Again, salamat! Mabuhay and maligayang bagong taon! (Thank you! Long live and happy new year!)

Here are some ways you can help and support Anakbayan:

1. JOIN – Join the movement! Become a member of Anakbayan now.

I WANT TO JOIN ANAKBAYAN!

2. DONATE – Make a donation ($5, $10, $25, $100+ ) to Anakbayan New Jersey and put on note “for Anakbayan New Jersey”

I WANT TO DONATE!

3. FOLLOW – Stay updated and spread the word about us through social network accounts (twitter, facebook: Anakbayan NJ, Anakbayan NY)

4. RELIEF & REBUILD – Help support our relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by the Super storm Haiyan by donating to NAFCON’s Bayanihan Relief and Rehabilitation Program.

I WANT TO HELP

With love and solidarity,

Anakbayan New Jersey Family 🙂

Filipino- American Youth Celebrate Historic Community Victory for New Jersey DREAMers

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Filipino- American Youth Celebrate Historic Community Victory for New Jersey DREAMers
 
Anakbayan Calls to Unite and Strengthen the Movement for Immigrant Rights in the U.S.

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For Immediate Release
 
Press Statement
 
December 31, 2013
 
References:
Bea Sabino, Chairperson, Anakbayan NJ, (201) 779 6886
Nina Macapinlac, Member, Anakbayan NJ, (973) 641 9735
Email: anakbayannj@gmail.com
 
Anakbayan New Jersey commends the passage of the In-State Tuition Bill, which was signed into law by Governor Chris Christie on Friday, December 20. Through the sustained efforts of a youth-led movement, New Jersey now joins 18 other states with similar policies, marking a major milestone for grassroots community organizing in the state.
 
 
Effective immediately, undocumented youth who have attended at least 3 years of high school in New Jersey now qualify for in-state tuition rates at institutions of public higher education. Commonly referred to as the NJ DREAM Act, the bill had initially opened tuition assistance programs like Tuition Aid Grants (TAG) to undocumented students.
 
However, the Governor struck provisions for state financial aid following a compromise reached with Democratic legislators. Christie expressed misplaced concerns that such provisions would turn NJ into a “magnet state,” and that access to these programs was an overreach and harmful to the state economy.
 
These arguments are untrue because financial aid to undocumented immigrant students would make up less than 1% of state aid, with less than 1000 students per year estimated to qualify after completing the FAFSA application and meeting income standards. Moreover, states with similar laws like New Mexico, California and Texas already offer access to state aid and have not experienced negative economic consequences.
 
Up From the Grassroots
 
Though only a partial version of the NJ DREAM Act, the successful campaign for In-State Tuition is a historic victory for Filipino youth and other immigrant communities. It is the culmination of more than a decade of community organizing and lobbying. It is a glimpse of what the future can hold for strong, united and organized communities.
 
Last year, the NJ DREAM Act Coalition (NJDAC), a product of the initial push for tuition equality from 2009, partnered up with New Jersey United Students (NJUS), Anakbayan NJ (AB-NJ) and Wind of the Spirit (WOTS) to build a coalition to revive the campaign following President Obama’s announcement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program.
 
By building a grassroots movement of youth, community, faith-based and labor groups, reinforced with engaging with state legislators through lobbying visits, the NJ Tuition Equity for DREAMers (NJTED) campaign demonstrated the power of collective action in challenging unjust and discriminatory policies in the face of legislative bureaucracy and partisan bickering.
 
Filipino Americans- Cultivating a Culture of Solidarity
 
Filipinos in NJ had much at stake in this issue. An estimated one in every six Filipinos in the United States is undocumented. With a growing population of 125,000 Filipinos, New Jersey has the fifth largest population of Filipinos in the nation.
 
Filipino-Americans played a significant role in this year’s fight for the NJ DREAM Act, especially in Jersey City, which is home to the second highest concentration of Filipinos in the state. On February 27, Anakbayan NJ worked closely with then-Councilman-at-Large [now, Council President] Rolando Lavarro Jr. and community allies to bring forth what had been the first municipal resolution endorsing the call for tuition equality in NJ.
 
Pursuing the legacy of solidarity work from exemplary Filipino-American activists such as Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz, Fil-Am youth leaders helped coordinate and organize local and statewide actions that featured the re-emerging immigrant rights movement in NJ. The “NJ DREAM Act Week of Action” in May and “Share the DREAM Rally” in November brought together groups and individuals from diverse backgrounds, united in the mission to uplift immigrant communities from the injustices caused by racism and discrimination.
 
DREAM On
 
The In-State Tuition law is a stepping stone towards further progress. Anakbayan NJ and the rest of NJTED coalition remain dedicated to genuine tuition equality and will continue fighting for a complete NJ DREAM Act, which includes the crucial piece of providing access to state financial aid to already distressed undocumented youth and their families.
 
The next immediate step is ensuring implementation of the law. In time for the spring semester, public colleges and universities must be guided, and held accountable, in the transitional process of adjusting tuition policies for undocumented students.
 
Resolution: Organize and Fight to End Modern-Day Segregation
 
AB-NJ also reaffirms its commitment to the broader cause for genuine comprehensive immigration reform in the United States, which must include an end to deportations, family separation, and institutionalized discrimination against all immigrants, while also addressing the root causes of migration.
 
This New Year, Anakbayan NJ calls on Filipino youth, especially DREAMers, to resolve to be part of this generation’s continuation of the civil rights movement. History has shown that those who dare to come out of the shadows are the ones who stand a chance at overcoming oppression.
 
Our identity as Fil-Ams takes root in five centuries worth of immigration history and community activism. Become a member or supporter of Anakbayan today! Email Yves Nibungco, Secretary General of Anakbayan NJ, at yvesnibungco@gmail.com with “AB NJ Membership” on the subject line.
 
Higher Education For All!
No Human Being is Illegal!
Fight for Genuine Comprehensive Immigration Reform!!
Dare to struggle! Dare to win!
Makibaka! Huwag Matakot! (Fight! Do not fear!) ###

A Migrant’s Message to Fellow Migrant Workers: Unite and Keep Up the Fight!

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A Migrant’s Message to Fellow Migrant Workers: Unite and Keep Up the Fight!

By Cecil Delgado

Mother, Migrant Worker, “Florida 15” Labor Trafficking Survivor, Activist

Speech to NJ youth and students, ex-Braceros at the International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees 4 (IAMR4) Information Session at St. Peter’s University on September 14, 2013

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Good afternoon everyone, Buenas Tardes a todos los braceros (good afternoon to all the braceros). Ako po si Cecil Delgado (I am Cecil Delgado), a mother of an 11yr old boy, a migrant worker and part of Florida 15, a Human Trafficking Survivor.

A month ago, I was asked by Yves Nibungco [secretary general of Filipino youth activist group, Anakbayan New Jersey] to share our story for the nth time. At first, I was hesitant to do this. I was scared I might say things that people wouldn’t understand. I was scared that I might fail to deliver the message. Then I remembered that around 2007, in front of 10 corporate officers and almost 200 crew members of different nationalities, I put my employment at risk by standing up and asking questions on behalf of the crew members who didn’t have the courage to speak for themselves. I never thought raising questions to management could be a reason to send me home, a reason for them to end my career as a Seafarer.

The company decided to send me home because they considered me as a threat, that I am an activist. At first, I wasn’t sure about that [being an activist], but I was sure of one thing- that I stood up and fought for I what I knew was right.

That is the reason I am standing in front of you- because by telling MY story, or OUR [Florida 15’s] story, I would be able to inspire and encourage 200 more victims to come out of the shadows, or maybe 200 more braceros to seek justice.

I hope that by sharing our story, people will be inspired and encouraged, just as how Leticia Moratal and Jackie Aguirre’s [Filipino survivors of labor trafficking in New York] stories inspired us.

As I was saying, aside from working in different hotels and high-end restaurants in the Philippines, I was a Seafarer before. I ventured into sea-based employment because aside from providing a good salary, I also got to visit different countries. Unfortunately, it ended only after 4 years of working for them.

I was helping my family run a business back in the Philippines when a friend of mine encouraged me to apply at an agency that will send workers abroad. Luckily, after a month of processing, I was hired to work as a waitress. March 2008 was when I first set my feet on Miami, Florida. 2008 was the year I migrated to the United States as a contract worker.

I personally decided to migrate simply because, as what everybody says- “We want a better future for our family”. A future that my country doesn’t offer, a future that you cannot find in the Philippines.

My initial intention was only to work, earn and save, but I ended up to be a Human Trafficking victim or a Victim of Unfair Labor Practices. I couldn’t believe that I can be a victim of such thing, because when i was applying for the job, everything seemed legitimate, fair and legal- complete trainings, paperwork, and documents from the United States were handed to me. I also didn’t know that the term “Labor Trafficking” existed. Before, whenever I hear the word “Trafficked Victim”, sex trafficking came to mind, but I was wrong.

It was only after 3 years after having resigned as an Executive Assistant of Jose Villanueva, a Filipino employer who owned SanVilla Ship, the agency that took us from the Philippines and brought us here, that it hit me- Human Trafficking is really happening here in the United States.

I never worked as a full time waitress, which my contract stated. Rather, I worked as a 24/7 Executive Assistant. In that role, I witnessed everything- payroll discrepancies, tax fraud, visa fraud, forced labor, unauthorized deductions, etc. I was also forced to multitask and maximize my time to minimize my loads. I was working 60-70 hours/wk, no overtime pay, paid less, managing almost 100 employees and attending to their concerns, meeting clients here and there, scouting, driving, managing timesheets- you name it! I did it all by myself. My experience and knowledge of the situation made it easy for me to seek Atty. Vinluan’s [Florida 15’s attorney] advice through the endorsement of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON). Atty. Vinluan then validated that I was a Human Trafficking victim, along with 14 others from SanVilla Ship.

A family member once asked me if working abroad is easy or hard. The answer always depends on one’s current situation. Let’s just say it’s both easy and hard. Easy because you are earning more than what you can earn in your home country, because you can buy what you want whenever you want it, and easy because you can visit different places and meet new friends along the way.

On the other hand, it’s hard because, aside from being away from your family for an indefinite period of time, you are also putting your life in danger or putting your future at risk. Death of a family member, broken families, and separation of husband and wife are becoming part of the “unwritten contract” for migrant workers.

Being in another country is always a gamble. Almost like playing a card game; magkamali ka ng balasa, next thing you know ikaw na ung nasa box (if you shuffle the cards wrong, you end up being trapped in the box). Minsan masarap din maging migrante dahil madalas we send “balikbayan boxes” to our families, pero minsan nakakatakot din, dahil minsan ang MIGRANTE na mismo ang laman ng box (Sometimes, it feels good being an immigrant worker because we can often send “balikbayan boxes” to our families; but sometimes it is scary because many migrants also sent home in boxes [coffins].)

What is most difficult from a Mother’s/ Migrant Worker’s/ Victim’s point of view, is when you fight your battle without seeing your Government in the equation. They always forget the fact that their purpose is to first, protect the migrant workers, ensure that we are safe, ensure that we are getting the assistance and help that we need, and most importantly, to ensure na tayo po ay makakabalik pa ng buhay sa bansa nating pinaggalingan (that we are able to go back home alive, thriving).

Our case has been running for 2 years now and the Philippine government has only helped us once, with our persistence. Until now, we are still waiting for the rest of the legal assistance fund for our lawyer which they promised a year ago.

Being a Migrant Worker is not as easy as what our families, or society, think. The Florida 15 filed its case against our former employer in 2011. February of this year, we received our T-Visa and employment cards. If it wasn’t because of these Community organizations and our lawyer who have been helping and never ceased to support us, if it wasn’t because we decided to engage ourselves with them, if it wasn’t because we decided to be united, maybe we’d still be waiting for nothing to this day.

By acting together, we are now reaping the fruits of our collective efforts. Just recently, around July, I finally signed and filed a petition for my son. A son who I haven’t seen in almost 6 years, a son that I haven’t seen play basketball or soccer, a son that I haven’t watched in his swimming competitions…a son who I begged to have but had to leave.

Our Lawyer said he can arrive before this year ends. I don’t know if I should be excited to see him or scared because we may not have the same old connection as before, but I am sure that my son is one reason I have remained strong through these years.

They say “A woman becomes stronger because of the pain she has faced and won”. I believe this also goes to all the Migrant Workers. Everyday, we are facing unseen battles. Don’t step back, move forward and always think that in fighting a battle you either win or lose; but what matters is you chose to stand up and fight for your rights.

To ALL the Migrant Workers out there, times have molded us. We have had enough pain and suffering. This is the time that we need to put our actions together. It may not be an easy path, but things always get better if we are ALL in the fight together.

Muli, ako po si Cecil Delgado (Again, I am Cecil Delgado), a Mother, a Migrant Worker, once a Victim but now a SURVIVOR, and Migranteng Militante (fighting migrant) in rising!

Marami pong salamat at Mabuhay ang Migranteng Manggagawa (Thank you very much and long live the migrant workers)!

~~~~~

The IAMR4 brings to the forefront the voices of migrants and refugees internationally for a 5 day convergence. The conference will counter the United Nation’s High Level Dialogue on migration and development that has historically excluded the true conditions and voices of migrants and refugees. For more information, visit http://iamr4.com/. To register to the IAMR4 conference this coming Oct. 1-5, 2013 in New York City, click here.

We Are Human Beings! We are Not for Sale!
We Refuse to Let Corporate Agendas Plan our Lives!
We Speak for Ourselves!

Info Session on the International Assembly of Migrants & Refugees 4

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Come join us for an info session regarding the International Assembly of Migrants & Refugees 4 and learn how you can get involved.

What: Info Session on IAMR4
When: Sept. 14, Saturday | 5pm – 8pm
Where: Pope Lecture hall, Saint Peter’s University | 2641 Kennedy Boulevard Jersey City, NJ 07306

The IAMR4 brings to the forefront the voices of migrants and refugees internationally for a 3 day convergence. The conference will counter the United Nation’s High Level Dialogue on migration and development that has historically excluded the true conditions and voices of migrants and refugees. 

We Are Human Beings! We are Not for Sale!
We Refuse to Let Corporate Agendas Plan our Lives!
We Speak for Ourselves!

———————————————————————————-
GUEST SPEAKERS

Cris Hilo, IAMR4 Coordinator
– For the past six years, Cris Hilo has been educating, organizing, and mobilizing in the Filipino community around immigrant rights and issues of violence against women and children with Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE-NYC) GABRIELA USA. 

Cecil Delgado 
– 33yrs old, from Makati City and a mother of a young 9yr old boy who is currently in the Philippines. She is one of the fifteen Filipino trafficking survivors from Florida now known as the “Florida 15”. She used to work as a shift leader in one of the fine dining spanish restaurant in Manila and had worked as a waitress for four years on board a passenger cruise line bound for Europe. She came here in the US in 2008 and have worked as the Executive Assistant of Jose Villanueva, CEO of Sanvilla.

Coordinadora Binacional de Ex Braceros (COBIEB)
– has been organizing since 1998 for the pensions of the Ex Braceros. COBIEB is a groups of Ex-Braceros and their family members still fighting for justice. To this day, there has been no remittance of their pensions from the U.S. and Mexican governments. Braceros were more than 4.6 million Mexican workers who labored in the fields and construction sites of the United States from1942 – 1964 in order to support the US during and after World War II. “Bracero” comes from the word “brazo” which means “arm” since most of the work was primarily manual labor as farmworkers.

———————————————

For more information please contact, email us at anakbayannj@gmail.com or callYves Nibungco, 2017376661 or Catalina Adorno, 2013818254
———————————————-
www.iamr4.com

www.anakbayannynj.wordpress.com

Filipino Youth of New Jersey Joins International Day of Outrage vs. Pork Barrel, Demand an End to Government Corruption in the Philippines

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For Immediate Release

August 26, 2013

Reference: Bea Sabino, Chairperson, Anakbayan New Jersey

       (201) 779 6886; anakbayan.nynj@gmail.com

Filipino Youth of New Jersey Joins International Day of Outrage vs. Pork Barrel,

Demand an End to Government Corruption in the Philippines

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New York City, NY- Anakbayan New Jersey (AB-NJ) united with several other Filipino community organizations in the region for a historic 100-people strong protest action in front of the Philippine Consulate in NYC, demanding nothing less than the abolition of the pork barrel system in all branches of government.

In solidarity with the August 26 Million People March in Luneta, overseas Filipinos took to the streets and social media to express outrage and disappointment over the Aquino regime’s ineptitude at genuinely addressing the economic and social problems of the Filipino people.

In NYC, community members showed up wearing pig masks and brought signs that said, “Abolish Presidential Pork Barrel”, “Re-Channel Funds to Social Services” and “Investigate and Prosecute All Involved in Corruption”. There were also chanting of a revised popular protest slogan that goes, “Makibaka! Huwag mang-baboy!” in reference to the pork barrel fund and corruption. Speakers also from various organizations lashed out against the gross governmental misuse of public funds.

A member of Anakbayan NJ, tells his experience, “The protest meant a great deal to me because it’s great to see Fil-Ams in my area still be so connected to the troubles of our homeland.  [We sent the message] that we are angry that supposed public servants are breaking their promises and stealing the money of the Filipino public,” said Jan Aguilos.

Clearly, despite Aquino’s supposed campaign to eliminate corruption, trillions of pesos in pork barrel funds are being laundered and pocketed by politicians every year through sham non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private investments; while the Filipino masses suffer under state budget constraints in education, health care, Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) protection, emergency relief and rehabilitation and other social services.

Scrap the Pork, Serve OFWs

The pork barrel scandal, where the exposé on Janet Lim- Napoles is but the tip of the iceberg, affects overseas Filipino workers as it affects their families back home. Corruption on the part of politicians is negatively connected to declining economic conditions in the Philippines, which push Filipinos to migrate abroad.

Nina Macapinlac, an AB-NJ member who migrated to the US 15 years ago, said, “This [government corruption] is outrageous because the pork barrel scandal illuminates the expansive pork barrel state of the Philippines, where power is so regularly used to exploit the public sphere. My family in the US works hard to send back money so this is just as much our concern as it is in the Philippines.”

Pork barrel funds include remittances sent home by Filipino migrants as well as millions more from tax impositions and state exactions through the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Department of Foreign Affairs. These remittances reached a record high of $21.4 billion worth of personal cash and non-cash items and goods in 2012, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Despite OFWs’ undeniable contributions, protesters cited several examples of the Aquino government’s failure to provide assistance to thousands of OFWs. President Aquino’s P1-trillion pork barrel fund could well be spent on the repatriation costs of over 5,000 distressed and stranded Filipinos in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as legal assistance funds for victims of labor trafficking in the United States.

Unity is People Power

The current surge of grassroots activism in the Filipino community around the world has been likened to the rumbles of the First Quarter Storm of the ‘70s. Participants of the protest action vowed to remain united and continue fighting until the pork barrel is abolished.

“Today, I saw the potential of our People here in the States to truly come together and stand up for something,” shared Daniel Santiago, an AB-NJ member, reacting to his experience witnessing the great turnout of Filipinos in the NY/NJ area. “There were people from varying spectrums of beliefs and focused on different aspects of what is going on with our People, but we managed to be united on certain things. It was a beautiful thing to be able to see [these organizations] come together as well as see so many Filipinos come out against the pork barrel to be in solidarity with those back home fighting to see it gone,” Santiago concluded.

Anakbayan is calling on Filipino youth and students in the United States to join the campaign against government corruption and hold Philippine public officials accountable. Sign on and endorse the Youth and Student Unified Statement vs. Pork Barrel and Corruption by August 28, 2013 by visiting anakbayannynj.wordpress.com or emailing anakbayan.nynj@gmail.com with your name, organization and contact information.

The Filipino people, across various sectors of society, are stepping up and starting to question President Aquino’s eroding “daang matuwid” (righteous path). “The pork barrel scam is an unavoidable symptom of larger systemic problems in Philippine society. A bright, sustainable future depends on our determination to realize the demands of the campaign to abolish pork barrel and the system that perpetuates it through organized actions and people power. This broad movement for justice seeks to prove that the truly righteous path is the one we pave ourselves as a united force at home and abroad for the rights and welfare of our kababayans,” ended Bea Sabino, chairperson of AB-NJ. ###

Filipino Youth Overseas Demand an End to Government Corruption in the Philippines

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We, Filipino youth and students overseas, stand with our sisters and brothers in the Philippines who are taking to the streets in the “Million People March vs. Pork Barrel”.

We join the call to abolish the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the presidential Special Purpose Fund (SPF). For too long, these discretionary funds have been used to fatten the pockets of corrupt politicians at the expense of our people’s welfare.

We demand that the Philippine government prioritize funding our people’s needs and not their own luxurious lifestyles. In the upcoming 2014 National Budget, the Aquino administration is set to allocate P1.2 trillion ($28.2 billion) for the president’s SPF and P25 billion ($565 million) for congress and senate’s PDAF. Despite his “Tuwid na Daan” (“Righteous Path”) rhetoric, the amount of pork barrel fund has actually doubled during Aquino’s administration and government corruption has only worsened. We demand the immediate rechanneling of all these funds directly to vital social services that our poorest sisters and brothers need, such as public education, health, housing, protection and welfare for overseas Filipino workers and even flood control.

We also call for the immediate, independent, and thorough investigation and prosecution of all parties involved in the misuse of the people’s money. The Pork Barrel must be emptied and the stench of all corrupt politicians and public officials must be aired out. Investigation and trial must be led by independent entities and not the politicians in senate and congress themselves. This process must be made public and televised. We want justice and accountability.

We recognize that this is bigger than Janet Lim-Napoles and the corrupt politicians involved in the current Pork Barrel Scam. This is about a system that breeds corruption and serves the interests of the wealthiest few while neglecting the poor majority of our people. We understand that it is exactly this type of corruption that is one of the main root of the ongoing economic crisis in our homeland, which forces millions of migrants like our parents to search for livelihood in other countries.

That is why, though we are thousands of miles away from our motherland, we are one with the people in fighting against systemic corruption in the Philippines. August 26th is only the beginning. No damage control nor deception by Aquino’s public relations team can stop the growing tide of people’s anger. The entire corrupt system must be changed in order for future generations to live in a society that is truly just and free.

ABOLISH ALL PORK BARREL FUNDS NOW!

RE-CHANNEL FUNDS TO SOCIAL SERVICES!

INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE ALL INVOLVED IN CORRUPTION!

ORGANIZATIONAL SIGNATORIES

United States:

Active Leadership to Advance the Youth (ALAY)

Anakbayan- USA

Anakbayan Los Angeles

Anakbayan San Diego

Anakayan East Bay

Anakbayan Silicon Valley

Anakbayan Seattle

Anakbayan Chicago

Anakbayan New York

Anakbayan New Jersey

Asian American Student Union – Saint Peter’s University

Barkada – Farleigh Dickinson University

Filipino American Student Association at Oberlin College

Filipino American Student Association of the University of Washington

Filipinos Uniting Nations at Kean (FUNK) – Kean University

Filipinos Uniting Students in Other Nations (FUSION) – City University of New York, Baruch College

Kasama – University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Katipunan – University of California Riverside

Laya Migrant Youth for Change and Action, Daly City

League of Filipino Students – San Francisco State University

Maganda Magazine

PEACE – City College of San Francisco

Philippine Union of La Guardia Students Organization (PULSO) – City University of New York, La Guardia Community College

Pilipinos of Hunter (POH) – City University of New York, Hunter College

Kaibigan – Portland State University

Samahang Pilipino – University of California Los Angeles

Youth of Iglesia Filipino Independiente – Diocese of Tampa (Eastern USA & Eastern Canada)

 

Canada:

Anakabyan Montreal

Anakbayan Toronto

BAYAN- Canada

Binnadang – Migrante Canada

Filipino Student Association of Toronto (FSAT) – University of Toronto

 

Australia:

Anakbayan Melbourne

Netherlands:

SAMAKA – Netherlands

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To be a signatory now, click here.

Assembly Budget Committee approves Tuition Equality Act/A4225: NJ DREAMers, Students Celebrate First Step Towards In-State Tuition Victory in State Assembly

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

For Immediate Release

June 18, 2013

References:

Vera Parra, American Friends Service Committee, (917) 519 7657, vparra@afsc.org

Bea Sabino, Anakbayan New Jersey, (201) 779 6886, bmb.sabino@gmail.com

Assembly Budget Committee approves Tuition Equality Act/A4225: NJ DREAMers, Students Celebrate First Step Towards In-State Tuition Victory in State Assembly

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Trenton, NJ– The New Jersey state Assembly Budget committee approved assembly bill A4225, also known as the Tuition Equality Act, after New Jersey DREAM Act Coalition, New Jersey United Students, Anakbayan New Jersey and more than a hundred dreamers, community and labor supporters packed the hearing this past Monday in Trenton.

Assembly bill no. 4225 or the Tuition Equality Act, was introduced by Assemblyman Gordon Johnson. The bill will allow undocumented students who have attended New Jersey high schools for a minimum of three years to qualify for in-state tuition rates in New Jersey’s public colleges and universities, on the condition that they have earned a diploma or GED from a NJ high school, and sign an affidavit promising to adjust their immigration status if given the opportunity to do so.

More than 20 people, including DREAMers and community leaders, testified in support of the Tuition Equality Act during the committee hearing. Speakers shared personal stories, and presented economic and moral platforms that garnered praises from assembly members.

“This bill is not only the morally correct thing to do, but the economically intelligent thing to do,” explains Giancarlo Tello, NJ DREAM Act campaign manager, during his testimony.  “Colorado’s fiscal note estimated the bill would increase revenue from tuition by about $2.0 million in FY 2013–14 and by about $3.0 million in FY 2014–15. Massachusetts similarly did a conservative estimate that said By the fourth year, new revenues from 756 to 876 undocumented students would total between $6.4 and $7.4 million.”

“In New Jersey we already invest over $200,000 in educating our DREAMers from elementary school through high school.  That is an investment that New Jersey, through its Out of State tuition policy, effectively kicks out to neighboring states such as New York, where tuition would be cheaper.  We then stand to lose all their tax dollars, expertise, and investments that would otherwise be put into New Jersey.” Tello continued.

Around 3:00pm, many at the assembly hearing erupted into cheers and applause when the committee members voted 8 out of 12 in favor of the bill. Following the Assembly budget committee vote, the coalition held a press conference to celebrate this important step and to call on the Senate to bring the bill up for a committee and floor vote.

“A4225 is only controversial to those who are not familiar with the undocumented student community’s moral and economic argument,” says Kamika Bennett, a student at Essex County College and member of the Essex County Dream Team.  “I ask the General Assembly to post and pass A4225.  I ask the Senate to post and pass the equivalent of A4225 now. We will work for as long as it takes to win tuition equality so that all students can access higher education in New Jersey,” Bennett concluded.

With overwhelming community support statewide, campaign organizers are confident the bill has the votes to pass in both the General Assembly as well as the Senate.  Student and youth leaders say they are also confident Governor Christie will choose to make this investment in New Jersey’s future when the bill reaches his desk.

Five months ago the youth and student coalition led by New Jersey United Students, the New Jersey Dream Act Coalition, and Anakbayan NJ gathered at the steps of the State House to announce the launch of New Jersey DREAM Act Campaign. Since then, they have continuously gained a growing number of supporters. There are over 70 student, community, labor and faith-based organizations that have signed on letters of support. Five City Councils, and two Counties have passed resolutions urging NJ State legislators to pass in-state tuition for DREAMers. Most recently, the New Jersey Presidents’ Council, representing all public and private 2-and-4-year colleges and universities in the state, and the New Jersey Council of Community Colleges passed resolutions in support of In-State Tuition for undocumented youth.

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For more information about the New Jersey DREAM Act Campaign, please visit www.njtuitionequity.wordpress.com

New Jersey Students and Community to Launch “Week of Action: NJ DREAM Act Now!”

/ Anakbayan New Jersey / Leave a comment

Media Advisory

For Immediate Release

May 22, 2013

Reference: Bea Sabino, Chairperson, Anakbayan NJ

               anakbayan.nynj@gmail.com, (201) 779 6886

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New Jersey Students and Community to Launch

“Week of Action: NJ DREAM Act Now!”

WHO: NJ Dream Act Coalition, NJ United Students, Anakbayan NJ, Mexican-American Progress Movement, Passaic DREAM Team, Essex County DREAM Team, Wind of the Spirit, PICO New Jersey, Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, and community at large

WHAT: From May 26-31, 2013, student and community groups are holding a series of actions to demand Governor Christie and the NJ State Legislature to pass A3509/S2479, which would allow DREAM Act- eligible youth to qualify for in-state tuition and access state financial aid at New Jersey’s public colleges and universities, by the June 30, 2013 state budget deadline.

Community groups are urging concerned citizens to take a stand for a person’s right to affordable and quality education, regardless of immigration status. Everyone is invited to participate in the New Jersey DREAM Act Week of Action. Activities range from social media campaigns on Facebook and Twitter to public forums, vigils and rallies across New Jersey.

LIST OF EVENTS:

May 25, 2013

Wind of the Spirit and SEIU 32BJ BBQ + “Papers” Film Screening

6pm @ First Memorial Presbyterian Church, 51 W. Blackwell St, Dover, NJ

Contact: renata.mauriz@gmail.com

May 26, 2013

Mexican American Progress Movement Immigration Reform Workshop + “Dream is Now” Film Screening

3pm @ Mexican American Community Center, 169 Lexington Avenue, Passaic, NJ 07055

Contact: mapm.nj@gmail.com

May 29, 2013

“Day of Action”

Newark

Essex County Dream Team Coming Out of the Shadows

12-2pm @ Essex County College, Newark, NJ

Contact: vparra@afsc.org

Jersey City

Rally + Press Conference for NJ Dream Act

5pm @ City Hall, 280 Grove St, Jersey City, NJ

Contact: yvesnibungco@gmail.com

Union City

Choforitos United Rally for NJ DREAM Act

5pm @ Union City Plaza of the Arts (Bergenline Avenue, btw 30th and 31st streets), Union City, NJ

Contact: liborioadorno11@gmail.com

If you’d like to register an event as part of the NJ Dream Act Week of Action, contact Bea Sabino at (201) 779 6886 or email bmb.sabino@gmail.com. For an updated list of events, please visit njtuitionequity.wordpress.com.

WHY: The NJTED Campaign launched with a rally at the State House in Trenton on January 8, just before Governor Christie’s State of the State Address. For the past 5 months, the NJ Dream Act campaign has been steadily gaining legislative and community support. Dozens of student groups, community organizations, labor unions and faith-based groups have signed on as endorsers of the campaign. The cities of Jersey City, Passaic, Elizabeth, Plainfield and New Brunswick all passed city resolutions urging the New Jersey State Legislature to enact the passage of A3509/S2479. Additionally, Essex County Freeholders and Union County Freeholders have both signed similar resolutions.

The undocumented immigrant population in New Jersey makes up 6.2% of the total state population, making it the fourth-highest rate in the nation. In New Jersey, undocumented immigrants make up 8.6% of the state’s workforce and paid $446.1 million in state and local taxes in 2010. Despite their contribution to the local economy, undocumented immigrants are required to pay out-of-state tuition rates to attend college, and are ineligible for financial aid and scholarships.

The New Jersey Dream Act Week of Action aims to supplement ongoing legislative visits with a demonstration of the people power behind the call for the implementation of A3509/S2479 in time for the Fall 2013 semester. It is time for New Jersey to join the 14 other states that have enacted similar legislation for aspiring undocumented youth.

For more information about the NJ Dream Act Campaign and how to get involved in the Week of Action, please visit: http://njtuitionequity.wordpress.com ###

 RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/events/129900367205847/