Desperate hunt for Philippine ferry survivors

The hull of the upturned MV Princess of the Stars
©AFP/Philippine Coast Guard/File - AFP

ABOARD THE BRP PAMPANGA (AFP) - Philippine rescue teams battled furious seas and high winds Monday in a desperate hunt for more survivors of a ferry that sank in a typhoon with 862 people aboard.

Only the tip of the bow of the Princess of the Stars remained above water after it tilted and quickly capsized Saturday, and navy divers have found no sign of life aboard the doomed vessel just off the central island of Sibuyan.

A US supply ship with search and rescue helicopters aboard and maritime surveillance aircraft were ordered into the area to help, the US embassy here said.

So far, 36 people from the ferry have turned up alive, raising hopes that more will be found on the many tiny islands nearby.

Survivors of the sunken ferry ship MV Princess of Stars arrive in Manila
©AFP - Str

Late Monday at least 40 people were reported to have turned up alive on the island of Burias but it is unclear how many were on the doomed ferry.

"Not all of them came from the sunken ferry," mayor Eduardo Andueza told DZBB radio from Claveria town.

"Some were survivors of fishing vessels that also sank during the typhoon," Andueza said.

"There are survivors, there are some who made it ashore but later died, and some of the bodies were already decomposing, so I had them buried," the mayor said.

Map showing Sibuyan island, where the MV Princess of the Stars sank in heavy seas
©AFP Graphic

Several bodies have washed up along shorelines along with children's shoes, heightening fears of a high death toll, but coast guard chief Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said: "We have not lost hope that there might be more survivors."

"We have slowed down to scout for floating bodies," coast guard rescue vessel captain Lieutenant Commander Inocencio Rosario told reporters on board.

"After three days they tend to float," he added.

The search continued as the ferry company revised up the number of passengers and crew on board from 747 to 862.

Anxious relatives waited at the ferry firm's Manila offices waiting for news -- and answers.

It was the company's fourth disaster at sea in the past two decades but despite a government order banning Sulpicio Lines from operating its 22 vessels, the company continued to sell tickets Monday.

Relatives of the passengers of the sunken Philippine ferry MV Princess of the Stars wait for news in Manila
©AFP - Romeo Gacad

The company has been officially blamed for the weekend tragedy while it has maintained that the ferry was "seaworthy."

"Definitely, Sulpicio Lines is responsible here," said Transport Undersecretary Elena Bautista.

The government also set up a task force to look into the cause of the accident, while anti-corruption campaigners threatened a class action against the company, saying it should lose its operating licence.

The Princess of the Stars had been allowed to sail despite Typhoon Fengshen bearing down because, under current Philippine law, the vessel was deemed large enough to stay afloat in the periphery of the storm.

But Fengshen tragically made a sudden change of direction from north to west, and headed directly into the ferry's path. The powerful storm has also killed almost 230 people on land.

A relative cries as she looks for missing relatives who were aboard the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars
©AFP - Str

The captain tried to get the vessel to safe harbour, but it ran aground. There were conflicting reports that he had slowed the engines in the face of the storm and that the motors had given out.

The 24,000-tonne ship issued a distress signal on Saturday from near Sibuyan, about 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Manila. One survivor said there was almost no time to react.

"It seemed like everything happened in 15 minutes," Reynato Lanorio, one of the crew, told DZBB radio. "Next thing we knew, the ship had gone under."

More than 80 divers reached the vessel Monday with cutting equipment hoping that people may have found air pockets in the hull.

Countless people in this impoverished nation rely on relatively inexpensive ferries to get around the country's 7,100 islands, and Sulpicio Lines is one of the biggest of the ferry companies.

The Mandurriao district is submerged by floodwaters caused by Typhoon Fengshen
©AFP - Francis Allan Angelo

UBI World TV Launches GMA Channels in Australia and New Zealand

Beginning June 12, Filipinos in Australia and New Zealand can susbcribe to GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, DZBB and DWLS via UBI World TV. Call 1300 400 800 (Australia) or 0800 4000 23 (New Zealand), or visit www.ubiworldtv.com to inquire. The first 500 subscribers will enjoy big discounts so call now!

Hundreds dead in typhoon-struck Philippines

At least 229 people are confirmed dead and at least six missing after Typhoon Fengshen ravaged the central and southern Philippines, Red Cross and civil defence officials said on Sunday.

The toll does not include those dead or missing from a ferry that sank in the central Philippines with about 747 people aboard. Four people have been confirmed dead and there are four survivors from that accident. The rest are unaccounted for.

The central province of Iloilo has suffered the heaviest losses after being hit by the typhoon on Saturday, with 101 dead, Philippine Red Cross chairperson Richard Gordon said.

Other fatalities were recorded in the neighbouring provinces of Romblon, Cotabato, Antique and Capiz, Gordon added.

The civil defence office recorded 26 fatalities in the southern island of Mindanao.

"This [toll] will definitely rise dramatically when we get the listings from the ship," he said, referring to the Princess of the Stars ferry that sank off Sibuyan island amid heavy seas on Saturday.

Flood waters in Iloilo rose so swiftly that many residents were forced to take refuge on rooftops or in the branches of tall trees, said provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada.

The flooding in Iloilo eased on Sunday, allowing vehicles to reach once-flooded areas, Mejorada said.

More than 35 500 families had to be evacuated from their homes due to the flooding and risk of landslides, the civil defence office said.

Electricity was knocked out in Iloilo and surrounding areas and officials do not expect power to be restored for about a week. Telephone lines and cellphone towers were down in many areas.

Manila and surrounding areas were lashed by the typhoon in the early hours of Sunday, with power being knocked out in large parts of the city and many domestic and international flights cancelled.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or damage in the capital, but the Education Department cancelled classes on all levels in Metro Manila and surrounding areas on Monday.

The typhoon has continued to move north-west, passing Metropolitan Manila and over the northern half of the main island of Luzon. The storm, packing maximum winds of 120km/h near the centre, is expected to move north-west at 15km/h. -- Sapa-AFP

AusAID scholarships for Filipino professionals

A BATCH of Filipino professionals will leave for Australia next month to pursue Australian Embassy sponsored scholarships to undertake post-graduate studies at Australian universities.

The 42 professionals from different fields were awarded Australian Development Scholarships by the Philippines-Australia Human Resource Development Facility (PAHRDF) through its long-term training program.

The five-year, P2.3 billion (60 million Australian dollars) program is an initiative of the Australian Government’s international aid agency, AusAID which operates through its embassy in Manila.

It aims is to assist partner national and local government agencies, academic institutions and private organizations to address key organizational and business needs.

The program also enables them to provide better services and manage their institutions more effectively through short and long-term human resource development programs.

A pre-departure briefing for the new Filipino scholars, some who will be studying in Australia for the first time, was conducted in Davao City.

AusAID First Secretary Louisa Petralia, and Chief of the Public Investment Staff of the National Economic and Development Authority Florante Igtiben, attended the event. Long-term training alumni were also present to share their experiences and give advice to the new scholars. Also in attendance were awardees of AusAID’s scholarship at the University of Wollongong’s Centre for Transnational Crime Prevention.

Led by the development facility’s Senior Human Resource Development Adviser, Mark Flores, the two-day briefing focused on helping the scholars prepare for their training programs in Australia. It included presentations on living and studying in Australia and understanding the conditions and requirements of the scholarships.

Australian Development Scholarships awardees are nominated to pursue post-graduate studies in different priority disciplines including human resource management, public administration, public policy and educational leadership. About 80 Filipino scholars are awarded Australian Development Scholarships annually.

After completing their studies, the returning scholars’ are expected to apply the knowledge and skills they gained from their scholarships to contribute to the organizational change of their respective institutions. In this way, the scholarship program has a larger impact on broader Philippine development.

Australia’s aid to the Philippines focuses on helping the country improve prospects for economic growth, increase access to and quality of basic education, reduce poverty and enhance national stability and security. In its broader aid program, Australia recognizes that human resource development within institutions is critical to the Philippines’ achieving its development goals.

The Philippines currently ranks fourth among the major recipients of Australia’s scholarship program in the Asia–Pacific region. Australia, one of the Philippines’ top bilateral grant aid donors, will contribute about P4 billion (approx 100 million Australian dollars) in aid in 2007-2008.

Australia’s aid program to the Philippines has grown to be its fourth largest globally, providing about 570 million Australian dollars in grant contributions over the past decade.

Filipino maid jailed for moonlighting as loan shark

Singapore - A Filipino maid who moonlighted as a loan shark was sentenced by a Singapore district court to 20 months in prison, news reports said Wednesday.

Rebecca Andicoy Alcalde, 28, offered loans of up to 300 Singapore dollars (223 US dollars) to other maids on Sundays, her day off, The Straits Times said. She charged a 20-per-cent interest rate to cash-strapped foreign workers, the court heard, teaming up with Singaporean Lim Meng Inn, who is wanted by authorities.

Alcalde came up with the plan in 2005 after noticing that many maids were borrowing money from loan sharks to pay off debts at the Lucky Plaza shopping centre, prosecutors said Tuesday. Without her employer's knowledge, she went into business with 5,000 Singapore dollars (3,703 US dollars) in savings.

Alcalde recruited Lim, 47, as her runner, the report said. She stationed herself on the sixth floor to collect payments and dispatched Lim to do the riskier task of making the loans. She was arrested when police raided Lucky Plaza on March 30. In asking for a short sentence, defence lawyer Leonard Loo said that Alcalde has been the sole breadwinner for her parents and four siblings for 10 years.

Filipino man whose wife died in childbirth after 'appalling' NHS blunder WILL be thrown out of Britain

A Filipino man whose wife was killed in childbirth due to a blunder at the NHS hospital where she worked lost his battle today to stay in Britain.

Arnel Cabrera, 39, came to the UK five years ago when his wife Mayra was recruited as a theatre nurse at a hospital in Swindon, and he was allowed residency thanks to her job treating British patients.

Arnel Cabrera with a picture of his son Zachary. Arnel applied for permission to stay in the UK to raise their son, but the Home Office refused

But she died due to an appalling medical error as she gave birth to their son Zac in 2004, when a midwife stuck an epidural anaesthetic directly into her bloodstream instead of her spinal cord.

Despite the tragic circumstances the Home Office ordered Mr Cabrera out of the country because his visa depended on his wife's job.

Today his lawyers confirmed that the devastated widower had flown home to the Philippines, but vowed to continue to fight on his behalf.

They claimed the case highlighted the absurdity of a system which allows convicted terrorists to stay in Britain for fear of breaching their human rights, but has punished Mr Cabrera because NHS staff killed his wife through gross negligence.

Although Mr Cabrera has spent five years living in Britain - the normal requirement to become a UK citizen - officials say most of that time does not count because once his wife was killed his rights of residency lapsed.

Mr and Mrs Cabrera dreamed of raising a family in the UK, after her skills as a surgical nurse helped her get a job at Great Western Hospital, Swindon in 2003.

Zachary Cabrera, who will never know his mother, will be raised in the Philippines

Mayra was 30 years old when she went into the same hospital to give birth to their son the following year.

But two after the delivery, just as she was cradling the baby for the first time, nurses blundered by picking up the wrong drug to administer via an intravenous drip. Storage arrangements for different drugs were described as "chaotic."

Instead of a saline drip or a drug to boost blood pressure, staff administered a powerful anaesthetic which stopped Mrs Cabrera's heart.

Mr Cabrera took Zac back to the Philippines to be cared for by relatives while he dealt with the legal formalities in Britain, and then applied for permission to stay in the UK to raise their son.

But the Home Office refused, claiming he had failed to establish a "family life with his son in the UK", and there was nothing to stop him raising his son in the Philippines.

In February this year an inquest jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing, finding that Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust and the midwife who attached the drip were guilty of gross negligence and manslaughter.

Mr Cabrera called for prosecutions against those responsible for his wife's death, but no charges have been brought.

Mayra and her baby, just after the birth. Mayra died after her midwife gave her an epidural into her bloodstream instead of her spinal cord

Wiltshire coroner David Masters voiced his astonishment that the Home Office was ordering Mr Cabrera out of Britain.

He said: "This is extraordinary. In view of the verdict reached by the jury following a long and detailed inquest, and in view of my comments, I find it difficult to appreciate how the Home Office has reached this decision."

After the Home Office issued Mr Cabrera with a final refusal last week, he opted to leave the country today.

His solicitor Seamus Edney said: "He had just had enough. This is so wrong.

"On the one hand someone like Abu Qatada can stay in Britain because of understandable concerns about his human rights, while on the other hand, Arnel Cabrera has his wife killed by the NHS and yet his human rights do not seem to be important.

"Even though he has gone back to the Philippines, we cannot let this rest.

"I always thought that if you played by the rules and did the decent thing, it would work out in the end - but how wrong I was in this case. I am embarrassed on behalf of our Government.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "If it had not been for the actions of the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, Mr Cabrera, his wife and son would have been living the family life they had planned in the UK.

"All Mr Cabrera wants is to build the best life he can for his young son, who has already lost a mother.

"To force them out of country after such a tragedy is beyond comprehension."

The Home Office refused to discuss the case last night.

A spokesman said: "All applications for leave to enter or remain are carefully considered on their individual merits."

Filipino held with heroin worth Rs1 crore

MUMNAI: The customs department on Monday arrested a 27-year-old Philippine national Lanting Rey Panganiban for trying to smuggle 1kg heroin worth Rs1 crore.

This comes a day after three Filipino women were nabbed at Chennai airport while attempting to smuggle 3kg heroin out of India.

A senior customs official said Panganiban had come to Mumbai from Delhi. From here he was to board a Malaysian Airline flight to Kuala Lumpur-Ho Chi Min city and to Milan.

“Once he reached the security check, the airline staff informed him that his ticket was booked for Tuesday night. As he was making his way out, our sleuths intercepted him and our dog Soni sniffed out the heroin in his bag.”

Customs sleuths suspect Panganiban may be connected to the three Filipinos arrested at Chennai airport and may have decided to take an alternative route to exit the country.

The accused has told the officials that he has been in the country for the last 10 days. He also said that a Nigerian woman in Milan promised to process his papers for a work permit in China if he smuggled the heroin out of India, said the official.

Officials claimed due to the intensive scrutiny of passengers of African origin leaving India, international syndicates were using Filipinos to smuggle drugs from India.

Filipino Skilled Workers needed in Canada

Nova Scotia, Canada

Another Canadian province, Nova Scotia is suffering from labor shortage and looking at the Philippines to solve their employment problems. However just like with Manitoba, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, appropriate law and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Nova Scotia and the Philippines must first be enacted before the recruitment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) begins.

The MOU between the Philippine government and several Canadian provinces ensures fair labor rights to OFWs and set provisions for salary, housing and medical benefits. The agreement also established formal process for worker recruitment and protection as well as provide requirements for training and certification.

The chairman of the Commission of Filipinos Overseas, Dante Ang said, "We have an abundance of well-educated and well-trained professionals in the Philippines and Nova Scotia has a shortage. More Filipinos will come to Nova Scotia, but there must be a process in place."

According to Mr. Ang there are lots of good reasons why Filipino workers would find working in Nova Scotia favorable. It is unfortunate that Nova Scotia took minimal effort to encourage OFWs to seek employment there.

Ang explained, "When professional people in the Philippines think about Canada they think first about British Columbia, and then perhaps about Toronto and perhaps Montreal. They would give more thought to coming to Nova Scotia if they knew more about it. "

The commission chairman informed that as of this writing only around 500 Filipino families are based in Nova Scotia. The figures are expected to dramatically increase once the formal labor agreement is formalized and implemented.

Manitoba Canada

In the advisory issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) the province of Manitoba in Canada recently signed an agreement with the Philippine government for the recruitment of Filipino workers. The Canadian province is in need of skilled Filipino workers such as truck drivers, welders, machinists, boilermakers, sheet metal workers, glaziers, pipe fitters, plasterers, drywall installers, carpenters, cabinetmakers, bricklayers and stone masons. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which allows overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to enter Canada as a temporary foreign worker or a permanent resident, was signed by Manitoba Premier, Gary Doer. The use of either temporary work permit or permanent residency excludes jobseekers for live-in caregiver or those who are already approved as Manitoba provincial nominees. The MOA also discussed the procedures in hiring and deployment of OFWs to be deployed in Manitoba. Before entering Canada, either by temporary or permanent resident, applicants must comply with the following requirements: Medical health examination by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Passed an English language proficiency test Must not have an outstanding custody or divorce dispute, this will make them ineligible to enter Canada Must not have a criminal record Possess skills required by the employer. According to the POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz, there are some two million overseas jobs that are soon to be offered to skilled Filipino workers in the years to come. These job openings are particularly offered in Alberta, Manitoba,Prince Edward Island and in British Columbia. The Canadian provinces will need welders, fabricators, transportation, nurses, caregivers, nannies and pipe fitters. Aside from the skilled positions, there will also be job openings for temporary or seasonal workers who will work for the Winter Olympics in 2010.

Raquel Gibson in Manila was Playboy's November 2005 Playmate

I learned about if from People's Insider:

DON'T look now, but do you that Playboy's latest Playmate of the Month is a Filipina?
Yes, indeed, the November 2005 Playmate of the top men's magazine is a Pinay. Her name is Raquel Gibson.

Raquel is only the second Pinay to make it to the internationally famous mag's centerfold.
The first was Pia Reyes exactly 17 years ago -- that is, way back in November 1988.

She looks okay in these galleries here and here (not work-safe). ;)

Filipino-Italian Playboy Playmate (November 2005) Raquel Gibson was in Manila for the launching of Playboy Philippines last April 2, 2008 at Hotel Sofitel in Pasay City.

The writeup which accompanies Ms. Gibson's 14-photo, 12-page (including the foldout) nude splash in the new issue of Playboy is titled "Raquel's World Party," subheaded "Globalization is a family thing for Miss November." It reads:

"When you have a family as large and culturally diverse as Raquel Gibson's, your passport soaks up more ink than a UN ambassador's. 'My mom is Filipino, and my dad is an Italian New Yorker,' she says. 'I'm the baby of the family -- the spoiled one -- and I have five siblings from the ages of 21 to 43. I have a niece who is actually older than I am, which menas I was an aunt before I was even born.' Although the 20-year-old has always called Florida home, she often jets to the Philippines and Japan, where her oldest sister and her family live. 'I'm fluent in Tagalog, which is a language of the Philippines, and I know a little Japanese,' she says. 'I want to learn Spanish, Portuguese, Italian -- I have a whole list!' As she enthusiastically tosses some Tagalog at us, we can't help but notice her resemblance to another exotic beauty. 'It's flattering to be told that I look like Jessica Alba,' she says. 'It started when Dark Angel came out. I don't watch much TV, so I said, "Who is Dark Angel? I'm a what?" I figured it out when she became better known. My friends say I should sign autographs when people ask if I'm her, but I couldn't get into that.'

More pictures here >>>

Little Nardong Putik joins the Australian Army

MELBOURNE—IN 1993 Engineer Nolasco Catibog of Lemery, Batangas retired as Director for Region 4 of the Department of Public Works and Highways, a job and position that had tested his mettle as a public servant.

Little did he know that the end of over 25 years of government service would only usher in the beginning of his toughest job ever: babysitting his grandchildren who migrated to Australia, among them a loveable toddler with an apparently unlimited supply of energy and mischief.

On Dec. 21, 1989, Catibog’s Caviteño son-in-law Placido Belardo had named the boy Paulo Angelo, but the old man quickly realized that this grandson was far from angelic. The boy’s Dennis the Menace antics and propensity for nocturnal games made grandpa feel that his dreams of a blissful retirement had been unceremoniously snatched by a seeming three-year-old reincarnation of Cavite’s most notorious outlaw, for which grandpa fondly nicknamed him “Little Nardong Putik.”

Ancient discipline

But his grandpa’s nurturing love and care during Paulo’s vital formative years paid off. The boy surprised his childhood “victims” by growing into a soft-spoken and mild mannered young man any parent would be proud of. Despite the techno-hip hop culture of his generation, Paulo exhibited a strong sense of duty and chivalry. Health conscious and non-smoking, he embraced the discipline and philosophy of Kendo, the Japanese ancient art of bamboo sword fighting.

A graduate of the St. Paul’s Secondary College poised to undertake a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Studies at the Australian Institute of Public Safety, he opted to take a detour and follow a boyhood itch.

On March 15, 2008, he proudly marched from the Australian Army Recruit Training Centre at Sir Thomas Blamey Barracks, Kapooka, New South Wales as the only Filipino in the latest batch of men and women to answer a soldier’s calling in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps tradition.

The recruits came from all walks of life – carpentry, law enforcement, accountancy, business, and education – to be trained and transformed to well-bonded and efficient fighting platoons by Australian veterans of past military conflicts and recent theaters of action, some of whom had worked intensively with the legendary Gurkhas and the elite, much envied Special Air Services Regiment.

The Australian Army has a program of part time military service that allows soldiers to pursue other professions or vocations until national or international circumstances require their deployment. Paulo intends to serve and continue training with the Australian Commando Regiment but has meanwhile applied with the police service of his home state of Victoria.

The choice of a career in law enforcement proves the adage that the apple does not fall far from the tree. His father, Placido Belardo is a former agent of the National Bureau of Investigation, trained in Virginia and Maryland under the Anti-terrorism Program of the U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security. He now works as a human rights lawyer in Victoria.

The Victoria Police has only a few serving members of Filipino ancestry. If successful, Paulo’s application would provide an additional Filipino face to its predominately Anglo-European make-up and boost the profile of the Global Pinoy Down Under.

Hanging prominently in Paulo’s bedroom, a framed copy of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “IF” bespeaks the ideals of a former “little Nardong Putik”:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master,
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings — nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Pinoys in Korea band together to solve migrant problems

HYEHWADONG, Seoul – The Filipino community in Seoul met to design strategic plans to deal with all and outright aspects of the migrant’s life including continuous education and training programs; hospitalization and healthcare assistance; and labor policy- related problems.

This was the monthly meeting of the Hyehwadong Filipino Catholic Community – Justice and Peace Committee (HFCC-JPC) where they reviewed their plans and strategic solutions for the current issues confronting OFWs.

The meeting brought together the various Filipino organizations with a wide cross–section of representatives from KASAMMAKO – allied with MIGRANTE International, FEWA, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro, Kandong, Rosarian, and others.

The meeting updated the attendees with current plans which include a formal letter to be submitted to the Philippine Embassy requesting the agency to strengthen its efforts in dealing with the OFW’s various dilemmas.

JPC appealed to provide temporary shelter with free meals and at the same time implement training and values formation programs for distressed OFWs staying temporarily at the shelter house.

Another concrete plan that the member organizations finalized in that meeting was the setting up a communication network via text messaging on disseminating facts and information about Filipinos being caught by immigration officers.

This aims to warn the members of the different member organizations to take extra care and avoid going to places where immigration officers stay. This is a way of protecting and securing each other.

JPC, for years, has been consistently condemning discrimination and repression manifested by some unscrupulous Korean employers against Filipino migrant workers.

Pledging full support to the JPC, a representative stated that he is pleased with the continuous involvement and focus on the issues and its concern in revising plans for the betterment of the community.

Filipino protesters demand Myanmar postpone referendum after storm, focus on aid delivery

MANILA, Philippines: About 30 Filipino protesters demanded Wednesday that Myanmar's junta postpone this week's planned constitutional referendum and allow the unrestricted entry of international relief following a devastating cyclone.

"While the people are so worried about survival in the midst of this disaster, the junta is too preoccupied thinking of how to pursue its referendum," said Egoy Bans, spokesman for the Free Burma Coalition. About 30 protesters from the group marched outside the Myanmar Embassy in Manila.

"This is not the time for a political exercise. The population is very vulnerable and insecure," Bans said. He also called on Myanmar's military rulers to open the borders of the tightly controlled country to international aid.

In addition, Bans expressed concern that authorities in Myanmar would give priority for aid distribution to communities considered loyal to the military, and would exclude opposition strongholds. He provided no details.

Cyclone Nargis struck over the weekend and killed more than 22,000 people, just days ahead of a key referendum on a draft constitution backed by Myanmar's military leaders as an important step forward on what they call a "road map to democracy." Critics say the constitution is meant to perpetuate military rule.

Celebrate Cordillera Day commemoration abroad

Cordillera Day commemoration abroad

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Taiwan and Hong Kong likewise celebrate Cordillera Day, albeit at a different date, the Sunday after April 24, to maximize the day off of migrant workers. OFWs in Taiwan will celebrate this year’s Cordillera Day on May 4, while OFWs in Hong Kong will celebrate it on May 5. Filipinos in Macau, Belgium, and Japan also observe Cordillera Day in their respective host countries.

Cordillera Day celebrations in Hong Kong is spearheaded by the Cordillera Alliance, which is composed of migrant groups whose members come from Bontoc, Abra, Kalinga, Benguet and Ifugao.

OFWs Ludy Guinaban and Dolores Dayao said that their Cordillera Day celebration in Hong Kong is both a show of richness of their culture and a means to assist fellow migrants.

Guinaban, 38, from the Binongan tribe of Brgy. Lenneng, Licuan, Abra, said that in Hong Kong, OFWs from the Cordillera region wear their traditional clothes distinct to their province. Guinaban is the secretary general of the Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society (ATIS). ATIS, a member of the Cordillera Alliance, is a federation of 19 organizations composed of natives of Tinguian and Ilocanos from different municipalities of Abra. The Licuan Hong Kong Association where Guinaban serves as its chair for the past five years is also a member.

Every year, Guinaban said, OFWs from each province in the region present a skit and cultural dance portraying the most pressing issue of their province. The leaders of the member-organizations also give a talk on the current situation in their respective provinces. At the end of the program, the different migrant groups under the Cordillera Alliance sign a unity statement, which is in line with the theme of the Cordillera Day celebration in the Philippines.

For this year’s Cordillera Day celebration, the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Unifil-HK), the umbrella organization of OFWs in Hongkong of which the Cordillera Alliance is a member, is conducting a signature campaign to stop mining operations in the Cordillera Region, particularly the explorations in Licuan, Abra.

Since they would hold the celebration in a public place, at the Chater Road or at the Chater Garden, other OFWs who are not from the Cordillera would be able to watch and join their activity.

Taking the opportunity to reach out to fellow OFWs

The Cordillera Day celebration also serves as a venue to assist OFWs and other migrant workers who seek their assistance, said Dayao, 56, an Igorot from Besao, Mountain Province.

Dayao is a member of the migrant group Besao Organization and a volunteer of the Mission Volunteers-United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Movers-Unifil-HK) of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and the Anglican Church.

During the Cordillera Day celebration, Movers-Unifil-HK volunteers offer counseling services to fellow migrant workers. Movers-Unifil-HK also provides (a) legal education and assistance; (b) documentation, research, and information dissemination; and (c) pastoral care. At present, their shelter called the Bethune House accommodates Filipinos, Indonesians, and Indians, said Dayao.

But even if they make do with what they have in Hong Kong, "there’s still no place like home." That is why, whenever possible, OFWs prefer to celebrate Cordillera Day in the Philippines, as what Guinaban and Dayao did this year.

Celebrating at home

Guinaban timed her vacation this year in April so that she could attend the Cordillera Day celebration in Licuan, Abra, her hometown. She has been working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong since 1995. She is a college graduate, with education units but worked as a factory worker in Baguio. She taught for a while under the non-formal education program of the Aquino administration. She was then teaching 25 years old and below Abrenians how to read and write. But the sessions lasted only for three days, which, she said, was not enough.

"I had to walk for 40 minutes to reach the place. How could they learn anything in three days? said Guinaban. She was paid a mere P3,000 even if they had to climb mountains to reach her "students."

Then, Guinaban’s family survived through farming their ancestral land. "It could have been sufficient for the family but it did not pay much to sell the produce as there were not farm-to-market roads. We could not pay for our other needs such as education."

During her 13 years of working in Hong Kong, Guinaban was able to spend her vacation in her hometown only seven times, including this year. But this is the first time she was able to attend the local celebration of Cordillera Day.

"I feel proud that Abra was chosen as the venue for this year’s celebration. Seeing the many people who attended this year’s celebration and who are supporting our issues makes me cry. I do not know how to thank them for their support," said Guinaban.

She recognizes the impact that the people who attended the celebration could create just by merely telling others about the issues of the people of Abra and the Cordillera region.

For Dayao, this is the fifth time she was able to celebrate Cordillera Day in the Philippines. Dayao has also been working as a domestic helper in Hong Kong since 1981. Being the eldest, she was forced to work abroad to help support her five other siblings and her mother, who suffered physical injuries from an accident in 2002 and from a stroke in 2003. Because of these incidents, her mother requires maintenance medicines amounting to P10,000 ($237.86 at an exchange rate of $1=P42.04) a month.

Dayao said she is only earning HK$3,480 and that is just enough to support her own needs and her mother’s. Fortunately, her employer shoulders her airfare whenever she spends her vacation in the Philippines. "I really want to see my mother regularly as she is already old," said Dayao, whose vacation coincides with Cordillera Day most of the time.

According to Guinaban, there were about 10 OFWs who were able to attend the Cordillera Day celebration this year.

Continuing the fight

Even if they work in a foreign land, OFWs keep themselves updated on issues affecting not only their respective provinces but also the whole country.

Through Unifil-HK, the OFWs are informed about and are able to discuss the urgent issues of the day during special meetings, leaders’ forums, and their regular gatherings every Sunday. OFWs also do their share in the advocacy for these issues through conducting protest actions at the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong and signature drives.

"If there is an urgent issue and we are not able to meet immediately, we call or send text messages to each other," said Guinaban.

But, of course, OFWs still prefer to be at home.

"We are happy here but life is hard. If only, we get support for our needs such as jobs, irrigation, and education, but there is none. I feel we are being neglected on purpose to keep us poor, to be able to get our resources easily."

Guinaban said, "Even if there are some among us who are able to move forward in life because of their education, we do not forget the principles passed on to us by our ancestors."

She explained that even if only four villages would be directly affected by the mining exploration, other neighboring villages would also join the fight. "If we are not united, even our culture (Binongan tribe) would vanish."

She added that even if her brothers and sisters already live with their own families in Bangued, Abra’s capital, she said they still go to Licuan where their parents live because their memories were born in this very land.

Dayao also share the same sentiment. Although she admits that life is very hard in the province especially during these difficult times, she nevertheless would not hesitate to go back when she retires.

"If I go back now, what is there for me?" said Dayao, noting that there is no gainful employment available that would enable her to support her mother’s medical needs.

Guinaban originally planned to resign from her employer this year but first she wants to make sure that their organizations in Hong Kong, the ATIS and Licuan HK Assoc, would be able to continue fighting for the rights and interests of OFWs and the Filipino people.

"I plan to go home for good in 2008. But I still want to train people who would be able to take on responsibilities in the organization. It would be a pity if the organization that we worked hard to build would cease to function," said Guinaban, noting that ATIS is one of the migrant groups that fellow OFWs have been able to rely on.

Filipino burn victim undergoes reconstructive surgery

A young Filipino girl who was badly scarred from burns as a child had her first of several reconstructive surgeries Monday morning.

Suzanne Aman, 15, and her mother, Marivic, arrived from the Philippines to Western North Carolina about two weeks ago.

Through an extensive partnership involving the Brevard Rotary Club, the Brevard Gift of Life Program, Pardee Hospital, area surgeons and a host of volunteers and donations, the teenage girl may get a shot at a normal life.

Dr. William L. Overstreet, a plastic surgeon with Blue Ridge Plastic Surgery, and David C. Napoli, an orthopedic surgeon with Blue Ridge Bone and Joint, operated on Aman for more than five hours at Pardee Hospital first thing Monday morning.

Aman was injured when she was seven months old from an accident when she knocked over an oil lamp, catching herself on fire.

Now, 14 years later, she is getting the surgery she needs. It is not available in the poverty stricken country of the Philippines.

Aman is missing much of her left hand. After the accident, doctors in the Philippines amputated the fingers, leaving a stump of balled up tendons and bone.

Overstreet and Napoli thought they would be able to release some of the tendons and bone to form a pincher for a hand but it has been too badly damaged.

As a result, she will most likely receive a prosthetic hand.

Her left arm is permanently bent in a V-shape and what is left of her hand is forced to rest at chest level.

Her left ear is fused against her scalp, which is also burned past the hairline where no hair can grow. Much of the rest of her upper body and face is also scarred.

"It's a miracle she is still alive and that she survived it at seven months old in a third world country," Overstreet said.

The surgery went well, according to Overstreet.

Aman will be in the hospital for about three days recovering from the skin graft procedures, he said.

Overstreet, who got his plastic surgery training at the Medical University of South Carolina, said Aman is doing good after her first operation and is in recovery accompanied by her mother.

All of the procedures could take up to six months.

The Gift of Life

Florence Allbaugh spearheaded the efforts to bring Aman to the United States for her surgery.

Allbaugh is a Brevard Rotarian and is the director of the Gift of Life Program.

Gift of Life seeks out children from around the world who are in serious need of medical treatment not available in their country.

In between doctor visits, Allbaugh has been showing Aman and her mother what life is like in America.

She described the Amans' first visit to a Sam's Club. As they walked into the massive wholesale store, the young Aman looked around in awe.

"You can get all of this here?" she asked, overwhelmed at the amount of stock the store carries.

Allbaugh also took Aman to Brevard College, where she collected rocks along the creek as a momento.

Aman walked in the creek barefoot. Despite the cold water, she loved the fact that the water was clean. It is a luxury that people in her country do not have.

"The experience (Aman) has here makes her cry," Allbaugh said. "She is so grateful to have a chance for a better life."

The doctors, hospital, organizations and community are all making strides to give Aman a better life.

"If you take out one link, it doesn't work," Overstreet said.

Aman also has poor vision. Looking Glass Eye Center of Brevard has donated glasses to the teenager.

She is receiving dental care from Dr. Matthew G. Young, D.D.S. free of charge. She also received clothing donations from Overstreet and Napoli's staff.

The Hendersonville Rotary Club contributed money to Gift of Life. Allbaugh said the program will grow throughout Rotary District 7670, which stretches from Western North Carolina to Winston-Salem.

The young girl's pediatric exams were provided by Dr. Ora Wells of Hendersonville Pediatrics.

The Rotary Club of Brevard is providing host families to take in Suzanne and her mother during the operation.

"It's the people in the community locally and internationally that has made this happen," Allbaugh said. "It's amazing."

Filipino English teacher gets New York Times award

There are times when the classroom of Feliciano Jaime “Chito” Atienza, who teaches English to immigrants, seems less of a classroom and more of a United Nations peace panel.

In Atienza’s class in Queens, New York, culture-shocked (and sometimes shell-shocked) students who speak zero English not only master a new language, they’re also helped by people they consider enemies back in their homeland.

Atienza studied at De La Salle University and has been teaching English to immigrants for two decades. This year, he became the first Filipino immigrant to receive The New York Times Teacher of the Year award in teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages
(Esol). He won it in March and spoke with the Inquirer when he visited the Philippines in late April.

He recalled a class with Afghans and Russians glaring at each other. Then there were students fresh from war-ravaged Bosnia, who refused to speak to one another. “The class was divided into two. You (could) really feel their hatred toward each other,” he says.

With some coaxing, warring classmates set aside their past grief and became friends. After all, they were Americans now, he reminded them.

More recently, a Tibetan and a Chinese bonded over the recent clashes in Lhasa in Atienza’s class. Said the Chinese to the Tibetan worried sick about her family: “I’m sorry.”

Played out in Atienza’s classroom in the Queens Library and in the YMCA Center, these little dramas underscore his ability to reach out to his students. The classroom is not just a place of learning, but also a place for healing.

Students pour their hearts out to him. He’s not only their mentor but their first friend in a strange land. He says his method is a blend of linguistic techniques and compassion which he describes as very Filipino and very Christian.

Atienza is also is a member of the Focolare Movement, which lives a Gospel verse each month. And he swears by a tried-and-tested method of compassion and kindness. He calls it “skinship” - a teaching approach underpinned by genuine love and concern for students. Its techniques are a warm smile, a sincere handshake, an encouraging nod, an open and tolerant mind, a word of praise for pronouncing ‘thank you’ perfectly, he says.

“What are these but building blocks of hope—the very foundations of trust? In the Esol classroom, without trust, without compassion, without love, there is no meaningful learning,” he adds.

As for teaching language, Atienza says he helps his students learn the English alphabet by “importing” kindergarten textbooks from Manila which teach basic letter construction. He also recommends that his students read anything written in English like newspapers, lottery tickets and restaurant menus.

How he fell in love with teaching

Atienza said he “fell in love” with teaching after his stint in Bataan province, where Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees would stop over for a few months to learn English before proceeding to the United States. If his heart weren’t in it, he would have gone to other, more lucrative professions, he adds. “Teachers, wherever they are, don’t get rich.” A housekeeper’s paycheck is bigger than an Esol teacher’s, he notes.

Teaching Refugees

Atienza received his English as a Second Language (ESL/CO) teacher training at the Southeast Asian Refugee Program in the Philippines, a joint project of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and ICMC (International Catholic Migration Commission), funded by the US State Department.

It was while on vacation in New York City that he realized the city needed Esol teachers for immigrants. “I enjoyed teaching here (Philippines). But when I went there (New York), I saw the need,” he said.

After years of teaching English to college students and displaced Southeast Asians coming to the United States, he migrated to New York City in 1985. New York is a bright point in the immigrant imagination because of its history as a gateway to America and the American Dream. It was a logical choice for an Esol teacher like Atienza, and made leaving the Philippines easier.

In the speech he delivered when he won the award, he spoke of recognizing that more than anything, learning the English language one word at a time is the first step to realizing an immigrant’s dream of a rosy future in the United States.

“Willingly or unwillingly, we all came to America, and our search for hope began in the Esol classroom. In the Esol classroom, the teachers and the students keep hope alive. Without hope, dreams die,” says Atienza.

The award is not only a personal recognition, he remarks. It recognizes all teachers in the Philippines and abroad. It should erase the stigma that Filipino teachers can’t teach English abroad, he says.

He adds that sometimes, Filipinos are more capable of teaching the language than native English-speakers. Sometimes students understand Filipino teachers more easily than American teachers, whose pronunciations are slurred by regional accents and twangs.

When the New York Times announced that he won the award, it featured Atienza’s photograph on a full-page ad. Beneath the photograph was a white space. Friends who saw the ad said that was a waste of space. But not for Atienza – that white space, he says, is for all Filipino teachers.

He expresses optimism that the Philippines will become a hub for English language teaching. Reports that Filipino fluency in the language has been slipping is news to him.

“It’s a bit sad,” he says, noting that decades ago, the country was the No. 1 English-speaking nation in Asia.
Atienza says he hopes the award will allow him to pursue projects with local English teachers.

He’s thinking of setting up an exchange program to promote English literacy between Esol teachers in the United States and in the Philippines.

He also wants to set up a Filipino language center in New York because Filipino immigrants want their children to learn their native language.

Madonna Decena: British Pinay Singing Sensation

After Charisse Pempengco, another Pinay singer in the person of Madonna Decena is making very very good in Britain’s Got Talent 2008 talent search. Madonna Decena’s Youtube video performance is truly impressive making her the new Pinay singing sensation abroad.

Madonna Decena could win the Britain’s Got Talent 2008 competition. Though many pinoys and pinays were saddened by Ramielle Malubay’s elimination from American Idol 2008 Season 7, the Filipino music fans are once again hopeful that in Madonna Decena, the Philippine flag will finally fly high (again). And this time, it could be in Great Britain.

Also, according to the Youtube website:

“Madonna Decena blows the judges and audience away on Britains Got Talent 2008 with a breathtaking performance of this famous Whitney Houston song..Britains Got Talent 2008.

But this 33 year-old from the Philippines lived up to her billing, as she wowed the judges and audience with her powerful performance and heart-felt story.

Trembling and a little unsure of herself, Madonna Decena walked onto the stage and told everyone her reason for being there.

Six months ago she flew out to Britain in the hope of creating a better life for herself and two young daughters. Agonisingly she had to leave her precious children behind with their grandparents in the Philippines, until she had raised enough money to send for them.

Madonna Decena’s rendition of I Will Always Love You brought a collective lump to the auditorium’s throat.

“I know you were singing that song for your babies” said a tearful Amanda.

This audition was no Holiday for Madonna, it was potentially life-changing, and when the panel told her she had made it to the next round… it was as if all her dreams had been answered, just Like A Prayer.”

Now, who says, Madonna Decena can’t whoop arse with her performance? I predict she’s going to make it big in showbiz. She has some celebrity qualities and given the right break, she might even be the next big singing star in Hollywood. Well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Madonna Decena can be just that - a celebrity. I also hope someday we can hear her voice in MP3’s, cellphone ringtones ready for downloads, radios and TV shows. Having Madonna Decena’s singing in my cellphone as ringtone would be great. The music industry could be where she truly belongs.

Charlie Green - another Filipino in ‘Britain’s Got Talent’

Madonna Decena isn’t the only Filipino on the reality search, “Britain’s Got Talent.”

According to various blogs, 32-year-old Decena’s stiffest rival could very well be Charlie Green, an 11-year-old Filipino-British jazz singer who similarly wowed judges and audiences in the show’s Birmingham tryouts.

Green, who sang Frank Sinatra’s “Summer Wind,” received a standing ovation from the audience and rave reviews from the three judges: Show co-creator Simon Cowell, journalist Piers Morgan and theater actress Amanda Holden.

The usually caustic Cowell commended the kid: “You’re a little star.” Morgan praised his dancing; Holden predicted that the kid would win the tilt.

Like Decena, Green is advancing to the next round of the contest.

Filipino bloggers have readily embraced Green as Pinoy. One site reported that Charlie’s mom, Cecilia Sumargo, “hails from Dumanjug, Cebu.”

Inquirer Entertainment asked Decena in an e-mail interview if she had heard of Green’s Filipino roots.

“I heard, but I can’t confirm,” she replied. “But it’s been reported [that he’s half-Filipino]. Based on his looks, it’s evident that he has Asian blood.”

Confirmation

Various reports have since confirmed that Green is, indeed, half-Filipino.

According to the Daily Mail, Green, who’s from Droitwich, Worcestershire, was coached by his father Roger, principal vocalist of the Black and White Minstrels which was featured on a BBC show from 1958 to 1978.

The pint-sized warbler told the Daily Mail: “Because my dad is a singer, there’s always music in the house. I love Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé. I’d love to sing with [them].”

On the show, he said that his dream is to become a professional singer. “It’s something I just picked up naturally when I was growing up.”

The same online report recounted that Green had performed at the Royal Opera House at St. James Palace for Princess Anne.

Green’s home page confirmed this, adding that meeting the Princess Royal at age 8 was the highlight of his young career.

According to his website, Green, who was born on February 16, 1997, started singing tunes like “New York, New York” and “If I Were a Rich Man” at age 2 for family and friends.

A year later, he joined a talent show, singing “All of Me” on the cruise ship Ocean Majesty.

For one so young, he has built an impressive résumé, performing in different theaters across the UK.

Last year, Green also recorded a Christmas song, “Hands Around the World,” composed by Cedric Whitehouse.

According to the kid’s homepage, Whitehouse (who had previously worked with artists like Roy Orbison, Kenny Rogers and Chaka Khan) invited the kid to record the song for charity.

Green’s chosen beneficiary is Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, a cause close to his heart because a good friend, Murray Field, suffers from that ailment.

Great moments for Filipino artists in Europe

MANILA, Philippines - As we celebrate the triumphs of Cecile Licad, Otoniel Gonzaga, Jonathan Zaens and Rachelle Gerodias in Europe, let's take note of the fact that other Filipinos were actually making waves in that part of the world much earlier.

The late baritone Aurelio Estanislao and conductor Oscar Yatco figured in a European competition way before Gonzaga's time as a major prizewinner.

Way before soprano Evelyn Mandac sang Susanna opposite Kiri Te Kanawa’s Countess in "The Marriage of Figaro"at the Salzburg Festival, mezzo soprano Conchita Gaston was the definitive Carmen in Holland and Germany.

Many years earlier, composer Richard Strauss was coaching our own Jovita Fuentes in the German production of "Salome," and soprano Isang Tapales was making waves in Opera Comique in Paris opposite Beniamino Gigli, the idol of Luciano Pavarotti.

Before Zaens debuted in Prague, José Mossessgeld Santiago-Font went straight to La Scala in Milan after his stints as a Caruso scholar.

Cagayan-born soprano Eleanor Calbes toured Germany and sang over a dozen performances of a major part in Bernstein's "West Side Story"—in German!

Next week, Licad plays Gerswhin's Concerto in F (her first) in Germany before a series of Rach 3 in the United States.

Double victory

What does it take to make it in Europe?

One can find a lot of insight from the transcript of my last interview with violinist Carmencita Lozada before she passed away a couple of years ago.

While Yatco was teaching in Hannover and Mandac was making her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, Lozada was taking Europe by storm.

After her double victory at the Paganini Competition in Genoa, Lozada was harvesting acclaim in Germany, Holland, Austria, Great Britain, Belgium Greece and Poland.

In West Germany, Lozada was described by German critics as a violinist with "volcanic temperament and fascinating with exotic sparkle." Still others saw "the devil of a violinist in her blood."

In Holland, a critic noted: "Lozada played with nearly superhuman virtuosity, passionate yet controlled musical temperament and a remarkably right feeling for rhythm."

Lozada admitted that her earlier stint at the Vienna Academy made her absorb different musical periods and styles and exposed her to musical buoyancy.

"In Europe is where you feel a lot of musical energy," she said of that time. "Both young talents and seasoned artists have the chance to join festivals and competitions."

One of the highlights of her European sojourn was being chosen as a last-minute substitute for a famous violinist to play a Sibelius concerto in Frankfurt.

In France, she discovered her recital was graced by a famous violinist, Henryk Szeryng, who was very enthusiastic when he greeted her backstage.

Lozada further reflected: "To be a real artist in its truest sense is always a tough one. It is never easy. But if your talent for that is great, it becomes a compulsion and probably a responsibility. I am reminded of a concert I accepted in Holland.

"I was called as a last-minute substitute for a sick artist a day before a recital. I could no longer engage my accompanist, who was also not available at the time. Nevertheless, I accepted to play the concert and proposed an evening of violin sonatas for violin alone. My repertoire consisted of solo sonatas by Bach, Hindemith, Max Reger, Jean Martinon and Prokofiev.

"In the morning of the day of the concert, I warmed up routinely in the huge podium. And to conserve energy, I asked for a chair for my practice. On the evening of the performance, as I was about to go onstage, I saw the same lonely chair in the middle of the huge stage-a sight which made me almost break into laughter. With that chair, the audience probably expected a grandmother violinist. The audience broke into laughter when I pushed the chair out of my way with my feet. I was 26 then!

"After the concert, I had a headache for three days due to the concentration I mustered because of the tough unaccompanied repertoire. I believe very few artists would dare face such a challenge on one-day notice. But the audience response, which was overwhelming, made up for all that preparation.

"To be an artist, it is important to have spiritual insight, individualistic nuances within the confines of the style. Once the mastery of the piece is achieved, the artist surrenders to the dictates of the music as in a trance. There is no substitute for total immersion in the music."

Fortunately, Lozada made a recording of her European and Philippine engagements before she passed away.

Nurses from Philippines remain close through decades in Upstate

From left, Spartanburg Regional nurses Nelda Hope, Victoria Baumann, Maria Bernardi, Ofelia Lopez and Macaria Bandigas traveled from the Philippines to pursue careers in Spartanburg 33 years ago.

Thirty-three years ago, five Spartanburg Regional Medical Center nurses came to Spartanburg from the Philippines knowing nothing about Spartanburg. They spent two years feeling homesick, but now they proudly call Spartanburg home.

They were in their early 20s when they came here and have lived in Spartanburg ever since.

"We love Spartanburg," said Ofelia Lopez, staff nurse in the hospital's mother and baby unit. "It's our home. People opened their arms and welcomed us, even though we didn't know what they were saying at first," because of the Southern accents and slang.

The Philippines is a popular destination for U.S. hospitals looking to hire nurses because of the shortage of people pursuing medical professions in the United States. Zerno Martin, former senior vice president of the hospital, recruited in the Philippines twice and recruited those nurses in 1975.

"Their eagerness to come here kind of surprised me," said Martin, who estimates he interviewed at least 50 nursing students from morning to night for three or four days.

Martin said many people in the Philippines speak English and nursing students follow a curriculum similar to those in the United States.

It was an intense process for the nurses, who spent six months taking exams and being interviewed by recruiters. Filipino nurses are still heavily recruited across the world. Some Filipino doctors attend nursing school so they can make more money abroad as nurses.

"People want to leave the country to go other places and make money, and nursing is always in demand everywhere," Lopez said.

Nelda Hope, educational coordinator; Maria Bernardi, staff nurse in Neuro ICU; Victoria Baumann, staff nurse in the labor and delivery department; and Macaria Bandigas, staff nurse in the pulmonary department, are the other nurses still in Spartanburg after what they remember being a chilly February day when they arrived.

In all, 23 nurses came to Spartanburg from the Philippines that February. Sixteen came to work at Spartanburg General Hospital, Spartanburg Regional's previous name, and seven went to Mary Black Memorial Hospital. Lopez and Bandigas were originally at Mary Black before moving to Spartanburg General a couple of years later.

Temperatures were in the 90s when they left the Philippines. They remember their lips cracking and skin getting dry once they arrived in Spartanburg.

"It was probably 50 degrees, but we were freezing," Hope said.

In 1987, Hope helped the hospital recruit nurses in the Philippines. Baumann returned to the Philippines in 1977, and Hope recruited her to come back to Spartanburg. Hope now has a niece leaving the Philippines for a nursing job in Rockingham, N.C.

The women usually get together monthly. All are U.S. citizens and married with children. Their families celebrate holidays together and enjoy Filipino meals. They also keep in touch with many of the nurses who left Spartanburg. Many went to California, and three of the Spartanburg nurses are planning a vacation this summer with some of those nurses.

Two men were part of that original group of nurses, including one who is a Catholic priest in Florence now.

Lopez said grocery shopping was one of their favorite things to do shortly after arriving in Spartanburg.

"There was an abundance of food that I'd never seen before," Lopez said.

Doctors and others at the hospital hosted parties to welcome them, and they were invited to have dinner with families. Lopez also remembers people staring at them wherever they went and being asked where they were from.

Bernardi has photo albums with pictures from her arrival, and she still has her flight itinerary and airline ticket stub, too. There also are photos of the dormitory they stayed in, which is now the location of the hospital's outpatient center.

Nurses at both Spartanburg General and Mary Black had men they considered "big brothers."

Ken Hollifield was a surgical technician at Spartanburg General when the nurses came and met them at a reception held to welcome them.

"I knew they wouldn't have transportation, and I volunteered to take them shopping and to do chores," said Hollifield, who still works at the hospital.

Hollifield said he visited New York, Washington, D.C., and Texas with the nurses. He still keeps in touch with some of the nurses who left for California.

"We were friends then and truly remained friends throughout the years," Hollifield said.

He remembers them joking about how the nurses heard so much about the skyscrapers in New York and Los Angeles, and they were looking for tall buildings when they landed in Spartanburg.

"We were young and foolish," said Lopez while reminiscing about coming to the United States.

"And pretty," Bandigas added.